Some blogging, finalized my presentation, an abortive lunch trip, and the Padres lost. Drat.* Read email and blogs, wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - 1850 U.S. Census Record for Henry White Family and then Survey of Genealogy Database Software Usage and set it for later.* Left at 10:45 a.m. for the retiree lunch, but the restaurant was closed. Saw nobody else...so I went shopping at Office Depot for mailing labels and a new stapler (lost the other one, had it probably 30 years, don't know where). The smog test place was busy, so came home by 12…
Personal History - Genealogy
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Most Topular Stories
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My Genealogy Thursday - 16 May 2013
The Geneaholic16 May 2013 | 10:44 pm -
I Need Your Advice.
Dan Curtis ~ Professional Personal Historian15 May 2013 | 7:34 amHave you done your own personal history? As a professional personal historian, I’m sometimes asked if I’ve ever had my life story told. I haven’t. And I always feel awkward about my response. I usually mutter that I’m too busy doing other people’s stories. It’s not a very satisfactory answer. If I don’t see the value of preserving my history, why should anyone believe me when I tell them the great advantages of preserving their own? Now the fact is that I’m an only child and I don’t have any children of my own. There aren’t any… -
May 14, Preserving Our American Family
Writing Your Life Story Blog14 May 2013 | 5:06 pmWho is saving the voices of America? That's a pretty wide open question. Many people enjoy the stories that various family members share. In every family there is often somebody known for being a good storyteller. See how it is being done in a grander and more professional way with the PBS television series, Our American Family. -
Memoir: Process or Product?
The Heart and Craft of Life Writing17 May 2013 | 12:06 pmWith any form of expressive writing, from spontaneous journaling to polished, published memoir, the writing process produces 90% of the benefit, at least as far as the writer is concerned. To be clear, this 90% figure is an intuitive assessment, but not a wild guess. I extensively studied the healing value of expressive writing and wrote about it in a series of blog posts, Writing for the Health of It. I also base it on a stream of student comments that stories they wrote for class shed new light on past events, changing their perspective. This may be especially good news if privacy concerns… -
New Search Results Page On Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com Blog16 May 2013 | 5:13 pmHave you logged on to Ancestry.com today and done any record searching? Then you probably noticed that we made some changes overnight to the search results page. This is part of our continued effort to improve performance on the site and the load time required for key pages. This also allows us to work towards better scalability of results and visibility of key features. The new look for these pages uses more modern techniques for styling that require less things to be downloaded to your computer and should load the page faster. (More pages on the site will be using these techniques over the…
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Dan Curtis ~ Professional Personal Historian
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I Need Your Advice.
15 May 2013 | 7:34 amHave you done your own personal history? As a professional personal historian, I’m sometimes asked if I’ve ever had my life story told. I haven’t. And I always feel awkward about my response. I usually mutter that I’m too busy doing other people’s stories. It’s not a very satisfactory answer. If I don’t see the value of preserving my history, why should anyone believe me when I tell them the great advantages of preserving their own? Now the fact is that I’m an only child and I don’t have any children of my own. There aren’t any… -
Monday’s Link Roundup.
13 May 2013 | 7:40 amI’m a “closet” designer. In this Monday’s Link Roundup I’ve posted a treat for other designer “wannabees”. Be sure to check out The Designer Says: The Collected Quips and Wisdom of Famous Graphic Designers. And if you’re concerned about the democratization of criticism in the Internet Age, be sure to read Star Wars. Do we still need experts and critical authority? I think we do. The Internet dilemma: Do people have a right to be forgotten? “Human forgetting actually performs a very important function for us individually as well as for… -
Encore! Avoiding the Digital Universe Will Hurt Your Business.
8 May 2013 | 7:40 amLet me begin by saying there are legitimate reasons to be wary of the ever expanding digital universe – a glut of junk information, loss of privacy, time wasting, and addiction. But there are also irrational fears at work based in part on our inherent resistance to change. Read more. -
Monday’s Link Roundup.
6 May 2013 | 7:28 amIn this Monday’s Link Roundup my favorite piece is Why there really is no place like home. For those of us who interview people about their lives, this lovely essay reminds us of the richness of stories wrapped up in our homes. Speaking of life stories, don’t miss A Story for Generations: Home Front Girl. The author recounts what it was like writing her mother’s personal history. The Most Important Conversation You’ll Ever Have. “No one wants to bring up dying, but talking with your loved ones about the final stage—theirs and your own—is… -
Three Big Start-Up Mistakes I Made That You Can Avoid.
