Presets

1. 88.5 FM - KPLU: http://www.kplu.org/

2. 89.9 FM - KGRG: http://www.kgrg.com/

3. 90.3 FM - KEXP: http://www.kexp.org/

4. 92.5 FM - KLSY: http://www.klsyradio.com/

5. 94.9 - KUOW: http://www.KUOW.org

6. 95.7 FM - KJR-FM: http://www.kjrfm.com/

7. 96.5 FM - KRQI: http://www.965krock.com/

8. 97.3 FM - KBSG: http://www.kbsg.com/

9. 98.1 FM - KING: http://king.org

10. 99.9 FM - KISW: http://www.kisw.com/

11. 101.5 FM - KPLZ: http://www.kplz.com/

12. 102.5 FM - KZOK: http://www.kzok.com/

13. 103.7 FM - KMTT: http://www.kmtt.com/

14. 104.9 FM - KFNK: http://www.funkymonkey1049.fm/garagemonkey.html

15. 106.9 FM - KRWM: http://www.warm1069.com/
(106.1 FM - KBKS: http://www.kiss1061.com/)

16. 107.7 FM - KNDD: http://www.1077theend.com/

Local Radio Stations

I've listened to bolded stations.** marks stations pre-set on my new Pogo RipFlash Pro2. :-)

AM

570 AM - KVI (talk)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Fisher Communications, Inc
http://www.570kvi.com/

630 AM - KCIS (Christian - streaming)
5/2.5 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: CRISTA Broadcasting
http://www.kcisradio.com/

710 AM - KIRO (news/talk, Seahawks)
50 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Entercom Seattle License, LLC
http://www.kiro710.com/

770 AM - KTTH (talk)
50 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Entercom Seattle License, LLC
http://www.ktth.com/

820 AM - KGNW (Christian)
50 kW; Burien-Seattle, WA; Owner: Inspiration Media, Inc.
http://www.kgnw.com/

850 AM - KHHO (sports) (KJR AM 950 affiliate, Fox Sports)
Tacoma, WA; Owner: Clear Channel

880 AM - KIXI (50s & 60s pop hits)
50 kW; Mercer Island/Seattle, WA; Owner: Bellevue Radio, Inc.
http://www.kixi.com/

950 AM - KJR (sports, Sonics - streaming)
50 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Clear Channel
http://www.kjram.com/main.html

1000 AM - KOMO (news, Mariners)
50 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Fisher Broadcasting - Seattle Radio, L.L.C.
http://www.komo-am.com/

1050 AM- KBLE (Catholic - non-profit, ad-free)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Sacred Heart Radio
http://www.sacredheartradio.org/

1090 AM - KPTK (Air America talk)
50 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Infinity Radio Subsidiary Operations Inc.
http://www.am1090seattle.com/

1150 AM - KKNW (CNN, Storm, T-birds - streaming)
10 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Orca Radio, Inc.
http://www.newschannel1150.com/

1180 AM - KLAY (talk)
5,000/1,000 watts; Tacoma, WA
http://www.klay1180.com/

1210 AM - KNWX (business news > Spanish)
28 kW; Auburn - Federal Way, WA; Owner: Entercom Seattle License, LLC > Bustos Media Corp.

1250 AM - KKDZ (children's)

1300 AM - KKOL (talk - KGNW AM affiliate)
50 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Inspiration Media, Inc.

1330 AM - KENU (country)
Enumclaw, WA

1340 AM - KUOW-AM (simulcast of KUOW-FM)
1 kW; Olympia, WA

1360 AM - KKMO
Tacoma, WA

? 1380 AM - KRKO
50 kW; Everett, WA; Owner: S-R Broadcasting Co.

1420 AM - KRIZ (R&B, soul, gospel)
1 kW/500 W; Renton, WA; Owner: KRIZ Broadcasting, Inc.
http://www.ztwins.com/main.htm

1450 AM - KSUH (Korean)
Puyallup, WA

1460 AM - KARR (religion)
Kirkland, WA
http://www.familyradio.com/

1540 AM - KXPA (Spanish)
Bellevue, WA

1560 AM - KZIZ (Black gospel)

1590 AM - KLFE (Christian talk)

1620 AM - KYIZ (urban)
10 kW; Renton, WA; Owner: KRIZ Broadcasting, Inc.


FM

88.1 FM - K201EX (Christian - streaming)
2 W; Greenwater, WA; Owner: Calvary Satellite Network (CSN)
http://www.csnradio.com/

** 88.5 FM - KPLU (NPR & Jazz - 2 streams, HD licensed)
55 kW; Tacoma, WA; Owner: Pacific Lutheran Universite, Inc.
http://www.kplu.org/

89.5 FM - KNHC ("today's hottest music" - streaming)
8.5 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Seattle Public Schools
http://www.c895fm.com/

** 89.9 FM - KGRG (rock - streaming)
250 W; Auburn, WA; Owner: Green River Community College
http://www.kgrg.com/

90.1 FM - KUPS (college alternative - streaming)
100 W; Tacoma WA; Owner: University of Puget Sound
http://kups.ups.edu/

** 90.3 FM - KEXP (formerly KCMU - college, alternative, blues - streaming)
720 W; Seattle, WA; Owner: University of Washington Computing and Communications Department
http://www.kexp.org/

Also, 90.3 in Bellingham is a repeater for KUOW.

90.7 FM - KSER (Public, Everett AquaSox - streaming)
5.8 kW; Everett, WA; KSER Foundation (founded by Jack Straw Foundation)
http://www.kser.org/

90.9 FM - KVTI (pop)
Lakewood, WA; Owner: Clover Park Technical College
http://www.i91.ctc.edu/home.htm

91.3 FM - KBCS (jazz, folk - streaming)
Bellevue, WA; Owner: Bellevue Community College
http://kbcs.fm/

91.7 FM - formerly KBTC, now KXOT, affiliate of KEXP 90.3 FM
7.9 kW; Tacoma, WA

** 92.5 FM - KLSY (top 40)
Bellevue, WA; Owner: Bellevue Radio Inc.
http://www.klsyradio.com/

93.3 FM - KUBE (top 40 - streaming)
98 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Clear Channel
http://www.kube93.com/

94.1 FM - KMPS (country)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Infinity Radio Subsidiary Operations Inc.
http://www.kmps.com/

** 94.9 - KUOW (Public Radio, NPR, PRI, BBC - streaming, HD - KUOW²)
100 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Puget Sound Public Radio
http://www.KUOW.org

** 95.7 FM - KJR-FM (60's, 70's hits - streaming)
98 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Clear Channel
Email only: http://www.kjrfm.com/

** 96.5 FM - KRQI (K Rock, classic alternative)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Infinity Radio Subsidiary Operations Inc.
http://www.965krock.com/

** 97.3 FM - KBSG (rock oldies - HD)
Tacoma, WA; Owner: Entercom Seattle License, LLC
http://www.kbsg.com/

97.7 FM - KFMY (classic hits - HD licensed)
Olympia, WA; Owner: South Sound Broadcasting

** 98.1 FM - KING (classical - streaming, HD licensed)
57 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Classic Radio, Inc. (Seattle Symphony)
http://king.org

98.9 FM - KWJZ (jazz)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Orca Radio, Inc.
http://www.kwjz.com/

99.3 FM - KAYO (country - streaming, HD licensed)
Aberdeen, WA; (Owner: South Sound Broadcasting)
http://www.kayo.fm/

** 99.9 FM - KISW (Hard Rock - HD)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Entercom Seattle License, LLC
http://www.kisw.com/

