Sue's Greenhouse on Hwy 84 West, Meadville, Ms
Open - Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat ..
8am till 6 pm
For additional information call 601-384-2976
Friday, March 16, 2012
Social Media is for Seniors, Too !
STARKVILLE, MS. Released: March 15, 2012
As Reported and Written By: Mariah Smith
Mississippi State University Computer Applications and Services
The fastest-growing segment of Facebook users in the United States is senior citizens. Unfortunately, many seniors feel lost when it comes to Facebook and other social media.
A common refrain I hear from many seniors is that social media is something that has passed them by or they just aren’t sharp enough to keep up with all this new-fangled technology. This is regrettable because our seniors have a great deal to offer. In fact, most of the information younger generations are looking up on sites like Google, YouTube and Pinterest are things most seniors already know.
For example, I recently took two college students on an overnight trip to conduct a workshop. One showed up late for the workshop because he had to look up how to iron a shirt on YouTube. He didn’t know how to do it, and his shirt was too wrinkled to wear otherwise. From sewing to cooking and everything in between, much of the information we look up on our computers is information our seniors already know.
However, social media sites allow senior citizens to keep up with grandchildren and give them a voice on local events. In the world of social media, the big names to know are Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest -- the newcomer to the group.
Facebook is the most popular website in the world with more than 800 million users worldwide. Facebook users can create a public account or a private account. A public account can be viewed by anyone, whereas a private account is viewable only by friends the user designates. Users can post status updates (which are brief updates about what is going on at the moment), photos, videos and events. Video chat is also available on Facebook. You might think of Facebook as a family reunion without the fried chicken.
YouTube is the second most popular website. YouTube allows users to upload videos for others to see. Some users upload video of baby’s first steps or video taken with cell phones during Mardi Gras. Others, like your Extension Service, post educational videos to help viewers learn how to plant a garden or prune rose bushes.
Twitter is a social media tool that is rapidly gaining ground. People post short messages to their Twitter account. These messages can be only 140 characters long; the messages are called tweets. People who read your tweets are called followers. It is possible to tweet photos and video, but those have to be posted through sites such as twitpic.com and twitvid.com. Tweets can also be delivered instantly to your followers’ cell phones.
When you see the hash tag symbol followed by a word (such as #hailstate), the hashtag means the word that follows is a category. The hashtag allows users to categorize their tweets. Anytime you tweet “#hailstate,” your tweet shows up in the #hailstate category search.
Pinterest is a social media tool that is incredibly popular with women. It requires an invitation from a user who is already on Pinterest. Once you are on Pinterest, you can create boards. These boards can be divided into categories such as recipes, decorating and parties. Think of them as digital corkboards. Once you create your board, you can “pin” photos to the board. It is very similar to cutting photos out of magazines and tacking them to a bulletin board for future reference. Others can follow your boards and see what you are pinning.
While there is nothing new under the sun, the way we access information has changed. Social media can be a bit overwhelming, but selecting the social media that meets your needs and helps you connect with your friends and family is key to success.
Source: MSU Ag Communications News / Press Release
Thursday, March 15, 2012
House Bill 1196 Passed Requiring Pre-abortion Fetal Heartbeat Check
JACKSON, MS - As reported by the Associated Press in the Mississippi Business Journal and published on March 15, 2012 … A bill that would require physicians to search for a fetal heartbeat before performing an abortion passed the Mississippi House yesterday ..
Mississippi Business Journal,
200 N. Congress Street, Suite 400
Jackson, MS 39201
601.364.1000 or 800.283.4625
House Bill 1256 Passed as Amended / YOU Fail Drug Test - YOU get NO Unemployment Benefits
JACKSON, MS - The Mississippi Legislature, in 2012 Regular Session has passed House Bill 1256 as amended that provides an individual who is not hired for an otherwise suitable position, due to a positive drug test, is to be disqualified from receiving employment compensation benefits. The full amended law can be read by clicking here.
The Title: AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 71-5-513, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS NOT HIRED FOR AN OTHERWISE SUITABLE POSITION DUE TO A POSITIVE TEST FOR ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES, INCLUDING DRUGS, SHALL, FOR PURPOSES OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT SECURITY LAW, BE DEEMED TO HAVE FAILED TO ACCEPT SUITABLE WORK WHEN OFFERED HIM AND AS SUCH SUBJECT TO DISQUALIFICATION FROM RECEIVING EMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS; TO PROVIDE THAT A DISQUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL MAY PROVIDE INFORMATION TO END THE DISQUALIFICATION PERIOD EARLY BY SUBMITTING ACCEPTABLE PROOF TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY OF A NEGATIVE TEST RESULT FROM A TESTING FACILITY APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT; TO PROVIDE THAT AT ANY TIME DURING OR AFTER THE ASSESSED DISQUALIFICATION PERIOD, THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY MAY REQUIRE THE INDIVIDUAL TO SUBMIT ACCEPTABLE PROOF TO THE DEPARTMENT OF A NEGATIVE TEST RESULT FROM A TESTING FACILITY APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO REINSTATE THE INDIVIDUAL AND RESUME THE ISSUANCE OF BENEFITS UNDER MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT SECURITY LAW; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
Source: Public Records
Week of 3/5 "At A Glance" .. Teachers Get Credit Cards, Judges Get Raises, and Etc
AT A GLANCE
Mississippi House of Representatives
During the first part of the week, House members were devoted to addressing bills in committee in anticipation of Tuesday’s 8 p.m. deadline to move all general bills out of committee and onto the House Calendar.