1 May 2013 | 7:26 amThinking of giving up your current job and starting up your own business? Here are a few big mistakes I made and lessons I learned. Maybe they’ll save you some anguish. Then again maybe you’re smarter than I was. In 1980 I left my job at TVOntario, an educational broadcaster, and hung up my shingle as an independent documentary filmmaker. I had a passion for documentaries, a willingness to work hard, and a creative bent. What I didn’t have was two cents in my bank account. That was my first mistake. The early years were tough. I had to borrow money from friends and get odd…
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Writing Your Life Story Blog
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May 14, Preserving Our American Family
14 May 2013 | 5:06 pmWho is saving the voices of America? That's a pretty wide open question. Many people enjoy the stories that various family members share. In every family there is often somebody known for being a good storyteller. See how it is being done in a grander and more professional way with the PBS television series, Our American Family. -
May 6, Shoe Stories
6 May 2013 | 7:14 pmRunning shoes tell a story. Boston Magazine was getting their May issue ready to go to the printers when this year's Boston Marathon took a decidedly downturn. But the act of terrorists can not kill the spirit of runners, Boston or good people everywhere. The staff of the magazine made the right decision to change their cover and provide a feature story. They didn't have much time to work on it, but the response via social media, email and personal contact was great and they were able to include some powerful reports from people who participated in the marathon. -
May 6, Your-Life-Your-Story - My Life Story Blog Archives, pril, 2013
6 May 2013 | 7:13 pmAn archive of previous My Life Story blog entries from April, 2013 regarding personal history, life story writing and more. -
Apr 29, In Passing - Death as Transition
29 Apr 2013 | 6:04 pmI've often wondered at the analogy some use about dying, that it is like the passing of a baton. We are carrying the "baton" of this life and when we die we pass it off. I must admit I like the image of our carrying something through life, be it our gift, our personality, or our essence, that is left behind as we pass over to the next life or plane of existence. "In passing" - it's a phrase that is with me again. Two days ago my aunt died. She was 88 and lived a good life, full of adventure, travel and a variety of experiences. She was modest and quiet, didn't like to talk about herself, but… -
Apr 29, In Passing - Death as Transition
29 Apr 2013 | 6:02 pmcontent of article or page about life story writing and our spiritual journey.
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The Heart and Craft of Life Writing
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Memoir: Process or Product?
17 May 2013 | 12:06 pmWith any form of expressive writing, from spontaneous journaling to polished, published memoir, the writing process produces 90% of the benefit, at least as far as the writer is concerned. To be clear, this 90% figure is an intuitive assessment, but not a wild guess. I extensively studied the healing value of expressive writing and wrote about it in a series of blog posts, Writing for the Health of It. I also base it on a stream of student comments that stories they wrote for class shed new light on past events, changing their perspective. This may be especially good news if privacy concerns… -
Merging Life with Fiction
13 May 2013 | 1:00 amToday we have another international visitor, and a topic with an unusual twist. Mary Hamer explains how writing a historical novel, Kipling & Trix, gave her the opportunity to creatively showcase some personal experience in a setting that may be a more effective than memoir. Read on to learn how this is relevant for memoir writers. It’s a challenge, writing memoir, to make all the other characters interesting, not just darling moi. One that’s especially hard when we’re writing about experience that’s been difficult or painful. How to give a rounded account, how to keep a balance? -
Don’t Call Me Mother
10 May 2013 | 2:00 amLinda Joy Myers’ memoir, Don’t Call Me Mother, is a rich read for many reasons, and one you won’t want to miss. Aside from the gripping storyline and heart-warming ending, her brilliant description makes the story blazingly real and compelling. Her technique is worth studying. For starters,she uses evocative phrases like “The silent air between them heats up like a hot wire” and “I fall asleep wrapped in cottony dreams, breathing in the scent of my mother.” She uses emotions and perceptions to convey a powerful sense of her inner life, for example, They all stand around as if… -
Story Around the World
6 May 2013 | 12:00 amToday it is my privilege to feature an interview with Tanya Preminger, a resident of Israel, who created and manages Life-Memo.com, a website jam-packed with slices of life from the four corners of the earth. Tanya recently contacted me about the possibility of trading web-links. When I visited her site, I was profoundly moved. Wanting to forge a stronger bond with her work, I invited her to tell you more about her site. I have spent hours reading selected stories there. Each is profoundly touching. Although some are light-hearted, many are heart-breaking, filled with darkness, despair… -
