The Census Bureau has a new blog service called Random Samplings. The purpose of the blog, says the Bureau, is to make the data more accessible to everyone.

I have long argued that the Census Bureau is a gold mine of free data that can help make most stories really shine. Using the data is also a great way to find ideas for feature stories.

The problem has always been understanding the numbers in greater depth.

Think about it.

When you hear the numbers from the Census Bureau about income, earnings, housing, etc., what do they all mean? This blog seems to be a good version of Census Numbers 101.

The first entry is all about the difference between income and earnings.

Give it a try.