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Entry bubble International Women's Day

By: Colleen | March 04, 2009 | Category: General

March 8th is International Women's Day (IWD)- a time intended to spread the word and awareness on women's issues across the globe.female

This day has been observed since the early 1900's and is an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzebekistan, and Vietnam. Traditionally in these places men honor their mothers, wives, and girlfriends etc. with flowers and small gifts. In some places it is the equivalent of Mother's Day. In the U.S., Women's History Month was chosen to be in March to coincide with IWD.

While there is no one overall theme for IWD, each year organizations, governments, and women's groups choose different themes to reflect global and local gender issues. This year the United Nation theme is: Women and men unite to end violence against women and girls.

For a list of IWD events, click HERE.

What women's issues do you think are most important? What do you do to celebrate IWD?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   international_women's_day   iwd   march   women's_history_month   women's_issues  

 

Entry bubble National Consumer Protection Week (March 1-7)

By: Colleen | February 25, 2009 | Category: Money

CAHNext week is National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW). This year's theme, "Nuts and Bolts: Tools for Today's Economy," was chosen to help people get the most for their money—whether you are trying to improve your credit history, tell the difference between a real deal or a rip-off, or protect your mortgage from foreclosure or foreclosure rescue scams.

The NCPW website includes pages on a range of consumer topics like banking, credit, consumer rights, identity theft & fraud, investments, money, and mortgages.

For a consumer reference guide, pre-order the 2009 Consumer Action Handbook. This free publication, available in April, includes tips on how to handle consumer issues, as well as a sample complaint letter to help you express consumer problems via mail, fax, or e-mail.

Check out all the sponsors of NCPW to learn how to protect yourself and your money!

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   consumer_action_handbook   money   national_consumer_protection_week  

 

Entry bubble Drug Facts Boxes

By: Colleen | February 18, 2009 | Category: Health

When it comes to dealing with medicine, things can get tricky. Can you take one type of med with another? Does name brand vs. generic medsmake a difference? What if you mix an over-the-counter drug with a prescription?

And to top it off, when you see an ad in a magazine or newspaper, it's accompanied by a full page of fine-print information about the medicine. Who has the time, or the vision, to read all that?

After a study conducted by Dartmouth was released this week, you might find it easier to get the information you need about the medicines you see advertised.

"User-friendly boxes" would replace the direct-to-consumer drug ads you currently see. These concise "drug facts boxes" are quite similar to the nutrition facts found on food items. These boxes will include facts not found in the current summaries like:

  • The year the drug got approval from the Food and Drug Administration
  • How common the side effects were in clinical trials
  • The advantages of the drug over older drugs

Would these new boxes be advantageous to you? Would it influence you to ask your doctor for a specific medicine?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   drug_facts_boxes   food_and_drug_administration   medicine   prescription  

 

Entry bubble Stamp Price Increase

By: Colleen | February 11, 2009 | Category: Money

Last week, Jake discussed the idea of the U.S. Postal Service cutting back its delivery services to five days a week.stamps

While that idea is still being tossed around, the USPS has announced that as of May 11th, 2009, the price of postage stamps will increase by 2 cents. That means, it will now set you back 44 cents to send a standard letter.

Since rising costs are the norm right now, the postal service increases rates annually in May and the change is tied to the rate of inflation from the year before. The increase is estimated to cost the average household an additional $3 per year.

Other changes include:

  • A postcard stamp increases one cent to 28 cents.
  • The first ounce of a large envelope increases 5 cents to 88 cents.
  • The first ounce of a parcel increases 5 cents to $1.22.
  • International postcard and letter prices, for one ounce, are 75 cents to Canada, 79 cents to Mexico, and 98 cents elsewhere.

Before May 11th, you might want to stock up on Forever Stamps, which still sell at the 42-cent rate until the increase occurs.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: colleen   stamps   us_postal_service   usps  

 

Entry bubble An Open Letter to Punxsutawney Phil (THE Groundhog)

By: Colleen | February 04, 2009 | Category: Fun

Dear Mr. Phil from Punxsutawney,phil

I'd like to commend you for all your years of season-predicting service. I often wonder what it must be like to be the most famous groundhog in the world. While it seems that you have a pretty cushy set-up in that den of yours, it has to be a bit unnerving to be yanked from one's cozy bed in the frigid early morning hours of every February 2nd.

While your service record is impressive, I can't help but notice a consistent pattern when reviewing your performance. You tend to always see your shadow and retreat back into your comfortable abode, thus leaving us common-folk with yet another six more weeks of winter.

Perhaps it should be brought to your attention that your anxiety about your shadow has dismal consequences for those of us who must leave our cozy beds EVERY frigid early morning, and not just on the second day of February.

Have you considered counseling? I have a somewhat unreasonable disdain for grocery stores, so I sympathize with your apprehension when confronted with your shadow. However, my fear doesn't have the same consequences as yours - think of all those other who are, quite frankly, dreading another six weeks of winter. Surely something can be done to ease your fears. Our new President has asked us as a nation to help each other. So, on behalf of millions of shivering Americans, please let me know of any way which I can be of service, or aid in your plight. I would never suggest you had adopted this behavior as the easiest means to return to slumber in your hollow. I just want to volunteer to help.

We'll all be rooting for your next February 2nd - you can do it! Don't let the shadow get the best of you!

With respect and optomism for a shorter winter in 2010,

Colleen

 

| Post a Comment | View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: anxiety   colleen   groundhog   groundhog_day   president   punxsutawney   punxsutawney_phil   service   weather   winter  

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