This is a picture taken on 9/11/01 from the International Space Station borrowed from an MSN article here. Wow!
Patriot Day, not to be confused with Patriots’ Day commemorating the Battles of Lexington and Concord, was created by Congress in October of 2001 and signed into law by President Bush on December 18, 2001 in remembrance of the 2,977 people that perished in the Terrorist Attack on September 11, 2001. This is a solemn day of reflection on the lives lost, rather than a holiday to be celebrated. Flags are to be flown at half staff across the nation.It is hard to believe that we’re eleven years past that fateful day. It is unfortunate that so many of our troops have perished bringing those responsible to justice, but we should all be proud of their efforts and sacrifice. It makes me cringe that one of those accomplishments has been reduced to a bumper sticker slogan in the current election campaign. It strikes me as disrespectful… Necessary and Just, but not something to boast about.
I have a nephew that has served in the Army in Afghanistan and Iraq over the past six years. My college roommate recently retired from the Army and was also involved there. They are among many that we all know who have served our Country and moved the conflict overseas and away from our shores. They all deserve our thanks on this day as well as every day. Flying flags at half staff is a simple way to show that we remember their sacrifice.
In doing a little research today, I ran across this site: Half Staff American Flag Notifications It has a widget to display the American flag and will show it at half staff with the explanation of why it is at half staff if you want to add it to your website.
I also found this site: What on Earth is that Flag? It’s where I borrowed the picture in the upper left from. It is in a blog format and has lots of different flag information, not only about about the American flag, but State flags, other country’s flags and common flags such as the Olympics’ flag as well.
Take time to think about those that lost there lives this day eleven years ago and how that event has changed all of our lives to this day. Please lower your flag in respect.
The U-Socket from FastMac features built-in USB ports. It is available in Decora style (shown to the right) and standard style. With so many smart phones, iPhones, gaming devices and other items that charge from USB style adapters, you need a place to charge without having to search out your charger or having to turn on your computer. U-Socket provides this.
U-Socket’s built-in smart sensor automatically detects required wattage and only outputs power when it’s needed and shuts off when it’s fully charged. This makes it a green solution as most chargers continue to try and charge when the device is fully charged or even when the device has been disconnected. Stoppng this kind of “Vampire Drain” is an easy energy saving solution.
We’re going to suggest this device for home office locations and for those counters in the kitchen or near the door where everything gets dropped when you enter your home. Personally, I’ve started using my phone as an alarm clock and the duplex I plug into isn’t conveniently accessible. That means I don’t unplug the charger during tthe day. This appears to be a great solution for this everyday problem.
For more about the costs of vampire drain and how to prevent it, check out the article at the Department of Energy site here.
Euel Birge was a long time Easterday Construction Co., Inc. employee, working with us from 1968 until his retirement in 1999. Thirty one years with our company is something we’re proud of. Hopefully he was as well. Unfortunately Euel passed away last Saturday. There will be visitation from 5-8pm this evening at Zimmerman Bros. Funeral Home in Rochester. Services will be at the funeral home Thursday, September 6th at 10:00 am. Friends may visit 1 hour before the services as well. Memorial contributions may be made to Hope Hospice of Fulton County. His obituary can be found at The Rochester Sentinal here.
I personally worked with Euel on job sites during summers and holidays when I was home from college. He had a quiet sense of humor and was always caring and helpful. I remember working with him at the Kingsford Waste Water Treatment Plant uncrating equipment when an overly tight piece of metal banding broke loose, slicing my hand quite badly. I still remember his concern with getting me proper first aid quickly.
Years ago, before I started this blog, I wrote a company newsletter, The Easterday Parade. Below is a reprint of an article that I wrote on Euel back in 1991.
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Euel Birge was hired by Everett Easterday to be a machine operator for Russell L. Easterday Construction & Supply Co. in February of 1968. Euel was our main operator for our crane, Sandford, when we had it, and our various backhoes and front-end loaders over the years. He has a talent for handling equipment, which makes it look much easier than it is.
When he isn’t running equipment, Euel has utilized other talents as a skilled laborer and a carpenter. With the exception of the “Kangaroo Incident” at CMA, he has always been a reliable worker…
As the story goes, Euel was using the Trojan Backhoe on a project at the Academy when he spotted a kangaroo. Euel gave chase, but the Trojan, not being a piece of equipment known for stealth, scared the ‘roo away. Unfortunately, no corroborating witnesses to this sighting were available.
Euel was born in Glasgow, KY and moved to Frankfort, IN at the age of 4. He grew up in a family of 11 children. He spent two years in the Army (1953-54), and married Pat, also from Frankfort, on August 11, 1956. Euel and Pat have two children, Kevin and Dan, and five grandchildren.
Euel and Pat live on a small farm and raise grass. The kind you mow, not the kind you harvest! (But honestly, doesn’t this make you wonder about that Kangaroo story?) Euel spends most of his free time on his riding mower. Otherwise, his main hobby is woodworking.
Euel plans to continue woodworking and watching the grass grow when he retires. After 23 years with ECC, he has become someone we rely on. Thanks, Euel, for all your efforts.
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Follow up 9-6-12: I attended the funeral with my father today. It was a nice service. His time at Easterday Construction was mentioned and I learned that Euel’s son, Kevin, also worked for Easterday’s for a short time. It was interesting to hear the stories the family shared of his life outside of the company as well as his life in retirement. Euel was always fairly quiet, so it was good to hear what was shared.
Easterday Construction was apparently well represented as Leroy Bean, Norm Coby, Dave Osborn, all of them Easterday Construction retirees, were at the funeral or the visitation. Current employee, John Singleton, also attended the visitation last night. We all wish Euel’s family the best in their time of grief.
Excessive condensation is an issue in bathrooms, particularly those with showers. The Dewstop Fan Switch by GTR Technologies is designed to prevent this problem. Code requires that all new bathrooms have exhaust fans. Often the fan does not get turned on when it is needed. Conversely, it may get left on and forgotten. The old solutions to this problem are motion sensors and timers, but neither of those solutions actually run the fan for the correct amount of time.
The Dewstop switch has a “Condensation Sentry” which detects condensation on nearby surfaces and automatically activates the exhaust fan, airing out the room until it reaches an acceptable humidity level. The fan then automatically shuts off. This means that the fan runs the correct amount of time and doesn’t waste energy by running too long and doesn’t risk moisture problems by not running long enough. That makes this a green solution to the problem.
The fan can be activated manually as well, so it can be run at other times as well. It is also available in a Fan/Light combination.
What’s missing here is a timer or motion sensor for the light switch. This would make it truly hands-free device. That would enhance it as a green device as well. Possibly that’s something that will be coming down the pike.