• Ask friends, family and co-workers about their experiences with the movers they have used.

• Contact consumer organizations such as the Better Business Bureau in your area.

• Choose a moving company which is a member of the AMSA (American Moving and Storage Association) The members of the AMSA have all agreed to abide by the terms of our published tariffs and to participate in the Arbitration Program sponsored by the AMSA. They also have voluntarily agreed to abide by a Code of Conduct that requires complete disclosure of information to consumers, written estimates of charges, timely service and prompt response to claims and complaints.

• Reputable movers are always licensed with the DOT. Check your mover’s license certificate or call the Department of Transportation in order to make sure the license is up to date.

• Local trade associations maintain high standards and can give you detailed information about business and practices.

• Make sure you have done a complete evaluation of your needs. Choose the extent of services you will require and make sure that you offer the same information to each company. This will make comparing estimates easier.

• Get all negotiations with your mover in writing. You should have a clear understanding of all rates and charges that will apply, the mover’s liability for your belongings, pick-up and delivery schedules and claims protection.

• Be sure to understand the type of estimate your mover is offering you. An "Estimate" is not a guaranteed price unless it says it is.

• Read and understand all of the information you receive. In addition to individual company brochures, a reputable moving company will also provide a copy of a consumer booklet entitled "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move", a required piece by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
• Choose your mover at least four to six weeks in advance of your move. The more notice you give, the better suited your moving company will be to handle your every request with the attention you deserve.

House and Senate negotiators yesterday reached what USA Today is calling a "tentative deal" on an stimulus package "to boost the economy and create or save 3.5 million jobs." Negotiators "trimmed $29 billion from the $819 billion House version of the stimulus by slashing spending and reducing tax cuts." The AP says the President "won money for two other administration priorities -- information technology in health care, and 'green jobs' to make buildings more energy-efficient and reduce the nation's reliance on foreign oil."

The Chicago Tribune reports "the small cadre of moderate Republicans who supported the $838-billion Senate bill -- Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said...they will support the compromise agreement." The Financial Times says the support of the "moderate Republican and Democratic senators" was "critical." Fox News' Special Report showed Specter saying, "The Republican moderates were able to see to it that more than $100 billion was cut from this program."

The Christian Science Monitor, The Hill, and the Washington Post also report this aspect of the story.

The online social-networking service Facebook works for finding old classmates or arranging happy hours, so why not use it to help recruit the next generation of spies? That's what's happening now in cyberspace, as the country's intelligence community turns to such sites to attract a wider range of résumés.

The CIA now has its own Facebook page, as does the hush-hush National Security Agency, which vacuums up the world's communications for analysis. Both invite Facebook members to register and read information about employment opportunities. It's part of a larger, multiyear hiring push to boost the size of the U.S. intelligence community.

But should the country's secret spy agency be encouraging potential hires to publicize their interest in the intelligence field? Apparently, it's not a concern. In the first place, since the groups are not directly moderated, it is impossible to control who registers as a member. Some may enroll on the site out of curiosity. And, of course, none of those who show interest are yet officers in the clandestine service.

Even so, once they are on the CIA payroll, employees face no prohibition against keeping social-networking accounts or pages. "While agency officers are not, as a rule, prohibited from maintaining a page on Facebook, they are made aware of precautions to take if they choose to do so," says CIA spokesman George Little.

As both parties in Congress begin negotiations on a final economic stimulus bill, education spending promises to be a major sticking point. The Senate passed a stimulus bill that includes $83 billion for public schools and higher education. That amount is considerably less than the $150 billion voted by the House. So, what ended up on the chopping block? The Senate bill is stripped of, among other funds, $16 billion for school construction and $40 billion more for states to fund schools. (Read a comparison of the two bills.)

President Barack Obama has signaled that he wants those funds reinstated. He seemed bewildered during Monday's televised news conference by the logic of lawmakers who say that school construction is the responsibility of states, not the federal government. "Why wouldn't we want to build state-of-the-art schools with science labs that are teaching our kids the skills they need for the 21st century . . . and, by the way, right now, will create jobs?" Obama said.

Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, made a similar case Tuesday while visiting a high school in need of repairs in Arlington, Va. A day earlier, Duncan warned that almost 600,000 education jobs are at risk unless a stimulus package is passed and that the Senate's proposed $39 billion in state aid for schools is not enough.