Category: Business

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Monday Again

Some weeks the Monday seems like a really long way from Friday. I can’t wait to get all of this behind me and not have it hanging over my head. I need Friday to hurry up and get here.

Not sure if this pressure is from the way daylight saving time has made the sun last longer and made me more anxious to get out of work and be at home or someplace outside. I like the idea of daylight saving time and with we have this much sun all year ’round.

This year has been very rainy and making the old saying, “April Showers Bring May Flowers” a real promise to us. As much rain as we have had this Spring, I am pretty sure this area won’t have any trouble later with drought. We’ve only had a couple of summers with serious drought that I can remember.

Usually the problem here is too much rain – and when the dirt is so saturated and muddy, farmers cannot plant their crops and our lawns turn into mud bogs.  I was hoping to get outside this weekend and plant grass seed in a few bare spots and rake up the last of winter’s leaves and burr balls. But it is too wet to do anything like yet. I might have to take off a half day from work next week if we get a sunny day – just so I can get a start on my yard work!

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Eight Measures for Transportation Security

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, the federal government established additional government measures to safeguard American travelers from terrorism. Several new security measures were added, and existing measures were improved or enhanced. Today, these eight measures protect Americans as they travel.

  1. Federal Air Marshals – These law enforcement officials ride aboard commercial flights in order to provide protection to air passengers and to prevent terror in the air.
  2. Enhanced Airport Screening – Security measures in US airports have been significantly upgraded since 9/11. Beyond mere metal detectors, travelers are screened with backscatter x-ray and millimeter wave detection machines that help security officers detect metal and non-metal weapons. In addition, passengers can be singled out for additional searches of their person or their belongings if deemed necessary.
  3. Luggage Search – The Transportation Security Administration has the authority to search any luggage passing through American airports. In addition, they have the authority to cut, disable or otherwise destroy locks in these searches.
  4. Border Patrol – While the primary responsibility of border patrol is to prevent terrorists and weapons from entering the country, border patrol also helps protect travelers as they leave and enter the US, by performing searches of passengers and cargo as deemed necessary.
  5. Port Security – Passengers boarding vessels in the US are subject to port security searches and checks to ensure their safety once onboard.
  6. Coast Guard Patrols – The US Coast Guard patrols US coastlines and waterways to protect all Americans on any sort of water transportation in American controlled waterways.
  7. Security measures abroad – Newer TSA requirements went into effect in January 2010 regarding international flights bound for the US. Enhanced screening is required for all passengers bound for the US who are traveling from or through countries that are state sponsors of terrorism.
  8. The Transportation Security Administration also oversees security for general aviation in the US. These measures protect private and business small aircraft to ensure protection for travelers. Measures regarding security for general aviation are highly dependent upon the nature of each individual flight and airport.

Protecting American travelers is no easy feat, particularly with the number of commercial flights and the thousands of miles of land borders and coastline around the country. In its efforts to increase security in the aftermath of 9/11, the TSA has come under some criticism for invasion of passenger privacy and for making the process of traveling through US airports too time consuming and cumbersome. There have also been criticisms that, in spite of tougher measures, not all terrorists are weeded out.

However, it is certain that air, land and sea travel in the US is safer today than it was ten years ago. Despite its faults, the American government has clearly demonstrated that the safety of American travelers is taken very seriously, and that all necessary measures will be taken to thwart terrorists who aim to harm travelers or to use transportation as a terror device.

Phyllis T. Zerkle enjoys blogging in order to help students find the information they need about online homeland security degrees.

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Upgrades and Changes

Here we go again. I think I have had to update or upgrade just about every program on my computer with security patches and new releases. Some of the programs are sending out updates twice a month. This is getting to be very cumbersome. They don’t always work right, either. Sometimes it is not good to be the one on the block to install the latest version of an important software.

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Free Subs at Jersey Mike’s

There are several good sub shop chains in this area. One of my favorites is the Jersey Mikes Chain. The have a counter guy sliced the deli meats in front of you while you order the food. I like the way they have all the popular dressings put together as “Mike’s Way.” That makes it easy to order the toppings and dressings like I want them.

Today Jersey Mike’s is doing a special give back to the community promotion where they are giving away free subs if you make at least a one dollar donation to the Nashville Predators. Community fund. That’s a bargain!

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Another Update

For the casula user of the internet, all these updates and changes are getting to be a real nuisance. Every time I turn around, there is an update for WordPress or for Firefox or for some other program that I need to use every day. The WordPress updates are the hardes tones for me to deal with. I have to get my system administrator to take of that chore for me and every time he does anything for me or my blog it costs me money.

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It came through!!

I was absolutely amazed that I got the building permit.  I figured they would come up with some sort of ordinance or something but they didn’t.  Then what came next was even more surprising.  I don’t know how it got all over town like it did but there are churches that have called with volunteers to help with the construction and even donating some money to buy the supplies.  Several people in the community are donating used refrigerators, stoves, furniture and just about anything else you can imagine.  I can’t explain what that has felt like.

