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Millions of Blacks still not covered
Freddie Allen | 1/13/2014, 10:58 a.m.
WASHINGTON – As the Obama administration makes strides to improve the functionality of HealthCare.gov, the flagship website for the Affordable Care Act, Republican lawmakers continue to block federal funds that would help millions of poor Blacks get health insurance coverage.
A progress report on the improved performance of HealthCare.gov cited hundreds of software bugs that generate errors, and hardware and infrastructure ill-equipped to handle any significant volume to site.
"For some weeks in the month of October, the site was down an estimated 60 percent of the time," the progress report stated.
Two months later, after insiders revealed that the site crashed on a test run with just a few hundred concurrent users, HHS officials said the site is more stable and can handle 50,000 users at a time.
Anton Gunn, director of External Affairs in the Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said that in the first two months, 1.2 million Americans selected marketplace health insurance plans or they received a determination that they were eligible for Medicaid or the children's health insurance program. Another 1.9 million people have completed the application process through HealthCare.gov and are still in the process of shopping for a plan.
"The bottom line is that HealthCare.gov, beginning Dec. 1, is night and day from where it was on Oct. 1," Gunn said.
Last week, HHS announced that ex-Microsoft executive Kurt DelBene would replace Jeff Zients as the leader of the HealthCare.gov project. According to a statement released by the Health Department, DelBene will oversee field operations for HealthCare.gov and provide advice on additional enrollment channels, marketing and communications.
Applicants who completed the application and selected a plan by Dec. 23 were enrolled in marketplace coverage that began on Jan. 1. Applicants who want to enroll in marketplace coverage for Feb. 1 should complete the application and selected a plan by Jan. 15 and pay the premium before the deadline. Open enrollment closes on March 31.
Despite the website upgrades that include a feature that allows visitors to window shop for health care plans without creating an account, one of the biggest threats to the success of the Affordable Care Act is Republican obstruction at the state level.
According to a recent report released by the Department of Health and Human Services, if all states expanded Medicaid coverage, 95 percent of Blacks who don't have health insurance might qualify for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program or tax credits that would decrease the burden of paying premiums out-of-pocket. Blacks account for 16 percent of Americans that fit into the eligible uninsured category and "more than 2.2 million African American adults live in states that are not expanding Medicaid," the report stated.
Blacks often go without health insurance coverage at higher rates than their White counterparts.
According to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 25 percent of nonelderly Black adults lack coverage compared to 15 percent of Whites. The report found that, as of two weeks ago, 25 states were not expanding Medicaid.


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CD-i as a student job
>> Tuesday, March 20, 2007
"My first real job in technology was as a QA tester for a company that made games for the CD-i platform. I worked the night shift there while I was in college to help pay the bills. 9PM-2AM. Ugh. When I was in college those seemed like pretty sweet hours, though :-)"
With these words CD-i tester Jason started. "In retrospect the CD-i platform seems pretty weak (and even at the time I could tell it was a bad bet business-wise -- the high cost limited its appeal), but it was doing some pretty cool stuff hardware-wise, at least for 1994-95. The CD-i titles I got to work with were uniformly awful. There was a Civil War strategy game based on the Battle of First Manassas, for example. A "feature" of the game was that you could set different postures for the AI opponent; "Cautious", say, or "Aggressive". The only problem was that, no matter which you chose, the AI always ended up massing its units into a giant blob and then charging them all North or South, depending on which side it was on. Oops!
Another title that was much-hated inside the test lab was an NFL football trivia game. This was loathed because it had a bank of audio quotes from real NFL announcers; it would play a quote back to you after each question. Unfortunately there were only about 10 quotes in the system, so you got real tired of them real fast. One priceless aspect of that game, though: if you were unfamiliar with the rules of the trivia game, it had an audio feature with one of those announcers where he explained the basic rules to you. One of those rules was that each player had to pick an NFL team to represent them in the game. This meant that the famous announcer guy had to explain to players that, in a 2 player game, each player had to choose a different team -- they both couldn't be the Chicago Bears, for example. But due to a poorly written script, the way he explained it was (and I quote): "One more thing: remember, no team can play with itself."
