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Hispanic Heritage Month 2009:

2009-10-01T15:02:00.000-05:00

Sept. 15 – Oct. 15

In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, which was observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a monthlong celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15). America celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
Population

46.9 million
The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2008, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 15 percent of the nation’s total population. In addition, there are approximately 4 million residents of Puerto Rico.
Source: Population estimates and

More than 1
. . . of every two people added to the nation’s population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008, was Hispanic. There were 1.5 million Hispanics added to the population during the period.
Source: Population estimates

3.2%
Percentage increase in the Hispanic population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008, making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority group.
Source: Population estimates

132.8 million
The projected Hispanic population of the United States on July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 30 percent of the nation’s population by that date.
Source: Population projections

22.4 million
The nation’s Hispanic population during the 1990 Census — less than half the current total.
Source: The Hispanic Population: 2000

2nd
Ranking of the size of the U.S. Hispanic population worldwide, as of 2008. Only Mexico (110 million) had a larger Hispanic population than the United States (46.9 million).
Source: International Data Base and population estimates

64%
The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in the United States who were of Mexican background in 2007. Another 9 percent were of Puerto Rican background, with 3.5 percent Cuban, 3.1 percent Salvadoran and 2.7 percent Dominican. The remainder were of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey

About 45 percent of the nation’s Dominicans lived in New York City in 2007 and about half of the nation’s Cubans in Miami-Dade County, Fla.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey

25%
Percentage of children younger than 5 who were Hispanic in 2008. All in all, Hispanics comprised 22 percent of children younger than 18.
Source: Population estimates

27.7 years
Median age of the Hispanic population in 2008. This compared with 36.8 years for the population as a whole.
Source: Population estimates

107
Number of Hispanic males in 2008 per every 100 Hispanic females. This was in sharp contrast to the overall population, which had 97 males per every 100 females.
Source: Population estimates
States and Counties

48%
The percentage of the Hispanic-origin population that lived in California or Texas in 2008. California was home to 13.5 million Hispanics, and Texas was home to 8.9 million.
Source: Population estimates

16
The number of states with at least a half-million Hispanic residents — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
Source: Population estimates

45%
The percentage of New Mexico’s population that was Hispanic in 2008, the highest of any state. Hispanics also made up at least one fifth of the population in California and Texas, at 37 percent each, Arizona (30 percent), Nevada (26 percent), Florida (21 percent) and Colorado (20 percent). New Mexico had 891,000 Hispanics.
Source: Population estimates

The Carolinas
The states with the highest percentage increases in Hispanic population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008. South Carolina’s increase was 7.7 percent and North Carolina’s was 7.4 percent.
Source: Population estimates

4.7 million
The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County, Calif., in 2008 — the largest of any county in the nation. Los Angeles County also had the biggest numerical increase in the Hispanic population (67,000) since July 2007.
Source: Population estimates

97%
Proportion of the population of Starr County, Texas, that was Hispanic as of 2008, which led the nation. All of the top 10 counties in this category were in Texas.
Source: Population estimates

48
Number of the nation’s 3,142 counties that are majority-Hispanic.
Source: Population estimates

15%
Percent increase in the Hispanic population in Luzerne County, Pa., from July 1, 2007, to July 1, 2008. Among all counties with 2007 Hispanic populations of at least 10,000, Luzerne topped the nation in this category. Luzerne’s county seat is Wilkes-Barre.
Source: Population estimates

313,000
The increase in California’s Hispanic population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008, which led all states. Texas (305,000) and Florida (111,000) also recorded large increases.
Source: Population estimates

20
Number of states in which Hispanics are the largest minority group. These states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Source: Population estimates
Businesses

Source for statements in this section: Hispanic-owned Firms: 2002

1.6 million
The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002.

* Nearly 43 percent of Hispanic-owned firms operated in construction; administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services; and other services, such as personal services, and repair and maintenance. Retail and wholesale trade accounted for nearly 36 percent of Hispanic-owned business revenue.
* Counties with the highest number of Hispanic-owned firms were Los Angeles County (188,422); Miami-Dade County (163,187); and Harris County, Texas (61,934).

Triple
The rate of growth of Hispanic-owned businesses between 1997 and 2002 (31 percent) compared with the national average (10 percent) for all businesses.

$222 billion
Revenue generated by Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002, up 19 percent from 1997.

44.6%
. . . of all Hispanic-owned firms were owned by people of Mexican origin (Mexican, Mexican-American or Chicano).

29,168
Number of Hispanic-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more.
Families and Children

10.4 million
The number of Hispanic family households in the United States in 2008. Of these households, 62 percent included children younger than 18.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements

66%
The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements

43%
The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple with children younger than 18.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements

70%
Percentage of Hispanic children living with two parents.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements

Spanish Language

35 million
The number of U.S. residents 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2007. Those who hablan español constituted 12 percent of U.S. residents. More than half of these Spanish speakers spoke English “very well.”
Source: 2007 American Community Survey

4
Number of states where at least one-in-five residents spoke Spanish at home in 2007 — Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey

78%
Percentage of Hispanics 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2007.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

$38,679
The median income of Hispanic households in 2007, statistically unchanged from the previous year after adjusting for inflation.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007

21.5%
The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2007, up from 20.6 percent in 2006.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007

32.1%
The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in 2007, down from 34.1 percent in 2006.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007

Education

53%
The percentage of Hispanic 4-year-olds enrolled in nursery school in 2007, up from 43 percent in 1997 and 21 percent in 1987.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2007

62%
The percentage of Hispanics 25 and older who had at least a high school education in 2008.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008

13%
The percentage of the Hispanic population 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2008.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008

3.6 million
The number of Hispanics 18 and older who had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2008.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008

1 million
Number of Hispanics 25 and older with advanced degrees in 2008 (e.g., master’s, professional, doctorate).
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008

12%
Percentage of full-time college students (both undergraduate and graduate students) in October 2007 who were Hispanic, up from 10 percent in 2006.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2007

20%
Percentage of elementary and high school students combined who were Hispanic.
Source: School Enrollment – Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2007

Names

4
The number of Hispanic surnames ranked among the 15 most common in 2000. It was the first time that a Hispanic surname reached the top 15 during a census. Garcia was the most frequent Hispanic surname, occurring 858,289 times and placing eighth on the list — up from 18th in 1990. Rodriguez (ninth), Martinez (11th) and Hernandez (15th) were the next most common Hispanic surnames.
Source: Census 2000 Genealogy
Jobs

67%
Percentage of Hispanics 16 and older who were in the civilian labor force in 2007.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey

18%
The percentage of Hispanics 16 or older who worked in management, professional and related occupations in 2007. The same percentage worked in production, transportation and material moving occupations. Another 16 percent worked in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations. Approximately 24 percent of Hispanics 16 or older worked in service occupations; 21 percent in sales and office occupations; and 2 percent in farming, fishing and forestry occupations.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey

79,400
Number of Hispanic chief executives. In addition, 50,866 physicians and surgeons; 48,720 postsecondary teachers; 38,532 lawyers; and 2,726 news analysts, reporters and correspondents are Hispanic.
Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010, Table 603
Voting

9.7 million
The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting in the 2008 presidential election, about 2 million more than voted in 2004. The percentage of Hispanic citizens voting — 50 percent — represented a statistical increase from 2004 (47 percent).
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of 2008

Serving our Country

1.1 million`
The number of Hispanic veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey Stumble It!

Unmarried and Single Americans Week

2009-09-26T15:01:00.000-05:00

Sept. 20-26, 2009

“National Singles Week” was started by the Buckeye Singles Council in Ohio in the 1980s to celebrate single life and recognize singles and their contributions to society. The week is now widely observed during the third full week of September (Sept. 20-26 in 2009) as “Unmarried and Single Americans Week,” an acknowledgment that many unmarried Americans do not identify with the word “single” because they are parents, have partners or are widowed. In this edition of Facts for Features, unmarried people include those who were never married, widowed, or divorced, unless otherwise noted.
Single Life

95.9 million
Number of unmarried Americans 18 and older in 2008. This group comprised 43 percent of all U.S. residents 18 and older.

53%
Percentage of unmarried Americans 18 and older who were women.

61%
Percentage of unmarried Americans 18 and older who had never been married. Another 24 percent were divorced, and 15 percent were widowed.

15.8 million
Number of unmarried Americans 65 and older. These older Americans comprised 16 percent of all unmarried and single people 18 and older.

87
Number of unmarried men 18 and older for every 100 unmarried women in the United States.

52.9 million
Number of households maintained by unmarried men or women. These households comprised 45 percent of households nationwide.

32.2 million
Number of people who lived alone. They comprised 28 percent of all households, up from 17 percent in 1970.

Source for statements in this section: America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2008

Parenting

33%
Percentage of women age 15 to 50 with a birth in the last 12 months, as of 2006, who either were widowed, divorced or never married. About 199,000 were living with an unmarried partner. Source: Fertility of American Women: 2006

11.6 million
Number of single parents living with their children in 2008. Of these, 9.8 million were single mothers.
Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2008

38%
Percentage of opposite-sex, unmarried-partner households that included at least one biological child of either partner.
Source: America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2008

743,000
Number of unmarried grandparents who were caregivers for their grandchildren in 2007. They comprised about three in 10 grandparents who were responsible for their grandchildren. Source: 2007 American Community Survey

Unmarried Couples

6.2 million
Number of unmarried-partner households in 2007. These included 5.5 million of the opposite sex.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
Dating

904
The number of dating service establishments nationwide as of 2002. These establishments, which include Internet dating services, employed nearly 4,300 people and generated $489 million in revenues. Source: 2002 Economic Census

Voters

38%
Percentage of voters in the 2008 presidential election who were unmarried. Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of 2008

Education

84%
Percentage of unmarried people 25 and older in 2008 who were high school graduates. Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008

24%
Percentage of unmarried people 25 and older in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree or more education. Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008
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How to Avoid Car Accidents

2009-09-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Car accidents happen all the time. Someone's car is totalled once every 5 seconds. Avoiding accidents can save you a lot of time and money. This means learning defensive driving. But what exactly is defensive driving?

Steps

Slow down. Obey the speed limit even if every other car is surpassing it. Remember that police officers often stay hidden from view while looking for speeders. If you're caught driving too fast, they won't hesitate to give you a ticket.
Let others pass you. Defensive driving means letting others go ahead-not defending your position in traffic. Avoid the urge to be a vigilante ("Oh yeah? Let me show you what it's like to be cut off like that!") Accept the fact that someone is always going to think they're in more of a hurry than you. These are the drivers you want to move far away from, not to 'teach them a lesson.'
Try to avoid driving in bad weather. Always keep your windshield wipers going in the rain or snow. Defrost your windshield to keep it from fogging up. Turn on your headlights to help others to see you--this is also the law in some states. If possible, try to avoid driving in the snow at all, especially if your car is rear wheel drive. If you must go out in the snow, drive extra slow, use the brakes and gas pedal gently, and maintain an increased stopping distance.
Never get into a car with a drunk driver. It is always best to have a "designated driver". Never drive after you have had alcoholic beverages. Even one beer can alter your ability to drive safely.
Wear a seatbelt. This is a must. By law in many countries, all cars must have a safety restraint. Buckling up only takes a second and can save your life in an accident. Children should always be in a booster seat or car seat until they are tall enough and heavy enough to sit by themselves. This generally includes children age eight and under. Never put a child in a car or booster seat in the front passenger seat or other seat with airbags. Children should generally be 12 and older when sitting in the front passenger seat.
Keep your car and its accessories in good condition. Keep the tires properly inflated, the brakes adjusted, and the windshields and windows clean. Replace windshield wiper blades when they begin to streak, and all make sure all the lights are working properly.
Use your signals properly. Always use your signal, even if you think no one is there. When changing lanes on the freeway, don't signal as an afterthought or during the lane change. Signal at least a couple of seconds in advance so others know what you're going to do before you do it. (Ever notice how most of the skid marks along the highway are just before an exit ramp? - this is where you have to be the most careful.)
Don't tailgate. No matter how slowly traffic is moving, keep at least two seconds of following distance between you and the car ahead. Any less and you won't be able to stop in time if the driver ahead slams on the brakes.
Keep your eyes moving. Don't get in the habit of staring at the back of the car ahead of you. Periodically shift your eyes to the side-view mirrors, the rear-view mirror, and ahead to where you'll be in 10-15 seconds. Doing this, you can spot a potentially dangerous situation before it happens.
Dim your lights when driving at night, when another car is approaching, or when you are following behind a vehicle. Your lights can temporarily blind another driver.
Avoid distractions when you are driving. Pull over if you need to talk on the phone, read directions, or eat a snack. It only takes a second or two of distraction to get into trouble.

Tips

Drive at or below the speed limit to avoid more dangerous accidents.
Drive on the right lane of the road whenever possible.
"Move to the RIGHT for sirens and lights!" Emergency vehicles can appear in your rear view mirror suddenly. Memorize and abide by the handy rhyme, for everyone's benefit!
Always keep your headlights on, even in the day.
If you have a elderly relative who is driving and should not because of their eyesight or hearing than do not drive with them! Insist that they stop driving or re-take their drivers test.
Never stand behind a car with its engine running. The driver might not see you or make a mistake.
Don't Text and Drive!

Warnings

Always wear your seatbelt. Make all passengers wear their seatbelts. Pets should be in the back of the car not in front seat with you.
Never drive after drinking alcohol or when you are tired.
Never ride in a car with a drunk person behind the wheel.
Never ride on the roof of any car. If you fall you will be killed.
You will receive tickets in most areas if caught without wearing a seatbelt.
Do not run red lights or stop signs.
Be mindful of any emergency vehicle approaching from any direction and give way if the vehicle emergency lights are flashing and siren is sounding.
Approaching emergency vehicles (primarily Fire Department vehicles and ambulances) can override the normal pattern of traffic signals in some circumstances. Both the emergency vehicle and the traffic signal must be equipped with the appropriate devices, and only some cities and certain intersections have such devices installed. One of the most common is the "Opticom" system, basically recognized as a very fast-flashing white strobe light mounted at or near the top of the emergency vehicle (not the "wig-wag" flashing high-beam headlights). A small receiving unit mounted on the traffic signal pole receives the "strobe code" and turns traffic lights green for the approaching emergency vehicle and red in all other directions. Such systems have been shown to reduce traffic accidents and injuries/fatalities involving emergency vehicles while improving response times to life-threatening emergencies. Emergency vehicles can only take control of intersection traffic lights if they are traveling in an emergency response mode - with all emergency lights activated and siren sounding. Once the emergency vehicle travels through the intersection, the traffic signal returns to it's normal pattern.

Things You'll Need

A driver's license or permit.
Quick reflexes
Good judgment
Cell Phone

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Avoid Car Accidents. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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11 'fallback' jobs

2009-09-17T14:55:00.000-05:00

11 'fallback' jobs from Bankrate.com

1. Emergency medical technician
2. Police officer
3. Phlebotomist
4. HVAC technician
5. Drafter/CADD operator
6. Medical assistant
7. Truck driver
8. Dental assistant
9. Massage therapist
10. Medical records and health information technician
11. Nuclear medicine technologist

1. Emergency medical technician
Job description: Emergency medical technicians, or EMTs, and paramedics respond to everything from heart attacks to auto accidents and violent crime scenes to care for patients and transport them to hospitals. The work can be stressful and difficult, but EMTs have the opportunity to save lives every day.

Training required: There are three basic levels of training, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate and EMT-Paramedic. EMT-Basic courses are generally 100 to 120 hours in length and feature classroom and hands-on training. Graduates of approved programs must pass a written and practical examination administered by the state certifying agency or the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Cost of training: Costs can vary significantly -- generally from $800 to $1,200 or more -- depending on the college and training facility.

Expected salary: As of May 2006, the median annual earnings of EMTs and paramedics were $27,070. The middle 50 percent earned between $21,290 and $35,210.

Job availability and outlook: From now until 2016, employment in the field is expected to grow by 19 percent, which is higher than average.
2. Police officer
Job description: Police officers help protect lives and property and apprehend individuals who break the law. Television sometimes portrays police officers as having action-packed jobs, but most of their time is spent writing reports and maintaining records of incidents they encounter. Nevertheless, the job has its dangers and can be stressful.

Training required: In general, departments call for a minimum age of 20 years and require a certain level of physical fitness, a high school education and sometimes one or two years of college level coursework. Police academies are typically 12 to 14 weeks long and include classroom instruction and training in patrol, traffic control, the use of firearms, self-defense, first aid and emergency response.

Cost of training: Candidates must selected to attend a police academy, and then their training is either free, funded or subsidized by municipalities. Many agencies also pay part or all of college tuition toward degrees in criminal justice or police science.

Expected salary: As of May 2006, the median annual earnings of sheriff's patrol officers nationwide were $47,460 and the middle 50 percent earned between $35,600 and $59,880.

Job outlook: The need for police officers is expected to grow 11 percent from now until 2016.
3. Phlebotomist
Job description: Phlebotomists work in hospitals, doctors' offices, clinics and blood banks to draw blood from patients. They collect blood by performing venipuncture or finger sticks.

Training required: A formal training program typically entails 200 hours of training over the course of four to eight months. Not all states require phlebotomists to be certified, but there are entry-level certifications (Certified Phlebotomy Technician) awarded by the American Society of Clinical Pathology, American Medical Technologies and the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians.

Cost of training: The full cost of tuition to attain the certification of Certified Phlebotomy Technician typically runs between $2,000 and $2,500.
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Expected salary: According to the American Society for Clinical Pathology, median hourly wage of phlebotomists in 2005 was $12.15 in private clinics.

Job availability and outlook: Employment of clinical lab workers -- including phlebotomists -- is expected to grow by 14 percent from now through 2016 due to new tests and an aging population.

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How to Be Happy

2009-09-10T14:53:00.001-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

So happiness - isn't that the thing that all of us strive to find and keep? Nobody is happy all of the time, but some people are definitely more fulfilled than others. Studies on what makes people happy reveal that it doesn't have much to do with material goods or high achievement; it seems to whittle down to your outlook on life, and the quality of your relationships with the people around you.