In committee this week, Judiciary B passed House Bill 729 (HB729) which states consumption of alcoholic beverages by individuals under 21 years of age will be treated as a misdemeanor. Minors are already prohibited from purchasing and/or possessing alcoholic beverages. A conceptual amendment to provide for religious exceptions was passed.
The full education committee passed House Bill 488 (HB488). HB488 focuses on illegal immigration. In addition to broader provisions to deter illegal immigration, this bill states that students must be able to present an original birth certificate or a ertified original if one is requested. If a child of an unlawful alien cannot produce the birth certificate, they have 30 days to notify the school they are illegal. Additionally, each school district will be required to provide an annual report on the number of illegal aliens who are students. Federal law states that identifying the children by names is unlawful.
On the floor Wednesday, House Bill 928 (HB928) was reconsidered whereby it failed to pass on Tuesday. It passed by a vote of 65-54 Wednesday. HB928 proposes to allow certain municipalities (those that are currently dry) to determine on their own whether they would want to emerge from the “dry law” for limited alcohol sales. This law only applies to a municipality with a population of at least 5,000 people. A petition and a passing vote of 20 percent must occur. Once an area passes the vote, hotels and restaurants in the municipality would be allowed to sell alcohol by the glass only.
Judicial Pay Raise was also contested on the floor and passed 83-37. House Bill 484 (HB484) enacts judicial pay raise over four years at a rate slightly higher than 7.5 percent annually. Mississippi currently has the lowest paid judges in the country. This increase would bring judicial pay in line with the average pay in the Southeast and help prevent turnover. This increase does not involve additional general funds. Increased civil filing and appellate court fees would be used to fund the increases in salaries.
House Bill 1095 (HB1095) waives the out-of-state tuition policy for universities and institutions of higher learning if fiscally responsible. Each year, Mississippi loses students to neighboring state schools that have similar policies intact. The goal is to retain Mississippi students and attract out-of-state students who can bring in additional revenue. HB1095 passed 120-0 Thursday, House members addressed and passed 88 bills on the Noncontroversial Calendar. They covered topics such as prohibiting manhole covers from being sold as scrap metal to proper disposal of prescription drugs.
House Bill 1094 (HB1094) is referred to as the Scrap Metal Law bill. With the increased problem in manholes being stolen, this bill adds manholes into the current scrap metal law. The bill passed. House Bill 1019 (HB1019) passed 73-46. It permits beer breweries to provide samples subject to certain conditions. Many states have tasting tours, and HB1019 will permit people with permits to brew beer the ability to offer limited amounts (no more than six ounces) of beer on premise to visitors aver 21 years old and within the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Classroom supplies were addressed with House Bill 821 (HB821). This bill allows school districts to distribute procurement cards to teachers for the purchase of classroom supplies. The cards will have a predetermined expiration date on them and the allotted $150 that each teacher is granted for supplies. This bill attempts to eliminate paperwork and ensure that all teachers receive the money they are entitled to for their classroom supplies. The bill is intended to ensure that these funds are used for classroom supplies. Teachers will be required to turn in receipts from their purchases. HB821 passed 121-0.
Members also passed House Bill 423 (HB423). This bill focuses on prescription drug abuse and proper disposal of prescription drugs. On the first Monday of each month, Mississippians will be permitted to go to the Bureau of Narcotics Task Force to turn in medicine they no longer use. There are 12 locations around the state. The task force members check in the medication, maintain records and keep them in a safe location. This bill assists law enforcement agents by attempting to cut down on prescription drug abuse and environmental concerns. This issue received national attention from people flushing medicines down the toilet, which affects water supplies.
Visitors to the Capitol this week included Republican Presidential Candidate and former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. Gingrich visited the House members on his tour of the South Thursday, March 8. Dr. Howard Clark of Morton was recognized with House Resolution 56 for his long career of serving the citizens of Mississippi. Miss Mississippi Mary Margaret Roark from Cleveland visited the Capitol and thanked members for their work and dedication. Rep. Martinson commended the Special Olympics Athletes of Mississippi for their outstanding achievements in athletics. She also welcomed Special Olympian Loretta Claiborne to Mississippi. House Resolution 20 was read in their honor. It recognized them on their athletic accomplishment
Source: Mississippi House of Representative BillStatis Page / Public Records
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)