Monday, January 26, 2009

Everyone Can Now File Their Taxes Online Free [Taxes] . You used to have to make less than $56,000 per year to use the IRS' Free File program to submit your income tax forms online (with help). Now everyone can e-file for free this year. As the Consumerist blog points out, you'll have to know pretty much exactly what you're doing with the right forms, since those making more than the $56K limit won't be given any pointers on what goes where. But if you're a DIY type who isn't fond of post office trips or the back-of-mind uncertainty of mailing financial data, Free File has opened up the doors to any and all. And if you're lucky enough to have a family friend or gracious accountant who does them for you, you can submit the prepared forms at no cost. Does the no-cost free filing option tempt you to hunker down on your own 1040s? Using another free-file option? Tell us your tax technique in the comments. Free File [via Consumerist] [Lifehacker] 4:03:09 PM     Diet Pill Warning How timely. Just when half the country is looking for an easy way lose weight in 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has come out with a warning about tainted, unsafe weight loss pills. This is not just one product, but actually more than 25 different products that contain dangerous chemicals. So far, there's no recall and these products are still available to consumers, so if you've got a bottle of 'natural' or 'herbal' weight loss pills in the house, check to be sure that yours isn't on the list of tainted products. Come on, we all know that these kinds of products aren't the answer anyway. We think it would be wonderful if we could just pop a pill once a day and have the figure of a supermodel. Sure, weight loss pills and slimming diets can help us lose a few pounds, but once you're off the diet, the pounds always creep back. To risk sounding old and wise, I have to tell you that it's all about your every day food choices and exercise. Really. You know I like to ride my bike, and I have to confess that I'm riding my stationary bike while I'm writing this. That's right, I can pedal and type at the same time. I get some exercise and changed my diet and I'm here telling you it works and it's not so terrible. I needed a nutritionist to help me figure out what I need to do, but if you don't want to spend the money then head to nutrition.gov and read up. Make a little effort, and you'll get the lasting weight control you're looking for and you won't need the silly pills after all. - Joanne [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 4:02:24 PM     Contacting President Barack Obama President Obama will be allowed to keep his blackberry and this will make him the first acting president to use email. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you and I can send him personal emails. For his safety, the President's email address is not public. Email will only be exchanged between the President Obama and his closest advisers and friends. Security programs will block any email from unauthorized addresses. At the moment the best way to get a message to the president is to contact him at the White House contact page. This is where the White House is directing you to "send questions, comments, concerns or well-wishes to the President or his staff." You can also call the White House Comments Line at 1-202-456-1111 (TTY: 1-202-456-6213) and leave a message. If you would like to request a greeting from the president, for a marriage, anniversary, birthday or birth, or extend an invitation to him for an event, you will need to submit it to the White House contact page. In the future the President's office will most likely offer further instructions for these requests. You can buy the President and Vice President's Citizen's Briefing Book, which was an online forum for people to suggest policy ideas. For those of you looking to connect with the Obama Administration with online tools like the briefing book, there has been no official site designated for citizens to connect with the adminstration with these tools. Stay tuned though. - Jake [Gov Gab: Your U.S. Government Blog] 10:11:20 AM

© Copyright 2009 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 2/2/2009; 12:11:05 PM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien