Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Interest Free Credit Card for Everyday Purchases Do you have issues with credit card debt? If you're anything like many of my friends, you're being smothered by debt you started accumulating in college and it has since just snowballed. Trying to combat this somewhat is a new type of credit card. The new card has a feature called "Blueprint" that allows consumers to avoid paying interest on everyday purchases, such as groceries. Borrowers get to keep an interest-free grace period for everyday items as long as they choose those categories in advance and pay them in full each month. Card holders are still charged interest on the other items charged to the account. I think it's a great idea, not only for groceries, but gasoline as well. Would you apply for this kind of credit card? Would it be helpful to you? - Colleen [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 9:11:30 AM

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Moving Day Just a reminder...this blog is moving tomorrow! Update your bookmarks to Hackley's Blog. 2:02:35 PM     Is It a Cold or the Flu? Last night I hardly slept because my little one is sick. She was snuffling and snorting, tossing and turning, moaning and groaning and it certainly didn't help that her darn unicorn was poking its horn into my side. Ah, the joys of parenthood. My kids are just starting their third week of school and you know what that means - it's time to catch a cold. It never fails. Send them to the germ factory, I mean elementary school, for a week or so and they're bound to come home sniffling and coughing. This year everyone's on edge about the swine flu, so it's more important than ever to know what we're dealing with, and what to do when we get sick. So how do you know if it's a cold or the flu? The truth is, it can be hard to tell because the symptoms are so similar. Both commonly cause a runny nose, sore throat, sneezing and coughing, but the flu is generally worse and usually causes exhaustion, high fever and body aches. It can also lead to complications and can be so serious that it leads to thousands and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year. The best we can do is try to prevent colds and flu, take care of ourselves when we do get sick, and seek medical advice when we need it. - Joanne [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 11:43:24 AM

Monday, September 14, 2009

Cash for Appliances The Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 program has ended, but later this year a similar program for appliances will begin. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funded a $300 million program that will offer rebates to buyers of energy-efficient appliances and other products that carry the Energy Star label. Consumers can expect between $50 and $200 in rebates towards the purchase of refrigerators, dishwashers, furnaces, air conditioners and other appliances. You won't have to trade in your old appliance like people did with their automobiles. Of course there are some states with separate programs that pick up old appliances and give the owner $25-$50 for it. Each state will write its own rules for the rebate program and the Department of Energy will start reviewing rules in October. Money from the programs could start flowing to the public in November. Again this will be handled on a state by state basis, so check with your state energy office for details. What do you think of the cash for appliances program? - Jake [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 2:31:19 PM     Constitution Monday Article III. Section. 1. The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office. Section. 2. The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;--to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;--to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;--to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;--to Controversies between two or more States;-- between a State and Citizens of another State,--between Citizens of different States,--between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects. In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make. The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed. Section. 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted. 2:13:40 PM

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Save the Library of Michigan. The Library of Michigan traces its lineage back to 1828, when a young Michigan government established its first library at the capital which was then in Detroit. Since its inception over 180 years ago, the library has survived many economic crises and even a severe fire in 1951 to become one of the best institutions of its kind in the country. Unfortunately, it looks like it may not survive the administration of Gov. Jennifer Granholm. The governor has decided to break up the Library and disperse its contents in an effort to reduce expenditures. To sell this idea the collection has largely been portrayed as an assemblage of materials relating to family history, and indeed it is a great repository for genealogical inquiry. However, the Library of Michigan is also the largest collection of printed Michigania in the world. It is safe to say that the authors of practically every article and book written about some facet of Michigan's history have visited the State Library and/or State Archives in the course of researching their publications. But the Library of Michigan represents more than just a rich harvest of printed materials from and about our state. It is also the only institution in Michigan that attempts to comprehensively gather a complete set of U.S. government publications. When and if this collection is broken up, there will no longer exist within our borders a full federal documents depository. The Library of Michigan has these impressive textual and cartographic assets because it was created, in part, to be an informational resource for the benefit of state government. One of its main purposes is to serve as a conveniently-located treasury of data and wisdom that judges, legislators and state employees can draw upon when needed in the course of doing their respective jobs. To now disassemble this storehouse of knowledge and facts is surely one of the most ill-advised decisions ever made by a chief executive of this state. The governor's attempt to dismantle the Library of Michigan can be reversed by the Legislature if action is taken in the very near future. Fortunately, a measure to undo this shortsighted cost-cutting effort was recently approved by the Senate. If the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives can be convinced to do the same, the center of enlightenment for state government can yet be saved. This pruning or scattering of state government's accrued intellectual assets and preserved documentary memory is mainly supported by individuals who are members of the governor's political party. People who disagree with their views as to the future of the State Library should ask these lawmakers to change their minds now before it is too late to protect an essential part of Michigan's cultural heritage. For the full letter, see Le Roy Barnett, "Still time to save library", Lansing State Journal, September 9, 2009. [Red Tape Blog] 1:12:22 PM     Gov 2.0 Expo and the Apps for America 2 Challenge Winners. The Sunlight Foundation announced the winners of their "Apps for America 2: The Data.gov Challenge" at the O'Reilly/techweb Gov 2.0 Expo Showcase in DC yesterday. The web applications were to be built with data available from the U.S. Data.gov site. And the prizes go to... First prize: DataMasher.org. Combine and compare government data at the state level. Second prize: GovPulse. Making Federal Register access easier. Third prize: ThisWeKnow.org. Find government info by zip code. Prize for best data visualization: QuakeSpotter.org. Global view of earthquakes with links to quake-related tweets. Get complete information from Sunlight's press release. The one-day Gov 2.0 Expo is over, and the two-day Gov 2.0 Summit (with bold face names) is in progress. They are tweeting up a storm over at the Hyatt, using the hashtag #gov2s. [Update: They are using the #g2s tag, too.] I will blog more later on how the Gov 2.0 Expo went. [Free Government Information (FGI) blogs] 9:27:19 AM