It Takes a Village to Bring a Story to Life
2 May 2013 | 10:41 amI never read Hillary Clinton’s book, It Takes a Village, but the title stuck with me, and in recent months I’ve realized how relevant it is to writing, especially life writing. Last week I shared a story with a writing group and received several ideas for ways to improve it. This morning as I prepared to revise the draft, I had a moment of brilliant clarity, realizing that: I would never keep writing if I had to do it alone. Yes, the act of transferring words from mind to paper requires a certain degree of isolation, but without feedback from others and the hope of eventual readers, I…
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Ancestry.com Blog
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New Search Results Page On Ancestry.com
16 May 2013 | 5:13 pmHave you logged on to Ancestry.com today and done any record searching? Then you probably noticed that we made some changes overnight to the search results page. This is part of our continued effort to improve performance on the site and the load time required for key pages. This also allows us to work towards better scalability of results and visibility of key features. The new look for these pages uses more modern techniques for styling that require less things to be downloaded to your computer and should load the page faster. (More pages on the site will be using these techniques over the… -
AncestryDNA wins the Utah Innovation Award in consumer software and web services
15 May 2013 | 4:10 pmAncestryDNA was honored as the winner of the Utah Innovation Awards under the consumer software and web services category. Eight other innovation winners were also recognized in various categories from biotechnology to mechanical systems manufacturing. Finalists in the consumer software and web services category include LumiBook by School Improvement Network and MyCurrent by Overstock – Olabs. Why AncestryDNA? What makes AncestryDNA so innovative is how it fuses DNA technology and family history in a way that’s never been done before. It works like this: First, we look at over… -
Join Ancestry.com in Southern California for Three Days of Family History
14 May 2013 | 5:32 pmJust starting to build your family tree? Ready to take your research skills to the next level? Trying to break through some sticky brick walls? Then you won’t want to miss the 2013 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree Produced by the Southern California Genealogical Society June 7-9, 2013 Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport, Burbank, California Sponsored in part by Ancestry.com Take part in three days of family history classes, exhibitors, and other events designed to help you improve your family history skills. Conference Classes: Register today to attend all three days of Jamboree,… -
AncestryDNA honors moms this Mother’s Day with a DNA test that’s for women too
11 May 2013 | 11:45 pmMother’s Day. It’s the perfect time to show the woman who made you who you are just how much you love her. And now, you can discover even more about who you are, who your mom is and about all the other moms in your family tree. Did you know that AncestryDNA is our newest, most powerful DNA test that’s available to both men and women? So anyone can take the test. And it covers all lineages in the family tree going back for generations. Since you inherit half of your DNA from your mom, it covers her entire side of your family including your mother’s mom, her mom, your great-great aunt… -
Finding Moms and Grandmoms in the Family Tree
10 May 2013 | 4:34 pmSometimes it gets tricky chasing moms and great-grandmas through the family tree, particularly if Great-Grandma is hiding squarely behind a married name. Don’t give up. When you’re faced with the tough task of tracing an elusive female back through history, it pays to be persistent. You’ll find plenty of rewards by tracing female family lines. Instead, tackle the challenge of following a female with the following tips – you may find that your great-great-grandmother’s maiden name and hiding place aren’t so far out of reach after all. Tip 1: Ask around. Does anyone else in the…
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personal-history « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Slow but steady
27 Apr 2013 | 2:18 pmI recently returned from a visit to Hawaii. To be more exact, a visit to Kailua, Kaneohe, and Waialua on the island of Oahu. While there, I thoroughly enjoyed swimming in “the pond” (aka the Pacific Ocean) at Lanikai Beach, one of my favorite places in the world. Even got a tan line! And there I also experienced a first: swimming with turtles. It seems one of my talents is stepping in it — that’s stepping in seaweed – so I probably invaded their space. But it was great! In fact, I now think of the turtle as my animal totem. Like them, I am slow, steady,… -
A Special Vegeversary!