100.7 FM - KQBZ (The Buzz, talk - HD licensed)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Entercom Seattle License, LLC
http://www.kqbz.com/

** 101.5 FM - KPLZ (STAR 101.5, 80s & 90s hits)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Fisher Broadcasting - Seattle Radio, L.L.C.
http://www.kplz.com/

** 102.5 FM - KZOK (classic rock)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Infinity Radio Subsidiary Operations Inc.
http://www.kzok.com/

** 103.7 FM - KMTT (The Mountain - adult contemporary - HD)
Tacoma, WA; Owner: Entercom Seattle License, LLC
http://www.kmtt.com/
(800) 676-5688 = 676-KMTT or studio@kmtt.com

104.5 FM - KMIH (X104, hip-hop, R&B)
Mercer Island High School
http://www.x104.fm/shell.asp?redir=1

** 104.9 FM - KFNK (Funky Monkey, alternative rock)
17 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: Clear Channel
http://www.funkymonkey1049.fm/garagemonkey.html

105.3 FM - KCMS (Christian - streaming)
54 kW; Seattle, WA; Owner: CRISTA Broadcasting
http://www.spirit1053.com/

106.1 FM - KBKS (90s - HD)
Tacoma, WA; Owner: Infinity Radio Subsidiary Operations Inc.
http://www.kiss1061.com/

106.5 FM - (Praise, Christian)
Lynden, WA; Owner: CRISTA Broadcasting
http://www.praise1065.com/

** 106.9 FM - KRWM (adult contemporary)
Bremerton, WA; Owner: Seascape Radio, Inc.
http://www.warm1069.com/

** 107.7 FM - KNDD (The End - Alternative Rock - HD licensed)
Seattle, WA; Owner: Entercom Seattle License, LLC
http://www.1077theend.com/

Info current as of December 2004. Listen live on http://www.tvradioworld.com/region1/wa/Webcasters.asp?m=sea

Northwest Public Radio: http://www.nwpr.org/
   Find a NWPR Station: http://www.nwpr.org/Stations/station.aspx

Public Radio - A Short History: http://www.wsvh.org/pubradiohist.htm

Before PBS and NPR, there was NET, National Educational Television Center: http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/N/htmlN/nationaleduc/nationaleduc.htm

And then there was pirate radio. Radio Caroline is still broadcasting from a ship off-shore in the UK: http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/
Pirate Radio Central: http://www.blackcatsystems.com/radio/pirate.html

International listening - French Internet Radio and Online News Radio: http://www.multilingualbooks.com/online-radio-french.html. In France, Switzerland, and Canada. This site also has Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Turkish, Chinese, India and Pakistan, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese and some African language stations, and links to online newspapers, and movies.

The Resurrection of Indie Radio: FM never sounded so freaking good. How the coming digital boom - and Big Radio's bottom line - is driving the new golden age of multichannel, microniche broadcasting: http://wired-vig.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/radio.html

Prometheus Radio - low power FM: http://www.prometheusradio.org/


We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. - Frank A. Clark

Google Adding Major Libraries to Database

Is this the Great Leap Forward for the Internet? Google and the 5 universities involved announced a project that will create the Internet we've always dreamed of. The New York Times article is worth registering for: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/technology/14cnd-goog.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1103125720-IZniB5muv6IDNIiFqmzWMw

The Deseret News makes an interesting point: "For serious searchers of knowledge -- academicians and others with a healthy thirst for such things -- easy access will breed information overload. No one will be quite sure when they have read enough. These people are bound to feel like the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Disney's classic film 'Fantasia.' Google will become an endless bucket brigade of information that threatens to bury them alive. And no one will want to be found ignorant of some piece of knowledge they should have known and would have known if they had just searched the 38th page of Google hits."

Google Scholar Search Engine: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/12/new-google-scholar-search-engine.html

Genealogy Search Engine: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/07/genealogy-search-engine.html

Google Advanced Search for Genealogy: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/02/google-advanced-search-for-genealogy.html

Google Toolbar as a Win PC Essential: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/09/win-pc-essentials.html


Faith and doubt both are needed, not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve. - Lillian Smith

Old Photographs

The up-to-date version of this post will be maintained at http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/old-photographs.html

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Online Collections

DeadFred (46,348 records): http://deadfred.com/

Ancient Faces (30,700+ photos): http://www.ancientfaces.com/

Family Old Photos (10,000+ photos) : http://www.familyoldphotos.com/

Lost Faces: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/faces/ - 50 albums, each with many surnames

Family Fotos Online (1759 surnames): http://fourkings.freeyellow.com/Page2.html

Dating Old Photos

Follow the Clues - Dating Your Photographs: http://www.genealogy.com/genealogy/73_taylor.html

Date an old Photo (links to Brit photo sites): http://www.cartes.freeuk.com/time/date.htm

Dating Old Photographs: http://www.familychronicle.com/dating.htm

Dating Old Photographs: http://genealogy.about.com/cs/photodating/

Photographs & Memories: http://www.cyndislist.com/photos.htm

Dating Old Family Photographs using Fashion History and Styles of Photo-mounts: http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/photodating.htm

Dating Photographs by Format and Technology: http://content.lib.washington.edu/imls/kcsnapshots/documents/DatingPhotos.pdf

Identifying Family Photographs: http://www.familytreemagazine.com/photos/current.htm

Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. - David Frost

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Although I can no longer call myself christian, I still love the prayer of St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I have always felt that it summed up our mission here on Earth; spirits having a human experience.


Leave safety behind. Put your body on the line. Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind -- even if your voice shakes. When you least expect it, someone may actually listen to what you have to say. - Maggie Kuhn

How Could You?

HOW COULD YOU? by Jim Willis, 2001

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?" -- but then you'd relent and roll me over for a belly rub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.

We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice-cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day. Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person" -- still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate.

Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch -- because your touch was now so infrequent -- and I would've defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf. Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family. I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her."

They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!"And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life.

You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind -- that this was all a bad dream... or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.

When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.

As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dog speak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself -- a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place. And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her.It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

A Note from the Author: If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly "owned" pets who die each year in American & Canadian animal shelters. Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a noncommercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice.

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An alternative to the above story is Rescue. I've just found the most wonderful site for my favorite breed, the Dachshund. The Dachshund Rescue Web Page: http://www.drwp.net/. Google a bit to find your favorite breed, and support them.


The environment that people live in is the environment that they learn to live in, respond to, and perpetuate. If the environment is good, so be it. But if it is poor, so is the quality of life within it. - Ellen Swallow Richards, 1842-1911, US chemist, ecologist

Bright stars, Christmas stars

Bright stars, Christmas stars,
Shed your silvery light.
Shine again this Yuletide
As on that Christmas night.
Send the light of heaven
Into every waiting heart,
Bringing holy Christmas peace
That never will depart. - Carolyn R Freeman

The War of 1812

War of 1812: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812

General Society of the War of 1812 links: http://www.societyofthewarof1812.org/1812links.htm

Bibliography US Military History, War of 1812 - Causes, Diplomacy, and Politics: http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/reference/1812/1812DP.htm

US Naval History: A Bibliography - War of 1812: http://www.history.navy.mil/biblio/biblio1/biblio1h.htm

NARA M1856, Discharge Certificates and Miscellaneous Records Relating to the Discharge of Soldiers from the Regular Army, 1792-1815 (6 rolls). http://www.archives.gov/research_room/research_topics/military/war_of_1812.html

$$$ Ancestry has War of 1812 Service Records: http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4281
taken from Record Group 94 Records of the Adjutant General's Office, microfilm publication M602, a total of 234 rolls of film. Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR). However, this is only the volunteers. Men already in the Army who also fought wouldn't be found here, according to the description.

