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American Red Cross - Provide shelter, food, water and critical assistance. Humane Society - Save pets in the wake of disaster. Habitat for Humanity - Help hurricane victims piece their lives back together. FEMA - Find other orgs accepting donations and volunteers.

Preventive steps, immediate action can minimize mold's wrath
Mold damage in buildings can be kept to a minimum by taking immediate steps to prevent the conditions that allow its growth. Recommended steps include stopping the source of water damage by plugging leaks; starting remediation immediately, particularly in older buildings; and finding a local, credible water damage restoration contractor -- and making sure to have its 24-hour emergency telephone number.   Cleaning & Maintenance Management

Supreme Court won't reconsider eminent domain ruling
The Supreme Court has turned down a request to reconsider its controversial ruling giving local governments the right to seize private property for economic development. The decision not to reconsider the case was expected, and many critics of the ruling are now hoping states will pass their own laws to better protect the property of individuals.  
USA TODAY/Associated Press

Mold damage from hurricanes may not be covered under policies
With high humidity and sometimes a lack of power in hurricane-damaged regions of Florida, the conditions for mold growth are prime. There's also a good chance mold damage isn't covered on many property insurance policies. Some policies may cover the damage if it is a direct result of the hurricane, but if storm surge or flooding is the cause, it may be excluded.   Construction.com

Biogen Idec fosters "green power"
Biogen Idec's newest building in Boston will feature a power plant in its basement which can create enough energy to power 4,000 homes. The unit will convert gas into steam for all six of its buildings in the city and generate 5,500 kilowatts of electricity, boosting its efficiency to 80%.   The Boston Globe

Tips offered to prevent construction equipment theft
As much as $1 billion in construction equipment is stolen each year, yet only about 10% is recovered, according to the National Equipment Register. The group recommends companies write a theft prevention policy, keep a list of employees working at a job site, talk with workers about theft and security issues and make random visits to job sites during off hours to make sure all is well.   Associated Construction Publications

"The point of life is not to arrive at your grave safe and sound,
but to skid in sideways, out of control screaming, 'Whoa...What a ride!'"
Author Unknown

Gulf states assess infrastructure damage
State engineers in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi are assessing damage and preparing emergency repair bids, prioritizing work for major bridges and highways. Two Mississippi bridges that washed away, collapsed ramps connecting U.S. 98 to Interstate 10 in Alabama and an I-10 twin span bridge crossing Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana that was partially destroyed are among the major concerns.   Engineering News-Record

San Francisco builders dig up historic ship
Workers on a construction project in San Francisco have stumbled onto a significant archeological find -- an enormous Gold Rush-era sailing ship dating back to the early 1800s. The decaying bow of the ship appeared while a crew was digging to lay the foundation for a 650-unit condominium project.  
Associated Press
 

" Success is getting what you want without hurting anybody else."
Author Unknown

Utilities Overcome Devastation to Turn on the Lights
Entergy Corp., the New Orleans-based utility hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina, restored some power to the stricken city Sept. 4 -- nearly a week after the storm passed.

Cup of Joe a day could keep the doctor away
Coffee is found to be a top source of antioxidants
WASHINGTON -- When the Ink Spots sang "I love the java jive and it loves me" in 1940, they could not have known how right they were. Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the body, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet, according to a study released Sunday. Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stress moderation.
"The point is, people are getting the most antioxidants from beverages, as opposed to what you might think," said Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor who conducted the study at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. Antioxidants, which are thought to help battle cancer, fight the signs of aging and provide other health benefits, are abundant in grains, tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits such as dates and cranberries. Vinson said he was researching tea, cocoa and other foods and decided to study coffee, too.
His team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. They then used Agriculture Department data on typical food consumption patterns to calculate how much antioxidant each food contributes to a person's diet. They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams.
According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily. That doesn't mean coffee is a substitute for fruit and vegetables. "Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said. His findings were released in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Chemical Society in Washington. In February, a team of Japanese researchers reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that people who drank coffee daily, or nearly every day, had half the liver cancer risk of those who never drank it. Last year, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that drinking coffee cut the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes.

Daylight-saving time changes could cause technical glitches
The daylight-saving time changes that are part of the energy bill President George W. Bush is expected to sign could throw a wrench in the clockwork of technology ranging from video cassette recorders and DVD players to cell phone operations. The changes, due to start in 2007, have experts worried consumers will face challenges in dealing with software systems designed under the previous daylight-saving calendar.   Seattle Post-Intelligencer/Associated Press

GPS systems send contractors in direction of savings, higher productivity
Global positioning systems, or GPS, allows contractors to save time, use less manpower and boost productivity, but important decisions need to be made in picking the right system based on a contractor's needs. The costs for a system can pay off with benefits such as not having to depend on others to pay for site investigations.   Associated Construction Publications

SenSound software helps "design out" noise
SenSound has developed a new way to "design out" the noise in machinery, such as construction equipment, before the product is produced. New software produces 3-D pictures of all sound values of an object. This allows engineers to target sources of noise and transmission paths and distinguish between structure-borne and airborne noise, among other things.   Appliance Design

 

Small steps can help workers deal with stress The American Institute of Stress reports that nearly 1 million workers miss work each day due to job-related stress. With stress leading to such negative effects as high blood pressure, alcohol and drug abuse, depression and even suicide, it would behoove Americans to learn to deal with the stress in their lives by creating a plan and taking small steps: Slow down. Quiet down. Get physical. Be forgiving. Be optimistic. American Institute of Stress