Invasive Pests

Have you ever returned from a trip abroad and been asked if you're carrying any produce or plants? Have you wondered why they ask that? It's because foreign agricultural pests can sneak into the United States in your fruit basket. Read these tips from the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and ensure that your gifts don't include any nasty surprises:

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/news/sa_by_date/newsroom-2016/sa-11/hungry-pest-cheer

Your loved ones deserve berries with no beetles and wreaths with no wriggling.

Scam Alerts

During the holiday season, when everyone is distracted by shopping, traveling, and enjoying time with friends and family, scam artists are still hard at work trying to steal your money or your identity. The Federal Trade Commission offers several tips on how to avoid falling for a scam, and even provides alerts to let you know about new scams that have recently been reported. 

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts

So, this holiday season be merry, but also be wise.

Healthy Pets Healthy People

As the winter weather closes in, many people will start spending even more time cuddling with their pets. A healthy pet is happier and less likely to pass a disease along to you during your cuddle time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers this Healthy Pets Healthy People site with tips on keeping your companions in good shape:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/index.html

Follow their advice and we'll all be able to enjoy more of those photos of Fluffy and Fido that you like to share on social media.

Presidential Election Process

Though many of you may be tired of hearing about the Presidential election and just want it to be over, here's a page from USA.gov that might come in handy if the results are unusual or contested:

https://www.usa.gov/election

It explains the functioning of the Electoral College and talks about what happens if a candidate wins the popular vote but loses the election, and if no candidate gets the required 270 electoral votes. Even if you're fed up with the Presidential race, please take the time to vote. Remember that there may be important local races and issues on the ballot as well. Your school boards and drainage districts are depending on you.

LGBTQ Heritage Theme Study

The U.S. National Park Service, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is charged with researching and maintaining many of America's most beloved historic sites. Some of those sites relate to the civil rights struggles of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) population. A special heritage theme study of LGBTQ sites and history was published this year. It's extensive, peer-reviewed, and covers many sub-populations:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/tellingallamericansstories/lgbtqthemestudy.htm

Whether you're interested just in historic closets, or also in the people who emerged from them, this study might well have valuable information for you.

Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress

There are many questions that mystify most of us. Is a coconut a nut, a seed, or a fruit? Does your heart really stop when you sneeze? What causes the sound of thunder? The Library of Congress has attempted to answer many of these questions on its Everyday Mysteries page:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/archive.html

One question I hope we'll never be able to answer is, "Where would we be without libraries?"

Postal Explorer

Do the rules and procedures of the U.S. Postal Service ever confuse you? If so, the sources available on the Postal Explorer site might help to answer your questions. According to the site, "Postal Explorer is a virtual library of postal information and tools designed for U.S. Postal Service customers, business mailers, and employees. It puts a wealth of postal requirements for mailing and shipping domestically, internationally, and to APO/FPO/DPO destinations, at your fingertips in an easy-to-use format:"

http://pe.usps.gov/

If this site doesn't provide all the answers you need, just send Uncle Sam a postcard to complain.