27 Apr 2013 | 1:48 amFive years ago today I gave up eating meat. I had originally stopped eating meat on April 1st of 2008, but had some conflicting feelings about it. I had eaten a KFC chicken thigh that April 1st and broke down and cried. It was always harder to eat meat that was easy to see had been part of a living, breathing animal just a couple of days before. So I was going to be a vegetarian after that, but then I had some misgivings and wasn’t sure I wanted to go that way. After all, it seemed I’d have to think about food a whole new way, it’d be a lot of trouble, I’d have to… -
Floating kidney
26 Apr 2013 | 9:02 pmGather round, children! Mama has another self-diagnosed illness! So you know all about my kidney stones, blah blah blah. I was told a month or two ago that little can be done for them; they’re small, and they dissolve quickly, and there’s no medication to prevent them. The pain and discomfort I suffer is mild, and usually ibuprofen is enough to make me feel better. But hm. I took some very interesting Human Biology courses in college. My instructor was a remarkable woman who was a church organist, and city councilperson, and chief anesthesiologist… -
First
26 Apr 2013 | 7:22 pm(These are the posts I’m transferring from Blogger. They are slightly out of order. This was originally published 4/27/2013 at 2:22 am.) Finals week is week after next. I’m home for the weekend, then I head back to SWOSU for the last time. The storms have passed, and everyone is asleep except me. What am I doing? Starting a blog. A social worker suggested years ago that I should write everything down to help work through the pain, but only recently has the pain subsided enough to even write about it. Previous times I tried, I got a few words out, then spent hours crying on the… -
how i got to business school
26 Apr 2013 | 4:14 pmdisclaimer: this is my first blog post on my first ever blog. excited and terrified. and perhaps ram
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The Geneaholic
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My Genealogy Friday and Saturday - 17-18 May 2013
18 May 2013 | 9:30 pmThese were a busy two days with genealogy, a doctor's visit, and the Padres games. 1) Friday, 17 May:* After reading emails and blogs, and noting that Follow-Up Friday - Helpful and Interesting Reader Comments posted, * I left at 8:45 a.m. for a 9:30 labe test in downtown San diego. I've been coughing, and the doctor wanted to eliminate a physic problem, so I went for a swallow test. They turn on the x-ray machine, adjust it, and watch you swallow a number of foods/drinks, all coated or containing barium so that it's visible on the x-ray. It… -
My Genealogy Thursday - 16 May 2013
16 May 2013 | 10:44 pmSome blogging, finalized my presentation, an abortive lunch trip, and the Padres lost. Drat.* Read email and blogs, wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - 1850 U.S. Census Record for Henry White Family and then Survey of Genealogy Database Software Usage and set it for later.* Left at 10:45 a.m. for the retiree lunch, but the restaurant was closed. Saw nobody else...so I went shopping at Office Depot for mailing labels and a new stapler (lost the other one, had it probably 30 years, don't know where). The smog test place was busy, so came home by 12… -
My Genealogy Wednesday - 15 May 2013
15 May 2013 | 10:11 pmThis was a pretty typical genealogy Wednesday - a CVGS meeting, some blogging, and some database work.* Read email and blogs, wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 256: Grace and Bess at the Lake and then CGSSD Meeting on Saturday, 18 May - Jamie Mayhew on the FamilySearch Wiki and set it for later. Researched and wrote Finding Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) in Ancestry.com Record Collections and set it for the afternoon.* Printed off several articles for Shirley on New York, ate lunch at home, watched a bit of the Padres game (we won 8-4 over… -
My Genealogy Tuesday - 14 May 2013
14 May 2013 | 10:01 pmIt was a stay-at-home Tuesday, with a Padres win, so a pretty good day because I got a significant task completed.* Read email and blogs, wrote Tuesday's Tip - Check Out the New York Town Guide for Locality Records.* Worked on the Blogging presentation for Saturday for most of the morning and afternoon, breaking only for lunch. Got it about 95% completed, need a final edit and sanity check. * Researched and wrote Does the MyHeritage Record Detective Find My Isaac Seaver Search Results? No.* Went in at 4 p.m. to watch the Padres game, read… -
My genealogy Monday - 13 May 2013
13 May 2013 | 10:08 pmI'm back in the daily routine again - did lots of genealogy stuff today, but not sure if I made any progress.* Read email and blogs, wrote Amanuensis Monday - Probate Records of Elizabeth (Jenckes) Tefft (1658-1740).* Tuned in to DearMYRTLE's Mondays With MYRT Hangout on air, got on the panel again. Talked a bit about the NGS Conference, and some on Research Note Reports.* Took off to Costco for lunch and flowers for Linda for Mother's Day (I know, a day late, but it's the thought that counts). Got home just before she did, and She liked them.* Noted…
