VA National Cemeteries Gravesite Locator and ABMC

Memorial Day - A day to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. If you have a friend or family member who is buried in a VA National Cemetery, state veterans cemeteries, other military and Department of Interior cemeteries, or veterans buried in private cemeteries when the grave is marked with a government grave marker in the United States, you can use this tool to locate the gravesite. If you are looking for one of the sites overseas, the American Battle Monuments Commission manages that information.

Nationwide Gravesite Locator - Entering the last name is required, all other fields are optional. But as with any data search the more information entered the quicker and more accurate the results.

If you cannot locate the person you are searching for, you can provide the following information on each individual: Full name, including any alternate spellings, Date and place of birth, Date and place of death, State from which the individual entered active duty, Military service branch and mail the request to the address below.

Most requests take approximately four weeks for a reply. Include your return mailing address, phone number, or email address with the request. Mail your requests to: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
National Cemetery Administration (41C1)
Burial Location Request
810 Vermont Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20420

American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) manages 24 overseas military cemeteries, and 25 memorials, monuments, and markers. Nearly all the cemeteries and memorials specifically honor those who served in World War I or World War II.

American Battle Monuments Commission maintains databases which include:

• Those interred at the American World War I and World War II cemeteries overseas.
• The missing in action from World War I and World War II who are memorialized on Tablets of the Missing within the cemeteries and on three memorials in the United States.
• Those killed worldwide during the Korean War.
• War dead and veterans of the Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish-American War who are buried at the ABMC cemeteries in Corozal, Panama and Mexico City.
• The missing in action of the Vietnam War memorialized at the Honolulu Memorial.
• All interments at Corozal American Cemetery, including civilians who built and operated the Panama Canal.

How are you using the VA Cemeteries Gravesite Locator or the American Battle Monuments Commission databases? Comments, recommendations +1s, and reaction check boxes are always appreciated.

Vote for your favorite park in Sprite Spark Parks Contest

Vote for your favorite park to win $15,000.00 to "get refreshed" sponsored by Coca Cola North America. The Contest ends on May 31, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. 

During the writing of this post Atlanta's Burdett Park and NY's Sorrentino Rec Center are hot swapping the first place position. All parks are set to get refreshed, Coca Cola is providing grants to help the public parks, so voter help decide the top 10 courts to receive $15K to assist in "getting refreshed".

10 First Place Grants - $15,000 that must be used to construct, refresh and/or refurbish basketball courts located in the Park.
10 Second Place Grants - $10,000 that must be used as specified above.
5 Third Place Grants - $5,000 that must be used as specified above.

25 Public Parks selected by the sponsor, Coca-Cola North America. 
Grayson Park Birmingham AL
Starlight Park Phoenix AZ
Hollywood Recreation Center Los Angeles CA
DeFremery Park Oakland CA
Emery Recreation Center Washington DC
Dorsey Park Miami FL
Burdett Park College Park GA
Evelyn Davis Park Des Moines IA
Washington Park Chicago IL
Indianaola Park Indianapolis IN
Portland Park Louisville KY
Gatto Playground New Orleans LA
Westown Commons Park Grand Rapids MI
Fox Park St. Louis MO
Elmira Park Durham NC
Frazier Park Charlotte NC
Sorrentino Recreation Center Far Rockaway NY
DeHart Park Cincinnati OH
Dermond Recreation Area Drexel Hill PA
Jesse Turner Park Memphis TN
Winzer Basketball Court Houston TX
Cotillion Park Dallas TX
Ethel Bailey Furman Memorial Park Richmond VA
Pratt Park Basketball Courts Seattle WA
Juneau Playground Milwaukee WI
Which park are you voting for?

Do you pay for access to your online local newspaper?

Pay $6.95 to access the Augusta Chronicle online content? No thanks. The Augusta Chronicle allows "passers by" to visit what they deem as "Premium Content" up to 15 pages before seeing one of the prompts displayed in the image below.