Another one I worked on was called "Kingdom: the Far Reaches", anticipated to be a Blockbuster Title because it was one of the few CD-i games that used the "DV Pack" addon (an MPEG-1 video decoder) to allow glorious Full Motion Video. Pretty cool, except it meant that the already small universe of potential customers (people with CD-i's) suddenly became an order of magnitude smaller (people with CD-is who ALSO have the DV Pack). :-D "
Sure not all CD-i testers have fond memories of the system, and it's nice to read what bugged them the most about a difficult system like CD-i! Questions for Jason? Post them here!

subset: commoncrawl


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Georgia residents surely must have wondered how long it would take, and how many horrific events would transpire, before state officials would finally address the reality that the Hays State Prison in nearby Trion - one of 13 maximum security prisons in Georgia - is out of control. Now we know. It took the violent murders of four inmates since Dec. 19, all by other inmates, and a protest by an Atlanta-based human rights group, to stir enough attention in Atlanta to get the supervisor of the prison's warden to oust the warden and take his place, at the least for the interim.
We doubt that would have occurred had not this newspaper's reporter, Joy Lukachick, written yet another one of her 20-plus reports over the last year regarding the shocking violence and out-of-control circumstances at the prison.
The number and scope of recent violent incidents is staggering, but it's not new. It's been at least five years in the making. For a prison designated as a maximum-security facility the laxity there is stunning, and the prison's internal security seems to be badly broken.
About half of Hays' 1,635 inmates are classified as nonviolent and segregated in a different cell block. But that means less than meets the eye. Inmates in the prison and wary guards -- there are 248 on the payroll -- report that locks in some of the prison's cell doors in the maximum security units are broken or easily jimmied, and have been left broken for more than year.
In the scenario that they describe, there are usually too few guards on duty, and violent inmates are often allowed to roam various parts of the prison -- their cell blocks and even other buildings -- to hook up with their gang members, and intimidate, beat or stab their prey. Late one night last year after cell doors should have been locked, 27 inmates were stabbed, a former veteran guard claimed.
Over the past few months, Lukachick has also reported how cellphones have become ubiquitous, allowing the most cruel inmates to extort other inmates' family members for ransoms to keep their loved ones from being violently beaten, cut or killed. One Calhoun, Ga., man told Lukachick he was forced to pay $19,000 to inmates who threatened to hurt or kill his son, who was in Hays on a drug conviction.
Hardly a week goes by without a stabbing or beating. Last February, a guard was stabbed 22 times. Not long afterwards, another was attacked in a cafeteria. A former guard, speaking anonymously to Lukachick for fear of retaliation, warned that "an officer's going to come out in a box."
Guards apparently have good reason to fear for their lives -- and thus to retreat so far that they leave prisoners in virtual control of their cell blocks. Various sources, including former state Rep. Barbara Massey Reece, have told Lukachick that within the general population of Hays, only one guard mans each tower, and another is responsible for a cell unit of about 62 inmates, or a building of more than 120 inmates. During inspection visits, one guard said, off-duty guards are called in to mask the situation.
Yet inexplicably, the prison was named "facility of the year" in 2012 by the Georgia Department of Corrections. One has wonder how much DOC officials actually know about the violence at Hays, or whether other prisons in the state's system are even worse.
Given the escalating violence at Hays, it seems likely that Georgia Corrections officials are either out of touch, or have turned a blind eye to the problems, as is prone to happen in under-manned, under-funded prison systems. The wife of one inmate told Lukachick that the Corrections Department "shut us out" when she tried to get her husband transferred to another prison.
It is hard to believe that Georgia Corrections officials are unaware of the problems at Hays, however. This paper's reporters, and especially Lukachick, have explicitly chronicled the breakdown of order and the resulting violence there.
It seems far more likely that Gov. Nathan Deal's budget cuts for general services, and cash handouts and tax breaks to corporations, have fueled the breakdown. His negligence is abetted by the oblivious members of Georgia's Legislature, who are preoccupied by the lucrative donations and wining and dining they have allowed themselves to receive from the lobbyists who are so willing to grease their palms.
There is clearly a problem of inattention to violence at Hays, but the rot is more deeply and politically rooted in the Atlanta Legislature and Gov. Deal's office, where the blame really lies.


