Late Late Show, with Craig Ferguson, and Asbestos Concerns.

This past Wednesday, November 19, 2008, Sandy and I made the trek west to Hollywood to participate as audience members on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. We are both fans of Craig, and the taping of the show was very entertaining. We sat right near the stage, in the second row from the front. We rushed back to Indio to watch the show, and to see if we made it off the cutting room floor when the camera's panned the audience. Sure enough, as the camera panned across the crowd, there was my right arm just before the camera cut back to the real action. Now I have an appearance on CBS to add to my television portfolio that includes several guest appearances as the electrical expert, on Help TV, on Canadian Learning Television, and Access Network. That's the same arm that can be seen holding various tools on our website! I may now need to get an agent! Any offers out there?

On a more serious note, I recently received an e-mail request from Richard Moyle, National Awareness Coordinator for the Mesothelioma Cancer Center in Orlando Florida.

Richard writes:

"Right now we are in the midst of a public outreach, attempting to educate people on asbestos and the dangers of exposure. As you probably know, asbestos is the only cause of mesothelioma, a rare cancer. The most common form of this type of cancer affects the lining of the lungs, and is extremely difficult to treat.

Because electricians often work in buildings that were constructed during the years in which the construction industry made heavy use of asbestos-containing products, including wire and electrical insulation, there is often a high risk of exposure to asbestos.

Our website is considered one of the Web's leading educational resources for individuals affected by asbestos exposure. We are very proud of our information on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options for those who have been affected. We recently received HON certification, an Internet standard created by the Health On The Net Foundation. This is a Swiss based, leading nonprofit organization promoting and guiding the deployment of useful and reliable online medical and health information. Additionally, our site has employed a full staff of writers dedicated to research and content creation on asbestos exposure and accompanying diseases, including Dr. Mauricio Salazar, our medical advisor".

Sandy and I have some first-hand experience with Asbestosis as her Father passed away from the disease back in 1995. He worked in an Asbestos insulation factory for several years in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. After his passing Sandy and her siblings were advised to get checked out for any signs of damage from second-hand exposure to asbestos, and after testing it was noted that some evidence of exposure exists, and will need to be monitored to see if the condition deteriorates over the years.

Over my career as an electrician, this was not something that I gave much consideration to until Richard's e-mail. I am going to post the article that he provided me on our website page dedicated to electrical safety.
Thank-you Richard, and the Mesothelioma Cancer Center for helping to raise awareness of this risk.

Please follow this link to the article.
http://www.electrical-online.com/asbestosremoval.htm

Hail to the Chiefs!

A lot has happened since my last post, most significantly the U.S. Presidential election. I'm a big supporter of the United States of America, and have the utmost respect for all that the nation stands for. The majority of the population wanted a change, and with the liberal media, and the throngs of celebrities throwing all the support and available resources behind Barrack Obama, you have a clear winner. The pure joy and jubilation on the faces of the people in the crowd in Chicago for the victory speech was very inspiring, and the President Elect didn't disappoint them with a historic and inspiring address. I hope that this new found optimism translates in to economic recovery in the long run, but so far the markets haven't responded very well in the wake of the election.

Maybe George W. Bush isn't the cause of all the economic strife as voters were led to believe? The sub-prime mortgage idea came from the Clinton Administration. Democrat, not Republican I believe. Yes, politically I stand right of center. However, the people have spoken, and I wish the next President all the best and I hope that he is even a fraction as good as the hype that sent him to the top.

However, one thing that I would like to comment on is the terrible treatment that President Bush has had to endure over the last couple of years. As I said before, I have nothing but respect for the U.S., and on that 11th day of September, I felt as though someone attacked my own family and friends, and I was angry. I commented many times that if I heard that they were handing out machine guns, and transportation across the pond to hunt down those responsible, I would have signed up in a heartbeat. President Bush was the Commander in Chief, and I believe that he handled himself with all the composure and leadership that all of us in the free world expected. To react with force is exactly what was required under the circumstance, and to do nothing would have been the wrong decision, in my humble opinion.

Now this isn't to say that I think George or his policies are without flaws. Nobody is perfect, and President Bush doesn't always come across publicly as the most educated and articulate man, but the public abuse and criticism that he has had to endure has to hurt, and hurt deeply. Sandy and I were in a Casino lounge in Florence Oregon on election night, watching the election results. Two ladies sat behind us watching Obama's acceptance speech, and after he was finished, I overheard one of them comment to the other: "So Bush is still in charge until January? That really scares me"! ......Scares you? Come on now! Do you really think that President Bush is out to do harm to the country and the very people that put him in charge of the country that he loves as much as you do? Think about that! George (and his close advisers) have had, and still have the best interest of the country in mind whenever they make decisions, even if they aren't the most popular ones.

I can only hope that after a cooling off period, the sentiments towards President Bush will be more favourable as he takes his place in American history. Bill Clinton wasn't all that popular when he embarrassed the country with his White House antics, and was nearly impeached for his actions, yet now he is treated as a hero, with people hanging on to his every word. George, there is hope for you yet. Time is the greatest healer! Hang in there President Bush! Thank you Mr. President, for 8 years of service to your country! God Bless the U.S.A.!