Schticks of One...

...Half a dozen of the other...

 

(I've been using this tag for a few years, but didn't

see someone had posted this last year...)

 

 

Y'know, if it hadn't been for Spike Jones and Victor Borge and Allan Sherman, there might never have been a Weird Al Yankovic.



I. My Dream Job

One that I could never qualify for, but what the hell.

Tillerman on a hook and ladder (that's the guy steering the wheels on the trailer).


II. Heard Around The Barn

Senior Guy: "What kind of lights did Noah have on the Ark?"
Junior Guy: "I dunno..."
Senior Guy: "Flood lights, of course."


III. Pet Blogging

Not by me, but by Michael Morse. He's trying to raise funds for an animal rescue operation (where Cousin Wilson adopted Michael and his wife). He says he won't let Wilson into the house till he has some contributions*. I'd contribute, except I'm so broke, Tim Allen couldn't fix me. If you could go to his blog and toss a couple of bucks Wilson's way, I'd appreciate it.

And Wilson could get back on the couch.


* I don't think Michael is really refusing to let Wilson in, he's just trying to shame us.

Gimme That Old Time Music...

Back when I was a nipper, my parents took me to see a ragtime piano show by a guy named Max Morath for my 13th birthday. They had the album of the show I went to, and I just found it on YouTube. Listen to each part of the album... really good music, and wonderful showmanship. Two of my all-time favorites are "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" (Part 4) and "Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go With Friday On Saturday Night?" (Final Part).  The drinking songs in Part 3 and the "dirty" songs in Part 5 are also wonderful (and John Valby doesn't have to worry about competition from these dirty ditties).

I've been to about 30 of his shows since. And I asked him to autograph that original 1969 program each time. Poor guy would see that battered old program and pop another dozen gray hairs.

Every one of his many albums is well worth the listen.

In fact, here he is, performing Scott Joplin's immortal Maple Leaf Rag.  Hey, if Badtux can do it, so can I.

 

 

Bonus track: Ethan Uslan performing The Blue Danube as a rag.

 



 

And a BONUS bonus track ('cuz I just love me some Spike Jones):

 



I'm Glad I'm Not Jewish.

Not that there's anything wrong with being Jewish, mind you.

Back when I was a kid, I thought it would be great to be Jewish... a whole second set of holidays from school, and their version of Christmas lasted nine days. NINE days of presents!

Then one of my Jewish friends delivered the death blow as far as I was concerned: no bacon, no ham, no sausage, no pork.

The lovely yet talented Mrs618 made a pork roast tonight, with apple stuffing and baby carrots sautéed in butter and brown sugar.

Yeah, for that, I'm glad I gave up the dreidels.

Heh, Indeed...

What "The Cat-Owned Penguin" says...

Attracting, Recruiting, and Retaining Volunteers

One of the biggest problems facing volunteer organizations today is attracting and retaining qualified volunteers. Whether its a volunteer FD or EMS agency, a local Red Cross or Salvation Army chapter, food pantry, pet shelter, whatever, the ranks of volunteers are becoming alarmingly thin. With the economy the way it is these days, those fortunate enough to have jobs often have two jobs, trying to make ends meet. The spouse will often have two jobs, as well. In addition, there is that nebulous conglomeration of housecleaning, cooking, etc, not to mention a couple of things I have heard of, called "sleep" and "having a life." The result is simply insufficient time to engage in volunteer activities.

For skilled volunteer professions like firefighting or EMS, there are ever-increasing training requirements to be met.

For example, the EMT-Basic class is now somewhere around 200 hours, plus clinical rotations and state and national Registry testing. In Maine, an EMT-Basic is also required to have a minimum of 38 hours of Continuing Education, in the following areas: Preparatory, Operations; Airway, Breathing, Circulation; Assessment; Medical; Trauma; Obstetrics, Pediatrics; Psychomotor Skills; and Further Continuing Ed (essentially, electives).