I gave up the printed version of the Augusta Chronicle years ago. I use the online version to check out some local headlines but gave up reading it online after my last move in and out of Augusta because the comments demonstrated the need for commenting workshops, from the negativity of the commenters to those who type as they speak. The Augusta Chronicle is mentioned in PEJ's State of the News Media 2012 as they initially offered 100 page views at no cost to today's count of 15 free page views.

I will stick with WRDW, WJBF, and WAGT for my free local and Alltop for surrounding news feeds. I will occasionally view the Augusta Chronicle reporters on Google+ or Twitter but I will not pay $6.95 per month or $83.40 per year for what the AC deems as premium content. In addition to the price, notice the warning, "This page has insecure content".

Call me spoiled, but if I pay I do not expect to see the page has "insecure content" nor do I want to see ads. But as one commenter posted in the AC Publisher's article: Chronicle offers new ways to serve you in January 2011, "Only the ignorant will fail to see the value in the minimal charges" is yet another reason the holier than thou attitude will get you nowhere in Augusta. It is why people continue to get their Masters Tournament coverage from the national sources, vice the local premium content managers.

Augusta Chronicle did their research, but I opted for Pew's State of the News Media 2010, State of the Newpapers 2012, Pew's Project for Excellence in Journalism Summary of Newspapers and Charts and Tables that Internet users can access with no additional fees.

If the Augusta Chronicle offered content that mattered to me, provided relevant information for my educational journey, presented content that was secure, and displayed no advertisements, I might contemplate a fee based access. But I pay for my education and my Internet service, where I can access information from sources more credible, plausible, and verisimilar.

The Augusta Chronicle offers an app for Android, iPad, and iPhone/iPod Touch currently, "Free for a limited time". Do you pay for access to your local newspaper online information?
Comments, recommendations +1s, and reaction check boxes are always appreciated.

Single point of failure. Are you one?

Are you a single point of failure? Many people associate single points of failure (SPOF) with technology, but humans can be SPOFs too. The one life event that is guaranteed to occur when you are born is you will die. 

If you aren't working yourself out of your position, whether in the family unit or corporate organizations, you are setting people up for redundant work, frustration, and you are not fulfilling your DASH.

Whether someone takes time off from work, physically or mentally checks out, or simply takes a break from the family unit, someone always gets stuck. So start today...whether it is a personal diary with how the things work around the house and instructions on how to access the information once you are absent or if you make yourself holier than thou on the two way rifle range leave some tidbit of the treasure trove of your skills, knowledge, and abilities for someone to come along and keep the battle rhythm in sync. Adapt, implement, and overcome only goes so far when you have to continuously pick up the slack.

Take some time, do a self assessment, and leave the information for others who will replace you. If you don't like to write or type, make a video. Knowledge hoarding does not equal job security and when you pass don't leave additional "stuff to do"  for those you leave behind, they are already emotionally drained adjusting to loss of life. Assess the scenario, whether personal or professional as the the story of the Blind Men and an Elephant, then become one part of the resolution.

How are you using the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE)?

This dictionary provides insight, supported by research, documenting differences in American Regional English. As your global connections expand via the net, this unique dictionary can provide an introduction to words and phrases you may never have heard before. DARE can be used with families that move or travel often, in classes where international students participate, or for those who are curious about why some people say what they say. Check out some examples of regional synonyms found in DARE.

What is DARE? From the University of Wisconsin site: The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is a multi-volume reference work that documents words, phrases, and pronunciations that vary from one place to another place across the United States. Challenging the popular notion that our language has been "homogenized" by the media and our mobile population, DARE demonstrates that there are many thousands of differences that characterize the dialect regions of the U.S.

The site offers quizzes for your self assessment: DARE you to take our quiz DARE Volume III quiz DARE Volume IV quiz Volume I-III quiz

The printed book is available through Harvard University Press or use WorldCat to find the book in your local library.