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Do Not Call List The condo I'm currently renting is for sale. Usually, whenever my phone rings with a number I don't recognize, I don't answer. But now, I get calls from randoms all the time telling me that they're coming to look at the apartment, thus inconveniencing my roomate and me and threatening to leave us homeless. But I'm not bitter or anything. It seems I'm not the only one getting unwanted calls lately. Statistics show that complaints about unwanted phone calls are up 11% over the past year. And these are from people already registered on the "do-not-call list." The current economy is to blame for the increase. Beware of callers claiming to have solutions for housing foreclosure and credit card debt. If you've not yet registered for the do-not-call list, you can do it online at DoNotCall.gov. Solicitors- back off. Same to anyone who wants to buy my apartment. - Colleen [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 11:47:10 AM

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Constitution Monday Article. II. Section. 1. The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows: Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector. The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. And they shall make a List of all the Persons voted for, and of the Number of Votes for each; which List they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the Seat of the Government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the Presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the Certificates, and the Votes shall then be counted. The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such Number be a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such Majority, and have an equal Number of Votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately chuse by Ballot one of them for President; and if no Person have a Majority, then from the five highest on the List the said House shall in like Manner chuse the President. But in chusing the President, the Votes shall be taken by States, the Representation from each State having one Vote; A quorum for this purpose shall consist of a Member or Members from two thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary to a Choice. In every Case, after the Choice of the President, the Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal Votes, the Senate shall chuse from them by Ballot the Vice President. The Congress may determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States. No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States. In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected. The President shall, at stated Times, receive for his Services, a Compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the Period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them. Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Section. 2. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session. Section. 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States. Section. 4. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. 12:03:48 PM     Traverse City Record Eagle Thinks Scattering Library of Michigan Collections A Poor Idea. A lot happens in Michigan's state and local libraries, much of which apparently is taken for granted, undervalued and misunderstood by state leaders. It's the only way to explain Gov. Jennifer Granholm's misguided Executive Order 2009-36 that would irreparably damage the Library of Michigan and its invaluable historical collections forever in an attempt to save $2 million and start a more "entrepreneurial" and "modern" Center for Innovation and Redesign. The people of Michigan stand to lose their public libraries as they know them if the state House votes next week to approve Granholm's July 13 executive order without making very clear that they must remain whole and intact. The order calls for eliminating the Department of History, Arts and Libraries, and relocating the state library and its holdings from the Library of Michigan building in downtown Lansing to Michigan State University and other locations. The order also establishes a board to examine establishing the new center. The order ignited loud protest from genealogists, researchers and library advocates. Granholm has since issued an executive directive to reassure library advocates that electronic databases, the state's electronic library and catalogue system and historical collection would remain open and accessible statewide. She also said the role of the state librarian would be "respected" and that librarians, historians and archivists would be sought to serve on the Michigan Center for Innovation and Reinvention Board. It is yet unclear, however, whether the Library of Michigan's collections will remain whole and intact. The Center for Innovation and Reinvention proposal also needs more public scrutiny before the library is relocated. The Senate voted last week to disapprove the executive order and to keep the collections intact, but library advocates fear that won't stand up. The center, at present, is little more than a lofty proposal prepared for Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon by the Liberty Science Center, which opened New Jersey's first major state science museum in 1993 in Jersey City. The 42-page report contains little detail about cost and who will pay for it, but it does include redesign drawings of the Library of Michigan building. Indeed, the proposal makes the executive order look more like a ploy to find a home for the center than to save the state $2 million. The state library and its collections are a state treasure. The Library of Michigan was founded in 1828 when Michigan was still a territory. It plays an important role today in assisting public libraries in outstate communities, colleges and schools. This role has become increasingly important in the age of the Internet, chainsawed state budgets and high unemployment. Trading it in for a new model still in the design process would be a tragic move. For the full article, see "Editorial: Library move misguided", Traverse City Record Eagle, September 4, 2009. [Red Tape Blog] 11:56:34 AM     Trampoline (un)Safety Each year tens of thousands of people (mostly children) are seen in emergency rooms for injuries they suffer as a result of trampoline accidents. This year, I'm one of them. You see, the accident happened weeks ago while I was having a little fun with my daughter on a trampoline. It's important that children are supervised on trampolines, and besides, I think they can be fun to bounce around on too. We were having a grand time bouncing around, until I turned my ankle on a landing. I knew it was hurt pretty badly, and it showed all the signs of a serious sprain. I didn't go to the doctor right away (mistake) because I was certain that I didn't break a bone (wrong). The ankle seemed to be healing well, until suddenly it became very painful and swollen again. A sensible friend who is a nursing student shuffled me off to the emergency room for an x-ray. So here I sit with my ankle elevated and in a splint. I have an avulsion fracture. There are a few lessons I take away from this: Practice trampoline safety especially not having too many people on a trampoline. If you have a trampoline at home, you may want to consider changing your insurance in case someone hurts themselves on your trampoline and decides to sue you. I'll never avoid a doctor visit when I have a serious ankle injury again. My mom is right - trampolines are dangerous! - Joanne [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 11:53:48 AM