Tennessee Men in the War of 1812: http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/, http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/1812reg.htm


Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

New Google Scholar Search Engine

The up-to-date version of this post will be maintained at http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/deep-web-search-engines.html

"Google has launched a new Google Scholar search service, providing the ability to search for scholarly literature located from across the web," according to Search Engine Watch. They say,

"The goal is to allow and enable users to search over scholarly content," said Anurag Acharya, a Google engineer leading the project. [Scholarly literature such as peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts, and technical reports.]

Much of this material has been added to Google over the past few months. However, the new service allows searchers to specifically search against just the academic material.... Google has worked with publishers to gain access to some material that wouldn't ordinarily be accessible to search spiders, because it is locked behind subscription barriers....

When spidering the content, Google has worked to understand who the authors of the papers are, as well as the formal titles of the papers and other documents that cite the material. These citations are a key part of the special ranking algorithm used by Google for Google Scholar.

Google says the citation extractions allows it to see the connections between papers even if these connections are not made through links. As a result, it can use citation analysis to try and put the best papers at the top of the results. Next to each paper listed is a "Cited by" link. Clicking on this link shows the citation analysis in action -- all the pages pointing at the original one listed, through textual citations, will be shown....

The same paper may be hosted in more than one place, of course. In these instances, Google picks what it believes is the best version and provides links to other versions after the paper's description. In some cases, the material is not actually online. Google may know about a paper only through references it has seen on other papers. In these cases, a Library Search [of WorldCat] and Web Search link will appear next to the paper or book's title.

You can reach Google Scholar here: http://scholar.google.com/

More about it, including FAQs: http://scholar.google.com/scholar/about.html

Other "deep web" or "invisible web" search engines:

• http://www.oaister.org/


• Medical Information Gateways


• Arts and Humanities, and http://websearch.about.com/od/invisibleweb/a/invisiblewebart.htm


• Turbo10


• CompletePlanet


• Factbites, an Answer Finding Search Engine

Google Adding Major Libraries to Database: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/12/google-adding-major-libraries-to.html

Google Advanced Search for Genealogy: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/02/google-advanced-search-for-genealogy.html

Google Toolbar as a Win PC Essential: http://valoriez.blogspot.com/2004/09/win-pc-essentials.html


Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. - W. Somerset Maugham

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Commonwealth Soldiers KIA, Belgium & France

Murray Pletsch passes along a wonderful offer on the Upper Canada list. Mr. Moors notes that he is currently backlogged with requests ... and a delay should be expected. But what a wonderful offer! He doesn't mention Americans, and I'm not sure how many Americans died and are buried in Belgium and France. Thanks to Murray for passing along this kind and generous email.

Australian WWII Nominal Roll: http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/
WWII Service Records: http://www.naa.gov.au/the_collection/defence/conflicts/ww2/ww2.html

Canadian Military Records and Service Files (all wars): http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/020203_e.html

Commonwealth War Graves Commission (both World Wars, all of the Commonwealth): http://www.cwgc.org

American Battle Monuments Commission site: http://www.abmc.gov/

Hello,

I'm a World War 1 researcher from Belgium. For the moment I'm doing a lot of research for Australians, New Zealanders, Irish, Canadians and British to locate their family members who were killed during the Great War in Belgium or France.

If you have any relative who fought in my country during the WW1, I would be glad the locate him and sent you a picture of his headstone. This is free of charge. (For searches and pictures in France ask for details).

The only thing I would like in return is his picture.

Why?

If the picture is of good quality then I plastify it and place it next to the headstone. This way the thousands of tourists who visit these cemeteries can see who's really buried there and do not just see the lonely, sad stone.

If you have more questions do not hesitate to contact me

Regards

Johan Moors - johan.moors2@pandora.be

When I despair...I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it ... always. - Gandhi

World AIDS Day

We must keep fighting




We are all the same....Do all you can, with what you have, in the time you have, in the place you are. - Nkosi Johnson, dead of AIDS at age 12, 1 June 2001

Infinitely Large Solar Furnace

Creative, cheap science! http://amasci.com/amateur/mirror.html

Another possible use for old CDs.

Knowing Family History Can Save Your Life

Excellent article in Newsweek - Heredity and Health: Tracking Family History: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7529182/site/newsweek

Surgeon General Urges Families to Track History: http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=947118&tw=wn_wire_story

U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative: http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/
My Family Health Portrait Download: http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory/download.html (Microsoft OS only)

NSGC Draw Your Family Tree: http://www.nsgc.org/consumer/familytree/tree_images.asp
Your Family History -- Your Future: http://www.nsgc.org/consumer/familytree/index.asp
NSGC is the National Society of Genetic Counselors

Pfizer's Generational Health: http://www.generationalhealth.com/

$$$ GeneWeaver 1.1 is $40, with" much better medical activity data collection tools, import and export, although reports need help," according to Peter Bradish on the APG-L: http://www.geneweaveronline.com/


Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. - Rachel Carson

Modern Reality Cannot Be Amended

PFLAG has kept me sane lately! What a great organization. I should have joined YEARS ago. Here is a bit of the latest newsletter:

Certainly, gay and lesbian Americans went to bed Tuesday night somewhat depressed over the rout at the polls. By morning, however, the political dust settled and many of these citizens kissed their life partners and went to work, just as they always have.

The defeat did not magically turn gay people into heterosexuals, nor did any same-sex couples break- up because of these referendums. And surely the gay bars and restaurants will be as crowded as ever.

So, nothing really changed; the 1950's didn't suddenly reappear. Gay people are here to stay and no Amendment or conservative political posturing is going to return gay people to the closet. - Wayne Besen


At the very core of our being we know that we all, each and every one, deserve to be treated with equal respect and dignity in every aspect of our lives regardless of our real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of our family members and loved ones. We all deserve, without exception, all the rights, privileges and obligations of full citizenship in these United States. We know that there is no rational, scientific, biological, or sociological basis - and no moral basis whatsoever for anything less. ...

I call upon each of you to speak your truth, to tell your story. Always, our own experience, our own strength and our own hope are our most powerful tools in this struggle. Sometimes they are our only tools.

Let us stand up, link arms, and march forward together. Truth is on our side. Time is on our side. We will win. We will win, but only if we are willing to engage, if we are each willing to speak our truth, to stand up and be counted. - Sam Thoron, President

What the hell has been happening to the mass media lately! 51% of the US votes for Bush, and all of a sudden, we need to go back to the Bad Old Days when attacking gays was A-OK? Some stuff from the latest PFLAG newsletter:

ABC's 20/20 on Matthew Shepard's Murder

Many of you saw NBC's 20/20 program challenging the facts behind Matthew Shepard's murder. PFLAG National has worked with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Matthew Shepard Foundation and the family of Matthew Shepard to combat the inaccuracies in 20/20's broadcast. Here is a statement prepared by GLAAD on behalf of the GLBT coalition including PFLAG.

"This piece says much, much more about 20/20 than it does about the murder of Matthew Shepard," said GLAAD Executive Director Joan M. Garry. "20/20's misleading oversimplifications and distortions do a tremendous disservice to a complicated case. This simply is not a credible piece of journalism." ... Judy Shepard says:

"Dennis and I were dismayed and saddened by the tabloid nature of the show and its lack of serious reporting of facts in evidence....though I was not permitted by 20/20 to view the segment, the copy made available to the press left all of my relevant comments regarding the direction of the show and the facts in this case on the cutting room floor. My remarks were reduced to a few very personal maternal comments taken out of context to make it appear as if I agreed with 20/20's theories. Nothing could be farther from the truth."