Steps

Be optimistic. In the 1970s, researchers followed people who'd won the lottery and found that a year after they'd hit the jackpot, they were no happier than the people who didn't. They called it hedonic adaptation, which suggests that we each have a baseline level of happiness. No matter what happens, good or bad, the effect on our happiness is only temporary and we tend to rebound to our baseline level. Some people have a higher baseline happiness level than others, and that can be attributed in part to genetics, but it's also largely influenced by how you think.[1] So while the remainder of this article will help boost your happiness, only improving your attitude towards life will increase your happiness permanently. Here are some excellent starting points for doing that:
Follow your gut. In one study, two groups of people were asked to pick out a poster to take home. One group was asked to analyze their decision carefully, weighing the pros and cons, and the other group was told to listen to their gut. Two weeks later, the group that followed their gut was happier with their posters than the group that analyzed their decisions.[2] Now, some of our decisions are more crucial than picking out posters, but by the time you're poring over your choice, the options you're weighing are probably very similar, and the difference will only temporarily affect your happiness. So next time you have a decision to make, and you're down to two or three options, just pick the one that feels right, and go with it.
- How to Follow Your Intuition
- How to Stop Hesitating
Make enough money to meet your basic needs: food, shelter, and clothing. In the US, that magic number is $40,000 a year. Any money you make beyond that will have negligible effects on your happiness. Remember the lottery winners mentioned earlier? Oodles of money didn't make them any happier, and it won't make you any happier. Once you make enough money to support your basic needs, your happiness is not significantly affected by how much money you make, but by your level of optimism.[3]
- Your comfort may increase with your salary, but comfort isn't what makes people happy. It makes people bored. That's why it's important to push beyond your comfort zone to fuel your growth as a person.
- Don't assume you're the exception, as in "Sure they didn't use their lottery money wisely, but if I won it, I'm spend it differently, and it'd definitely make me happier." Part of the reason many people are unhappy is because they don't think research-based advice about happiness applies to them, and they continue chasing more money and achievement and material goods in vain.[4]
Stay close to friends and family. Or move to where other members are- so you can see them more. We live in a mobile society, where people follow jobs around the country and sometimes around the world. We do this because we think increases in salary will make us happier, but the fact is that our relationships with our friends and family have a far greater impact on our happiness than our jobs do. So next time you think about relocating, consider moving back to your childhood area of the country to spend time with your siblings and aging parents, before it is too late. [5]
Stop expecting your job to make you happy. Many people expect the right job or the right career to dramatically change their level of happiness, but happiness research makes it clear that your level of optimism and the quality of your relationships eclipse the satisfaction you gain from your job.[6] If you have a positive outlook, you'll make the best of any job, and if you have good relationships with people, you won't depend on your job to give your life a greater sense of meaning. You'll find it in your interactions with the people you care about. Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't aspire towards a job that'll make you happier; it means you should understand that the capacity of your job to make you happy is quite small in comparison to your outlook on life and your relationships with people.
Engage in making the little moments special: Research indicates that when you smile, whether you feel happy or not, your mood will be elevated. When we smile at others, we pass on our mood to to the people we smile at. With this in mind, it is important to consider the implications for happiness that the very act of smiling at another in passing has on not only our psyche, but that of the larger good. More importantly, when we smile at another, it shouldn't be with the expectation of having a smile in return. Sometimes the people we are smiling at who don't return the gesture may be the ones who need the smile the most. Just the act of doing something positive -- sharing a smile -- is enough to send our endorphins in the right direction, regardless of the response.
Keep yourself preoccupied with healthy people, healthy places, and healthy activities. Healthy environments include the local gym, the library and book stores, museums and cultural places. Making good decisions for oneself has significant implications for the eventual outcome of happiness.
Consider an anti-depressant: If you are seriously ill and have been thinking about taking your own life or have been seriously depressed for some time, an anti-depressant might be beneficial in returning your life to a healthy balance. Anti-depressants could also be taken in conjunction with herbal medicines, although medical advice should be sought in these cases. Saint John's Wort is an herbal medicine that might help alleviate some symptoms, but should be used cautiously, due to potential adverse impacts. B-100 vitamins are another natural way to elevate the mood, and should be considered as a daily supplement for better overall health.
See the best in others: When we strive to look at the best in others, we end up seeing the best in ourselves. Shortcomings in others can be met with compassion and understanding, which removes any resentment or disdain that might otherwise surface. When we look at others with a healthy sense of acceptance, love, and compassion, we find that our moods naturally elevate to a higher level of happiness. Author of "Wealth" Kirby Thibeault suggests that we see what we feel and think. When we see the beauty in all others, the beauty within ourselves becomes more apparent.

Video

Now you know how to be happy,this video will show you how to make others happy.

Tips

Just because something seems to make other people happy doesn't mean that it really does. People are very good at pretending they're happy, especially when they've invested so much into the things that are supposed to make them happy; it's hard to admit that you've been placing all your eggs in the wrong basket.
Sport. It makes you healthy and boosts your self-esteem. It also gives you endorphins (hormones of happiness).
Hobby. Have a hobby. This could be everything from playing a guitar to collecting stamps.
Self-actualization, goal, meaning. Have goals in life, evolve as a personality, have a purpose.
Helping someone else is a good way to feel better. It reminds you that things could be worse, and it gives you something to take satisfaction and pride in. Look for opportunities to make someone else's life better, and you end up making your own better at the same time.
Happiness can be effected by nutrition or sickness. Make sure you're getting all the essential vitamins and minerals and eating a well balanced diet. Also, make sure you're getting the correct amount of sleep.
Be brave. Even if others might think you're crazy to give up that high paying job, the hot bf/gf for the less hot one ... give up the stuff you have that you don't really want, and go for the things you do want.
Be prepared for a new effort to take a while to pay off. You may think 'hey, I did this to be happy, but it hurts!' (exercise, new job, moving, etc.). Change takes time to manifest itself in long term gain. Be patient, knowing if nothing else, you're going to have good stories out of it, stories you can use making new friends.

Warnings

Happy people aren't happy all the time. Everyone has times when they feel sad, frustrated, guilty, angry and so on. Happy people are just better at bouncing back to a state of contentedness. We may all feel negative at some moment in our lives, but try to bounce back and live in the moment, and be content with everything you do.
Large amounts of alcohol can cause sickness, coma, or, in some cases, death. Long term use of alcohol can be detrimental to the liver.
Problems with blood sugar can cause inner frustration and unhappiness. A healthy diet will absolutely contribute to overall mental well being, which allows one to feel happy more often.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-science-of-lasting-ha&page=1

↑ The Social Animal by Elliot Aronson

↑ http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2004/08/01/you-only-need-40000-to-be-happy/

↑ http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/23/test-yourself-to-find-what-you-need-to-be-happier/

↑ http://www.powdthavee.co.uk/resources/valuing_social_relationships_15.04.pdf

↑ http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/01/16/the-connection-between-a-good-job-and-happiness-is-overrated/

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be Happy. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How to Take Sharp Photographs

2009-08-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Perfectly sharp images are what many photographers want and strive for. A blurry shot will look mediocre compared to one that is sharp, no matter how spectacular the subject matter is. Fret not. It's easy to get up and start taking pictures; it doesn't take much work to get those clear, sharp photographs you've been hoping for, either. It takes just a little familiarity with some technical trivia.

Steps

Avoid camera shake. Watch your shutter speed. As a general rule, you should not allow this to fall to a speed slower than the reciprocal of your 35mm equivalent focal length. However, if you're using digital (or are willing to use your film up a bit quicker), you can try taking several shots in succession and hopefully one will have a satisfying level of sharpness.
- Turn on vibration reduction (also called "image stabilization", depending on the manufacturer), if you have it. When VR/IS is on, the lens element(s) or image sensor move so that the image stays in place when projected onto the sensor. As a result, camera motion is less likely to affect the sharpness of your photographs. Turn it on whenever the lighting conditions makes getting a sharp picture difficult. Keep it off when you're shooting on a tripod; it isn't needed and actually makes your photographs less sharp.
- Use a shorter lens (or zoom out) and get closer. Remember that, according to the reciprocal rule of photography, reducing your focal length will give you less camera shake at any given shutter speed. Additionally, when you're using a variable-aperture zoom, you can often use a larger aperture with shorter focal lengths. Furthermore, getting closer might force you to be more creative when framing the picture.
- Use a tripod or a monopod as a last resort. If you're using an SLR and find yourself with so little light that you have no choice but to use long exposures, you might want to invest in a remote release cable. If your camera has a mirror lock-up (also called exposure delay mode), use it; this will stop the vibration from the mirror from affecting your images. Check your camera's manual to see what it's called. Mirror lock-up has two definitions; the other definition refers to when the mirrors and shutters move out of the way after you click the shutter button so that you can clean the image sensor without the sensor being active. If your camera doesn't have mirror lock-up, you can use the self timer.
Set your aperture wisely. Most lenses are sharpest two or three stops faster than the minimum aperture (usually around f/8 or f/11).
- Don't shoot your lens at its widest aperture unless that's the effect you're looking for if you can avoid it. Nearly all camera lenses are noticeably softer wide-open than they are stopped down a little. What's more, on fast lenses (and especially on telephotos, which magnify any defocus there is), your depth of field will be so shallow that even the tiniest movement after the focus is locked will cause the subject to be out of focus.
- Don't shoot at your smallest aperture either. All lenses are inherently softer at smaller apertures due to diffraction effects. If you don't need the depth of field, then don't stop down below f/8 or so on modern digital SLRs.[1] Using smaller apertures will force longer shutter speeds, too, which will increase the risk of camera shake causing your photos to be unsharp.(With that said, if it's a choice between necessary depth of field and diffraction, then you might choose to err on the side of diffraction over defocus. Diffraction is a relatively simple phenomenon compared to defocus, and it might be easier to correct later on in software. Defocus is not; it'll differ on the same lens depending on aperture and subject distance, and varies again from lens to lens.) If you need to stop down because you want a longer exposure, purchase an ND filter.
Watch out for focus misses. This can be caused by either human error (you) or camera error.
- Use your focusing aids, if you're focusing manually. Go through your camera's manual to find out how to focus manually with a focus aid. Some autofocus cameras will give you an audible or visible focus confirmation when the subject is in focus; use it. Otherwise, if you find yourself focusing manually on autofocus cameras, you may want to install a manual focusing screen for it, like the Haoda Screen.
- Make sure your autofocus is not missing. Some combinations of lenses and cameras do this, for reasons probably best known to the people who make them. Try it out; if you get consistent focus misses on a known good lens then you should return your camera for servicing.
- Use your AF lock. If your subject doesn't fall under an autofocus point, select the AF point nearest to your subject, move the point over the subject, lock autofocus, and reframe. Keep in mind, however, that locking the autofocus also locks the auto-exposure. If so, you may have to use exposure compensation.
- Get your rangefinder calibrated, if you're using a rangefinder camera. These often fall out of calibration after a while.
Watch your ISO speed on digital cameras. Most digital cameras apply more noise reduction at higher ISO speeds; sometimes this smears subtle textures and makes pictures look less sharp than they are. Turn off noise reduction if it affects the sharpness of your pictures. Don't shoot at high ISO speeds in daylight. If you have a top-end DSLR (like the Nikon D3 or Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III), you don't have to worry about the ISO speed.
Use the Continuous Shooting mode. The camera will move slightly as your finger overcomes the resistance of pressing the shutter button. Also, if you have a DSLR camera, the movement of the mirrors in the body will add to camera shake. You can avoid some of this by using the Continuous Shooting mode available on your camera. This mode will take images as long as the shutter button is held down. In addition to avoiding camera shake from the initial button press, you will also have a choice of which image is best.
Use your "Unsharp Mask" plugin in Photoshop, GIMP, or your favourite image editor. This won't make up for poor focus, camera shake or the spherical aberration that often comes with shooting lenses wide open (these are all way too complex phenomena to correct this way), but it will give it a bit of a sharpness "kick". Use a small radius (perhaps a pixel or less) and a large amount. If you're clever with layer masks, do this selectively so that only the parts that merit your viewer's attention are extra-sharp (hint: gaussian blur your layer mask with a very large radius).

Tips

If you must buy a new lens, and this article rightly assumes that most lenses are sharp enough when used properly, then consider going for a prime lens (lens with a fixed focal length, meaning you cannot zoom). Lenses like 50mm f/1.8 on a cropped sensor camera are popular, cheap, sharp, and great for portraits. Normal lenses (50mm equivalent on a 35mm film camera) are useful in a wide range of situations. On the cheaper Nikon and Canon DSLRs, a normal lens has a focal length of about 35mm. Primes tend to be sharper, cheaper, and faster (you can use a faster shutter speed). But don't buy another lens to make your pictures sharper unless you've played with all the things mentioned.
Many web browsers display images at 100% resolution, so you can open an image with your web browser if you want to view it at 100%.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ You may want to refer to Ken Rockwell's page on selecting the sharpest aperture, especially if you do need that extra depth of field.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Take Sharp Photographs. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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tax credits available for child care

2009-07-26T10:42:00.000-05:00

Many parents who work or are looking for work must arrange for care of their children under 13 years of age during the school vacation.

Here are five facts the IRS wants you to know about a tax credit available for child care expenses. The Child and Dependent Care Credit is available for expenses incurred during the lazy hazy days of summer and throughout the rest of the year.

1) The cost of day camp can count as an expense towards the child and dependent care credit.

2) Expenses for overnight camps do not qualify.

3) If your childcare provider is a sitter at your home or a daycare facility outside the home, you'll get some tax benefit if you qualify for the credit.

4) The actual credit can be up to 35 percent of your qualifying expenses, depending upon your income.

5) You may use up to $3,000 of the unreimbursed expenses paid in a year for one qualifying individual or $6,000 for two or more qualifying individuals to figure the credit.

For more information, including rules for claiming this credit for your spouse or a dependent age 13 or over who is not able to care for himself or herself, check out IRS Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses. This publication is available on the IRS Web site, IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

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Testing Well Water?

2009-07-19T10:44:00.001-05:00

Well Water Should be Tested Annually to Reduce Health Risks to Children

Private well water should be tested yearly, and in some cases more often, according to new guidance offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, took a lead role in working with the AAP to develop these recommendations and draft a new AAP policy statement about the things parents should do if their children drink well water. The recommendations call for annual well testing, especially for nitrate and microorganisms such as coliform bacteria, which can indicate that sewage has contaminated the well. The recommendations point out circumstances when additional testing should occur, including testing when there is a new infant in the house or if the well is subjected to structural damage.

"Children are especially vulnerable to waterborne illnesses that may come from contaminated wells," said Walter J. Rogan, M.D., an epidemiologist at NIEHS and lead author on the policy statement and technical report that appears in the June issue of Pediatrics. The new policy statement, "Drinking Water from Private Wells and Risks to Children," offers recommendations for inspection, testing and remediation of wells providing drinking water for children.

"With few exceptions, well owners are responsible for their own wells," said Rogan. Private wells are not subject to federal regulations and are only minimally regulated by states. With proper care, well water is safe; however, wells can become contaminated by chemicals or pathogenic organisms.

Nitrate, which comes from sewage or fertilizer, is the most common contaminant in wells. The presence of nitrates can be a problem particularly for infants under three months who can not metabolize nitrate. Water with a nitrate concentration of more than 10 milligrams per liter should not be used to prepare infant formula or given to a child younger than one year. The policy statement suggests using bottled water for infants when nitrate contamination is detected, or when the source of drinking water is not known.

The policy statement and accompanying technical report point out that water contamination is inherently local, and that families with wells need to keep in contact with state and local health experts to determine what should be tested in their community. For example, some parts of the country may have arsenic, radon, salt intrusion or agricultural runoff that may get into the water supply.

"As people move out of urban and suburban areas into areas that are not reached by municipal water supplies, it is more important than ever that people know who to contact in their local health department to get information about local groundwater conditions," said N. Beth Ragan of NIEHS, who served as consultant on these reports. A compilation of state by state telephone and Web-based resources of local experts is included in the technical report. Approximately one-sixth of U.S. households now get their drinking water from private wells.

NIEHS Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., says she is pleased that NIEHS researchers took the lead in writing this statement, and continue their longstanding liaisons with the American Academy of Pediatrics to develop state-of-the-science technical reports that can have a direct impact on public health.

"This statement will be extremely useful to many audiences — especially pediatricians," Birnbaum said. "Pediatricians needed a one-stop shopping document that they can share with parents who have concerns about their children’s sources of drinking water."

The NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit our Web site at http://www.niehs.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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Americans with Disabilities Act: July 26

2009-07-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

On this day in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), guaranteeing equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.

Population Distribution

41.2 million
Number of people who have some level of disability. They represent 15 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population 5 and older.

By age —

6 percent of children 5 to 15 have disabilities.
12 percent of people 16 to 64 have disabilities.
41 percent of adults 65 and older have disabilities.

Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

15%
Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 14 percent of males.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

Using or Needing Assistance

11 million
Number of disabled people 6 and older who need personal assistance with everyday activities. This group amounts to 4 percent of people in this age category. These activities include such tasks as getting around inside the home, taking a bath or shower, preparing meals and performing light housework.

3.3 million
Number of people 15 and older who use a wheelchair. Another 10.2 million use an ambulatory aid such as a cane, crutches or walker.

Specific Disabilities

1.8 million
Number of people 15 and older who report being unable to see printed words at all or were blind.

1 million
Number of people 15 and older who reported deafness or being unable to hear conversations at all.

2.5 million
Number of people 15 and older who have some difficulty having their speech understood by others. Of this number, 431,000 were unable to have their speech understood at all.

16.1 million
Number of people with limitations in cognitive functioning, or who have a mental or emotional illness that interferes with daily activities, including those with Alzheimer’s disease and mental retardation. This group comprises 7 percent of the population 15 and older. This included 8.4 million with one or more problems that interfere with daily activities, such as frequently being depressed or anxious, trouble getting along with others, trouble concentrating and trouble coping with stress.

On the Job

13.3 million
Number of 16- to 64-year-olds who reported a medical condition that makes it difficult to find a job or remain employed. They comprise 7 percent of the population this age.

46%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 having some type of disability who were employed in the past year. The rate ranged from 75 percent of those with a nonsevere disability to 31 percent with a severe disability. For those without a disability, the employment rate is 84 percent for the same period.

59%
Percent of people 21 to 64 with difficulty hearing that were employed. The corresponding percentage for those with difficulty seeing was 41 percent.

48%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 with a nonsevere disability who work full time. This compares with 63 percent without a disability and 16 percent with a severe disability.

Income and Poverty

$2,250
Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with a nonsevere disability. This compares with $2,539 for those with no disability and $1,458 for those with a severe disability.

$2,252
Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with difficulty hearing. The corresponding figure for those with difficulty seeing was $1,932.

12%
The poverty rate for people 25 to 64 with a nonsevere disability. This compares with 27 percent for those with a severe disability and 9 percent of those without a disability.

Serving Our Nation

$28.2 billion
Amount of compensation veterans received for service-connected disabilities in fiscal year 2007.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 505 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>.

Accommodations

98.5%
Percent of transit buses that were ADA lift- or ramp-equipped, as of 2006. This represents an increase from 61.7 percent in 1995.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 1075 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>.

Unless otherwise indicated, all the data are from the Americans with Disabilities: 2005 report at
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/013041.html>.

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The 4th of July

2009-07-01T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Fourth of July 2009

On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.

2.5 million
In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation.
Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970
<http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html>

307 million
The nation’s population on this July Fourth.
Source: Population clock <http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html>

Fourth of July Cookouts

More than 1 in 4
The chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 19.3 million hogs and pigs on March 1, 2009. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s total. North Carolina (9.4 million) and Minnesota (7.3 million) were the runners-up.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

6.8 billion pounds
Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2007. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation’s total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have come from Nebraska (4.7 billion pounds) or Kansas (4.1 billion pounds).
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

6
Number of states in which the revenue from broiler chickens was $1 billion or greater between December 2006 and November 2007. There is a good chance that one of these states — Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi or Texas — is the source of your barbecued chicken.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

About 4 in 10
The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North Dakota, which produced 39 percent of the nation’s dry, edible beans in 2008. Another popular Fourth of July side dish is corn on the cob. Florida, California, Georgia and New York together accounted for 61 percent of the sweet corn produced nationally in 2008.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

Please Pass the Potato Salad
Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items at Fourth of July barbecues. Half of the nation’s spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2008.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

More than three-fourths
Amount of the nation’s head lettuce production in 2008 that came from California. This lettuce may end up in your salad or on your burger.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

More than 7 in 10
The chances that the fresh tomatoes in your salad came from California or Florida, which combined accounted for 71 percent of U.S. tomato production last year. The ketchup on your burger or hot dog probably came from California, which accounted for 96 percent of forecasted processed tomato production in 2008.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

Florida
The state that led the nation in watermelon production last year (861 million pounds). Other leading producers of this popular fruit included California, Texas and Georgia, each with more than 500 million pounds.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>

78 million
Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a barbecue during the previous year. It’s probably safe to assume a lot of these events took place on Independence Day.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 1200 <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab2006_2009.html>

Fireworks

$193 million
The value of fireworks imported from China in 2008, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($202 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $28.1 million in 2008, with Australia purchasing more than any other country ($5.8 million).
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>

$17.3 billion
The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks in 2002.
Source: 2002 Economic Census <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i325998t.pdf>

Flags

$3.4 million
In 2008, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The vast majority of this amount ($3.0 million) was for U.S. flags made in China.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>

$569,400
Dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2008. Belgium was the leading customer, purchasing $186,400 worth.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>

$349.2 million
Annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation’s manufacturers, according to the latest published economic census data.
Source: 2002 Economic Census <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i314999t.pdf>

Patriotic-Sounding Names

31
Number of places nationwide with “liberty” in their name. The most populous one as of July 1, 2007, is Liberty, Mo. (29,993). Iowa, with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty, North Liberty and West Liberty.