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After four weeks on top, the newest installment of the Batman saga, The Dark Knight, has been knocked from its number one spot a top the box office by Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder.
From the Associated Press:
It took four of Hollywood's biggest stars to take down Batman. The DreamWorks-Paramount comedy "Tropic Thunder" with Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black and Tom Cruise debuted at No. 1 with $26 million, bumping "The Dark Knight" to second place after four weekends on top, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The Warner Bros. Batman flick pulled in $16.8 million to raise its total to $471.5 million. "The Dark Knight" passed the original "Star Wars" ($461 million) and now stands as No. 2 on the all-time domestic charts, behind only "Titanic" ($600.8 million).
Taking inflation into account, "The Dark Knight" trails both movies in actual tickets sold, however. "The Dark Knight" would need to gross about $900 million to match the number of admissions for "Titanic" and about $1.2 billion to equal "Star Wars."
"The Dark Knight" managed to fend off another "Star Wars" movie this weekend. The animated tale "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," also released by Warner Bros., opened at No. 3 with $15.5 million.
Families made up two-thirds of the audience for "Clone Wars," Fellman said. "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, who has an executive producer credit on "Clone Wars," intended the movie as an introduction to his "Clone Wars" TV show debuting this fall on the Cartoon Network.
I've yet to see the film but have heard great reviews from those who went to see it this weekend. As a Star Wars fan, I would love to watch the "Clone Wars", but have not been interested in the least bit following the commercials. Dark Knight is on my wish list of movies to see but am fairly certain that I will not have the opportunity until it is released on DVD. Please let me hear your thoughts on any/all of these films.


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Thursday, September 1
Good morning, TexMessagers. A Texan in Congress says President Obama breached his oath of office over a recently announced deportation policy. (Learn the details in Texas Tips.)
★ ★ ★
Whether you agree with him or not, you can't deny that Ron Paul has principles — and chutzpah. He will not back down and he will not compromise his libertarian philosophy for political gain.
The latest example: His mano-a-mano with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper over the future of FEMA.
Paul thinks the matter is simple: Taxpayers shouldn't be picking up the tab for disaster relief. It's not the proper role for government, the Lake Jackson congressman firmly believes. Private charities are the way to go, he insists. Abolish FEMA, he says.
"This idea that government can provide all the solutions is a fiction," he said. "There's no magic about FEMA."
He says FEMA, which was created in 1979, "doesn't have a very good record" and is dominated by "bureaucrats."
Cooper, who previously has sparred with another Texas congressman, Louie Gohmert, over so-called "terror babies," was incredulous.
"I reported extensively on the failures of FEMA during Katrina," Cooper said. "(But) they do have expertise in some areas that some states don't. I mean, if you left everything up to LA officials during Katrina, probably more people would have died."
"That remains to be seen," retorted Paul.
Pretty good political drama. Check out the complete interview immediately below.
CNN had the last word. Yesterday, the news network interviewed Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, a Democrat who had a blunt assessment of Ron Paul:
"I think he's an idiot," Malloy said. "We're spending 900 million a week in war and he's arguing about whether we should spend some amount of money. FEMA now has a 900 million budget available to it. This is a ridiculous conversation. I really don't understand what he's talking about and I'm not sure he does…
"For someone in Texas to be talking about FEMA perhaps being defunded does rise to idiocy and hypocrisy. I mean, what state has benefited more than Texas over the years from declarations of disasters? Let's just concentrate. This is pure politics playing out."
Watch the whole interview here:
Paul would agree with Malloy's assessment of the Afghanistan and Iraq war spending. But not about the "idiot" stuff.
And for all of you Ron Paul fans out there, we'll be offering the latest updates on the Texas congressman's congressional campaign right here on Texas on the Potomac with our "Paul Watch" feature. Subscribe to the Paul Watch RSS feed by clicking here.
★ ★ ★
Perry Watch
Every morning, we share the latest headlines from Hearst Newspapers' Perry Presidential web site.
