Belkin SurgeMaster 12-Outlets Surge Suppressor BP11223008 Surge SuppressorsPrice: $49.99
2011/06/20
Belkin Pivot-Plug Surge Protectors
Belkin SurgeMaster 12-Outlets Surge Suppressor BP11223008 Surge Suppressors
International Day of Mourning
Recommitting to Personal Safety
April 28, 2011, marks Canada's twentieth official observance of the International Day of Mourning. It is surprising how little Canadians seemingly understand of this day's general importance or its significance to individuals across all sectors of the workforce.
This day is a time to reflect upon and commemorate the lives of thousands of workers that have been lost through the decades. In 2009 alone, 939 Canadian workers were killed either at work or travelling to work.
Earlier this year, following a day's work, several equipment operators parked their side-booms-large, tracked vehicles used to lift and install pipe on pipeline projects. After shutting down their equipment, operators exit their cabs using an installed ladder.
For one worker, this sequence of events had become almost instinctual, having done so thousands of times over twenty plus as an operator. But on this particular night, this seasoned worker noticed he had forgotten something in the cab and doubled back to the side-boom.
Instead of utilizing the ladder to enter the cab, as he had done thousands of times previously, he climbed the side-boom's tracks on the opposite side. He then maneuvered his way across the counterweight rails between the tightly secured counterweight and the side-boom cab.
Searching for the misplaced item, he unknowingly hit a lever that released the side-boom's massive counterweight. The 5,000 pound metal object slowly inched its way down the rails toward the operator's position, crushing him in the process.
One might be quick to conclude that this tragic incident could have been easily prevented had the operator simply returned to the cab by the proscribed safe route. No one could have known that he would choose to make this seemingly minor yet tragic decision or prevented him from making this choice.
How many times in the course of a day do each of us make such seemingly minor decisions, completing ordinary tasks under ordinary circumstances with tools and equipment that are familiar to us?
A motorist makes a crucial, split-second decision at a busy intersection to turn left in front of quickly advancing traffic.
A homeowner props a ladder against the house in unstable soil, thinking the job will just take her a second.
A farmhand works around unshielded mechanical parts on equipment because the shields just get in the way and slow him down.
We have all done similar things at some point in our lives. It is only after something goes wrong that we realize the negative or unintended consequences of our actions. We conduct almost instantaneous analyses of risk that are all too often biased by our intended goals.
Following a poor decision, we often wonder, why did I do that? Our answers never truly satisfy the question, yet we ask it time and again. Sometimes we feel entirely comfortable in and around our tools and equipment and take shortcuts because in the past we have gotten away with it, providing positive reinforcement for our questionable behaviours.
It's easy to become complacent about safety. No one ever gets hurt around here. Nothing bad will happen.
We are human, and humans make mistakes and miscalculations. Trial and error is a fundamental aspect of personal growth. Sometimes fatigue leads us to a momentary lapse in judgment.
In almost all cases, when we make a poor decision, we have the chance to right a wrong and hopefully glean some sort of lesson from it. For the equipment operator, the risk of climbing over the side-boom and entering a secure space between the cab and counterweight appeared relatively minor.
But the result of his decision was monumentally tragic. He never had an opportunity to correct his mistake or learn from it.
We rely on the training and education we receive from teachers, instructors, elders, and peers to make informed and reasoned decisions. But when we cross the threshold of that moment when we will make a decision, no amount of education or bureaucratic red-tape ultimately prevents us from making our choice. At that critical moment, it's up to each of us individually to not be complacent about our work or to turn a blind eye to an unsafe act.
Today, April 28, 2011, we reflect on and commemorate the lives of workers that have been lost. If the lessons we learn by reflecting on the equipment operator's story helps prevent future tragic incidents, his passing will not have been in vain. His story, among a thousand others, should be a beacon for workers across Canada to recommit to personal safety and to fully think through actions and their potential consequences.
