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WASHINGTON Mitt Romney's success in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the costliest presidential race ever can be traced in part to a secretive data-mining project that sifts through Americans' personal information including their purchasing history and church attendance to identify new and likely, wealthy donors, The Associated Press has learned.

For the data-mining project, the Republican candidate has quietly employed since at least June a little-known but successful analytics firm that previously performed marketing work for a colleague tied to Bain & Co., the management-consulting firm that Romney once led.

The head of Buxton Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, chief executive Tom Buxton, confirmed to the AP his company's efforts to help Romney identify rich and previously untapped Republican donors across the country. The Romney campaign declined to discuss on the record its work with Buxton or the project's overall success.

The project shows that the same strategies corporations use to influence the way we shop and think are now being used to influence presidential elections. The same personal information that we give away, often unwittingly when we swipe our credit cards or log into Facebook, is now being collected by the people who might one day occupy the White House.

There are no records of payments to Buxton from Romney's campaign, the Republican National Committee or a joint fundraising committee. Under federal law, companies cannot use corporate money or resources, such as proprietary data analysis, for in-kind contributions to campaigns.

The effort by Romney appears to be the first example of a political campaign using such extensive data analysis. President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has long been known as data-savvy, but Romney's project appears to take a page from the Fortune 500 business world and dig deeper into available consumer data.

Buxton said he's working for the Romney campaign because he wants "to be on the winning team."

He once worked with a former Romney business partner to provide insights, for example, about where Petco should open a new pet-supply store to maximize profits. In addition to Buxton, the data-mining project was described to the AP by a Romney fundraiser who spoke on condition of anonymity because the fundraiser did not want to face repercussions for describing internal campaign processes.

Businesses use those kinds of analytics firms to answer key questions for clients, such as where to build a retail store or where to mail pamphlets touting a new product. The analysis doesn't directly bring in campaign contributions, but it generates the equivalent of sales leads for Romney's campaign.

The project relies upon a sophisticated analysis by powerful computers of thousands of commercially available, expensive databases that are lawfully bought and sold behind the scenes by corporations, including details about credit accounts, families and children, voter registrations, charitable contributions, property tax records and survey responses. It combines marketing data with what is known in this specialized industry as psychographic information about Americans.

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Mitt Romney's fundraising success traced to project that sifts through personal information

By Chad Garner

cgarner@sentinelandenterprise.com @CGARNER23 on Twitter

Some coaches burst onto the scene and leave in a blink of an eye.

Others dedicate their lives to teaching and coaching high school students and athletes about the values needed for success in life.

The late Richard Stachowicz -- a born coach and educator -- was that special role model and major influence in many people's lives at Lunenburg High School for 39 years.

Stachowicz, a highly successful boys' varsity basketball coach and physical education teacher who passed away on July 13, 2010, after a battle with Parkinson's disease, will permanently be a focal point in a place he called home for so many years, as Lunenburg High School will officially name the court at Lunenburg Memorial Gymnasium the "Richard A. Stachowicz Court" and unveil the dedication at the first home game of the upcoming boys' varsity basketball season.

"It absolutely is emotional in a lot of different ways," said Stachowicz's son Mark, 44, overcome by emotion. "I shared him with every kid in Lunenburg. He coached a long time, and we all had an investment with what he did. To see an award for that, that the community appreciated what he did and respected what he did, it's a small thank you. This validates the sacrifices we made as a family to do that. It's a nice honor; it validates everything he put in."

The unveiling is a can't miss-event

"It's going to mean a lot," Mark Stachowicz said. "He took so much pride in what he did. I won't have dry eyes, I can promise you that. He was something special for what he did. It was never about him, but it's nice to see that this is about him."

Jeremy Kullman, who played for Stachowicz on the varsity team for three seasons before graduating in 1992, will always remember his late coach as an unbelievable motivator.

Go here to read the rest:
Blue Knights honor a legend

One of the more creative aspects of life coaching is implementing or designing exercises that will help nudge a client closer to answers or clarity on her goals. I have been known to tweak some Ive learned from others, to invent some on the spot and also to get ideas that I fine-tune and develop more slowly.

In the latter category is one I call Witness Protection. Just as it sounds, it is based on imagining oneself having to enter the Witness Protection Program and being given the chance at reinvention. The idea is to dig into your existing life with questions along these lines: Aside from having to sever significant relationships in your life, what would be most challenging? Does the idea of being yanked out of your current life and thrust into a new one bring up excitement or dread?

With the recent release of the movie Hit and Run where a character risks his new identity to help his girlfriend get to Los Angeles, I thought it would be timely to mull this and see what emerges from the exercise.

The idea for this first came to me when I was an avid viewer of the USA Networks In Plain Sight. I was initially drawn to it because I loved the sassy, smart main character of Mary Shannon (so well played by Mary McCormack), a deputy U.S. marshal based in Albuquerque. But as time went on I became intrigued by the way each character handled bungled? embraced? -- the transition into Witness Protection.

What would be your greatest challenge? What would you do?

OK, Ill go first.

How would I make a living? Well, I write in this life. Would that still be possible in a situation where Im trying to keep my identity hidden? Clearly there would be no column that includes my picture. But I wonder if even my writing style would tip off someone, some linguistics expert hired to track me down because I testified against the wrong person. Public writing might have to go. Maybe I could keep it to local features for newsletters or the like.

And then theres coaching. Could I still do that? Again, there would be no website promoting my work that contains my photo. No professional events where coaches gather. No conferences. No advertising my services. What if another coach Ive met through my networking and columnist duties in this life made contact?