Firefighters are in an even tougher situation: most departments encourage and strive for Firefighter I and II certification, but many also require Haz-Mat Operations, EMT-Basic, commercial driver licenses, or other skills. The career fire departments -- FDNY, Boston, DC, LA -- include these topics in their 3-6 month academies. The volunteers, however, do it a couple of hours a night, a couple of evenings a week... for a couple of YEARS. Yet the public expects volunteer firefighters in Pudunk, Maine, to have the same basic skillset as FDNY (and notice I said basic skill set, not the sophisticated things like high-rise firefighting, urban search and rescue, dive team, or air operations). It is an understandable expectation, even if perhaps currently unattainable.

Volunteers are expected to attend training sessions and meetings without compensation, even if they receive nominal compensation while responding to calls. Many volunteer departments charge annual dues, require members to pay for (required) training out of their own pockets, and some even require members to purchase their own firefighting gear (which runs about $2000 per person).

What's the quick-n-easy solution? There isn't one.

Some not-so-easy solutions:

• Eliminate volunteer fire departments and EMS and go to career departments. This would cost a bloody fortune, which most taxpayers would refuse to authorize. A full-time firefighter costs at least $100,000 per year, depending on base pay, benefits, etc. In rural areas, this would probably take the form of a county department, similar to the situation in Virginia and Maryland.
• Eliminate most of the training requirements for volunteers agencies. This would be unacceptable from a public safety point of view. Firefighting and EMS require highly specialized skills... after all, we are literally talking life and death here. Besides, we don't mind training, we just don't want it to take over our lives, especially if it's training in skills we are not allowed to use (foolish, yes, but it happens).
• Reevaluate training using evidence-based research, and provide government-funded stipends. There is a lot of training that continues simply because "this is the way we've always done it," regardless of the impact on patient outcome (for example, backboarding patients based solely on mechanism of injury as opposed to appropriate assessment); eliminating such outmoded protocols would allow more efficient use of training time and improve patient care. Extending existing stipends to cover training time would reimburse participants somewhat for committing their time to the community. Most stipends, by way the, are nominal at best: $15.00 per call, or $500.00 per year. Nobody will ever get rich working as a volunteer.
• Leave things the way they are. And watch the ranks of volunteers thin even more. We need sufficient staffing and resources to do our jobs properly and safely. But even more importantly, perhaps, we need time off, too, no matter how dedicated we are, time to spend with our wives (or husbands) and children, time to have a couple of beers, time to just kick back and do nothing.

Since I got sidetracked and came back to this a couple of hours later (and since my train of thought left me on the platform), I'll come back to this topic, looking at each aspect of the problem, and -- maybe -- suggesting some possible solutions.

Medical Product Review: BATCLIP

A number of the other medical bloggers have done product reviews, so I figured I would toss in my two cents.

A few months ago, I ran across something that fulfills all three needs.

The BatClip was developed by one of our local ED physicians, and is a great way to keep your stethoscope handy, yet out of the way. (It also looks really cool.)

It clips to your belt (either hip, it's ambidextrous) with a heavy-duty clip, and the flaps are held closed with Velcro. It's made from good solid leather, and is made here in the US. It can be used with any style scope (from the $50.00 ones the physicians and medics use, to the $300 ones the newly-minted EMT-Basics buy). For me, the best part is being able to grab it and slide it onto the belt, instead of slinging it around my neck (and having it fall off almost immediately). Plus, if you get into the habit of popping your scope back into the BatClip (which can be done one-handed with a little practice) as soon as you're done with it, you're far less likely to lose the scope.

The BatClip is available through Amazon. Dr. Li is currently running a "buy 3, get 1 free" promotion; see the "Product Details" section in the amazon posting for the discount code.

And read the reviews from other users... I'm not the only one who likes it... doctors, nurses, medics, EMT-Basics, veterinarians, anyone who needs to use a stethoscope. The biggest complaint seems to be that some folks have difficulty getting the clip off their pants. Personally, I'd rather fight to get it off at the end of a shift than have to worry about losing it.

In fact, as of today, 62 of 65 reviewers gave it either 4 or 5 stars.

I'd give it *6* if I could.

Come to think of it, this is my blog, so I can do whatever I want.

