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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 What Happens to Recovery.gov Email?

By: Jake | March 02, 2009 | Category: General

American FlagLast week I mentioned that the White House had created a website to get feedback on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. One commenter asked if someone would actually read your email or if it would go into a "black hole." If you send an email to Recovery.gov you will be redirected to a web page that says:

"Thanks for contacting us. As we work towards economic recovery, we're counting on you to stay involved. Over the next few weeks and months, we'll be adding more and more information to Recovery.gov, so please check back often."

I asked someone who works on Recovery.gov what happens to the email people send. My contact there said people are reading the email submitted and it's their goal to respond to email submissions in the future. By the way, the White House website allows you to comment on other legislation like the DTV Delay Act of 2009 and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Have you noticed the White House blog? I've been watching and it's updated multiple times a day, and White House personnel have even live blogged during the first Middle Class Task Force meeting and the President's trip to Canada (which included photos). There is no comment feature on the blog. I know from personal experience that comment maintenance can be time-consuming, but most blogs have this function. The White House may have plans to add a comment section and perhaps they don't have the personnel for maintenance yet. It will be interesting to see what they do.

If you send an email to the White House do you expect a response? Would you like to see the White House allow comments on the blog? Tell us what you want.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: jake   recovery.gov   white_house_blog  

 

Entry bubble Nueva fecha para la transición a la televisión digital

By: Leilani | February 17, 2009 | Category: General

DTV.gov: Transición a la televisión digital

 

Ayer Jake escribió en este blog sobre la transición a la televisión digital. Encuentra a continuación la traducción de su entrada.

View the English-language version of this post

La buena noticia es que el Congreso y el Presidente movieron el plazo límite para la transición a la televisión digital. Las estaciones de televisión con señal analógica tendrán desde hoy 17 de febrero hasta el 12 de junio para hacer este cambio. Esta decisión fue tomada para que aquellos con televisores analógicos con antena tengan tiempo para recibir la señal digital. La mala noticia es que no todas las estaciones esperarán hasta el 12 de junio para terminar sus transmisiones análogas.

La Comisión Federal de Comunicaciones (FCC por su sigla en inglés) reporta que aproximadamente 600 de las 1800 estaciones de alta potencia planean terminar su transmisión analógica el día de hoy así que si tienes una televisión analógica y no tienes una caja convertidora notarás que no podrás ver algunos canales. A principios de la semana pasada la FCC publicó una lista de canales que querían terminar de transmitir en señal analógica hoy. Sin embargo, el viernes pasado la FCC le negó el permiso a 123 de estas estaciones a que hicieran el cambio. La FCC tomó esta medida para asegurarse que la gente que no está preparada para el cambio no pierda el acceso a información de seguridad pública y a las noticias locales. Estas estaciones pueden apelar la decisión de la FCC si certifican que tomarán otras medidas para ofrecerle al público alertas de seguridad y noticias.

Dos terceras partes de los canales continuarán transmitiendo en señal analógica. Para ver si tus canales locales terminarán de transmitir en señal analólogica, revisa la lista de estaciones de la FCC que harán el cambio en o antes del 17 de febrero. Si tu canal local no está en la lista, entonces tu canal local continuará transmitiendo en señal analógica.

Si tienes una televisión analógica y quieres saber como prepararte para el cambio, visita el artículo titulado "Prepárate para el cambio a la televisión digital" y mira el video al final de este blog. ¿Qué piensas sobre la decisión del Gobierno de aplazar la fecha límite? ¿Crees que es necesario aplazar la fecha o no?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: digital   dtv   espanol   español   jake   leilani   spanish   television   transicion  

 

Entry bubble Digital TV Transition Deadline Delay

By: Jake | February 16, 2009 | Category: General

DTV CartoonThe good news is that Congress and the President moved the analog to digital TV signal transition deadline that requires television stations to stop analog broadcast signals from February 17 (tomorrow) to June 12. They did this to give those with analog TVs some time to be able to receive digital signals. The bad news is that not all stations will wait until June 12 to end their analog broadcasts.

The Federal Communications Commission reports that approximately 650 of the 1800 full-power stations plan to end analog broadcasts on February 17, so if you have an analog TV and no converter box you may notice some channels missing.

UPDATE: Last night the FCC released a list of channels that will end analog broadcast on February 17. If you have an analog TV and want to know what you need do to get prepared check out this DTV FAQ, watch the video below or call a DTV call center. What do you think of the government's action to delay the digital TV transition deadline? Do you find it helpful or unnecessary?

On Februray 17th Gov Gab will be turning the keys over to our new substitute blogger Leilani who will post about the DTV transition in Spanish to assist our Spanish readers. Or as she would say: Mañana Gov Gab hará algo un poco distinto y le dará la bienvenida a Leilani, nuestro nuevo blogger substituto, quien presentará información en español sobre este mismo tema - la transición a la televisión digital - para ayudar a nuestros lectores de habla hispana.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [12] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: dtv   dtv_transition_deadline_delay   jake   june_12  

 

Entry bubble Spressing the Luv on Valentine’s Day

By: Ginger | February 13, 2009 | Category: General

Once I took my 6 year-old nephew, Solomon, out for pizza.   There was a young couple across the aisle kissing and having a private moment.  My nephew pointed at them and in a very loud voice announced to all the folks in the tri-state area, “Look Auntie Marmoo, they are spressing the luv!”  I don’t think the young couple heard… they were clearly distracted.

Valentine heartWell, there will be no “spressing the luv” at my house this Valentine’s Day.  About 6 months ago, I bought a new shower brush to scrub my back.   I hung it by the bathtub.  This weekend, my husband was taking his turn to clean the bathroom.  I happened to walk by and saw what he was doing.  I discovered that he thought my shower brush was a toilet brush and he’s been using my back scrubby-brush to clean the toilet!

My husband tried to put a positive spin on the situation.  He said, “It can’t be that bad.  I’ve been using that thing to clean the toilet ever since you bought it and you never noticed.”  Well, you know what they say payback is… and I’m here to tell you, her name is Auntie Marmoo!  I wonder how long it will take him to realize that I’ve started using his toothbrush to brush all of our pets’ teeth?

Anyway, Saturday is Valentine’s Day, and you are probably wondering what Valentine’s Day has to do with the government.  I did a quick search just to see what would come up on USA.gov.

Did you know you can send a Valentine message to your loved ones serving in the military?  A video store in central Illinois is running a program to send donated DVDs and a valentine message to soldiers in Iraq

The Census has a Valentine Fact page that has some interesting statistics regarding Valentine candy, flowers, and jewelry.

Do you wonder about the origin of Valentine’s Day?  Check out this Valentine page brought to you by The Library of Congress.

Have a wonderful Valentine weekend and ladies make sure your husbands understand the difference between a toilet brush and a shower brush.

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