Thirty-one places have “eagle” in their name — after the majestic bird that serves as our national symbol. (Places include cities, towns, villages and census-designated places.) The most populous such place is Eagle Pass, Texas, with 26,285 residents.
Eleven places have “independence” in their name. The most populous of these is Independence, Mo., with 110,704 residents.
Five places adopted the name “freedom.” Freedom, Calif., with 6,000 residents, has the largest population among these.
There is one place named “patriot” — Patriot, Ind., with a population of 190.
And what could be more fitting than spending the Fourth of July in a place called “America”? There are five such places in the country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, population 26,472.

Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html> and
American FactFinder <www.census.gov>

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FREE Weekends at National Parks

2009-06-27T12:37:00.000-05:00

The 147 National Park Service sites across the country that charge fees for entry will waive these entrance fees during the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16, 2009, Salazar said.
Meanwhile, many park partners including tour operators, hotels, restaurants, gift shops, and other vendors will offer additional discounts and special promotions on those dates. More information on the fees and discounts can be found at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm .

Visiting Ohio for the first time as Secretary, Salazar also highlighted the $23 million the department is investing in the Buckeye State under President Obama’s economic recovery plan. This includes more than $7 million at Cuyahoga Valley National Park to repair the park’s historic railroad and tackle deferred maintenance projects that have been on the shelf for years.

“The investment we are making in Ohio will create jobs,” he said. “For example, here at Cuyahoga, we are improving a park that already attracts two and a half million people a year, pumps $38 million annually into the local economy and supports 1,000 jobs.”

Most Americans live less than a day’s drive from a park, the Secretary noted. Nationwide, parks last year attracted more than 275 million recreation visits. Spending by non-local visitor provided $10.6 billion for local economies, supporting more than 213,000 jobs, not counting National Park Service jobs.

“Tourism income helps America’s economic recovery,” Salazar said. “National park sites in the Great Lakes states, for example, attract 8 million recreation visits a year that bring $211 million into the local economies. Spending by visitors from out of the area supports 4,400 local jobs. So these areas need to maintain and expand this vital tourism.”

The entrance fees being waived at the 147 sites that usually charge for admission range from $3 to $25. The 244 other parks do not charge entrance fees. The waiver does not include other fees collected in advance or by contractors—such as fees charged for camping, reservations, tours and use of concessions.

The National Park Service website provides information to help the public plan their park adventures at www.nps.gov.

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Getting Robocalls Promising to Lower Their Credit Card Interest Rate

2009-06-21T12:35:00.001-05:00

BBB warns Consumers of Robocalls Promising to Lower Their Credit Card Interest Rate

Not only are the calls a nuisance and violate U.S. and Canadian Do-Not-Call laws, but some companies behind the calls are ripping off consumers by charging large up-front fees to negotiate lower interest rates with credit card companies—something consumers can do on their own for free.

According to figures cited by the White House in January, credit-card debt increased 25 percent in the past 10 years, totaling $963 billion – with per household credit card debt at nearly $9,000 now. Knowing that so many families are drowning in debt, telemarketers offering suspect financial assistance are taking full advantage of the situation. Consumers have reported receiving calls as early as three in the morning and on both their cell and home phones even when they have registered the numbers with federal Do-Not-Call lists. Consumers also tell BBB that, despite their requests to the telemarketers to stop calling, the calls continue to come.

“Similar to telemarketing calls claiming your auto warranty is expiring, calls offering to lower credit card interest rates also seem to have complete disregard for federal laws,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “These telemarketers are not forthcoming about the company they’re calling on behalf of, but BBB has identified some offenders by working with consumers who, unfortunately, paid for assistance in reducing their interest rate.”

“Cell phone spam may not be the biggest problem we have to deal with, but we got the FTC to shut down the car-warranty robocalls and now it’s time they shut down the other robocallers as well,” Schumer said. “These calls cost consumers hundreds in wasted cell phone minutes or much, much more if they get caught in the trap being laid by these unscrupulous companies. The perpetrators behind the credit card interest rate calls have also found a way around the Do Not Call List. The FTC has to track them down and then shut them down to put an end to this nuisance once and for all.”

BBB has received numerous complaints about two Orlando-based companies, CSTR Solutions, Inc. and Genesis Capital Management, and one Tacoma-based company, Mutual Consolidated Savings. All are behind at least some of the robocalls and are promising to save people anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000 by negotiating lower interest rates with credit card companies.

Robocalls generally begin with recorded messages that include statements like: “There are no problems currently with your account, however it is urgent that you contact us concerning your eligibility for lowering your interest rates to as little as 6 point 9 per cent.” or, “This is our final attempt to reach you since you've not responded to our other calls to discuss your credit card debt.” The automated message invariably does not include the name of the company, but may claim to be with Card Services or Card Holder Services. Complainants note to BBB that they now believe the calls were designed to deceive them into thinking their credit card company was contacting them.

After the initial recorded message, consumers must dial another number to be connected to a live person. The live “operator” usually starts the sales pitch by asking for the consumer’s credit card number and whether the consumer is interested in lowering their interest rates. From there, callers begin closing the sale, asking if the consumer is willing to pay – usually from $700 to $1,000 - to have their firm contact the credit card company and negotiate lower rates.

“The ‘negotiation’ undertaken by these companies can be as simple as calling the customer service number listed on the back of the consumer’s credit card and asking a customer service representative to lower the interest rate,” added Cox. “Consumers are fully capable of talking to credit card companies on their own, for free, and getting similar results. Consumers simply don’t need to pay any company a thousand dollars to negotiate lower rates on their behalf.”

According to BBB complaints, companies are failing to uphold money-back guarantees and not refunding money in cases where they are unsuccessful in lowering rates.

BBB offers the following advice for consumers who receive robocalls from companies offering to lower their interest rate:

• Never give personal information, including Social Security, bank or credit card numbers, over the phone to an unknown telemarketer. Always research the company first by reviewing its Reliability Report at www.bbb.org.

• When considering any company offering any type of financial assistance, insist on getting a contract in which all terms and conditions are clearly explained before signing up or providing credit card or other payment information.

• U.S. consumers can place their home phone number on the federal Do Not Call list by visiting www.donotcall.gov. If the consumer’s number is already on the list but continues to receive telemarketing calls—or is receiving robocalls on a cell phone—he or she can use the same Web site to report the incident to the FTC. Canadian consumers can learn more at www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca.

For more information or to schedule an interview with a BBB spokesperson, contact Alison Southwick at 703-247-9376.

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How to Grill Steak

2009-06-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Nothing beats a perfectly done steak grilled straight from your backyard. The key to making the best steaks in the world is how you cook it. The steaks should be perfectly seasoned to fit your discriminating taste.

Steps

Choose a nice cut of steak from the butcher or local supermarket; cuts from the tenderloin or rib are best. Excellent cuts include T-bone, rib eye, club, porterhouse, N.Y. Strip, Chateaubriand, and filet mignon. Choose the best grade you can afford: In the USA, that is: Prime (best), Choice (very good), Select (average). Prime grade can be difficult to find, so call several butchers to locate. Be prepared to pay at least USD$15 to USD$25 per pound for Prime. Aged Prime is superior, but aged meats aren't for everyone.
Remove steak from refrigerator about 90 minutes before cooking. The steak should be at room temperature before it touches the grill.
Peel a clove of garlic and crush lightly to release juices.
Rub crushed garlic clove onto all sides of the steak.
Coat each side of the steak with fresh ground black pepper and salt. Gently press spices into the flesh.
For inexpensive cuts, squeeze the juice of half a lemon or lime on both sides of the steak. It may also be necessary to brush some corn or vegetable oil on the steak to prevent it from sticking to the grill. This will help tenderize the tougher steaks.
A marinade can help less tender cuts, such as flank. It can improve the taste and tenderize select grade steaks as well.
Do not marinate aged choice or prime beef, or you will ruin the steak!
Preheat gas grill on high for 10 to 20 minutes. If you pay close attention, you will not overcook your steak. Be prepared to douse flare-ups with water.
Grill steak on high for four minutes with lid closed. The key to a great steak is very high heat, so make sure your grill is on the highest setting possible.
Flip steak using tongs or spatula, do not use a fork as you will lose juices.
Grill on high for another four minutes with lid closed. Your steak will be about medium rare, depending on thickness.
Remove steak from grill and immediately place on a warmed platter.
Allow steak to rest for a full five minutes before cutting. This allows the juices and full flavors to develop.

Video

In this video from the Summer Kitchen, learn how to prepare a delicious Tuscan T-bone steak: an easy recipe you can make on the grill.

Alternate Method

Use these ingredients instead: Fresh ground pepper, salt, lime, beer, flank or skirt steak, and chili powder. Feel free to add more spices depending on your preference and taste.
Transfer beer into a bowl (big enough to contain the steak and marinade so that the marinade covers enough of the meat to tenderize it) and season it with chili powder.
Get half of the lime, squeeze some to the marinade sauce.
Soak the beef in the marinade for around 30 minutes inside a refrigerator.
Before setting it off to be grilled, give the steak a good rubbing of fresh ground pepper and salt.
Let the steak sit in a prepared sauce some 20 minutes or even as long as 6 hours. This would ensure that all the good flavors of the ingredients would be absorbed by the meat.

Tips

Keep some freshly prepared marinade on the side if you're going to apply while cooking - Never allow marinade that has come in contact with raw meat to be applied during cooking - it not only increases unhealthy bacteria, but also tends to destroy the flavor of a good cut of meat.
If you have a small brush, apply the extra marinade from dish to steak while cooking or brush your steak with your favorite HP or Teriyaki sauce while cooking.
How do you know when your steak is done? Here are some tips using a 1" cut of meat as an example...
- Rare (all red in the middle) 120-125 degrees, feels roughly like the flesh between the thumb and the forefinger of a relaxed hand
- Medium Rare (all pink in the middle - but only the middle!) 125-140 degrees
- Medium / Medium Well (some pink in the middle/mostly gray) 145-155 degrees, feels roughly like the flesh between the thumb and the forefinger of a straightened hand
- Well Done (no pink), >160 degrees, feels roughly like the flesh between the thumb and the forefinger of a clenched hand
Fool-proof method for getting perfect medium steaks: Leave the steak to cook on one side (do not touch!). When you see blood rising on the upper side turn over and cook the other side for almost as long as the first side.
In a shallow dish, mix the following:
- 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
- freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard or chili sauce
- spices (i.e. 1 tsp cumin, 1 tbsp cilantro)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar and beer to taste
Marinate the steak for at least 3 hours to a full 24 hours. Note: do not do this for tender cuts like rib eye.

Warnings

Do not overcook steak.
Optionally preheat for 5 minutes on high, all burners. Open grill and leave all burners on high! Add steak. Close grill lid. Cook on first side, depending on steak thickness and desired style (med rare, med, well) for 4 minutes, flip, and cook on the other side for 4 minutes.
Never, ever poke holes in your steak. It will lose valuable juices.

Things You'll Need

Steak - 100% Canadian "AAA" Beef if available, or USDA Prime or Choice U.S. beef or well trimmed Black Angus
Garlic Clove
Salt
Olive Oil
Soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce
A Lemon or Lime
Dijon mustard or Chili sauce
Spices: Cumin, Cilantro, Salt, and Pepper
Brown sugar
Wine
Beer
Black Pepper

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Grill Steak. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How to Barbecue Safely

2009-06-02T10:36:00.000-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Barbecued food is delicious and a key part of an outdoor lifestyle. And just like any form of cooking, it is important to follow good food preparation practices. This article provides some pointers on safe barbecuing.

Steps

Barbecue Food

Keep food cool. It is important to keep the food refrigerated until you cook it. This means that it is better to barbecue in batches rather than leaving meat and other barbecue foods sitting out waiting in the open, uncooked. Bring each new batch for cooking direct from the fridge to the barbecue every time it is ready to be cooked.
Cover food. Cover the cooked food to keep the insects landing on it.
Cook thoroughly. Ensure that all meats are cooked through. In particular, ensure that pork and chicken are properly cooked. It can be a little deceptive sometimes to see a charred outer casing of the meat, only to have uncooked flesh inside. Follow the cooking times suggested for each meat type.
Keep foods separated during preparation. It is important that you keep raw foods and cooked foods apart from each other. In particular, raw poultry, raw pork and raw eggs should be handled very carefully on separate boards or workspaces and kept on separate dishes in readiness for cooking. Always clean preparation areas and items thoroughly before using with other food.

Barbecue Area

Be well lit. At night time, don't barbecue in the dark. It is important to be able to see what you are doing. Keep the area well lit; if necessary, bring out a cord and floodlight, making sure to hang up or tape down the cord so that nobody trips over it as they walk around. The light will ensure that you do not burn items, that you can tell when they are adequately cooked and that you do not burn yourself by misjudging where to place your hands and utensils.
Keep the barbecue area safe. If you have small children or children are coming as guests, ensure that they cannot reach the barbecue area, or if they can, that there is always somewhere there to supervise and tell the children to move away.
Keep pets away. Pets near the barbecue can be a hazard. You may trip over them and an over-enthusiastic pet might try to grab a free meal of the the grill and get burnt in the process.

Barbecuing

Stay with a cooking barbecue. During ignition and cooking, always remain with a barbecue. If you need to leave it, have a guest watch over it in your absence. A barbecue should never be left unattended; fat may catch on fire and spark outwards, a child might wander over and touch the hot elements or the food may burn.
Get the tools right. The right tools are barbecue tools. They have longer handles, longer tongs or tines and they enable you to move the food about with the least potential for harm to either yourself or the food by ensuring better grip and dexterity. Don't be stingy on this; the results of owning good barbecue tools will definitely outweigh any costs.

Barbecue

Use only the appropriate fuel. Use the fuel that is recommended by the manufacturer only. If you try to substitute with another type of fuel, you may risk damaging the barbecue or causing a fire or melt down of the barbecue.
Clean regularly. A clean barbecue will function better and is healthier for you. An unclean barbecue will increase the potential for carcinogenic build-up to enter your food. Always clean after a barbecue and it'll be easier and you'll be less tempted to barbecue over the burnt on bits that way!

Video

This video will show you some tips on barbecuing safely.

Tips

If you have vegetarian guests, it is helpful to use a different part of the barbecue to prepare their food and to avoid contact with meat items. Many barbecues come with special vegetable compartments nowadays, like the one shown in the photograph heading this article. Another great alternative is to purchase a Japanese hibachi barbecue just for the vegetarian items and to located this on a table next to the main barbecue. These are cheap and very easy to use and you can easily cook both foods at the same time, or ask the veggie guests to help out with their good.

Warnings

It is prudent to keep a fire blanket or fire extinguisher in close proximity to a barbecue; alert any guests helping out as to its whereabouts should the unthinkable happen.
Always read the manufacturer's instructions before using a barbecue. They are provided for a reason and the safety precautions are important.

Things You'll Need

Barbecue
Good, safe, well-lit location for barbecue
Appropriate barbecue tools

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Barbecue Safely. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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USDA Food Safety

2009-05-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

Barbecue and Food Safety
Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. So whether the snow is blowing or the sun is shining brightly, it's important to follow food safety guidelines to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying and causing foodborne illness. Use these simple guidelines for grilling food safely.

From the Store: Home First
When shopping, buy cold food like meat and poultry last, right before checkout. Separate raw meat and poultry from other food in your shopping cart. To guard against cross-contamination — which can happen when raw meat or poultry juices drip on other food — put packages of raw meat and poultry into plastic bags.

Plan to drive directly home from the grocery store. You may want to take a cooler with ice for perishables. Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours. Refrigerate within 1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F.

At home, place meat and poultry in the refrigerator immediately. Freeze poultry and ground meat that won't be used in 1 or 2 days; freeze other meat within 4 to 5 days.

Thaw Safely
Completely thaw meat and poultry before grilling so it cooks more evenly. Use the refrigerator for slow, safe thawing or thaw sealed packages in cold water. You can microwave defrost if the food will be placed immediately on the grill.

Marinating
A marinade is a savory, acidic sauce in which a food is soaked to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it. Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Poultry and cubed meat or stew meat can be marinated up to 2 days. Beef, veal, pork, and lamb roasts, chops, and steaks may be marinated up to 5 days. If some of the marinade is to be used as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion of the marinade before putting raw meat and poultry in it. However, if the marinade used on raw meat or poultry is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria.

Transporting
When carrying food to another location, keep it cold to minimize bacterial growth. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 40 °F or below. Pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before leaving home.

Keep Cold Food Cold
Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until ready to use. Only take out the meat and poultry that will immediately be placed on the grill.

When using a cooler, keep it out of the direct sun by placing it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too often, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in a separate cooler.

Keep Everything Clean
Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters. To prevent foodborne illness, don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Harmful bacteria present in raw meat and poultry and their juices can contaminate safely cooked food.

If you're eating away from home, find out if there's a source of clean water. If not, bring water for preparation and cleaning. Or pack clean cloths, and wet towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Precooking
Precooking food partially in the microwave, oven, or stove is a good way of reducing grilling time. Just make sure that the food goes immediately on the preheated grill to complete cooking.

# SAFE MINIMUM INTERNAL TEMPERATURESWhole poultry: 165 °F
# Poultry breasts: 165 °F
# Ground poultry: 165 °F
# Hamburgers, beef: 160 °F
# Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks, roasts and chops):

* Medium rare 145 °F
* Medium 160 °F

# All cuts of pork: 160 °F

Cook Thoroughly
Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature. Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked to 145 °F. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160 °F. All cuts of pork should reach 160 °F. All poultry should reach a minimum of 165 °F.

NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.

Reheating
When reheating fully cooked meats like hot dogs, grill to 165 °F or until steaming hot.

Keep Hot Food Hot
After cooking meat and poultry on the grill, keep it hot until served — at 140 °F or warmer.

Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in an oven set at approximately 200 °F, in a chafing dish or slow cooker, or on a warming tray.

Serving the Food
When taking food off the grill, use a clean platter. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could contaminate safely cooked food.

In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should never sit out for more than 1 hour.

Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than 2 hours (1 hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).
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VA:History of Memorial Day

2009-05-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Local Observances Claim To Be First Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places. One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.

Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.

Official Birthplace Declared In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff. Supporters of Waterloo’s claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.

By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day, and the Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities.

It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day. It was then also placed on the last Monday in May, as were some other federal holidays.

Some States Have Confederate Observances Many Southern states also have their own days for honoring the Confederate dead. Mississippi celebrates Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday of April, Alabama on the fourth Monday of April, and Georgia on April 26. North and South Carolina observe it on May 10, Louisiana on June 3 and Tennessee calls that date Confederate Decoration Day. Texas celebrates Confederate Heroes Day January 19 and Virginia calls the last Monday in May Confederate Memorial Day.

Gen. Logan’s order for his posts to decorate graves in 1868 “with the choicest flowers of springtime” urged: “We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. ... Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and fond mourners. Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.”

The crowd attending the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery was approximately the same size as those that attend today’s observance, about 5,000 people. Then, as now, small American flags were placed on each grave — a tradition followed at many national cemeteries today. In recent years, the custom has grown in many families to decorate the graves of all departed loved ones.

The origins of special services to honor those who die in war can be found in antiquity. The Athenian leader Pericles offered a tribute to the fallen heroes of the Peloponnesian War over 24 centuries ago that could be applied today to the 1.1 million Americans who have died in the nation’s wars: “Not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions, but there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.”

To ensure the sacrifices of America ’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the U.S. Congress passed and the president signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The commission’s charter is to “encourage the people of the United States to give something back to their country, which provides them so much freedom and opportunity” by encouraging and coordinating commemorations in the United States of Memorial Day and the National Moment of Remembrance.

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

VA
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BBB on How to Stand Out From the Crowd at a Job Fair

2009-05-20T11:24:00.000-05:00

BBB Advice on How to Stand Out at a Job Fair:

In early March, the Georgia Department of Labor organized the largest job fair in the state’s history; more than 19,000 attended in order to meet with 100 employers. In California, more than 10,000 people flocked to Dodger Stadium for a job fair. And in Cleveland 7,000 showed up for a job fair vying for 1,000 jobs, causing more than 2,000 job seekers to be turned away by overwhelmed fire marshals.