SIX STARS for the BATCLIP.

David Marsters, Dickless Douchebag

Scroll down for update...

David Marsters of Sabattus, ME, a tea-bagging gun-nut right-wing whacko douchebag, resigned from his various town positions as a result of the backlash of his Facebook post urging someone to "shoot the n*gger," with a picture of President Obama. This is the same small-penis compensating MO-ron who introduced a bill requiring each family in town to own a gun.

Marsters, not surprisingly, got a visit from the Secret Service, who explained to Marsters that saying "shoot the n*gger" might be construed as inciting to violence.

Little twerp said he posted the piece because "frustrated by what he (Obama) was doing to the country." Fuckin little fruit doesn't realize that he and his National Feckin Rifle Association douchebag cohorts are the biggest threat to American liberty these days.

Small-penis-compensating Marsters oughta be shot himself.

Dickless wonder David Marsters, tea-baggin douchebag.

 

This asshole needs to be shot, then be locked up with some big old black biker who'll make little Davey his bitch for life.

 

Hey, David Marsters... FUCK YOU, you little pansy-assed punk. Grab your autographed picture of Wayne LaPierre and jerk off into your Gadsden flag, loser.

 

Want to tell Dickless how you feel? He's in the phone book in Sabattus.*

 

 

 

* Of course, the little douchebag has probably changed his number so his fee-fees don't get hurt. Fuckin little coward.

UPDATE: Turns out dickless wonder is a former cop from Mass, most likely for some college campus or some other 19th-rate agency. Probably wondered why the local African-American community didn't support his racist views. Also says the CIA visited him, along with Secret Service. Guess they wanted to recruit him for one of their death squads.

Hey, Marsters... We oughta shoot you, you skinny little white racist cocksucker.

 

 





 

I. Don't. Friggin'. BELIEVE. This.

I really don't.

Representative Gary Miller, Republican (of course) from the Cereal State -- land of fruits and nuts and flakes, also known as Kah-lee-for-nyah -- was talking to a bunch of immigrant activists. He could sympathize with their plight as (possibly) undocumented immigrants:

“You know, I’ve talked to a lot of young people like [you],” Miller told the activists. “I mean, I understand the difficulty. Just like I was born in Arkansas. I came here when I was a year old.”

I shit you not.

This ignoramus thinks... well, who knows what this moronic jerkwad is thinking?

From the Raw Story article (cause I'm too flabbergasted to write anything now):

Frank Sharry of pro-immigration rights group America’s Voice, told the Post‘s Alex Seitz-Wald that Rep. Miller’s statement was “stunning in its ignorance” as well as being "revealing in how out of touch some Republicans are with the experience of undocumented immigrants.”

“And this is a guy who represents a district in California, the state that has the largest number of undocumented immigrants in the country,” Sharry continued. “So for him to say, I get your experience, I came from Arkansas to California, as if that is equivalent to a young kid coming from Mexico or El Salvador and growing up in the American school system and having opportunities denied to you because of your family’s immigration status, I mean, oh my God.”

“I’m going from finding it really hilarious to really disturbing,” he said.

Now, bear in mind, this is from Raw Story, not The Onion. This cretinous oxygen-thief (whose eyes and smile remind me of Alfred E. Newman) really, truly said that.

 

One of these is Representative Gary Miller, but it's kinda hard to tell them apart.

 

 

Now, I know that Republicans aren't always noted for their keen intellects (Bush, 2000; LePage, 2009; Perry, 2010; et al.), but sweet baby Jeebus on a pogo stick, come on.

 

 

How is it these MORONS manage to live to adulthood?

Hannaford Pharmacy FAIL - Part 2

When last we checked in on the losers at the Hannaford Pharmacy, they had lost a number of the lovely yet talented Mrs618's prescriptions, because a hyphenated last name was "inconvenient" for them.

Well, we transferred the rest of our prescriptions from Hannaford -- the "You can't fix stupid" of the pharmacy world -- to another pharmacy, this one staffed by people who THINK. Of course, the LOSERS at Hannaford didn't transfer most of the prescriptions... ONLY THE EXPIRED ONES.

