How movies move us...

I recently re-watched a couple of movies that I enjoyed the first time I had seen them.  I wanted to see them again and see if I could squeeze a little more out of them, a little better understanding of the story and more enjoyment.

Movies are not like books.  A physical book that we've purchased or borrowed, is like a deep pool that will wait on us to discover and/or re-discover.  We can stop reading, turn back a few pages and review, if we don't quite see the scope of the story.  If we don't "get it", we can read more carefully or choose to read another book.

With a movie, the story plows on, cutting a trail through you, proceeding merrily along its way and you hope you caught the dialogue.  You can go to the theater and see the movie six times or whatever if you have the money or a copy of the movie.  I choose carefully, what movies I watch, knowing that the images and "FX" are likely to imprint themselves on my mind in ways that a book can't do. 

Keep this thought in mind as you conduct your personal pursuit through the amazing wealth of entertainment offerings: What deserves your attention, time, and commitment?  Will the ride be so remarkable that you will want to read a book twice or watch a movie again?

I'm sure that part of the answer to that query depends on what your are looking for when you reach for external sources of entertainment.  Do you want relaxation, stimulation, political commentary, or just a good, well-written story that is crafted to make you suspend your reality?

I'm not a movie watcher in the sense of seeing a lot of movies; it's difficult for me to sit still unless I have traveled to a dedicated place, such as a movie theater.  Sometimes, there's no one at home and a movie comes on television and I'm ready to dig in for the entire time, with a snack nearby...

Such was the case when I settled down in my recliner and watched those two movies (on different days).  First movie I re-watched was "Julie and Julia". 

I can't believe that the movie came out six years ago!  When I am watching, I often have my computer in my lap (a laptop) and if I have a question, I can zip over to Wikipedia and read that Meryl Streep and Amy Adams had co-starred in two other movies.

The other movie that I recently watched was "Seabiscuit"; it is a story set in the relatively recent period of time and don't let it fool you into thinking it's just another horse story.  Horse lovers will enjoy the movie, I think, but the courage and grace of "Seabiscuit" rubs off on the people, too.

What's a movie you'd like to watch again?  What movie makes you want to go and read the book?  What movie inspires you write in your blog or rethink your dream?  Which character do you admire? 

Are movies always true to the story?  Enrich your life and have some fun.  See a movie soon! 

Movie Issues and Recommendations, Movie Reviews, etc.:

• No rated "R" for me

• The LDS Church and "R" rated movies: another view.

• Fifty Best Movies for Kids

• Mormon Guy Movie Reviews

• Movies That Stand the Test of Time?  You Decide.

Enjoying TV

The Mentalist

The Pursuit of Liberty

People who do violence, who terrorize those that are unable to defend themselves, need to know the following with certainty:

1.  They will be tracked down and found.
2.  They will face the rule of law, or the law of the land.  They will be held ACCOUNTABLE.
3.  The hope that their sentence will be commuted when they get old and sick or that they will have a hope of being set free through a prisoner exchange should be crushed by knowing that those who love peace and value freedom will not ever let it happen.

Insult to the United States?

What a horrible shame it would be if ISIS gains control of Kobani and is allowed to be just 8 miles from Baghdad Airport! This is a slam against the United States, no two ways about it. Did we really send our troops to fight and some of them to die or be seriously injured so that ISIS could rule that part of the world?

I can't believe what is happening. It's not like we don't have interests in that part of the world. It's not like many of our countrymen and women aren't from that part of the world. It's not like we haven't already invested our blood and money in that part of the world.

 Someone knows the answer to this puzzle, but my heart breaks for those who must live under tyranny for our lack of action.

Tell me that all will be well.  Tell me that evil has had its day, that we have reached the red line and protect it from being infringed upon.

• Fox News Today

• Bloomberg

• Voice of America 

• Obama's Feckless Strategy

 "If this falls, the 700, plus perhaps the 12,000 people, apart from the fighters, will be most likely massacred," de Mistura said. The United Nations believes 700 mainly elderly civilians are trapped in the town itself and 12,000 have left the center but not made it across the border into Turkey."  (REUTERS)

We are grateful for the words of a living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. #ldsconf pic.twitter.com/x2VguzHfOJ

— Mormon Times (@mormontimes) October 5, 2014

Hundreds of Besieged Yazidis Evacuated in Northern Iraq - WSJ

Hundreds of Besieged Yazidis Evacuated in Northern Iraq - WSJ



I gather that the evacuation and the humanitarian efforts are somewhat complicated by Syrian Kurdis soldiers who are designated by our country as terrorists.  What's the story there?