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oral history - Google News
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StoryCorps booth allows Chicagoans to make history into a microphone - Chicago Tribune
19 May 2013 | 12:11 pmStoryCorps booth allows Chicagoans to make history into a microphoneChicago TribuneThe 10-year-old nonprofit oral history project, familiar to many Chicagoans from the excerpts that air Friday mornings on WBEZ-FM 91.5, offers the opportunity to record an interview with a friend or loved one to anyone and everyone. The recordings -
'Creating Oral Histories: Celebrating Your Family's Stories' class scheduled ... - Southernminn.com
17 May 2013 | 2:57 pm'Creating Oral Histories: Celebrating Your Family's Stories' class scheduled Southernminn.comThe Northfield Senior Center and the Northfield History Collaborative have worked together to present “Preserving Your Family's Stories,” a series of four classes. “Creating Oral Histories: Celebrating Your Family's Stories” is the last in the series -
'Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal' – Book Review - Loudwire - Loudwire
17 May 2013 | 8:31 am'Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal' – Book Review - LoudwireLoudwireIt Books / Harper Collins. Journalists Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman have just unleashed a comprehensive book for all metalheads, aptly titled 'Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal.' Starting from the very beginning of the -
Archives adds oral history to digital collection - University at Buffalo Reporter
16 May 2013 | 10:46 amArchives adds oral history to digital collectionUniversity at Buffalo ReporterArchives adds oral history to digital collection. Published May 16, 2013. Interested in learning about Nazi activity in Buffalo during World War II? How about early 20th century arthritis research? Or maybe the education philosophy of the man who -
The Office Closes Its Doors: The Show Breaks the Fourth Wall and Shuts Down ... - TV Guide
15 May 2013 | 7:37 pmThe Office Closes Its Doors: The Show Breaks the Fourth Wall and Shuts Down TV GuideIn the fourth and final part of our goodbye to NBC's The Office (which airs its finale Thursday at 9/8c), the cast and producers talk about the decision to end the series after nine seasons, the return of original showrunner Greg Daniels, breaking down and more »
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NPR: StoryCorps Podcast
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StoryCorps 320: Mom, Remembered
12 May 2013 | 9:33 pmRebecca Posamentier reflects on an interview she recorded with her mother, Carol Kirsch.To hear more stories visit http://storycorps.org/listen. If you'd like to write to participants you can do so at podcast@storycorps.org. To make a donation visit http://www.storycorps.org/donate.Music: "The Everlasting Itch For Things Remote " by Gillicuddy- http://gillicuddy.bandcamp.com/"Opening Credits" by Johnny Ripper- https://soundcloud.com/johnny_ripper -
StoryCorps 319: Walk in Love
5 May 2013 | 10:44 pmAlexis Martinez tells her daughter, Lesley Etherly Martinez, about being a transgender woman.To hear more stories visit http://storycorps.org/listen. If you'd like to write to participants you can do so at podcast@storycorps.org. To make a donation visit http://www.storycorps.org/donate.Music: "Aspire" by Tape- http://boomkat.com/cds/19491-tape-rideau""Flax" by Fredrik- http://www.frdrk.org -
StoryCorps 318: The Legacy of Lillian Tinsley
28 Apr 2013 | 10:44 pmHerman blake and his brother Sidney remember their childhood during the 1940s.To hear more stories visit http://storycorps.org/listen. If you'd like to write to participants you can do so at podcast@storycorps.org. To make a donation visit http://www.storycorps.org/donate.Music: "Mannenberg Revisited" by Abdullah Ibrahim- http://www.abdullahibrahim.com/ -
StoryCorps 317: A Sense of Purpose
23 Apr 2013 | 8:44 amJack Richmond tells his daughter, Reagan, about being an amputee.Also, Retired police officer Walter Fahey tells his son Bill about his long career.To hear more stories visit http://storycorps.org/listen. If you'd like to write to participants you can do so at podcast@storycorps.org. To make a donation visit http://www.storycorps.org/donate."Angelic Wolf" by Ears "Dance of the Phantom Peacock" by Fredrik "Greek Tragedy" by Plusplus -
StoryCorps 316: A Perfect Fit
15 Apr 2013 | 9:34 amJohn Curtis talks to his son John Wikeira, who he adopted as a baby from Vietnam.To hear more stories visit http://storycorps.org/listen. If you'd like to write to participants you can do so at podcast@storycorps.org. To make a donation visit http://www.storycorps.org/donate.Music:"Lhasa" by Nic Bommarito--http://www.nicbommarito.com/music.html"Bop Scotch" by Stereolab- http://www.stereolab.co.uk/news/
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What Endures...
