Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government BlogGov Gab features five federal government employees blogging about the great government information they use in their daily lives.National Whole Grains Month- September 17, 2008 I was once a white bread eater. As a kid, anything with the word "grain" in it made me cringe. Now, ever older and wiser, chowing down on white bread is the equivalent of eating paste. As a reformed eater of refined grains, I am pleased to report that September is National Whole Grains Month. A whole grain is one that still has its covering, which contains the grain's fiber and many of its vitamins and minerals. Whole grains are a great source of essential vitamins, minerals, and..http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/national_whole_grains_month Hurricane Ike Survivors: Find Family & Friends- September 16, 2008 Did you evacuate to get out of the path of Hurricane Ike Do you need to find friends or family who were displaced by Ike If you answered yes to either of these questions, read on.There are websites you can register with to help you connect with your loved ones to let them know that youre safe and well after the storm. Im going to give you links to a few registries if you were displaced by the storm or if youre looking for someone, I suggest you visit them all.FEMA, the Federal Emergency...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/hurricane_ike_survivors_find_family Save on Heating Bills!- September 15, 2008 Fall begins next week and winter will be here before you know it. Joanne showed us last week the cost of heating oil is rising and there are sure to be other high heating costs this winter no matter what fuel you use to heat your humble abode.A good place to learn about how you can save on heating costs is the new Energy Savers blog. The blog was launched by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the (surprise!) U.S. Department of Energy this month as a way to communicate with..http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/save_on_heating_bills Space, My Final Frontier- September 12, 2008 Hi, my name is Ginger and I am your new Friday blogger. Nicole took a position at another agency. She is a wonderful writer and a lovely person. We will all miss her. I am one of our older bloggers on the team. When I turn 50, instead of joining the Red Hat Society, I want to start my own quirky-gals-over-50 society. We will wear yellow rain boots and speak in Klingon (Grutnik juju mani kerplaw! TranslationThese hot flashes are killing me. Turn on the air conditioning and pass the estrogen!).http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/space_my_final_frontier Remembering Together- September 11, 2008 Seven years ago today, most of my coworkers and I huddled around the office television, trying to make sense of what we were seeing on the screen: New York City. The World Trade Center. Gone. A couple other colleagues went onto the roof of our building, looked into that bright, blue sky and saw a plume of smoke rising from the Pentagon, three miles away. September 11, 2001 immediately changed daily life, from what was covered on the evening news, to the way we traveled to how we marked...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/remembering_together Constitution Day- September 10, 2008 Next week is Constitution Day. On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met one final time to sign the document which is now the world's longest surviving written charter of government. Round of applause for our founding fathers! In 2004, Congress established a law requiring public schools and governmental offices to provide educational programs to promote a better understanding of the Constitution. So, in the spirit of Constitutional education, some fun facts..http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/constitution_day Brace Yourself for Home Heating Oil Prices- September 9, 2008 Last week we filled the home heating oil tank in preparation for the cold weather. We got 435 gallons at $3.60 a gallon. Payment due upon delivery swoon. Whats up with thatThere are a lot of factors that determine the price of home heating oil. Even when the price of crude oil is stable, its typical for home heating oil prices to rise in the winter months when you need it the most. Its that old supply and demand thing from Economics 101.We dont have the furnace cranked on yet, but already were.http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/brace_yourself_for_home_heating Avoid Natural Disaster Charity Scams!- September 8, 2008 After a natural disaster, it's not uncommon to receive e-mails or phone calls soliciting donations for disaster relief. Unfortunately, these e-mails and phone calls could be scams that could leave you needing financial relief. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team warns everyone to be wary of phishing scams during hurricane season. They warn that many scam e-mails link to legitimate-looking websites that ask for personal financial information. Once you...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/avoid_natural_disaster_charity_scams Is Radon Lurking in Your Home- September 5, 2008 Did you know that the number one cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers may be lurking in your home The culpritelevated levels of radonis estimated to be found in nearly one out of every 15 homes in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some 20,000 people will die this year due to breathing too much radon without even knowing it. Among smokers, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/is_radon_lurking_in_your When Grandma's in Charge- September 4, 2008 This Sunday is the 30th annual National Grandparents Day. I kind of figured it was a holiday invented by the greeting card companies and florists. But to my shame, it's real. It was started by a West Virginia lady named Marian McQuade, who wanted to draw the younger and older generations closer together. As I was looking into what government resources there were online for grandparents, I was shocked by a set of statistics from the US Census Bureau: 2.4 million grandparents are their...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/when_grandma_s_in_charge |