Genealogy Roots Blog: Online Indexes for Death Records, Cemeteries and Obituaries - Latest Additions

Genealogy Roots Blog: Online Indexes for Death Records, Cemeteries and Obituaries - Latest Additions



Thanks, Joe Beine!  If you were my teacher I'd bring you an apple.  Attention Beginning Genealogists:  Need a clue where to find records.  Check at this blog and follow "Online Indexes".

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino:

I am on vacation to visit family and enjoy a break from my routine and from the humidity and heat of Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  My dau-in-law has a book club meeting coming up soon and she asked if I wanted to read their monthly selection.  That's how I began a journey into the mind of Ishigami, an unassuming individual who just happened to earn a living teaching math.

In the book are some situations and events that stimulated me to review the current moral standards I adhere to as opposed to the standards that Ishigami chose to follow.  A different time, a different clime, and a faraway nation with a culture unlike any other on the planet is the setting.  I can't really say much more than that without revealing the plot and story that is Ishigami's life.  I think you might find it worth reading.

I have to thank my sweet daughter-in-law for directing me to this book.  She is a hardworking person at two libraries, right now.  Libraries are amazing places and the people who work there are, often, the very person who can help you find the reading material you are looking for. 

What to Do with Those Old Family Photos, Letters, and Documents

What to Do with Those Old Family Photos, Letters, and Documents



This news reminds us that having a dedicated time and place to scan our documents will help us carry through with our goals.  Scanning your documents and photos straight to your FamilySearch account makes the chore a one-step process.  

Baker forced to make gay wedding cakes, undergo sensitivity training, after losing lawsuit | Fox News

Baker forced to make gay wedding cakes, undergo sensitivity training, after losing lawsuit | Fox News



I was under the impression that if the product or service was one not essential to life as we know it....



Stand the issue, the specific issue, on its head.  Turn it around.  While wedding cake is possibly considered an essential part of the revelry following the marriage, does it really matter who makes it?  I guess if you want the best possible wedding cake, you go to the top baker, right?  Or maybe the only one in your town who makes wedding cakes?  Would you really want to have the guy bake the cake if he didn't want to?



There are all kinds of ways to look at this.  Personally, I am not sure I would care who was ordering the cake, but then again, I might want to preserve my right to refuse.  I wouldn't be excited to be doing business with an abortionist, for example.

Because of Him

Because of Him



As many of you did, today, I attended church.  Sometimes, people who don't regularly attend every Sunday, come out on Easter.  It is always good to see old friends.  I've been "subbing" for the pianist. only right now we don't have a regular pianist or organist.  It's difficult for me as it has been many years since I had practiced my skill and I don't have a piano, right now.  I get a little nervous (stressed).



However, what a privilege it is to play the Easter anthems or maybe there just plain hymns, but to me they are anthems!  I really look forward to celebrating Christ's triumph over sin and over the grave, and from what I've heard on the news, I'm not alone.  People in the Ukraine greet each other, "He is Risen!" and I hope for them a peaceful resolution to their current challenges.



Because, Easter is all about Hope, isn't it?  Jesus Christ, we believe, gave Himself, a Sacrifice, that we might be triumphant over sin and over the grave.  Hosanna! they shouted when rode through Jerusalem.  Hosanna!  May we hold onto our faith with even greater vigor than in the past!  We are not alone and there still are thousands, and tens of thousands that Believe, all across the world.  Let that be our strength in the unity of the faith.

FGS 2014 Conference Home

FGS 2014 Conference Home

 What a wonderful way to beat the summer doldrums!  Wish I could go; I've been to one FGS National Conference and is was full of wonderful surprises.

In the wake of Kathleen Sebelius’s ouster from her job as secretary of Health and Human Services, there has emerged a debate about what the Los Angeles Times calls “Obamacare and the Sebelius legacy.”From a moral perspective, th...

In the wake of Kathleen Sebelius’s ouster from her job as secretary of Health and Human Services, there has emerged a debate about what the Los Angeles Times calls “Obamacare and the Sebelius legacy.”

From a moral perspective, th...



I find this very interesting.

What is Russia doing to Ukraine?

What is Russia doing to Ukraine?



If you want to know more about the Budapest Memorandum,  click the link.  Russia (Putin) is not abiding by the agreement.  Very subtly, for a number of years, they have been trying to undermine the agreement.  Now, it isn't so subtle anymore.