UCC Ads

It is hard to believe that the United Church of Christ's gentle advertisement welcoming gay and lesbian families and other minorities was rejected as "too controversial" by major television networks ABC, NBC and CBS. Please visit www.stillspeakin g.com to view the 30 second ad - you will understand why many people across the country can't fathom why the networks' refusal.

In fact, some of the reasons given for the rejection of the UCC's ad are more contentious than the ad itself. Here's what CBS said:

"Because this commercial touches on the exclusion of gay couples and other minority groups by other individuals and organizations and the fact the Executive Branch has recently proposed a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, this spot is unacceptable for broadcast on the [CBS and UPN] networks."

We must require that CBS answer for its alarming response to the ad. GLAAD writes, "For CBS to suggest that it would not run an ad because its message conflicts with anti-gay legislation put forward by the Bush Administration calls into serious question the independence of CBS' actions and business practices." [Valorie says -- AMEN to that!]

Ron Schlittler, PFLAG's Executive Director, spoke with Ron Buford, the UCC's director of the ad campaign. Mr. Buford shared these points with PFLAG:

1) The UCC did not design these ads to position ourselves as better than other denominations. We view the ads as an invitation to other religious groups to be more inclusive.

2) Some people are saying, "Plenty of churches welcome gay people - they just want them to change or be 'cured'." The UCC accepts GLBT persons as they are. The UCC knows PFLAG parents understand that churches proclaiming to "Love the sinner but hate the sin" are delivering a message that comes off as disingenuous or very misguided - it is not a message of embracing, but a destructive message of rejection for a core part of who our loved ones are as children of God.

3) Mr. Buford asked that PFLAG members send comments of support for the UCC's ad campaign to stillspeaking@ucc.org .

4) Mr. Buford also asked that PFLAG members write and call your local ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates. When you call your local stations, tell them you'd like to see the ads on television and ask them to pass along your complaint to the national headquarters of the networks.


Washington Post

Anti-gay bias is not limited to television. The Washington Post included a supplemental advertising magazine in last Sunday's issue titled "Both Sides." We can assure you, there was no discussion or equality about this homophobic look at marriage. In fact, this magazine was designed by the religious right to incite the African-American community to anti-gay bigotry.

The best way to understand the revolting nature of this supplement is to view it for yourself. Please go to http://rawstory.com/images/pdfs/BothSidesS mall.pdf and download a copy.

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for something you are not. - Andre Gide

Domestic Violence

Ran a search on my name with a search engine I don't use often, Mamma.com ("the mother of all search engines"), and ran across this old post to a FidoNet group:

  Msg#: 303                                          Date: 02-17-95  19:00

  From: Valorie Zimmerman                            Read: Yes    Replied: No 

    To: All                                          Mark:                     

  Subj: Domestic Violence



I've been reading with interest the thread on domestic violence, and came 

across an article in my local newspaper "The Valley Daily News," Kent, WA,USA,

13 Feb. 1995, pages A1 & A5.

It began with a story about a battered woman who dropped charges against her 

repeat offender boyfriend, then was murdered by him. "We're getting tired of 

seeing people walking in for the umpteenth time and laughing at the system 

because they can threaten the victim and get away with anything," said Kent 

City Attorney Roger Lubovich.

That frustration is behind a national trend toward "victimless prosecution" of

demestic violence cases -- which means pursuing the cases even if the victim 

wants to drop the charges.

Such aggressive prosceution requires police to gather evidence in domestic 

violence cases almost as they would at murder scenes. That means 

photographs, extensive reports and gathering of physical evidence and 

collecting detailed written statements from witnesses, including the victim.

Last fall, King County initiated a program to do just that with felony 

domestic violence cases. [article continues with local details]

related news article: The story of a specific instance where this new 

approach worked.  "It slowly built up," she said.  "There was a lot of verbal

abuse, a little bit of physical, until the assault." Pam had moved out once,

but he wooed her back. "He was very sweet, wanted to be forgiven......" etc.

"She's grateful that the system removed any reponsibility for pressing charges

from her shoulders.  "It makes him see what he's done isn't judged on what I

thin, it's judged on the law, what the population as as whole thinks: It's

wrong," she said.



I would like to discuss why this approach has not ALWAYS been taken. I think 

it should have.



Second issue: accompanying chart, gives Kent city dv statistics: Victims: 

Female, 355, 78%. Male, 95, 22%. Defendants: Female: 75, 17%. Male: 369, 83%.

Cases involving Children: 300, Pregnant victims, 12, alcohol or drug abuse, 

148. Most victims white, 327, 73%. No surprise, since Kent is mostly white. 

Black, 83, 18%, Asian, 22, 5%, Native American, 10, 2%, Hispanic, 8, 2%.

Number of victims and defendants by age: 0-17, 21 victims. 18-25, 210 victims,

158 def.26-35, 134 victims, 193 def. 36-55, 87 victims, 93 def. 56+, 2 

victims.

So, in Kent at least, the perps are overwhelmingly male, and seem to be older 

than their victims. Keep in mind, this was for CASES in Kent, not convictions.



-!- Renegade v10-05 Exp

 ! Origin: The Powerhouse BBS! 360-886-0973 Black Diamond, WA (1:343/241)

I'm sorry to say that I haven't followed up on this particular issue, but I'm still interested. I remember my FidoNet days with fondness, when I posted through my son's BBS, The Powerhouse. I don't know how my post came to be archived by the Citizen's Coalition on Human Rights site at Holysmoke.org, but it's fine with me that it's there.


The world has never yet seen a truly great and virtuous nation because in the degradation of woman the very fountains of life are poisoned at their source. - Lucretia Mott, 1793-1880

Open Letter to President Bush and Those Who Voted For Him

I heard your victory speech today, Mr. Bush. Before all the votes were counted, I see. You said that you wanted to be president for those of us who voted for John Kerry. Those who voted for you didn't seem to notice, but I did:

That this election, you once again trashed your opponent in an underhanded and devious manner. You allowed anonymous character assassins to do your work in the shadows. Your organization shuttled funds to these criminals, and you did not reprove them, nor did you stop the publication of their scurrilous lies and innuendos. You have used this tactic since you ran for your first office in Texas. The more honorable your opponent, the more outrageous the attack! If you mean what you say, bring these slugs into the light, and to justice.

That you prefer to make the fine-sounding patriotic speech rather than actually serving the nation. John McCain, Al Gore, and John Kerry all served honorably, and were honored for their sacrifice. You avoided service beyond flight training, and also cast a cloud of mystery over not only your lack of service, but also much of the rest of your past. The men who served with John Kerry campaigned for him. Where were the men YOU served with? If you mean what you say, produce those with whom you served, reprove the lying Swift Boat Veteran group, and apologize to John Kerry for not doing so before.

That you speak of morality and values, but hide your drunk driving arrest, and your years of drinking and drug use. Worse, you offer no help to those who are attempting to recover from drug and alcohol abuse. Instead, you offer the completely unsuccessful "War on Drugs" and prison. If you mean what you say, be frank about your past, and offer help to those who need to recover from the ravages of alcoholism and drug abuse.