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New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Oral History Collection: An Interview with Dr. Helen Regis
1 May 2013 | 6:52 pmWARNING: Very Loud Voice at 10:32!!! Episode 15 (12:17) Claudia Dumestres (R), who was interviewed for the Jazz Fest Oral History Project, and her sister, photographed in the 1970s, selling pralines at the festival. Photo courtesy of Claudia Dumestres. In 2011, Claudia Dumestres stands with interviewer, Amelia Ley, a student in Regis’ class. Photo by Alexandra Giancarlo, courtesy Helen Regis. Note the baskets in both photos. This podcast episode features an interview with Dr. Helen Regis who sits down with director, Jennifer Abraham Cramer, to talk about her current oral… -
“British Voices from South Asia Series” Finding Aids are Online
15 Apr 2013 | 1:56 pm“I Land in India,” in Raven-Hill’s Indian Sketch Book by L. Raven-Hill (London: “Punch” Office, 1903). From Special Collections Online Exhibition (1996) The British Voices from South Asia series is now fully processed, cataloged, and available for public access, with finding aids available on the Williams Center’s website. These documents and the digitized audio will be posted to the LOUISiana Digital Libraries in the near future. Erin Hess, who finalized the finding aids, wrote an article about this legacy collection in the Spring issue of the… -
Partners in the News
20 Mar 2013 | 2:03 pmSome of the Williams Center partners have been busy as of late–documenting Louisiana’s coastal culture and spreading the word about Louisiana women. Two of Louisiana’s Coastal Stewards, interviewed for CWPPRA’s “I Remember” oral history project. Photos on display by Lane Lefort On March 13, the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) launched the opening of an exhibition, “I Remember, “ at the Jean Lafitte Wetlands Acadian Culture Center in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The exhibit features a mixture of art, photographs,… -
Podcasting from the OHA Annual Meeting in Cleveland, OH: An Interview with Louisiana Sea Grant’s Darcy Wilkins
19 Dec 2012 | 1:21 pmEPISODE 14: (7:57) This podcast episode features an interview with Darcy Wilkins, who is the Research Associate in charge of the Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Change Oral History Project. The interview takes place during the Oral History Association (OHA) Annual Meeting that was held in Cleveland, Ohio, in October of this year. Darcy is a first-time conference attendee and a new member to the OHA. In this interview with the director, Jennifer Abraham Cramer, and the Center’s manuscript processor, Erin Hess, Darcy talks about how the conference was helpful to her as a budding oral… -
Oral History Review on OUP Blog: Interview with director about oral histories in disaster zones
14 Dec 2012 | 8:34 amGreetings, everyone! Recently I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Caitlin Tyler-Richards for the Oral History Review Oxford University Press blog. Caitlin is the editorial/ media assistant at the Oral History Review, and for this post, she was particularly interested in how historians and oral historians respond to “the ensuing chaos” following disasters like Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Katrina. We discussed the challenges of using oral history methodology to document recent crisis events, one of my favorite all-time oral history topics. To read Caitlin’s…
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Brooklyn Historical Society Blog
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Capstones and Cornerstones
16 May 2013 | 5:43 amIt’s quiet in the library for a few more minutes. The staff will start to arrive around 9, the first school tour will flow in around 10 am, soon enough the doors will open for researchers, and then at 5, we’ll strike the set and prepare for tomorrow’s symposium, “Digital Cultural Heritage and User Experience“. There are all sorts of reasons to be excited for this event. It’s a great lineup of our smartest friends, digging into the way we work now. There will be notes and remarks to follow on the website and live responses all day on Twitter and Facebook.