Back to the phone to have the various doctors send new scripts to the new pharmacy.

Hannaford: Losers that make other losers look good.

Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam...

...Spam, eggs, and Spam...

The ever-thoughtful spammers have figured out a sure-fire way to ensure I delete their messages unseen:

From: Fox News Network
To: Mr618
Subject: Instant Weight Loss

Now, if they only knew just how much I despise Faux "News," they'd realize the folly of sending me their crap.

For more on spam (the crappy email stuff, that is, not the crappy canned meat by-products that even Emily won't eat), see Randy Cassingham's Spam Primer.

Heard Around The Barn...

Since all the medical bloggers like Ambulance Driver and Captain Morse and Happy Medic all have tags for "Heard on the ambulance," I guess I should do the same...

We don't transport, so we don't have an ambulance, hence "heard around the barn."

Senior Guy: "Didja hear Farmer Brown got sick of his llama and told him to leave?"

Me: "No."

SG: "Llama said, okay, okay, alpaca my bag..."

Fox "News" - Fair and Balanced...

...and dumber than a box of rocks.

Only Fox would get a press release naming the crew of Asiana Flight 214 as "Sum Ting Wong," "Wi Tu Lo," "Ho Lee Fuk" and "Bang Ding Ow" and run with it.

As Curt Varone says on his Fire Law blog, "YCMTSU."

Hannaford Pharmacy Fail

The lovely yet talented Mrs618 and I have been getting our prescriptions filled at our local Hannaford Pharmacy for the past five years. Hannaford is a grocery chain with stores located in New England and New York, and is part of global grocery giant Delhaize.

About a year ago, Hannaford installed new pharmacy software that was supposed to streamline the system. Well, it didn't. Hannaford started losing prescriptions left and right, blaming it on "the doctor's offices." After losing so many of the lovely yet talented Mrs618's scripts -- meds that she needs to stay alive -- we started asking the doctor to confirm the pharmacy had in fact received the scripts. Turned out our doctor had been doing that for a while.

Now, the lovely yet talented Mrs618 hyphenates her last name, because she is proud of her own heritage. And we know that some folks have a hard time dealing with complicated names like Smith-Jones, so we always spell "Smith" for them. If the techs can't find it under "Smith-hyphen-Jones," we ask them to try "Smith," then "Jones."

This last go-round, Hannaford lost the script because:

(a) the doctor didn't send it. We had the doctor re-send it (for the FOURTH time); and
(b) the folks at the central data center sent it to the wrong store (not according to the confirmation our doctor received).

It didn't help that the pharmacy staff -- all relatively new -- were arrogant, condescending, and just generally snotty.

I spoke to the store manager, who said he would look into it.

Half-hour later, we get a phone call, the script is ready to go.

It had been there the whole goddamned time.

Turns out they couldn't locate it because my wife hyphenates her last name. This is after we asked them to check "Smith-Jones," "Smith," and "Jones."  How was it filed? Under "Jones."

It was my wife's fault that these MORONS couldn't find it filed under "Jones," even after we ASKED them to check under "Jones"?!?

And the pharmacist had the balls to tell us the lovely yet talented Mrs618 shouldn't hyphenate because "it's too much trouble for us."

We saved them the trouble and switched pharmacies. And supermarkets.

If you do business with Hannaford or any of the other Delhaize America companies (Food Lion, Harvey's, Sweetbay, and Bottom Dollar Food), maybe you should do the same.

Why make them go to all the trouble of doing the jobs they were hired to do?

Another One Gone From the Blogroll

Hydrant Girl, a Canadian paramedic (married to a firefighter), has changed her blog access to invitation only. Too bad, as I really enjoyed reading it, and learning how our Canadian brethren do things.

As an aside, she and her husband were at one of the races in Daytona when a car crashed into the stands. Not surprisingly, they both jumped in and started treating the injured.

Anyway, best of luck to Dorie and Jamie.

