For Your Mind

News of the Day
Is this a good time to open your dream restaurant, Cafe, Tea, and Me? What about building your country house? This U.S. Department of Commerce recorded message provides you with the latest numbers on monthly housing completions, composite indexes, leading economic indicators, wholesale and retail sales and more. Call: Commerce Department News; 202-393-1847.

All Aboard
Kids love to watch planes, trains, and ships. You can call this recorded message to find which ships and barges are coming and going, as well as their departure times. Call: St. Lawrence Seaway Ship Arrival Message Line; 315-769-2422.

How Much Is too Much?
Uncle Sam goes shopping each month and you can find out how much we spend on everything from cupcakes to satellite dishes. It's a goldmine for comparison shoppers and entrepreneurs looking for the next super market. Call for the latest U.S. Department of Labor figures. Call: Consumer Price Index; 202-606-7828.

Labor Pains
Out of work or looking for a new job? You can take comfort in the numbers while tracking the latest employment trends and opportunities. The U.S. Department of Labor provides information on employment levels, labor indicators, consumer and producer prices as well as information on available publications on this recorded message. Call: Current Labor Statistics; 202-606-7828.

Pick a Job, Any Job
Looking for a career with the lowest current unemployment rate? Are your prospects of getting off unemployment improving? Call the U.S. Department of Labor Employment Situation Information recorded message line for current information on the unemployment rate, unemployment rate of major worker groups, and other labor market activity. Call: Employment Situation Information; 202-606-7828.

Bills, Bills, Bills
The bond market is where the economy stretches its legs. Find out whether to invest in a T-bill or a T-bird, or whether savings bonds are still great graduation gifts. The U.S. Department of Treasury will tell you all you need to know about Treasury bills, notes, and bonds, as well as auction results, and more. Call: Treasury Bills Hotline; 202-874-4000.

A Job Bank for Globetrotters
Throw out the classifieds. Uncle Sam is always hiring bright people like yourself, not just here but all over the world. This Career America hotline, sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, will help you find out exactly what government jobs are available in your area, what the qualifications are, and to whom you need to talk to get you started on the payroll. Call: Career America Hotline; 912-757-3000.

Who Do You Believe?
Did the product you bought to grow hair on your head actually just color your scalp? Did you buy a "Made In America" product only to find "Made in Taiwan" stamped on the bottom? The Federal Trade Commission deals with unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices. You can call this message line for weekly Commission information on topics for meetings, hearings, and speeches. Call: Federal Trade Commission Meetings Message Line; 202-326-2711.

How Much Can You Really Take with You?
This Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation message provides you with interest rates for valuing benefits and pension plans, so you can plan your retirement in style. Call: Pension Plans and Interest Rates Message Line; 202-326-4041.

What Comes in Goes Out
Are you due for a raise? Would you like to know how the whole country is doing? What about wages and salaries? Call to get month by month personal income and outlays, total wages and salaries, proprietors' income, interest and dividend income, and more from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Call: Personal Income and Outlays Message Line; 202-606-5303.

Recall Their Bluff
You can become a grassroots pain in the pocketbook for manufacturers of shoddy products. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Investigations hotline will tell you how to make your complaints heard and also tell you about available publications and tips on purchasing products. Call: Consumer Product Safety Commission Hotline; 800-638-CPSC.

An ARM and a Leg
Keep a step ahead of the bank if you have an adjustable rate mortgage by tracking fluctuation in interest rates. Remember, it's your pound of flesh. Call the Office of Thrift Supervision to hear a recorded message on the current data that is used by many financial institutions as a basis for computing their adjustable rate mortgages. Call: Office of Thrift Supervision; 202-906-6988.

Project Blue Book
In 1969 the government undertook a huge investigation of UFO sightings called Project Blue Book. The case is now closed and all the findings are available to the public at the National Archives on 95 rolls of microfilm containing over 2.3 million pages. They offer a free brochure, fact sheet, and a bibliography. You can also get up to 10 pages of an individual sighting report from the Project copied and sent to you free of charge. Contact: National Archives and Records Administration, Textual Reference Branch, 8601 Adelphi Rd., College Park, MD 20740-6001; 301-713-7250.

