Fixed the code for querying the USPS ZIP code database to be a bit more robust to the USPS errors.

I have updated all the data to be back in sync with the Congress Merge database. I’ll be upgrading the data for the next Congress when they are sworn in January 5, 2009.

I have updated the ZIP to district database as well as some of the contact information to get back in sync with the Congress Merge database.

The site is still experiencing fairly high traffic (about 75 hits per minute during daylight hours). I also updated the database to be in sync to the Congress Merge database.

This site is getting pounded with traffic today, over 100 hits a minute. It is clear people are extremely interested in getting their opinion to Congress about the bailout. I have heard many Congressional websites are offline. We have had to implement drastic caching measures to try to make the site responsive, which has meant we have had to disable ZIP code and address based searches. I am looking at getting 5 digit ZIP code based searches working soon.

According to Google Analytics, the site today had its record day since I added Google Analytics a year or so ago. Over 16000 visitors or about 5 times the normal traffic. This doesn’t quite break the record traffic I saw during the Bill Clinton impeachment, but it is close. People are clearly wanting to let their members of Congress know their opinion about bailing out Wall Street.

In addition to updating my contact database, I fixed some links on the Miscellanous Government Links page. I lost the email from the fellow alerting me to the problem, but thanks!

Updated to latest version of Congress Merge database.

Synchronized to the latest version of the Congress Merge database.

Updated database include ZIP code to Congressional District mapping tables.