Tag Archives: Day

General Safety Issues

EVERY DAY SHOULD BE MEMORIAL DAY

The custom of honoring the graves of the war dead began before the end of the Civil War, but the national Memorial Day holiday (or “Decoration Day,” as it was originally named) was first observed on May 30, 1868, on the order of General John Alexander Logan for the purpose of decorating the graves of the American Civil War dead. As time passed, Memorial Day was extended to honor all those who died in service to the nation, from the Revolutionary War to the present. It continued to be observed on May 30th until 1971, when most states changed to a newly established federal schedule of holiday observance.

This year Memorial Day was on Monday, May 31st.  The Memorial Day Holiday usually ushers in the beginning of summer vacations.  As we look forward to activities with family and friends, we should never fail to think of all those who have served our country.

Every day should be Memorial Day.  More than 260,000 persons who served our country are buried at Arlington Cemetery, officially designated as a military cemetery by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, June 15, 1864.  There are also four courts that hold up to 5,000 niches each for cremated remains of military personnel.

The Tomb of the Unknowns holds three unidentified soldiers – a World War I soldier interred in 1921, World War II soldier interred in 1958, and a soldier from the Korean Conflict also interred in 1958.  In 1984, a soldier from the Viet Nam War was interred there; however his remains were disinterred in 1998, and identified and buried near his home.  That tomb will remain empty.  The 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) began sentry of the Tomb of the Unknowns April 6, 1948, 24 hours per day, 365 days per week.

We salute all the veterans who have served our country in past wars, and those men and women who bravely serve us today in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the world.  Thanks to them, we can celebrate our freedom and safety every day.

General Safety Issues

EARTH DAY, 2010

2 Comments

There are two different days of the year that worldwide Earth Day celebrations are held.  The first Earth Day celebration started on April 22, 1970, when Senator Gaylord Nelson encouraged everyone to take responsibility for life on our planet.  Later, another observance began March 20th, 1978, when John McConnell established Earth Day around the time of the vernal equinox.   Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously throughout the world by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities.  There are now more than one-half billion people that participate in Earth Day network campaigns every year.

With the beginning of the April 22, 1970 movement, approximately 20 million Americans participated to reach the goal of a healthy, sustainable environment.  Up until this time, separate groups who had been fighting against polluting factories, power plants, toxic dumps, oil spills, wilderness loss and extinction of wildlife began to realize that they shared common goals.  Through the years and with the help of the worldwide web, the efforts of those concerned with the environment have multiplied.  Other concerns such as global warming and clean energy have now emerged, as well.

Some of the goals of these Earth Day movements are:

  • A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal.
  • An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption.
  • Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.

We are given the opportunity to keep our towns, states, and country beautiful and protect the environment. Our children should be taught to respect the earth.  Even with all the campaigns promoting “Keep America Beautiful”, and similar others, some people still disregard them, by discarding trash alongside the roads, or throwing cans in lakes or streams.  It is our focus to ensure that persons whose jobs are to clean up pollution or other acts of negligence of the earth remain safe as they do their job.

Are you doing your part to keep your little corner of the world green?

There are things each of us can do to preserve our country’s beauty, protect our wildlife, and keep our air clean.  In exchange, if we maintain a good environment, we are also making our world a safer place.  Whether you choose to observe “Earth Day” in March or April, (or both), let’s make it a habit to appreciate our world by keeping it safe and pristine.

Uncategorized

DO YOU HAVE THE “LUCK OF THE IRISH”?

Whether the “luck of the Irish” is myth or fact, it is a fact that Wednesday, March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day, and folks of Ireland observe it as both a national and religious holiday.  Others worldwide celebrate the day regardless of their heritage.  St. Patrick’s Day Parades and other activities started this past weekend, and green beer has started flowing!  For those of us who know little about St. Patrick, here’s a wee bit of information:

Fifth century Ireland was a lost world, both to archaeologists and historians.  What little is known about the life and work of Patrick comes from his own writings in Latin, now accepted as authentic.  Written in his old age, he said he was a native of Roman Britain, the son of a deacon who lived in the village of Bannaven Taberniae.  He was captured by Irish raiders at the age of sixteen, and sold into bondage to watch over swine and sheep on the slopes of Slemish mountain for a chief named Milchu.  During his captivity, his thoughts turned to God, and he spent many hours in solitary prayer.  Following his escape, he spent 15 years studying religion, and then returned to Ireland to spread Christianity throughout the country.  He died on March 17, 493, A.D., the date later chosen to honor him.  Many of the accounts of the history of St. Patrick vary, but his legacy for the success of the Christian movement in Ireland will always live on.

Being descendants of great Celtic and Viking fighters and invaders, the Irish had great fighting  skills; because they survived many battles, they became known as “lucky people”.  There is other folklore that comes from the Green Isle:

  • Catching leprechauns, because if you do, you will find their pot of gold.
  • Looking for four-leaf clovers. Haven’t most of us done that?
  • Wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, for good luck, and in order not to get pinched!
  • Kissing the Blarney Stone, which is located in a wall in the tower of Blarney castle.  (It’s a hard feat to accomplish, however, due to its location.)

We hope you have enjoyed some of the background of this special day, and want to share this Irish wish with you:
“May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may Irish angels
Smile upon you St. Patrick’s Day.”

It’s our hope that Irish angels smile on all of you every day, and bring you good fortune! Whether we are at work or play, we mustn’t depend on luck, however.  Sometimes a little luck goes a long way, but other times, we simply run out of it.  Keep yourself safe always.   If you want to carry a lucky charm in your pocket, that’s great, but the key to staying safe is paying attention and being careful.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (Don’t forget to wear green!)

General Safety Issues, Uncategorized

EARTH DAY

The beginning of a modern environmental movement started on April 22, 1970, with the theme, Earth Day.  Approximately 20 million Americans participated to reach the goal of a healthy, sustainable environment.  At this time, separate groups that had been fighting against polluting factories, power plants, toxic dumps, oil spills, loss of wilderness and extinction of wildlife realized that they shared common goals.  Through the years and with the help of the internet, the efforts of those concerned with the environment have multiplied.  April 22, 1990, more than 200 million people in 141 countries mobilized to raise the status of environmental issues.  This led to the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.  Matters such as global warming and clean energy have now emerged, as well.

Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously throughout the world by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities.  There are now more than one-half billion people that participate in Earth Day network campaigns every year.

Earth Day 2009, April 22, will mark the beginning of The Green Generation CampaignTM, which will also be the focus of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day in 2010. With negotiations for a new global climate agreement coming up in December, Earth Day 2009 must be a day of action and civic participation, to defend The Green GenerationTM’s core principles:

  • A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal.
  • An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption.
  • Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.

Are you doing your part to keep your little corner of the world green?  There are things each of us can do to preserve our country’s beauty, protect our wildlife, and keep our air clean.  In exchange, if we do the things required to improve our environment, won’t we also be making the world a safer place, as well?  It is our focus to ensure that persons whose jobs are to contend with cleaning up pollution or other acts of negligence of the earth remain safe as they do their job.

We are given the opportunity to keep our towns, states, and country beautiful and protect the environment. Let’s make every day a “Safe” Earth Day!

Sources:
Wikipedia, Earth.net