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Homeland security briefing

Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and U.S. Postal officials hold media briefing.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

Answers

This may be the earlier conference that keeps getting cancelled.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

Please post details. We don't receive any stations out here, radio or tv, that will broadcast it.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

The press conference started about 10 minutes late and appeared to be disorganized. It seemed like the aim was to invoke calm. Gov. Ridge spoke first. It was hard to follow his thoughts because he never developed any of them. Basically, he said that we need to continue on with our lives and trust that our gov't is doing all that it can to protect us. Next, the president of the postal workers union spoke. He didn't add any new information, nor did he discuss handing out gloves and masks to the workers, which has been an ongoing concern. Lastly, the mayor spoke. He didn't really say anything newsworthy -- all "feel good" types of things.

I had the feeling that none of the speakers were ready to give the conference. Nothing of subsequence was offered, in my opinion.

If this is an example of the people who are dealing with protecting our mail system, we're in deep trouble, in my opinion. The reassuring talk failed to reassure me, and the overall disorganized tone has inspired me to stash a few more items. I'm reminded of a quotation: "The more he talked about honesty, the faster I counted my silver spoons." Dickens, perhaps?

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

subsequence = substance (it's evening and I'm a morning person)

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

"The more he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

Ridge appeared sincere enough, if not entirely clued-in, but the prez of the postal union...! Was it just me, or did he look like he was *smirking* when he was talking about workers and gloves?!? I didn't like his attitude AT ALL... plus all he mentioned was that most workers chose not to wear gloves. It's not the gloves they need so much, it's MASKS!!! Your people are dying of inhalational anthrax, and you go on and on about GLOVES???

Then again, I didn't expect much more from him, as pretty much all union leaders at the national level are marionettes of the .gov...

Overall, this conference was a pathetic attempt at a snow job. I think that, metaphorically speaking, these guys are in reality running down the street with their hair on fire, screaming.

I also think that a test on them would reveal that they are full of Cipro.

-- Anonymous, October 22, 2001

We finally got the gloves made available to us, as long as the supervisor is there to unlock the drawer to get them out. I don't understand why they do that. Everyone gets four pairs when they start. One pair to use until first break and then in the trash they go. the next pair until lunch, and in the trash with em, next pair until next break, and last pair until end of tour.

I was using one pair the first night, until I got a hole in one finger. As I am used to getting scratched by the trays on occasion, I figured better the glove than me. That was when I found out that we were supposed to get four pairs. That is a lot of gloves. We started out with beige, then the blue ones made the rounds, and tonight we had purple. I liked the purple best. Less sweating, and not so much of that oily powder feeling when you take them off. They are also stronger than the beige ones.

Some workers were wearing the masks. Also, they have switched to vacuums instead of the forced air hoses to clean the machinery. Much quieter, too. One guy started in with an air hose and four people yelled at him to stop it. Guess he was out to lunch when the word came down.

I heard on the radio news that the FBI said that they have two theories on how it spread, one was the machinery squeezing the envelope and causing it to spill some of the contents, and the other was that the envelope was perforated to let the contaminate come thru.

Now, consider that the attack on Sept 11 was done using expensive stuff that the terrorists didn't have to pay for, like planes and fuel, and then you consider how they are putting the anthrax into the mail, it would make sense for them to use prestamped mail pieces that they didn't have to pay for, like credit card apps. [no stamp necessary if mailed in the United States.]

Hmmm.....

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

"I liked the purple best. Less sweating, and not so much of that oily powder feeling when you take them off."

Surgery gloves have some talcum mixed in with them. I don't know if this is the "oil powder" that you are referring to. If not, you might consider shaking some talcum or baby powder into the gloves before you put them on.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

yes, that is what I was referring to, and if you think for one minute that I am going into work with any white powder...LOL

I noticed that the white powder doughnuts are not in the machines anymore.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

"I noticed that the white powder doughnuts are not in the machines anymore."

Well, could be, if there is extra security hanging around, that the rent-a-cops are keeping the machine emptied?

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

Nah, if they're anything like our cops, they go for bagels now. Whodathunkit?

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001

the postal service is loathe to have any outsiders in their facilities. so renta cops will not be allowed in. They can patrol the parking lot only.

-- Anonymous, October 23, 2001