No. 195 April 1999
HIDDEN U.S. HUNGRY CHILDREN PICTURE--NEW PICTURE/INDICATOR "Hunger in the United States is intermittent and often hidden." When is the last time, the social groups soliciting money donations for starving children showed pictures of American children? Insufficient food and a lack of nutrition for children may go back to the colonial era, but the Census Bureau's new survey social indicator of food insecurity and hunger was initiated in 1995. April 1995 was the Census Bureau's first nationwide survey of 4,730 American households asking about their food expenditures, sources of food assistance, food security, and hunger. The households' responses were classified into four levels of food insecurity and the result was that hungry children exist "equally" in both the urban and rural setting. "New Indicator Reveals Similar Levels of Food Security in Rural and Urban Households" Rural Conditions and Trends v.9, no.2 February 1999, pages 91-96. This discussion of the hungry children in America ends with a "box" of information on page 96: "Developing a New Measuring Tool: The Food Security Survey." This "box" includes the titles of the first USDA "Measuring Food Security in the United States" reports on food security and hunger and the URL http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/MENU/GLEANING/SUPPORT/MEASURE.HTM where the reports can be found in a PDF file. http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/ is the new Food and Nutrition Service home page.
WHEN AND WHERE DO FLOWERS BLOOM? Do you know when the flowers bloom? What week Daffodils first appear and how long they last? What plants bloom in December? Where English Ivy will grow and will not grow? If you could plan for a new bouquet of flowers in your house each week how would you draw up such a list? If you wanted to plant a flower garden such that there would be new flowers blooming continually, when one species was complete, another would take its place throughout the year. "Average Blooming Dates" (AKA "What's Blooming") is the name of the USDA web page http://www.ars-grin.gov/na/blooming.html, whose monthly list of all the flowers in bloom for each month is most helpful for the flower grower. This may not be the only list of its kind, but it's probably the easiest to get to if you have Internet access. To help you decide what plants you can try to grow checkout the "National Arboretum's USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map." This map, originally issued in paper in January 1990, as USDA Miscellaneous Publication No.1475 is now electronic for easy access http://www.ars-grin.gov/na/hardines.html . Yet, the map is printable, as is the list of zones and what plants each zone supports. There is also a select list of woody plants for which there are cold hardiness (zone) ratings. There is also a link under "Hardiness Zones--Details" to the "USDA Hardiness Zones and Average Annual Minimum Temperature Range" table, which includes names of cities within each zone, so you can identify your zone. There are even instructions on how to use the map, what more could you ask for?
SUMMER PROJECT: BUILD AN AIRCRAFT Attention all model building hobbyists! Here is the ultimate model and a most challenging project: an airplane or ultra light aircraft you build from a kit. You can select from the kits listed in "Memorandum, Revised Listing of Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits" (March 1, 1999). Next, apply for your needed certification with "AC 65-23A, Certification of Repairmen (Experimental Aircraft Builders)." You will want to find out what assistance will be provided via "AC 20-139, Commercial Assistance During Construction of Amateur-Built Aircraft." To insure an aircraft built per FAA standards, you will have to read "AC 93-7C, Airworthiness Directives" and "AC 20-27D, Certification and Operation of Amateur-Built Aircraft." When all the parts are together and the engine is "purring like a kitten," it is time to take a test flight. However, if your aircraft is an ultra light vehicle you should read "AC 107-3, The Ultralight Vehicle." At the stage for flight tests, a reading of "AC 90-98A, Amateur-Built Aircraft and Ultralight Testing Handbook" is a must. When ready to test the aircraft you also have to apply for certification that you have a "worthy" craft. This means you'll need "AC 21-12B, Application for U.S. Worthiness Certificate, FAA Form 8130-6" to get you new aircraft certified as "worthy" by current FAA standards. This form and all these (FAA Advisory Circular) publications cited above are found in Amateur-Built Aircraft Reference Material AFS-600 issued in 1999 edition by the FAA Regulatory Support Division. This volume will be found in paper format in depository libraries under SuDoc TD 4.8: AM 1/999. The frames and pdf version is on the Internet at http://www.mmac.jccbi.gov/afs/afs600/index.html and a paper copy may be ordered from GPO Bookstores.
GAS MILEAGE GAUGES: 3 KINDS (1) If you are on a "first name basis" with the cashier(s) where you buy gasoline because you buy gas so often, then you may be getting bad gas mileage. (2) To measure you car's mileage (related to its size, engine, and your driving), fill your gas tank to the top and note the mileage. Drive until the tank is almost empty. Fill the tank to the top (again) and take note of the new mileage number and the number of gallons needed to fill the tank. "The number of miles driven" divided by the number of gallons used (and now needed to fill the tank)" will equal the miles per gallon (MPG) i.e. your car mileage. (3) To anticipate the gas mileage of a new Volvo, Mercedes Benz, Ford, or General Motor's car whether 1998 or 1992, you will be interested in another source of mileage information. THE AUOTMOTIVE FUEL ECONOMY PROGRAM Twenty-Third Annual Report to Congress for Calendar Year 1998 is 4 pages of some brief narrative text with 4 tables of gas mileage information and figures. "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Automotive Fuel Economy Program, Notice" Federal Register, v.64, no. 82 April 29, 1999 pages 23149-23152 is where to find the 1997 and 1998 model years MPG figures for 23 different (domestic and foreign) passenger cars manufactured. There are only 11 light truck manufacturers (models) which have the similar model and year MPG data. Historically, the basic standard mileage (MPG) figure for passenger cars and light trucks is given for 1978 through 2000 in table I, but if you want historical information from 1997 to date, check the Federal Register indexes from 1977. Looking under "National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Notices" for "Fuel Economy Standards/Programs Annual Reports" and you will find each of the first public announcements of gas mileage data for the current models of passenger cars and trucks. The current report is also at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/studies/FuelEcon1998/index.html.
