Hamburger's etymology

With the summer, comes the hamburgers BBQ parties. The more common is the beef burger but you can try also the veggie burger, the tofu burger, the crab burger, the tuna burger and so on. Our friends from South Carolina claim that Charleston's hamburgers are the best, it's good that's true.
The word "hamburger" derives from Hamburg, Germany's second largest city, from which many immigrants came from in the 19th century.
The Library of Congress has officially declared that Louis lassen of Louis Lunch, a small lunch wagon in New Haven, Connecticut, sold the first hamburger in 1900. But other persons claim for the invention all around the US.

Employers use credit report before hiring

Half of the employers in the US use credit checks when making a hiring decision. They ask a company specialised on it to edit a credit report on an applicant, it's relatively inexpensive, between $20 et $50. Anyway some jobs as teachers, police officers, firefighters, require a credit check by law.
But why, even if it's not required by law, employers look for it ? It is suppose to give an indication about the integrity and the sense of responsability of the applicant. For some unemployed people, they are facing a vicious circle, they found no job because of it and money is so scarce, they have to take more loans... That's why some states ban this practice of credit screening.
Nonetheless psychology research papers found no link between a person's credit score and a "deviant" behavior like workplace theft.

How works the Food Stamps program

It's a program provided by the Federal government since 1943 and administrated by the US department of agriculture. It's a financial aid for purchasing food to low income households. 47 millions of Americans receive an average of $134 per month ; this money is now in a card, before it was in printed coupons. In some states, more than 20 % of the population is right now on food stamps.

This money can be used to purchase any prepackaged edible foods, the program does not have nutritional standards. Items in fast food restaurants are ineligible but candies, cookies, sodas are eiligible items...
An average of $72 billion is spent per year on food stamps. Food processing industries benefit from this program ; think of Cargill, Krogger, Pepsi, Kraftfood and others. Walmart is a big beneficiary.

The american way of fishing

Last week-end we were in the Delaware bay, in Cape Henlopen state park. Around us, in the campground, were a lot of fishermen with their big SUV cars. To be the perfect fisherman, your fishing rods have a special emplacment in front of your SUV and in the back you have a platform to put your cooler plenty of beers.
The must is to drive onto the beach for surf fisching. When you arrive on the beach, you see a row of SUV facing the sea. They are so funny those Americans.
SUV share the beach wirh horseshoecrabs.

Highschool proms', part of your highschool experience

Tonight the Newark Highschool hosts the Highschool prom of 2013. What is it? It's an iconic tradition at the end of your highschool years. It's a dance party. It's very formal,you have a lot of rules surrounding the event. Boys will be in tuxedos, girls in gowns ; boys invite a date, you'll have often pictures before. The Prom Queen and the Prom King of the year will be revealed ; (a Barbie and a Ken). Unbelievable, but yes.
You have to pay for it and it's not cheap at all. Have fun highschool students of Newark !
Perhaps, as a girl, you keep your prom's dress as you will sherish your wedding dress.

In a rural county in Georgia they will have this year their first integrated prom. Although they went to school together you had before the prom for white students and the prom for black students. Where do you go if you are mixed? Easy answer, if you have one drop of black blood you are considered as black.

Educational tests in the US

The SAT exists for a long time, it was introduced in 1926 by a non profit organization The College Board. Its goal was to measure literacy and writing skills that are needed to succeed for college. You need it to enter most of the colleges, although some now don't require it because of its suppose failures. You have three parts : maths, critical reading and writing ; you can take it seven times a year, it costs you $50 and it lasts less than 4 hours.
Highschool students take this test whenever they want but other people, younger or older, can take the test. SAT preparations is a highly lucrative field where you find a lot of companies.

A lot of states recently add state tests on a lot of subjects ; some are for all grades, others are only for highschool grades. Students in Delaware take in grades 2 to 12 the DCAS, its provided by the state and graded also by him. At the end of highschool you have to take an Economic literacy test. For instance, here are some of the questions :
1. Suppose that the price of grapes increases by a large amount. What will happen in the short term to the quantity of grapes demanded? Explain why.

2. Which of the following best describes an opportunity cost for a student who chooses to quit a full-time job to go to college?
A) Paying state and federal income tax
B) Having a higher level of education
C) Giving up current wages and benefits
D) Paying for housing and meals

3. Which of the following changes is most likely to cause an increase in employment?
A) An increase in consumer spending
B) An increase in interest rates
C) A decrease in business investment
D) A decrease in income

New York state has also institute a test for highschool and some New York state's community colleges now ask for your score.

Poetry is so alive in the USA !

Poetry is a lively art in the US.
The black people used  after the emancipation this art to express their soul. Phillis Wheatley wrote her poems during slavery.

The writer Toni Morrisson said "The grace of black people is how they DO language".
Hear to Langston Hughes' poet when he is telling us "The Negro speaks of rivers" : http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15722#

I was delighted to hear Maya Angelou, 85 years old, recits some of her poems in the University of Delaware ; she was telling us again and again the hope that you see everytimes "a rainbow in the clouds".

Yesterday Rita Dove was talking about her last book Sonata mulattica, it's about the encounter between Mr Bridgetower, a Black violonist prodige with Beethoven at the end  of the 18th century ; she red a lot of poems that are inside.

Let the poem's magic spread !