I've caught the widget bug, thanks to Daniel Cornwall, who mentioned on Twitter that he found some nifty EPA Widgets.

So, out of curiosity, I did a search for other Government Agency widgets and widgets that use government information (such as those found on Govtrack.us or the Sunlight Foundation website). I found quite a few but I know there must be more out there.

I've compiled a "government widget guide" at my Gov Docs 2.0 wiki page. Please feel free to suggest others by commenting here or on the wiki page.

I thought it would be nice to have a guide so you can quickly browse widgets that you may want to add to your blog or webpage. For example, see my Environmental Law guide (a work in progress, mind you) for ideas!

EconomicRecovery.gov is a new interagency website from the Commerce Department that acts as a resource for the "latest information from government agencies on America’s economic recovery for people to keep their homes, find jobs and protect their savings".

It includes an interactive online forum, "Ask the White House." Various help guides include: "Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure" or "Eating Right When Money is Tight". Good to know!

Bats are indeed scary, night-flying, house-invading, sometimes rabid, and generally Halloween-y little critters.  They're also bug-eating, very beneficial, and some are almost cute.

To learn more about bats, see these sites:

Introduction to Bats (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/bats/bats.htm

If you're a person who's always careful to make sure your couture is haute, you may be aware that fashion critic Mr. Blackwell passed away recently.  In his honor, here are some government sites devoted to fashion and the fashion industry:

Fashion Designers (Occupational Outlook Handbook - Dept. of Labor)
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos291.htm

Textile, Textile Product, and Apparel Manufacturing (Career Guide to Industries - Dept. of Labor)
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs015.htm