The Latest Dirt
Should you plant sunflowers or soybeans? Should you invest in pork bellies or potatoes? Is the local grocery chain inflating its prices? The U.S. Department of Agriculture newsline will tell you more than you ever will need to know. And depending upon when you call, you can also keep up on political appointments and the latest agricultural techniques and discoveries. Call: Agriculture Department News Hotline; 202-488-8358.

Better than a Rolex
Tired of being late? Did your grandmother teach you that punctuality is a virtue? Set your watch to the exact time of the Atomic Clock at the Naval Observatory, and see how you do. Call: Time (within milliseconds); 202-762-1401.

Flowerpower Plus
Get green-thumb advice from the bonsai samurai staffers at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC. Listen to the nation's Gardeners of Eden and learn about free on-site classes for visitors and expert analysis of your own gardening problems by phone. Call: Botanic Garden Upcoming Events Hotline; 202-225-7099.

Ready to Hit the Open Road?
This message system of the Office of Personnel Management is set up to provide information to current or retired federal employees or survivors, regarding retirement benefits, forms necessary, as well as directing you to the appropriate sources for more information. Call: Federal Employees Retirement Information Hotline; 202-606-0500.

How Much?
Let Uncle Sam set your prices for you. The government tracks the prices of specific products each month and then releases the price changes in the form of the producer price index. All you need to do is follow the trend of the U.S. Department of Labor. Call: Producer Price Index Message Line; 202-606-7828.

Does Money Grow on Trees?
You can see money being made by the billions during your tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Call this message line for information concerning tour hours, directions, and best places to park. You shouldn't leave your wallet at home, as they have a great gift shop too. Call: Engraving and Printing Message Line; 202-874-3188.

Better than Sitting Home
Are you retired, and love the outdoors? Want to volunteer? Give some time to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). You can get a comprehensive listing of all USGS departments, phone numbers, and division coordinators. Call: Geological Survey Volunteers Hotline; 703-648-7440.

Televidiots, Fight Back
Tired of being pushed around by the obnoxious cable companies? Mysterious 900 charge on your phone bill? Don't get mad as heck, get even. File a complaint. You can learn about the process and also get free facts and publications by calling the U.S. Federal Communications Commission Hotline. Call: Federal Communications Commission Hotline; 202-418-0200.

Let Your Fingers Do the Walking
Just sit back, relax, and dial up a job for yourself. The Federal Job Information Center of the Office of Personnel Management can provide you with information on the application process, job availability, testing centers, and more. Just give a call and get your career jump started. Call: Federal Job Information Center Hotline; 202-606-2700.

Share the Wealth
Tired of sitting back and watching third world countries fall apart before your eyes? You can become a Peace Corps volunteer and use your special talents to improve life. Call: Peace Corps; 800-424-8580.

A Big Number for Small Business
You ask it; they answer it. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) provides you with a wealth of information for all your small business needs, including publications, videos, local SBA offices, referrals, and more. Call: SBA Answer Desk; 800-8-ASK-SBA.

Plan Ahead
Is your child another Einstein? Then you better start saving now for college. Call the Savings Bond hotline of the U.S. Department of Treasury to receive information on the market base interest rate of bonds, and to find out about the education savings bond program. Call: Savings Bonds Hotline; 800-4US-BOND.

Uncle Sam's Poor Box
Want to help Uncle Sam pay off his charge account? Just call this number sponsored by the U.S. Department of Treasury's Bureau of the Public Debt and hear who you need to make the check out to and do your part. Call: Public Debt Information Line; 202-874-4000.

Your Travel Agent
Plan ahead for your trip to the nation's capitol. This message provides you with information on what is happening at the fourteen Smithsonian museums, including hours of operation and special exhibits. Call: Smithsonian Dial-A-Museum; 202-357-2020.

Stars in Your Eyes
Are you a star gazer? Want to impress your date with your terrestrial knowledge? Just call the Skywatchers Report to learn what the most prominent stars and planets are in the sky this month, and maybe your date will start gazing into your eyes. Call: Smithsonian Skywatchers Report; 202-357-2000.