What is really happening in Ukraine (daily updates) from Nazar Bartosik

Family Before Phone – Behaviorally-Sound New Years Resolutions | Mormon Life Hacker

Family Before Phone – Behaviorally-Sound New Years Resolutions | Mormon Life Hacker



This article is worth reading.  Don't you think so?

How net neutrality fight may change your internet - CNN.com

How net neutrality fight may change your internet - CNN.com



The proposed change means that POSSIBLY, big companies will have the money to pay for big access.  Web based ".org" concerns may not be able to pay the bill, nor would state and county generated sites be able to compete.  This means that some of us who are enjoying the wide range of access currently available on the Internet, might not have the luxury of accessing our favorite, albeit, modest, non-profit sites.



Am I getting the gist here?  I am a genealogist.  The sites I love to access are not limited to Ancestry.com or other large corporations.  I frequently make use of the dot org sites or dot com sites that literally were start-ups at one time, plus other sites like FamilySearch, USGenWeb, Findagrave.com, Cyndislist.com, and so forth.  I depend on access to archival web sites often sponsored by genealogy and history societies and even by individuals.

Okay, I want to be distracted, sometimes.  Jigzone.com is one of my favorite distractions; at the same time, it is an awesome way to keep my brain active.  I don't usually use the timer function, or rather, pay attention to it.  But if you want to compete against yourself or others, go for it.  My aim is all about recreation.

Is the Internet Eating Up My Time, Energy, and Soul?

Here's a link to an article that I half read this morning:

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s42/sh/b9ccb799-9bc0-4486-b84b-3968c88bc9f9/06709efc60595c6a3a066413b238c6fb

Some very thought provoking statements are made in this article.  In short, I encourage you to read and highlight those that make an impact on you. 

Is it the nature of social networking to distract us from reality?  Is social networking bad in and of itself?  How should we use social networking to complement our lives?  What other Internet activities might be more worthwhile?

I often have to limit my time on the Internet as I do "have a life".  So, what time I do spend on social networking should be limited, also, right? Making a plan for my day and assessing my priorties should come first and I can consciously make a decision of how much time to spend "sharing", reading posts on Facebook, tweeting, etc. 

Family History is one of the things I enjoy doing on the Internet, but is it a replacement for me actually getting things done in my life that are just as important? 

Visiting with a neighbor, calling an old friend, cleaning my house, taking time for prayer---these are worthwhile and consume time and effort.  I think sometimes that the more I watch television, the more I read a book on Kindle, the more time I spend on the Internet, the less time I'm actually moving around, the less time I'm becoming who I want to be and the less time I'm serving the Lord.

Re-Seasoning Old Iron Skillet

 This one has an "engraved" name on it.  All I can read is Gidney.



Pans of the "cast-iron persuasion" can be hand-me-downs, right?  Here are some pics I took of the ones that have been in my family for generations.  Not sure if they are are from my paternal line (Grandma Hall made cornbread in a similar pan), or from my maternal line, (I'm not sure if I can remember mother cooking in these or not).

I have looked up articles having to do with cleaning and re-seasoning an old cast iron skillet that has been in my family for generations.  If you have a similar challenge, you might want to explore the links below.

• CHOWHOUND: Use cheap oven cleaner!

This is a small pan.  Perfect for an egg or two!

•  What's Cooking America:  This article is very comprehensive! Thorough, etc.; No oven cleaner used.

•  I Believe I Can Fry: This article recommends using oven-cleaner?!

I just looked these links up on Google and there are many more.  Some recommend high heat for seasoning, others say low-heat.  I'm not sure which is best.  Guess I will have to try or experiment with one or the other of these options.  I'll let you know how it turns out, but it would seem that there's a science associated with not only cleaning, re-seasoning, and cooking in cast iron, as well as storing it.  The one common piece of advice that I encountered was: NEVER BOIL WATER IN YOUR CAST IRON PAN.

RNA's Secret Life Outside the Cell - Wired Science

RNA's Secret Life Outside the Cell - Wired Science

I love living in an age of scientific discovery.  I'm not sure I understand it all, but I do try to read and understand as best I can, what lies beneath or outside or inside of me!

Buns In My Oven » Sweet Potato Cookies with Browned Butter Glaze

Buns In My Oven » Sweet Potato Cookies with Browned Butter Glaze

I'm featuring this web site and the recipe because I enjoy the commentary that goes along with the blog, as well as the yumminess of the recipes.