“Job fairs can be a great way to meet with many potential employers, however, in today’s flooded job market, standing out from the crowd and positioning yourself as the best candidate is a tough battle,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “With a good game plan and some focused preparation, though, job hunters can tip the scales in their favor and greatly increase the probability of making a good impression and securing a new position.”

BBB offers the following advice for job hunters on how to prepare and present themselves at a job fair:

Research companies first. In some cases, only one employer is holding a job fair, which makes research much easier. For larger job fairs bringing in many employers, job hunters should be able to find a list of attending companies at the host’s Web site and begin researching the companies they want to target beforehand. Not only will this help job hunters focus on specific opportunities, but it will also help them develop intelligent, tailored pitches for the employers they want to engage.

Take plenty of resumes. Before walking into a job fair, job hunters should know which businesses are attending, and what positions they are recruiting for. Job hunters should have customized resumes prepared for their target businesses, and should bring plenty of copies of their standard resume to pass along to other employers. Also, job hunters should take a briefcase or portfolio to organize and hold business cards and other materials.

Perfect an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is your description of who you are, what your skill set is, and how you can benefit the business. The pitch should be brief, conversational and natural, but should be well-rehearsed. The elevator pitch simply must be memorable and sincere since job hunters may only have a few minutes at the most to make an impression on the potential employer.

Dress and act the part. Putting your best foot forward at a job fair means “looking the part” by wearing professional clothes, such as a suit and removing any unusual piercings and covering tattoos. A job hunter also needs to act like a professional, including not swearing or making inappropriate jokes or speaking ill of a former employer.

Be confident. While a day at a job fair can be exhausting, it’s important to always act confident and enthusiastic. Job hunters should work hard to stay positive and take breaks to get organized and recharge their batteries. In fact, BBB recommends taking a few minutes to review your elevator pitch and materials before approaching each of your target businesses.

Don’t become a victim. While instances of scammers setting up shop at a job fair are rare, job hunters should never pay an upfront fee to any potential employer at a job fair, nor should they give any personal information such as bank account or Social Security numbers until they have researched the company fully outside of the fair.

For more advice on finding a job, as well as guidance from BBB on avoiding fraud while on the hunt, go to www.bbb.org

6 job-hunting tips from Bankrate.com

1. Start early
2. Go to the government
3. Think seasonally
4. Surf and stop in
5. Be businesslike
6. Depend on yourself
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AARP Gives the Top 10 Interview Questions

2009-05-17T11:21:00.000-05:00

1. Tell me about yourself. Make your answer short and sweet. Stick to experiences and goals that relate to the specific job for which you’re applying. Resist the impulse to stress your years of experience. It’s more important to talk about your skills and achievements that show you can deliver. Emphasize your flexibility and positive attitude.
2. Why are you looking for a job? Keep it brief. A straightforward answer is best. For example, “My organization was forced to downsize.” Avoid negative statements about yourself, your work, or your ability to get along with others. Nevercriticize former employers or coworkers.
3. You haven’t worked for a long time. Why not? You may have gaps in employment for many reasons. Be honest. Speak confidently about your experiences during the gaps. Some could transfer to on-the-job skills. For instance, if you were a caregiver, you managed complex financial issues. As a volunteer, you might have worked with diverse groups and on flexible schedules.
4. What are you looking for? It takes a lot of thinking to be ready for this question. Don’t speak in generalities. Be prepared to name the type of position you think would be appropriate for you and how your skills would translate to a new employer.
5. Aren’t you overqualified for this position? Even though “overqualified” can be shorthand for “old” or “expensive,” it’s important to stay positive. Express your enthusiasm for the job and pride in your qualifications. Explain what makes you interested in this position at this point in your career—such as wanting to apply your skills to a new field or to achieve more flexibility and work-life balance.
6. We have state-of-the-art technology. Would you be able to jump right in? Show you are adaptable and tech-savvy. Give examples of projects you’ve done which required computer skills and familiarity with electronic media. Emphasize training you’ve taken to keep your skills up to date.
7. We don’t have many employees who are your age. Would that bother you? Explain that you believe your age would be an asset, you are eager to learn, and it doesn’t matter who helps you. Describe recent experiences, whether at work or in other situations, where age diversity has been an asset. Federal law bars employers from considering age in employment decisions. Though it’s not illegal to be asked your age, the question could be a red flag about the employer’s commitment to age diversity. Know your rights under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
8. What’s your biggest weakness? This is a reverse invitation to toot your own horn. Do it with an answer that puts you in a good light. For example, “I’m too detail-oriented, but I work hard to control that.” Keep it simple—and smile.
9. What are your salary requirements? Try to postpone this question until a job offer has been made. Prepare by knowing the going rate in your area (sites like Salary.com can help). If you don’t know the range and the interviewer persists, reply, “What salary range are you working with?” The interviewer may very well tell you.
10. Do you have any questions? Show your interest and initiative by asking specific questions about the organization and what you can expect in the job. Use your questions to demonstrate how your skills can contribute to the organization. Answering “no” to this question says you’re not really interested in the job.

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Stop Using Hydroxycut Products

2009-05-15T13:14:00.000-05:00

FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Using Hydroxycut Products
Dietary Supplements Linked to One Death; Pose Risk of Liver Injury

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., of Oakville, Ontario and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y. Some Hydroxycut products are associated with a number of serious liver injuries. Iovate has agreed to recall Hydroxycut products from the market.

The FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. One death due to liver failure has been reported to the FDA. Other health problems reported include seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.

Liver injury, although rare, was reported by patients at the doses of Hydroxycut recommended on the bottle. Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.

“The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products,” said Linda Katz, M.D., interim chief medical officer of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Hydroxycut products are dietary supplements that are marketed for weight-loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names. The list of products being recalled by Iovate currently includes:

Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
Hydroxycut 24
Hydroxycut Carb Control
Hydroxycut Natural

Although the FDA has not received reports of serious liver-related adverse reactions for all Hydroxycut products, Iovate has agreed to recall all the products listed above. Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products are not affected by the recall. Consumers who have any of the products involved in the recall are advised to stop using them and to return them to the place of purchase. The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products. The products contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts.

Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems with the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online, by regular mail, fax or phone.

–Online: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm
–Regular Mail: Use FDA postage paid form 3500 found at: www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
–Fax: 800-FDA-0178
–Phone: 800-FDA-1088

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Top 10 Names for 2008

2009-05-10T13:09:00.000-05:00

www.socialsecurity.gov -- to see all the top baby names for 2008.

**Top 10 Names for 2008**
Rank	Male name	Female name
1	Jacob	Emma
2	Michael	Isabella
3	Ethan	Emily
4	Joshua	Madison
5	Daniel	Ava
6	Alexander	Olivia
7	Anthony	Sophia
8	William	Abigail
9	Christopher	Elizabeth
10	Matthew	Chloe
Note: Rank 1 is the most popular, rank 2 is the next most popular, and so forth.

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Make a safe breakfast in bed for mom!

2009-05-07T12:24:00.000-05:00

What mother doesn't treasure the memory of the little hands that cooked a Mother's Day breakfast! Mother's Day is the perfect time for dads and other caregivers to teach children simple food safety lessons while supervising the preparation of a special meal made for Mom.

Mother's Day has been officially celebrated the second Sunday in May since 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the day into national observance. Ever since, children have been lovingly — yet messily — preparing breakfast in bed and other meals for their moms.

It is important for children to learn and practice safe food handling techniques so moms don't end up becoming the patient from a foodborne illness. Not washing hands, leaving perishable food sitting out too long at room temperature, and not cooking food to a high enough temperature to destroy bacteria are several main causes of foodborne illness.

FSIS encourages both children and adults to put these four easy to remember lessons — Clean, Separate, Cook and Chill — into practice in order to Be Food Safe on Mother's Day and every day:

Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.
Separate: Separate raw meat, poultry and egg products from cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.
Cook: Raw meat, poultry and egg products need to be cooked thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to ensure foods have reached a high enough temperature to kill any harmful bacteria that might be present.
Chill: Refrigerate promptly.

Lesson 1. Stay Clean

Bacteria can be hiding just about anywhere: in the kitchen, on a plate and on hands. These invisible enemies can multiply and make Mom sick. Cooks of every age should wash their hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after food preparation, after playing with pets, and after using the bathroom.

All fruits and vegetables should be washed with running water before cutting or eating them. Only put food on clean surfaces. Always use clean knives, forks, spoons and plates.

Lesson 2. Keep Raw and Cooked Foods Separated

Cross-contamination is the technical description for how bacteria can be spread from one food product or surface to another. This is especially true when handling raw meat, poultry, eggs and seafood, so keep these foods and their juice away from ready-to-eat foods.

Always use a clean plate. Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry and seafood. Never put food on a dirty table or counter. Always wash cutting boards, dishes and utensils with hot, soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, eggs and seafood.

Lesson 3. Cook Food to Safe Temperatures

Foodborne bacteria can't be seen, smelled or tasted. Use a food thermometer to make sure food has reached a USDA recommended minimum internal temperature. No matter how old the chef, you can't tell food is cooked safely by how it looks.

Always place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food, away from bone and fat, to check the temperature. When cooking in a microwave oven, stir, cover, and rotate food for even cooking. It's important to let food stand for a few minutes after cooking it in the microwave. Always cook eggs before eating them. When cooked, eggs should be firm, not runny.

Lesson 4. Keep Perishable Foods Cold

Bacteria need time and the right environment to grow and multiply - such as moisture and warmth. Most foodborne illness-causing organisms grow quickly above 40° Fahrenheit. Some bacteria can double their numbers every 20 minutes at temperatures above 40° Fahrenheit. In a few hours, bacteria on food can cause an illness or form "toxins" that might not be fully destroyed by cooking.

Some foods that need to stay cold (at 40° Fahrenheit or below) include sandwiches or salads made with meat and poultry; tuna and egg salad; milk, cheese, and yogurt; and peeled or cut fruits and vegetables.

Finally, any leftovers from Mom's special meal should be refrigerated within two hours. Perishable food left out for more than two hours should be thrown out and not fed to the family pet. Even pets are susceptible to foodborne bacteria. To reheat leftovers safely, make sure they reach 165" Fahrenheit as measured with a food thermometer.

USDA has many food safety activity books, games, and other materials for kids and teens that can be printed from http://www.fsis.usda.gov/food_safety_education/
for_kids_&_teens/. For more information on safe food handling, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline.

For more information in English and Spanish, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854); TTY: 1-800-256-7072. The Hotline's hours are Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Time, year-round. An extensive selection of timely food safety messages is also available at the same number 24 hours a day. Information can also be accessed on the FSIS Web site at www.fsis.usda.gov. E-mail inquiries may be directed to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov. Podcasts and SignFSIS video-casts in American Sign Language featuring text-captioning are available on the Web at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/multimedia/.

www.fsis.usda.gov

Food Safety Questions? Ask Karen!
FSIS' automated response system can provide food safety information 24/7

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Twitter Jacking

2009-05-03T12:16:00.002-05:00

There is a new scam going around. It's called Twitter Jacking

Experts say it's easy to do because Twitter is so easy to sign up for.
The twitter jackers sign up with a name similar to a celebrity or even you and then proceed impersonate the victim.

There are Twitter look a like accounts for Bill Gates, Usama bin Laden and and politicians.

Twitter advises impersonation victims to contact its Terms of Service group. But depending on how quickly the profile in question is caught, it may be too late.

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Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.

2009-05-02T10:17:00.001-05:00

The FBI is offering rewards for information leading to the apprehension of Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.

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FBI- Online Pharmacies

2009-04-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

It couldn’t be easier—ordering prescription drugs online with a few clicks of the mouse and having them delivered right to your door, without ever having to see a doctor.

But is it safe? Is it legal?

Often not. And you need to know the risks.

Yes, there are plenty of legitimate U.S. pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies (including online ones) that follow all the laws and regulations and put public safety first.

But there are many that don’t—they are just out to make a fast buck at your expense. These shady businesses fill orders without prescriptions. They pay doctors just to take a quick glance at your brief medical questionnaire. They don’t know if you are drug-addicted, underage, or have another condition that their medications could make worse. And they don’t care.

Worse yet, the products they peddle are questionable, at best. The drugs may be way past their expiration date. They may be counterfeit, mislabeled, adulterated, or contaminated. And they may well be made from suspect raw materials in underground laboratories in the U.S. and abroad, far from the safety-conscious eyes of the Food and Drug Administration.

Part of the problem is that these illegal pharmacies are all over the Internet. More than 80,000 “portal” websites currently sell ad space for these medications and link to one of more than 1,400 “anchor” websites that allow customers to place orders through illegal pharmacies. You don’t even have to search for these offers—they often come straight to your inbox as e-mail spam, enticing you with a cornucopia of drugs on the cheap.

Are there ways to tell whether an online pharmacy is legal? Definitely, and here’s what to look for. Legitimate pharmacies:

Require a prescription from a licensed doctor, usually by mail (if they accept a fax copy, they will always call your doctor to verify the prescription);
Make you submit a detailed medical history;
Clearly state their payment, privacy, and shipping fees on their sites; and
Use secure or encrypted website connections for transactions.

Many legitimate online pharmacies are also certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy—check its website for a listing. Bear in mind, some of the larger Internet pharmacies may not be certified because of their already well-recognized names.

To help protect you, the FBI has made Internet pharmacy fraud one of its top health care fraud priorities. We work—and train—with federal investigators from our partner agencies. We also work closely with state and local law enforcement, and, because many illegal online pharmacies have global connections, we often coordinate with our overseas partners.

Just one example of a major crackdown: in August 2007, a San Diego grand jury handed down a 313-count indictment against 18 people, charging them with operating an illegal online pharmacy that netted more than $126 million over a two-year period. Incredibly, this network—which included everyone from doctors and druggists to credit card processors and affiliated websites that advertised the illegal wares—allegedly received over a million Internet orders from customers in all 50 states.

Our bottom-line advice: do your homework and steer clear of illegal Internet pharmacies, even if the prices are tempting. It’s your health, after all.

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FBI- Work at Home Scams

2009-04-26T10:09:00.001-05:00

Everyone’s seen them—seductive work-at-home opportunities hyped in flyers tacked to telephone poles, in newspaper classifieds, in your e-mail, and all over the web, promising you hundreds or thousands of dollars a week for typing, stuffing envelopes, processing medical billing, etc. And it’s just a phone call or mouse click away…

Might be tempting during these uncertain economic times, but beware of any offers that promise easy money for minimum effort—many are scams that fill the coffers of criminals.

Here are a few of the most common work-at-home scams.

Advance-fee: Starting a home-based business is easy! Just invest a few hundred dollars in inventory, set-up, and training materials, they say. Of course, if and when the materials do come, they are totally worthless…and you’re stuck with the bill.
Counterfeit check-facilitated "mystery shopper:" You’re sent a hefty check and asked to deposit it into your bank account, then withdraw funds to shop and check out the service of local stores and wire transfer companies. You keep a small amount of the money for your “work,” but then, as instructed, mail or wire the rest to your “employer.” Sound good? One problem: the initial check was phony, and by the time your bank notifies you, your money is long gone and you’re on the hook for the counterfeit check.
Pyramid schemes: You’re hired as a “distributor” and shell out big bucks for promotional materials and product inventories with little value (like get-rich quick pamphlets). You’re promised money for recruiting more distributors, so you talk friends and family into participating. The scheme grows exponentially but then falls apart—the only ones who make a profit are the criminals who started it.
Unknowing involvement in criminal activity: Criminals—often located overseas—sometimes use unwitting victims to advance their operations, steal and launder money, and maintain anonymity. For example, they may “hire" you as a U.S.-based agent to receive and re-ship checks, merchandise, and solicitations to other potential victims…without you realizing it’s all a ruse that leaves no trail back to the crooks.

Add identity theft to the mix. As if these schemes aren’t bad enough, many also lead to identity theft. During the application process, you’re often asked to provide personal information that can be used to steal from your bank account or establish new credit cards in your name.

On the job. A host of law enforcement and regulatory agencies, including the FBI, investigate these schemes and track down those responsible. But the most effective weapon against these fraudsters is you not falling for the scams in the first place.

A few tips:

Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.
Be suspicious when money is required up front for instructions or products.
Don’t provide personal information when first interacting with your prospective employer.
Do your own research into legitimate work-at-home opportunities, using the “Work-at-Home Sourcebook” and other resources that may be available at your local library.
Ask lots of questions of potential employers—legitimate companies will have answers for you!

And if you think you’ve been the victim of a work-at-home scam, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Sentinel or our Internet Crime Complaint Center.

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IIHS: New crash tests demonstrate the influence of vehicle size and weight on safety in crashes; results are relevant to fuel economy policies

2009-04-25T15:18:00.001-05:00

In front-to-front crash tests, each involving a microcar or minicar into a midsize model from the same manufacturer, show how extra vehicle size and weight enhance occupant protection in collisions. These Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests are about the physics of car crashes, which dictate that very small cars generally can't protect people in crashes as well as bigger, heavier models.

"There are good reasons people buy minicars," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "They're more affordable, and they use less gas. But the safety trade-offs are clear from our new tests. Equally clear are the implications when it comes to fuel economy. If automakers downsize cars so their fleets use less fuel, occupant safety will be compromised. However, there are ways to serve fuel economy and safety at the same time."

The Institute didn't choose SUVs or pickup trucks, or even large cars, to pair with the micro and minis in the new crash tests. The choice of midsize cars reveals how much influence some extra size and weight can have on crash outcomes. The Institute chose pairs of 2009 models from Daimler, Honda, and Toyota because these automakers have micro and mini models that earn good frontal crashworthiness ratings, based on the Institute's offset test into a deformable barrier. Researchers rated performance in the 40 mph car-to-car tests, like the front-into-barrier tests, based on measured intrusion into the occupant compartment, forces recorded on the driver dummy, and movement of the dummy during the impact.

Laws of physics prevail: The Honda Fit, Smart Fortwo, and Toyota Yaris are good performers in the Institute's frontal offset barrier test, but all three are poor performers in the frontal collisions with midsize cars. These results reflect the laws of the physical universe, specifically principles related to force and distance.

Size and weight affect injury likelihood in all kinds of crashes. In a collision involving two vehicles that differ in size and weight, the people in the smaller, lighter vehicle will be at a disadvantage. The bigger, heavier vehicle will push the smaller, lighter one backward during the impact. This means there will be less force on the occupants of the heavier vehicle and more on the people in the lighter vehicle. Greater force means greater risk, so the likelihood of injury goes up in the smaller, lighter vehicle.

Crash statistics confirm this. The death rate in 1-3-year-old minicars in multiple-vehicle crashes during 2007 was almost twice as high as the rate in very large cars.

Some proponents of mini and small cars claim they're as safe as bigger, heavier cars. But the claims don't hold up. For example, there's a claim that the addition of safety features to the smallest cars in recent years reduces injury risk, and this is true as far as it goes. Airbags, advanced belts, electronic stability control, and other features are helping. They've been added to cars of all sizes, though, so the smallest cars still don't match the bigger cars in terms of occupant protection.