Morality and values seem to be code words to your voters for removing safe and legal abortion from those who need it, and denying the rights of marriage to gay couples. American history has been a splendid process of extending more freedoms to more parts of the American populace. Not only has the vote been extended from rich white men to all citizens over 18, but minority rights have been extended in housing, access to education, medical care, and even nutrition and health care. It feels horrible to witness a contraction of that progress. For the first time in my life, I see a government assault on the rights of women and gay people. This in the name of morality? Worse, you used the gay marriage debate cynically, discussing a possible Constitutional amendment! It seems to have worked for you, even though you I hope would not dare tamper with the Constitution in such a way. Shame on you for such a low and deceitful tactic. Even your Vice President could not go along with you on this one. If you mean what you say, admit that you were misleading the American people with this one, and are not intending to sully our Constitution with such nonsense. Instead, sponsor legislation to insure that hate crimes against gay people are vigorously prosecuted, and that equal rights for all will be enforced by all Federal offices.

That you ally yourself with the rich and powerful, and assist them in extending their wealth and grip on our nation. Why is Microsoft paying nothing for their crimes? Why does Ken Lay walk about a free man, while a small-time criminal like Martha Stewart is jailed? Terrorist Osama bin Laden can address the American people with impunity, and those who have misled the nation into war in Iraq have not even been dismissed from office! Those all up the chain of command guilty of allowing and even encouraging the horrors in Abu Ghraib and other American prisons have not been brought to justice, have not been dismissed, have not even been asked to resign. If you mean what you say, bring the guilty to justice.

That all of this happens while you wrap yourself in the robes of righteousness and religiosity. Remember what happened when Jesus was on Earth. He reproved the religious leaders for their hypocricy, calling them "whited sepulchres," and went to the Temple to upset the tables of the money-changers. He ministered to the hated minority Samaritans, sinners, harlots. He called for social justice, not Constitutional amendments to deny the right of marriage to gay people! If you mean what you say, guarantee the right of all people to civil unions, and leave marriage to the churches, where it belongs.

Mr. Bush, why can my son not get a flu shot? Why can my Canadian cousins afford their needed prescriptions, while my nieces and nephews can't afford to see a doctor, can't afford to have prescriptions filled, can't afford to see a dentist? We have a public health system; why is it not being used? Children used to get vaccinations, new mothers used to be visited by nurses; why can we not start using this system again? The nation's health IS a national concern. If you mean what you say, take real steps to insure adequate medical care for all Americans, without regard to income or job status.

You blame much of the problem with the economy on 9/11. You were warned that an attack was coming, and you ignored the warnings. You did the right thing by going after Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, but before the war was completed, you essentially abandoned it. Bin Laden was allowed to roam free, and has escaped any consequences for his horrible crimes. Instead of pressing the pursuit, you changed the nation's focus to Iraq. Once again, your lack of attention to detail has been disastrous. Once again, you were warned that the military attack would be the easy part of victory. The difficulty would be in the aftermath, you were told, but you and your commanders almost totally ignored this advice. You allowed the treasure of Iraq to be looted, and have even left unguarded dangerous weapon stores. You wasted our money on an unnecessary and arrogant flight to a aircraft carrier, and spoke there in front of a sign saying "Mission Accomplished" when nothing could have been further from the truth. More of our men have been killed since that day than in the initial assault on Iraq. If you mean what you say, apologize for your blindness and arrogance, do what is needed to protect our troops, and provide both Afghanistan and Iraq with the tools they need to begin life as free nations.

You not only ignored our oldest and staunchest allies around the world by your haste to attack Iraq, but you deliberately insulted them. France stood by us in the dark days of our War for Independence, and gave to us one of our most cherished national icons, the statue of Lady Liberty. Where would our long war against Communist dictatorship have been without the friendship of Germany? Our soldiers based in Germany have been the bulwark of freedom since the dark days of World War II. If you mean what you say, admit your mistakes, and mend fences with our two steadiest allies.

You have used the horrible attacks against the US on 9/11 in the most cynical way imaginable, to push your agenda, rather than working to make the US more secure. Whether pushing through the so-called "Patriot Act" -- a cold-blooded assault on the American Bill of Rights of the Constitution -- or your war on Iraq. You have ignored the unsecured weapons of the former USSR, given up on the destruction of Al Qaeda, and made no move to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians. If you mean what you say, move ahead with inspections and security of the USSR-era weapons, reinvigorate the fight against Al Qaeda, and begin to promote peace in the Middle East!

We loyal and patriotic Americans who voted for John Kerry are waiting, Mr. Bush. If you mean what you say, do what needs doing. Abandon the cynical attacks on the unity of the American people, on our oldest allies, on the Constitution of the United States. Become the compassionate conservative you say you are. We are waiting, listening, reading, and watching. "Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks."


He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes. - Chinese Proverb

The 14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism

This trend has only gotten stronger, sadly. Here is a link to a recent article outlining the process - Fascist America, in 10 Easy Steps, by Naomi Wolf, in the Guardian UK: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/24/708/

Disturbing list, widely found on the web.

Dr. Lawrence Britt, political scientist, analyzed the fascist governments of Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy, Franco in Spain, Suharto in Indonesia, and Pinochet in Chile, and found all had 14 characteristics in common.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism: Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights: Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause: The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military: Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism: The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homo-sexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

6. Controlled Mass Media: Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security: Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined: Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected: The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed: Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts: Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment: Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption: Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections: Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Dr. Lawrence Britt, in Free Inquiry Magazine, Spring 2003. Found at Enviromnentalists Against War and the University of Minnesota Duluth Faculty Against War, among others.


Naturally, the common people don’t want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country. - Hermann Goering (Hitler's Carl Rove)


Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all. - Emily Dickenson

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Poland

The up-to-date version of this post will be maintained at: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/poland.html

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Maps

Shtetl Seeker: http://www.jewishgen.org/ShtetlSeeker/

Maps of Poland, provinces and towns: http://maxpages.com/poland/Maps_and_Towns_Poland

Polish Historical Maps: http://www.horlacher.org/poland/

Maps of Poland: http://www.masterpage.com.pl/maps/mapsofpoland.html

Polish Maps 1921, 1939: http://www.pgsa.org/polishmaps.htm

Poltran for translations in Polish: http://www.poltran.com/

POLISH GENEALOGY - directory to Polish genealogy resources, databases and websites related to Polish ancestry and research of roots with links to Austrian, Belarusian, German, Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian and
worldwide genealogy-related sites: http://polishroots.netfirms.com/


He who possesses the source of enthusiasm will achieve great things. Doubt not. You will gather friends around you as a hair clasp gathers the hair. - I Ching

Books

OK, I've finally read something other than Diana Gabaldon or Joseph Hansen. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell gets its own post, however! The delights of that wonderful novel are still swirling about in my brain. Next, I gobbled, in the most greedy manner, a novel penned in 1913 & 1914, but only published in 1971, a year after E.M. Forster's death. Maurice: A novel was as fresh as if written yesterday, as far as the writing goes. However, it is an amazing picture of England in the early 20th century. Until 1967, homosexuality was illegal, and the social sanctions were very strong against homosexual feelings, much less sexual acts! "In 1980, the Criminal Justice Act brought Scots law in line with English law, decriminalizing sex between men in private. In 1994, the age of consent for homosexual acts was reduced from 21 to 18. In 2000, it was reduced to 16 (which is also the age of consent for heterosexual acts)." Maurice is in no way a screed, or about the social conditions or the law. It is about HAPPINESS, and three men, and their choices. Great book -- too bad it could not have been published in 1914, but since it did not end with the punishment of the men involved in an proscribed activity and mindset, it could not be published then. I'm glad some progress has been made.

