There is a place online that people can donate cars to those who need them. It is called carangel car donations. I think this is a wonderful idea to help those in need. So, if you have a car that you can spare to help someone else, please consider this organization. It is for a really good cause. Have a great day.
It’s so beautiful
Gosh I found the most beautiful little sea side community down in the Florida pan handle. It’s called NatureWalk at Seagrove. It is right on the Gulf of Mexico and the beaches are like pure white snow. I know I will probably not move that far away from my family, but when I went down there to pick up some supplies I needed, I just had to look. My kids would love Nature Walk. It’s one of those gated communities that has it’s own recreation center with two pools.
My parents keep talking about retiring to Florida one day. I brought back some pamphlets of Nature Walk at Seagrove for them to look at. Mom fell in love with it just from reading about it and what I told her. She grilled me on everything. Dad was a little more reserved, but he did like it as well. I think we might go back down together to have another look.
New park
I am so happy they re did the park down the street. It was looking raggedy and needed a makeover. We got new park benches that look amazing, and believe it or not they are actually comfortable. I took the kids there after school today for a little while to unwind. They really enjoyed it and want to come back over the weekend for a picnic or BBQ. I think that just might be possible if the weather holds nice.
They put in brand new commercial picnic tables for us to have our picnic on as well as new grills to cook on. I am so happy about that. We can have birthday celebrations there again. Before we couldn’t because the equipment was just plain falling apart. I think it is supposed to be a bit windy but not too much. That means I can buy some kites for the kids to fly. I know they will absolutely love that. We haven’t done that in so long, I can’t even remember when the last time was.
Solar storm
I just read the most interesting article about the largest solar storm in years. Fortunately, we are only catching the edge of it and not the full brunt. It has the potential to disrupt our electronics and communications around the planet. According to the scientists, next year will be the peak for solar storm activity for this cycle. I certainly hope that all goes well and we don’t have any damage communications wise.
I hate this weather
The tornado warnings have kicked off spring with a heck of a bang. I heard on the news that there were at least five deaths in Indiana today. As if the rain all winter with no snow wasn’t bad enough, now we are going to have serious storms and lots of rain and hail to go with it. I hope we don’t get the flooding we had two years ago. Nashville was under water and still hasn’t completely recovered from it. There are lots of businesses that haven’t yet reopened yet. Not looking forward to spring, but I can’t wait till summer gets here.
The park
I just found out that the local park was completely renovated with all new equipment. The county put in new park benches and picnic tables for our residents to use. They also put in new play ground equipment as well. I am happy to see that they are finally spending our tax money on things we can see and touch. I know that my county does a pretty good job managing things but it is always nice to be able to see the progress they make as well. I researched the documents they published regarding the issue and found that they were very thorough and even let us know what company they used to purchase all of the stuff.
I liked the company so well I decided to order some Adirondack chairs from them, for my back yard. They are really nice looking and I cannot wait till they are delivered. I am going to enjoy relaxing in the garden where I am putting them, especially first thing in the morning with my coffee.
Mandatory volunteering ?
I just read an article that say one county is trying to decide if they want to make a mandatory volunteering law for their county school system. This would require parents volunteer a set number of hours per year and the parents would get a grade at the end of the year on whether or not they reached the total number of hours required. I do not think that forcing people to do something is the way to go. Especially if certain parents are physically unable to do the hours due to lack of transportation or other handicaps. I must say I am glad they aren’t trying to do anything like this here. I would strenuously protest such a thing.
New Mailboxes
So I live in a rural area. We don’t have house to house mail delivery, we have cluster mailboxes. Ours were destroyed by the last storm that passed though the other day. I don’t know if a tornado got them or what it was. Perhaps flying debris or just straight line winds did it, but we have to replace them now with a new clustered mailbox.
We are looking at approved cluster mailboxes the association picked out for us to decide on. In the long run it doesn’t matter which ones they pick as long as they work. I hope they are replaced by the end of next week, because I am having to run to the post office to get my mail until then, and that is a bit of a drive. It is worth living in the country, so the kids have plenty of room though.
Red Ribbons for AIDS Awareness
I’m sad to have to recognize today is World AIDS day again. It’s been 30 years. I hope that we find a cure in my lifetime. Until then, I will wear a red ribbon and ask people to support finding a cure.
Ten Interesting Facts About Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security is the newest cabinet of the US government and the third largest. Though many Americans certainly remember a time before the department even existed, there are many interesting things they may not know about how the department got its start.
Here are ten facts about the history and development of the Department of Homeland Security.
- It was created in 2002 as part of the Patriot Act, in direct response to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States.
- The creation of the department represents the most significant reorganization of the government since 1947, when the National Security Act was passed. This act was in response to the Cold War and created the CIA, among other things.
- Though the agency is charged with protecting the “homeland” and is therefore distinct from the military, which protects abroad, the Department of Homeland Security later absorbed the US Coast Guard, which previously fell under the Department of Defense, along with the other branches of the military.
- In 2003, the Department of Homeland Security absorbed the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The INS was then divided into two agencies: Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- Once the Department of Homeland Security was complete, it represented the most diverse merger of federal functions, incorporating 22 agencies under one organization.
- Former Pennsylvanian governor Tom Ridge was the first Secretary of Homeland Security. He had been appointed by President George W. Bush as the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security in October of 2001, before the Department of Homeland Security was created.
- The Department of Homeland Security has been located at its “temporary headquarters” on Nebraska Avenue, across from American University in Washington DC, since its inception. Permanent office space has been secured for the department at the St. Elizabeth’s Hospital Complex. However, the soonest personnel could begin moving into this complex is 2012, a full ten years after the creation of the department.
- The Department of Homeland Security developed the “terror threat” advisory system scale that we use today. It reports the current threat level of terrorism on a scale from “low” to “severe”.
- The seal of the department carries several important symbols. The shield in the center is divided into three sections, for land, sea and air.
The air has 22 stars in the night sky, representing the 22 agencies that came together to form the department. The 13 arrows in the eagle’s left claw and the 13 olive branches in his right claw represent the 13 original colonies. - The development of the Department of Homeland Security created new jobs and job titles within the government, including the creation of federal air marshals, who ride on commercial airline flights to protect passengers and crew.
Though the department has seen its share of criticism for how agencies were absorbed and how measures have been carried out, there’s no question that the creation of this department has had a major impact on how the government does business and provides safety to Americans on our own shores.
Phyllis T. Zerkle particularly likes to write about issues surrounding homeland security and the various courses studied when earning a homeland security degree online.