Special Guest Blogger: Emily

Hi, furless ones, this is Emily. I'm Mr618's celebrated Labrador whom you may have read about, back when Mom and Dad thought about things like pet blogging, instead of all that political crap.

A couple of days ago, dad was reading Michael Morse's blog, Rescuing Providence. Captain Morse had a piece about my cousin, Mr. Wilson. Cousin Wilson allegedly asked, "What's a dog?"

It appears Cousin Wilson forgot what the Head Beagle told us as pups, which is that we give the humans a reason to live. Humans, of course, are significantly inferior to canines, but they do serve a useful purpose in that their opposable thumbs allow them to open cans and bags more efficiently than we can with our teeth.

Captain Morse, God (which is, after all, dog spelled backwards) created dogs so firemen could have heroes too.

Despite what the beer companies (and Ben Franklin) say, dogs are the REAL proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Oh, and here's a picture of Cousin Wilson:

I guess his hair got so white worrying about his dad. Not easy trying to take care of a fire captain in a big city like Providence, I guess. (Hey, Cousin Wilson, when my dad comes down with lobsters for your dad, I'll send down a nice fresh Maine bone for ya, 'kay?)

God, I WISH This Had been True.....

Saw this on the Internet yesterday, and -- as we all know -- "you can't put it on the Internet if it isn't true."

"Rand Paul is a f*****g idiot," says Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, whose tiny state sits astride a hurricane zone. "The federal government, by pooling resources and exploiting economies of scale, can do disaster relief more efficiently the individual states alone.

"If this arrogant douchebag got his head out of Ayn Rand's ass long enough to see two feet in front of him, maybe he'd understand how important this work is."

This was the tail end of a story about ole Rand going off on one of his favorite hobby horses, the evil FEMA.

"I suppose people need help in times like these. And if individual states want to set up disaster relief agencies, that's fine. But why should taxpayers in other states be forced to pay? Kentucky doesn't have earthquakes. Kentucky doesn't have hurricanes. Kentucky doesn't have tornadoes, I don't think. So why are we footing the bill for this stuff?"

Of course, Rand isn't the only one bemoaning the fact the FEMA helps the poor as well as the rich:

Republicans have long had an interest in disbanding FEMA, an agency that most Americans believe fulfills a necessary role of government. Presidential nominee Mitt Romney famously said he wanted to "eliminate" the agency before reversing himself following a public furor.

But, alas, it's from the Daily Currant.*

Now, why would I wish something like this were true? Because think of the good times we could have jumping on poor dumb ol' Rand (and who names his kid Rand, for that matter?)

Not to mention the fact that SOMEONE needs to use "Markell's" words... only for real.





*Note to WND, Limpdick, and company: The Daily Currant is a satire site.**

** That means it's not real, it's made up.***

*** Like your "mandates."

Initial Thoughts on Boston

First and foremost, prayers and best wishes for the runners, volunteers, police, fire, EMS, and other emergency personnel who responded to today's horrific events. I hope Obama sticks by his word (for once), and doesn't wimp out on prosecuting -- or killing -- whoever did this.

A few things that the investigators are almost certainly working on:

• April 15: Tax Day, hated by many far-right-wing anti-government extremists
• Patriot's Day: another potential "inspiration" if this were, in fact, a right-wing "Patriot" whackjob
• Boston: where the Tea Partiers got their inspiration, from the "patriots" who took part in the Boston Tea Party
• Massachusettes has fairly tough gun registration laws
• The race was dedicated to the victims of the Newtown shootings, which instigated nation-wide calls for effective gun control
• Massachusettes has a black governor
• The US has a black President

Am I saying that some right-wing McVeigh wannabe did this? Nope, I'm not saying anything of the sort. Just mentioning these points that may have played into some Patriot/Teabagging/Tax Protesting/anti-gummint/black-FEMA-helicopter racist gun nut small-penis-compensating loser deciding this was a way to strike a blow against the New World Order, Moozlums, and other scary people or whatever loser belief system this mutt or mutts might have.

I also noticed that during the second, prime-time special on NBC, anchor Bryan Williams said, "For all the wrong reasons, we've been fighting two wars for the past ten years," referring to the fact that many returning combat medics have seen these horrific injuries before.