★ Scott Stroud writes that the GOP presidential search is still on
★ Dick Cheney says voters like a little Texas arrogance in a presidential candidate
★ Ron Paul calls Rick Perry "a formidable candidate"
★ Obama schedules jobs speech on the same night as GOP debate — Boehner balks
★ Fourth poll puts Perry in front, with a slimmer margin
★ Perry defends health-reform letter to Hillary Clinton on Hannity radio show
★ Cornyn says GOP field is set, sans Palin
★ ★ ★
Texas Tips
Every morning, we offer Texas news you may not have heard and insights from the Washington bureau staff.
★ REP. GOHMERT SAYS OBAMA BREACHED OATH WITH SELECTIVE DEPORTATION POLICY. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, said Tuesday that President Obama's announced policy in which the Homeland Security Department can prioritize pending deportation cases is a "breach of the oath." Republicans say the policy will allow the administration to selectively deport illegals. The administration says the change will allow it to emphasize deporting illegals convicted of crimes instead of children. More>>>
★ REP. BARTON TAKES QUESTIONS FROM 'CONCERNED' BUSINESS OWNERS AT MIDLOTHIAN CHAMBER. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, spoke to business owners at the Midlothian, Texas, about the GOP jobs plan and took "good questions" from a number of concerned business owners, he said on his Twitter.
★ STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL HOP ON HUTCHISON-BACKED BROADBAND PLAN. Forty-two state attorneys general wrote a letter urging Congress to support the creation of a national broadband network for improving emergency communications. The plan is supported by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee. More>>>
★ CORNYN WANTS $6 BILLION FOR INTERNATIONAL BRIDGES. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, proposed $6 billion in funding for the United States' international bridges, which he said would create jobs and boost border security:
"It's a jobs issue, it's a security issue that is vital to the economy here in the Rio Grande Valley. That translates into an awful lot of jobs. Can you imagine if the United States' government were to make an investment in the infrastructure for these bridges?"
★ ★ ★
Poll of the Week
Results of last week's poll
★ ★ ★
Tweets of the Day
RepKenMarchant Costly regs cost us American jobs, but the President wants more regs at the price of $100B in annual compliance costs: http://bit.ly/ooDiR5
scottbraddock Fair to say "the left" fears #Perry because he could win & "the right" fears #Obama because he could win? Oh, & does anyone fear #Romney?
dave_in_sa TX's own John Cornyn touts CBO prediction jobless rate stays at 8% until 2014. Certainly will if Congress doesn't help spur job growth.
★ ★ ★
Reader Comment of the Day
Responding to our story about a fourth poll putting Rick Perry at the top of the Republican presidential pack, ILoveGreatDanes wrote:
"These polls don't mean a thing. November 2012 is many moons away. It ain't over til it's over, as they say."
★ ★ ★
Texas Watch
TxPotomac lets you know what stories to look out for today — and later this week.
On Deck: Today
★ House Ways & Means Committee's Social Security Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, holds a field hearing on Social Security numbers and child identity theft. Noon at Plano City Council Chamber, 1520 Ave. K, Plano, Texas.
On Deck: This Week and Beyond
★ Friday, Sept. 2. Judge Reggie Walton holds a hearing on the future of the federal prosecution of Roger Clemens at the U.S. District Court House in Washington. Walton could end the case, order a retrial or take more time to decide the issue.
★ Friday, Sept. 2. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, a member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and chairwoman of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, will tour the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company plant in Fort Worth with House Armed Services Committee member and House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla. The trip is designed to highlight the Joint Strike Fighter program, the made-in-Texas project that is on the chopping block in budget-cutting Washington.
★ Monday, Sept. 5. Gov. Rick Perry to participate in a Labor Day town-hall meeting hosted by Rep. Tim Scott, R-S.C., in Myrtle Beach.
★ Tuesday, Sept. 6. NASA news conference with International Space Station crew members.
★ Tuesday, Sept. 6. Town-hall meeting with Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston.
★ Wednesday, Sept. 7. House of Representatives returns from summer recess.
★ Wednesday, Sept. 7. GOP presidential debate at Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, California, sponsored by NBC News and Politico.
★ Monday, Sept. 12. GOP presidential debate in Tampa, Fla., sponsored by CNN and the Tea Party Express.
★ Thursday, Sept. 22. GOP presidential debate at Orlando, Fla., sponsored by Fox News.