ISBN numbers: 
Vol. I A-C 978-0-674-20511-6
Vol. II D-H 978-0-674-20512-3
Vol. III I-O 978-0-674-20519-2
Vol. IV P-Sk 978-0-674-00884-7
Vol. V Sl-Z 978-0-674-04735-8
Vol. VI Index

What else can you do with DARE?
State-by-state. See which communities DARE visited in your state
Listen to how we speak. Hear audio samples that demonstrate the rich variety of American language.
DARE you to take our quiz. Do you know a toot from a tush hog? Take our quiz and find out!
5 Questions with Joan Hall. Video DARE chief editor Joan Houston Hall discusses the five-decades-long project.
Historical word of the month from June 2009 to present.
100 Entries
Audio samples

You can follow DARE on Twitter.

Check out some examples of regional synonyms found in DARE

How are you using DARE?
Comments, recommendations +1s, and reaction check boxes are always appreciated.

So you want to run for a position on the Richmond County Board of Education?

Many people qualify but for one reason or another they do not run for this position. Sometimes the reason is due to not knowing where to start. The first site you can check is the Augusta government website. Under the Departments tab select A-E, then Board of Elections. You can visit the RCBoEd site to see the school board members, districts, contact information and when their terms are due to expire. As you can see from the site, personnel holding the positions for Districts 1, 4, 5, 8, 10 (At large district) expire December 31, 2012. This means if you want to run for one of the positions, you must register between Wednesday, May 23 beginning at 9:00 AM and no later than (NLT) Friday, May 25, 2012 by noon.

Qualifying
Qualifying for partisan (Democrat and Republican) and non-partisan offices opens Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 9:00 AM and closes at 12:00 Noon on Friday, May 25, 2012.
Information regarding the qualifications and requirements to seek public office may be found in the publication Qualifications and Disqualifications to Seek Public Office, which is published by the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act of 2010
To locate information on the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act of 2010 and to file campaign reports visit the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission.

This information is from page 252 of the 272 pages of the Qualifications and Disqualifications for Holding State or County Elective Office in Georgia.
MEMBER, COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
Qualifications
1. Must be a citizen of this state. 
2. Must have been a resident of the county from which elected for 12 months immediately
preceding election.
3. Must be a qualified voter. O.C.G.A. § 45-2-1
4. Must reside within the school district in which he or she seeks election and in the election
district which he or she represents. Ga. Const. Art. 8, § 5, ¶ 2 O.C.G.A. § 20-2-51
Cross-Reference:
Art. 8, § 5, ¶ 2, and O.C.G.A. § 20-2-51 establish county school districts under the management and control of a county board of education.
Annotation:
Residency requirements for the election of local school board members cannot be established
by local board bylaws. Op. Atty. Gen. U97-25.
5. Must not be
a) employed by or serving on the governing board of any private educational body or
institution;
b) employed by the local board of education and be on the same board;
c) employed by either the State Department of Education or the State Board of Education.
O.C.G.A. § 20-2-51 (c)
Term of Office and Election
6. Term of office is four years unless otherwise provided by local act or constitutional
amendment. Ga. Const. Art. 8, § 5, ¶ 2 O.C.G.A. § 20-2-52
7. Elected in the general election held on Tuesday following the first Monday in November
in each even-numbered year next preceding the expiration of the term of office.
O.C.G.A. § 21-2-9
8. Elected in partisan elections unless nonpartisan elections are provided for by local law.
O.C.G.A. §§ 20-2-56, 21-2-139
9. A candidate for member of a county board of education must pay a qualification fee or
file a pauper’s affidavit.
O.C.G.A. §§ 21-2-131, 21-2-132, 21-2-153
Annotations:
1. If a candidate is unable to pay required qualifying fee, candidate may execute a
pauper’s affidavit in lieu of qualifying fee and be afforded the opportunity to run.
Op. Atty. Gen. 72-48. See Georgia Socialist Workers Party v. Fortson, 315 F. Supp.
1035 (N.D. Ga. 1970).
2. A candidate for the final half of an unexpired term must pay the full qualification
fee just as if he or she were running for a full term. Op. Atty. Gen. U70-77.
3. For the purpose of computing qualifying fee, only the salary which the law provides
for the office directly involved should be included and not the additional compensation
paid for the ex-officio position held by the incumbent. Op. Atty. Gen. 70-53.
4. An elected official cannot rely on payment of an incorrectly advertised qualifying
fee to compel the governing authority to compensate the elected official beyond the
salary permitted by statute. Rowland v. Tattnall County, 260 Ga. 109, 390 S.E. 2d
217 (1990).

