Giving it away
One of the most amazing things about living in the 21st century is how much we are being given, absolutely free.
Think about it.
On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, the U.S. National Archives gave us — absolutely free — more than a dozen presentations on records and research available through the National Archives and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
On Wednesday of last week, Legacy Family Tree Webinars gave us — absolutely free — a presentation by Linda Woodward Geiger, CG, CGL, on Getting the Most from Your Records: Putting Them Through the Wringer!
Tonight, at 9 p.m. EDT, 8 p.m. CDT, the Illinois State Genealogical Society is offering a webinar — absolutely free — where somebody else with the CG and CGL credentials is presenting “To the Honorable, the General Assembly” – The Treasure Trove in Legislative Petitions.
(Who’s doing that one again? Oh, yeah. The Legal Genealogist. Join me! Register here.)
So sometimes it comes as a shock when there’s something we really really want — and it’s not free. Whaddaya mean, I can only see that record if I buy a world subscription? Whaddaya mean, I can’t have that pension file unless I fork over $50? Whaddaya mean, you’re going to charge me $1 a page to copy that 100-page estate file?
Sigh.
Sometimes the best things in life aren’t free.
Bummer.
So maybe I can do just a little something, at least for one person, when it comes to one thing that isn’t free. That’s the Family Tree University 2013 Fall Virtual Conference, coming up this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
There’s a ton of material being offered, including 16 half-hour video classes in technology, research strategies and ethnic research tracks, plus live chats, and even some give-away goodies, all in the comfort of your own home, at your own computer, without even changing out of your bunny slippers.
But… sigh… it’s not free. Conference registration is $199.
Except for one person.
That’s right, I’ve been allowed to sprinkle pixie dust on one person who wants to go to this Virtual Conference. And that one person will get the full registration… free.
And all you have to do is tell me why you want to go, and convince me yours is the best reason.
Only one catch.
You have to post it in the comments to this blog post (or email it to me — that’s legalgenealogist (at) gmail.com in case the link doesn’t work), not later than 11:59 p.m. EDT tomorrow, Wednesday, 11 September 2013. The winner will be notified Thursday.
Oh. One more thing.
It has to be in haiku.
Whaddaya mean, you don’t remember the rules of haiku? We all learned them in school. It’s a poem in three lines and a total of 17 syllables. Five syllables for the first line. Seven for the second line. Five for the third line.
You know you want to.
Bunny slippers not required.
Choose your reason well.
Wish I had the time.
I don’t, so enter I won’t.
Just a thanks is all.
Newspaper stories, now from Scotland Neck, NC, in 1880s@Finding Their Stories
and
Kate @ BJJ, Law, and Living
LOVE it!
Hubby’s gone away
Debbie is SO gonna play
Pick me, make my day!
🙂
Bound to a wheelchair,
It is so hard to travel.
I want to learn more!
Good one!
The timing is bad
Because for many of us
Yom Kippur trumps all
🙁 Can’t control the calendar, I’m afraid!
Loonies, Toonies, tight…
Wish I may and wish I might,
Winner be, next night!
Reference to loonies/toonies is very Canadian – we have $1 coins with a loon on the back = loonies, and $2 coins to rhyme = toonies. We’re humorous about our money.
Love the Loonies!
Poetry challenge,
Genealogy conf’rence,
Hope I win. Me! Me!
🙂
🙂
Children back in school
Daddy needs some new ideas
After summer fun
🙂
I love my children
But they take all my money
So learning from home
🙂
Genealogy
Collecting dead relatives
Man, they were weird folks!
🙂 (Sounds like we must be cousins!)
I am off Friday
Nothing to do but search
dead end roots HELP ME
This is my hiku i shared on FB which is under my junk email. the one i listed is my real one.
🙂 (This is gonna be a hard decision…)
“Cause I’m a mom first
This year both NGS and
FGS I missed…
🙂 (Getting harder and harder to decide here.)
Stuck in the old world.
Conferences are not held.
Virtual, only.
🙂
click of typed keys
Eye twitching from lit up screen
Dead family found
🙂
Comic con I went,
but my brother made me go.
This con is for me!
Twisted your arm, did he?
Teach classes for free.
But I have to pay for mine.
You can change that though.
🙂
Husband and son ride
Bikes on Cardinal Greenway
I watch webinars
🙂
Birth, death, land records
Always something new to learn
Love those ancestors!
🙂
Visa bill arrived
University now rich
Mother left alone
🙂 (Oh man is this gonna be a hard decision…)
Adopted, age ten.
Now 10 children of my own.
Need to build our tree.
🙂 (Getting harder with every entry.)
Husband on bike ride,
Weekend just for my research,
Can’t wait hope to win.
🙂
Never done a class
Time for change, time for learning
Please help me to start!
🙂
I hit a brick wall
Ancestry too expensive
I really need help!
🙂
I love my husband
But want to go to confrence
Let me be the one!
🙂
I have family
But want to go to confrence
Let me be the one!
🙂
Oh, my dear cousin
Really? A Haiku contest?
Good luck to you all!
(Not an official entry)
Love it, Paula!
Past, a mystery
Future, a grand legacy
Knowledge makes it so.
🙂
Cat had surgery
Cost twice the price of conf’rence
Credit card smokin
🙂
Find Frank in New York
Hawkins in Pennsylvania
Bring my brick walls down
🙂
Looking for dead folks
Truth is stranger than fiction
Must find those records
🙂
The past year I have been dealing with elderly parents being sick and passing away. I need to get back to having fun and tracing my family roots. This would help me get on track again. Hoping to win. 🙂 Sounds like fun.
Good luck to you (and all! Contest runs until midnight tonight!).
Canadian air settles in
Clears the mind for learning
This Fall education wins.
🙂
Try hard as I can
names can be found for a price
so disappointed!
🙂
Eager to learn and
share my passion with others.
MLS Student.
🙂
Oh Genie Judy
Please grant this wish for me, may
Knowledge be my prize
🙂
Oh, how I would love to attend! I have been
Digging in local records for over 20 years and I
Would love to expand my horizons!
🙂
Driving to Fort Wayne,
Family emergency,
Had to turn around….
🙂
Overworked nurse
Trying to stretch out her purse.
What is worse? This verse.
🙂
Already paid and
registered I am too late
to enter boo hoo
Awwwww… 🙂
Trapped in Seattle
Too far to drive, fly, or walk
Online I can go
🙂
Tips, tricks a-plenty.
Ireland, Germany, let’s go.
Bring my past to me.
Made it in before the deadline, Dan!
Oh no I’m too late
Must be my ancestors’ fault
Chasing them online
Well, darn! Maybe next year!