THE RUST BELT Did you grow up in one of the "smoke-shrouded Midwestern cities identified with big factories, big autos and big steel"? Steel producing cities like Pittsburgh (PA.) and Youngstown (Ohio) had black smoke filled skies (by day) and red skies at night from the glow of blast furnaces' molten steel? You have 23 MSA areas to choose from. These MSA's constitute the "Rust belt" as identified in "Rust Belt" Rebounds, Census Brief CENBR/98-7 issued December 1998 (C 3.205/8: 98-7) or URL. In the 1960's the major steel industries started their decline, and the 1970's and the early 1980's saw major downturns in domestic and international markets for the products for steel and steel products. Thus, many cities in the Rust Belt MSA's suffered high unemployment, expanding welfare rolls, rising crime, declining wage growth, and net out-migration, as shown in this Census Brief. However, the 1990's saw a revival and positive changes in 13 of the 23 MSAs. While 13 of the Metro Areas have made a successful comeback 7 have not. If you were born or now live in one of these 23 MSAs you may want to see our "Rust Belt" Rebounds which is a PDF file at http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/briefs.html . This 2 page Brief (No. CENBR/98-7) will tell if your MSA has taken on a new shine, if it is still "rusty," or maybe you want to look at the data for all 23 Rust Belt MSAs.
CHILDREN'S ONLINE PRIVACY REGULATION The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 mandated that the Federal Trade Commission promulgate a set of administrative rules to implement this new law. The FTC has created a set of rules, which it is proposing and has presented for public comments and criticism. Eventhough it is too late to submit your comments about this proposed rule, reading "Federal Trade Commission, 16 CFR PART 312, Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" Federal Register, v. 64, no. 80 April 27, 1999, pages 22749-22767 gives you an idea of what this law is intended to achieve. This proposed rule explains how the online privacy of children will be protected, what the electronic commerce activities will prohibited, and what will be required in regard to children's online activities and online information supplied by and about children. The law requires parental actions and consent required for children to participate in electronic activities or services. This proposed rule also provides the criteria for approval of self-regulatory guidelines for the electronic industries and marketers. Other related information shows the new role of these groups and organizations in the protection of children's online rights to privacy.
FTC ELECTRONIC COMPLAINT FORM Have you ever filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about a company or individual? If so, Electronically?? If the complaint includes some personal or otherwise sensitive bank or credit card information, which should not be normally sent e-mail, the complaint should be sent via postal mail. Otherwise you can now file a complaint electronically. To learn about the electronic complaint form and its limitations, read the FTC "Talk to Us" webpage http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/talk_to_us.htm, which also has a link from the "Complaint Form" page http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm. The "Complaint Form" page, which is easy to use, is intended for "traditional consumer complaints." Today our new electronic "problems" such as electronic obscenity, electronic marketing fraud, and unwanted or unsolicited e-mail messages, worthy of an immediate FTC notification, can be sent immediately. To quote the FTC "if you would like to forward unsolicited commercial e-mail (Spam) to the Commission, please send it directly to UCE@FTC.GOV without using this [electronic complaint] form." This electronic complaint form and the e-mil forwarding service may not mean the FTC will remedy your problems as quickly as you like, but it will help the FTC collect "electronic evidence" in regard to span or electronic marketing fraud.
FREE RADICALS To quote Julia R. Barrett, "Measuring the Effects of Free Radicals" NCCR Reporter v.23, no. 2, Spring 1999 pages 7-8 (HE 20.3013/6:32/2) found at http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/newspub/apr99rpt/Radicals.htm "free radicals are molecular thugs on the biochemical scene, indiscriminately stealing electrons from other molecules and converting them into potentially harmful forms." These free radicals are also known as oxidants. These free radicals or oxidants are suspected contributors to Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, and other diseases characterized by accumulation of insoluble fatty substances. It seems the number and level of nasty free radicals is shown by the isoprostane level indicators in the blood and urine. It seems the research into the link between the foods we eat, how they (the foods) metabolize, damage the human tissues and organs, and diseases resulting from insoluble fatty substances in places where they should not be. This is a very easy to understand presentation of why free radicals, oxidants, oxidant stress, and unwanted fatty substances may lead to unwanted diseases and why we should consume foods containing antioxidants. However, Julia didn't tell us we should keep eating those antioxidant vegetables, chocolates, and wines, which will suppress all those free radicals which can culminate in the body and produce oxidant stress and the unwanted fatty deposits in the veins and arteries.
July 6,1999
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