My personal bet is some far-right-wing whacko like Eric Rudolph, Jared Loughner, McVeigh...  One of those losers.

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?

(For the kids, that was the title of a popular song back during the Great Depression of the 1930's)

A fellow blogger whom I have mentioned many times is in really dire straits. He and his fiancee are facing some horrific conditions. If you could spare a buck or two (or even a couple of hundred), I would appreciate it, and I know it would be a lifesaver for them. He has a PayPal button at his site. Please try to send some cash his way.

It's my never-met but old buddy* Jurassic Pork, who currently runs Welcome Back To Pottersville. He's a good man who has had some truly crappy luck.

He was one of the first big-name bloggers to blogroll me back around 2006 or so, and has been lurking and commenting here since.


*Yeah, I might be presuming more to our association then he would prefer, but tough. *I* view him as a friend, so neener, neener, neener.

Leave of Absence

Posting will be lighter than usual -- bordering on non-existent -- for the week. My aunt died and my mother is taking it very hard.

JP nails it. Twice.

Fellow blogger (and one of the first to link to me) has two very timely posts at his place:

• a look at the ten year anniversary of our invasion of Iraq, which should be mandatory reading for all those who think the war only involves scary brown terrorist types, and
• this:

JP and his missus are still finding rough sledding, as they are part of the 99%, so if you could swing by his blog and help them out, both they and I would appreciate it.

Sequestration (and Castration*?)

Our local Mouse Channel affiliate, WMTW Channel 8, has a story today about Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor closing its famous Loop Road and other amenities until mid-May, as a result of the Rethuglican-inspired sequestration. The same process eliminated public tours of the White House, leading some Rethugs to bitch mightily about the BMITWH "holding the nation hostage" to his budget plans or some such nonsense.

Now, granted, I do not have the economic knowledge or training of Badtux or JurassicPork, but allow me to offer some alternative plans to reduce the cost of government:

• Congresscritters -- both Senators and Representatives -- do not get paid until a budget has been passed and signed by the President. Some will claim the Constitution prohibits "adjusting" Congressional pay or benefits until after the next succeeding election; the Rethugs like to say their financial emergency trumps all else -- including national defense -- so it should also trump their financial well-being. Hell, if we gotta suffer, it's only fair they suffer with us.
• Congresscritters no longer get free or discounted travel anywhere for any reason, including official business. They get to fly Grayhound like the rest of us.
• Lobbyists must deposit their bribes campaign contributions into the Treasury, rather than the bottomless pockets of the pols.
• Eliminate free healthcare for Congresscritters. Let them see what it 's like to go without insurance.
• Eliminate free parking privileges for Congresscritters and their staff.
• In fact, eliminate their freakin' JOBS.

Wouldn't you LOVE to see the Zombie-eyed Granny Starver standing on the corner with a little cardboard sign that says "Will teabag for food"?

Scroom.

Scroomall.

* I vote for cutting their nuts off. No anesthesia, no bandages, no mercy. That's the only way to keep them from reproducing.

Joe McCarthy and [Someone] Cruz

Edited 11-03-2013, to reflect the current Senator's full  and correct name.

Joe McCarthy on the left, Rafael Eduardo Hijo de Puta Cruz, Canadian-born anchor baby spawn of cigar-sucking Cuban émigré, Castro supporter and Desi Arnaz wannabe Rafael Bienvenido Chinga tu Madre Cruz  on the right:

 

 

'Nuff said.

 

 

(Based on something the lovely yet talented JursassicPork posted at Brilliant at Breakfast, linking to Michael in Norfolk)

O. M. F. G.

There is nothing more to say.

Via Mock - Paper - Scissors.

Which used to be one of my favorite sites.

 Excuse me, I have to go kill myself now.

This Date in Fire History: Feb 20

Tomorrow marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic Station Nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI, which killed 100 and injured countless more.

I was going to do one of my usual "Fire History" pieces, looking at the causes, fatalities, injuries and ramifications of the fire.