Celebrate Earth Day April 22nd

2009-04-21T15:10:00.003-05:00

Making a few small changes in your home and yard can lead to big reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and save money. Explore our list of nine simple steps you can take around the house and yard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

Change 5 lights
Change a light, and you help change the world. Replace the conventional bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.
Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products
When buying new products, such as appliances for your home, get the features and performance you want AND help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products in more than 50 product categories, including lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances.
Heat and cool smartly
Simple steps like cleaning air filters regularly and having your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor can save energy and increase comfort at home, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When it's time to replace your old equipment, choose a high efficiency model, and make sure it is properly sized and installed.
Seal and insulate your home
Sealing air leaks and adding more insulation to your home is a great do-it-yourself project. The biggest leaks are usually found in the attic and basement. If you are planning to replace windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows for better performance. Forced air ducts that run through unconditioned spaces are often big energy wasters. Seal and insulate any ducts in attics and crawlspaces to improve the efficiency of your home. Not sure where to begin? A home energy auditor can also help you find air leaks, areas with poor insulation, and evaluate the over-all energy efficiency of your home. By taking these steps, you can eliminate drafts, keep your home more comfortable year round, save energy that would otherwise be wasted, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Use green power
Green power is environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun. There are two ways to use green power: you can buy green power or you can modify your house to generate your own green power. Buying green power is easy, it offers a number of environmental and economic benefits over conventional electricity, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, and it helps increase clean energy supply. If you are interested, there are a number of steps you can take to create a greener home , including installing solar panels and researching incentives for renewable energy in your state .
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle your newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods. Use products in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired or reused. In addition, support recycling markets by buying products made from recycled materials. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gases from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.
Be green in your yard
Use a push mower, which, unlike a gas or electric mower, consumes no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases. If you do use a power mower, make sure it is a mulching mower to reduce grass clippings (PDF, 8 pp., 1.59 MB, About PDF). Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. See EPA’s GreenScapes program for tips on how to improve your lawn or garden while also benefiting the environment. Smart Landscaping can save energy, save you money and reduce your household’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Use water efficiently
Saving water around the home is simple. Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Look for products with EPA's WaterSense label; these products save water and perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts. There are also simple actions you can take to save water: Be smart when irrigating your lawn or landscape; only water when needed and do it during the coolest part of the day, early morning is best. Turn the water off while shaving or brushing teeth. Do not use your toilet as a waste basket - water is wasted with each flush. And did you know a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away. See EPA's WaterSense site for more water saving tips.
Spread the Word
Tell family and friends that energy efficiency is good for their homes and good for the environment because it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Tell 5 people and together we can help our homes help us all.

Energy Star Kids (April 2009)

Celebrate Earth Day April 22nd. For thousands of years our planet’s given us energy, lots of energy! But in the process, we’ve put our planet under stress and now it needs our help. If we want to keep our planet healthy, we must find better ways of getting and using energy. You can make big changes! There’s tons of stuff we can do everyday to save energy and our planet. Find out what you can do.

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Teacher Takes Students to 'club'

2009-04-19T15:03:00.002-05:00

A school spokesman said a southwest Ohio teacher has resigned after acknowledging she accompanied four female students to a male strip club.
The teacher told administrators that the students, all cheerleaders, asked her to take them to the bar in February. The teacher told school officials in an e-mail that she got permission from the parents of the 17- and 18-year-olds to bring them to the club.

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“Where’s Smithy?”

2009-04-17T12:10:00.000-05:00

The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies announces the debut of “Where’s Smithy?” at its Web site www.SmithsonianEducation.org/Smithy. In this scavenger hunt and “photo challenge,” kids discover that a mischievous border collie named Smithy has run away and is at large somewhere at the Smithsonian. The object is to figure out where Smithy is and then follow him by visiting Smithsonian museums on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The player examines photos of Smithy at three Smithsonian locations. Each photo is accompanied by a cryptic clue. For example:

In a museum that’s home to a great many bones,

We prefer that all dogs come with chaperones.

The site encourages families to work on the clues together in preparation for a visit to the Institution. The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies will send a prize—an official “Smithy Frisbee”—to players who photograph themselves at the exact spots where Smithy stood and then upload the photos they have taken to a Flickr page.

Dog lovers of all ages can explore “Where’s Smithy?” to sample some of the Smithsonian’s hundreds of dog artifacts and representations of dogs, which range from dog whistles to dogs by Whistler. Visitors to the site will find an aviator dog, a mailman dog, some mythological dogs and dogs painted by George Catlin and Mary Cassatt.

The site also includes downloadable activity pages for young children.

The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies is the central gateway to the Smithsonian for teachers, students and families. It publishes Smithsonian in Your Classroom, a magazine for teachers that is distributed free of charge to every elementary and middle school in America. Its Webby Award-winning Web site, www.SmithsonianEducation.org, attracts 3 million visitors each year.

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read the fine print when responding to ads on Facebook

2009-04-15T12:05:00.000-05:00

the Better Business Bureau is advising social networkers to read the fine print when responding to ads on Facebook or other social networking sites. This is because the large print doesn’t always tell the whole story. The ads for weight loss products, work-at-home opportunities and offers for 'free' computers can cost shoppers more than they bargained for in the long run.

According to Nielsen Online, social networking sites were more popular than e-mail in 2008. Facebook’s 108.3 million members spent 20.5 billion minutes on the site last year alone. Advertisers are going where the people are and eMarketer estimates that $1.3 billion will be spent on social networking advertising in 2009.

According to one BBB spokesperson. “One of the big red flags we’re seeing is ads that link to blog platforms designed to look like a personal testimonial from a satisfied customer. In our experience, if an ad takes you to a blog, it’s best to hit the back button immediately.”

In January, BBB issued a warning to consumers about online ads and Web sites that use Oprah’s name to sell acai berry supplements as weight-loss miracles. Despite the warning, these ads are still common on Facebook and MySpace and link to fake blogs such as www.jennylosesweight.com that are designed to look like testimonials of women who lost weight on the acai supplements. Recent research by the Center for Science in the Public Interest identified more than 75 different phony blogs that led to Web sites touting acai-berry supplements as a weight loss miracle.

The Fine Print: The phony blogs link to Web sites that offer a free trial of an acai supplement, and while the customer may think they only have to pay shipping, they could get billed as much as $87.13 every month if they don’t cancel before the trial period ends. The fine print also explains that the trial period begins from the moment the customer orders the supplements and not after they receive the shipment.

BBB Warns: Not only do health experts question the legitimacy of the weight loss claims linked to the acai berry, BBB has received thousands of complaints from consumers against such acai supplement companies because many were billed despite never receiving their free trial or were billed every month despite numerous attempts to cancel.

The Pitch: Learn How I Make $67,000 a Year Being a Stay-at-Home Mom!
There are many ads on Facebook that advertise ways to make easy money from home. Similar to the acai berry ads, the ads link to blogs that were supposedly created by people who made money through a work-at-home program. One such blog written by a “Sarah Roberts” claims that she added “$67,000 a year to my family’s income working 10 hours a week (that’s over $128 an hour!)” by creating Web sites that host Google ads. Another, "www.jasongetsrich.com", is ostensibly written by the newly married Jason who makes “around $5,500 to $7,000 a month from Google.”

The Fine Print: The blogs direct readers to Web sites for programs such as Internet Money Machine and Easy Google Cash where they can sign up for a seven-day trial access to information on how to make money from home. While the free trial supposedly only costs $1.95-$2.95, the individual will be charged $69.90 every month if they don’t cancel seven days from signing up. The fine print also states that the company does not give refunds.

BBB Warns: Use extreme caution when signing up for a work-at-home job or money-making opportunity online. In 2008 alone, BBB received more than 3,500 complaints from people who signed up for offers to learn how to work from home but were ultimately disappointed. Job hunters should also be aware that while some work-at-home opportunities have the word “Google” in their name and use Google’s logo on their Web sites, they are not actually affiliated with Google.

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The Weekend Gardener

2009-04-12T11:55:00.003-05:00

Easter Lillies...just in time

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How to Choose Comfortable Walking Shoes

2009-04-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Walking every day is a non stressful, easy way to stay fit and healthy. Like any activity, having the right equipment is a key to your success. This guide gives you tips for finding the most comfortable walking shoes.

Steps

A walker's foot hits heel first and then rolls gradually from heel-to-toe. So, you will need a flexible sole and more bend in the toe than a runner. You should be able to twist and bend the toe area. Manufacturers like New Balance and Brooks make specialized shoes for walkers.
Look for a shoe that is light weight and breathable. The last thing you want is a heavy walking shoe.
Make sure the shoe that fits properly. Be sure your foot has enough room in the toe box. There should be a thumbnails width (or about a half inch) between your toes and the end of the shoe. The shoe should be wide enough in the toe that your toes can move freely. Your heel should not slip, and the shoe should not pinch or bind, especially across the arch or ball of your foot.
Try on new shoes at the end of the day or after your walk when your feet may be slightly swollen. Also be sure to wear the same socks you will be wearing during your walks. This can make a huge difference in how the shoe fits. Try on both shoes. Your feet may not be the same size (really!).
Walk around for a few minutes on a hard surface. It is worth the effort to find the right shoe for you and it is worth spending a few extra dollars.
Wear your shoes in the house for a few days to try them out. Don't venture outdoors until you are sure the shoes are going to work for you. (If the shoes are not going to work out you will want to exchange them before scuffing them up outside.)
Keep track of how many miles you have put on your shoes, and replace them every 300 to 600 miles. (If you are wearing very light weight shoes, are overweight, or you are hard on your shoes stay toward the low end on mileage.) To extend the life of your shoes be sure to only wear them only for your walks. Also rotating two pair of shoes will give them time to "bounce back" between walks.
Keep these items in mind when purchasing your next walking shoes. Your feet and legs will thank you for it.

Tips

Comfortable walking shoes can be purchased just as easily online now as in a store. If you are buying shoes online make sure that the online merchant offers free return shipping (many do) so that if you need to exchange, this won't pose a problem.
If you are "a person of size" you may benefit more from purchasing shoes that are made for jogging or running. These shoes have support and padding for extra impact that an overweight walker will need to be comfortable and avoid unnecessary pain.
Everyone's foot is different, but there are some universal basics.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

http://www.most-comfortable-shoes.com
A consumer guide to comfortable shoes, for walking and other activities.
http://www.thewalkingsite.com
A walking enthusiast's site - a guide to getting started.
http://walking.about.com/
A guide to creating fitness through walking.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose Comfortable Walking Shoes. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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What would you do if you found $357,959?

2009-04-09T11:55:00.002-05:00

In LA, a woman found a $357,959 cashier's check. She did the honest thing to do. She returned it.

At first glance the check looked like a junk mail sweepstakes offer that was lying on the ground. The woman thought she would pick the trash up and throw it away. She then noticed it was a real cashier's check with a real signature.

"I couldn't believe it. I almost passed out," "I have never seen a check that big. Not in my possession, anyway."

She located the check's owner, who had arrived at her bank in a panic.

"I think she had walked in at the same time the bank manager called me back," "I could hear her walking up to him. and I could hear all this commotion in the background."

She never thought of keeping the check for herself, and she declined the woman's offer of a reward.

Even though she never got to meet the rightful owner,
"I just wanted to see her face," . "I just wanted to let her know that there are honest people left in this world."
amen

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Fortune Magazine's 50 Most Admired Companies

2009-04-08T11:17:00.000-05:00

For the 50 most admired companies overall, FORTUNE's survey asked businesspeople to vote for the companies that they admired most, from any industry.

Rank	Company
1	Apple
2	Berkshire Hathaway
3	Toyota Motor
4	Google
5	Johnson & Johnson
6	Procter & Gamble
7*	FedEx
7*	Southwest Airlines
9	General Electric
10	Microsoft
11	Wal-Mart Stores
12	Coca-Cola
13	Walt Disney
14	Wells Fargo
15	Goldman Sachs Group
16	McDonald's
17	IBM
18	3M
19	Target
20	J.P. Morgan Chase
21	PepsiCo
22	Costco Wholesale
23	Nike
24	Nordstrom
25	Exxon Mobil
26	Bank of America
27	United Parcel Service
28	BMW
29	American Express
30	Hewlett-Packard
31	Cisco Systems
32	Honda Motor
33	Singapore Airlines
34	Starbucks
35	Caterpillar
36	Intel
37	Marriott International
38	Nestlé
39	Sony
40	Boeing
41	Deere
42	Nokia
43	Northwestern Mutual
44	Best Buy
45	General Mills
46	Toyota Industries
47	Lowe's
48	AT&T
49	Accenture
50	Samsung Electronics

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North Dakota and Minnesota Floods Help

2009-04-05T11:12:00.001-05:00

For information on FEMA's activities in North Dakota, please visit North Dakota Severe Storms and Flooding from FEMA.

For information on FEMA's activities in Minnesota, please visit Minnesota Severe Storms and Flooding from FEMA.

Red River Valley Resources

Know More: Red River Valley Flooding Resources - Where to volunteer, how to stay safe and more....
Red River flood: Resources and links - A list of resources with information about the flooding in the Red River Valley.

Minnesota Resources

Clay County Flood Information - From the Clay County Sheriff's Department, Clay County Highway Department.
City of Moorhead Flood Information - Up to date information on the 2009 flood in Moorhead

North Dakota Resources

City of Fargo Flood Information - The City of Fargo has prepared a contingency evacuation plan for residents who live within the secondary dike system.
The "Fargo Flood" Homepage - The Fargo Flood Homepage provides access to scientific and historical information on flooding in the Fargo region. City of Grand Forks 2009 Flood Fight - Designed to help residents follow the level of the Red River in Grand Forks, ND..
Fargo Geology - Current water levels for the Red River and its tributaries in the Fargo region
Flood Information: Disaster Education - What to do before and after the flood, from sandbagging to sump pumps
North Dakota State Government - State resources supporting flood fight efforts
Federal, State, And Local Partnerships Key To Flood Fighting In North Dakota - FEMA and numerous federal and state partners are continuing to join forces to support North Dakota communities facing severe flood threats.
Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) Floodplain Easement - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) assists landowners in restoring the hydrology and native plant communities within the easement area.
North Dakota Water Science Center - Flood tracking charts for North Dakota and selected tributaries

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Tax Day Links from the IRS

2009-04-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

Download forms and publications by:

View online:

Order:

Important Changes:

Information about:

Related web sites:

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FTC- Get rid of your old Cell Phone

2009-04-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

Permanently Removing Personal and Sensitive Information

Encrypting passwords and other sensitive data stored on your cell phone, and “locking” the keypad while your phone is not in use, can help prevent unauthorized access even after your cell phone is no longer in service. Still, certain data on your phone, including personal contacts, photos and Web search terms, may be recoverable with relatively simple and inexpensive software programs.

It’s a good idea to remove personal information before you dispose of your phone. Permanent data deletion usually requires several steps. Remove the memory or subscriber identity module (SIM) card from the phone. That’s an important first step in deleting information, but you likely will need to do more to erase all the sensitive data on your device. You can command a cell phone to delete certain data, but that will only delete the references to where the data is located; the actual information stays on the phone’s operating system.

Permanent data deletion also may require you to clear data from the phone’s contacts and other stored information. Your owner’s manual, your wireless provider’s website, or the manufacturer will likely provide information on how to permanently delete information from your mobile device (and even how to save or transfer information to a new device before deletion). Make sure that you have removed the following data: phone book, any lists of calls (received and made), voicemails, sent and received email and text messages, organizer folders, Web search history and photos.

Disposal Options

Once you have a “clean” phone, here are some options for disposing of it.

Recycling – Cell phone manufacturers, service providers, and non-profit groups often have programs to refurbish mobile devices or recycle their components, including peripheral devices like chargers.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has information on electronic product recycling programs at www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm.
- The U.S. Postal Service’s free “Mail Back” pilot program allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges. Some 1,500 Post Offices have free envelopes so you can mail back PDAs, cell phones, digital cameras, and music players without having to pay for postage. For more information, visit www.usps.gov.
Donating – Many organizations collect old mobile devices for charitable purposes.
Reselling – Some individuals and organizations will buy your old mobile devices. You can find names and addresses online.
Disposing – Keep the environment in mind when disposing of mobile devices. Cell phones contain batteries, which should not be put in your trash because they will end up in landfills where they could be harmful. Many cell phones also contain heavy metals which can contaminate the earth. The EPA recommends that you check with your local health and sanitation agencies for the proper way to dispose of electronics safely.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

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More IIHS Facts about Fatalities

2009-03-30T09:49:00.000-05:00

About 20 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths result from a vehicle leaving the roadway and hitting a fixed object such as a tree or utility pole alongside the road. Alcohol is a frequent contributing factor in these crashes. Motorists also run off the road because of excessive speed, falling asleep, or inattention.

More men than women die each year in motor vehicle crashes. Men typically drive more miles than women and more often engage in risky driving practices including not using seat belts, driving while impaired by alcohol, and speeding. Crashes involving male drivers often are more severe than those involving female drivers. However, in crashes of equal severity, females are more likely than males to be killed or injured.

Less than two percent of motor vehicle crash deaths are bicyclists. The most serious injuries among a majority of those killed are to the head, highlighting the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet. Helmet use has been estimated to reduce head injury risk by 85 percent.¹ Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have helmet laws applying to young bicyclists; none of these laws applies to all riders.

Motor vehicle crashes account for less than 1 percent of fatalities among people 70 and older; heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death. People ages 70 and older are less likely to be licensed to drive compared with younger people, and drivers 70 and older also drive fewer miles. However, older drivers are keeping their licenses longer and driving more miles than in the past. A total of 4,598 people ages 70 and older died in motor vehicle crashes in 2007. This is 22 percent fewer than in 1997 when deaths peaked, but a 22 percent increase since 1975. The rate of fatalities per capita among older people has decreased 35 percent since 1975 and is now at its lowest level.

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FTC-Who’s Calling? Recognize & Report Phone Fraud

2009-03-30T09:20:00.001-05:00

Recognize Phone Fraud

Every sales call you get by phone is an opportunity for a gut check: Ask yourself these questions — and if the answers give you some doubt about the caller’s intentions or methods, end the call.

Who’s calling — and why? Telemarketers must tell you it’s a sales call, the name of the seller and what they’re selling before they make their pitch. If they don’t, say “no thanks,” and get off the phone.

What’s their hurry? Fast talkers who use high pressure tactics could be hiding something. Take your time. Most legitimate businesses will give you time and written information about an offer before asking you to commit to a purchase.

If it’s free, why are they asking me to pay? Question charges you need to pay to redeem a prize or gift. Free is free. If you have to pay, it's a purchase - not a prize or a gift.

Why am I “confirming” my account information — or giving it out at all? Some callers have your billing information before they call you. They’re trying to get you to say “okay” so they can claim you approved a charge.

What time is it? The law allows telemarketers to call only between 8 am and 9 pm. A seller calling earlier or later is flouting the law.

Do I want more calls like this one? If you don’t want a business to call you again, say so. If they call back, they’re breaking the law.

Report Phone Fraud

Recognizing fraudulent callers is important; reporting them to the appropriate law enforcement authorities is critical, too. When you report, you can help stop telephone scammers. Report telephone hucksters to the FTC and your state Attorney General so they can prosecute fraudulent telemarketers who try to steal your money.

If your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry, you should get calls only from those companies with which you do business — or those that have your permission to call. If you get calls from a company you don’t have a relationship with — or from a company you have told not to call you — report it. Jot down the name and number of the caller, and the date and time of the call.

To report phone fraud, visit FTC.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.

To report violations of the National Do Not Call Registry, visit DoNotCall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.

Your complaint is entered into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a database that is used by law enforcement agencies across the country and around the world. It can help them track down scam artists, detect patterns in their calls, find other victims, and ultimately, stop the fraud.

Register Your Number

You can limit the number of telemarketing calls you receive by placing your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. Once your number is registered, feel free to hang up if you get a cold call from a company with which you don't already do business — or report it!

You can register your phone number at DoNotCall.gov, or by calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236) from the number you wish to register. If you register online, you must click on the confirmation email you receive to complete your free registration.

Your registration will not expire. Your number is on the list until you take it off, or your number is disconnected and re-assigned to someone else.

Placing your number on the Registry stops most telemarketing calls, but not all. Once your number has been on the Registry for 31 days, you still may get calls from, or on behalf of:

Political organizations, charities, and pollsters
Companies with whom you have an existing business relationship
Companies you’ve given permission to call

Companies that you do business with may call for 18 months. If you ask a company for information, it may call for three months.

The Registry accepts personal cell phone and home phone numbers. Federal Communications Commission regulations prohibit the use of automated dialers to call cell phone numbers, so most telemarketers won’t cold-call consumers on their cell phones – despite urban myths and emails to the contrary.

Telemarketing fraud is a crime.

Professional criminals posing as legitimate telemarketers try to worm their way into your wallet. They are very good at what they do: their “pitch” is perfect, their tone is friendly and sincere, and their answers to your questions seem to make sense. It’s no wonder that consumers, regardless of their age, education or experience, can fall for telemarketing frauds.

