November 6, 2006
We have always been fascinated by polls. And while some polls are definitely slanted to reflect the desired results of the poller, there is safety in numbers, meaning a multiplicity of polls displaying similar results is a good judge of public opinion.
With that, I present today's FamilyFirs... continue reading...
Tags: abortion,
approval ratings,
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former presidents,
guns,
immigration,
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multiplicity,
political affiliation,
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racial equality,
safety in numbers,
stem cell research,
strong opinions,
two thirds September 13, 2006
How common is your surname? Have you ever wondered?
Well, if your name is Smith, it's pretty common indeed. Smith is the commonest name, owned by over 1% of Americans.
But what if you're a Schwartz? You're number 323.
A Kowalski, perhaps? 2066.
How did I get so smart? Believe me,... continue reading...
Tags: alan berliner,
anonymous name,
butts,
coworkers,
inimitable style,
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john doe,
keen sense,
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life stories,
meditation,
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name names,
pbs,
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surname database,
sweetest sound,
traps,
upcoming film August 25, 2006
Whew! Okay, I'm done blowing off steam about the MPAA and the RIAA.
Time to get back into families.
Today's FamilyFirst pick is all about families. Specifically, it's about families meeting other families. It's called Meet a Family, and here's their mission:
The purpose of this website is to e... continue reading...
Tags: age ranges,
al gore,
al gore invented the internet,
blowing off steam,
email addresses,
family interests,
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mpaa,
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strangers in town July 22, 2006
The internet is all about a lot of things, but one of the big ones is following your dream.
I can speak from personal experience here. In 1995, when I first took my baby steps out into the world of the web and Usenet, I fancied a new career in writing.
Well, while it's not my primary way of bringing... continue reading...
Tags: art photography,
baby steps,
blackpool england,
bringing home the bacon,
color coordination,
david j,
exposure time,
financial compensation,
gig,
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knowing that others,
lens aperture,
movable type,
musings,
nightingale,
personal experience,
photoblog,
photographic skills,
subtle humor July 14, 2006
In case you haven't heard this guy's story, prepare to be amazed. And in case you did, check out the site of the guy who pulled it off.
On July 12, 2005, Kyle Macdonald placed a picture of a red paper clip on his site and offered it up for trade. His objective? To barter his way into a house... continue reading...
Tags: ambition,
ambitions,
british columbia,
chutzpah,
coleman stove,
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fish,
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kipling saskatchewan,
kyle macdonald,
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vegans July 13, 2006
I'm of Norwegian descent, through and through.
Norwegians have a slightly off-center reputation as far as ethnicity is concerned. According to Garrison Keillor, the Norwegian farmers at Lake Wobegon were renowned for blowing their noses with one finger. Nuff said.
Anyhow, we are known fo... continue reading...
Tags: american genealogy,
ancestral records,
census records,
ethnic background,
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garrison keillor,
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twelfth century June 28, 2006
In these days of media scrutiny, it's difficult to find someone who is truly, unopposedly, a hero.
However, at least one such man exists today. His name is John H. Glenn.
When I was a kid of five, John Glenn's name was pronounced with reverence and awe. After all, he was the first Amer... continue reading...
Tags: adult boy,
alma mater,
artifacts,
astronaut,
astronauts,
biographical account,
boy scout,
bumper sticker,
g i joe,
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john glenn,
online archives,
reverence,
right stuff,
space capsules,
space shuttle,
state alumnus,
tom wolfe March 2, 2006
Today's FamilyFirst site is about a man you have probably never heard about.
His name is Zahi Awass, and his job title is Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt.
Shades of Indiana Jones! Today's site features mummies, pyramids, obelisks,... continue reading...
Tags: egyptian antiquities,
excavation,
giza plateau,
golden mummies,
great pyramid of khufu,
guardians,
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pyramids,
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site features,
sphinx,
supreme council of antiquities,
tomb robbers,
wreaking havoc February 15, 2006
The business world, for many years, was thought to be a man's world. Women were expected to stay home and raise their many babies, keep the house clean, cook, that sort of thing.
Well, there were a number of women who decided that perhaps the business world wasn't the exclusive domain of me... continue reading...
Tags: aspiring entrepreneurs,
contemporary women,
copies of the declaration of independence,
deceased husband,
ebay,
ebay ceo meg whitman,
exhibition section,
features games,
games section,
iron manufacturer,
iron works,
lukens,
mary katherine goddard,
meg whitman,
resources page,
section features,
teaching tool,
website structure,
world women February 14, 2006
Breast cancer continues to be a scourge that kills 40,000 women AND men each year. Families are crushed when someone, often in the prime of life, succumbs to this horrible disease.
One of the organizations that is helping to find a cure is Breast Cancer 3-Day. Here's their mission:
“Thou... continue reading...
Tags: breast cancer,
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weird mixture,
women and men