★ Friday, Sept. 23. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, hosts an issue forum on increasing minority technology participation during the Congressional Black Caucus' Annual Legislative Conference.


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Gender: Feminine
Origin: Greek
Meaning: "belonging to Apollo."
Fre (Pronunciation); Czech (ah-poh-LEY-nah); Pol (ah-paw-LAW-nee-ah); Germ/Hung (ah-poh-LONE-ee-ah); It (ah-poh-LONE-yah)
She is sweet, fruity and portable, with the possible nickname options of the avant-garde Apple or the more subtle, Polly, who couldn't resist this pearl?
Appollonia is a feminine form of the Greek male name, Appollonios πολλωνιος , which means "belonging to Apollo." It was a very common name in Ancient Greece and is fairly common in modern Greece.
Its feminine form, however, was borne by a legendary saint. St. Appollonia was an early Christian Greek martyr. According to tradition, she was a deaconess and when she left her Church she was approached by a gang looking to kill Christians. Before being killed, she was tortured by either having her teeth pulled out one by one or more likely, she took such a hard blow to the face from her attackers that her teeth were knocked out. She has been revered as the patron saint of dentists and invoked against tooth ache by both the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.
There is evidence to suggest that Appollonia, or at least a form of it, was used in England before the Protestant Reformation. The cult of the saint was fairly popular in Medieval England, and though I cannot conclude that they are related for sure, I have found records of the female name Apelyn as early as the 15th-century in England. Another form of Appelin appears a few times in the mid 19th-century U.S. census records. Both Apelyn or Appelin may make interesting yet legitimate trendy alternatives to Adelyn or any name currently popular name ending in -lyn.
Appollonia is a common enough name in Greece and Southern Italy, many of you may be familiar with the name via The Godfather in which it is the name of the ill-fated Sicilian first wife of Michael Corleone.
As of 2010, its French form of Apolline was the 98th most popular female name in France. Its Polish offshoot of Pola ranked in as the 46th most popular female name in Poland in 2009. In this case, the name may be used in reference to its associations with the Polish noun, pole (field).
Another interesting Polish offshoot is Polonia, which is rare in Poland these days but might make an interesting choice for Polish-American parents who want to honour their heritage as polonia is a term used to describe the Polish diaspora in the United States. She may be the Polish-American answer to the Irish-American, Erin.
Then there is the lovely Czech variant of Apolena, which would make an interesting alternative to Elena or Magdalena.
Other forms of the name include:
- Apollonia Απολλωνια (Albanian/Dutch/German/Greek/Italian/Romanian/Romansch/Scandinavian)
- Ap(p)olonija Аполлония (Bulgarian/Croatian/Macedonian/Polish/Russian/Serbian/Slovene)
- Apol·lònia (Catalan)
- Abelone (Danish)
- Lone (Danish)
- Apolline (French)
- Apollonie (French)
- Pollonie (French)
- Abelena (German)
- Appolonia (German)
- Apol (Hungarian)
- Apolka (Hungarian)
- Apollinária (Hungarian)
- Apollónia (Hungarian)
- Pólika (Hungarian)
- Polina Полина (Hungarian/Russian/Ukrainian)
- Polla (Hungarian)
- Apollònia (Occitanian)
- Apolinaria (Polish)
- Apolla (Polish)
- Apollina (Polish)
- Apollona (Polish)
- Apolonia (Polish/Serbian/Spanish)
- Pola (Polish)
- Polonia (Polish)
- Apolônia (Portuguese: Brazilian)
- Apolónia (Portuguese: European)
- Balugna (Romansch)
- Paluongia (Romansch)
- Apollinárija Аполлина́рия (Russian)
- Apolónia (Slovak)
- Apoliena (Slovak: ah-poh-LYEH-nah)
- Polona (Slovene)
Polish diminutives include: Pola, Polka, Polunia, Polusia, Polonka, Połonka, Lonia
Appollonia is also the name of several ancient cities throughout the former Greek colonies.
