PSA: Don't Leave Children in the Car

This PSA has a unique way of getting an important message across. Please, make sure not to leave children (or pets) in a hot car.

~DJ Opal~

KHEL 666 Technology Bytes: Safe Driving Software

Technology Can Stop Texting and Driving

Once when my car had to be towed, I rode along with the tow truck driver. He was texting along down the highway at 65 MPH. I'm a dyed in the wool agnostic, but I was praying to whatever powers there be that I not end up dead in a twisted heap of metal on the side of the highway because of this fellow's decision to text and drive!

~DJ Tempest~

Fire Danger

Such a tragedy. I don't know the details but I had some thoughts come to mind about greater fire danger in buildings that are poorly maintained or depreciated.

There are many people who live in sub-standard housing. The intent of my writing is not to blame those people for living in such conditions. If one is impoverished (or not even technically impoverished but nonetheless struggling financially) it is hard to keep up with proper building maintenance.

I myself live in a depreciated manufactured home. The fire dangers here are less than they might be in many homes. My furnace is not operational. I utilize space heaters in my sleeping area. The space heaters of old were very dangerous, but the modern ones have many safety features such as cool housing and a fail-safe which turns them off if they tip or overheat.

The stove which came with this building stopped working years ago. I have a countertop convection oven, a microwave, and a slow cooker. And if I were to be completely honest, I eat a lot of takeout food.

Most of us are ill equipped to go into the world and start raising a family. Unless you come from a family with a parent who is very savvy about building safety (my father was. Sadly, he died in an accident when I was fifteen, but he passed on some good knowledge for his children.) you don't know what to look for. I had some idea what to look for. I also had my older brother with me when I was looking for my first apartment. He was like a second father.

People live in poverty for many reasons, most of which are no fault of their own. Mental and physical illness are two primary reasons for people ending up in sub-standard conditions.

However, it isn't only depreciated or sub-standard housing which has fire danger. One of my cousins moved into a townhome which, while not high end, was not sub-standard by appearances. It had been built in the mid-seventies. The wiring was aluminum, which was a cost-cutting method used at the time it was constructed. It is also very risky. She and her then-husband had to spend $800 to have copper pigtails placed on the tips of the wires for safety.

This is the kind of stuff that isn't taught in schools. If your parents don't know it, the likelihood is, you won't either. And believe me, homebuilders and even regulatory agencies really do not give a shit.

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