By learning how to recognize and report telephone fraud, you can help stop some scams – and if you put your phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, you can reduce the number of unwanted telemarketing calls you get.

Check ftc.gov/phonefraud for information about:

Buying Club Memberships
Charities and Fundraising
Credit & Loan Offers
Government Grant Scams
Identity Theft & Telemarketing
Medical Discounts Plans
Reloading Scams
Sweepstakes & Lotteries
Travel Scams
Work-at-Home & Business Opportunities

To learn more about how to recognize and report phone fraud, and how to place your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry, go to ftc.gov/phonefraud.

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Alcohol and Car Crashes

2009-03-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

41,059 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2007. The Institute publishes statistical facts about the motor vehicle safety picture in 2007, the most recent year for which fatality data are available. Fatality Facts are updated once a year, when the US Department of Transportation releases data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

The probability of a fatal crash rises significantly after 0.05 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and even more rapidly after 0.08 percent . Drivers with very high BACs (at or above 0.15 percent) have a very high risk of dying in a crash or getting severely injured.

All states have enacted a law defining impairment as driving with a BAC at or above 0.08 percent.

Drivers younger than 21 are more vulnerable than older drivers to the impairing effects of alcohol. At the same BAC, young drivers are far more likely to get into a fatal or nonfatal crash. In recent years, drivers younger than 21 killed in crashes are about half as likely as fatally injured drivers ages 21-30 to have a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher.

The information in this fact sheet is based on data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia with imputations for missing BACs provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation's multiple imputation model.⁴

The following facts are based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

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How to wear a seat belt

2009-03-26T09:40:00.000-05:00

Booster seats can improve the fit of adult belts for children who have outgrown child restraints, but not all boosters provide the recommended belt fit. It's important to ensure that the lap belt fits low across the upper thigh, not across the child's soft abdomen. The shoulder belt should cross snuggly over the center of the shoulder.

What if my vehicle doesn't have shoulder belts?

Adult belts

When older children start using the vehicle belts, the shoulder belt should rest across the chest, away from the neck, and the lap belt should fit low and snug across the upper thigh. Your child needs to sit straight up with knees bent at the edge of the seat.

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Suspended for "Passing Gas"

2009-03-24T09:33:00.003-05:00

In Florida, an eighth-grader was suspended from riding the school bus for three days after being accused of passing gas.

The bus driver says that a 15-year-old teen passing gas on the bus to make the other children laugh, creating a stench so bad that it was difficult to breathe.
School officials said there's no rule against flatulence, but there are rules against causing a disturbance on the bus.

According to the boy, "It wasn't even me, "It was a kid who sits in front of me."

A 13-year-old student at a Stuart, Fl. school was arrested in November after authorities said he broke wind in class.

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IC3- Protect yourself from fraud

2009-03-21T11:22:00.002-05:00

Auction Fraud

* Before you bid, contact the seller with any questions you have.
* Review the seller's feedback.
* Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
* Ensure you understand refund, return, and warranty policies.
* Determine the shipping charges before you buy.
* Be wary if the seller only accepts wire transfers or cash.
* If an escrow service is used, ensure it is legitimate.
* Consider insuring your item.
* Be cautious of unsolicited offers.

Counterfeit Cashier's Check

* Inspect the cashier's check.
* Ensure the amount of the check matches in figures and words.
* Check to see that the account number is not shiny in appearance.
* Be watchful that the drawer's signature is not traced.
* Official checks are generally perforated on at least one side.
* Inspect the check for additions, deletions, or other alterations.
* Contact the financial institution on which the check was drawn to ensure legitimacy.
* Obtain the bank's telephone number from a reliable source, not from the check itself.
* Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.

Credit Card Fraud

* Ensure a site is secure and reputable before providing your credit card number online.
* Don't trust a site just because it claims to be secure.
* If purchasing merchandise, ensure it is from a reputable source.
* Promptly reconcile credit card statements to avoid unauthorized charges.
* Do your research to ensure legitimacy of the individual or company.
* Beware of providing credit card information when requested through unsolicited emails.

Debt Elimination

* Know who you are doing business with — do your research.
* Obtain the name, address, and telephone number of the individual or company.
* Research the individual or company to ensure they are authentic.
* Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.
* Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
* Ensure you understand all terms and conditions of any agreement.
* Be wary of businesses that operate from P.O. boxes or maildrops.
* Ask for names of other customers of the individual or company and contact them.
* If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Employment/Business Opportunities

* Be wary of inflated claims of product effectiveness.
* Be cautious of exaggerated claims of possible earnings or profits.
* Beware when money is required up front for instructions or products.
* Be leery when the job posting claims "no experience necessary".
* Do not give your social security number when first interacting with your prospective
employer.
* Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
* Be wary when replying to unsolicited emails for work-at-home employment.
* Research the company to ensure they are authentic.
* Contact the Better Business Bureau to determine the legitimacy of the company.

Identity Theft

* Ensure websites are secure prior to submitting your credit card number.
* Do your homework to ensure the business or website is legitimate.
* Attempt to obtain a physical address, rather than a P.O. box or maildrop.
* Never throw away credit card or bank statements in usable form.
* Be aware of missed bills which could indicate your account has been taken over.
* Be cautious of scams requiring you to provide your personal information.
* Never give your credit card number over the phone unless you make the call.
* Monitor your credit statements monthly for any fraudulent activity.
* Report unauthorized transactions to your bank or credit card company as soon as
possible.
* Review a copy of your credit report at least once a year.

Internet Extortion

* Security needs to be multi-layered so that numerous obstacles will be in the way
of the intruder.
* Ensure security is installed at every possible entry point.
* Identify all machines connected to the Internet and assess the defense that's engaged.
* Identify whether your servers are utilizing any ports that have been known to represent
insecurities.
* Ensure you are utilizing the most up-to-date patches for your software.
Lotteries

* If the lottery winnings appear too good to be true, they probably are.
* Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
* Be leery if you do not remember entering a lottery or contest.
* Be cautious if you receive a telephone call stating you are the winner in a lottery.
* Beware of lotteries that charge a fee prior to delivery of your prize.
* Be wary of demands to send additional money to be eligible for future winnings.
* It is a violation of federal law to play a foreign lottery via mail or phone.

Phishing/Spoofing

* Be suspicious of any unsolicited email requesting personal information.
* Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal information.
* Always compare the link in the email to the link that you are actually directed
to.
* Log on to the official website, instead of "linking" to it from an unsolicited email.
* Contact the actual business that supposedly sent the email to verify if the email
is genuine.

Ponzi/Pyramid

* If the "opportunity" appears too good to be true, it probably is.
* Beware of promises to make fast profits.
* Exercise diligence in selecting investments.
* Be vigilant in researching with whom you choose to invest.
* Make sure you fully understand the investment prior to investing.
* Be wary when you are required to bring in subsequent investors.
* Independently verify the legitimacy of any investment.
* Beware of references given by the promoter.

Reshipping

* Be cautious if you are asked to ship packages to an "overseas home office."
* Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own country.
* Be leery if the individual states that his country will not allow direct business
shipments from the United States.
* Be wary if the "ship to" address is yours but the name on the package is not.
* Never provide your personal information to strangers in a chatroom.
* Don't accept packages that you didn't order.
* If you receive packages that you didn't order, either refuse them upon delivery
or contact the company where the package is from.

Spam

* Don't open spam. Delete it unread.
* Never respond to spam as this will confirm to the sender that it is a "live" email
address.
* Have a primary and secondary email address - one for people you know and one for
all other purposes.
* Avoid giving out your email address unless you know how it will be used.
* Never purchase anything advertised through an unsolicited email.

Third Party Receiver of Funds

* Do not agree to accept and wire payments for auctions that you did not post.
* Be leery if the individual states that his country makes receiving these type of
funds difficult.
* Be cautious when the job posting claims "no experience necessary".
* Be cautious when dealing with individuals outside of your own

Competitive Eaters Mow Down Corned Beef Sandwiches

2009-03-20T05:16:00.000-05:00

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SBA Tips on Starting your own Business

2009-03-19T06:51:00.001-05:00

Do You Have What It Takes?

Learn the characteristics and habits of creative, successful entrepreneurs.

Many successful entrepreneurs have similar traits and characteristics. Learn what these are and what you can do to improve on your own.

FICTION: To be an entrepreneur, you must be born that way.

FACT: Anyone can learn to operate like an entrepreneur.

What are the similarities of successful entrepreneurs?

* Persistence
* Desire for immediate feedback
* Inquisitiveness
* Strong drive to achieve
* High energy level
* Goal-oriented behavior
* Independent
* Demanding
* Self-confident
* Calculated risk taker
* Creative
* Innovative
* Vision
* Commitment
* Problem solving skills
* Tolerance for ambiguity
* Strong integrity
* Highly reliable
* Personal initiative
* Ability to consolidate resources
* Strong management and organizational skills
* Competitive
* Change agent
* Tolerance for failure
* Desire to work hard
* Luck

Many entrepreneurs also had a role model to influence them early on and parents who were entrepreneurs Two traits necessary for successful entrepreneurs are creativity and innovation.

What is Creativity?

Creativity is being able to create new ideas and ways to solve problems that provide cool opportunities.

Characteristics of Creative People

* Bright
* Adaptable
* High self esteem
* Challenge-oriented
* Idea-oriented
* Inquisitive
* Curious

Can you improve your creativity? YES! How?

Gather as much information as you can (read, talk with experts, etc.); brainstorm over time. Just think about the problem or issue until an idea comes to you.

Is the solution reasonable? If so, try it. If not, keep thinking. Did it work? If so, great. If not, begin the process over again. Don't put barriers on your mind. Put these steps to use.

Left Brain

Analytical
Rational

Right Brain

Intuitive
Artistic

You need both sides of your brain when being creative, as they compliment each other.

What is an Innovation?

Something that is invented (ex. CDs), or
Something that is created from an existing idea or product (ex. Super Wal-Mart).

Where do innovative ideas come from?

Unsatisfied customers
Demographic changes in society
Luck
Imagination
Vision
Problem-solving

Remember:

Look for new ideas
Keep it simple
Start small
Try, try, try again

You have the drive and ambition. You have the support and family and friends. You now need to do some research, develop an initial business plan, and financial resources to get your business off the ground. A good place to start for information and assistance is the SBA, which works in partnership with various organizations. Among the services available are low-cost loans, counseling and technical assistance sources, special programs for veterans and women, and more. Please note that Congress has not set aside any monies for grants to start and/or expand a small business.

SBA’s education and assistance partners include the Small Business Development Centers and a national Clearinghouse that provides small businesses with management and technical assistance. There are more than 1,000 centers located around the country. In addition, nearly 100 Women’s Business Centers form a national network designed to assist women start and grow small businesses. The centers’ mission is to level the playing field for women entrepreneurs, who still face unique obstacles in the world of business. The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) is dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small businesses nationwide. There are more than 10,500 SCORE volunteers in 374 chapters operating in more than 800 locations. SCORE offers personal and online business counseling and training.

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How to Use a Tanning Bed

2009-03-18T07:09:00.000-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Don't kid yourself. Using a tanning bed will increase your chances of getting skin cancer, and you really shouldn't make it a habit to break your DNA with UV rays so that you can get a "healthy" glow. But if you insist on going to a tanning salon once in a while, maybe to even out your tan lines (farmer's tan, anyone?), or to relieve a bout of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or to establish a base tan so that you don't look like Casper the Friendly Ghost when you wear your speedo or bikini (that you made from an old t-shirt)--the least you can do is know your stuff. Tanning is one of those things that's surrounded by cosmetic mythology. Read these steps so that you don't get burned.

Steps

Go to your local tanning salon and ask about the programs they have. Most salons have a variety of beds available:
- Low pressure. This is the traditional tanning bed. UV rays are emitted in a spectrum that is similar to natural sunlight. The lamps produce fast color (instant gratification) but the risk of sunburn is highest in this kind of bed.[1] If you burn easily, it's not recommended that you use this bed.
- High pressure. These beds emit a higher proportion of UVA rays (versus UVB rays). UVB rays are the ones that cause sunburn.[2] In this kind of bed you'll get a deeper, longer-lasting tan, but it will be slow to build.[1] Usually this bed is more expensive.
- Booth. This is basically a vertical tanning bed. Instead of laying down, you stand up. Parts of the skin that would normally be hidden in creases while laying down will be exposed, making for a more even tan. It's also more hygienic because your skin doesn't come in contact with surfaces that other people's skin has touched (and sweat on, perhaps naked). Plus, it's the best option for claustrophobes.
- Whole body spray. Your body gets sprayed by a substance that darkens your skin through a chemical reaction. UV rays are left out of the equation, so this is the least cancerous way to go. Keep in mind that this tan might fade away in a blotchy, unappealing way if you don't keep coming back for more.
Take a tour. Visit a few salons and ask to see the beds. Is everything clean? Look closely at the beds. If you see any dirty buildup, like where the glass meets the edge of the bed, leave and never return. Otherwise, ask what kind of cleaner they use on the beds (glass cleaner won't wipe away bacterial infections, you know). Shop around, compare salons, and choose the one you like most.
Fill out a skin analysis form. Any decent salon will make you do it. The form is used to determine your skin type (so they don't accidentally fry your skin by putting you in a bed for too long). It should only take a minute or so.
- One important thing to be open about is what kind of prescription medication you're using. Some can affect the way your skin reacts to tanning beds...in a very bad way.
Get goggles. Again, any decent salon will make sure you have goggles. If they don't insist, then they don't care about your safety (and they might be just as nonchalant about cleaning the beds in between uses). Don't worry, these funny-looking goggles won't give you raccoon eyes. They just make sure you won't go blind.
Don't get tyrosine-based tanning accelerators, lotion, or pills. Don't listen to any mumbo jumbo about tyrosine. Yes, tyrosine is an amino acid that your body uses to produce melanin, which is the stuff that makes your skin look darker. That part is true. But there's no evidence (none!) that tyrosine is absorbed by your skin (or through your gut, just in case you're tempted to buy the pill form) and finds its way to the melanin factory.[3][4] Learn How to Resist a Sales Pitch if they get pushy, or just leave.
Go to your room. Strip down as low as you want to go. You can keep your underwear/bra on, or you can wear a swimsuit, or you can go nude. Use the same precautions you would take in a public shower. Remember that even though the surface of the bed should be cleaned between uses, the rest of the room probably isn't, so don't sit on the chair naked unless you're 100% sure the person before you didn't have crabs. Keep your socks on unless you're 100% sure the person before you didn't have foot warts. You know, things like that.
- If you're really paranoid, and you don't mind the staff looking at you like you have ten heads, ask for a bottle of the cleaner so you can wipe things down yourself. Don't bring your own cleaner, though, because some cleaners (e.g. ammonia-based ones) can damage the finish on the glass in the beds, or irritate your skin in surprisingly unpleasant ways when you expose it to UV rays right after sitting on a chair that you wiped down in bleach.
- Ask a staff member to give you a tanning bed crash course. Find out what all the buttons do. How do you shut the whole thing off? How do you control the fan? If there are separate bulbs for the face, how do you turn those on and off?
Put on your safety goggles. This is a must. Don't even think about getting into that bed unless you have goggles or some kind of approved eye protection (sunglasses don't do the trick, no matter how stylish they are). Who cares how goofy you look?
Go to bed. Get inside the coffin--err, bed--and shut the lid. Press the button to flip the lights. There should be a timer, and the staff person should have assigned you a small time (like 10 minutes), no matter how much you argued that you don't burn, or that you want to get the most bang for your buck. A good tanning salon employee will know better and will start you off with a "low dosage" and increase it gradually (depending on your skin responded) every time you return. As you're laying there, pray that your DNA will prove resilient. Beg the tanning gods to spare you a sunburn. Visualize your cells producing melanin and lots of it. Or take a power nap (unless you're in a booth; napping while standing is not recommended).
Get out of bed. If you're all sweaty and slick, wipe yourself down with a towel (which should have been provided). Put your clothes back on and swagger out of the salon.
Maintain your tan. Instead of going back into the salon to replenish a fading tan, try to maintain your existing tan for as long as you can. Since the melanin that gives you color is located in the outer layer of your skin, you'll keep it longer by slowing down the rate at which your skin peels or sheds. Apply moisturizer generously twice a day[5] and do not exfoliate your skin. Supplement your tan with bronzers (they stain your skin and come off with soap and water) and sunless tanners (the color wears off in a few days). Or, better yet, avoid UV rays altogether and just use bronzers and sunless tanners!

Tips

For a tan that "sticks" even longer, exfoliate right before visiting the salon. This will expose a fresh layer of skin that won't shed for a while, although it may also increase your chances of sunburn.
Don't shower directly after, let the melanin in your skin absorb the tan, it's a good idea to shower before and then bathe the next day if you can wait that long.
It is usually expected that after you finish with the machine, you wipe up any remaining sweat you might have left in the bed with the small towel. This reduces the time they have to take when they clean the bed before someone else uses it. It also saves you from some embarrassment.
Check for skin cancer regularly. Do a breast self examination while you're at it.
Tanning won't be as efficient if you're very hairy. Consider shaving or waxing first.

Warnings

Wear sunblock (when not tanning in a tanning bed). A base tan doesn't make you invincible.
Going into the tanning bed without special goggles is a good way to let go of superficiality, because you won't be able to see how pale you are if you're blind.
Exposing yourself to UV rays increases your chances of skin cancer, no matter how you slice it.
If any of the staff members are burnt and peeling, they might not be your best guides to the tanning process.
Tanning can actually be addictive. Beware of tanorexia.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ 1.0 1.1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbed

↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunburn#Cause

↑ http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-tan3.html

↑ American Cancer Society

↑ http://www.askmen.com/fashion/how_to/41b_how_to.html

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Use a Tanning Bed. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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www.healthreform.gov.

2009-03-17T07:14:00.002-05:00

www.healthreform.gov.

In December 2008, President-elect Obama invited Americans to host and participate in HealthCare Community Discussions to talk about how to reform health care in America.

Over 9,000 Americans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia signed up to host Health Care Community Discussions. Thousands more participated. Friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, representing the views of both health care patients and providers, came together in homes and offices, coffee shops and fire houses, universities and community centers, all with a common purpose: to discuss reforming the health care system.

The 3,276 group reports were systematically analyzed and the information generated by the Health Care Community Discussions captured in the report, Americans Speak on Health Reform: Report on Health Care Community Discussions.

The Web site,www.healthreform.gov. , will allow Americans to view today’s White House Health Forum, share their thoughts about health reform with the Obama Administration and sign a statement in support of President Obama’s commitment to enacting comprehensive health reform this year.

“This new Web site, www.healthreform.gov and report ensure that when we discuss health reform, the American people will have an equal stake in the health reform efforts,” said HHS Spokeswoman Jenny Backus. “Sky-rocketing health care costs are creating enormous pressure on families, on businesses and our fiscal future. The Obama Administration is committed to taking action this year on health reform and is calling on government, business, health care stakeholders and everyday Americans to come together to make it happen.”

The cost of health care services and health insurance was the top concern about the health care system for 55 percent of discussion participants. Participants also cited lack of emphasis on prevention, pre-existing conditions limiting insurance access, and the quality of care as key concerns. A qualitative analysis found that the Health Care Community Discussions focused on concerns about a “broken” health system, access to health insurance and services, rising premiums and drug costs, medical mistakes and the system not being “for them.”

A copy of Americans Speak on Health Reform: Report on Health Care Community Discussions, group reports filed by participants and hundreds of submitted photos are available at www.HealthReform.gov.

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Woman finds Cat in $27 Couch

2009-03-16T07:07:00.002-05:00

When Vickie Mendenhall bought her used couch, Callie came free.

(Full-size photo)

According to the Spokesman-Review, a woman bought a used couch for $27. The couch came with a weird noise. After days of searching for the source of the noise, she found a very hungry calico cat living in her sofa.

She contacted the store where she purchased the couch to tell them about it , but the store had no information on who donated it. So she took the cat to SpokAnimal CARE, the animal shelter where she works, so it could recover, and contacted media outlets in hopes of finding the owner.