------------------

I happened across The Green Knight by Iris Murdoch (1994) at the library. This is the first novel by Murdoch I've read, and I didn't know what to expect. Puzzling, creative, fascinating, thoughtful -- good read. Slow, but then -- you see the story from almost ALL viewpoints, and there are lots of characters in this group. What a wealth of imagination Miss Murdoch had. The characters were so well-drawn, I felt I was in 'the family,' a group of close friends in London. Although the book was surely set in the 80s or 90s, I kept feeling that I was in Edwardian London. Murdoch can really play with your mind! I can't think of another novel where the action was seen through so many pairs of eyes. Almost dizzying, at times. I have such admiration for the skill of Iris Murdoch. What a treasure we have lost!

-------------------

Now reading Exuberance by Kay Redfield Jamison (2004), who also wrote An Unquiet Mind. It was an interesting read -- lots of interesting character sketches, intermixed with scientific studies of brain chemicals, moods and emotions, and more. Written in an exuberant style, fittingly.

I also got books for Christmas! Professional Genealogy leads the list, and I'm sure I'll be studying that one for YEARS. Also got the Social History of the Scotch-Irish by Leyburn, and a fascinating-looking Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America by Linda Lawrence Hunt. Finally, got 2 Diana Gabaldons and London by Edward Rutherfurd. After Xmas bonus: Monarch of the Glen. :-)

------------------------

Paul Herrick wanted me to read Taking Sex Differences Seriously by Steven E. Rhoads. I guess this is supposed to be a provocative polemic for some imagined good old days when women were pure and men were tamed by 'em, but it had several serious weaknesses for me, although I had to agree with half of his points. Rather than drawing a logical conclusion, however, he just begged the question! I kept thinking, "yeah, yeah, yeah..... HUH?"

The research was good, and some of the studies were new to me. The writing was decent, for a non-fiction treatment of an important topic. The thinking, however, was seriously flawed. Rhoads sets up the straw-man (straw woman?) of feminism over and over again, of course to knock it down. A serious consideration of the conundrum that faces all of us moderns would have been much more valuable. Many women want to work for a living, and many more feel they have to for financial reasons. (And thus it has always been.) On the other hand, women want to stay home with their babies and young children more than men do. If they follow their hearts and stay home, they lose pay, of course, but more important, they lose TIME. They lose career momentum, and years worked. When they do return to work, their earning power is seriously compromised. Plus, the months or years at home with no paying work weakens women's power in our monetistic society.

If, on the other hand, women continue working, both they and their children suffer. Women who do not want children, or want to have them but continue working, are injured by the choices of the women who choose to stay home. Their pay will be depressed, they will be less likely to have wide choices of good day care, and they will suffer the loss of power even though they continue to work. I have no answers for this, but at least I can pose the question. I wish Rhoads had thought about this.

Instead, I waded through silly arguments about "The Rules" and such trash, Title IX moaning about the loss of wrestling, and who wants to hold babies more. Sheesh. Rhoads does not even discuss homosexuality in his arguments! Perhaps he can offer some serious thought on the issues, but they will not be found in this book. Steve, read some anthropology, dude! US society does not represent all humans though all of time. I'm glad I didn't spend any money on this turkey.

-----------

Free Books Online:

Project Gutenberg: http://gutenberg.net/

The Online Books Page: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/

Classics: http://www.bartleby.com

Fantasy and Science Fiction: http://www.baen.com/library/

Novels: http://www.freeonlinereading.com/links.htm

If you happen to own a dangerous science book, you may need one of these warning labels: http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/textbookdisclaimers/

Just finished a wonderful kid's book,The B.F.G. by Roald Dahl, who is always a good bet for a quick read. The most amazing created words -- especially wonderful insults. I love Matilda, and Witches, and James and the Giant Peach also.


Future file: James Morrow - Only Begotten Daughter & The Jehovah trilogy. Paul de Kruif - Microbe Hunter. Arrowsmith.


There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self. - Aldous Huxley

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Latest and Favorite Films

Watched He Knew He Was Right (2004) on Masterpiece Theater (PBS). I understand from IMDb that an hour was cut by PBS from the original BBC version. I wish they had not done that. Good, but not great as viewed.

Finally, I got to see Bend It Like Beckham (2002). It was worth the wait! Not a "chick flick" as my son Thomas dismissed it, but a wonderfully rich look at Indian immigrant society in England, as well as a look at women's sports in the UK. You have probably seen Parminder Nagra on E.R. (tv), and she was very good. I loved the Indian music and the engagement and wedding preparations. A wonderful little movie. I probably would have enjoyed it even more if I knew anything about football (soccer).

House of Sand and Fog (2003) - I *love* this film. Everybody should have gotten Oscars, really. Kingsley and Connelly for sure, and Ron Eldard, Shohreh Aghdashloo and first-time actor, young Jonathan Ahdout were all just wonderful. Although I haven't read the novel, the screenplay adaptation was GREAT, as was the directing, lighting, cinematography and score. I loved everything about this tragic, moving masterpiece. Heartbreakingly wonderful.

A fun romp - The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988). Terry Gilliam's vision is just wonderful. Imagine a hot air balloon made entirely of women's ...knickers! Wonderful whimsical fantasy. Jonathan Pryce as the bad guy is just priceless. "We're out of virgins."

Recorded The Three Faces of Eve (1957) a while back, and finally watched it. I read the book last fall. Bob had tears in his eyes at the end, when Eve finally regains her health. What a great story, and a tour-de-force for Joanne Woodward.

What a wonderful experience! I got the DVD of Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) from the library, and watched the film and all the special bits. I'm an American, and know that the US Government followed a sad parallel course with the Native American people to that of the Australian government and the aboriginal people. Amazing acting, photography, writing. A true story really brought to life. Don't get caught up in the politics or history; humans have done horrifying things to other humans over and over again. The beauty of this film is the strength of love shown by these girls, and the power that gives them. This must be one of the most under-rated and under-appreciated films I've ever had the privilege of seeing.

Next up -- 21 Grams (2003). Difficult to write about so soon after watching. The quick cuts were bewildering, but made sense, too. The story, though -- redemption? Healing? Paul Rivers was the character I don't understand. Maybe because he was trying to understand life and himself through his mystical take on math. "21 grams", indeed.

The kids talked me into Napoleon Dynamite (2004) which was surprisingly charming. Maybe the advertising was bad. The IMDB reviewer who called it absurdist comedy was right, but the determination of Napoleon D. was endearing. He lived through the embarrassments of his life, and kept going. "So what did you do again this summer, Napoleon?"
"I was in Alaska hunting wolverines with my uncle."

Debra rented Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). The DVD was a disappointment -- no extras at ALL. However, the film itself was great. I think I'll buy the DVD, in spite of the lack of extras! (Bought it for Bob for Xmas. Hee hee) Russell Crowe was perfectly cast, and I enjoyed the interplay between his character and that of Dr. Stephen Maturin, Surgeon, played by Paul Bettany (John Nash's imaginary friend in A Beautiful Mind). Peter Wier made a wonderful film; too bad it didn't make buckets of money. Some of the other books in the series might have made great films too.

We also watched The Magdalene Sisters (2002) and the TV documentary Sex in a Cold Climate (1998). Completely horrifying, both of them. Also completely absorbing. It is easy to blame the Catholic Church for what happened, or even the specific (and monstrous) priests and nuns who ran these prisons, but the wider society created and supported these places until the late 1960s. I wonder what modern Irish think about these films today?