Sweet potatoes remind me of fall, harvest, pumpkins, squash, orange and yellow veggies and warm, mellow times.   As for scary movies, I try not to watch them! 

Today, I went to a genealogical seminar in Pensacola, Florida.  It was held at the auditorium of Washington High School and the speaker was Megan Smolenyak.  For the better part of the day, I got my head stuffled with super wise information, inspiration, and my stomach wasn't neglected, either.  The West Florida Genealogical Society welcomed us with an array of refreshments that stayed out on the table during the breaks as well as for a "continental" breakfast.  I seriously love Megan (a derivative of my own moniker, "Margaret"); she is my heroine.

For lunch, us girls who traveled together forty-something miles to attend the seminar, visited Panera's at Cordova Mall.  I had the Autumn Squash soup and it is to die for!  I loved it!  Just put me in the mood for Thanksgiving and all healthful delicious stuff!  

A plan for 2014 - Tea Party Nation

A plan for 2014 - Tea Party Nation

I don't think a lot of Republicans are aware that there is a fierce battle about to take place in the 2014 Vote between moderate and "tea-party" Republicans.  I am very fond of some of my friends who belong to the Tea Party.  It truly is a grass roots organization.  Are there rogue elements?  Perhaps, but for the most part, I think it has been (the tea party) has been a balancing influence in the Republican party.  What is a moderate wing correlation?  Where do the grass roots go, if not to the Tea-Party?

If only Glenn Beck could galvanize his following!  Some of us have not given up on the Republican Party, but some of us are tired of the friction and fracturing.  Why can't the Republican Party represent both conservatives and moderates.  Some issues could be compromised on; some cannot.  Republicans, even moderate or liberal Republicans, should embrace grass roots as a valid part of the party.  Those of us who are sick of the non-accountability of Democratic politicians in economic matters, need a voice.  Those of us who fear accomodation in the cultural fabric of society as governed by the feds, need a voice.

Who voted for Health Care Reform, yea or nay?

Who voted for Health Care Reform (Obamacare) is laid out plainly, here.  Is that going to be a watermark for who we vote for in 2014?  It could be one of them.

About the Midterm Congressional Elections

About the Midterm Congressional Elections

It's not too soon to start the education process for the 2014 elections that will change (or not) the face of our representation in Congress.

2014 Senate Elections: Here is the Republican Roadmap to Victory - PolicyMic

2014 Senate Elections: Here is the Republican Roadmap to Victory - PolicyMic

Senate’s pivotal 2014 races take shape - Elections - The Sacramento Bee

Senate’s pivotal 2014 races take shape - Elections - The Sacramento Bee

We, the people, need to be watching the 2014 line-ups in every state, but especially the one we live in and where we can make a difference.

United States Senate elections, 2014 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

United States Senate elections, 2014 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Educate yourselves. 

November 4, 2014 is the Day you can Speak Your Conscience.

Is Kerry Setting Up Israel as the Fall Guy in the Syria WMD Deal | FrontPage Magazine

Is Kerry Setting Up Israel as the Fall Guy in the Syria WMD Deal | FrontPage Magazine

I've read now, a couple of thoughtful reviews of last week's events and the way they played out.  

Legal Dictionary | Law.com

Legal Dictionary | Law.com

I looked up "chancery" and also got a definition for "equity".  This web site or one like it will help you when you are doing research and come across a legal term you don't understand.  Examples of stuff that my dad found when he did research on the Givens family at the courthouse. 

Now, I just have to read those records (or search in my dad's stuff), to get the details!  A trip to the courthouse may be the faster of the two options.

Hatch, Colleagues Call on White House for Details on Obamacare Implementation at 21 Federal Agencies - Press Releases - United States Senator Orrin Hatch

Hatch, Colleagues Call on White House for Details on Obamacare Implementation at 21 Federal Agencies - Press Releases - United States Senator Orrin Hatch

How can I find out exactly which federal agencies are included in that 21 that were redirected from their regular mission to help implement Obamacare?  And by what authority were they redirected or rather whose authority and how much is all this costing over and above what was originally earmarked for Obamacare?

Sultan Knish posts "The End of Control"

Here's the link for the article: The End of Control.

Here are some of my comments:

Article says, "Increasing control is the only solution of the system to failure."

• Margaret  says, "This is patently obvious, now that think about it.  Look at the history of the government's attempts to fix and/or cover every expediency.  Look at the regulations, the addendums, the twists and the turns of federal law.  Where is the humility?  Where is the honesty, the common sense?  We send people to Congress to make laws, but perhaps we should send them to do away with some laws, especially as pertains to the laws that have no semblance or appearance of constitutionality."