The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) http://www.clac.ca/ is a union that is making a difference across Canada. With more than 50,000 members working in construction, social services, healthcare, transportation, retail, education, hospitality, manufacturing and more. Visit CLAC to learn more or contact one of our representatives at http://www.clac.ca/ / or Call: 1-800-268-5281.
School Marquee Signs Improve Parental Involvement
If the saying is true that "It takes a village to raise a child," nowhere is the parent-child-village connection more necessary than in the educational arena. Unfortunately, trusting children to be carriers of communication between school and home has never proven very successful. Papers get lost and announcements are usually forgotten in the excitement of after-school play. How many parents have asked their children about their school day at the dinner table, only to receive a shrug and noncommittal response! One way to solve the problem is to install school marquee signs that will keep parents well informed of the activities, deadlines, special events, meetings and warnings of contagious diseases or allergies.
School signs, when placed in highly visible locations, can become bulletin boards that are readable without ever leaving the driver's seat of the family car or minivan. Parents who transport their children daily to school or extra-curricular activities can quickly apprise themselves of any new changes or announcements. With the hurried lifestyles that so many parents endure, school marquee signs become a simple and timely method of dispersing important information.
Notification of meetings, social events, sports schedules, report card issuance, registration deadlines, fund-raising efforts and volunteer opportunities can all be clearly posted on school signs, and convenient, changeable sign letters make the process of changing messages quick and simple. Over time, the savings in paper announcements will also be significant, but more importantly, effective communication with parents and their resulting participation in school activities will be greatly improved.
School marquee signs can be ordered and shipped ready for installation by school maintenance staff. The single or double steel supports for the aluminum frame are built to withstand 120 mph hurricane winds. The casing itself is tamper-proof and lockable with hinged doors for easy opening and access to rearranging the changeable sign letters. Solar grade, shatter-resistant vandal covers protect the lettering from blowing away or stolen.
Pedestal mount, u-shaped steel framing or pole mounting between masonry piers are all options for attractive and durable placement. These signs can also be placed low to the ground in monument style or raised for easier visibility. Marquees have two-sided sign faces for maximum viewing options from both directions. Various sizes are offered to accommodate a variety of budgets. Economy kits and deluxe package orders are available.
Today's parents are eager to be involved in every aspect of their children's lives. Unfortunately, it is not possible to drop in each day to talk to teachers and administration about what's happening in their child's school world. By posting clearly visible information signs, schools can offer a reasonable and effective solution to getting important information home in a timely manner. Once installed, these signs become outdoor bulletin boards, displaying pertinent and useful announcements to parents and caregivers who pass by every day.
Because parents play an integral part in assisting in the educational development of their children, keeping them well-informed with school information signs is a win-win situation for everyone.
Daniel Keane has been owner of Alphabet Signs located in Gap, PA since 1991. Daniel graduated Drexel University College of Business Administration in 1983. Membership includes International Sign Association and United States Signs Council. Alphabet Signs has over 3000 quality products in 50+ sign categories at discounted prices: http://www.alphabetsigns.com/
2011/06/19
24x USB External Slim CD-ROM Drive (Black)
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Why 2010 Census Found Fewer Living in NYC and Long Island
Many analysts and government officials have been surprised by the lower than expected 2010 census population counts for Long Island and New York City, and indeed, the entire state of New York. In fact, the Census Bureau itself, in its annual Population Estimates program, and the Long Island Power Authority, in its annual Long Island Population Survey, appears to have overestimated the counties' populations, most likely the result of a steeper than expected increase in the number of residential vacancies, and a steeper than expected decline in the number of illegal/unauthorized residents. A new Long Island Regional Planning Council report makes the following points:
1. In all likelihood, the Census Bureau's Population Estimates program did not capture the sudden but widespread effect on the region's housing and immigrant populations of the 2007-2010 economic down turn. That is, an increase in the number of housing vacancies, caused by home foreclosures and the departure of low-skilled, mostly undocumented immigrant laborers from abroad due to job declines, eluded the most commonly used survey and forecasting methods.
