Waters of the U.S. - Regulations

If you have friends or family who live near Toledo, Ohio, you may be aware that their tap water hasn't been safe to drink for the last few days due to an algae bloom in Lake Erie.  The cause of the bloom is thought to be agricultural runoff and other pollutants.  This incident may increase your interest in recently proposed changes to Clean Water Act regulations: 

http://www2.epa.gov/uswaters

The period for submitting comments about the proposed changes has been extended to October 20.  Take a look and let the EPA know what you think.  As the people of Toledo would tell you (when they finally get out of the shower), having clean water is extremely important.

Youth Online

Anyone who's ever been a young person knows that young people engage in risky behavior.  Be it sex, drugs, or even rock and roll, all can be dangerous.  So, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does a survey every other year to try to track risky behaviors.  The results from several surveys have been compiled and made available on the Youth Online site: 

http://nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Default.aspx?SID=HS

Take a look and see what vices the young folks in your area are enjoying.  You might be very surprised.

National Ice Cream Month

Even though we're approaching the end of July, there's still time to enjoy National Ice Cream Month.  This blog posting from the U.S. Government Printing Office provides a nice summary of the frosty treat's history and how July became the official time to celebrate it: 

http://govbooktalk.gpo.gov/2013/07/15/you-scream-i-scream-for-national-ice-cream-month/

So, have a scoop or two and enjoy!  (But do try to enjoy in moderation, or you might be observing National Diabetes Month in November in more ways than you'd like.)

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, but it's much more than a collection of materials used by the members of Congress:

http://www.loc.gov/about/

It includes the U.S. Copyright Office, which registers and collects copyrighted works, along with a Law Library and the Congressional Research Service.  In addition, it provides cataloging information and services which assist libraries all around the country.  Much as you could spend days roaming the Library's physical stacks, you can also spend days examining its online collections.  Happy exploring.

Drowning Statistics

Every summer weekend seems to bring stories of accidental drownings.  How common is drowning?  From 1999 through 2010, a total of 46,419 deaths from unintentional drowning (including boating) occurred in the United States, an average of 3,868 deaths per year.  The average number of deaths per day was higher on weekends, and men were more likely than women to drown in a natural water source such as a lake or river.  To read more fascinating facts about drowning, see this page from the Centers for Disease Control: 

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db149.htm

It might convince you to vacation in the desert this year.  (But even the desert has bath tubs.)

Reverse Mortgages

Henry Winkler is just the most recent celebrity spokesperson to pitch reverse mortgages on TV.  What exactly is reverse mortgage anyway?  Is it really a good idea, or more of a scam?  This page from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides a breakdown of the basics:

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/hecm/hecmhome

See the "General HECM Frequently Asked Questions" for a clear explanation about how a reverse mortgage differs from a traditional home equity loan.  And yes, for some people they can be a very good idea.  (Aaaaay, Fonzie wouldn't lie, right?  Exactamundo.)

Federal Theatre Project

Most people know that the National Endowment for the Arts currently provides grants for theatrical productions, but did you know that the federal government once took a much more active role in funding and producing live theater?  One of the Depression-era projects of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was the Federal Theatre Project:
 
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/federal-theatre-project/index.html

All told, the Project "employed more than 12,000 people within 150 regional administrative units that produced more than 2,700 stage productions."  Read all about it on this page from the Library of Congress (but don't read it on your mobile device while you're walking, or you might break a leg).