Masculine forms include:
- Apollinarij/Apollinary Аполлинарий (Bulgarian/Russian)
- Apol-loni (Catalan)
- Apolinár (Czech)
- Appollonius (Dutch/Latin/Romansch)
- Apollinaire (French)
- Apolonio (Galician/Spanish)
- Apollinaris Απολλιναρις (Greek/Romansch)
- Apollonios Απολλωνιος (Greek)
- Apollóniosz (Hungarian)
- Apollinare (Italian)
- Appollonio (Italian)
- Apolinary (Polish)
- Apoloniusz (Polish)
- Apolinário (Portuguese)
- Apolônio (Portuguese: Brazilian)
- Apolónio (Portuguese: European)
- Apollinar (Romansch/Spanish)
- Apollinari (Romansch)
- Balun (Romansch)


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I'm stuck in a Premier Inn in Oxfordshire for the third day… Three more to go… M&S biscuits from the Simply Food outlet at the BP garage are starting to take their toll and having to abstain from the internet is leaving me itchy. Why? Because Premier Inn thinks £12 per day is a fair price for internet access. I disagree. Why am I buying expensive M&S biscuits? Because I'm bored and they're nice.
The hotel is primarily used by business people. The room rate, at about £60 a night, is fair and everything else is fine (apart from housekeeping popping in while I was in bed). But their internet access is extremely overpriced.
In the end I had to cave in. I don't mind buying the M&S biscuits, because they're a treat, but being forced to pay that much for internet for one day left me feeling a little bit cheated. I won't be doing it again.
It got me thinking: how small businesses pitch their prices is crucial. A lot of small start-ups set their prices too high and never get off the ground as a result, while a scarily large amount of others believe their only way to compete is on price and from day one their margins are so low they get trapped and never make a profit.
Over the past few years in the various businesses I've had experience of both. So how do you know what price is right? Test, test and test again. Just because the price seems right to you on your calculator at home doesn't mean your customers will agree.
Cheap isn't always the answer
At the minute, other owners I know are constantly telling me how their businesses are struggling, as they regale tales of half-price sales and the like. For me, the most important figure in any business is its gross margin. Sales mean bigger turnover yet smaller margin, so as a rule I'm not a terribly big fan of sales.
But it got me thinking, although we're doing perfectly fine during the recession with some sort of sale – could we do better?
Not wanting to slash prices on Karacha.com, my online music instrument shop, I decided to carry out a little experiment. I sent out some of our sale products under a different name at sale prices. I wanted to see if people would buy solely on price.
Every week or so I adjusted the price to see what effect it had. At first, the weeks went by with no difference and no real sales, but then I hit a particular price at which people went nuts for one product and we sold a lot. Slight problem: the price we reached was horrendously low, no profit and no point. Sale Over? Not quite.
At the same time I was doing exactly the same experiment with another product, but things turned out differently. I thought we might have excess stock of a particular item, so I sold some at £20 off, but unlike the first experiment where £20 made no difference, sales of this second product went from one or two per day to 10-20. Quick as you like this offer has been applied across all of Karacha and it looks like every bit of excess will be sold by Christmas at a tidy profit.
This shows that what's right for one product might not be right for all and it's worth giving your customers options and seeing how they react.
My advice when starting out is test, test and test some more, but always go for slightly higher prices, because next week, month or year you can discount if necessary. Having to increase prices can lose you customers.
If your business genuinely brings something new to the table, build good margins into your prices, have the confidence in yourself and your products, if you do, then your customers will.


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Update: On March 25, 2017, Jusan Hamilton '13 became the first African-American race director for a NASCAR national series event. Read more. In July 2016, he was promoted to manager of racing operations and event management at NASCAR.
The first vehicle that Jusan Hamilton ever drove was a tractor, meandering around in his backyard in Ithaca. He was three years old.
Now, less than six months after graduating from Ithaca College with dual degrees in integrated marketing communications and sociology, Hamilton spends his days rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth.
Hamilton has had a passion for cars for as long as he can remember. His grandfather was constantly tinkering with his vehicles, and during those times he taught his grandson the inner workings of cars and farm equipment.
"I remember watching him and helping him work on different projects," Hamilton says. "He helped me develop my passion for driving and racing, and allowed me to have that connection with motorsports."