GOP Widens Probe of Sebelius Fundraising for Enroll America

GOP Widens Probe of Sebelius Fundraising for Enroll America

It seems that someone else has questions about the Enroll America crew. 

Board of Directors - Enroll America

Board of Directors - Enroll America

This is the group that will be "educating" Americans in their enrollment process for Obamacare.  I intend on checking out the Board of Directors--do they have something to gain for their trouble?  If so, what?

A Scary Superbug, Caffeinated Bees and More - NYTimes.com

A Scary Superbug, Caffeinated Bees and More - NYTimes.com

A rare sunstone?  Tags: science, archaelogy, religion?

Gov. Christie’s $32.9B Budget Expands Medicaid, Increases School Aid « CBS New York

Gov. Christie’s $32.9B Budget Expands Medicaid, Increases School Aid « CBS New York

It's called a compromise and in some situations, it's what you got to do!

Teaching Students to Feel Guilty about Financial Success

Teaching Students to Feel Guilty about Financial Success

Brainwashing is all about mindset.  Trends.  Trending.  Indoctrination.  It takes bright, clever, liberal brains to craft a society that is based on destroying American dreams, American ingenuity, American values.

Hamburg resident Dr. Evan Calkins writes family history | Scene |News Classifieds Events

via thesunnews.net

Age 82, Young at Heart, Dr. Calkins pens his family history! Three cheers for the Doctor! Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

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?  

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.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Lawmakers urge VA to keep better records - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/12/military-lawmakers-urge-va-to-keep-...

Lawmakers urge VA to keep better records

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Dec 6, 2012 13:27:02 EST

Lawmakers 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.

Videos You May Be Interested In

Leave a Comment

via airforcetimes.com

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?

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

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).

Mormons and Gays

via mormonsandgays.org

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.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

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.

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.  

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

View Video Transcript
View the Governor's Proclamation

--->

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.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

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.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

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!

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

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. 

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Links to Other Winter Activities

[Winter Index]   [Coloring]   [Crafts]   [Games]   [Poems]   [Printables]   [Recipes]   [Riddles]   [Worksheets]

DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Links to Other Winter Activities

DLTK's Christmas Activities for Kids

DLTK's Inuit Activities

Coloring Pages with a Winter Theme

FirstSchool Seasons Activities

KidZone Penguins

KidZone Polar Bears

KidZone Winter Themed Math Pages

MakingLearningFun Snow and Snowmen Activities

 

FamilyCorner.com Winter Fun

    

via dltk-holidays.com

This is mostly for little kids or kids in the younger grades. However, if you're a grandma with company coming or a busy mom, you might want to plan ahead by acquiring green and red craft paper, glue sticks, glitter glue, and the odds and ends that some of the activities might require. Good luck and have fun!

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

The ILGenWeb Project

Links to the counties will be available soon.

The ILGenWeb Project's is located at:
http://illinoisgenweb.org

ILGenWeb Announcements Calendar

Please use the calendar to announce reunions, genealogical & historical meetings, etc.

Brief History of the State

The first Europeans to explore what is now Illinois were Frenchmen Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet, who reached the area in 1673. The area was controlled by the French until 1763, and was then controlled by the British. In 1778 it came under the control of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Territory of Illinois was created by an act of Congress in 1809. On December 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state admitted to the union.

For more in-depth history of the state, be sure to visit the The Illinois History Project.

Available Counties

The following counties are available for adoption:
Bureau, Edwards, Ford, Gallatin, Hardin, Henry, Jackson, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, Mercer, Morgan, Putnam, Rock Island, Saline, Stark, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash and Whiteside. If you are interested in adopting one of the above counties, please visit the adoptions page for more information.

Last Update:  Wednesday, 24-Oct-2012 22:16:48 EDT

via illinoisgenweb.org

This is a wonderful example of an USGenWeb page. I just discovered that one of my former students in the Center for Lifelong Learning is the State Coordinator for Illinois! I love how non-fussy and easy to use it is.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Stardock: Fences 2.0 is now available!

via stardock.com

You may be wondering, "What is this"?!! I stumbled across the free version of this program a few years ago and used it for a while. The idea of organizing and simplifying the Desktop provides a sense of being able to exercise a little control on an ever expanding number of icons and options.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Vintage Minolta Camera

Check out this website I found at okaloosa.craigslist.org

De-cluttering cleans out corners and makes money. Sometimes.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Turkish book on Darwin sparks outrage

A series of books for primary schoolchildren, describing Charles Darwin as a Jew with a big nose who kept the company of monkeys and other historical figures in anti-Semitic terms, has caused outrage in Turkey amid fears of rising religious intolerance.