Wow. Watched Touching the Void (2003) tonight. On the strength of it, I've bought the DVD for my dad, and a DVD player to watch it on! What an amazing story, and so realistic I kept fearing to watch bits of it. Beauty and horror are so close to one another sometimes.

I forgot to put Mystic River (2003) in here. Thinking back, I am not as impressed as I was immediately after watching it. The mysteries of the past and present are developed well, and the acting is good. Perhaps because it is such a depressing plot, and such a cynical ending, it doesn't last well in my mind.

Well, now. Finally watched Sexy Beast (2000). Hmmmmm. I don't see the humor, dark or not. On the other hand, it was original, and memorable. After reading some of the Cockney dialog translated on the IMDB board, I feel less foggy about THAT. Interesting, interesting. Both Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley were great.

Onmyoji (2001) - beautiful and intriguing. It was rather difficult to follow the plot, but might be worth another watching to get more of the layers. I was constantly struck by the similarities of the ancient Japanese Buddhist culture to that of some Native American culture. The final shots of Mansai Nomura dancing reminded me *so much* of the dream-like dancing scenes in The Business of Fancydancing (2002). Brothers of a common father, I guess.

Johnny Belinda (1948) was much better than I expected. The setting on Cape Breton in Canada was interesting, and the place was a character of the film. Jane Wyman as Belinda was perfect, and the rest of the acting was fine, too. Ya gotta love any film with a pipe band!

Henry V, or "The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France" (1944) - Laurence Olivier's creative Henry V, made during the fire-bombing of London under what must have been trying circumstances. I loved the conceit of beginning and ending in the old Globe Theatre, and the segue into "movie" was seamless and magical. The use of stage sets in the movie part were just perfect. Overall, I prefer Branagh's Henry V (1989), but Olivier is a powerful actor, director, and producer.

"And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother."

Forever Amber (1947) seems like a typical Otto Preminger film. She's pretty, the costumes are big, etc. I liked the book better.

So darn cute and sweet I almost maxed out my blood sugar. The Adventures of Milo and Otis or Koneko monogatari (1986) is a bit controversial under all that cuteness. Filmed in Hokkaido over 4 years, it was an art film in Japan, but re-edited as a children's film here in the US. Narrated by Dudley Moore. The treatment of the animals is the controversial part -- how did Hata get the animals to "act," and were any animals harmed in the making of the film? Read conflicting opinions on the IMDB board.

Unusual, mesmerizing, fun, and horrifying. IFC presented Gray's Anatomy (1996), directed by Steven Soderburgh. Spalding Gray is a GREAT storyteller. The few other characters are a nice black and white change from Gray's neurotic intensity.

Wow. I just saw not just a great film, but a movie that spoke to me, spoke to my LIFE. Educating Rita (1983) has breath-taking performances by not only Michael Caine, but also Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley in the Harry Potter films). What is education FOR? Why bother to learn? Does one have to abandon one's true self, one's own voice, to be truly educated? And, what are the roles of teacher and student in all this? I sympathized so with Rita/Julie, who was a working-class woman yearning for education even while it made her a fish out of water. I hope that they restore this movie somewhat -- the version I saw on TV looked and sounded pretty bad.

Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) also exceeded expectations. Wonderful biography of Loretta Lynn, from her childhood to success as the world-famous country-western music star. This is not a film about country music, but completely focussed on Lynn's roots, life, and music. Sissy Spacek IS Lynn, and Beverly D'Angelo as her friend Patsy Cline is just super. Tommy Lee Jones as her husband, and Levon Helm as father, are also perfectly cast.

From Here to Eternity (1953): Better than I thought it would be. Montgomery Clift was great, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr and Donna Read were also really good. Frank Sinatra had a nice little part, and Ernest Borgnine was great as the bad guy. "The kiss" has lost a bit of its fire in 50 years, but this was still a great film.

Finally saw all of Trainspotting (1996) -- thanks, Debra! So cynical and depressing, but still enjoyable, thanks to great performances by Ewan McGregor and his mates. Sparkling bit by Kelly Macdonald as his under-age girlfried Diane, also. I watched the DVD and turned on the subtitles -- the Scottish accent is a bit thick! There are lots of references to other films and books; IMDB has a nice summation under Trivia.

Gunga Din (1939): The blatant racism bothered me, but I have to admit I'm a sucker for the buddy movie, even when it's a jolly olde slap at women, peace, and indeed -- everything but men and their games. This game is about murder, religion, war, and empire.

Ghost World (2000): Definately for everybody, but I loved it. One of the best movie beginnings of all time. Nice ending, too. And how can you top Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi?

A Star is Born (1954): Isn't Judy amazing? I loved the bit where Norman makes her remove the studio makeup and take the screen test as *herself*. Flawed, but unforgettable.

The Last Detail: Jack Nicholson was great, of course, but so were Randy Quaid and Otis Young. Gritty, touching.

Quills (2000) - Quite the fin de siècle film! Strong performances by Rush, Winslett, Joaquin Phoenix, and Caine. The argument for freedom of speech and thought might be weakened by the demonstration of the pain, violence and even death which can result.

The Quiet American (2002): I haven't seen the 1958 original, so I can't compare. Pretty decent film, however. Michael Caine is always wonderful, and Brendan Fraser is very strong.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) Jimmy Stewart is always great, and this is "the last of the great black and white Westerns." John Wayne as a supporting character? and Lee Marvin as the baddest of the bad of the West. :-)

Devil in a Blue Dress
The Apartment
Scarface
Singin' in the Rain
Nosferatu
Kiss of the Vampire
The Nun's Story
Secret Window
Road to Perdition
Gallipoli (1981)
Silverado
Adaptation

Previous favorites:
Katherine Hepburn
Philadelphia Story
Bringing Up Baby
Stage Door
Mary of Scotland
The African Queen
State of the Union
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
The Lion in Winter
On Golden Pond
Love Among the Ruins
Audrey Hepburn
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Sabrina
Charade
Philadelphia
Ran
Seven Samurai
Johnny Depp
Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Benny & Joon (1993)
Chocolat (2001)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

Bridget Jones' Diary
Unforgiven
Shakespeare in Love
Antwone Fisher
Glory
Malcolm X
Braveheart
Dancing with Wolves
Good Will Hunting
Mrs. Doubtfire
Tootsie
Pleasantville
Marathon Man
The Graduate
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Jeremiah Johnson
The Way We Were
Funny Girl
Dr. Zhivago
Lawrence of Arabia
Saving Private Ryan
Forrest Gump
Apollo 13
Big
Catch Me If you Can
Romeo + Juliet
"Amelie" - Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
To Kill a Mockingbird
Toy Story
The Sixth Sense
Liar Liar
Castaway
Three Amigos
Raiders of the Lost Ark
First Blood
The Shawshank Redemption
Pinocchio
Bambi
Sleeping Beauty
Pay It Forward
A Beautiful Mind
Gladiator
Mask
Seven
The Usual Suspects
Star Wars (Episodes 4-6)
Spaceballs
Young Frankenstein
Finding Nemo
Titanic
Harry Potter (all so far)
E.T.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Last Samurai
Back to the Future
Schindler's List
The Piano
The Pianist
Memento
Requiem for a Dream
Pi
American Beauty
Donnie Darko
Being John Malkovitch
Magnolia
Pulp Fiction
Get Shorty
K-Pax
Don Juan DiMarco
Waking Life
L.A. Confidential
Jack Nicholson......
A Beautiful Mind
Traffic
Office Space
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Five Easy Pieces
China Town
Taxi Driver
The Truman Show
Unforgiven
Dogma
This is Spinal Tap
Patton
Planet of the Apes
2001
"Rafifi" - Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)
High Fidelity
The Lost Boys
"Man on a Train" - L'Homme du train (2002)
Some Like It Hot
Muriel's Wedding
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ed Wood
How could I forget Citizen Kane? I really did love it.
Casablanca
Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask
On The Waterfront
The Great Escape
The Wizard of Oz
Blade Runner
All Quiet On the Western Front (1930)
The Conversation
Hannah and Her Sisters
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Pollock
The Lion in Winter
King Kong
The Iron Giant (1999)

