Blog: Colored Pin Safety

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) is asking American citizens to contact the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to request that “safe departure” border checkpoints be established to offer safe passage to illegal immigrants who are leaving Arizona and leaving the United States in response to state level enforcement of existing federal laws and Constitutional provisions.

Arizona is reporting a mass exodus of illegal aliens who are selling their property and moving to other states or back to Central and South America. This pattern of a peaceful and gradual exodus mirrors reports from other states that have passed immigration enforcement laws.

Illegal immigrants detected trying to get into or out of the United States at border patrol checkpoints will be barred from applying to legally immigrate to the US for a minimum of ten years. Safe departure checkpoints would allow illegal alien families to depart the US without fear or hindrance.

“We are asking the Obama administration to designate border checkpoints that illegal immigrants can use to leave the US, without fear of detention or prosecution for immigration crimes,” said William Gheen. “The peaceful and gradual exodus of illegals from Arizona shows there is no need for Comprehensive Immigration Reform Amnesty. Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement works and has the desired effect without mass deportations.”

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC represents the views of a vast majority of Americans who simply want our existing border and immigration laws adequately enforced. Increased enforcement on the state level, combined with the bad economy, has led to a reversal in illegal immigration.

While thousands of illegal aliens, many carrying drugs, sneak into America with paramilitary gangs each night, many more are leaving America than are coming in according to government sources, pro-amnesty sources, and pro-enforcement sources. Illegals are leaving because of the economy, state level enforcement, and increasing animus from the American population representing all races.

“This is about the only situation we would ever advocate that our immigration laws be waived, we want to encourage the illegals to leave America on their own and thus we ask Obama to provide them safe passage out of America,” said William Gheen.

If the Obama administration will designate “Safe Departure” border crossings and release these locations to the Spanish media, more illegals will leave in an orderly fashion, instead of trying risky dessert crossings, paying money to the cartels for passage south, or fleeing to other states.

Citizens can make their appeals to Obama and Homeland Security by calling White House 202-456-1414 and DHS 202-282-8000

"With corporate computer networks, there is always the potential for becoming the victim of computer crime.  With a few clicks, technology savvy thieves can steal your personal information and your company's confidential strategy plans, customer information and financial data." - excerpted from "100 WAYS TO PROFIT IN A VOLATILE ECONOMY" By Barry R. Schimel, CPA and Gary R. Kravitz

Tech security is a very serious issue that can pose challenges to almost anyone.  I'm a techie and even I have to admit that computers sometimes make me want to blow them into a billion pieces.  Of course having answered numerous questions from others who always think I know more than I do or having asked some poor tech support person a question I'm sure he or she has already answered "more than once" that day (and it's only 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning), I also know that computer issues are often simply a case of user-error.  In fact over the years I've found that admitting it isn't the computer or the new software, but voluntarily telling the tech right up front that you have no doubt it's user-error, will instantly allow you to you hear the smile come into their voice.  But remember when it comes to technology security no matter how sophisticated your system is, only you can take the steps necessary to protect yourself.

Here is one of my favorite test questions from the book I mentioned above.  You may not have heard this one as often as some of the better know security tips, like "back-up your data", "use strong passwords including different passwords for every access portal or program" and "never download an email attachment from someone you don't know".

True of False? The more anti-virus software you install, the better protection you'll receive from malicious software that can damage your computer or business network.

False. Anti-virus programs may often be in competition, slowing down the network, potentially interfering with each others purpose, and even delivering false positives when they scan for intrusive software.  One anti-virus software program is sufficient, but be SURE you keep it updated.  Your anti-virus software should check for and automatically update the latest version of their virus signature database daily or every time you boot up.  And buy update every year if you're happy with the protection you've received.  I must admit that I've used a couple of well known anti-virus products that failed to protect me more than once.  I kept switching until I've found the one I've been using now for the last 5 years, without a glitch. 

A final word of advice: If you are web surfing and you go to a web site and suddenly a pop-up appears from ANY company that is NOT the company's anti-virus software you are using and that pop-up tells you you have a virus and need to download and install their software to fix it, DO NOT TRUST that message.  Odds are very high it is a scam and the very software they are enticing you to fix your problem will actually create a problem you never had.  If and when that happens, close your browser, then do a scan of your computer with your existing anti-virus software to be safe.  And then don't visit that site again.

Overkill?  Perhaps?  But if you get caught in a security trap and some geek starts tracking your keyboard entries and mouse clicks you may feel like blowing your mind into a billion pieces before long, especially if you have to keep sensitive payroll, legal, employee benefits, financial or accounting data on your computer.  An ounce of prevention ...

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A 5-year veteran of the OKCPD force, John Paull, was not hurt, police said.

According to the department, Paull is still on duty. The crash is still under investigation.