A teachers’ union is taking legal action over the distribution of the books last week to about 1,000 schoolchildren in the Maltepe district of Istanbul. The local education authority, which approved the books and ultimately answers to the central government, has denied knowledge of their content.

More

On this topic

• Turkish musician accused of Islam insults
• EU lambasts Turkey over freedoms
• Syrian shelling leaves Erdogan with dilemma
• Turkey authorises sending troops to Syria

IN Europe

• Cameron talks tough before EU negotiations
• Crisis strains Hollande and Merkel’s unity
• Basque flourishes amid Spanish divide
• Berlusconi rejects sex charges

But the incident has already made waves far beyond Maltepe. It follows previous attacks in Turkey on the theory of evolution; last year, an internet filter briefly restricted access to evolutionist websites.

It also comes in the wake of wide-ranging education reforms pushed through this year by the country’s Islamist-rooted government, which have increased the number of religious schools in Turkey and introduced optional lessons on the Prophet Mohammed in ordinary state schools.

Such changes are hailed by the government as increasing freedom of choice in a country that for decades excluded the religiously conservative majority. Opponents say the secular educational system is being threatened.

“The education system is becoming reactionary; imams are now teaching religion in schools,” said Mehmet Aydogan, an official in the union asking for the books to be impounded. “These books are discrediting worldwide accepted artists and scientists and forcing students to think unscientifically.”

The European Commission and other bodies have long complained that the traditional Turkish education textbooks are deeply flawed, painting minorities as untrustworthy and treacherous.

But the books in Maltepe, intended as potted biographies, go further. A book on Albert Einstein describes the physicist as “filthy and slovenly”. Immediately after saying that he ate soap, it adds: “The sad part is during that time the Gestapo was putting Jews into ovens and making them into soap.”

The book on Darwin says the proponent of natural selection “had two problems: first he was a Jew; second, he hated his prominent forehead, big nose and misshapen teeth.” It adds that he threw nuts to monkeys at the zoo rather than go to school. Darwin was not Jewish.

Speaking to Turkey’s Radikal newspaper, Faik Kaptan, Maltepe’s director of education, said he had not read the books, adding: “It is not possible to check all the books distributed in the district.”

But Yaman Akdeniz, a professor of law at Istanbul’s Bilgi university, said that the attack on Darwin came in the context of a more general assault on evolution, which many Turks associate with atheism. Mr Akdeniz represented Richard Dawkins, the British scientist, in a case that successfully reversed a two-year ban on Mr Dawkins’ website. “Evolution is the second most sensitive issue after sexually explicit material,” he said.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012. You may share using our article tools.
Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.

Featured on Drudge

• Fed chief rounds on stimulus critics
• Anonymous withdraws support for WikiLeaks
• Obama to be more 'aggressive' in debate
• Secessionist wave sweeps Belgium
• Obama travel plans show map is wide open

Related articles

• In the mind's island
• 'Price-tag' attacks: The human toll extracted by extremists
• Tourism: The people keep on coming
• Genel at pains to show difference to Bumi

• Share
• Clip
• Reprints
• Print
• Email

Post your own comment

Comments

Open for comments. Click to closeClosed. Click to open for commenting

1. Report Sanborl | October 20 1:50am | Permalink

   The Islamization creep.

2. Report User9179560 | October 20 1:44am | Permalink

   After teaching Evolution for years I have come to realize that no matter how much evidence one brings to the classroom people will believe what their social group instructs, regardless. Knowing that the "belief" system doesn't need to include evolution promotes those peoples needs to discredit it. They in turn fit in and rock no boats at home. Life is good. In the largest scheme of things whether evolution exists or not really doesn't matter to anyone except the scientist who needs to understand its implications, and of course us teachers who are supposed to teach our children correct scientific theory.

via ft.com

1939 doesn't seem so far removed, after all. I'm not personally concerned whether Turkish schools teach evolution or not, but to portray Judaism as an enemy or a disease, in the guise of Charles Darwin, really bothers me. Sowing seeds of hate is insupportable.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Smolenyakpgs1-2.pdf (application/pdf Object)

via rootsweb.ancestry.com

I had the pleasure of attending one of Megan's seminars. You'll come away with an enhanced understanding of Family History and DNA!

