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Your Comments: Thanks
so much to all of you who submitted your thoughts on the September 11th
tragedy. If you would like to revisit the page posted last week,
please click on the ARCHIVES
icon above. Please feel free to continue submitting thoughts if you
would like to share them with the
Lair
community.
No COE for Pro:
On September 17th, I decided that I would not be attending the CATIA Operators
Exchange in Florida next week. As much as I feel that life must go
on and return back to some resemblance of normalcy, I also realize that we
are about to engage in warfare. Not just in Afghanistan, but on our
own turf as well. Until the dust settles, I don't feel comfortable
being a million miles away from the ones I love. I took a week to see how things developed. I don't feel any safer
today than the day the terrorists attacked.
Hawaiian Honeymoon:
The Stone's left for Hawaii on September 10th. Luckily, they made it
back safely and, despite what was happening back on the mainland, they
still enjoyed the beauty of Maui.
Swede Smash:
Last Wednesday, Jim "Swede" Swendson participated in a nice
little smash-up on PCH trying to make his way home. While watching
two cars ahead of him compete for one lane due to construction, he was
forced to stop quickly and was hit from behind by a U-Haul truck who
wasn't capable of stopping so abruptly. Swede watched the two
competing cars responsible for this accident drive off into the
sunset. Luckily, Swede was undamaged and the U-Haul driver was very
nice. Unfortunately, the truck caused approximately $6,000 worth of
damage to Swede's Saturn. As a result, he will be carless until the
Saturn returns from the body shop. Thank goodness for insurance!
Aloha Todd:
Well, this is it. Todd's leaving us next Monday. Make sure you
either hook up with him or take a moment to call him and wish him well in
Hawaii.
Article provided by Toni
Gallagher:
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 13 - As we watch our leaders on television, vowing to
hunt down and punish these terrorists, many average Americans wish we could
join them. We've given blood and donated money, but it's possible to do something that will have a greater impact. This is our opportunity to fight
back.
The terrorists want us to be afraid; they want us to stay home, hoarding fuel and food. They want to crush our free and open society by paralyzing us
with fear. We can stop them, and so can every other American. Our collective
actions have a tremendous effect and will repel this terrorist threat and send a clear message to the world.
1. Keep your money in the stock market; leave your investments where they are.
Show your faith in our economy by making a new investment when the market opens. Don't think for a moment that the terrorists didn't have a
keen sense of the timing of their actions. As consumers and agents of our economy, we hold its future in our hands.
2. Fill your car's gas tank as you normally would. Don't run to the gas station to fill up your car. Stay with your
normal pattern of fueling. If you're a gas station owner, don't give in to
price-gouging. If you find yourself and your community victims of price-gouging (at gas
stations or grocery stores), bring it to the public's attention. Report gas-gouging to the local chapter of the American
Automobile Association (AAA). You can also contact your state's Attorney General or the U.S. Energy Department Hotline at 1-800-244-3301. These
organizations are aware of this kind of activity. Bring it to the attention
of your local newspaper or broadcast outlet. Provide accurate information and shine a bright light on this lack of civic virtue.
3. Buy things - anything, no matter how small. Consider buying a new car, something fuel-efficient to reduce our
dependence on foreign oil. If you've had a project or purchase on your mind,
now is the time to follow through. Don't put off purchases that you have
planned because of this incident and fear for the economy. These delayed purchases can be self-fulfilling prophecies of a failing economy. Our
collective purchases will have a phenomenal impact and help us fight fear-induced volatility of the price of everyday goods and services.
4. Fly the American flag. Fly it from your house. Fly it from your car. Fly it in a position of
respect anywhere you can. Stand tall and be American. Our country has been politically divided, especially since the last
election. But let us not forget that it is precisely the mechanism of democracy that allows us to be politically divided in a productive fashion.
Terrorism attempts to take that productive division and turn it on itself.
5. Withdraw cash from the bank as you usually would. Don't help cause a run on the banks by withdrawing all your money.
Our financial systems are strong and resilient. Withdraw cash as you normally do. Terrorists fully intend to scare us into thinking that our
systems are vulnerable well beyond the point of impact.
6. Use transportation systems. Make business and travel arrangements as you normally would. Book a
flight as quickly as you are able in order to show your confidence in our airlines, the new airport security guidelines, and our public safety system.
7. Conserve energy. This will help to stabilize prices and supplies. Take public
transportation, walk, bike, carpool, do whatever you can to avoid driving.
Taking public transportation to work once a week will be a tremendous help.
Turn off unused lights and appliances at home.
8. Write your state and local representatives and members of Congress to demand more funding for alternative fuel research.
Our dependence on foreign oil is a huge vulnerability. If the United States decides to take military action, our oil supplies may be affected. By
reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we enable our government to do what
is deemed necessary.
9. Help unify this country by engaging your neighbors and community. We need to have one voice to fight terrorism. Everyone must come
together in order for our collective actions to defeat this evil. Acts of violence against our own people, regardless of their faith or background,
can only be destructive.
10. Get back into your normal pattern of work and living. Do what you can to continue your normal routines. Embrace the new
security guidelines in airports and other public places and don't complain.
Support airport security personnel and let them know you're proud of what they are doing. Don't be frozen by shock and fear: that was the terrorists'
objective. Fight them by continuing to live normally in our free and open society.
IT'S UP TO YOU
There are many great lessons to be learned from these events: among them is the understanding that we each have the ability to defend our
nation. We are each empowered to make decisions that will collectively allow
us not only to survive this time of crisis, but to emerge ever-stronger in
our response to this unspeakable act of evil.
To quote Winston Churchill, "This could, indeed, be our finest hour."
How to help:
Blood and platelet donors will be needed over the next several weeks to help replenish the nation's supply. Call the Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or
America's Blood Centers at 1-888-BLOOD-88 to schedule an appointment. To donate money to the Red Cross for assisting victims of the attacks, call
1-800-HELP-NOW. The United Way of New York and The New York Community Trust have
established a fund to help the victims of Tuesday's attacks and their families. Anyone wishing to contribute may call (212) 251-4035.
Salvation Army, cash donations: 1-800-SAL-ARMY
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