I have a long list of supplies and will be heading out to Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores to make the purchases I’ll need.  I was told that if you talk to the manager and they have things that have a scratch or whatever and it’s going to a good cause, they will cut the price a lot.  I just hope what I heard is right.  Man do I have a list of building supplies!!!  But you know, even if they don’t give me big discounts on damaged items, they still have the best selection and prices in this town.

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My son already has a job when he gets out

With the economy as bad as it is, I was so afraid that my son would not have a job when he got out or be able to find a job.  Luckily the carnival that he was working for said that they would be glad to have him back.  Now I don’t have to worry that he will end up on the streets homeless.  So very many people that have never been homeless before are now looking at the possibility of becoming homeless or have become homeless because of losing their job and their home too.  Foreclosures are everywhere and it’s not looking like it will get any better anytime soon unfortunately.

President Obama is trying to find new ways to jump start the economy with stimulus packages and bail out packages for banks and major car manufacturers but what about us.  The stimulus package is supposed to help each state create new jobs to ease the unemployment.  I sure hope that it works that way too.  Everyone is suffering to some degree between gas prices raising and falling only to go right back up, groceries costing more and money being stretched farther than ever before and even attempting to stretch it farther than possible a lot of the time.

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Lego Christmas Party

All of us coaches and mentors decided to get together and have a Christmas party for our Lego team.  It’s a Lego Christmas party and what a party it was too.  We all chipped in together and got each of the kids a nice Lego set like the ‘Indiana Jones’ sets or the shark attack set.  I can’t remember what the proper name is for the sets but the kids loved them.

We have set up to meet once a month all year long until the announce what the next challenge will be for next years competition.  They we will dive in head first into the project and hopefully do better next year.  Each of us adults involved is trying to drum up mentors, money to help with projects, and even food donated for our meetings.  I figure if Dominoes will give us pizza once a month then Pizza hut will another month.  Can’t let the competition beat you out on doing something good for kids education, ya know.

Well I feel so much of the Christmas spirit this year that I know in my heart it will be full of love and joy.  Those are far more important than any present you can give.

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First Lego League State Tournament

Well the State Tournament was today, ALL DAY LONG.  I had no idea what to expect but the kids were real pros because all of them had been in at least one competition before this one.  In fact, the team, or what was left of it from last year, won the best teamwork trophy the year before.  What an honor for them.

You have to remember these kids are 9 to 15 years old.  They’re learning how to do research because they had to do a presentation on something they learned about possibly solving or helping stop global warming.  They’re learning how to work together as a team.  They’re learning problem solving.  They’re learning to be cool under pressure and how to present an idea they have developed.  A lot of adults don’t have those skills and yet they are all very important skills to succeed in the world today.

They’re programing a robot that they themselves built usually from their own design.  That’s engineering. They’re not just ‘playing with Legos’, they’re building skills that will follow them through the rest of their lives and help them excel in what ever it is they decide to do. I learned so much from these kids, far more than they learned from me.  One main thing I learned is that I have to do more research into being a good coach because I really want these kids to do far better than they did this year.

This was a tough year for them.  They first of all lost their sponsor which was a local college and also meant they lost a place to practice.  The professor that started the team with the backing of the college, chose to pay himself so the team could go on.  They lost 5 team members, a coach and 3 mentors which had been the fathers of some of the kids that quit.  Then a local church donated a place for the kids to practice, and three mothers stepped up to coach the kids.  I came in as a mentor but only the last few weeks before the competition.

I wish I could have known about the team earlier.  The mother that coached these kids did a great job and we are all planning a much better year with meetings once a month, field trips for the kids, and anything else we can come up with to keep them interested and excited about what they do.  One mother is looking into food sponsors for the meetings.  If she can get one pizza place to donate pizza one month, I bet their competition will donate another one.  Pretty smart, huh?  I’ll let you know what we’re up to next.

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Lego League update

Well I am having a blast working with the kids on the First Lego League team.  Our competition is on December 3rd so we are running out of time.  It’s going great so far.  We have come up with a name for the team.  It’s I Bots.  I standing for Intelligent, Bots for the robotic Lego of course.  The logo is going to be a large eye with the eyeball being the earth instead of just a regular eyeball.  That is to symbolize us having an eye on our planet.  Pretty cool huh?  The kids came up with that.

I must admit, I am quite impressed with not only the ability of these kids but also with their ideas for the challenge.  It’s supposed to be about helping global warming.  We’re focusing on the use of Sorgum to make Ethanol to help with emissions to keep down global warming.  Pretty smart kids and something that I can see myself working with for many years.  I can’t wait for the competition.  I hope we do well, well I hope the kids do well because they have worked so hard.