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Entry bubble Frustrated by Car Repairs?

By: Nicole | May 02, 2008 | Category: General

Car MechanicA coworker stopped me in the hall last week and said, “Girl, I was afraid I wasn’t going to make it to that conference yesterday.” Even though she’d just paid for tire rotation, tire balancing and wheel alignment at her local repair shop, her entire car began to shake violently while cruising on a major highway. She was 50 miles from home, so she used her cell phone to find the nearest dealer repair shop. There, she learned that the original tire and wheel maintenance had not been performed. $800 later the car was back on the road, but it was an unnecessary reminder that a good mechanic is hard to find.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution when searching for a mechanic. The FTC and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) publish brochures with tips about finding a good repair shop. Both agree that word of mouth is still the best way to find a trustworthy mechanic, but sometimes that’s not enough.

ASE Blue SealThere are other ways to research mechanics. Look for the ASE Certified Technician seal awarded to individual technicians who pass standardized tests. You can even search online for repair shops that have earned the ASE Blue Seal, which requires that at least 75% of the repair shop’s mechanics have an ASE certification. The Motorist Assurance Program is a nonprofit that also gives its seal of approval to qualified repair shops.

In addition, there are consumer review services where you can read the real life experience of other customers. The radio program Car Talk offers this service for free. Consumers' Checkbook and Angie’s List offer ratings and consumer reviews for a fee (but the money might be well worth the peace of mind!).

Needless to say, my friend won’t be taking her car back to that local repair shop. She could file a complaint with her local consumer protection office. I’ll write more about that in a future post. For now, do you have a repair shop experience you’d like to share?

| Comments [10] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: auto  automobile  automotive  car  engine  fix  mechanic  repair  technician 

 

Entry bubble DOE Website for Energy-Saving Tips

By: Colleen | April 30, 2008 | Category: General

To continue on Joanne's "everyday is Earth Day" theme...gas pump

Anyone currently residing on planet Earth knows the cost of gas is soaring sky-high. Because prices at the pump are following the same trajectory as a spaceshuttle, it's important to find other ways to cut costs and reduce energy consumption.

Last week the U.S. Department of Energy launched a new website. The interactive page gives you a virtual tour of a typical home. Just click your mouse on different areas of the house and you're given tips and ideas about saving energy and costs.

One of the more interesting tips I found by clicking on the car in the driveway. It told me to "Get the junk out of the trunk and properly inflate your tires! An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your fuel efficiency by up to 2%."

Off the top of my head, if someone were to break open my trunk right now, they'd find: a pair of roller blades, a wool winter coat, my old non-functional laptop, my sister's semi-functional laptop from college, a garbage bag of old clothes I've been meaning to donate, and a heavy-duty ice scraper. And that's just the stuff of which I am AWARE. It's time for a vehicular spring cleaning.

Check out other suggestions for getting the most energy efficient appliances, and using mother nature herself as a natural means of heating and lighting. Little changes can add up to BIG savings, for both our wallets and environment.

What tricks do you have for saving money and energy? Any good tips?

| Comments [4] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: colleen  consumption  doe  energy  gas  money  saving  tips 

 

Entry bubble Ask a Librarian

By: Nicole | April 18, 2008 | Category: General

BabyMany Gov Gab regulars might know that our Friday blogger, Sommer, has been expecting her first baby. Her son, Andrew, arrived late Wednesday night, and Sommer will be spending the next few months enjoying his company (and changing his diapers!).

In the meantime, I’m thrilled to be your temporary Friday blogger. I’m looking forward to sharing tidbits of information and pointing you to government services in your area. For example, did you know that this week is National Library Week? It’s true. And it seems like the perfect time to remind you that many libraries have government publications, like the Consumer Action Handbook, available in their reference sections.

Library ShelfNational Library Week is designed to promote library use and support, and I feel more than qualified to help. Even as a kid, I loved to read. In fact, on a soggy spring day in fourth grade, I managed to get myself locked in a public library after closing time. Boy did that emergency exit alarm cause a ruckus.

Despite this slightly traumatic experience, I’ve decided to celebrate National Library Week by highlighting two free online services. First, "Ask a Government Information Librarian" gives you immediate access (by chat or e-mail) to librarians who are experts in government information and resources. Want to know more about the Presidential election process or where to get a passport form? Want to ask about the history of the Social Security Administration? Go ahead. Test their knowledge. If you have a more detailed research question, "Ask a Reference Librarian" gives you access to researchers at the Library of Congress.

If you’re looking for more information about libraries across the country, don’t forget to check out USA.gov’s Libraries page, which lists government and public libraries and allows you to locate the ones closest to you.

| Comments [4] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: congress  government  information  library  reference  research 

 

Entry bubble Government in the Web 2.0 Age

By: Sommer | April 11, 2008 | Category: General

 the word connect spelled out with computer keyboard keys

Since you’re reading this blog you know that government is somewhat active in the social media arena. Here at GSA's Office of Citizen Services, we’re really having fun with this new and exciting way to communicate with the American public. We have very supportive leadership that encourages us to be innovative and creative and to reach out to you in a way that’s most convenient for you rather than making you come to us and conform to the bureaucracy.

However, some government agencies don’t have the same flexibility we do. A lot of agencies are afraid of losing control of their information and content and many don't understand if and how using social media tools can advance their agency missions.

So, America, I pose a question to you… What do you think of government agencies using social media tools like blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, YouTube, Flickr, widgets, and microblogs to reach out and give you information? Is it good? Bad? Are there ways you’d like the government to provide information that we haven’t thought of or addressed yet? After all, we’re public servants and we’re here to serve, so let us know what you want and need.

| Comments [18] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: blogging  conversation  government  media  rssfeeds  social  sommer  web2.0 

 

Entry bubble Recycle Your Old TV's, Computers and Cell Phones

By: Jake | March 31, 2008 | Category: General

Pile of Old PC's My parents' attic is a mausoleum for obsolete computers, cell phones and Nintendo systems. While my brother and I have been known to resurrect the first Nintendo system over the holidays, the other broken and obsolete electronics sit and collect dust.

It's better this electronic waste or e-waste is in the attic rather than in the landfill, since many old electronics contain environmental pollutants, but if you are like my parents, you'd like your space back (my old bedroom has become their other attic). Luckily there are ways you can electronically recycle or e-cycle.

This month the U.S. Postal Service started a pilot program where you can get envelopes to mail smaller pieces of e-waste to a recycling facility free of charge. These envelopes can be found at 1,500 post offices in 10 areas across the country, and if successful, the USPS will expand the program nationally this fall. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency has a goal to collect and recycle 1 million pounds of e-waste in the Great Lakes Region before Earth Day.

If you don't live near any of these post offices or in the Great Lakes region, the EPA's eCycling Webpage can tell you how to dispose of your e-waste properly. There are local programs and some manufacturers and retailers who will take back your old electronic products.

So as you start your spring cleaning think about how you can recycle some of those old computers, teevees and video game systems. My parents' house might not be as fun without the old Nintendo there, but at least I'll be able to see the walls in my old bedroom again.

| Comments [1] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: cellular  computers  electronics  phones  recycling  televisions 

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