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Entry bubble Happy Halloween Ghouls and Boos

By: Ginger | October 31, 2008 | Category: Fun

Kids in Halloween costumesMy earliest Halloween memory is being dressed as Casper, the friendly ghost, when I was 4. I insisted on sleeping in that costume for the next 3 years and probably would be sleeping in it today, if it hadn’t been tragically and accidentally (so my mother claims) thrown out in the garbage.

My parents would sit us down every Halloween for a safety lecture. They would warn us about razor blades being hidden in Halloween candy; hence the mandate to not eat any candy until they checked it out. As a kid, I had a suspicion that this was really more about my parents wanting to pick out the good candy first. In hindsight, I actually think this is fair. There ought to be some perks to being a parent.

Nowadays, the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Fire Protection Association, and the American Red Cross have web pages devoted to sharing Halloween safety information. In addition, the USA.gov Halloween page has links to all kinds of interesting Halloween facts and customs. Check out the Halloween pages from the American Folklife Center, the White House, the Patent and Trade Office, and the U.S. Census Bureau.

One Halloween, while trick-or-treating, a man told me that I had to do a trick to get my treat. I did an out-of-control cartwheel that nearly took out 2 ghosts, a princess, and a lumberjack. I remember grumbling to my sister about the “old geezer” who made me do a trick to get my treat.

Now, I am the “old geezer.” I make trick-or-treaters earn their treats. I sit outside with the candy and our 2 dogs. I tell the kids they can take one piece of candy or a handful by getting Doc and Daisy to do tricks. Most opt for the handful, so I show the kids the commands for sit, play dead, roll-over, and dance. When the kids get the dogs to complete the correct trick, they grab a big handful of the good stuff.

We know some of the neighborhood kids pretty well. For them, I bring out our cat. I tell the kids if they can get her to do a trick, I will give them my car. They try, but Keeboo just yowls at them and smacks them with her clawless paw. My husband says one day Keeboo may actually cooperate and I will have to give my car to a 5-year-old, but I’m not worried.

So, what Halloween memories do you have?

| View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: ginger   halloween  

 

Entry bubble Preparing for a Layoff

By: Nancy | October 30, 2008 | Category: Money

It happened again just now.

Another friend told me he's been laid off. That's the second this week. And there are so many others who are hearing rumors that their jobs could be next or who have had their work hours cut so severely that they think it's just a matter of time before they're pink slipped too.

laid off employee's box of possessionsIf your company has lost a lot of business or has been bought out recently or you're just sensing from talk around the office that your job is vulnerable, asking yourself a few questions now can help you be prepared if the worst happens later.


What does my current financial picture look like?
The rule of thumb is to have the equivalent of six months' salary in your savings account. Most people I know can't afford to do that. Take a look at what you have and think about how you can cut your monthly expenses. Can you...

  • Refinance your mortgage?
  • Cut any services or subscriptions like cable TV or DVD rentals?
  • Renegotiate or get out of contracts with the gym or the daycare center?
  • Get a deferment on your student loans?

How out of date is my resume?
Commercial job search sites like Monster.com offer up-to-date tips for crafting the right resume for the line of work you're going after. And I found a slew of resume templates that you can download if you use Microsoft Word.

Who do I know?
I got this job through networking. I gave a friend a copy of my resume and she gave it to the then-editor of the Consumer Information Catalog who passed it on to my future bosses. You never know how you're going to find your next job. So let friends and family know, join social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn and job hunting sites and get the word out. Also consider setting up a special job hunting email account rather than using your personal or family email and think about changing the voice mail on the phone number you'll be using on your resume; as cute as your two-year-old might sound singing on the home answering machine, a potential employer may not be so amused.

How does unemployment insurance work?
It's one of those things you don't think about 'til you need it. But if you can get familiar with it now, it'll be one less thing you'll have to figure out later.

If you are laid off, Job-hunt.org has excellent tips on what to do right away, from negotiating a severance package to continuing your health insurance coverage.

This is a rough time for so many people. What advice do you have for someone who's facing a layoff or job hunting?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [10] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: job   layoff   money   nancy   unemployment  

 

Entry bubble TSA's Secure Flight Program

By: Colleen | October 29, 2008 | Category: General

Depending on how you look at it, my friend's mom has the fortunate or unfortunate luck to be named, "Julia Roberts." As I'm sure you namecan guess, when filling out forms and making reservations she tends to raise an eyebrow or two.

We've all been in similar situations where our name matches that of someone else. It usually involves a small bit of confusion, and then all is back to normal. But what if your name matches that of someone on the terrorism "watch list" for airline travel?

On October 22, TSA announced the implementation of the "Secure Flight" program.

Secure Flight is designed to enhance the security of domestic and international commercial air travel through the use of improved watch list matching. Beginning in early 2009, airlines will be required to collect a passenger's full name, date of birth, and gender when making an airline reservation. The hope is that doing this will eliminate "same name" inconveniences while at the airport.

Secure Flight also requires that all "watch list" screening be done entirely by TSA, creating one uniform list of people who potentially pose a terrorist threat.

If you were in charge of TSA, what would you do to make air travel more secure?

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Entry bubble Government and Social Media

By: Joanne | October 28, 2008 | Category: General

connectLast week the Social Media Club of Washington kindly invited me to join a panel presentation on social media in government. It was a great opportunity for me to talk to the group about how USA.gov is exploring social media to connect with the public and to deliver government information and services in this powerful new way.

I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback about the government using social media, and when I was with the Social Media Club it was really energizing to see the level of interest the social media community has in government using social media tools.

That’s why we’re stepping up to the next level. Government agencies are using social media tools like blogs, YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and Twitter to reach out and give you information. USA.gov is working on a strategy to use social media tools to better engage in conversation with the public and to deliver information and services the way you want to get it. Do you like to get your information from the printed page, hold that publication in your hands? Do you like to talk to us on the phone? Or are you into blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and the like?

Help us form our strategy by telling us what you like – fill out this quick (about 5 minute) survey.

| View Comments [12] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: blog   club   facebook   government   joanne   media   social   twitter  

 

Entry bubble More Ways to Save on Heating Bills

By: Jake | October 27, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

It was cold last week and it looks like we are in for more of the same, according to this National Weather Service chart. It's time to put away all the summer clothes, get the sweaters and jackets out and get ready to click that thermostat switch.

ThermostatI posted last month about how the Department of Energy's Energy Savers blog can give you a few tips on how to save on heating costs this winter. The folks who run the blog, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office, have also revamped their website with the theme "Stay Warm, Save Money."

Not only do they have detailed information on energy audits for apartments, homes and small businesses, but they have no cost and low cost tips on how to save energy (and therefore money) this winter. These tips are things you can do in the short term. These include letting the sun in during the day, covering drafty windows and turning the thermostat down when you are out of the house. The most intriguing suggestion to me is the idea about turning the water heater down to the "warm setting (120 F)." Not only could this save you money, but it'll save your hands from some scalding.

They also provide long-term investments for energy savings like installing a programmable thermostat or purchasing energy efficient appliances. These suggestions will make your wallet lighter, but not to worry, they link to ways you can find financial assistance for energy-saving improvements.

| View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: energysavers.gov   heating_costs   heating_fuel   heating_tips   jake   power  

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