Entry bubble Happy Birthday, Abe!

By: Jess | February 12, 2009 | Category: Fun

Abe Lincoln in birthday hatI can't imagine being 200 years old!

Not many people live that long, and you have to be pretty special to have your 200th birthday celebrated long after you're gone. But Abraham Lincoln was that kind of guy.

So to celebrate his 200th birthday in style, the U.S. Mint is releasing four new pennies at three-month intervals throughout the year. The first goes into circulation today, so be on the lookout for it over the next few weeks as you dig into your pockets for spare change.

If you want a sneak peek at the new penny designs and to learn more about the designers you can check them out here.

Each scene depicts something memorable from Lincoln's life

First new penny

The first shows his childhood in Kentucky.

second penny

The second is school-age years in Indiana.

third new penny

The third, his professional life in the Senate in Illinois.

fourth new penny

And the fourth, his presidency in D.C.

Are you looking forward to the new pennies or will you miss the classic Lincoln penny?

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Entry bubble Good Usability – Not an Accident, a Decision!

By: Joanne | November 12, 2008 | Category: General

Today, in celebration of World Usability Day on Thursday, Nov. 13, we welcome Nicole Burton as our guest blogger. Nicole is a usability specialist at the General Services Administration on the USA.gov Web Best Practices Team, where she helps web teams makes their websites easy to use. Nicole is a playwright, publisher author, and certified usability specialist.

potato peeler

Why are some websites are easy to use and others drive you crazy? Why do some kitchen gadgets feel so good in your hand while others lead straight to the first aid kit?









confusing street signs Why do some city street signs guide you while others cause crashes?

The answer: Good user experiences are planned. Twelve years ago, I discovered usability while working as a tech writer at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. At a conference, the presenter showed us how to test a computer system design with real users using nothing but paper! I realized that doing several rounds of testing and design early on was the key to making a system or website easy to use. I’ve never looked back.

On Thursday, November 13, 2:00-3:00 pm ET, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is offering a free webinar on how to write great usability requirements. It’s part of World Usability Day, an international event to draw the public’s attention to the benefits of good usability.

Usability engineers (yep, it’s a real job title) help build ease of use into websites and other products. We usually earn at least a masters degree or certification, but experience is the best qualification, and lots of people master usability basics. For tips to get started and usability guidelines, check out Usability.gov and Webcontent.gov.

Be warned: Once you start looking for good and bad usability, your world will never be the same. TV remote controls, doorways, websites will all announce whether they’re easy or hard to use.

Actually, usability awareness is good. As consumers, we send a powerful message to government and industry when we choose to use websites that are easy to use and avoid or critique those that waste our time.

Remember, good usability isn’t an accident, it’s a decision!

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Entry bubble Veterans Day

By: Joanne | November 11, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

Veterans Day, Honoring All Who Served, November 11, 2008

Today is Veterans Day, a holiday intended to thank veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. The Census Bureau tells us that we’ve got around 23 million veterans in the United States.

The history of Veterans Day dates back to the end of World War I. November 11 was declared "Armistice Day" in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson to honor the soldiers of World War I. After World War II, the holiday was recognized as a day of tribute to veterans of both world wars. Beginning in 1954, the United States designated November 11 as Veterans Day to honor veterans of all U.S. wars.

On Veterans Day, I always think of my favorite Veteran - my dad, who served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War. He passed away a few years ago and is buried in a Veterans Cemetery along with so many others. If you know of someone who is buried in a Veterans Cemetery, but you don’t know quite where to find them, try the Veterans’ grave site locator.

Many towns and communities across America plan events to honor local veterans and the National Veterans Day Observance is held each year at Arlington National Cemetery where veterans and other exceptional individuals from the Revolutionary War to the present military action in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. The National Park Service preserves many battlefields, military parks, and historic sites that commemorate and honor the service of American veterans and will offer free admission on Veterans Day to veterans and active military.

What will you do to observe Veterans Day?

| View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cemetery   day   federal   holiday   joanne   military   veteran  

 

Entry bubble Earth Day…Is Every Day

By: Joanne | April 29, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

clouds, sky and horses

Earth Day was last week—remember? You know Earth Day is more than just a day to feel guilty and obligated to plant a tree, don’t you? The first Earth Day was organized to make people think about ecology, encourage respect for life on earth, and to heighten awareness of soil, air and water pollution.

Earth Day is a reminder that environmental responsibility is every one's responsibility, and the choices you make every day can protect or pollute the environment. Start at home by making sure that your home is as energy-efficient as it can be. Not only will it save energy, but it’s going to save you money, and I think we can all agree that we’d like to pay less to heat and cool our homes.

The Environmental Protection Agency has lots of ideas for reducing air pollution and conserving energy, using water wisely, and making environmentally friendly choices.

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: day   earth   environment   joanne