2. This led to annual population estimates leading up to the 2010 census that raised anticipated population counts for the region.
3. While the Census Bureau's decennial census is not perfect and a full count of the nation's population remains an elusive goal, it is a reliable measure of residential vacancies, and is the only survey that provides door to door canvassing.
4. For Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties) the Census Bureau's 2009 population estimate of 2,875,904 was 43,022 (1.5%) higher than the actual 2010 census count of 2,832,882. In New York City, the Census Bureau population estimate for 2009 was 8,391,881, or 216,748 (2.7%) higher than the 2010 census count of 8,175,133.
5. In the 2010 census, the Nassau-Suffolk region had a 2 percentage point increase in the proportion of total residential housing units that were vacant compared to 2000. This translates into a 26,054 increase in the number of vacant housing units for Long Island.
6. Using conservative estimates, the 26,054 increase in vacant housing units would result in a loss in the number of residents of approximately 38,556.
7. The increases in annual foreclosure filings for 2007-20010, using 2006 as the base year, totaled 20,258 on Long Island.
8. Seasonal homes, mostly located on the east end of Long Island, do not appear to account for the increase in housing vacancies. The ten years between 2000 and 2010 saw only 405 more seasonal homes built on Long Island's east end than the ten years between 1990 and 2000.
9. In New York City, the 2010 census found an increase of 81,954 in the number of vacant housing units since 2000. These additional vacant housing units are estimated to result in approximately 163,908 fewer residents of the city.
10. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates program, which doesn't count housing units, appears to have failed to capture a decline in the unauthorized immigrant population.
11. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates program, which like other Census programs, does not ask about the legal status of immigrants, assumed that net international migration remained relatively flat between 2007 and 2009 (2010 data is not available), showing a decline of just 931 for Long Island. For New York City, the estimated annual decline between 2007 and 2009 totaled 8,037.
12. Using data supplied by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, though, it is estimated that New York City's unauthorized population shrank by 69,300 between 2007 and 2009, from 492,800 to 423,500. For Long Island, the unauthorized population is estimated to have declined by 10,583 between 2007 and 2009, from 91,526 to 80,943.
13. The conclusion to be drawn is that the economic down turn of 2007 to 2010 greatly reduced the ability of the most reliable population measures to capture rapid and steep population movements among "hard to count" populations.
14. This conclusion is backed by a small but relevant example, the community of Montauk, in East Hampton, Long Island. The decline in total population in Montauk of 16%, or 525 people (3,326 vs. 3851) between 2000 and 2010, is almost precisely equal to the loss of Hispanic residents in Montauk of 537, a 41.3% decline between 2000 and 2010. The majority of low-skilled, possibly unauthorized migrant workers on Long Island's east end are of Hispanic origin.
See full report (scroll down to "reports and documents").
Seth Forman is the author of American Obsession: Race and Conflict in the Age of Obama (Booklocker 2011) and other books. He blogs at http://www.mrformansplanet.com/ and at http://www.opinion-forum.com/.
United States Welfare System - A History: Part 2
The Great Depression in the 1930's brought about the need for the creation of a national welfare system in the United States. In part 1 of this 2 part series, we covered the birth of this welfare system into World War II. In this, part, 2 we will follow that history into the present-day. For the most part, the welfare system grew slowly but steadily during the 40's and 50's in financial aid, but there was little in the way of real change of its basic structure.
All of that changed when John F. Kennedy assumed office in 1960. JFK intended to wage a "War on Poverty" by training Americans and putting them to work by creating educational, functional programs such as the Job Corps. After JFK's assassination, Lyndon B. Johnson carried the mantle in his place. In 1965, Medicaid and Medicare were established to provide medical assistance for the elderly and disabled and those on welfare. This change meant that 1 out of every 4 Americans received some form of federal assistance.
