Entry bubble Kids in the White House

By: Nancy | January 15, 2009 | Category: Home and Family


Just two streets from Gov Gab Headquarters, they're making a lot of preparations to welcome the new kids on the block.

By this time next week, Malia and Sasha Obama will have joined the exclusive list of kids who have called the White House "home." And while they won't be as little as John John and Caroline Kennedy, who danced at their daddy's feet in the Oval Office, or as mature as the college-bound Bush twins when they moved onto Pennsylvania Avenue, at seven and 10, the Obama girls are the perfect age for Kids.gov.

the Obama family

See, I'm figuring that among the bikes and stuffed animals that will be carted into the Executive Mansion over the next week, there will probably be a computer or two for the girls as well. And like every school kid, they'll have reports to write about art or astronauts, the 50 states or the environment and "going green." They'll definitely be curious about the news for kids that's coming right out of their new home. And they're going to want to take a break, kick back and play a few games.

Malia and Sasha may not be inheriting Amy Carter's tree house or Tad Lincoln's pet goats when they move into the Executive Mansion. But they will be the first "First Kids" who'll grow up online in the White House, learning about the country their dad leads, and the great stuff that the government has for them—and for every kid—online, from Kids.gov.

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Entry bubble Child Vegetarians

By: Colleen | January 14, 2009 | Category: Health


vegetarian

The government released a study with its first estimate of the amount of child vegetarians in the U.S. About 1 in 200 minors actively avoid eating meat.

When asked why they choose not to eat meat, the overwhelming response was out of respect for the welfare of animals.

This seems like a very noble reason for choosing one's dietary lifestyle, but some worry that a vegetarian diet could actually be detrimental to a child's developing body. Often, people associate being a vegetarian with a low-calorie, healthy, lifestyle. With children, a lot of times they are swapping out meat for other foods that are unhealthy like potato chips or candy. Another concern is that without meat, kids don't properly substitute foods to get the proper amount of protein that the body needs. Some vegetarians get protein by continuing to eat fish (I've never understood this realm of thinking, could someone please explain to me why fish don't count as "real" animals?).

I have lots of adult vegetarian friends. They're all committed to their cause against cruelty to animals but are still aware of the body's need for the benefits that meat provides. They stock up on beans and lentils as a means of getting plenty of protein in their diet. Dietary supplements are used with doctor's approval to be sure the body is getting vital vitamins and minerals.

Is your child a vegetarian? How do you make sure they're educated about getting a well-balanced diet?

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Entry bubble Word of the Year: Bailout

By: Joanne | January 13, 2009 | Category: Money


cartoon man carrying a giant bag of money

In its 19th annual words of the year vote, the American Dialect Society voted “bailout” as the word of the year. When I heard the story on NPR yesterday morning, I was really hoping that the word of the year would be something fun, like 2005’s word of the year, truthiness, made popular by Stephen Colbert. I guess 2008 was a more serious year than 2005.

2008 found us in an economic crisis and it’s going to take a lot to get our economy back on track. I think it’s pretty painful to pinch pennies at the grocery store and drive aging cars, and watch the federal government give billions and billions of dollars away. Yes, I work for the government, but I pay taxes too, you know!

Like you, I don’t have to power to give away billions of tax dollars, but there are some things that we can do. President-elect Obama has a plan to stimulate the economy – get informed about the plan. Gov Gab’s readers are highly intelligent and always writing in to tell us about their great ideas. You can send your economy-saving idea directly to the Obama transition team. They’re listening.

Don’t forget to contact your Senator and Representative in Congress to let them know your ideas and how you want your tax dollars to be spent. They’re the ones that write the laws after all, and we need to hold them accountable to give us the truth, not just the truthiness.

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Entry bubble Bring Your Lunch and Save Money!

By: Jake | January 12, 2009 | Category: Money


A Bagged LunchThe news these days is chock full of tips for saving money. We even have 66 simple ways for you to do that. But an alert Pueblo.gsa.gov visitor recently touched on an idea so obvious that most of us take it for granted. Simply, do you know how much you can save each month by bringing your lunch to work?

Like I said—it's obvious. You save more money making your own sandwich than you do paying Tony at the local sub shop, but have you ever sat down and quantified it? This alert reader sent us a lunch savings calculator from Bankrate.com which lets you calculate your savings from bagging your lunch over a long period of time.

To grab lunch in D.C. it costs me an average of $10 depending on what I get. The average cost for me to bring lunch is about $4. If I bring my lunch for a whole month, which is very doable, the calculator says I'll save $120. If I bring for a year, which is unlikely, I'll save $1,440. Bagging it for four years (impossible), will save me over $5000.

I don't know about you, but I'm able to really stick to something if there's a clear benefit to it. I won't be saving $1500 on lunch this year, but I know I can save at least $1000. While I'm bagging it, I can also focus more on my nutrition.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: financial_savings   jake   lunch   lunch_cost_calculator   money   savings  

 

Entry bubble Getting a Patent on a Dude Vest

By: Ginger | January 09, 2009 | Category: General


Recently an idea for an invention popped into my head… a “Man-Bra.” I’m not saying who inspired this idea; let’s just call him “Myhu S. Band.” This special garment would provide some support for men with a more developed “chest region.” Made completely of duct tape (yet another use for that all-star of adhesives!), it will have many useful features. It will include: insulated pockets that will keep a minimum of 6 beers cold up to 3 hours; side pockets for the required TV, stereo, DVD, and TIVO remotes; and a GPS tracking system, so the wearer will never have to ask for directions ever again.

When I shared my idea with Myhu S. Band, he told me to call it a “Dude Vest.” He said, “No card-carrying member of the male race would be caught dead wearing a ‘Man Bra,’ even if he did need it… which he most certainly does not!” Hmmm, maybe the “Dude Vest” should include a mirror. He also recommended adding a hidden pocket for that special edition of “Sports Illustrated,” an LED flashlight with rechargeable batteries, and a Swiss Army knife on a detachable clip. I’m thinking it should probably include a pocket for a nose hair clipper too, but that is a topic for another blog.

Thomas EdisonSo, how do inventors go about getting a patent? My first stop was the patent page on USA.gov. It directed me to the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) website which has a patents page. There are applications for 3 types of patents you can apply for: utility, design, and plant patents. The PTO suggests that a lawyer familiar with patent law be consulted because of the complexities involved. You can search for patent attorneys online for your city and state.

If you have any other suggestions for my “Dude Vest” drop me a line. Or if you have gone through the patent process, we would all be interested to hear about your experience.

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