If you live in the US, there’s a one in three chance you are a minority. And the odds are getting better all the time.
Nation’s population 1/3 minority
– reported by HispanicAd.com
About 1-in-every-3 U.S. residents was part of a group other than single-race non-Hispanic white — according to national estimates by race, Hispanic origin and age released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2005, the nation’s minority population totaled 98 million, or 33 percent, of the country’s total of 296.4 million.
[snip]
Hispanics continue to be the largest minority group at 42.7 million. With a 3.3 percent increase in population from July 1, 2004, to July 1, 2005, they are the fastest-growing group.
Unless otherwise specified, the data refer to the population who reported a race alone or in combination with one or more other races. The tables show data for both this group and those who reported a single race only.
The second largest minority group was blacks (39.7 million), followed by Asians (14.4 million), American Indians and Alaska natives (4.5 million) and native Hawaiians and other Pacific islanders (990,000). The population of non-Hispanic whites who indicated no other race totaled 198.4 million in 2005. (See Table 1 )
[snip]
General
Radical Mutual-Improvement posted an exercise designed to help you set up your workspace. What I took away:
A few factors to consider might include:
- Time. Spend two whole days setting this space up. By giving it a good chunk of time you will give it the energy it deserves, while also not letting the task of it burden you too much.
- Space. Make sure that this space is entirely your own, not shared.
- An inbox… something that can hold items that need to be processed.
- A trash can.
- A calendar for time-centric tasks.
- An open space, paper, pens, a whiteboard maybe, for note-taking.
- A filing system and label maker.
But what does that mean? What does your workspace say about you?
You can tell two things from a person’s environment:
- How a person wants to be
- How a person actually is
Isn’t that weird? Actually, it’s not that weird if you think about it. We are a constantly shifting picture between who we want to be and who we are… and because of the two-way nature of our physical working environments, a close eye can catch pieces of both of our selves as they battle, compromise, convince, and betray each other over time. An environment that is deliberately and wisely set up will be a greatly helpful to the half of you that is the vision of your best self.
Related posts:
Found via LifeHacker.
General
Today I had the kind of day that haunts you. If I went into details, I’d run the risk of revealing things that I really shouldn’t. Don’t expect details.
It was the day that I literally cried from anger and frustration. It was the day when I thought that if I opened my mouth I would scream and curse and, possibly, say something damaging. It was the day when I literally could not breathe, could not think of a way to cope, could not imagine one more minute of existing within that situation. It was the day when I seriously thought that…
And there I go, nearly writing too much.
I need a place to go and vent. Somewhere where what I say won’t follow me. Someone who will listen and not repeat what I say. Someone who will let me cry and just be there.
Where do I find what I need?
Health
Also included in the news:
Texas institutions in the top 50 also included:
- University of Houston-University Park, ranking 12.
- UT at San Antonio, ranking 22.
- UT-Pan American, ranking 26.
- UT at El Paso, ranking 43.
News
I used to live in this city. When I was there, speaking Spanish was weird and Hispanics were uncommon. That was 15 years ago. Things have changed.
Sharon McSwain Homes launches new Hispanic marketing 1nitiative
– reported by HispanicAd.com
Sharon McSwain Homes, an Atlanta-based residential home builder, announced a major Hispanic marketing initiative in response to the growing need for residential housing for the fast growing Latino market in metro Atlanta. President and Founder, Sharon McSwain announced the new initiative at Cascade Parc (a Sharon McSwain Homes Development), which will target the Latino market and be supported with print, broadcast and a grass roots community outreach campaign. A special financing option has also been developed in conjunction with Sun America.
[snip]
News
Steve Pavlina . com has 10 Ways to Relaxify Your Workspace that you need to check out:
- Make your workspace look attractive to you.
- Clear out the clutter.
- Add plants.
- Make it smell good.
- Play relaxing music.
- Get a decent chair.
- Add a portable fan.
- Add a fountain.
- Personalize your space.
- Establish uninterruptible periods.
His main tip:
When considering changes to your workspace, here’s rule #1: If it feels right to you, it is right. That rule is primary; my specific suggestions are secondary.
Found via LifeHacker.
Health
Simon Bolivar? Hernando Cortez? Kids don’t know.
– reported by HispanicAd.com
A new Fordham Institute study says two-thirds of the states don’t make the grade when it comes to standards for instruction in world history, but states received their lowest marks for weak or non-existent standards for the teaching of the history and culture of Latin America and Mexico.
The study, by renowned historian Walter Russell Mead, is the first ever conducted of states’ academic standards for teaching K-12 world history. Saying he was “aghast at how poorly written and organized” are most states’ world history standards, Mead’s report reserves especially harsh criticism for the lack of effective standards for instruction in the history and culture of the Western Hemisphere.
“The United States did $409 billion in trade with Latin America and Mexico in 2004 alone, and the Hispanic population is growing exponentially,” noted Michael Petrilli, the Institute’s Vice President for National Programs and Policy. “We are an increasingly ‘Latinized’ culture, where a working knowledge of the rich history of Latin America and Mexico will soon be indispensable to this generation of young Americans – socially, politically, economically and culturally,”
Nonetheless, on a scale of “zero” to “10,” four states (Alaska, Idaho, Missouri and Montana) received a grade of “z ero” for maintaining standards that pay only “superficial or cursory attention” to Mexico and the Western Hemisphere. Another 30 states – including Hispanic population centers like Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Nevada and Texas — received grades of “2” through “5” for standards that address Mexico and Latin America, but with “significant gaps or shortcomings” in their approaches.
[snip]
Source: http://www.edexcellence.net/institute
News
I’ve ordered various and varied things off the Internet: makeup, clothes, insurance, airline tickets, movie tickets, shoes, books, art, financial products, flowers, and training. I never thought about ordering groceries.
I have heard of PeaPod, which was a brief experiment in Houston. I hadn’t heard that Amazon delivers groceries.
Shop Amazon Grocery Today
- We offer more than 10,000 non-perishable grocery items–and our selection is growing every day
- We can ship all products for free via Super Saver Shipping or Amazon Prime
- We have great everyday prices plus special offers on your favorite brands
- We make it exceptionally easy to find products you buy routinely, or to discover new items we think you’ll like
Hmmmmm…..
So what can you find?
At Amazon Grocery, you’ll find longtime staples, from Kellogg’s to Jiffy Pop. You’ll find new entries, such as Kashi cereals and Kraft Easy Mac microwavable snack packets. And when we carry a brand, we’ll try to carry every flavor available: not just the most popular flavors of Jell-O, but all flavors, from apricot to wild strawberry and the 70 flavors in-between. We’re also making regional favorites like Andy Capp Hot Fries available nationwide, and making hard-to-find specialties like Zico Pure Coconut Water a standard part of our mix.
If I didn’t actually enjoy going to the grocery store, I might consider this.
Retail Therapy
I know that this is telling (on my age) but I was a Menudo fan. However, I think this news is a bit on the ridiculous side.
Boy-band Menudo trying for revival
– reported by NewsTrack
A talent search is underway to revive the boy group Menudo, the New York Daily News reported.
[snip]
Menudo sold more than 40 million records in the 1980s and early 1990s, and launched Ricky Martin’s solo career. Members of the troupe were replaced when they reached their 16th birthday — or when their voice changed.
[snip]
General
