Travel to Cuba

President Obama is making an historic visit to Cuba this week. If his trip has made you wonder who exactly is allowed to visit Cuba these days, this site from the U.S. Department of State should answer your questions. See particularly the section on "Entry, Exit & Visa Requirements:"

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/cuba.html

If you would love to visit Cuba but don't meet the criteria for approved travel, you may have to make do by renting a classic car, going out for a Cuban sandwich, and watching some "I Love Lucy" reruns.

Women in Congress

As it's both an election year and Women's History Month, this site from the U.S. House of Representatives which highlights women who served in Congress between 1917 and 2006 may be of interest.

http://history.house.gov/Exhibition-and-Publications/WIC/Women-in-Congress/

It "contains biographical profiles of former women Members of Congress, links to information about current women Members, essays on the institutional and national events that shaped successive generations of Congresswomen, and images of each woman Member, including rare photos." And, as it's the Ides of March, I'll point out that most, if not all, of these women ended their political careers a bit more peacefully than Julius Caesar.

Patent and Trademark Resource Centers

Have you invented something wonderful? Do you want the world to know that you were the first one who created that wonderful thing? Do you want to start a small business to sell your invention, or some other wonderful thing? If so, a Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) may be able to help you learn about owning and registering those types of intellectual property:

http://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/patent-and-trademark-resource-centers-ptrcs

Before you file a new application, you'll want to search the existing patents and trademarks to make sure no one else has already claimed or registered the same thing. PTRCs can help you do that. Sadly, being the second or third person to invent the telephone isn't nearly as exciting as being the first.

Colon Cancer Awarness Month

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Is it time for you to get screened? If you're not sure, this page from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention describes the screening tests currently in use and tells you how often they should be performed:

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/tests.htm

If it's been too long since your last test, please get your rear in gear and call your doctor today to schedule an appointment. It may be the best booty call you'll ever make.

Presidential Campaign Finance

As the 2016 Presidential campaign continues to heat up, many political pundits seem to be citing campaign contributions in their predictions of who will do well in various primaries. If you'd like to examine some details about campaign contributions and draw your own conclusions, this Presidential Campaign Finance map from the Federal Election Commission provides several ways to locate data:

http://www.fec.gov/disclosurep/pnational.do

You can see contribution totals and where contributions for each candidate originated nationwide, or you can search for lists of contributors by name, employer, city, or ZIP Code.

Based solely on contributions thus far, it appears that our next Commander in Chief may be a Ma'am rather than a Sir.

Presidents' Day

While most federal websites are designed for use by adults, many are also directed toward younger audiences. Here's an example from the U.S. Mint. It has some interesting information about Presidents' Day and even offers some educational games:

http://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinNews/presidentsDay.cfm

You may learn a lot about both Presidents and coins, and it won't be a "coin"cidence. ;-)

Taxpayer Advocate Service

Dealing with any government agency usually involves cutting through a certain amount of red tape, but the Internal Revenue Service seems to have a particularly thick layer. As tax season approaches, please be aware that there is a place to turn if you're having problems with the IRS. Most states have a Taxpayer Advocate who may be able to help you sort out any stubborn or serious issues you're having with the IRS:

https://www.irs.gov/Advocate/Local-Taxpayer-Advocate/Contact-Your-Local-Taxpayer-Advocate

So, if you have a tax problem you haven't been able to resolve through regular IRS channels, give the Advocate a call. As the IRS site itself says, "Remember, the worst thing you can do is nothing at all.