Research Blog : money, government

Free government grants? Not so fast!

googler@evpl — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:53:00 GMT

A recent post at Snopes (which is the premiere hoax-debunking website) covers the increasing "free government grant" scam, currently being perpetrated through web ads, e-mails, and even direct phone calls. (Unfortunately, while Snopes is a great source of information, it may also spawn two "pop-under" ads on your computer. These can be harmlessly closed using the X in the upper right-hand corner.)

The federal government has an official website for all federal grant applications, and there they take pains to explain that they do not offer ANY grants for personal financial assistance or debt. (There are a few grants available to individuals in addition to organizations, but they're for specific types of research, projects, etc.) Their page describing who is eligible for grants offers links to various organizations that do provide financial assistance, and also to the alphabetical list of all government benefits and financial aid programs.

At the Library, we have bought some books that may contain such phrases as "free money" in their titles, but frankly, the titles are pretty misleading. By free money, they mean bargains, discounts, and the financial aid programs linked above.

Stimulus for Seniors/Disabled

wag.mado@evpl — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:19:00 GMT

With all the talk regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, many who are retired or disabled have been wondering how they will recieve their stimulus money. According to the Internal Revenue, a one time payment of $250.00 will be made to Social Security recipients, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, disabled veterans, and Railroad Retirement benficiaries. The Social Security Administration Online states that no action is needed to attain these stimulus payments. Recipients should automatically receive their money by the end of May 2009, in the same manner they normally receive their benefits. SSA also provides a very useful Frequently Asked Questions page and provides a phone number for those who do not receive their stimulus by June 4. You can even sign up for FAQ update notifications through your email if you choose.

New Database Brings the World to your Desktop

Bufkinite@evpl — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:26:00 GMT

A new database called Global Road Warrior brings you comprehensive information on 175 countries around the world. And when I say "comprehensive" that is exactly what I mean. There is information in over 100 specific areas for each country listed.

There is basic information like geography (including flags and maps for each country), govenment, and climate; information about the society and culture, like standard greetings and courtesies, food peculiar to the area (including recipes), holidays, religions, and sports; information about how business is conducted, with special attention given to women in business; information about the currency used there, including a currency converter; and infrastructure information including electricity, telephones, Internet connectivity and ISPs, telegram, fax, and postal services.

In addition, there is a "security briefing" for every country taken directly from the CIA's World Factbook, health and medical information, and contact information - addresses, email, and telephone numbers - for all foreign embassies and consulates within each country.

Below left is a screen shot of the home page for Mongolia. The menu on the left is standard for each country, and includes the information outlined above and much more. Below right is a close-up of the standard menu, with an example of the sub-menu choices for "Society and Culture," to give you an idea of the richness of this resource.

Teachers will especially enjoy global road warrior! The maps listed for each country include a simple outline map as well as an outline map that includes outlines of states & provinces. There is also a list of "essential terms" for each country: how to say "hello," "goodbye," "yes," "no," and the other essential words and phrases you'll need to get around.

The search interface is very easy to use, and allows you to search within a particular country, or search for a particular term across all countries. Try it today and see what you think about EVPL's newest database offering.