Part of me thinks Id resign myself to a mundane money job to pay the bills and then just read myself into a frenzy. The UPS guy would be at my house non-stop delivering packages from Amazon as I went from Virginia Woolf to Philip Roth to Anais Nin. There would be the poetry of Hafiz and Mary Oliver and then maybe Id enter a Janet Evanovich haze.

Did you see what happened there? I didnt learn a darned thing about what Id do to earn a living. That became secondary as I let the fantasy go forth into a stream of consciousness place. What did I learn that I can apply to my current life? That while I am fairly well read, I want to be really well read. I am jealous of voracious readers. What is stopping me from being one? Carving out more time for it. And to boot, when I do it feeds my writing. Win-win.

Continued here:
What Would Your New Identity Look Like?

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA7sekoN3Qs

23-08-2012 17:53 The Think Big Dream Big team talked to James Applin about what it means to stay active and healthy.

Read the original here:
Health and Fitness with James Applin - Video

Published: Friday, August 24, 2012, 12:01 a.m.

He lives independently in a tidy Mukilteo condo, drives and still works a little.

His trim middle would put quite a few 20-somethings to shame.

"I see a lot of people younger than me with one foot in the grave," Peterson said.

His secret: exercise. In particular, he credits a fitness class he regularly attends at the Carl Gipson Senior Center in Everett.

It's called Enhance Fitness, and it blends low-impact aerobics, strength training, flexibility, balance and what instructor Vicki Cairns describes as "silliness."

What she means is her students have fun. They crack jokes, trade stories and support each other when times get tough.

The class is as much a social club as a workout. Many of those who show up end the class with a cup of coffee and conversation.

"It's physical health and mental health," Cairns said.

The class was developed by Senior Services of Seattle along with the University of Washington and Group Health Cooperative in the mid-1990s.

Go here to see the original:
Seniors credit their vitality to fitness class

WASHINGTON (AP) Mitt Romneys success in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the costliest presidential race ever can be traced in part to a secretive data-mining project that sifts through Americans personal information including their purchasing history and church attendance to identify new and likely, wealthy donors, The Associated Press has learned.

For the data-mining project, the Republican candidate has quietly employed since at least June a little-known but successful analytics firm that previously performed marketing work for a colleague tied to Bain & Co., the management-consulting firm that Romney once led.

The head of Buxton Co. of Fort Worth, Texas, chief executive Tom Buxton, confirmed to the AP his companys efforts to help Romney identify rich and previously untapped Republican donors across the country. The Romney campaign declined to discuss on the record its work with Buxton or the projects overall success.

The project shows that the same strategies corporations use to influence the way we shop and think are now being used to influence presidential elections. The same personal information that we give away, often unwittingly when we swipe our credit cards or log into Facebook, is now being collected by the people who might one day occupy the White House.

There are no records of payments to Buxton from Romneys campaign, the Republican National Committee or a joint fundraising committee. Under federal law, companies cannot use corporate money or resources, such as proprietary data analysis, for in-kind contributions to campaigns.

The effort by Romney appears to be the first example of a political campaign using such extensive data analysis. President Barack Obamas re-election campaign has long been known as data-savvy, but Romneys project appears to take a page from the Fortune 500 business world and dig deeper into available consumer data.

Buxton said hes working for the Romney campaign because he wants to be on the winning team.

He once worked with a former Romney business partner to provide insights, for example, about where Petco should open a new pet-supply store to maximize profits. In addition to Buxton, the data-mining project was described to the AP by a Romney fundraiser who spoke on condition of anonymity because the fundraiser did not want to face repercussions for describing internal campaign processes.

Businesses use those kinds of analytics firms to answer key questions for clients, such as where to build a retail store or where to mail pamphlets touting a new product. The analysis doesnt directly bring in campaign contributions, but it generates the equivalent of sales leads for Romneys campaign.

The project relies upon a sophisticated analysis by powerful computers of thousands of commercially available, expensive databases that are lawfully bought and sold behind the scenes by corporations, including details about credit accounts, families and children, voter registrations, charitable contributions, property tax records and survey responses. It combines marketing data with what is known in this specialized industry as psychographic information about Americans.

Special greeting: Fields Memorial School in Bozrah will greet students on Wednesday with a special morning welcome by principal Karen Scopino on the schools playground.

Student success plans: Teachers in sixth through eighth grades will implement state-mandated student success plans this year. All students in the state in grades 6-12 now must have a student success plan to assist them in being career and college ready. The plans help students explore careers, set goals for academic and personal growth, create and compile samples of best work from the middle and high school years and provide opportunities for students to reflect on what they are doing well and on areas that need improvement. Middle school parents will receive additional information this fall.

School goals: The school will continue with a safety/school climate goal and an academic goal and is adding a technology goal, Scopino said. We now have smart board technology available in kindergarten and first grade as well as in the technology laboratory, she said. One of our priorities this year is to continue to develop and enrich our technology and our website for families and staff. The schools website, http://www.fmsbozrah.org, is updated frequently and contains much information for students and families.

Nutrition news: Nutrition guidelines have changed and the school will distribute a brochure with important nutritional information for parents. The school encourages parents to develop a list of nutritious snacks and lunches that their child will enjoy bringing to school.

View original post here:
Back to school: Technology goals, student success plans coming in Bozrah

WASHINGTONMitt Romney's success in raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the costliest presidential race ever can be traced in part to a secretive data-mining project that sifts through Americans' personal information -- including their purchasing history and church attendance -- to identify new and likely, wealthy donors, The Associated Press has learned.