A Raise is a Raise
By any other name, it still smells sweet. You can find out if everyone's getting a raise but you. Or, if your benefits are keeping up with the Joneses. Call the Employment Cost Index Information recorded message at the U.S. Department of Labor; 202-606-7828.

Legal or Not?
Is getting your green card turning you red? The Immigration and Naturalization Service has set up a message line to provide information on forms, nearest offices, passports, green cards, citizenship, work visas, foreign adoption, bringing your family to the U.S., and more. Call: Immigration and Naturalization Message Line; 800-375-5283.

Disappearing Towns
Your map is brand new, but you can't find the town where your grandmother says she was born. Before you write your grandmother off as crazy, there's free help. The U.S. Geological Survey can search their Geographic Names database for you to find out if it still exists, or if it doesn't, the exact longitude and latitude of where it used to be. Contact: Geographic Names Information, Branch of Geographic Names, U.S. Geologic Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr., Mail Stop 523, Reston, VA 22092; 703-648-4545.

Here's Money You Didn't Know You Had
Need a little extra cash to pay the holiday bills? The IRS may be trying to give you a refund, but can't find you. There are more than 96,000 unclaimed checks worth more than $50 million dollars waiting at the IRS (average check $518). To find out if one of the checks is yours, call 800-829-1040 and ask. It could be your lucky day.

Tally Up
Want to know how your guy voted? Have you been following a particular bill? This message provides you with information regarding when the House was in session, bills voted on, and their outcomes. Call: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Votes: Democratic Cloakroom; 202-225-7400. Republican Cloakroom; 202-225-7430.

Cost of Illegal Drugs
Just how much is the illegal traffic of drugs costing the country? The Drugs and Crime Data Center and Clearinghouse has the most current data on drugs and crime, and will do free searches of their database for you on specific topics. Contact: Drugs and Crime Data Center and Clearinghouse, 1600 Research Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850; 800-666-3332, or 301-251-5140 (in DC metro area).

Television Interference Problems
Is your favorite T.V. show ruined by interference from a local radio station? Does your cordless phone pick up radio signals? Something About Interference and the Interference Handbook are two free publications from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on your interference problems. Contact: Consumer Assistance, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M St., NW, Room 725, Washington, DC 20554; 202-418-0200.

Social Security: Just Another Wrong Number?
Everyone complains about how little they get each month from Social Security, but if their check is late, look out. Need to get another copy of your Social Security card? Moved? Want to know how much you will get from Social Security if you retired today? Just give this hotline a call, and don't forget your special number. Call: Social Security Hotline; 800-772-1213.

April 15th Seems to Come Earlier Each Year
The Internal Revenue Service has the hottest lines in town. Their Information Line answers all your tax questions. Their Tele-Tax Line provides pre-recorded tax information. And the Forms Line will send you those special tax forms we all love. Call: Information Line; 800-829-1040, Tele-Tax Line; 800-829-4477, Forms Line; 800-829-3676.

Aye and Nay
Have your Senators been busy? Just give a call and see what they've been doing. This message provides you with information regarding when the Senate was in session, bills voted on, and their outcomes. Call: U.S. Senate Floor Votes: Democratic Cloakroom; 202-224-8541. Republican Cloakroom; 202-224-8601.

The Economic Outlook
The Congressional Budget Office has a report available called The Economic and Budget Outlook which is an analysis of the economic outlook. Information included are projections of the Federal deficit and debt by fiscal year developments in the labor market and much more. For your copy contact: Congressional Budget Office, Second and D St., SW, Washington, DC 20515; 202-226-2809.

UFOs
Where do you get information on Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)? The Air Force will send you a free UFO Fact Sheet that lists key resources, both government and private, to get you started in your search for extraterrestrial life. Contact: U.S. Air Force, Office of Public Affairs, Resource Library, 1690 Air Force Pentagon, Washington, DC 20330-1690; 703-697-4100.

Don't Be A Broke Bookworm
Money's tight everywhere, but Uncle Sam can help you pay for school. The Federal Student Aid Information Center can help would-be college and trade school students learn about financial aid programs, understand eligibility requirements and even complete financial aid applications. Call: Federal Student Aid Information Center; 800-4-FED-AID.