Gluck - Dance of the Blessed Spirits (flute)

Luxembourg

Places, villages, towns (Localités du Grand Duché de Luxembourg): http://www.luxalbum.com/villages.htm
or search: http://www.luxalbum.com/search.htm

Localites du Luxembourg: http://genhames.free.fr/villeslux.htm

Genealogy in Luxembourg: http://www.deltgen.com

Genealogical Data from Luxembourg: http://www.roots.lu

Généalogie au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg / Ahnenforschung im Grossherzogtum Luxembourg: http://www.st2000.lu

Archives Nationales du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg: http://www.an.etat.lu/index2.htm
Films listed here are also available through the FHL, and are often better quality through the LDS.

Institut Grand-Ducal: http://www.igd-leo.lu/

Thanks to François from the Trier-Roots-L for these links. Many Luxembourg place-names appear with spelling variations. According to the Onomastics page, because Luxembourg is on language borders between germanic and romanic languages, "place names may have diverging German, French or Luxembourgish versions.... Luxembourg place names that can be found on the road maps and official modern documents are the French ones. In older records the German names can be found frequently. Signposts at the entrance of villages and towns bear the French name and underneath in italics the Luxembourgish name in case it differs. The Luxembourg place names are those used by the Luxembourgers in everyday life. Frequently records abroad regarding emigrated Luxembourgers bear the place names in Luxembourgish language." Consult the Institut Grand-Ducal pages for all the village name variations.

Luxembourg Message Board: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/board/rw/localities.weurope.luxembourg.general

Luxembourg on My Mind: http://members.aol.com/VailCorp/lux11.html

Luxembourg: http://www.rootsweb.com/~luxwgw/

GeneLux: http://www.eskimo.com/~lisanne/


The merit of originality is not novelty, it is sincerity. The believing man is the original man; he believes for himself, not for another. - Thomas Carlyle

H.R. 10 Records Access; now S.2845

UPDATE! The latest from Rootsweb Review:

New Bill Will Close Records to Genealogists
HR10, which was mentioned in the 13 October issue of RootsWeb Review, has passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives and is now part of S.2845. The amendments suggested by David Rencher in his letter to the bill's sponsor, Congressman J. Dennis Hastert, were NOT incorporated into this legislation. Thus, the terms of HR10 will now be considered by the Senate, as part of S.2845.

If S.2845 becomes law, as now written, family historians will face some real challenges in attempts to obtain birth records, even on long-deceased individuals. Specifically, what genealogists need to do issuggest to their lawmakers the addition of Sec. 3061(b)(1)(A)(iii) that
would read: "who is alive on the date that access to their birth certificate is requested."

This addition would clarify that the legislation (soon to be law) applies ONLY to birth certificates of CURRENTLY LIVING PERSONS. If you do not know your U.S. Senator's e-mail address, you can find it at http://www.senate.gov/

This bill can be found online at http://thomas.loc.gov/
Put in S.2845 (in the bill number window) and then select item No. 3; and go to Subtitle B--Identity Management Security; Chapter 2--Improved Security for Birth Certificates.

Latest insanity using the excuse of "Homeland Security":

H.R. 10 Records Access. This is an issue for the genealogical community, and anyone else who needs access to vital records in their research. More information: http://www.rootdig.com/hr10.html

There is an election campaign going on, but the Congress is still churning out bad laws. Pay attention! To find the email address for your Members of Congress, see: http://www.congress.org/. Be aware that a hand-written and mailed letter carries much more weight than an email does. Addresses and phone numbers of Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and Representatives: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

Get involved!


Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation. - Oscar Wilde

Canadian Provincial Archives

Alberta: http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/preserving/paa_2002/index.asp
Provincial Archives of Alberta
8555 Roper Road, Edmonton, AB T6E 5W1
Phone 780-427-1750  FAX 780-427-4646  Email paa@gov.ab.ca

British Columbia: http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/index.htm
British Columbia Archives
PO Box 9419, Stn. PROV GOVT, Victoria, BC V8W 9V1
Phone 250-387-1952  FAX 250-387-2072

Manitoba: http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/index.html
Archives of Manitoba
200 Vaughan Street, Winnipeg, MB R3C 1T5
Phone 204-945-3971  FAX 204-948-2672  Email archives@chc.gov.mb.ca

New Brunswick: http://archives.gnb.ca/Archives/Default.aspx
Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
PO Box 6000, Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1
Phone 506-453-2122  FAX 506-453-3288  Email provincial.archives@gnb.ca

Newfoundland and Labrador: http://www.gov.nf.ca/panl/
Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador
Colonial Building, Military Road, St. John's, NF A1C 2C9
Phone 709-729-3065  FAX 709-729-0578  Email panl@mail.gov.nf.ca">panl@mail.gov.nf.ca

Northwest Territories: http://pwnhc.learnnet.nt.ca/programs/archive.htm
Northwest Territories Archives
PO Box 1320, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9
Phone 867-873-7698  FAX 867-873-0205  Email nwtarchives@ece.learnnet.nt.ca

Nova Scotia: http://www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/
Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management
6016 University Avenue, Halifax, NS B3H 1W4
Phone 902-424-6060  FAX 902-424-0628

Nunavut: There is no Nunavut Archives online yet, but Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth: http://www.gov.nu.ca/Nunavut/English/departments/CLEY/index.shtml
Nunavut Archives
PO Box 310, Igloolik, NU X0A 0L0
Phone 867-934-8626  Email eatkinson@gov.nu.ca

Ontario: http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/
Archives of Ontario
77 Grenville Street, Unit 300, Toronto, ON M7A 2R9
Phone 416-327-1600 or 1-800-668-9933 (Toll-Free Number – Ontario only)   FAX 416-327-1999  Email reference@archives.gov.on.ca

Prince Edward Island: http://www.edu.pe.ca/paro/
Public Archives and Records Office
PO Box 1000, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7M4
Phone 902-368-4290  FAX 902-368-6327  Email archives@edu.pe.ca

Quebec: http://www.anq.gouv.qc.ca/
Archives nationales du Québec
Pavillon Louis-Jacques-Casault, Cité universitaire CP 10450, Sainte-Foy, QC G1V 4N1
Phone 418-643-8904  FAX 418-646-0868  Email anq.quebec@mcc.gouv.qc.ca

Saskatchewan: http://www.saskarchives.com/
Saskatchewan Archives Board, Regina Office
University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2
Phone 306-787-4068  FAX 306-787-1197  Email info.regina@archives.gov.sk.ca

Saskatchewan Archives Board, Saskatoon Office
Murray Building, University of Saskatchewan, 3 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A4
Phone 306-933-5832  FAX 306-933-7305  Email info.saskatoon@archives.gov.sk.ca

Yukon:
Yukon Archives
Box 2703, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2C6
Phone 867-667-5321  FAX 867-393-6253  Email yukon.archives@gov.yk.ca

Canadian Archival Resources on the Internet: http://www.usask.ca/archives/menu.html

Library and Archives Canada: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/index-e.html


In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage, to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is a most disquieting loneliness. - Alex Haley