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Video Biography Central
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The Memory in Things
27 Apr 2013 | 4:39 pmThe New York Times carried a piece in its "Books" section last Sunday about that poignant moment when it finally comes time for a parent to put away the children's picture books ("Memories of a Bedtime Book Club"). It's exquisite sadness – all the memories of wet hair, tired toddlers and clean pajamas come flooding back as we finally close the door and staunch the light from that warm chapter of our lives. Not surprisingly, the task takes ages, as we pause over ever title...They're not just books! They're little time machines, capable of transporting us back to golden, gloaming moments… -
20 Ancestry Projects for (Modern) Kids
10 Feb 2013 | 10:27 amAncestry and family history can be a Big Job – and one that we, as adults, crawl all over. But there are so many ways that we can get the kids involved. So this week I am going to give you twenty small projects that either the kids can help you with - or that they can do alone. You're going to find that many of these projects are right up your kids' alley – using as they do much of the new technology that is making modern life so much fun. So, let's begin! 1. Shall we start with the end in mind? Then let's create a display case for the stuff we are going to make and… -
The Glorious & Prosaic Connecting Us All
21 Jan 2013 | 12:11 pmThis is the poem written by 2013 inaugural poet Richard Blanco telling the story of all our people - and describing the glorious and the prosaic things which connect us all.One TodayOne sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,peeking over the Smokies, greeting the facesof the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truthacross the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.One light, waking up rooftops, under each one, a storytold by our silent gestures moving behind windows.My face, your face, millions of faces in morning’s mirrors,each one yawning to life, crescendoing into our… -
"Here I Am": A Personal Documentary for 12 Astonishing Inland Empire Seniors
12 Nov 2012 | 5:55 pmHow often do we just sit and listen?Blind in one eye from a childhood accident, Gordon Ayers never expected overseas duty - avenging Pearl Harbor. So he got married. Eleven days later, and for the next 25 months, he was on board ship fighting island to island all the way to Okinawa. He laughs now at the improbability of it all.Meanwhile, Aiko Uyeno – born in Arlington, California and a loyal American high school junior – was being rounded up by the FBI to be interned in the Arizona hinterlands for the duration of WWII.These, and a host of other astonishing stories from Inland Empire… -
Home Movie Transfers: Doing It Right
13 Oct 2012 | 3:08 pmOff to the APH Conference tomorrow, just time enough for a quick post about home movie transfers. You can't do video biography without knowing a thing or two about getting the most from old film and video tape.Yes, I watch lots of home movies – and almost none of them mine! Over the years, Your Story Here has transferred thousands of hours of personal video from old film spools, VHS and VHS-C tapes, Hi8 and Video8 cassettes and (lately) miniDV and SD cards.Just today, I finished up transferring well over 100 hours of material from more than 70 old VHS, Video8 and miniDV cassette tapes.
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Empty Nest Genealogy
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Family Tree Maker 2012 is not yet compatible with Windows 8.
17 May 2013 | 7:53 amUPDATE: May 14, 2013 According to BetaNews.com, it appears Microsoft will be issuing a free update they’ll be calling Windows 8.1 to address some of the issues that have come to light and to... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com Updates and Additions – May 16, 2013
16 May 2013 | 12:56 pmFamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com Updates and Additions FamilySearch.org Argentina Argentina, Baptisms, 1645-1930 Argentina, Santa Fe, Catholic Church Records, 1634-1975 Austria Austria,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Chris Hadfield and Benedict Cumberbatch are cousins?
14 May 2013 | 11:42 amTo coincide with the return of Commander Chris Hadfield from the international space station, Ancestry.ca has announced that he is 6th cousin to british actor Benedict Cumberbatch who is starring as... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Transcription – Death Certificate of Rebecca Ann Ott
13 May 2013 | 12:42 pmDEATH CERTIFICATE OF Rebecca Ann Ott STATE OF OHIO BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS CERTIFICATE OF DEATH 1 PLACE OF DEATH County Portage Registration District No. 1058 File No. ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
1871 Census of Canada – new version released by LAC
9 May 2013 | 11:22 amphoto credit: ciro@tokyo via photopin cc Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has announced they are releasing a new version of the 1871 Census of Canada database. This census was one of the earliest... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