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An Eyewitness News 5 investigation found that there have been 224 police crashes in the past year.

People who saw the aftermath of the crash said they think any time an officer needs to drive fast, they should do something to alert other drivers.

"If they are going that fast, they should have sirens on," said Tammy Cutler. "If they're not, then something is up."

Knight said there's a reason officers don't always respond with their lights and siren running.

"You have to understand when an officer is operating in an emergency mode or with his lights and sirens on there are certain factors in the driving that can raise the risk level of it," Knight said. "You're going through red lights. You're also going through stop signs."

He said officers know there are times they need to reach a scene as quickly as possible, but they want to minimize threats to the public's safety.

Police said they're investigating whether Paull was speeding. Knight said it's too early to worry about what might happen if they find out that he was.

"I don't want to speculate because we don't know," he said. "We don't know how fast he was going."

Police said Paull has been involved in four crashes during his five years with the department. Two of those crashes were minor and the other two were not his fault, investigators said.

Police said they had no immediate plans to change department policies on responding with lights and sirens. Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine by PA3 Seth Johnson, U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment New York.


As the rust-colored doors swing open, there is a sharp chemical smell, and dozens of white metal barrels become visible in the cargo container as sunlight spills in. A hazardous materials investigator in the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in West Trenton, N.J., places his gloved hands on a barrel and peers inside. He begins meticulously looking over each of the barrels for spillage and damage in a container big enough to double as a small garage.

He is also looking for safety deficiencies. Mainly what he sees are a lot of problems with placards not being there or filled out properly. For example, one carrying adhesives was labeled right, but the placard was wrong.

Teamwork
This was just one out of hundreds of containers inspected in a Coast Guard-led initiative that involved 12 federal agencies and lasted over three days around the Ports of New York and New Jersey in March 2008. The initiative, called a multi-agency strike force operation (MASFO), focused on identification of safety violations in the storage and shipment of hazardous materials and numerous other deficiencies, and also built cooperation among organizations that do not work together every day.

“This has allowed everyone to come together and inspect cargo on roads, railways, ports, and vessels,” said John Hillin, an inspector at Coast Guard Sector New York’s Prevention Division. “With 100 inspectors working together, they have been able to learn a great deal and will work better as a team in the future, providing a safer port.”

The Players
Participants in the MASFO included the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, National Cargo Bureau, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, New Jersey State Police, Norfolk Southern Railroad Police Department, Port Authority Police Department, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Pipeline & Hazardous Material Safety Administration, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Each of these agencies has specialties; having other members of agencies working in areas they usually wouldn’t provided a unique training experience. Each agency defined the roles of its participants. For example, the Federal Railroad Administration inspected cargo on trains, Port Authority Police worked alongside agencies to provide safety and assist with inspections, and the New Jersey State Police helped assist in roadside inspections and law enforcement.

Checks and Balances
With members of multiple agencies working together, the multi-agency strike force operation was also able to “catch” more in terms of identifying violations and deficiencies, as a whole.

“The idea is if there is a problem with a shipment, to catch it before it gets into another transportation mode,” said Joe Evans, a hazardous materials program manager at the Federal Motor Carrier Administration. “We check brakes, tires, driver credentials, and licensing to make sure he is able to carry hazardous material.”

While many agencies were local, Coast Guard leaders in the field of marine safety, inspection, and prevention traveled from places like Boston, Mass., and Oklahoma City, Okla., to work together during this operation and unique learning experience.

During the course of the MASFO there were 28 containers put on hold, 76 inspected containers found with deficiencies, 127 violations issued, and 15 trucks placed out of service. With roughly 2,000 man-hours and 636 containers inspected, this proved to be a large, successful operation that left road, rail, and waterways safer, while bolstering the communication and cooperation among agencies enforcing shipping safety and regulation.


For more information:
Full article and “Interagency Success Stories” edition of USCG Proceedings is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/spring2009.

Subscribe online at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/subscribe.asp.

Direct requests for print copies of this edition to: HQS-DG-NMCProceedings@uscg.mil.

Motorola (NYSE:MOT) announced it won a contract that is the first phase of a private 700 MHz LTE network buildout for first responders in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

The network will cover 10 sites in multiple counties in the Bay Area, and is part of the Bay Area Regional Interoperable Communications System (BayRICS) plan. The network will cover San Francisco, Alameda County/Oakland, Contra Costa County, as well as the cities of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. The FCC in May granted a conditional waiver to San Francisco to begin building a public-safety LTE system.

Motorola said the system will be installed this year, and is expected to be running in early 2011. The spectrum for the San Francisco project is held by the Public Safety Spectrum Trust, a nonprofit corporation made up of public-safety groups.

