Q: The U.S. Postal Service is having to consider options for reducing expenses, one of which is cutting weekend (Saturday) mail delivery. How many countries, other than the U.S., offer Monday-Saturday home delivery?
A: The U.S. Postal Service, Postal Regulatory Commission and Universal Postal Union, a U.N. agency, have done some research into this, but there's no complete list. Data from a June Congressional Research Service report shows that France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have six-day delivery while New Zealand charges additional fees for Saturday delivery.
Q: There are many programs, especially newscasts, that seem to have problems synchronizing audio and video. It's annoying to hear the voice delay while watching an individual speaking. What's happening?
A: If the problem originates from the broadcast, there is nothing that can be done, said Ilya Khitrov with Best Buy Atlanta. But if it is within the home there are two main options.
If you are using a converter box as your source, you would want to use coaxial cable. If the components must be connected with A/V cables, you need to ensure that you have time-corrected A/V cables.
If your source is digital cable or satellite, you want to use the HDMI connection where possible. If you have other connections, ensure that you are using time-corrected cables.
Q: Why have lawn fertilizers in the lawn and garden stores doubled, and some tripled, in price from a year ago?
A: The reason fertilizer has increased in price over the past year is the cost of fuel, said Clint Waltz, extension turfgrass specialist with the University of Georgia's Department of Crop & Soil Sciences.
Making nitrogen, one of the primary nutrients in most homeowner fertilizer products, requires a lot of energy, especially heat, to drive the chemical reactions, he said.
Q: What health care benefits does Congress have? Do their health care benefits stop when they leave office? If not, how long can they keep the benefits, and does the taxpayer continue to pay for it?
A: Members of Congress are eligible for the same health benefits as all federal employees, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. There were 280 health care options available to participants this year, with varying co-pays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses (the options are detailed at www.opm.gov).
U.S. senators and representatives who serve only one term are ineligible to keep their health care benefits upon leaving office. But those who are covered when leaving office and who have been covered for at least five years immediately preceding that are eligible to carry over the taxpayer-funded benefits, according to the personnel management office.
Q: In the Cash for Clunkers program, will the clunkers be destroyed by the government or will they end up back on the road polluting the air?
A: Some parts of the trade-in vehicle, excluding the engine or drive train, can be sold before it is crushed or shredded. The vehicle cannot be resold, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Dealers can disable the engine after receiving the government's payment for the credit but until then, they must store the vehicle at their location or property controlled by the dealership.
Do you have a question about the news? We'll try to get an answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail Lori Johnston at lori(at)fastcopy.biz (include your name and city). Sorry, individual responses are not possible.