Are the 1940 Census Records a real threat to privacy?

The 1940 Census records have finally been released to the public. Historians, sociologist, genealogist are already busy browsing through these records – and you should take a look at them too. You can easily look for your last name and find your ancestors. Do you know what your family was doing in 1940? You might learn a lot about your past.

There is a 72 year confidentiality clause on this type of records, which expired yesterday for the 1940 census. This means anyone can have access to these records for free. Some people are worried that personal information will be released, since a lot of elderly citizens would have their birth documented in these records.

What are the risks of someone stealing your identity by using the 1940 Census records? Slim to none. These records to not display any sensitive information such as birthdays or social security numbers. However, the American Civil Liberties Union is opposed to the release of census data; it is considered as a violation of someone's right to privacy.

I understand there is a privacy concern since anyone would have access to addresses and know the income of your family. It would be easy to conduct a quick background check on someone to find out where they come from. But these records are also very valuable to researchers who can use them to determine trends and document life in the 1940s, a cornerstone era of modern American history. It might be hard for living people to accept that their lives are part of our history, but these records are actually helpful to a society in need of a roots.

Autism Awareness Day aims at sensibilizing people about autism

Today is Autism Awareness Day and different organizations are taking action to educate people about autism. What do you know about autism? There are a few simple things you need to pay attention to in order to recognize autism. Keep in mind that only a doctor is qualified to diagnose a child with autism and that this condition makes the child unique, not ill.

It is hard to diagnose autism before a child is three years old, but certain signs are usually linked to autism. Does the child smiles back when the parents are smiling? An autistic child might have a hard time recognizing facial expressions and imitating them. Paying attention to the environment is also difficult: autistic children do not respond to stimuli such as their names, touch or eye contact. If a child seems isolated and unresponsive, this could be a sign of autism.

A child with autism does not reach out to others. If a child is not making any efforts to communicate with the caregivers or with other children, there could be an issue. Motor development is also affected; a child with autism is going to acquire certain motor skills more slowly than others and sometimes engage in unusual or repetitive movements.

If you notice this kind of behavior in a child, do not get alarmed. The best thing to do is to go to a doctor to get the opinion of a professional. These symptoms can be caused by other things, or might the sign of an independent child.

Wrestlemania 28 comes to an end

The 28^th edition of the Wrestlemania event is over and it is time to over the results of this competition. Let's go over the most memorable fights and moments of this season.

The Undertaker against HHH in a cage fight was probably the best match of the season. The Undertaker won after a stunning display of skills and strength. His final pilediver was perfectly executed, and HHH did not stand a chance once he let the Undertaker get in position for this devastating move. Let's hope he will learn from his mistake and develop a better strategy next time.

The Rock's victory over Cena got a lot of attention, probably because the Rock brought part of his movie audience to the ring. Even though he is not a very good actor, the Rock knows how to fight. He won against Cena with a trademark 'Rockbottom' move.

And Sheamus won the title in a match that lasted only 18 seconds. Daniel Bryan proved to be no match for him after he was wiped out by a devastating Brogue kick. The title is well-deserved in my opinion. There should actually be some very exciting matches in the future if anyone is foolish enough to challenge Sheamus for the title.

In the end, Wrestlemania 28 was a pretty good season. The outcome was more or less expected, except for a large number of Daniel Bryan fans who thought he had a chance at the title. I think a lot of fighters have learned their lesson and need to develop better strategies to avoid simple mistakes: the next season should be interesting.

Santorum uses classic Amityville Horror techniques to scare voters

The presidential campaign gets ugly as Rick Santorum releases a video depicting a horrific 'Obamaville'. The video makes references to horror classics such as Amityville Horror, Twilight Zone episodes and some old Alfred Hitchcock movie. The video is pretty good and rather humorous, but is it a legitimate way to gain votes?

The video is filled with cliches from horror movies. The American public is used to these cliches: movie makers know this and will create movies that are considered frightening solely because they use these techniques. There is nothing scary about these movie techniques, but the public has integrated them and learned what a scary movie should look like.

Santorum is obviously taking advantage of these codes to manipulate his audience. We have been exposed to this code so many times that we are conditioned to feel scared when the camera moves in a particular way or when the music sounds eerie.

Even though the movie is well done andthere is obviously a good campaign director behind it (JohnBrabender), it is a very cheap shot. The video depicts a future where Obama has been re-elected. Gas prices have skyrocketed, small businesses are closing down and people have to wait for weeks before seeing a doctor. Is it an accurate depiction of what will happen if Obama get re-elected? Only time will tell.

We are now waiting for the response from the Democrat party. Let's hope they will have something intelligent to say about this instead of responding with a similar video in an effort to manipulate the voters in a different direction.

How to plan a good April Fools prank

What makes a good April Fool's prank? The perfect prank is a combination of originality and humor and should be unexpected. It is best to plan your prank early in the day: if your victim has not been exposed to any other pranks yet, they have probably not realized it is the first of April yet.

Keep in mind that a good prank should always be in good taste. It is not acceptable to hurt someone physically or emotionally. Make sure nothing could go wrong with your prank: accidents happen, especially if you have never tried this prank before. You should probably test your prank first if you have any reason to believe someone could get hurt if something went wrong. You can avoid to hurt your victim emotionally by not humiliating them publicly and by avoiding any kind of offensive prank.

Ask yourself how well you know your victim. A close friend probably understands your sense of humor and appreciates it, but your other acquaintances might not.

Get other people to help you with your prank. This makes the whole April Fool's tradition more fun and this is also a good way of planning the best prank possible. You will also have more possibilities with a team helping you.

Should you record your prank? Watching the video again with your friends could be a lot of fun, but do not share the video online or with others without the permission of the victim of your prank. Remember that you have no way of knowing how popular your video will get once you post it online.

Autism Speaks launches Autism Awareness Month

Have you noticed any blue lights on your neighbor's porches lately? These lights are part of a campaign organized by Autism Speaks for the Autism Awareness Month. The main goal behind this campaign is to educate people about autism. Thisoften misunderstood condition affects 1 in 88 children. This number is increasing, not because more children have autism but because people are more aware of this condition and more children are diagnosed and helped.

Why is it important to know about autism? Autism does not seem to be related to genetics: anyone could have a child with autism. Parents need to know about this condition and its symptom to be able to recognize them in their children. You might think that autism would be easy to recognize, but there are different forms of autism. A mild autism might be interpreted as shyness and a child who needs support and supervision will not get the kind of attention needed if no one is able to recognize the symptoms.

Educating people is also a way of fostering acceptance and understanding. There are still a lot of ignorant reactions from people who see children with autism and recognize the symptoms as a form of retardation. This kind of reaction is extremely hurtful for the children and their families.

If there is one thing you should learn during Autism Awareness Month is that there is nothing wrong with autistic children. They function differently and you should think of them a unique individuals, not as children with a medical condition.

Are the 2012 Kids Choice Awards a safe program for your children?

What are the Kids Choice Awards? Apparently, a series of awards are given to performers depending on how popular their work is with children. The whole thing is sponsored by Nickelodeon and the network is of course strongly influenced the votes. A quick look at the nominees is absolutely heart-breaking. The movie category gave children the choice between Harry Potter, the Muppets, the Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Where is Scorsese's Hugo? Where are the other good movies of the year? I cannot believe these four movies are representative of what children enjoyed last year. The musical category is even worse: we find LFMAO, Justin Bieber, Usher, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and the Black Eyed Peas among other. I see pop music, country music and rap. Doesn't anyone listen to rock n roll, blues or jazz anymore?

The worst award nomination was probably Kristen Stewart, who won the best actress award. The competition was not very tough, but even children should be able to tell she has no acting skills. Nickelodeon is teaching children that awards should go to actors who stared in a popular movie, not to actors who gave a quality performance.

The 2012 Kids Choice Awards is not an occasion to let children decide what they like and reward their favorite performers; it is an occasion for Nickelodeon to influence the children and tell them which movies they should be watching and which CD they should buy. Think twice before you let your children watch this program, unless you do not want to encourage them to develop their own tastes and identity.