If you have a job, whether it’s in the workforce or in the home, you’ve probably wanted to every now and then “pull a Slater,” as the Washington Post phrases it. Much like JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater’s now famous jump to freedom, you’ve likely considered activating the escape slide and grabbing a beer on the way out. After all, we’re all human.
But this whole idea of shouting “It’s been great!” and getting the “slater” on out of whatever situation has ruffled our feathers, leaves a rather bitter taste in most people’s mouths. But not all people, apparently. There are now T-shirts for sale that say, “I wish my job had an emergency exit” and there are reports of the angry former airline employee landing his own reality TV show.
Slater’s been called on Facebook, for instance, the “Hero of the Working Man.” That’s especially strong language considering an internal JetBlue memo obtained by The Associated Press on Friday says no one has corroborated Slater’s story, and passengers have “given interviews that tell a different story.”
Sadly, the “take this job and shove it” attitude has left the fantasy realm and become a factor in daily life — and not just on the job front.
A few of the food and retail stores in the city kindly offer parking for parents with young children. Park near one sometime and observe the number of people without children who park in those spaces because they believe it’s their right to do so.
Likewise, sit in a movie theatre and watch the glow in the seats in front of you mid-movie as people whip out their cellphones and begin texting fellow cellphone users.
Or, visit one of your neighbourhood fitness centres and watch the people use equipment and then walk away, leaving their body fluids behind. Who wants to voluntarily sit in someone else’s sweat?
Similarly, Slater’s job exit seethes of one overwhelming quality — selfishness. What happened to putting on a brave face and suppressing your rebellious instincts? Adults may be free to act however they please but it’s not truly freedom when those actions affect others. In this case, a plane full of innocent passengers were disserviced.
It’s not the kind of action that deserves a pat on the back. A temper tantrum doesn’t make a person a hero. It’s the opposite, really, and the kind of “zero” behaviour society should want to avoid, not applaud.

For most students, especially the ones in younger grades, the first day of school could be called Christmas 2.0.
   There’s the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and the sounds of new backpacks unzipping. Unfortunately, those smells and sounds aren’t experienced by every school student. Some parents who already struggle to pay the bills, find it nearly impossible to cover the cost of tools their child, or children, needs for school.
Thankfully, the Interfaith Food Bank is available to lend a hand. For 11 years, the First Day of School Program has been distributing backpacks filled with school supplies to children who might have otherwise gone without. The campaign also assists local schools from Lethbridge School District 51 and the Holy Spirit Catholic school division with additional supplies. Last year, 728 backpacks were distributed.
Several local businesses, clubs and organizations throughout the city are assisting in collecting supplies on Interfaith’s behalf, including the United Way Tools for School Campaign.
The list of requested school supplies is long: new backpacks, HB pencils, erasers, scribblers, glue sticks, wax crayons, binders of all sizes, Scotch tape, pencil sharpeners, pencil cases, ballpoint pens, geometry sets, pocket-sized dictionaries, lined loose leaf (100s), washable felt markers, loose leaf dividers, calculators, 30-cm metric rulers, small tissue packs, highlighters, Duo-Tang folders, pencil crayons, scissors, toothbrushes, toothpaste and hygiene items. However, most of those items cost relatively little.
Every donation helps give less-fortunate students the right start to the school year when they hold their heads high as they walk into the classroom on the first day and have all the same new supplies as everyone else.
New backpacks and/or school supplies can be dropped off at Interfaith Food Bank, 1116 3 Ave. N., between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or call 403-320-8779 for more information. Interfaith will also accept cash contributions to help purchase extra backpacks and supplies as required. Charitable tax receipts can be issued for all cash gifts and/or any donation of school supplies accompanied by a cash register receipt.
New school supplies can change an entire school year for students and through the First Day of School Program, students have an equal chance to start their year off right.
 