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Boy, 15, charged in CAPA teacher attack | Allegheny Co. News - WTAE Home

via wtae.com

When did teaching English become a crime?

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

No White House Press Briefing in Last 15 Days | The Weekly Standard

No White House Press Briefing in Last 15 Days | The Weekly Standard

It isn't transparency in this administration; its obscurity.

FamilySearch Labs

Research Assistance

We are exploring better ways to provide community-driven research assistance to those who have specific genealogical questions. Please give Research Assistance a try and let us know how it goes.

(Requires a free FamilySearch account.)

General Research Questions

Research Assistance is currently available for these specific areas in the United States: -->

• Illinois
• Massachusetts
• Missouri
• New York
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Utah
• Virginia
• Other research areas

via labs.familysearch.org

I have been interested in the development aspect of FamilySearch.org from the beginning. Some of the elements of FamilySearch were tried and then retired, probably because something better was on the way in. I love the FamilySearch Center locator, which is fairly new as far as I know. It is user friendly and interactive; a positive result of the software engineers that I think will stay around.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

South Asia Mail

via southasiamail.com

I love it when good people get together! They can accomplish understanding, good works, and who knows what else!

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

New genetic light shed on human evolution

via ft.com

Historians and genealogists, I think, are fact finders. We try not to assume such and such is true because we know that as we continue to delve into our mysteries, new facts come to light. We wait to see what is going to develop, we collect evidence and see how our hypotheses stands up.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Untitled

A fellow teacher (I teach for fun but he teaches at the college level), spoke, yesterday, of his discouragement with the education process in these United States.  This process has evolved over a period of years (or should I say "devolved"), to a system in which there is little evidence of brainy-ism learning.  We are watered down by many elements, it would seem.  The quality of our students' efforts has been supplanted with false agendas.

Now all of this languaage is dressing for my sense that parents don't care about excellency in their children's learning.  Or, could it be that there is so much out there competing for our children's attention?  Is sociality the key that shouldn't have been turned?  Are teachers dedicated enough to get through all the hoops and jumps they have to go through, to pull the mind of the student from wherever it is hidden.

Just what is the deal, here?  I'm terrible in math, but with a good teacher, a book, plenty of practice time, and the kind of thinking that is crucial to being the steward of the world, even I can pass algebra.  What does it matter?  Where is passing algebra an important achievement?

I learned to read at an early age; not a child prodigy or anything, but the key was given to me by my parents and teachers...the key to love of reading, dependance on reading, appreciation for those who could transmit not just words, but ideas through their reading.

Dad always included us kids in his bedtime stories.  He used the device of tone inflection to catch our interest and vanity to keep interest.  We were the heroes, we were the action figures, and my dad who really should have been an actor or on stage with his wondrous way of weaving a tale, it all came together on the tails of the teacher's efforts.  I'm sure I read Dick and Jane, but it was clear to me from the first that if I wanted more complex and interesting tales, I would and should make them up myself.  I don't even consider myself very imaginative, but there must be a store of the stuff somewhere inside.

It was both a safe haven (reading at the piano instead of practicing), and a secret (hiding under the covers of my bed, throwing caution to the wind, usually with a book that was "too old" for me.  The Agony and the Ecstasy at age 11?  I was too young to be intimidated or daunted by fat books

.

 

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

What is real and what is not

The "Real" Housewives of New York or wherever.  Faux Fur speaks to this generation, yes or no?  A student's grades at Harvard: real, as in honestly they earned it, or real for the purpose of "getting by" in life.  Has the value of real, as in genuine, been supplanted by what is acceptable, by what will pass, by the lasting value of the gold standard?

 

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Hungarian prime minister uses Facebook page to ‘unfriend’ IMF, rejects alleged loan conditions - The Washington Post

Hungarian prime minister uses Facebook page to ‘unfriend’ IMF, rejects alleged loan conditions - The Washington Post

Is FB the new wave of diplomatic stratagem?

Intelligence Committee Chair Describes Explosive Confrontation Between Netanyahu and American Ambassador - Jeffrey Goldberg - The Atlantic

Intelligence Committee Chair Describes Explosive Confrontation Between Netanyahu and American Ambassador - Jeffrey Goldberg - The Atlantic

Alliance with Israel critical to peace in the Middle East.  Let's get serious about our commitment to them.  

