I got a NASS survey in the mail.. Do I HAVE to fill it out?

Image by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District
Familiar faces vie for table tennis glory

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District and URS Corporation have held ping pong leagues for several years and ultimately hold a championship tournament on the seventh-floor patio of their downtown Los Angeles office building.

This year’s Pingpong Extravaganza men’s championship was held July 26, featuring a chili dog lunch to raise funds for and promote membership in the District-sponsored Toastmasters club.

“Another great year,” said Ed Louie, member of Essayons Toastmasters Club 988 and One-Alarm Chili chef. “We had some scheduling issues, so only the men’s final was held today.”

In the men’s division, it was an all-District final as ACE-IT contractor Bee Cha won three sets to one against David Coltharp of the asset management division.

Corps vs. Corps lined up as the women took the table on July 31. Perennial finalist and 2006 champion Rosa Ramirez, programs and project management division lost a hard fought battle to Roxanne Vidaurre, engineering division.

This fun rivalry got its start when Ed Louie attended a Toastmasters meeting in URS’ conference room and noticed a ping pong table in the patio area. A URS Toastmasters member asked him if he would like a quick game after the meeting. After the match, the two decided it would be fun if the district and URS challenge each other to a friendly ping pong match. From that point in 2006 to present, it’s two wins for URS men and five wins for the Corps men. For the women, its four wins for URS and two wins for the Corps women. The Corps is looking for future men and women players to join.

“If this year is any indication, the men and women of the Los Angeles District and URS Corporation will continue this friendly challenge, and I may have to add another ‘alarm’ to my chili,” added Louie.

Question by The Code Man: I got a NASS survey in the mail.. Do I HAVE to fill it out?
So I got yet another, NASS Survey, very official looking, much like the US Census forms, and requesting that it be returned by Feb 25, 2011. Just got it in the mail and they want it returned by that date. I threw the first one away because I thought it was none of their business whether I have chickens, fruit trees, or raise a garden.

So if I Don’t fill it out, will I still be able to get garden seeds and keep my chickens, or will they take that right away from me, like a lot of other rights they are trying to take away? What does the US Dept of Agriculture have to do with people who live on less than 2 acres? They want to know what I have in Cropland, total grain storage, livestock, poultry, colonies of bees, and if I have internet access, amongst other things. Grrrr…. I say it is none of their business.

I live in Washington state if that helps. Thanks in advance!

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