Nixon aimed higher, looking to establish the Family Assistance Plan to guarantee a minimum income to all families in 1972, though SSI (Supplemental Social Income) was passed, establishing a base income for the disabled. Welfare rights were expanded and held up by the Supreme Court. It was to help support minorities and women that were being unfairly denied benefits in the segregated Deep South.
By the mid 1970's, another financial crisis assaulted the United States. Unemployment soared. Energy prices rose, and inflation came into being. The requirement that single women without the presence of a father in the home were the only ones who could qualify for welfare was lifted. The welfare system and those aided by its benefits grew substantially. By 1980, Ronald Reagan and the conservatives took power because many Americans believed that the welfare system had become swollen. In the mid 80's, unemployment insurance decreased nearly 7%, and the welfare system lost much of its federal subsidy.
In the 90's, the welfare battle continued. Bill Clinton promised to end welfare, though he attempted to launch a sweeping federal healthcare system, while the Republicans vowed welfare reform, led by Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who stated that the Congress would: "replace the welfare state with the opportunity society."
This led to the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in 1996. Essentially the Act replaced open-ended federal assistance with TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), setting a maximum amount that the federal government would set aside to assist states with in regards to needy families being aided by the welfare system. This Act put much of the responsibility for welfare back on the states, off of the federal government. The thought was that no one is entitled to assistance and that the welfare system had created a welfare mentality. States were urged to train people and reduce their welfare budget, as well. This put many people back into the workforce, but meant they had to take jobs that paid them an income that provided for a life below the federal poverty line. By 1999, 2.2 million families or single parents were receiving welfare assistance. That was 2 million fewer families or single parents than received such aid in 1994.
The economy boomed in the 90's, but in October of 2008, the United States and the world faced a crushing economic crisis, the largest since the Great Depression of the 1930's. The housing bubble burst, unemployment percentages spiked to double-digit figures, banks and the stock market crashed, and America once again saw its unemployment ranks and welfare system swell. The end of the Bush Administration and the beginning of the Obama Administration have seen the federal government once again assist its citizens and its corporations with bail outs, increased welfare benefits, and unemployment duration extensions. The President Obama Administration had passed a national healthcare act at long last, known as Obamacare, though it is unclear if or when the Act will be instituted as a conservative backlash is still fighting the policy. Once again America is faced with financial crisis, and once again the federal government is expanding welfare assistance.
Opponents of a welfare state deride welfare as a bloated system that rewards the weak and robs the productive. They say that welfare burdens businesses. They also claim it causes taxes to increase, and inflation to rise, and that much is historically accurate. Proponents of a national welfare system argue that sometimes people need help, and some people simply cannot fend for themselves. That also is true. Nonetheless, somewhere there must exist a happy medium. Though no one can predict the future, history of the welfare system in this country is clear enough and easy enough to follow and one thing is for sure since its origination in 1935, it hasn't disappeared. It has swelled, and it has slimmed down over the past 7 decades, but it hasn't gone away, and history never lies. Perhaps it is time to stop bickering over whether or not we need a welfare system, it is here, and history says it isn't going anywhere. The advantage of history is that we can acquire knowledge from it. If we agree that welfare in some form is here and here to stay, maybe we can examine what has worked and what hasn't. We can also try to establish a better system that works for the most important institution, not the Congress, not the Presidency, not the Republicans or the Democrats, but the United States of America and its persevering citizens; who, through good times and bad have remained one nation, indivisible, seeking truth and justice for all.
With 13 years of research experience, History in all its manifestations is Miriam B. Medina's passion, and she loves nothing more than sharing what she learns with everyone. So be sure to check it out at http://thehistorybox.com/, a one-stop resource center for writers, journalists, historians, teachers and students.
TRUE GRIT SPECIAL COLLECTOR'S EDITION - DVD
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