via thesunnews.net
Age 82, Young at Heart, Dr. Calkins pens his family history! Three cheers for the Doctor! Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
2012 Featured Collections - Ancestry.com
2012 Featured Collections - Ancestry.com
Does anyone know how long Ancestry will keep its door open on the free access to these collections?
Does anyone know how long Ancestry will keep its door open on the free access to these collections?
Fold3 - Historical military records
via fold3.com
I will begin the new year with no subscription to either "fold3" or ancestry.com. I don't have a subscription to company that archives and makes available the historical newspapers.
This next year, I will still have plenty to do, plenty of resources to check out. For example, I've hardly begun to skim the surface of www.findagrave.com or www.familysearch.org. I have access to Heritage Quest through the local library. There is Rootsweb, the "free arm" of Ancestry, and also www.usgenweb, where many volunteers have posted information.
When I'm not looking at the Internet at free resources, I can always tidy my "papers". I can scan photos and original documents, as well as notes and maps. I will aim to collaborate with family, get closer kin to take part of the load, and make memories with grandchildren.
All of the subscription services will still be available down the road, should I decide I can't live without them. I marvel at the giant companies that have managed to gather and make accessible, wonderful historic records and genealogy databases. I just choose do something else for now, for my own private reasons. And there is a ton I can do, for free! Maybe I'll even re-learn how to write a letter or a query.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Lawmakers urge VA to keep better records - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times
Lawmakers urge VA to keep better records
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Dec 6, 2012 13:27:02 ESTLawmakers are pressing for digitization of military records, and better file sharing among agencies responsible for them, following media reports of missing or inaccurate unit records and the temporary disappearance of 250 files from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.
In November, media investigators at Pro Publica and the Seattle Times found that the Veterans Benefits Administration denied some claims because service members’ units had lost or inaccurately catalogued their field records, making it impossible to prove they had deployed or suffered a service-related medical condition.
And on July 3, a person walking in the woods behind the records repository in St. Louis found a dumped cache of 250 military records. A follow-on investigation found they’d been unloaded by a temporary employee who was supposed to have filed them.
Rep. Jon Runyan, R-N.J., said Tuesday that problems must be addressed by all three agencies that handle troop records, including the Defense Department, Veterans Affairs Department and the National Archives, to ensure the records are “initiated, maintained and transferred as efficiently as possible.”
“Often, a single record or notation can be the difference in whether a veteran’s disability claim is granted or denied. This is why we must work together to ensure that no records are lost, overlooked or otherwise unable to be associated with an individual disability claim,” said Runyan, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s disability assistance and memorial affairs panel.
Several initiatives are underway to digitize records and ensure accuracy. DoD and VA are piloting a $4 billion integrated electronic health records system to ease the transfer of information between the departments; VA is rolling out the Veterans Benefits Management System, a paperless claims processing system; and NRPC maintains an electronic system that the tracks records and automates work assignments.
Veterans’ advocacy groups pressed Congress during a Dec. 4 hearing on the matter to encourage creation of a Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record that would include an individual’s complete personnel and medical information starting from recruitment.
They also urged Congress to press the military to reconstruct lost unit records and lower the standard of proof for veterans to provide information related to claims when records are lost.
According to Vietnam Veterans of American, among 3,956 claims appeals of veterans represented by VVA between 2001 and 2003, 954 involved missing service records.
“There should be no way that the VBA should be able to deny their claims based on lack of military records,” said Michael Viterna, president of the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates.
Ranking subcommittee member Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., said managers and the employees who handle military records must take their responsibilities seriously.
“Veterans and their families should not be burdened with the responsibility of recreating lost files, providing multiple copies of records that once were in DoD or VA’s possession,” McNerney said.
Runyan promised follow-on hearings to address the problems associated with lost and inaccurate unit records and closer scrutiny of record-keeping in general, which he considers vital to clearing VA’s disability claims backlog.
In a Wednesday email to Military Times, National Archives Chief Operating Officer Jay Bosanko said the administration is investigating the displacement of the records in St. Louis and the Justice Department is also looking into the matter.
He added that the records were recovered and affected veterans are being notified.
“The National Archives carries the responsibility for collecting and preserving the service records of America’s military members. This responsibility is serious. … It is also very great, with hundreds of millions of documents in our care. No one takes that responsibility more seriously than the archivist, David S. Ferriero, himself a Navy veteran,” Bosanko wrote.
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With military cuts in the works, lawmakers may be disappointed that their concerns may get way-laid. However, it seems a worthy goal and I'm all for it. In the cited case, a temp worker obviously didn't want to work. What's wrong with that picture?
Saturday, December 08, 2012
Vintage Minolta Camera
Vintage Minolta Camera
Hope someone who sees this ad will want this camera or forward it to someone who wants it! It is an antique but still takes good pictures (35mm film).
