Eclectic Perambulations in the Noosphere
"For more than a century, through a dozen dry spells when lakes disappeared and the land died, thousands of cows from the Swenson Land & Cattle Co have roamed the fields of Texas.
Yet the drought currently ravaging the southern Plains has done what the Dust Bowl could not: chased them off this land and driven them more than 600 miles north to Nebraska."
By P.J. Huffstutter and Theopolis Waters
"Various people had their hands on it, adding as little as a word or two, but the credit for the bulk of the pledge goes to Francis Julius Bellamy (May 18, 1855 – August 28, 1931), a Baptist minister from New York. Bellamy had some interesting political ideas — he was a Christian Socialist who believed in the equal distribution of economic resources in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, but not the distribution of voting rights to women or immigrants."
Sent by Bob...Thanks !
The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government.
As a priority Open Government Initiative for President Obama's administration, Data.gov increases the ability of the public to easily find, download, and use datasets that are generated and held by the Federal Government. Data.gov provides descriptions of the Federal datasets (metadata), information about how to access the datasets, and tools that leverage government datasets. The data catalogs will continue to grow as datasets are added. Federal, Executive Branch data are included.
"Enlightened Citizenship : How Civic Knowledge Trumps a College Degree in Promoting Active Civic Engagement is the fifth report to the nation issued by ISI's National Civic Literacy Board. While each past study has had a different point of emphasis, all share a common thread of examining the relationships that exist between higher education, civic knowledge, and citizenship.
Unfortunately, the results of ISI's past civic literacy research does not inspire confidence that our institutions of higher learning are living up to their educative and civic responsibilities, responsibilities that almost all American colleges recognize as critical to their overall public missions.
American Civic Engagement Survey
America’s drive for independence was led by an amazing and rare group of men who valued both thought and action, and were willing to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to the cause of liberty. Just how willing are you to do your civic duty? Are you a Benedict Arnold, a Founding Father, or something in-between?
American Civic Knowledge Survey
Both the ancient Greeks and Romans valued wise and public-spirited citizens. Let’s see just how wise you really are? Are you a Barbarian, Philosopher King, or something in-between?
Full Civic Literacy Exam (from our 2008 survey)
Are you more knowledgeable than the average citizen? The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking the following test was 49%; college educators scored 55%. Can you do better? Questions were drawn from past ISI surveys, as well as other nationally recognized exams."
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"American discontent with government is at a more than 10-year high, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted last month. Twenty-six percent of Americans say they’re angry at the federal government, up from 14 percent in March and 12 percent in 1997.
What’s eating at them? Gas and food prices, the budget deficit and the jobs crisis just to name a few.
With unemployment hovering at 9 percent and the first decline in incomes in almost two years it’s no wonder Americans are expressing dissatisfaction with their leaders. Almost 50 percent of Americans disapprove of President Barack Obama compared to the nearly 60 percent who disapprove of Republicans, according to Pew.
Some are taking their discontent to the streets. Protestors have been stationed in Zuccotti Park in New York City’s financial district since Sept. 17 as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The group aims to counter corporate power, income inequality and other concerns"
