« Previous page of month (May 2009) | Main | Next page of month (May 2009) »
 

Entry bubble Summer Swimming Safety

By: Ginger | May 22, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

Girl in pool wearing blue gogglesOne summer I went to the swimming pool with my much older cousins and their friends. At the time, I was taking swimming lessons and I really liked playing around in water. I was wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a little skirt and feeling quite cool hanging out with the older kids.

I was having fun until someone decided it would be funny to dunk me. The first time, no problem. I came back up and laughed it off, but then it turned into a dunking “free-for-all” with all of the kids piling onto each other. I went down again, but suddenly big kids were being dunked and falling on top of me.

A guy stepped on my frilly swimsuit skirt and it pinned me to the bottom of the pool. I tried to free myself, but kids kept falling or stepping on me. I don't recall if I saw my brief eight years of life flash before my eyes, but I was definitely freaking out with panic. In my flailing to free myself, I whacked the guy in the privates and he shifted his weight.

I was freed! I came up to the surface coughing up water and I barfed up my lunch in the pool. Note: When it comes to clearing people out of a pool, lunchtime flotsam and jetsam in the pool comes in a close second to a Baby Ruth candy bar (remember Caddyshack?)

I came away from that experience with 2 things: a pretty strong fear/discomfort with swimming/water; and the fascinating knowledge that partially digested cheese doodles and a baloney sandwich with mayonnaise turns neon green when it contacts chlorine.

I was in my 30's when I finally tackled and overcame my water fear. I forced myself to take a water aerobics class, retaught myself to swim, and eventually became a scuba-diver. The barf memory? I live with it daily. Hey, what doesn't kill you... makes you stronger.

So, you are probably wondering where I am going with all of this. Well, Memorial Day is on Monday and in many places it is traditional to reopen pools this weekend. Before you turn your little water-rats loose at the pools, lakes, or oceans, review one of these safety guides with them:

One final tip not mentioned in any of these guides, but it goes without saying, tell your kids, "Don't pee in the pool!" Have a safe swimming season!

| View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: ginger   swimming   water_safety  

 

Entry bubble Government 2.0

By: Jess | May 21, 2009 | Category: Fun

It wasn't too long ago that I told you about some of the cool things we were experimenting with using social media such as RSS feeds and Twitter to help bring you government information where you want to get it. (If you missed the earlier post, you can find us here: Twitter.com/pueblo81009, Twitter.com/usagov, Twitter.com/gobiernousa.)

More recently we've created Facebook pages where you can find USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov as well as consumer information from the Federal Citizen Information Center. Our goal is to help you find the government information you need in places you normally spend time online. If Facebook is one of those places and you like getting information from your news feed, becoming fans of our pages will deliver daily doses of information right into that feed. I encourage you to comment on our postings, tell us what you like or don't like and feel free to ask questions.

Our newest expansion into the social media world is the brand-spanking new U.S. Government YouTube channel. The channel is a portal to videos from all of the federal agencies posting videos to YouTube. You'll find messages from officials, how-to videos about applying for Social Security benefits, NASA videos of astronauts in space and more from tons of other agencies. If you've got a minute, I encourage you to go check it out!

My question to you about social media is how much do you use it and do you like interacting with the government and getting government information through these channels? 

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: facebook   jess   social_media   twitter   youtube  

 

Entry bubble Stricter Fuel Economy Standards

By: Colleen | May 20, 2009 | Category: Money

Yesterday, President Obama proposed stricter fuel economy standards to cut down on vehicle greenhouse gas emissions.

This means there will be a federal standard that is the equivalent to what is currently required of automobiles in California. The current standards are 27.5 miles per gallon, while this plan will require that cars get an overall average of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016.

Some pros of this plan are that these changes will save about 1.8 billion barrels of oil by 2016 and will remove the equivalent of 177 million cars from the roads. It is also speculated that it could help the struggling U.S. auto industry by giving them a single goal to meet.

On the other side of the argument, some say that since this takes auto regulation out of the hands of the state, that it is only increasing an already too big federal government. This plan will also likely increase the cost of a car about $600- but this should be made up by saving on gas.

What do you think of the new plan?

| View Comments [11] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags:

 

Entry bubble Wear Your Seat Belt

By: Joanne | May 19, 2009 | Category: Travel

click it or ticket

Here’s a tip: wear your seat belt when you’re in the car this week, because the police are cracking down and ticketing people violating seat belt laws.

This week is the Click it or Ticket National Enforcement Mobilization Campaign. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, only 83 percent of Americans are using seat belts. What really surprised me was that the national data actually indicates that seat belt usage actually went down in many states between 2007 and 2008. I was also surprised to see that night time seat belt usage is significantly lower than day time usage.

I’m a big seat belt advocate. When I was a kid, my parents always insisted that I wear a seat belt in the car – they even got seat belts in the back seat when that was optional equipment. I started wearing seat belts when I was young, and I never stopped. I’ve been in 3 car accidents in my life, and I’m certain that each time my seat belt saved me from injury. I remember getting in the car with my cousin one day and scolding her for not wearing a seat belt. She told me that she didn’t like seat belts because they’re uncomfortable. “So’s a traumatic head injury!” I replied.

So once you get into the habit of wearing your seat belt this week, keep it up.  It’s one of the many little things you can do to help yourself and your loved ones stay safe and healthy.

| View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: belt   car   joanne   police   safety   seat   ticket  

 

Entry bubble Health Insurance and Travel

By: Editor | May 18, 2009 | Category: Travel

Heather Holland has been working for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) since 2004. She's traveled around the world and, except for a regrettable coral reef incident in Belize, has managed to stay healthy most of the way.

As the days get longer, gazes turn wistfully toward the office windows. Let’s admit it: we’re planning our vacations. For some this means a family trip to the beach; others lucky enough to snag a travel deal might be headed to Europe. In the current economy, your trip might be to your own backyard. Whatever your destination, one thing’s certain—you don’t want to get sick.

woman laying on couch blowing her noseIf getting sick at home is awful, becoming ill or injured away from home is infinitely worse. You’re in unfamiliar surroundings, you don’t have your own pillow, you don’t know which pharmacy is open past midnight. Uncertainty over whether your insurance will cover your care only compounds the misery.

Since deciphering your insurance policy is the last thing on your mind when hunched in a hotel bathroom with food poisoning, checking your health care policy should be an automatic part of your pre-trip planning. Depending on where you’re going, you may want to buy additional short-term travel coverage. Getting rescued by helicopter from a fall in the Shawangunks mountains doesn’t come cheap, so the peace of mind may be well worth the cost of a policy.

It’s also helpful to familiarize yourself with any local conditions that might affect your health. Will temperatures or altitude be a problem? Are there any scary diseases you should know about? Do you need to pack extra insect repellant? The Centers for Disease Control is a wonderful resource for the critical travel information that can make or break a vacation. You can also stay abreast of any official travel advisories and warnings.

By the way, know that if you or your family members have Medicare, you can probably get care from almost any doctor or hospital in the country. Visit www.medicare.gov/Physician/Home.asp to find a local doctor that accepts Medicare. You might also want to sign up for “Ask Medicare,” the new e-newsletter for caregivers (or anyone who knows someone with Medicare). The summer issue promises lots of tips on healthy senior travel.

Bon voyage!

| View Comments [2] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: editor   health   health_insurance   medicare   travel  

« Previous page of month (May 2009) | Main | Next page of month (May 2009) »