Geni Adds Facebook Social Sharing - Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

« Finding Genealogy Records and Books on eBay | Main | Britain Destroyed Records of Colonial Crimes »

September 02, 2012

Geni Adds Facebook Social Sharing

Geni users will be interested in the latest addition to the service. Here is the announcement written by Geni.com:

Today we’re excited to introduce Facebook Social Sharing on Geni – a new way to share your Geni experience with your friends and family!

Have you ever been working on a Geni project and wish you could share your progress with your friends? Or perhaps added your latest census discovery to your ancestor’s Geni profile and wanted to share it with your genealogy Facebook buddies? Facebook Social Sharing will easily allow you to share your public Geni activities with your friends and family on Facebook!

The Facebook Social Sharing button can be found at the top right of any Geni page. By default, Social Sharing is turned off for all current users. To activate the feature, simply click to toggle it on. Everyone may turn Social Sharing off at anytime - just click again to turn it off. Note if you already use Facebook Connect to log in to your Geni account, you will need to toggle it on to begin sharing on Facebook. Don’t see Social Sharing on your Geni page? Only Facebook users will see this option, so connect your Facebook account to your Geni account now to start sharing!

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with others. Tweet it, share it on Google , Facebook or on your preferred social network.

Republishing of this article in newsletters, blogs, and elsewhere is allowed and encouraged, with a few minor restrictions. Details may be found at http://goo.gl/hoHH1.

Of course, if you haven’t done so already, you should join my email newsletter mailing list to stay current on my latest articles and announcements. You can also cancel at any time within seconds. I promise to never, ever send you any unrequested e-mail, other than newsletter updates.

Posted by Dick Eastman on September 02, 2012 in Online Sites | Permalink ShareThis

Reblog (0) | | |

|

| | Digg This

Comments

Comment below or sign in with TypePad Facebook Twitter and more...

via blog.eogn.com

We were some of us into this a while back; now that they have added social sharing, perhaps some of you will want to use Geni on a limited, private basis. Obviously, you should be thoughtful about what to share about whom, even if it is your own family. I'll give it a try later in the day.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

Social Security Administration Explains Plan to Buy 174,000 Hollow-Point Bullets

    

(AP Image)

(CNSNews.com) – The Social Security Administration posted a blog on Thursday to explain why it was planning to purchase 174,000 hollow point bullets.

SSA posted a "Request for Quote for Ammunition" on the FedBizOps.gov website on Aug. 7. The request listed the commodity that SSA desired as ".357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacketed hollow point pistol ammunition." The quantity listed was "174 TH."

The SSA’s Office of the Inspector General’s said it posted a new blog on the agency’s website, “Beyond the Numbers,” “as we strive to be a transparent and accountable government organization for all of our stakeholders.

“With those goals in mind, we thought it would be appropriate to address recent media reports regarding the organization’s purchase of ammunition for our special agents’ duty weapons,” the blog post states.

The blog states that the SSA has 295 special agents who work in 66 offices across the United States.

“These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests,” the blog post states. “Our investigators are similar to your State or local police officers.

“They use traditional investigative techniques, and they are armed when on official duty,” the blog post states.

Concern expressed in some media reports about the type of ammunition ordered by the agency is unfounded, the blog states, explaining that the .357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacked hollow point pistol ammunition is “standard issue for many law enforcement agencies” and is appropriate for the work agents perform.

“Our special agents need to be armed and trained appropriately,” the blog post states.  “They not only investigate allegations of Social Security fraud, but they also are called to respond to threats against Social Security offices, employees, and customers.”

The blog also links to another post about a fight that broke out near an SSA office in Massachusetts that required action by law enforcement officials.

“SSA is processing more applications than ever, which means more traffic in SSA office,” the blog states. “Employee and visitor safety is the highest priority for OIG, which, together with the Federal Protective Services and local law enforcement, has jurisdiction over SSA workplaces.”

Prior to the blog being posted, CNSNews.com had asked the agency specific questions about its ammunition order. Although some of those questions were addressed by the information provided in the blog, the agency did not say why it needed 174,000 bullets and if that quantity was customary or had increased from previous orders.

    

View the discussion thread.

via cnsnews.com

I think the article speaks for itself. It's just weird that I never thought of the SSA having its own security force.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous

The Sun's almost perfectly round shape baffles scientists

via phys.org

Could we ever learn the secrets of the Universe? Why this or Why that? This is pretty interesting if you can read through the scientific lingo.

Posted via email from Margaret's posterous