Until, that is, I saw this piece at Rescuing Providence.

Captain Michael Morse did a much better job of bringing home the horror that is a major fire.

I'm sure Capt Morse won't find if I lift his list of victims, for we must keep them in our memories if we don't want them to have died in vain.

Rest In Peace:

Louis S. Alves
Kevin Anderson
Stacie Angers
Christopher Arruda
Eugene Avilez
Tina Ayer
Karla Bagtaz
Mary H. Baker
Thomas Barnett
Laureen Beauchaine
Steven Thomas Blom
William Christopher Bonardi
Kristine Carbone
Richard A. Cabral, Jr.
William Cartwright
Edward B. Corbet III
Michael Cordier
Alfred Crisostomi
Robert Croteau
Lisa D'Andrea
Matthew P. Darby
Dina Ann DeMaio
Albert Anthony DiBonaventura
Rachel DePietro (Florio)
Christina DiRienzo
Kevin J. Dunn
Lori K. Durante
Edward Ervanian
Thomas Fleming
Rachael K. Florio-DePietro
Mark A. Fontaine
Chief Petty Officer Daniel Frederickson
Michael Fresolo
James Gahan
Melvin Gerfin
Laura Gillet
Charline Elaine Gingras-Fick
Michael James Gonsalves
James Gooden
Derek Gray
Pamela Gruttadauria
Scott "Skott" Greene
Scott Griffith
Bonnie L. Hamelin
Jude Henault
Andrew Hoban
Abbie L. Hoisington
Michael Hoogasian
Sandy Hoogasian
Carlton "Bud" Howorth III
Eric James Hyer
Derek Brian Johnson
Lisa Kelly
Tracy F. King
Michael Joseph Kulz
Keith Lapierre
Dale Latulippe
Stephen M. Libera
John M. Longiaru
Ty Longley
Andrea Mancini
Keith A. Mancini
Steven Mancini
Judith Manzo
Thomas Marion, Jr.
Jeffery Martin
Tammy Mattera-Housa
Kristen McQuarrie
Thomas Medeiros
Samuel Miceli
Donna M. Mitchell
Leigh Ann Moreau
Ryan M. Morin
Jason Morton
Katherine O'Donnell
Nicholas O'Neill
Matthew James Pickett
Carlos L. Pimentel Sr.
Christopher Prouty
Jeffrey Rader
Teresa Rakoski
Robert L. Reisner III
Walter Rich
Donald Roderiques
Tracey Romanoff
Joseph Rossi
Bridget Sanetti
Rebecca "Becky" Shaw
Dennis Smith
Mitchell Shubert
Victor Stark
Benjamin Suffoletto
Linda Suffoletto
Shawn Sweet
Jason Sylvester
Sarah Jane Telgarsky
Kelly Viera
Kevin Washburn
Everett "Tommy" Woodmansee
Robert Daniel Young

Sincere condolences to the victims, survivors and families.

Th' Blizzahd of Ought-Thirteen... Yessir!

Well, here I am, sitting in the living room as "The Great Blizzahd of Ought-Thirteen" rages outside. It's been snowing since morning, even though the main part of the real storm is just starting to affect us. We already have about 8 inches of snow in the yard, and we're expecting somewhere between 24 and 30 inches by the time we're done.

Some interesting cancellations crawling across the bottom of the TV machine: "Some Town Snowmobile Club Outing Postponed to Sunday" and "Some Other Town Snowshoe Hike Postponed to Sunday." Plus, the main attraction up here this time of year -- the National Toboggan escapades at the Snow Bowl in Camden had to cancel their Saturday toboggan runs because of snow. Plus at least one ski area is closed due to excessive snow.

Maine... Life in the Slow Lane.

A 19-car pile-up on Interstate 295 down in Cumberland screwed up the morning commute for folks trying to get into Portland this morning (it even made NBC Nightly News). Evening rush hour didn't happen, as most everybody got out of Dodge by about 2:00 PM.