The owner was found. He had appearently donated the couch and his 9-year-old cat Callie disappeared about the same time.

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Recession hits even billionaires

2009-03-15T06:02:00.002-05:00

According to Forbes.com, the number of billionaires has dropped from 1,125 to 793.

Why the decline?

355 from declining fortunes and 18 died.

There are 38 newcomers, plus three moguls who returned to the list after regaining their 10-figure fortunes.

The world's richest are also a lot poorer. Their collective net worth is $2.4 trillion, down $2 trillion from a year ago. Their average net worth fell 23% to $3 billion. The last time the average was that low was in 2003.

Warren Buffett, last year's No. 1, saw his fortune decline $25 billion as shares of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) fell nearly 50% in 12 months, but he still managed to slip just one spot to No. 2. Mexican telecom titan Carlos Slim Helú also lost $25 billion and dropped one spot to No. 3.

The biggest loser in the world this year, by dollars, was last year's biggest gainer. India's Anil Ambani lost $32 billion--76% of his fortune--as shares of his Reliance Communications, Reliance Power and Reliance Capital all collapsed.

China has 28, 27 in Moscow and there are 55 in New York.

After slipping in recent years, the U.S. is regaining its dominance as a repository of wealth. Americans account for 44% of the money and 45% of the list's slots, up seven and three percentage points from last year, respectively. Still, it has 110 fewer billionaires than a year ago.
Last year there were 39 American billionaire hedge fund managers; this year there are 28.
Worldwide, 80 of the 355 drop-offs from last year's list had fortunes derived from finance or investments.

Number one billionaire on the list? Bill Gates, Net Worth: $40 billion

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Time Asks: Can Marijuana Help Rescue California's Economy?

2009-03-14T07:02:00.002-05:00

Could marijuana be the answer to the economic misery facing California?

That's what they are talking about over at TIME.

According to TIME, marijuana is California's biggest cash crop, responsible for $14 billion a year in sales. The state's second largest agricultural commodity: milk and cream which brings in $7.3 billion a year, according to the most recent USDA statistics.

So what if the state of Cal. taxed marijuana?

The state's tax collectors estimate the bill would bring in about $1.3 billion a year in much needed revenue, offsetting some of the billions of dollars in service cuts and spending reductions outlined in the recently approved state budget.

State assemblyman Tom Ammiano introduced legislation last month that would legalize pot and allow the state to regulate and tax its sale - a move that could mean billions of dollars for the cash-strapped state.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that states should be able to make their own rules for medical marijuana and that federal raids on pot dispensaries in California would cease.

In 1996 California became one of the first states in the nation to legalize medical marijuana. Currently, $200 million in medical-marijuana sales are subject to sales tax. If passed, the Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act (AB 390) would give California control of pot in a manner similar to that of alcohol while prohibiting its purchase by citizens under age 21.

Retired Orange County Superior Court Judge James Gray, a longtime proponent of legalization, estimates that legalizing pot and thus ceasing to arrest, prosecute and imprison nonviolent offenders could save the state $1 billion a year.

Read in full.
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How to Stop Being a Workaholic

2009-03-13T07:13:00.001-05:00

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

It is dangerous to be a workaholic. Although you may finish a lot of work, you may endanger your marriage, ruin your relationships with your children, get burnt out, and end up in an early grave. If you want time to live a more enjoyable, meaningful life, the following steps will point the way..

Steps

Change your values so that work is no longer the most important thing in your life. Unless you are truly convinced in your heart that there are some other things more valuable than work, it is unlikely the other steps will be effective. You won't be able to say “No” to overtime unless you are sincerely saying “Yes” to something you truly desire. Ask yourself if you value any of the following enough to give them higher priority than your work:
- Your family. Is your work so important that you would rather risk a divorce and wreck your relationship with your children rather than cut back on your work?
- Your health. Are you willing to get a stress-related disease and possibly die before retirement because your work is so important?
- Enjoyment and peace of mind. Workaholics often claim they work so much because they enjoy their work. But if you focus on only one type of enjoyment, you are likely to miss out on the happiness and peace of mind that come with a more balanced lifestyle, with time to nurture meaningful relationships and savor simple pleasures.
- Pleasing God. Some people work very hard because they feel God has called them to this work and it is of eternal significance. If that describes you, meditate on these words from the Bible: “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” This suggests that if you are working too hard, it is not because that is what God wants for you. Rather you are probably doing it because of the expectations of other people or your own desires.
- Money. What's the point of having so much wealth if you don't have time to enjoy it? If you are doing it for the sake of those you love, remember that the gift of time is worth more than the gift of money.
- Once you have a firm determination to tackle your work addiction, the following steps can help:
Evaluate the impact of the various types of work you do. Cut back on work which gives relatively little benefit for the time invested. For any item of work you take on, ask yourself: “How many people will get a significant benefit from this? How many people are eagerly waiting for me to finish this?” If the answer is, “Hardly anyone” think twice or three times about whether you should really do it, or continue with it.
Limit the number of work assignments you accept. Finish one item of work before starting another one. Don't feel that you have to finish every item of work that you have started. Just because you've already wasted a lot of time on a piece of work, it doesn't mean you have to waste more. Don't throw good time after bad.
- If you have trouble turning down assignments, you may benefit from reading How to Stop Being a People Pleaser and How to Break the "Nice Guy" Stereotype.
Limit the amount of time you spend working. Set aside one day of the week, such as Sunday, as a day of rest. Be strict with yourself in not working on that day. If the computer is your main work tool, try not to use the computer at all on your rest day. Set office hours for yourself, outside of which you don't allow yourself to work. For example, no work before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
Be flexible about when you aim to finish a piece of work. If other people set deadlines for you, so be it. But try not to set deadlines for yourself. Don't do today what you can reasonably put off until tomorrow.
When appropriate, limit the quality of work you aim to achieve. Don't always aim for super high quality work when it isn't necessary to achieve the purpose of the work. As Chesterton said, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” Especially if that frees up time to do something else even more worthwhile. See How to Control Perfectionism.
Be efficient in the work you do. If you can be highly productive in a relatively short time, you can use your achievement to calm your workaholic conscience and allow yourself to relax outside your set work time. If you stop being a workaholic, it doesn't mean you can't work hard, work efficiently, and aim for excellent quality. But you set sensible limits on your work so that it doesn't eat up the rest of your life. See How to Work Smart, Not Hard.
Meditate on this: How many people say on their deathbed, “I wish I'd spent more time in the office.” Make it a habit to periodically ask yourself, throughout the day, "If I died in my sleep tonight, would I be happy with the way I spent my day?" As somber as it may sound, looking at your life from the perspective of your deathbed can jolt your priorities into place.

Video

In this video you'll learn a few insights on how to overcome "Workaholic" tendencies.

Tips

If you wake up too early in the morning, don't get up and do something useful. Just lie quietly resting on your bed. After an hour, you may go back to sleep again. If not, you have still allowed your body to get needed rest.
Pay serious attention to your spouse/partner/parent/child/close friend when they urge you not to work so hard.
Train yourself to respond positively to interruptions. If the purpose of work is to benefit other people, then each time someone comes and interrupts, you can regard it as a golden opportunity to fulfill that purpose there and then.

Warnings

Beware of time management gurus. Although they give helpful advice about working efficiently, their techniques often encourage the tendency to cram in as much useful work into a day as possible. Whereas as a recovering workaholic, your aim is to reduce your work, not increase it.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Stop Being a Workaholic. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)

2009-03-12T07:03:00.000-05:00

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)
and St. Patrick’s Day (March 17): 2009

Originally a religious holiday to honor St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a celebration for all things Irish. The world’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade occurred on March 17, 1762, in New York City, featuring Irish soldiers serving in the English military. President Truman attended the parade in 1948. Congress proclaimed March as Irish-American Heritage Month in 1995, and the president issues a proclamation each year.

Population Distribution

36.5 million
Number of U.S. residents who claimed Irish ancestry in 2007. This number was more than eight times the population of Ireland itself (more than 4 million). Irish was the nation’s second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only German.
Sources: 2007 American Community Survey and Ireland Central Statistical Office
<http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/database/eirestat/Population%20Estimates/Population%20Estimates.asp>
<http://factfinder.census.gov>

24%
Percent of Massachusetts residents who were of Irish ancestry in 2007. This compares with a rate of 12 percent for the nation as a whole.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

Irish-Americans Today

32%
Percentage of people of Irish ancestry, 25 or older, who had a bachelor’s degree or more education. In addition, 92 percent of Irish-Americans in this age group had at least a high school diploma. For the nation as a whole, the corresponding rates were 28 percent and 85 percent.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

$56,966
Median income for households headed by an Irish-American, higher than the $50,740 for all households. In addition, 8 percent of people of Irish ancestry were in poverty, lower than the rate of 13 percent for all Americans.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

39%
Percentage of employed civilian Irish-Americans 16 or older who worked in management, professional and related occupations. Additionally, 27 percent worked in sales and office occupations; 15 percent in service occupations; 10 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations; and 9 percent in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

72%
Percentage of householders of Irish ancestry who owned the home in which they live, with the remainder renting. For the nation as a whole, the homeownership rate was 67 percent.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

Trade With the “Old Sod”

$26.2 billion
The value of U.S. imports from Ireland for January to October 2008. Meanwhile, the United States exported $7.4 billion worth of goods to Ireland.
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>

Places to Spend the Day

4
Number of places in the United States named Shamrock, the floral emblem of Ireland. Mount Gay-Shamrock, W.Va., and Shamrock, Texas, were the most populous, with 2,623 and 1,830 residents, respectively. Shamrock Lakes, Ind., had 154 residents and Shamrock, Okla., 123. (Statistic for Mount Gay-Shamrock is from Census 2000; the other statistics are 2007 estimates.)
Sources: American FactFinder <http://factfinder.census.gov> and
population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html>

9
Number of places in the United States that share the name of Ireland’s capital, Dublin. Since Census 2000, Dublin, Calif., has surpassed Dublin, Ohio, as the most populous of these places (43,960 compared with 37,954, respectively, as of July 1, 2007).

If you’re still not into the spirit of St. Paddy’s Day, then you might consider paying a visit to Emerald Isle, N.C., with 3,651 residents. Other appropriate places in which to spend the day: the township of Irishtown, Ill., several places or townships named “Clover” (in South Carolina, Illinois, Minnesota and Pennsylvania) and the township of Cloverleaf, Minn.
Sources: American FactFinder <http://factfinder.census.gov> and
population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html>

The Celebration

41.5 billion and 2.6 billion
U.S. beef and cabbage production, respectively, in pounds, in 2007. Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. The corned beef that celebrants dine on may very well have originated in Texas, which produced 6.8 billion pounds worth of beef, while the cabbage most likely came from California, which produced 581 million pounds, or New York, which produced 580 million pounds.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp>

$40 million
Value of potted florist chrysanthemum sales at wholesale in 2007 for operations with $100,000 or more sales. Lime green chrysanthemums are often requested for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov/index.asp>

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Are You Getting Telemarketing Calls You Don’t Want?

2009-03-11T07:03:00.002-05:00

Here's How to Stop Them

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched the National Do Not Call Registry to give Americans a choice about getting telemarketing calls at home. According to a recent Harris Interactive poll,92 percent of people who reported placing a number on the registry said they are receiving fewer calls; a total of 78 percent said they’re getting “far fewer calls” or none at all.

If you think you put your number on the National Do Not Call Registry, and you’re still getting telemarketing sales calls, the Federal Trade Commission recommends that you:

Check to see that your number is on the registry. You can verify that your number is on the registry two ways: online at DONOTCALL.GOV (click on “Verify A Registration”), or by calling 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone number you wish to verify. Follow the prompts.
You also can add your number to the registry using the same Web site or phone number (call from the number you want to register). If you register online, you will receive an email from donotcall.gov as part of the confirmation process. You will need to click on the link in this email within 72 hours after you receive it. If you don’t click on the link in the email, the number you tried to register will not be added to the registry, and telemarketers may continue to call.
Understand that some calls are not covered. Once your number has been on the registry for 31 days, most telemarketing calls will stop. However, you still may get:
- calls from — or on behalf of — political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors;
- calls from companies with whom you have an existing business relationship. A company may call you for 18 months after you make a purchase or three months after you submit an inquiry or application;
- calls from companies you’ve given permission to call.
File a complaint. If your number has been on the registry for at least 31 days, and a telemarketer calls, complain to the FTC. Visit DONOTCALL.GOV or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY1-866-290-4236). You’ll need to provide the date of the call and the phone number or name of the company that called you.

The National Do Not Call Registry is open for business, putting consumers in charge of the telemarketing calls they get at home. The Federal government created the national registry to make it easier and more efficient for you to stop getting telemarketing calls you don’t want. You can register online at WWW.DONOTCALL.GOV or call toll-free, 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236), from the number you wish to register. Registration is free.

The Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the states are enforcing the National Do Not Call Registry. Placing your number on the registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls.

This site has information for you – whether you’re a consumer interested in signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry, or a telemarketer or seller interested in learning more about your responsibilities related to the Telemarketing Sales Rule.

Your registration will not expire. Telephone numbers placed on the National Do Not Call Registry will remain on it permanently due to the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007, which became law in February 2008. Read more about it at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/04/dncfyi.shtm.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
THE NATIONAL DO NOT CALL REGISTRY

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this Website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free.

Attention sellers and telemarketers: Go to https://telemarketing.donotcall.gov to subscribe to the National Do Not Call Registry.

If you are an exempt organization, and you wish to scrub your call lists, you may subscribe, but are not required to do so.

To register a mobile or home phone, click here.

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Spring Clean Your Closet

2009-03-10T07:09:00.000-05:00

How to Install Closet Organizers

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Did you ever see one of those ads with immaculate closets and wish yours could be a bit tidier? You may never need to store exactly five identical shirts on a closet rod, but a closet organizer can help you make the most of the space you have and keep your stuff in order.
Many companies now offer modular closet systems you can install for yourself at moderate cost. If you do the job yourself, you can create a closet that's truly customized to your belongings and lifestyle. Here's how.

Steps

Notice how you use the closet and the room. Is it a bedroom where you will store mostly clothes, or does the room have some other purpose, like a craft room, play room, or computer room?
- Notice which side of the closet you naturally approach or open first, especially if it has two doors. Your preference may be because of the room layout or your tendency to be right- or left-handed. Plan to put the most frequently-used items where they're easiest to reach.
- Notice anything that ends up in piles or hanging on doorknobs in or around the closet.
- If you just moved in, try using the room and the closet as-is for awhile. It's not that much trouble to empty a closet when the time comes to work on it, and you'll learn about your usage patterns.
Measure your closet and determine how much space you have to work with. Measure height and depth in addition to width.
- Check where the studs are because this will also help determine your plan. The mounting screws must go into studs and not just drywall.
- Also, measure how much the frame of the closet and how much it overhangs the space inside.
Look around at available closet systems, to get ideas and to have in mind the elements that are available to you. Give some consideration to the choice of materials.
- Compare materials. Metal wire shelves are inexpensive and reasonably strong, but they may not have the aesthetics of finished melamine. Melamine and manufactured wood products can be finished to resemble wood, but they are generally costlier and heavier than wire.
- Decide whether appearance is important. It may be important for a large, walk-in closet in a master bedroom or for any exposed storage that is acting as a closet. In a broom closet, on the other hand, it may not matter.
- Compare costs of different systems and stores. Home improvement and hardware stores often carry closet organization systems. So do container and organization stores, not to mention IKEA. Shop around.
- Note what parts are in stock at your local store(s) and what other pieces can be ordered.
- Pick up a brochure or catalog showing what parts are available, so that you can decide which parts will fit your closet. While you're in the store, get a price list or write down prices of the parts you think you will use.
- Understand what's involved in assembling the different systems and make sure you're up to the task. Most of them are fairly straightforward, aimed at do-it-yourselfers.
- Ask which pieces (shelves, rods, and even support rails) can easily be cut to a custom length if the standard length doesn't quite fit your closet. Many of the stores selling closet systems can even cut the pieces for you, so ask if cutting is available and how much it costs.
Plan your closet, making sketches, and eventually scale drawings, as you go.
- For your final plan, draw to scale. In general, you will draw an elevation of the closet, the view you will have when you open both doors, but you should also check the depth to make sure that hanging items and shelves fit.
Determine how much hanging space you will need. In a clothing closet, hanging storage will probably occupy most of the space and cost relatively little, so plan it first and give it an ample share of the space.
- Measure your existing rods and how much clothing you have, in rod length occupied by hangers, adding enough space to slide hangers apart for easy hanging and selection.
- Arrange hanging storage so that it hangs well back from the door. Remember that rods for hanging clothing need clearance both in front of and behind them.
- Plan in terms of upper and lower rods, with rods for longer hanging items like dresses and bathrobes. Many closet systems will allow double hanging for shorter items such as pants and shirts. Measure how long your longest garments hang.
- If this is a shared closet, consider how you can use the closet system to divide the space, giving each user their own rods, shelves, and so on. Try to divide the space equitably, but consider who will store more belongings there.
Decide whether to include drawers or sliding baskets in your closet. This depends on whether you will be storing clothing or other small objects in the closet. Drawers and baskets are among the more costly items you can install in most closet systems.
- If you have a dresser, captain's bed, or other storage elsewhere, you may not need drawers in the closet.
- Placing bins or baskets on shelving may be a cheaper, more flexible option for storing and organizing small objects in a closet. Choose drawers if you need frequent access; shelving if you don't mind a bin-and-basket approach, or if you need flexibility.
Figure out how much shelving you can include and what will go on it. Measure the height of the tallest objects that will go on shelves to help determine the spacing.
Plan storage for larger items. Do you keep a clothes hamper in the closet? Do you want it to be built in or loose?
Plan any special-purpose storage. Will you make space for sports equipment? Will you put your DVD player out of sight, in the closet?
Plan any work areas that will go in the closet. Will this closet house a sewing machine or computer? Be sure to leave space for the user of these items to access them comfortably.
Check the space above the rod. If this space is also near the top of the door to the closet, make sure that the shelf up there is shallow enough that objects can pass through the space between the door and the shelf.
Plan shoe storage for clothing closets.
Decide which parts you will need of the system you have chosen.
- Incorporate starter kits, if they are available, with a few basic accessories. Often, buying several items as a kit costs less than buying them individually, so compare prices. For a larger closet, you may be able to combine multiple kits with a few connecting pieces.
- Shelves can usually be shortened if the standard lengths don't quite fit. Often, the store selling the shelving can help you to cut it down, particularly for metal wire shelving.
- Consider the height of the user. Kids may not be able to reach upper shelves and rods until they grow. Shorter people and people in wheelchairs may want certain rods and shelves lower, too.
Make a list of the parts and kits that you will need, based on the sketch. Include any hardware (screws, etc.) that is not in the kits. Take this list to the store.
Purchase your closet parts. Take a vehicle large enough for the widest and longest parts.
Empty the closet and clear the area around it for working. You'll also need some floor space away from the project to assemble things like drawers if you're using them.
- Now is the time to paint the closet, if you want to.
- Lift sliding doors off their tracks for better access.
Locate the studs in the wall and mark them. It is very important that your mounting screws go into studs and not just drywall.
Locate the support rails. Depending on the closet system you choose, these will generally be horizontal or vertical metal rails. In any case, make sure that the holes where you will put the screws line up with studs.
Use a level and a tape measure to get the support rails vertical or horizontal (whichever yours require) and aligned with one another.
When you have the supports where they should be, mark the hole locations on the wall with a pencil. You may be able to mark right through the mounting holes. Mark the bracket edge location, if you want.
- Mark holes so that you can find both the horizontal and vertical location after you remove the bracket.
Drill pilot holes in the wall where you have marked. Make them about the same size or a little smaller than the minor diameter (smaller diameter) of the screw thread.
Install the support rails. Line them up again and drive long screws through the brackets and into the walls.
Assemble drawers, modular shelves, cabinets, and any other pieces that require assembly before they are hung up. Most closet systems will come with instructions specific to the design.
Attach the closet pieces to the support rails. Read the manufacturer's instructions for specific details.
Secure the shelves, rods, etc. to the support rails or to the walls as required. Here again, secure into the wall studs or, if necessary, use bolts designed for use in drywall.
Add any finishing touches, such as drawer pulls, hooks, etc.
Arrange adjustable shelves. For laminate shelves on adjustable pegs, make sure each shelf has four pegs and that all four are pushed in all the way and have the flat side up, supporting the shelf. Screw them in if the peg design requires it.
Wipe or vacuum up dust and debris from the project.
Line shelves or drawers, if desired. Shelf liners can keep wooden and laminate shelves looking nicer longer, block moisture and spills, keep things from sliding around or, in the case of metal shelves, take up the space between wires so that smaller objects don't fall through.
Move into your new closet.
- This would be a great time to organize the contents of your closet or storage space and throw out what you don't need.

