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.Read the Fine Print- August 29, 2008 Have you ever wondered about the full page of microscopic text that flashes for .02 seconds at the end of a car commercial Well, the folks behind MousePrint.org certainly have. In fact, they have taken the time to review lots of ads to see what information is hidden in the fine print, and theyre willing to share their discoveries. The website doesnt just cover car ads either. Their retail section can keep you up-to-date on which companies are downsizing their products to hide rising costs, and.http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/read_the_fine_print Certified Deed Scam- August 28, 2008 Recently, Gov Gab headquarters, aka the Federal Citizen Information Center, enjoyed a visit from investigative reporter Lisa Robinson from Baltimore's WBAL-TV. She was here to put together a story about one of our office's pet peeves: a consumer scam. We hate it when people try to rip you off and we do everything we can to keep you informed. So we like people, like Lisa, who are looking out for you, too.One of Lisa's viewers told her about a scam that's been circulating the country. It involves.http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/certified_deed_scam Unemployment Compensation- August 27, 2008 Usually here at Gov Gab we're pretty good about making our posts all sunshine and rainbows and what-not. However, it's not a big secret that there is a lot of not so pleasant stuff going on. Food and gas prices are on the rise, and so is unemployment. The U.S. Department of Labor's July report says that 43 states and the District of Columbia reported an increase in unemployment during the month of July. Nationwide, the unemployment rate is 5.7%&8212;up a full percentage point from this time..http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/unemployment_compensation School Bus Safety- August 26, 2008 Todays our first day of school, and two questions come to mind. Where did summer go And why, why, why are there no seat belts on school buses!!When I was a little kid, my parents werent required by law to strap me into a car seat, but over the years weve learned a lot about safety. Whenever I get into a car I always buckle up, and my kids are properly restrained as well. So if Im a criminal if I dont buckle up my kids in the car, how does the school district get off Why does the danger end...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/school_bus_safety Vancouver 2010!- August 25, 2008 Team USA struck gold in the Beijing Olympics. To me, the highlights were Michael Phelps winning a record 8 gold medals, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin pretty much dominating women's gymnastics and the USA Men's Basketball team making like the Dream Team and winning a gold medal. As crazy as it may sound, I am already excited about the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. It makes sense though, since I had a really good time in Vancouver this summer and I am a sucker for skiing,.http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/vancouver_2010 The Pitfalls of Payday Lending- August 22, 2008 The Gov Gab comment box has recently been flooded with spam promoting payday loans. Fortunately, we dont post spam, but these messages gave me an idea for todays topic. If you gather more than five consumer advocates in any one location for more than five minutes they will commiserate about the pitfalls of payday lending. For cash-strapped consumers, a payday loan is one of the most treacherous ways to borrow money. Heres an example. A person borrows $100 until payday. The lender charges $15..http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/the_pitfalls_of_payday_lending How Good is Your Hospital- August 21, 2008 A hospital is one of those things you don't really think a lot about until you need it. But there's a research tool from the government that can help you figure out now, before there's an emergency, which hospital in your region can give you the best care and the best odds of survival whether you have a planned procedure or a medical emergency.The US Department of Health and Human Services' Hospital Compare tool lets you search for and compare the ratings of hospitals by medical procedure or...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/how_good_is_your_hospital Back to School!- August 20, 2008 In the immortal words of Billy Madison, "Back to school, back to school, to prove to Dad I am not a fool..." Hard to believe but it really is that time again. You can nearly hear the collective groan of kids packing their book bags and dashing to the library to finish up the summer's required reading list. Back to school isn't just about the kids though. Parents and teachers need to be ready to get "back to business" as well. For kids just starting school, parents...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/back_to_school Ragweed Allergy Season Achoo!- August 19, 2008 Its mid-August and my nose is running. Once again I face my nemesisragweed. Ambrosia trifida L., also known as great ragweed, is the species of ragweed that grows (abundantly) near me in Pennsylvania. Its estimated that one ragweed plant can produce up to 1 billion pollen grains each wafting on the breeze directly towards my nose.Apart from poison ivy, Im lucky to be a person that doesnt suffer from many allergies. But Im allergic to ragweed, and every year my reaction seems a bit worse than...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/ragweed_allergy_season_achoo Digital TV Transition Update- August 18, 2008 I was watching the Olympics this weekend and saw one of those DTV transition commercials. It made me realize that we are less than six months away from the full digital television transition. What this means is on February 17, 2009 broadcast television stations will only air on digital frequencies. If you live in the Wilmington, North Carolina area you've only got three weeks to prepare. Local TV stations will switch over to solely digital transmissions on September 8 as a test market for the...http://blog.usa.gov:80/roller/govgab/entry/digital_tv_transition_update |