Hope someone who sees this ad will want this camera or forward it to someone who wants it! It is an antique but still takes good pictures (35mm film).
Friday, December 07, 2012
Mormons and Gays
I hope this website helps me and others to understand that we should strive to love each other as we are loved by our Heavenly Father. We are each unique and challenged in this life by various circumstances. Standing together and believing in the worth of souls will help us get through hard times.
Tell John Boehner To Stop Purging Fiscal Conservatives! - FreedomWorks
Tell John Boehner To Stop Purging Fiscal Conservatives! - FreedomWorks
I will be calling his office tomorrow morning; you can be sure! I didn't think he would ever give in to the pressure of the President or some other person or group.
I will be calling his office tomorrow morning; you can be sure! I didn't think he would ever give in to the pressure of the President or some other person or group.
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
A Brief History of Florida - Education - Florida Facts - Florida Division of Historical Resources
A Brief History of Florida - Education - Florida Facts - Florida Division of Historical Resources
The rich tapestry of Florida's history is a great story to share with your family.
The rich tapestry of Florida's history is a great story to share with your family.
Welcome - Viva Florida 500
What is Viva Florida 500
Viva Florida 500 commemorates Florida's rich heritage and diverse cultural history through 2013, a significant milestone unlike any other in the history of the United States. As 2013 nears, this website reflects the plans, activities and events that will mark Florida's 500th anniversary, a statewide and year-long event. Learn More.
What's New
Expedition Florida 500: An adventure more than 500 years in the making
The 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de León's landing on Florida's east coast has inspired the rediscovery of Florida's unique ecosystems, waterways and coastlines. Learn more about Expedition Florida 500.
The Viva Florida 500 time capsule is coming to a library near you
To encourage activities in every community in each of Florida's 67 counties, the Department has provided a Viva Florida 500 Time Capsule to every county library in the state. Learn More about the Viva Florida 500 time capsule
A Message from Governor Rick Scott
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via fla500.com
I'm just learning about this celebration. Perhaps you or your organization will want to support it and participate in the plans and activities.
Easiest Online Backup Service - Backblaze
via backblaze.com
Storage. With so much to lose if our files are compromised, we have to be concerned about backing up our files. This is one tool that seems fairly inexpensive. I suggest using two or three different tools for the purpose. This could be just one way to save your genealogy files. Consider researching other ways as well and make a commitment to protect your research.
WorldCat for genealogy [OCLC]
via oclc.org
The terminology a lot of us continue to use is "BOOKS", alas the age of technology is changing us everyday. We seek a lot of information from online sources, now. Digitized databases and resources abound. Fortunately, World Cat is not just about books. It's about all kinds of documents and all about research that we genealogists still need to do. I'm excited to use such an intensive tool. Tell us what you found at World Cat!
Saturday, December 01, 2012
Happy Birthday Gatherings are a Positive Experience
I had a great time, tonight, helping my son celebrate his birthday. He hadn't had the best week of his life, or of this day, but bravely, he chose to share with us this family tradition where we all (as many as are available) get together. I think my mom and dad had given us kids the example to follow. The only mistake they made was in letting me lead the way in planning the occasion!
I remember one time, my mother said I could invite some classmates to my tenth or eleventh birthday party. I invited the whole seventh grade! Seriously. I don't think my parents knew that I had done this. Just before the party, my mother had to go to the hospital--right now, I couldn't tell you what the situation was. Anyway, a neighbor offered to help my dad go ahead with the party.
Wow! Did she have a surprise! People just kept arriving. My dad was giving horse rides--no Thunder or maybe it was Stormy--was a full grown horse. The kids, my friends, most of whom I had known from first grade, were loving it. We didn't think about liability those days. Or at least, if my dad thought of it, he never shared with me. I'm pretty sure that our neighbor never forgot that day, as she tried to replenish the food table!
But tonight was different. My grandchildren (the three that live here in the area) were in good spirits. My son, Kevin, participated and my Birthday son's wish was to eat at a pizza parlour in Destin, (Graffitti), which was fine with all. After all, you only turn 49, once! Richard, the birthday boy, will always be young at heart. These days, I don't think any of us look at age quite the way my parents did, possibly. The older generation is living longer and healthier. It's hard for me to believe that just 17 years ago, when I turned fifty, I was sure I could care less. Surprise, surprise! A dark cloud of depression met me on the day of my birthday. I couldn't shake it; my body knew and my brain knew that I was about to head over the hill.
Whatever happens in life, it is good to know that you have family who care about you. Every birthday is good if you still have some family or friends to share it. And if you don't, then you just have to invite folks who need a laugh at your expense! This is Richard's son. He's seventeen now, but this picture is a couple of years old, I believe. 
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