Health Care Summitt

The meeting will be streamed live on whitehouse.gov.

Toyota Hearing

Follow the hearing "Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public at Risk" on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's website.

Read Dept. of Transportation's blog post The Truth about State Farm, Toyota and NHTSA.

C-SPAN is another option for following the hearing.

Bureau of Justice Statistics Reports

Yesterday's news of Herman Thomas being disbarred again in Mobile sadly connected in my mind with these Bureau of Justice statistical reports:

• Sexual Victimization in State and Federal Prisons Reported by Inmates, 2007
• Sexual Victimization in Local Jails Reported by Inmates, 2007 

Credit Cards - The Devil's in the Details

Beginning today, February 22, 1010, credit card companies will have new rules to follow. Be sure to learn as much as you can since the details can make a difference.

Need to laugh? Here's some credit card humor from Live Wire. The sketch was a part of NPR's Marketplace Money.

Documents of the Week: The Heart

Having now showcased all of the major departments in our collection, we will now feature a variety of themed displays, starting with the human heart. While some of the material is fairly recent, some documents are somewhat dated and should not be consulted for current medical advice.

• Facts About Angina
• Facts About Blood Cholesterol
• Facts About Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
• Facts About Mitral-Valve Prolapse
• Facts About Smoking and Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
• Facts About Smoking and Your Heart
• For Your Heart: A Guide to Healthier Living for African-American Women
• Heart Attacks
• Heart Disease and Women: Kicking the Smoking Habit
• Heart Disease in Women (Spanish)
• Rapid Identification and Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction
• Risks of Heart Disease
• Staffing and Equipping Emergency Medical Services Systems
• The Heart: Diagnosis and Treatment
• Tryiglyceride, High Density Lipoprotein, and Coronary Heart Disease
• Understanding Congestive Heart Failure
• With Every Beat of Your Heart: An Ideabook for Community Heart Health Programs
• Your Heart, Your Life - Picture Cards (English and Spanish)

Get Your Smokey On!

I'm sure by know you've seen at least one of the new Smokey Bear commercials. Guess what? There's a lot to do at smokeybear.com not matter how old you are. A teacher? Visit this site for lots of resources. A kid? This is the place to learn more about Smokey Bear and play some games. A camper? Learn how to be smart outdoors.

Remember, only you can prevent wildfires!

Documents of the Week: United States Department of Agriculture

Our final agency documents of the week display will focus on the USDA:

• Insects and Diseases of Alaskan Forests
• Home Canning of Fruits and Vegetables
• Be Food Safe During Emergencies: Power Outages, Floods & Fires
• Land That We Love: Americans Talk About America's Public Lands
• Cooking for People with Food Allergies
• Agricultural Statistics 2008
• Living on a Few Acres
• Food: The Yearbook of Agriculture 1959
• Agricultural Outlook, August 2000
• FoodReview, September-December 1999
• Shoshone National Forest Recreation Guide
• A Tool Kit for Health School Meals: Recipes and Training Materials

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Will you be attending the games? If so, visit travel.state.gov to be sure you have the correct travel documents.

NASA's Earth Observatory Image of the Day is the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Samford Snow Update - Zip, nada, nothing. No snow sighted yet.

For Student Papers and Spring 2010 Graduates

I know of 2 classes that are researching human trafficking. This post on ending violence against women has useful information.

In 4 months we'll have a new group of graduates looking for employment. Be sure to keep NASA in mind.

Super (Advertising) Bowl!

The Employment Situation January 2010 & People Are Asking

From the Department of Labor, The Employment Situation January 2010 PDF news release.

I also found the People Are Asking (which is in a box in the middle of the homepage) from the FAQs to be helpful. For example:

Question: When must breaks and meal periods be given?
Answer: The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require breaks or meal periods be given to workers. Some states may have requirements for breaks or meal periods. If you work in a state which does not require breaks or meal periods, these benefits are a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee (or the employee's representative).

Haiti Relief Donations Qualify for Immediate Tax Relief

You may claim your 2010 Haiti donation on your 2009 tax return.

Are you going to the Olympics?

If you plan on going to the games, you need to be aware of the changes to the border-crossing requirements.

The President's Budget of the United States Government 2011

The President's Budget of the United States Government for fiscal year 2011 is now available on FDsys. Soon, it will be available at Federal depository libraries and is currently for sale in the U.S. Government Online Bookstore.