In middle school Hamilton began competing in local races. His first event was at the Starlite Speedway in Trumansburg, New York, where he drove a go-kart around a dirt track.
From there his natural ability helped him move up in the sport's rankings, and, at his peak, Hamilton was traveling up and down the East Coast competing in multiple leagues and events in both go-karts and stock cars.
Hamilton's family, including his grandfather, came to most of the races, and it was this support that made the competitions special for Hamilton. "The race would be a family event," he says. "That's part of what I loved about it."
After high school, Hamilton chose to go to college instead of pursuing an expensive and unpredictable career in professional racing.
"After I realized I wouldn't be able to race in the top series in NASCAR, I decided that I wanted to work on the business side of the sport," Hamilton says. "Obviously marketing and advertising are a big part of what makes the sport go round, so that's what led me to major in integrated marketing communications."
Once in school, Hamilton's goal was to get an internship in the industry. He ended up landing three. After graduating in the spring of 2013, Hamilton was offered a job working for NASCAR's integrated marketing communications department.
During the racing season, which includes 36 separate events and runs from January to November, Hamilton manages the organization's media website, records press conferences, oversees special media events, and creates news releases.
Nearly half of his time on the job, however, is spent traveling to different racetracks around the country. While at the events, Hamilton oversees the media center where press conferences are held—preparing the media, organizing credentialed press members, and recording audio—in addition to managing NASCAR's official Twitter account.
While seemingly unrelated fields, sociology and integrated marketing communications are the perfect combination, according to Hamilton.
"Having that sociology background [has given me] an open mind and helped me understand different aspects of society," Hamilton says. "It allows you to better interpret what you're putting out there, how it's going to affect different groups of people, and how they're going to see it. From a public relations standpoint, sociology is really useful."
Although the workload is hefty—often adding up to 15-hour days—Hamilton said he wouldn't trade his job for anything.
"I enjoy everything about my job. I enjoy the travel, the people I work with are great, and the people in the industry are great," Hamilton says. "Because so many people in the industry travel so much, it's like a big community. It's a very positive atmosphere to be around, and I can't imagine working for a different company."
Although he has come a long way from riding tractors, Hamilton doesn't forget the man who first inspired him.
"Everything I learned from my grandfather motivated me to go forward with everything I did," says Hamilton. "What I learned from him led me to where I am now."
After the most recent Daytona 500 in February 2014, Hamilton continued to feel enthusiasm for his work. "Every time I travel to a NASCAR event the experience has been unique and exciting both as a professional and someone who has been a fan of the sport for many years," he says. "This year's Daytona 500 was the 15th time I have watched the Great American race from start to finish, and the first time I attended the race in person. In my personal opinion [this race] was the most exciting Daytona 500 I've ever watched. I am very proud to have been a part of the event and I am as excited as ever to move forward with my career at NASCAR."
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About psy
There is little or no chance that the IP would have been spoofed or known prior. Logical. And I am having a good laugh now. Doesn't get much better than this. But it will I'm sure.
Still not excused from the very fact Google is implicated directly in the Boundless Informant program. That is data theft plain and simple.
Never under estimate the predictability of stupidity.
Someone already mentioned in here, if a newspaper wants to go ahead and do some proper investigative reporting and bring some real dirt and details into it then it might be worth it. But what we have here is the parrot media that is slanted, biased and pushing the governments agenda or deflecting from its failures.
Since when have kids thought twice about posting? The NSA and CSIS collecting it all 'ought to scare them enough. Alas,
probably not and this law will have to be carefully applied until the debate it carves out.
These programs are there to create and manipulate, blackmail and coerce, commit industrial espionage, spy and profile, steal governments secrets, suppress political dissent and popular protest before it happens. And maybe catch a few poor terrorists who need our help.
The sender and receiver of the encrypted email must know the cipher key as you mentioned. Maybe they will flag you and try to obtain that cipher key. No they do not like encryption. Some are so good they cannot be cracked.
The more we look at the second leaked program Boundless Informant the less it looks like a back door. It more resembles a sluice gate that opens onsite servers at Google data centers and flows the "valued" data in to the NSA SIGNIT database. It has to be in real time and is all collected. eg. Google flagged works, get a visit.