If you qualify, the next step is to bookmark this site, Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission and select your role, Candidate, Non-Candidate Committee, Lobbyist, Public Official, Qualifying Officer, State Employee, and/or Vendor. 

Select Candidate, check out the site and:
1. File a Declaration of Intention to Accept Contributions.
2. File a PIN Application for e-filing CCDR & PFD (Candidates / Elected Officials).
3. If you have  designated someone to file your reports or  if anyone is collecting your contributions or expending your contributions, file a Registration Form for a Candidate’s Campaign Committee.
4. File a form for Choosing Option of Separate Accounting.
5. File reports according to your schedule.

Do you want to see reports submitted by existing office holders or other campaign reports? Search reports by types:  Campaign Reports, Personal Financial Reports & Affidavits, Business Transaction Reports, Lobbyist Reports, Late/Non-Filer Reports, Campaign Contributions Map, Vendor Gifts Reports.

If you want to be one part of the change that you want, starting at the local level is an option.
Comments, recommendations +1s, and reaction check boxes are always appreciated.

What do you recommend if you were visiting Augusta, GA?

SCCC (Signal Captains Career Course) Students come from diverse backgrounds and for our international students and branch transfer students, attending SCCC may be their first visit to Augusta, GA. Our Signal Officers may be assigned here or may not have visited Fort Gordon in a few years.

Two of the student officer positions that have to be filled in each class is the Social Officer and the Volunteer Officer positions. Today's students have many tools available because so many organizations have virtual social media connections but the lessons learned from these activities aren't shared except within classes and between peers. I started a post on milBook (CAC access required) for people who aren't used to sharing beyond the DoD firewalls, but this post is general visitor information that can be accessed publicly and provide an opportunity for people who have visited Augusta, GA to share what worked, what didn't work, and recommendations.

If you have visited Augusta, GA or passed through Fort Gordon, GA what are some of your favorite spots that you would recommend if friends and family passing through?

A few recommended sites:
Off limits establishments 
Fort Gordon MWR (Morale Welfare & Recreation)
Fort Gordon ACS (Army Community Service)
Fort Gordon's The Signal online newspaper
Augusta's government Visitor site 
Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau 
Visit Augusta Twitter 
Visit Augusta Facebook 
Augusta Chronicle Things to do 
Augusta Chronicle Events Calendar
Garden City Jazz 
Metro Spirit Dining
Splash in the Boro Family Waterpark & Aquatic Center Statesboro, GA 
Graystone Ranch & Wildlife Center - Recently added Zipline & Zorb activities
Phinizy Swamp

What recommendations do you have for visiting Augusta, GA?

Hey grads...add your email

It is that time of year where graduates are snail mailing their graduation announcements and invitations...Congrats! Great! But one simple request...will you please add your email address to your contact info with your announcement?

It isn't that I mind doing the snail mail thing...but come on now eCards and digital gift cards have been around since you were born.

The flip side of this is it is time for you to have a professional aspect to the email in your digital footprint. You may keep your settings private on the social media sites, but it is now time to upgrade to the working world. It may have been fun to Google yourself while you were in high school or college, but it is time to get serious about your digital footprint. Whether it is a future employer, a potential date, or your next landlord searching your digital activity has never been easier to access.
Congrats to those who are graduating at any level just remember to add your email address to your contact info if you are snail mailing the announcement. Scanning the announcement and emailing to me would have been acceptable too! Maybe the next set of graduates will do a blog post as their graduation announcement, set up a donation widget, and create their own version of a digital portfolio?

As this eHow article states in an article about proper etiquette for graduation announcements, that you may have family members that do not have Internet access so I understand that some people still need the proper, formal, snail mail version but if you can blast your latest accomplishment using technology...why not?

Again...congrats to all the grads!