Friday, September 04, 2009

Are You Prepared for a Major Emergency? "There's smoke coming from the Pentagon!" one of my coworkers shouted. I ran to his office window where we worked at the top of the Old Post Office Building in downtown Washington, DC, to witness black ribbons flowing from the Department of Defense building. This, after just watching the Internet's news about the attack on the World Trade Centers that morning, September 11, 2001. We were allowed to leave work-but I was at a loss as to how to get home since I had heard that the subway was closed. I had just moved from DC to a suburb in Maryland, and didn't know an alternate way to get home. I ended up stuck on a gridlocked bus for four hours because I didn't have another plan. Are you prepared for a natural disaster, potential terrorist attack, or other major crisis? September is the sixth annual National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The companion website, Ready.gov, gives you tips on what to include in a basic emergency supply kit, and suggests ways to contact and regroup with family members in an emergency. It also offers information on a variety of emergency situations, such as influenza pandemics, wildfires, chemical threats, and winter storms, and recommends preparations for businesses as well. Interactive features help you personalize a family emergency plan, and links take you to sign up for free emergency alerts from your local government. You also can follow Ready.gov on Twitter, or take the Readiness Quotient quiz. USA.gov offers information on preparing for emergencies for specific groups, including people with disabilities, kids, and pets, and links to federal information on disasters and emergencies. Since 9/11, I've maintained an emergency supply kit and made it a point to learn a variety of ways to get home. Do you have an emergency kit and plan? - Stephanie [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 9:42:54 AM     How to file a complaint This past month my Internet service provider has been the bane of my existence. My service has been fickle, at best. More often than not, it will work for a few hours and then stop. And then I'll spend another hour on the phone with customer service trying to troubleshoot. They've sent a technician once to fix the problem, and our service worked for a week or two, but then last week it went out again. I wasted more time on hold and talking to very nice and very helpful customer service agents. (That's not sarcasm, the people I spoke with this time around tried to do the best they could.) But alas, my service still goes out every couple hours and then stays out for several more. I finally had to file a complaint against the company. I've never had to do that before so I turned to ConsumerAction.gov for advice on what to do. My first instinct was to call up my Better Business Bureau, but ConsumerAction.gov advised that I try to contact someone higher up at the company first. So I hunted around on the company Web site until I found a contact name and email for the Vice President of customer relations. Then I followed some of the suggestions from one of the sample complaint letters and read about next steps to take. I decided I'd wait a week before contacting the BBB to see if the company could resolve the problem. Earlier this week I got a phone call from the company telling me they were trying to get the problem fixed as soon as possible and I have another technician coming out this week. I really hope this solves the whole problem. I hate paying so much for service and then not having it and I'd really rather not have to file a complaint with the BBB. Have any of you ever had problems with a company that you had to file a complaint against? What was the process like? Was it easy or tough and did you get the results you wanted? - Jess [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 9:17:44 AM

© Copyright 2009 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 9/16/2009; 9:11:37 AM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien