There is only ONE official website for filing for unemployment benefits in Michigan, the Unemployment Insurance Agency. And there is NO charge for filing for unemployment benefits in Michigan. The State is warning residents against using websites that charge fees to file claims for unemployment benefits. These companies are advertising on search engines and generating emails and they will attempt to get access to bank accounts, credit cards, and personal information from consumers. They may look "official" but they are NOT, so steer clear and stay safe!

With the recent scandals over food safety, knowing who produces your food and how it's produced has become ever more attractive. Many Ann Arborites, myself among them, eagerly await the return of the growing season and the Kerrytown Farmer's Market. Stone-Buhr, a major flour and wheat supplier in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho has introduced Find the Farmer which allows you to enter the lot number on your flour bag to find out which farm it came from. You can ask questions, see a list of producers and profiles on each, and access the Find the Farmer Blog. The New York Times caught the story and places Find the Farmer within the larger context of food safety and companies' accountability for safe production practices.

In the September 2008 issue of Scientific American:
Page 72 "RFID TAG - You're it"

I didn't know that RFID tags were used in WWII to identify allied aircraft...so maybe the Brits call it the RAFID. :)

RFID tags are embedded in the electronic U.S. passports. China is using the RFID tag in the national ID.

Read a related blog from 2006.

If you are like me, you are interested in being more socially responsible, like going beyond simple recycling and doing your part to help save our planet for future generations, but you don't have lots of money and time to devote to "going green". Sound familiar? If so, then you need to get yourself a copy of Renee Loux's Easy green living : the ultimate guide to simple, eco-friendly choices for you and your home. This lifestyle guide is PACKED with information about the simple, affordable choices we can make to avoid toxins, conserve natural resources and generally be more eco-smart. Whether you choose to take tiny baby steps or completely overhaul your wasteful self, you will find the answers you need. One of my favorite easy eco-tips is the following: "About 100 million trees and 28 billion gallons of water are used annually to produce the 5.8 million tons of catalogs and unsolicited wads of preapproved credit card offers and other junk that arrive at our homes - 44 percent of which are thrown away unopened....Stop credit card offers. Go to www.optoutprescreen.com, where the consumer credit report industry lets you opt out of receiving preapproved and prescreened credit card offers." Now imagine if we all did that!

If you are heading to Beijing to support our atheletes, you might want to check out this blog site before packing your bags. Globespotters offers urban advice from reporters who live there.

Beijing Basics are for smart travelers who plan ahead - with information from airports, getting into town, using the subways, to finding an English-speaking doctor.

If your travel plans include other equally exotic locales such as Mumbai, Bangkok, Moscow or Istanbul, you will be glad you did you homework. Travel safe.

The July issue of Consumer Reports, available at all locations, rates 31 new small sedans and picks the top 21 used cars with the best fuel-efficiency.

This issue also includes a special section testing digital cameras, ratings for air-conditioners, 6 ways to help keep the home cool and comfortable, and more.

Local governments throughout Washtenaw County, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and FEMA will host a Flood Risk Information Open House for residents on Wednesday, April 30, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Ypsilanti Township Board Room. County residents will have an opportunity to review a recently completed preliminary Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and its accompanying preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about flood risk and hazard mitigation.

Your house is one of your most valuable possessions. If you are facing financial uncertainty which could threaten making your mortgage payments on time, there is a source of free advice that could help. MSU Extension is holding a series of free seminars at various locations across the county on preventing foreclosure. Register now because space is limited.

If you're an NPR listener, you might have noticed a veritable media blitzkrieg for Bob Sullivan, popular columnist for MSNBC business exposé blog The Red Tape Chronicles. Recently, Sullivan has appeared on Marketplace and Fresh Air. Could Talk of the Nation be next?

Sullivan has been plugging his new book on something near and not-so-dear to all of our hearts: hidden fees. Whether they be from your bank, your credit card company, or your cell phone carrier, fees seem not only like a way of life for consumers, but a viable business model. And a source of higher blood pressure. Gotcha Capitalism details these pocketbook-draining schemes, and how to avoid them.

Of course, you've already proven yourself an intelligent consumer. You can avoid all sorts of hidden fees from bookstores and credit companies alike by checking out the book from us. Providing you return it on time, of course!