Video

This video focuses specifically on installing a laminate closet organizer.

Tips

The detail of your planning should correspond to the complexity of your project. If all you need is a couple rods and some shelves, a quick sketch should do it.
Keep your budget in mind throughout the planning process. When you have a basic plan, total up the costs before you head for the store. This is especially important for larger closets: all those little pieces can add up fast!
Have another person nearby to hold things while you adjust, mark, and screw things in, and to help with long and heavy items.
Some closets have access hatches for attics, crawl spaces, or pipes. There's no reason you can't put loose objects in front of these (hanging garments, laundry hampers, or shoe racks), but plan permanent fixtures, like built-in shelves, around these openings.
Not all closet systems need to go in closets. They can also help to create laundry areas, garage, and pantry storage, and they can be combined with cabinets or other enclosed storage.

Warnings

Always work safely with tools.
Make sure that closet systems are designed to take the load and make sure that the support brackets are securely installed into a stud with the recommended number of fasteners and spacing. Then, make sure that shelves and other units are correctly installed on the supports.
A closet organizer can only do so much. If you have way too much stuff, you'll need to sort through it and remove items to get the most of your organization system.

Things You'll Need

Stud finder
Screwdriver
Pencil
Drill and drill bits
Tape measure
Level, plumb bob, square
Safety glasses
Closet organizer system brackets or rails
Shelves, rods, and other closet organizer components
Handles, hooks, and door or drawer pulls, as necessary
Bins, shelf liners, hangers, etc. (optional)
A hacksaw (for cutting rods and metal shelving) and circular saw (for cutting wood or laminate shelves), if you need to cut any pieces yourself.
Mounting screws, if they are not included with your closet system. Choose long wood screws if you are mounting the closet system into studs and drywall screws with anchors if there are places you cannot screw into studs.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Install Closet Organizers. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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Boy Wins and Island

2009-03-09T07:15:00.002-05:00

There was a Taiwan lottery aimed at boosting spending and a 4-year-old boy won the use of an uninhabited tropical island, with white sand beaches and clear turquoise waters.
The boy will get exclusive rights to the tiny plot in the Taiwan Strait from May through September.

As part of the prize package, he will receive food, drinks, water and electricity.

The boy says he will " play in the sea."

Penghu, which comprises 64 islands, is known for its beautiful beaches and water sports.

According to the terms of the prize, the boy and up to seven family members can visit the island five times, for trips that last a maximum of three days.

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Charles Barkley goes to jail

2009-03-08T05:54:00.003-05:00

Sir Charles Barkley began serving his three-day sentence after pleading guilty last month to misdemeanor drunken-driving charges.

A judge sentenced him to 10 days in jail, but his sentence was reduced in exchange for Barkley's attending an alcohol-awareness course. He now resides in Arizona's infamous Tent City.

.

"You come here when you screw up," Barkley said at a news conference hours after he reported at the Maricopa County jail. "I don't blame anybody for this situation but myself."

In a news conference, Barkley spoke out against drunken driving, made some observations about President Obama ("Rush Limbaugh and a lot of jackasses are giving him a hard time right now").

Barkley commented on felony charges singer Chris Brown faces for allegedly beating his girlfriend, singer Rhianna.

"I wish both of them the best, but it's never acceptable to hit a woman. Period," Barkley said.

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Women’s History Month: March 2009

2009-03-07T06:29:00.001-06:00

National Women’s History Month’s roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women’s Day was first observed in 1909, but it wasn’t until 1981 that Congress established National Women’s History Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women’s History Month, and the president has issued a proclamation.

154.7 million
The number of females in the United States as of Oct. 1, 2008. The number of males was 150.6 million.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/2007-nat-res.html>

At 85 and older, there were more than twice as many women as men.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/NC-EST2007-sa.html>

Motherhood

82.8 million
Estimated number of mothers of all ages in the United States.
Source: Unpublished data from Survey of Income and Program Participation

1.9
Average number of children that women 40 to 44 had given birth to as of 2006, down from 3.1 children in 1976, the year the Census Bureau began collecting such data. The percentage of women in this age group who were mothers was 80 percent in 2006, down from 90 percent in 1976.
Source: Fertility of American Women: 2006 <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012510.html>

Earnings

$34,278
The median annual earnings of women 16 or older who worked year-round, full time, in 2007, up from $33,648 in 2006 (after adjusting for inflation). Women earned 77.5 cents for every $1 earned by men.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html>

$49,364
Median earnings of women in 2007 in the District of Columbia, a total not statistically different from the men. In all of the 50 states, women had lower earnings than the men. The District of Columbia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey were the only states or equivalents where median earnings for women were greater than $40,000.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html>

$61,957
Median earnings of women working in computer and mathematical jobs, the highest among the 26 major occupational groups. In the installation, maintenance and repair occupations and community and social services group, women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s earnings were higher than 90 percent.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/012528.html>

Education

33%
Percent of women 25 to 29 who had attained a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2007, which exceeded that of men in this age range (26 percent).
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007 <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html>

28.2 million
Number of women 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more education in 2007, more than double the number 20 years earlier.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007 <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html>

28%
Percent of women 25 and older who had obtained a bachelor’s degree or more as of 2007. This rate was up 11 percentage points from 20 years earlier. Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007 <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/011196.html>

928,000
The projected number of bachelor’s degrees that will be awarded to women in the 2008-09 school year. Women are also projected to earn 391,000 master’s degrees during this period. Women would, therefore, earn 58 percent of the bachelor’s and 60 percent of the master’s degrees awarded during this school year. In addition, women would earn nearly 50 percent of first-professional degrees, such as law and medical.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics to 2017
<http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008078>.

Businesses

33%
Source for the statements in this section:
Women-Owned Firms: 2002 <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/sb0200cswmnt.pdf> and
Company Summary: 2002 <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/sb0200cscosumt.pdf>

More than $939 billion
Revenue for women-owned businesses in 2002. There were 116,985 women-owned businesses with receipts of $1 million or more.

Nearly 6.5 million
The number of women-owned businesses in 2002. Women owned 28 percent of all nonfarm businesses.

More than 7.1 million
Number of people employed by women-owned businesses. There were 7,231 women-owned businesses with 100 or more employees, generating $274 billion in gross receipts.

Nearly one in three women-owned businesses operated in health care and social assistance, and other services, such as personal services, and repair and maintenance. Women owned 72 percent of social assistance businesses and just over half of nursing and residential care facilities. Wholesale and retail trade accounted for 38 percent of women-owned business revenue.

13%
Percentage of women-owned businesses in California, which had the most women-owned businesses at 870,496. New York was second with 505,077 or 8 percent of all businesses. Texas was third in number of businesses with 468,705, accounting for 7 percent of all businesses.

Voting

65%
Percentage of female citizens 18 and older who reported voting in the 2004 presidential election. Sixty-two percent of their male counterparts cast a ballot. Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/004986.html>

49%
Percentage of female citizens who voted in the 2006 congressional elections, compared with 47 percent of men.
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2006
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/012234.html>

Jobs

59%
In 2007, the percentage of females 16 and older who participated in the labor force, representing about 71 million women. The participation rate for males in this age category was 73 percent. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics <http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat2.pdf>

38%
Percent of females 16 or older who worked in management, professional and related occupations, compared with 32 percent of males.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

22.5 million
Number of female workers in educational services, health care and social assistance industries. More women worked in this industry group than in any other. Within this industry group, 11.2 million worked in the health care industry and 8.6 million in educational services.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

62%
Chances are that your taxes will be prepared by a woman, as this was the percentage of tax preparers who were women in 2007. In addition, 75 percent of travel agents were women. Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 596. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

94,000
Number of female police officers across the country in 2007. In addition, there were about 14,000 women firefighters, 330,000 lawyers, 266,000 physicians and surgeons, and 36,000 pilots. (Note: Number of pilots pertains to 2006.)
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Tables 596, 1042 and 1050 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Military

198,400
Total number of active duty women in the military, as of Sept. 30, 2007. Of that total, 33,500 women were officers, and 164,900 were enlisted.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 494. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

14%
Proportion of members of the armed forces who were women, as of Sept. 30, 2007. In 1950, women comprised less than 2 percent.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 494. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

1.8 million
The number of military veterans who were women in 2007.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 503. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Marriage

62.6 million
Number of married women (including those who were separated or had an absent spouse) in 2007. There were 60.7 million unmarried (widowed, divorced or never married) women. Source: 2007 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov>

18%
Percentage of married couples in which the wife earned at least $5,000 more than the husband in 2007.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2007

<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/marital_status_living_arrangements/012437.html>

23%
Percentage of married couples in which the wife had more education than the husband in 2007.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/marital_status_living_arrangements/012437.html>

5.6 million
Number of stay-at-home mothers nationwide in 2007, up from 4.6 million a decade earlier.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/marital_status_living_arrangements/012437.html>

Sports

3 million
Number of girls who participated in high school athletic programs in the 2006-07 school year. In the 1979-80 school year, only 1.75 million girls were members of a high school athletic team.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 1208. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

174,534
Number of women who participated in a National Collegiate Athletic Association sport in 2006-07.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 1207. <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

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census.gov

Daylight Saving Time

2009-03-06T07:07:00.002-06:00

Turn the clocks ahead this Sunday.

Daylight Saving Time gives us the opportunity to enjoy extra dayliight by moving our clocks an hour forward in the spring. It was the idea of Benjamin Franklin.

Most of the United States begins Daylight Saving Time at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

In the U.S., clocks change at 2:00 a.m. local time. In spring, clocks spring forward from 1:59 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.; in fall, clocks fall back from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

In 2007, daylight time changed in the United States to the second Sunday in March, ending on the first Sunday in November. On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. These dates were established by Congress.

Not all places in the U.S. observe daylight time. In particular, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not use it. Indiana adopted its use beginning in 2006.

In 2006, daylight time begins on April 2 and ends on October 29.
In 2007, daylight time begins on March 11 and ends on November 4. [New law goes into effect.]
In 2008, daylight time begins on March 9 and ends on November 2.
In 2009, daylight time begins on March 8 and ends on November 1.

Many other countries observe some form of "summer time", but they do not necessarily change their clocks on the same dates as the U.S.

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Heart-Healthy, Reduced-Calorie Diets Promote Long-term Weight Loss

2009-03-05T07:02:00.001-06:00

Regardless of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrate Content

Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake — regardless of differing proportions of fat, protein, or carbohydrate — can help overweight and obese adults achieve and maintain weight loss, according to a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, and published Feb. 26, 2009, in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers from the Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS LOST) study found similar weight loss after six months and two years among participants assigned to four diets that differed in their proportions of these three major nutrients. The diets were low or high in total fat (20 or 40 percent of calories) with average or high protein (15 or 25 percent of calories). Carbohydrate content ranged from 35 to 65 percent of calories. The diets all used the same calorie reduction goals and were heart-healthy — low in saturated fat and cholesterol while high in dietary fiber.

On average, participants lost 13 pounds at six months and maintained a 9 pound loss at two years. Participants also reduced their waistlines by 1 to 3 inches by the end of the study. Craving, fullness, hunger, and diet satisfaction were all similar across the four diets.

"These results show that, as long as people follow a heart-healthy, reduced-calorie diet, there is more than one nutritional approach to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight," said Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., director, NHLBI. "This provides people who need to lose weight with the flexibility to choose an approach that they’re most likely to sustain — one that is most suited to their personal preferences and health needs."

In the POUNDS LOST study, 811 overweight and obese adults aged 30 to 70 were assigned to one of four diets, and asked to record their food intake in a diary or an online tool that showed how intake compared with goals. Group diet counseling sessions were held at least twice per month throughout the two years of the study, and individual sessions were held every eight weeks. Participants were given personalized calorie goals, ranging from 1,200 to 2,400 calories per day, which reduced their overall caloric intake as compared with their daily energy requirement. All participants were asked to do moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, for at least 90 minutes per week. Study participants were diverse in gender and ethnicity, with 38 percent men and 22 percent representing minorities. Participants did not have diabetes or severe heart disease but could have had other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Overweight is defined by having a body mass index (BMI) — a calculation of the relationship between weight and height — greater than 25 and less than 30. Those with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered to be obese. Sixty-six percent of American adults are overweight and of those, 32 percent are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research was conducted in Boston at Harvard University School of Public Health and at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. Diets were adapted during sessions to the diverse cuisines from these two regions of the country.

"We were encouraged that, in addition to achieving and maintaining weight loss, study participants experienced other positive health changes as well," said Catherine M. Loria, Ph.D., a nutritional epidemiologist at NHLBI and co-author of the study. "The findings emphasize the importance of weight loss in reducing heart disease risk."

All diets improved risk factors for cardiovascular disease at both six months and two years in ways consistent with previous studies. Improved risk factors include reduced levels of triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, lowered blood pressure, and increased HDL (good) cholesterol. All diets decreased the presence of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of related conditions, overweight, high triglycerides, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and low HDL cholesterol, which increases heart disease risk.

Previous studies have shown that a loss of 5 to10 percent of body weight will help reduce risk factors for heart disease and other medical conditions. In this study, 15 percent of patients achieved a 10 percent weight loss after two years.

"This new information should focus weight loss approaches on reducing calorie intake rather than any particular proportions of fat, protein or carbohydrate. This is important information for health professionals who prescribe weight loss for their patients, and for adults who are seeking ways to sustain a healthful eating pattern," said Frank M. Sacks, M.D., principal investigator of POUNDS LOST and Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in the Nutrition Department at the Harvard School of Public Health.

The target nutrient compositions of the four diets were:

Low-fat, average protein: 20 percent fat, 15 percent protein, 65 percent carbohydrate
Low-fat, high protein: 20 percent fat, 25 percent protein, 55 percent carbohydrate
High-fat, average protein: 40 percent fat, 15 percent protein, 45 percent carbohydrate
High-fat, high-protein: 40 percent fat, 25 percent protein, 35 percent carbohydrate

While the design of the POUNDS LOST study called for physical activity targets to be set at 90 minutes per week, many people need more physical activity in order to achieve their weight loss goals. For more information, see the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans at www.health.gov/paguidelines.

Further information about this trial (NCT00072995) can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov.

Resources:

Diseases and Conditions Index: Overweight and Obesity: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/obe/obe_whatare.html

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When not to call 911- when they are out of McNuggets

2009-03-04T06:59:00.003-06:00

911 is meant to be the universal phine number for emergencies. Unfortunately, not everyone uses 911 for it's intended purpose.

There is 911 misuse and 911 abuse.
911 misuse and abuse is divided into two categories: unintentional and intentional calls.Unintentional calls occur when a person or phone inadvertently dials 911. This category includes phantom wireless calls, misdials and hang-upss. Callers sometimes deliberately, but inappropriately, dial 911. Such intentional calls fall under several distinct categories.
Nonemergency 911 Calls

Nonemergency calls often constitute a large portion of all 911 calls.† Callers sometimes phone about an incident—albeit not an emergency—that requires police attention .

And then there are the non emergency calls that are just stupid and take resources away from the real emergencies.

Authorities say a Florida woman called 911 three times after McDonald's employees told her they were out of McNuggets. A police report said that the Fort Pierce resident told authorities she paid for a 10-piece last week but was later informed the restaurant had run out.

She says she was refused a refund and told all sales were final. A cashier told police she offered the woman a larger portion of different food for the same price, but the woman became irate.

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National Consumer Protection Week

2009-03-03T07:03:00.002-06:00

The 11th annual National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), March 1-7. NCPW 2009.

National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW), which highlights consumer protection and education efforts across the country, is proud to announce NCPW 2009 – Nuts and Bolts: Tools for Today’s Economy. Whether consumers are trying to stretch their paychecks, improve their credit history, or tell the difference between a real deal and a potentially fraudulent product or service, information is one tool that can always help them get the most for their money.

The NCPW website has the nuts and bolts consumers need to make informed decisions in today’s marketplace. Partner organizations have tips on a wide range of topics, from getting a free credit report to spotting a telemarketing scam, from dealing with debt to deterring and detecting identity theft, from avoiding home and auto repair scams to reporting credit repair scams.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, scam artists, fraudsters and four flushers follow the headlines, and are likely to be using the economic downturn to take advantage of consumers who may be underwater financially. The NCPW website has tools people can use to recognize a ripoff, sniff out a scam, and make smart choices for today’s market.

National organizers of this year’s NCPW include AARP, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Federation of America, the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Federal Citizen’s Information Center, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Association of Attorneys General, the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators, the National Consumers League, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Postal Service.
For more information about NCPW, visit www.consumer.gov/ncpw.

HelpWithMyBank.gov
HelpWithMyBank.gov provides answers and assistance to customers of national banks. It assists consumers in filing complaints online by telling them what to provide and what to expect. Customer Assistance Specialists are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern, Monday – Friday, at 1-800-613-6743 or by email at Customer.Assistance@OCC.Treas.Gov. The site also includes answers to common questions on a variety of consumer topics and helps walk people through the process of contacting the OCC for additional assistance.

Visit HelpWithMyBank.gov, a website from the OCC.

Free Annual Credit Reports
annualcreditreport.com is the ONLY authorized online source for you to get a free credit report under federal law. You can get a free report from each of the three national credit reporting companies every 12 months. Some other sites claim to offer "free" credit reports, but may charge you for another product if you accept a "free" report.

Visit annualcreditreport.com

ConsumerAction.gov features tips on many different consumer topics and information about how to solve consumer problems, as well as addresses, telephone numbers, and websites where you can file consumer complaints.

View the site from the FCIC.

Order your copy of the 2009 Consumer Action Handbook.

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Tax Season....

2009-03-02T07:10:00.001-06:00

Free Tax Help

There are lots of free tax help programs out there for people who need it. The IRS offers a guide of tax services. Some highlights:

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)

VITA offers free tax help for low-to-moderate income earners ($42,000 and below) who cannot prepare their own returns. To locate the nearest VITA site, call (800) 829-1040.

Tax Counseling for Seniors

According to the IRS, 90 million people filed their taxes electronically in 2008. There are many advantages to e-filing your taxes – it’s easier, it reduces the risk of error and you’ll receive your refund faster (especially if you use direct deposit to receive your refund electronically). According to the IRS, e-filing is “virtually error-proof with an error rate of less than one percent.” There are three ways to e-file:

Go to a Tax Professional

See an authorized e-file provider who can electronically file e-files your taxes for you, usually at a fee. Fees may vary depending on the tax professional you choose and the specific services requested.

Do it Yourself on your Computer

Use purchased / free software on your home computer.

Free File (IRS)

If you made less than $56,000 in 2008, you can e-file your taxes directly with the IRS through their Free File program. It offers:

Free service
Services in English / Spanish
Automatic accuracy checks
Quick refunds (sometimes less than 10 days)

Note: Free File only works with your Federal taxes – you still need to file your state taxes.

Free tax help for senior citizens from trained volunteers. Call (888) 227-7669 to locate an AARP Tax-Aide site in your neighborhood.

Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITCs)

LITCs provide help to low income taxpayers, either free or at nominal cost. Some non-English assistance provided. The IRS has more information on low income tax clinics in your area.

Military Personnel Resources

The Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC) offers free tax help for members of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, and their families. Visit this IRS page for general information about notifying the IRS on overseas deployment, and learn about combat zone tax benefits and other items.

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