The Safe Sex Buzz
You can find out the latest information on AIDS, such as: locations of testing centers near you, treatment and referral options, and answers to questions like can you get AIDS if you use a condom? Call: The Centers for Disease Control-National AIDS Hotline; 800-342-AIDS.

Cancer Answers
Each day the newspaper seems to carry a story on a new cancer treatment, cure, or prevention method. Who do you believe? The Cancer Information Service is the place to call for the latest information on detection, treatment, rehab, and financial assistance for those concerned about cancer. Call: Cancer Information Service; 800-4-CANCER.

Medicare Madness...Keep Tabs on Benefit Erosion
How do you apply for Medicare benefits? What is and is not covered? What about supplemental insurance? The Medicare Hotline will help you maneuver through the forms and filing maze to get what you deserve. Call: Medicare Hotline; 800-638-6833.

Loose Lips Save Ships
No need to stay on a sinking ship if you plan ahead. Call for information on boating safety recalls, consumer complaints about boat defects, and even boating classes. Call: Boating Safety Hotline; 800-368-5647.

When Meat's a Mystery, Call Uncle Sam
Worried about that special recipe Uncle Bob has for cooking the Thanksgiving bird? What about the smoked turkey your grandma sent through the mail? The Meat and Poultry Hotline answers questions related to food safety, preparation tips, power failures, and food labels. Call: Meat and Poultry Hotline; 800-535-4555.

Understanding Lemons, Roadkills, Grouchy Drivers
Learn about safety problems in motor vehicles, tires, and automotive equipment. Get even with your manufacturer by having the defective product recalled. If a safety-related defect exists, the manufacturer has to fix it at no cost to the owner. Call: Auto Safety Hotline; 800-424-9393.

The Dump Snitchline
Does your dump have a very funny odor? Want to start recycling? Wondering what can be dumped in your dump? The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/Superfund Hotline will answer these questions and more, including hazardous waste disposal, used oil, and land disposal restrictions. Call: RCRA/Superfund Hotline; 800-424-9346.

Spreading the Clean (and Sober) Word
Are drugs or alcohol taking over your life? What about someone you love? Want to help keep your kids off drugs? Call this number and receive publications, posters, videos, and even treatment and referral information. Call: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information; 800-729-6686.

The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Get Poorer
Feel like you never get ahead? According to the Census Bureau, this seems to be true. Their Current Population Report, Income, Poverty, Wealth in the U.S. ($4.25 s/n 803-005-30026-9), is full of tables, charts, and graphs to show you who is getting ahead and who is lagging behind. For ordering information contact: Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, Federal Office Building 3, Silver Hill and Suitland Roads, Suitland, MD 20746, 301-457-4100.

Who Contributed To Whom
Want to know who your boss supported in the last election? What about the local judge or councilman? You can get a listing of all the Federal campaigns to whom a person contributed funds, just by submitting a request with the Federal Election Commission. They can conduct a free search that goes back to 1980. You can even see how much the President gave before he was elected. For more information contact: Public Records Office, Federal Election Commission, 999 E St., NW, Washington, DC 20463; 202-219-4140.

Confessed Under Hypnosis?
Did the police make you confess to a crime you didn't commit because they put you under hypnosis? Find out how they did it, and how valid confessions gotten under hypnosis are in the courtroom, from the free publication, Forensic Use of Hypnosis. Contact: National Victims Resource Center, Box 6000-AIQ, Rockville, MD 20850; 800-627-6872.

Get a Picture from Above
If it's in the U.S., the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a picture. You can get a photograph of your neighborhood through the Aerial Photography Program, with most photographs showing a ground area of about 5x5 miles. Prices start at $6. For more information contact: Customer User Services, EROS, U.S. Geological Survey, Mundt Federal Bldg. Sioux Falls, SD 57198; 605-594-6511.

Environmentalists Unite
INFOTERRA, a part of the Environmental Protection Agency, offers a free information exchange network connected with the United Nations. It can keep you up to date on the latest in environmental rules, regulations, and developments, and can serve as a clearinghouse for activists to exchange ideas. Files on the system will soon include pictures, sounds, videos, and software. Many of INFOTERRA's files are available on INTERNET. To learn more about INFOTERRA, contact 202-260-5917 (voice).