Probably The Worst First Day On The Job Ever

The poor kid… It was his first day working as a plumber.

A 17-YEAR -old rookie plumber has burned down a £5 million ($12 million) waterside mansion in southwest England, after a soldering task during his first day on the job went horribly wrong.
The historic mansion in Kingswear, Devon, was undergoing a £2 million renovation when a fire ripped through the eight-bedroom house overnight.

In just minutes it burned it down to the ground. It is thought the fire started after polystyrene insulation caught alight from the flame of a blow torch. The plumber was working for a firm of sub-contractors.
John Howes, of the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said the plumber was “very upset”, according to the Daily Mail newspaper.
“It appears at this stage that this was an unfortunate plumber who was soldering in the roof space of a large building, which was undergoing total renovation”.   via NEWS.com.au.

Natural Balance Now Recalling Pet Food Due To Melamine Contamination

The pet food manufacturer Natural Balance is recalling 6 brands of its pet food due to contamination by melamine contamination, the same chemical that was found in the Menu Foods recall.

My question, have these companies been this careless for a long time and now the harsh light is on them, or is this a new occurance?

The chemical, melamine, is believed to have contaminated rice protein concentrate used to make a variety of Natural Balance Pet Foods products for both dogs and cats, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. Previously, the chemical was found to contaminate another ingredient, wheat gluten, used by at least six other pet food and treat manufacturers.
Natural Balance said it was recalling all its Venison and Brown Rice canned and bagged dog foods, its Venison and Brown Rice dog treats and its Venison and Green Pea dry cat food. via Yahoo! Finance.

Texas EquuSearch Mission for the Missing “Hogs & Horses” Fundraiser, May 19, 2007

Don’t forget that this years Mission for the Missing, “Hogs & Horses” fundraiser will be at The Galveston County Fair Grounds on May 19, 2007 from 1pm to 11pm.    Honorary Guest: Lt. Governor David Dewhurst; Master of Ceremonies: Courtney Zavala, Channel 2 News.

Texas Equusearch.org, “Lost Is Not Alone” is the TES motto

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Daily Commentary – Obama Compares Virginia Tech Massacre to Don Imus Comments

Dana is amazed as:

• Obama Compares Virginia Tech Massacre to Don Imus Comments

Please Say a Prayer for the Victims of the VA Tech Shootings and Their Families … God Bless

As we all sit back and absorb the horror of yesterday’s shootings at VA Tech, let us remember those that lost their lives. Let us say a prayer for their families as their grieving must be beyond imagination. So many young lives lost.  As many of our Nation’s Colleges Mourn Va. Tech Victims let us never forget those that were lost. Say a prayer for their families and loved ones and may they find peace in God’s grace.

President George W. Bush spoke today at the convocation ceremony at VA Tech and told the many family, friends and students of those that perished the following: (audio here)

“To all of you who are OK, I’m happy for that,” Bush said. “To those of you who are in pain or who have lost someone close to you, I’m sure you can call on any one of us and have help anytime you need it.”

Quoting Scripture, he told those angered by the killings not to be overcome by evil.

“People who have never met you are praying for you,” Bush said. “They’re praying for your friends who have fallen and who are injured. There’s a power in these prayers, a real power. In times like this, we can find comfort in the grace and guidance of a loving God.”

“On this terrible day of mourning, it’s hard to imagine a time will come when life at Virginia Tech will return to normal, but such a day will come,” Bush said. “And when it does, you will always remember the friends and teachers who were lost yesterday, and the time you shared with them, and the lives that they hoped to lead.”

Please let us remember those that passed away during yesterdays shooting. May they rest in peace and God bless. The magnitude of the violence and profound loss changed these students and faculty from VA Tech Hokies to one of a nations.

The University has set up a web site for condolences, The April 16th Memorial website. Please leave your comments, prayers and condolences. One can only imagine the grief that they Hokie community is going through and the words of comfort they so much are in need of.

• Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20, of Saugus, Mass., according to his mother, Lynnette Alameddine.
• Christopher James Bishop, 35, according to Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany, where he helped run an exchange program.
• Ryan Clark, 22, of Martinez, Ga., biology and English major, according to Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins.
• Austin Cloyd, an international studies major from Blacksburg, Va., according to Terry Harter, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Ill., where Cloyd and her family lived before moving to Blacksburg.
• Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, a French instructor, according to her husband, Jerzy Nowak, the head of the horticulture department at Virginia Tech.
• Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, killed in his French class, according to his mother, Betty Cueva, of Peru.
• Kevin Granata, age unknown, engineering science and mechanics professor, according to Ishwar K. Puri, the head of the engineering science and mechanics department.
• Caitlin Hammaren, 19, of Westtown, N.Y., a sophomore majoring in international studies and French, according to Minisink Valley, N.Y., school officials who spoke with Hammaren’s family.
• Jeremy Herbstritt, 27, of Bellefonte, Pa., according to Penn State University, his alma mater and his father’s employer.
• Rachael Hill, 18, of Glen Allen, Va., according to her father, Guy Hill.
• Emily Jane Hilscher, a 19-year-old freshman from Woodville, according to Rappahannock County Administrator John W. McCarthy, a family friend.
• Jarrett L. Lane, according to Riffe’s Funeral Service Inc. in Narrows, Va.
• Matthew J. La Porte, 20, a freshman from Dumont, N.J., according to Dumont Police Chief Brian Venezio.
• Liviu Librescu, 76, engineering science and mathematics lecturer, according to Puri.
• G.V. Loganathan, 51, civil and environmental engineering professor, according to his brother G.V. Palanivel.
• Partahi Lombantoruan, 34, of India, civil engineering doctoral student, according to Kristiarto Legowo, a spokesman for the foreign ministry.
• Lauren McCain, 20, of Hampton, Va., international studies major, according to a statement from the family.
• Daniel O’Neil, 22, of Rhode Island, according to close friend Steve Craveiro and according to Eric Cardenas of Connecticut College, where O’Neil’s father, Bill, is director of major gifts.
• Juan Ramon Ortiz, a 26-year-old graduate student in engineering from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, according to his wife, Liselle Vega Cortes.
• Mary Karen Read, 19, of Annandale, Va. according to her aunt, Karen Kuppinger, of Rochester, N.Y.
• Reema J. Samaha, 18, a freshman from Centreville, Va., according to her family. (AP)

Profiles of victims (MSNBC)

More about the victims from Fox News.

Beautiful, clever, talented victims honored (CNN)

Friends, family recall lives of selfless students, teachers