“By combining a public-safety hardened LTE network with the existing voice and data networks, the San Francisco Bay Area has the opportunity to equip their first responders with the advanced communication tools they need to better protect themselves and their communities,” Motorola co-CEO Greg Brown said during the company’s earnings conference call. “This system is the first of its kind, and further demonstrates Motorola’s leadership and commitment to delivering innovative, next-generation public-safety solutions.

Brown said Motorola’s recently announced $1.2 billion sale of its wireless networking business to Nokia Siemens Networks will not affect this project or the company’s public-safety LTE position in general. Brown said that “over time you’ll see these hardened LTE systems be private and public.” Interestingly, he also said Motorola is going to deliver a “private broadband LTE experience that will have roaming capabilities in rural areas and interoperability with the wireless operator in those respective regions.”

Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) plans to launch 25-30 commercial 700 MHz LTE markets in the fourth quarter and expand that in 2011. Verizon is also trying to partner with rural carriers to expand LTE’s reach through licensing arrangements; no deals have been announced. Regional carrier MetroPCS (NYSE:PCS) also plans to launch LTE later this year. AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) plans to trial its LTE network next year. Finally, Harbinger Capital Partners’ LightSquared venture plans to launch its satellite and terrestrial LTE network by the third quarter of 2011.

For more:
- see this release

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Courtesy: Fierce Telecom”

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PONTIAC, Ill., July 28, 2010 — AT&T today announced an expansion of its third generation (3G) mobile broadband network for the Pontiac area, opening the door to a new era of mobile services, devices and feature-rich audio and video content for customers in the area.

The activation of 3G technology on more than five cell sites will enhance wireless coverage for residents and businesses in communities such as Chenoa, Dwight, Flanagan, Odell and Pontiac. A portion of Interstate 55 also runs through this area of Livingston County. These additional 3G sites build on AT&T’s Central Illinois expansions in Decatur, Champaign, Bloomington-Normal, Peoria and Springfield as part of the nation’s fastest 3G network.

AT&T is an industry leader in delivering the benefits of mobile broadband networks, devices and applications. With the nation’s fastest 3G network, AT&T provides accelerated mobile data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities for an amazing wireless voice and data experience.

The network expansion for the Pontiac area is part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to drive investment and innovation to deliver the nation’s best, most advanced mobile broadband experience for customers.

The announcement follows Gov. Pat Quinn’s signing of the state’s new, modern telecommunications law designed to attract private sector investment in broadband and wireless to meet consumer demands and attract jobs across all sectors of the Illinois economy.

“The state’s new, modern telecommunications policy passed unanimously by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Quinn made Illinois an attractive place for AT&T to invest in broadband, wireless and emerging technologies,” said Paul La Schiazza, president, AT&T Illinois. “We applaud Gov. Quinn, the legislative leaders and the members of the Illinois General Assembly for their leadership in promoting broadband coverage and job creation in Illinois.

“Today's announcement ensures that more people in Illinois will have access to enhanced broadband technology, which is essential to expanding our 21st century economy,” said Gov. Quinn. “Illinois has created more new jobs than any other Midwestern state this year, and we'll continue putting people to work by encouraging new investment in the latest technologies.

Local legislators were essential in advancing the new telecom policy when it came to a vote in the General Assembly in May. AT&T recognized four local legislators for their support of the measure, State Sen. Dan Rutherford (D-Pontiac), State Rep. Shane Cultra (R – Onarga) and State Rep. Keith Sommer (R - Mackinaw).

Governor Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the four legislative leaders ― Senate President John J. Cullerton, House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, Senate Republican Leader Sen. Christine Radogno and House Republican Leader Rep. Tom Cross ― as well as every member of the General Assembly worked to enact the new telecom law and has created a positive economic environment to attract business and retain and grow jobs.

Public Act 96-0927, which updates Illinois’ 25-year-old telecommunications law, was sponsored by State Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D – Orland Park) and State Sen. Michael Bond (D – Grayslake) and co-sponsored by State Rep. Mike Bost (R ― Murphysboro) and State Sen. Randy Hultgren (R ― Winfield). The law, which passed the General Assembly unanimously, was crafted to attract private sector investment in new technologies by leveling the playing field for all telecommunications providers. Gov. Quinn signed the legislation into law on June 15.

“The most important issue for our state is creating an environment where we can keep and create jobs and get our economy moving forward again,” said State Sen. Dan Rutherford . “This new law promised to bring more investment in new telecommunications technologies to Illinois and this great news announcement today delivers on that promise. Mobile broadband helps create job opportunities across all areas of the Illinois economy ― from health care and education to transportation and public safety."

For more information about AT&T’s 3G coverage in Illinois or anywhere in the United States, consumers can visit http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer. The online tool can measure the quality of coverage based on a street address, intersection, ZIP code or even a landmark. For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit www.att.com/networknews

For more information, contact:
Eric Robinson
Wireless: 217-899-3434
E-mail: eric.robinson@att.com