The long weekend barely began when tragedy struck. A 26-year-old Alberta man drowned in Shuswap Lake early July 30 after falling into the waters of Magna Bay while doing boat maintenance. Witnesses reported seeing the man in some kind of medical distress, then fall into the water. The man was declared dead at the scene, and drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors. Police had not released the man’s name at press time.
The drowning was the first in B.C. in nine days; however, it’s become a tragic trend countrywide. Nationally, 230 people have already drowned this year, compared to 194 to July 30 of last year.
Sadly, that death toll is almost certain to get worse. According to the Lifesaving Society, the last 10 days in July and the first 10 days or two weeks in August are usually peak season for drowning.
That’s why two provincial parks in Alberta offering visitors the use of life-jackets at no charge as part of a pilot program to raise awareness about the importance of water safety is not only a great idea, it’s a timely one. The project, a partnership between the Government of Alberta and the Lifesaving Society is designed to increase awareness of the importance of wearing lifejackets when enjoying Alberta’s bountiful lakes and rivers.
“Kids Don’t Float” isn’t an original concept. It originated in Homer, Alaska where the alarming number of drowning deaths among children in that state — two-and-a-half times the national average — raised alarm. The program proved effective, reducing the number of drowning deaths among children there, and has been adopted elsewhere.
The latest statistics show 52 per cent of drowning deaths in Alberta occurred while the victims were engaged in recreational activities. While drowning deaths decreased for teens and young adults, they increased for children aged 5-12 and adults 35-49. Unfortunately, when it comes to impromptu boating or swimming opportunities, it’s all too easy for caregivers to decide their little ones can go without a lifejacket “just this once,” if the alternative is buying a new one for just that occasion, or hunting around the beach or campground for someone with a spare one.
Nearly 40 per cent of adult Canadians said they don’t always wear a life-jacket when on a boat in the water, according to the results of an Ipsos Reid poll  released on July 16.
If a lifejacket is easily accessible when playing in or on the water, it’s less likely adults and those in their care would pass up on a lifesaving device. In the best-case scenario, that life-jacket saves a life or two, ensuring safe summer fun springs eternal.
 

It’s one of the toughest decisions a working parent has to make after the birth of a child: Return to the workforce or not.
   If the decision is to return to work, then comes the even more difficult choice of selecting reliable and affordable care for your child. And even more important, choosing child care that’s safe.
The need for safe child care was reaffirmed last week when a 19-month-old Medicine Hat toddler was airlifted to Alberta Children’s Hospital with critical head injuries. The child died in hospital later that day.
On Monday, Medicine Hat Police upgraded the charges facing a 24-year-old woman to one count of manslaughter and one count of failing to provide the necessities of life.
Police in Medicine Hat say the woman had been taking care of the girl at a private home in the city and the Alberta government confirmed the facility is licensed by the provincial government.
The Alberta government has launched an investigation into day homes, and Yvonne Fritz, the minister of children and youth services, said she expects the results of the investigation to be released within three weeks.
Unlike daycares, day homes are private residences that can care for up to six children, including the owner’s own. The government contracts for day homes with agencies, which then recruit and train people.
The agencies are responsible for ensuring their day-home workers meet provincial standards, which include passing a background check, maintaining a safe environment and undergoing some training.
However, Traudi Kelm, the president of the Day Care Society of Alberta, said daycares undergo far more stringent regulation than day homes.
Some of the people who have joined a Facebook group dedicated to a Medicine Hat toddler have demanded the province make it mandatory for all day homes to have surveillance cameras.
It’s a suggestion worth considering. In a daycare, more than one person is often present. It’s no secret people tend to follow the rules when someone’s watching. Therefore, having more than one person present in a child-care setting equals accountability. However, in a day home, there’s only one set of eyes policing child care. And that set of eyes belongs to the person in charge. Having surveillance cameras in day homes would mean another set of eyes monitoring the activities happening inside. The province doesn’t need to hire a crew to go through the footage every single day. Just having the cameras in the home and knowing they’re recording a caregiver’s every move should be enough to prevent another child’s needless death.