The changes are a roll back of the 2009 changes found in the Governor’s’ budget bill.  Whether this is good or bad depends on your perspective.  If you have insurance but for whatever reason you are in need of budget cutting , this is a good chance to keep some coverage and still trim your budget.  Minimum limits will be reduced in Liability, Medical Pay, and both Un & Under insured Motorist coverages.  If you are  currently NOT insured this may give you the ability to afford insurance.  Now on the other side of the coin, if you are involved with a driver with minimum limits, you will have less protection and will have to carry higher limits for Under Insured Motorist coverage, thus increasing your insurance cost.  Also in the original bill was the ability to stack the coverage for Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist.  In effect you could for a small cost, increase the coverage on the occupants of your auto by up to 4 time the coverage stated on your policy.  Taking this away has hurt everyone who carries insurance.  To read the complete article my comments are based on, check the hyper link below.

 http://www.wisbar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=101990&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm

My son and his family live on Guam, an island filled with history.  Normally seen on a tour or at a memorial site.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-psLQ_44LxY

The bomb was uncovered by a Sumatomo backhoe worker about 8:50 am this morning at the construction site of the new Nambo Insurance Building in downtown Hagatna.

The construction site is located at the north-east corner of the intersection of Route 4 and West O’Brien Drive.

[Caption: Navy EOD technicians examine WW II "depth" bomb before defusing it]

The Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit [EOD] was called to the scene, along with Guam Police, Guam Fire and Guam Civil Defense.

At the scene, before defusing, EOD Chief Eric Van Gogh told PNC News that a fuse was still attached to the unexploded bomb and they decided to de-fused it in place and then transport it for safe detonation elsewhere.

That prompted a widespread evacuation across downtown Haganta that effected the DNA Building, the Bank of Guam, the Agana Shopping Center, the Flores Library, the Judicial Center, The Academy and other businesses including a Mobil gas station next store which has a 9-thousand gallon underground gasoline tank on site.

Roads were also shut down including West O’Brien Drive from Route 4 west to San Ramon Hill and Triangle Park;  and east to Route 8; as well as north from the O’Brien-and- Route 4 intersection to Marine Corp Drive and south from the same intersection to the McDonalds on Route 4.

The potential danger also prompted EOD to order a mandatory evacuation within a radius of 2,500 feet around the bomb.

Guam Civil Defense, police and fire officials went to buildings in the area to order the evacuation. Civil Defense Spokeswoman Leslie Leon Guerrero said that the order was enforceable for government employees but private business, while strongly urged to evacuate could not be forced to leave their buildings.

Guam Police began opening up the roadways about 2:20 Wednesday afternoon, after a more than 5 hour shutdown.

[Corner of Route 4 & West O'Brien Drive 11 am Wednesday morning .. Nanbo Insurance construction site where bomb was found in background]

Chief Van Gogh speculated that the device was probably dropped from a plane and has laid dormant for nearly 66 years.He said the bomb is similar to a depth charge used to attack submarines during WW II, but this one was designed to be dropped from a plane.

The EOD had to wait for clearance from the FAA because the bomb lay under the flight path to the airport.

source : pacific news center.com

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”

How did this captain know, from fifty feet away, what the father couldn’t recognize from just ten?

Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.

The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia,Ph.D.,  is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water.  And it does not look like most people expect.  There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind.  To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this:  It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult.  In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source:CDC).

Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene Magazine (Fall 2006), described the instinctive drowning response like this:

Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs. Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water. Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment. From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs. (Source: On Scene Magazine: Fall 2006)

This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experience aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue.  They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

• Head low in the water, mouth at water level Head tilted back with mouth open
• Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• Eyes closed
• Hair over forehead or eyes
• Not using legs – Vertical
• Hyperventilating or gasping
• Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• Trying to roll over on the back
• Ladder climb, rarely out of the water.

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks O.K. – don’t be too sure.  Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning.  They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck.  One way to be sure?  Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are.  If they return  a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them.  And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Article Source: http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/drowning/?10981

Although the automobile is still considered king of the road, there are numerous other types of vehicles on the roads these days: commercial vehicles, buses, bicycles, scooters and motorcycles. It’s becoming more and more important for motorists to share the road with these other modes of transportation.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) there were more than 6.7 million motorcycles registered for street use in 2006 and the numbers continue to increase each year.

Unfortunately, the number of accidents involving cars and motorcycles has increased as well. In 2007, 78 percent of the motorcycles involved in two-vehicle crashes were struck from the front. In 40 percent of those cases, the other vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was traveling straight or passing another vehicle.

The rules of the road apply equally to someone driving an automobile or riding a motorcycle. Motorists shouldn’t crowd the motorcyclist or cut off the motorcyclist’s right-of-way. Motorcyclists should operate their equipment responsibly and not take unsafe advantage of the motorcycle’s maneuverability.

Considering the crash statistics and the increasing number of motorcycles, the key to a safe traffic mix is understanding and learning to share the roadway. Don’t let yourself be one of those who says, “I didn’t see him.” Make sure, as the driver of an automobile, that you’re as diligent in looking for motorcycles as you are for other vehicles.

State Farm and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) want everyone to be aware of the need for caution and responsibility when tending to lawns and gardens. CPSC has proven that nearly 400,000 people are treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries from lawn and garden tools. One out of five deaths involves a child.

CPSC recommends that the public take the necessary precautions to prevent injuries from outdoor equipment. They include:

• Dress appropriately for the task
• Wear long pants
• Long-sleeved shirts
• Close-fitting clothes
• No jewelry
• Sturdy shoes with slip-resistant rubber soles
• Eye protection
• Heavy gloves
• Hearing protection

Before starting up machinery, remove objects from the area in which you are working that can cause injury or damage equipment. Make sure that safety devices on the equipment are in place and functioning properly before starting work.

• Never let a child ride or operate a garden tractor or riding mower, even if the child is supervised.
• Keep children indoors and supervised at all times when any outdoor power equipment is being used.
• Never assume children will remain where you last saw them.
• Be alert and turn off the mower if children enter the mowing area.
• Unplug electric tools and disconnect spark plug wires on gasoline-powered tools before making adjustments or clearing jams near moving parts.
• Be sure power tools are turned off and made inoperable if they must be left unattended to prevent use by children.
• Never work with electric power tools in wet or damp conditions.
• Be sure that extension cords are in good condition, are rated for outdoor use, and are the proper gauge for the electrical current capacity of the tool.
• Handle gasoline carefully.
• Never fill gas tanks while machinery is on
• Never fill when equipment is hot
• Wipe up spills
• Store gas in an approved container away from the house
• Never smoke around gasoline

For further information on safety tips, visit either statefarm.com or www.cpsc.gov

The purchase of a new vehicle is often based on emotions rather than on objective decision-making. To ensure that you get the best deal, here are a few simple steps you can follow.

First, you must determine your need for a new vehicle. Would a used vehicle fit your need? Advertising is often intended to entice customers into buying a new car. With the appealing ads, customers often get dreamy visions of owning a new vehicle. Before entering a car dealership, make sure you’re acting on need rather than want.

After you’ve determined that you need a new vehicle, research the vehicle’s cost and determine what price you’re able to pay. It’s important to know the dealer’s invoice cost of the vehicle before speaking with the dealer. Information on vehicle pricing can be readily found in many printed pricing guides and web sites including, www.consumerreports.org and www.kelleybluebook.com.

Now, you’re ready to speak with the dealer. While negotiating the purchase price, it is important to keep your focus on the dealer’s invoice cost and how much you’re willing to pay. Dealers talk about the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), or sticker price; however, to avoid overpaying, know the dealer’s invoice cost for the vehicle and negotiate up from there, allowing a fair profit for the dealer. Avoid beginning to bargain at the sticker price and negotiating down.

Only after you and the dealer have settled on a purchase price is it time to begin shopping around for the best financing deal – should you finance or pay cash; should you go for the rebate, special dealer financing or finance the purchase through a bank; should you use a home equity loan for financing? When it’s time for you to make a vehicle purchase, a variety of loan payment calculators are available on statefarm.com® to help you make educated financial decisions.

The above comparison assumes monthly payments on a 48-month term, $16,000 vehicle loan with a down payment of $1,600. One loan is 3.9% APR with no manufacturer’s rebate, and the other loan is 7% with manufacturer’s rebate of $1,000. Rates may not reflect current interest rates. Example is for illustration purposes only.

Recent debates about Social Security and the increasing number of employers reducing or eliminating employee pensions have underscored the need for a sound retirement plan. Gone are the days when employees were guaranteed a percentage of their salaries once they leave a company. While Social Security may or may not change, it was never intended to be the sole source of retirement income.

Retirement planning is something everyone needs regardless of their existing situations. If the current financial debates tell us anything it’s this: the only funding you can count on is that which you do yourself.

Some of the options you have are individual retirement accounts (IRAs) or an employer-sponsored plan such as a 401(k). Contributions you make to a 401(k) can reduce your federal income tax burden and the contribution limits are higher than those of an IRA. Plans are available for any size of business, be it a large corporation or a small mom and pop operation.

Contributions to traditional IRAs may be income-tax deductible. While Roth IRA contributions are not deductible qualified distributions are received free from federal income taxes. An IRA is something you can set up with the help of a financial professional. There are a number of options available when choosing how you want to fund your IRA.

No one can be sure what the future holds in store. Making preparations for a number of possibilities can begin with careful planning. You can start by contacting a financial professional to discuss your goals and how to reach them.

If you’re building a new home, planning to build one, or planning work on your existing home, you’ve probably already thought about some of the construction features you want to include. Did you know there are products available now that may help you avoid the mess and expense of damage to your home in the future?
Here are a few ideas:

• Impact-resistant roofing offers more protection against impact damage (and in some cases against wind damage) than the ordinary roof. Some insurance companies even offer premium discounts for qualifying impact-resistant roofs. You’ll want to check with your agent before you buy to be sure the roof you’re considering qualifies for a discount with your insurer.
• Whole-house surge protection is installed either at the electrical service meter or at the service panel. It helps protect your home and contents against power surges that arise outside your home. While you’d still need plug-in surge protectors, whole-house protection may help to reduce your risk of lightning damage. Many electricians can install this protection for you, and if necessary, some power companies will install it at the service meter for a nominal charge on your monthly bill.
• Whole-house water leak detection systems may save you the hassle of water damage to your home and contents. These systems shut off the water supply to your home if they detect a leak inside.
  New research and products to make your home safer or more resistant to damage are always entering the market. It’s easier to add safety items when a home is being built or remodeled, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for the items that will help to provide years of safe and comfortable shelter.