Consumer Reports

Just a few weeks ago, I wrote a post about not being caught off-guard in summer storms. Sometimes I need to learn to take my own advice.

I’m fairly certain that while growing up, my sister and I didn’t miss a single opportunity to watch any cartoon special on TV. Because of this, we have some pretty obscure movie lines we use regularly for nearly any life situation. Unfortunately, because most kids were much cooler than us, nobody has a clue that every time we say, “To the beach, Jon!” it is a reference to ” Garfield in Paradise ” circa 1986. One of our favorite specials was ” Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown .” In this cartoon epic, the Peanuts gang travels to Europe allegedly to participate in a student-exchange program. For reasons never explained, Lucy doesn’t get to cross the pond, but yells, “Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown, and don’t come back!!” as the rest of the troops board their flight. Since then, this has been our standard way to say “goodbye” to each other. Today, I am saying, “Bon voyage, and don’t come back!” to my regular Wednesday blog entry on Gov Gab. When I first arrived at the Federal Citizen Information Center over three years ago, Gov Gab was merely an idea, with a different name. Since then I’ve been able to write about everything from Root Canal Awareness Week , to Smoking Bans , and all things in-between, including an open letter to Punxsutawney Phil . During my time spent in this office, I’ve realized that there really are many, many resources available to the public from your government to help you out. USA.gov (newly re-designed!) has a wealth of information available- most of which you probably might not even think of as “government” related. The fine people at the National Contact Center (1-800-FED-INFO) passed the ultimate test- dealing with my Mother - and are there to assist you with your needs over the telephone. For your brochures or pamphlets on government services or programs, pueblo.gsa.gov is at your service to send printed information. But behind all these great services and more, are government workers who really do care, and take pride in their work. I know there is a stigma of the typical bureaucrat worker- but please believe there are people who work tirelessly on weekends and after-hours to do the best we can to make sure the government is working for YOU. I’ve loved interacting with you readers via the comments section and email. Even the ones who gave me a hard time. That’s what the government and this blog are all about- making your voice heard. I am setting out to continue my education in a sunny and warm location, but leave with nothing but fond memories and experience. I’ll continue to read Gov Gab regularly- so you may see me in the comments section from time to time! So instead of saying, “Bon voyage, and don’t come back!” I leave you with, “Welcome to Great Britain.” “We’ll never get to England now!” And if you can name that movie , you are a shoo-in for Gov Gab’s reader of the year. Go Phillies! ~Colleen

Do you know someone who collects coins? The U.S. Mint launched a new collectible coin program this year called America the Beautiful , and they’re about to issue a new coin in the series.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) . The Act gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities. It guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications. The ADA did not garner a lot of attention when it was signed, which is slightly surprising. In 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau stated there were 54 million people in the U.S. with a disability ; 11 million of them needing personal assistance with everyday activities. To give you an idea of the ADA’s impact, in 1995 less than 40 percent of buses in the country were lift- or ramp-equipped, and by 2008, 98 percent had lifts for ramps. The best way to understand the ADA’s impact is to hear stories from the people it has helped. That’s why the Disability.gov Blog has been running ” 100 Days to the ADA ” that features disabled citizens writing about how the ADA has changed their lives in very personal posts. For instance, in Thursday’s post a gentleman wrote about how researching the ADA for a

Years ago, after a period of struggling with infertility and failed attempts to get pregnant, my husband and I began exploring the option of adopting a child . We eventually decided to not pursue adoption, but for many couples unable to have a child, adoption is an excellent alternative. There are tens of thousands of children adopted every year in the U.S. Adoption can be a complicated and expensive process. In the U.S., adoption laws vary from state to state. Intercountry adoption is even more complicated, because not only do U.S. federal and state laws need to be considered, but the laws of the child’s home country come into play. Navigating through either type of adoption process can take a considerable amount of time and can become incredibly stressful. One of the important steps to a successful adoption is learning about, and fully understanding, the adoption process. There are so many things to prepare and consider when contemplating an adoption. The good news is that there are many resources available for families considering adoption. Here are just a few resources that I found: Adoption Assistance by State AdoptUsKids Adoption Support Groups Child Welfare Information Gateway Costs of Adopting List of Child Welfare Related Organizations MedlinePlus Adoption National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search Support Groups for Adopting Families Tax Adoption Credit For those of you pursuing adoption, my thoughts are with you as you navigate this journey. If you have an adoption story or experiences that you are willing to share, please post a comment.

Things I wanted to write about today: Certain Hollywood starlets being sent to the slammer, the ending to the movie “Inception”, the Phillies current performance making me lose my appetite. However, none of these things make the rankings on the USA.gov FAQ page of the most searched topics by citizens. In response to the numerous inquiries we have received, today we talk about: the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Each night the news bums me out with reports of how many people and animals are being affected by this crisis, with no real solution to the problem in place. It didn’t surprise me that this was the #1 searched topic in the USA.gov FAQ database for the month of June. What DID surprise and please me was that the #1 searched issue was not the disaster itself, but how to volunteer to donate to help the relief effort. I’m thrilled that so many people are eager to take action to help, because placing blame ultimately doesn’t do anyone much good. For state-specific volunteer opportunities check out: Restorethegulf.gov If you have a boat that can be used to help aid in the clean-up effort go to: Restorethegulf.gov/vessels If you personally want to volunteer to help, call: 1.866.448.5816 Do you know any other ways to help? What do you think can be done?

Did you hear the rumor? Any day now telemarketers will be assaulting your cell phone! The good news is that it’s a rumor and nothing more. E-mails have been circulating and urging you to register your cell phone number with the special Do Not Call Registry for wireless phones. I just saw one in my e-mail inbox and I was almost fooled. Luckily I work with a small army of dedicated consumer information experts who set me straight! There is no special Do Not Call Registry for wireless phones. If you want to, you can register your cell phone number on the Do Not Call Registry , but telemarketers are prohibited from calling you on your cell phone whether it’s registered or not. If you’re receiving unwanted telemarketing calls at home (on your land line), it’s easy to register on the Do Not Call Registry . If you want to file a complaint about unwanted telemarketing calls, you can file online , or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-290-4236).

My fiance is an elementary school teacher and sometimes I think she gets more excited about summer vacation than her students. This doesn’t mean she doesn’t do anything school-wise during her break; summer reading is a big part of her R&R. In fact, last week she went to the local library , checked out a couple of books and finished reading them within three days.

Home, it’s more than brick-and-mortar, wood, or even blocks of ice shaped in a dome! Home is your place, your retreat from the world, your sanctuary for the soul. For me, home is all of those things and toilets to clean, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Everyone should have an opportunity to live in a decent, affordable home. No one should have to worry about being able to find a safe place to live. On July 12, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that more than $550 million will be made available in housing assistance to very low income elderly and persons with disabilities. The funding will provide interest-free capital advances to non-profit developers so they can produce accessible housing, offer rental assistance, and provide supportive services. The assistance will be in the form of grants. These grants will fund 169 projects in 46 states. To see what kind of assistance is being provided to your state, you can read a detailed summary of each grant. If you have questions regarding housing assistance for low income elderly and persons with disabilities, or any of HUD’s other programs, you can search for a HUD-approved housing counselor in your state. If you are not elderly or disabled, but you need housing assistance, you should know there may be a program to help you. The Obama Administration’s Making Home Affordable Program includes opportunities to modify or refinance your mortgage to make your monthly payments more affordable. It also includes the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program for homeowners who are interested in a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. Check the HUD website to find out if you are eligible for this program or call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) for help with the Making Home Affordable Program and to speak with a HUD-approved housing counselor for free.

Alright, confession time: I watch a lot of bad reality TV. Please don’t judge me. For many reasons, one of my favorite shows is the Biggest Loser. I’m a health nut; I love watching the transformations; and I get a kick out of the trainers screaming their heads off. But the fact that such a show even exists and that the people on it are getting bigger and bigger each season is kind of a sad commentary on the state of overall health in this country. A lot of the bad health habits we have now as adults were learned as kids and teenagers. We eat the same foods our moms cooked and we learn about an active or sedentary lifestyle from our parents’ examples. So it seems the way to fix our obesity problem is to start with educating kids and parents, which is exactly what the Let’s Move campaign is trying to do. Backed by Michelle Obama, Let’s Move teaches kids the importance of getting some kind of activity every day. It uses the approach that something, even if it’s just a little, is always better than nothing. Take a walk, ride a bike, play tag. It’s all better than guzzling a soda and playing video games. Parents can learn simple things they can do to encourage their kids to be healthy. Sit down on a weekend and map out dinners for the week together. Involve your kids in the process of choosing healthy foods and, if age appropriate, let them help make dinner. Instead of a candy dish, parents could swap it for a fruit dish. Put easy to grab fruits in your kids’ reach and they might not miss the candy. Being healthy doesn’t have to mean some extreme diet and exercise plan, it can be little things you do each day to help set a good example for your family. Check out Letsmove.gov and share one healthy thing you do each day.