Oh, yeah, almost forgot... some hacker got into gee-dumbya's email thingie, and posted some pix of dim son's self-portraits... including one in the tub. Not shown: how he was playing 'submarine' with a coupla turds. With presidential seals on 'em. For more on this breaking story, see this piece by the lovely yet talented Jurassic Pork (who is also even more flat broke than I am, so if you could spare a few sheckels his way, I'm sure he'd appreciate it).

Hmm, Two Milestones (at least for me, they are...)

According to the new-and-allegedly-improved Blogger dashboard:

The previous post was number 500 (yes, the Great Orange Satan does 500 posts a day, but, there's only one of me); and

32,000 page views (yes, TGOS gets that many in 3.8 seconds, but I provide quality instead of quantity)

Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

(Wonder if I could make a song outa that and make a few bucks...)

Well, Duh....

The AP is reporting that New York-area Congresscritters -- from both sides of the aisle -- are furious that Boehner let the House skip out without voting on a bill to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy:

In remarks on the House floor, [Republican Representative Peter] King called the decision ‘‘absolutely inexcusable, absolutely indefensible. We cannot just walk away from our responsibilities.’’

Well, duh.

Given the rethuglican's proclivity to shaft everyone else on earth in pursuit of their own agenda of no taxes for the rich, and their insistence on eliminating any semblance of Federal aid for anything or anyone, it should come as no surprise that the "Party of No" said "no" to relief for the devastated areas.



Another Republican had this to say:

‘‘I'm here tonight saying to myself for the first time that I'm not proud of the decision my team has made,’’ said Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y. ‘‘It is the wrong decision, and I’ m going to be respectful and ask that the speaker reconsider his decision. Because it’s not about politics, it’s about human lives.’’

Well, Mikey, in your party, it is about politics. It's always about politics.

And A Follow-Up

A couple of posts back, I went off on the small-penis-compensatin' National Fecking Rifle Association asswipes for their obsessive lust for killing devices.

Badtux left a comment saying "The only argument the right wing has that actually has any validity is the 2nd Amendment argument, where the 2nd Amendment by any reasonable reading protects both an individual and collective right to keep and bear arms."

But, alas, Badtux -- along with many other Americans, most of whom are small-penis-compensatin whackjobs -- forgot the first clause of the Second Amendment:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. [emphasis added]

And by "militia," the Framers were not thinking about the small-penis-compensatin', gun-totin' whackjobs like the Michigan Militia and the rest of the Militia/Patriot/Redemptionist genre, they were talking about what is today's National Guard.

The current crop of small-penis-compensatin', gun-totin' whackjobs wouldn't know "well regulated" if it bit them in their doughy asses.

It is astonishing how many people manage to miss the reference to a "well regulated militia," in their mad dash to justify keeping murderous devices in their homes.

Not that Badtux is in that crowd, mind you; I have a feeling he's pretty much on the side of common sense.

Actually, Like, You Know, Whatever...

Just saw this on Yapfui...

"You know," "whatever" is a really annoying term -- "like" "you know." We're "just sayin'."

When it comes to the most annoying words or phrases used in conversation, those four top the list in 2012, according to the annual Marist Poll.

But, actually, you know, like, they actually missed like the most annoying word yet...

Today's society seems to use "actually" the way kids use "like," which is starting to make me cranky.

I had to call the auto insurance folks the other day. The agent said "I'm actually looking at your account now." "Wow, you're ACTUALLY LOOKING AT IT?!? Wow, how cool is that?!?"

Where I used to work, I had to sit through a PowerPoint on a new software application... "Here, you can see I'm actually signed in..." No, you're NOT actually signed in, it's actually a screen capture of when you were actually signed in. I actually wanted to actually puke all over the presenter.

Or, to put it another way:

Although actually means “in an actual manner,” “really,” or “truly,” it has come to mean “in point of fact,” as well. I don't see this one abused too much in the written word, but some people (is it only MBAs, or does it just seem that way?) preface nearly every sentence with the word, and toss a few more into the middle of the occasional sentence, just in case we think they might be talking about something fictitious. Like hopefully and basically, actually is just an (unsuccessful) distraction from what the rest of the sentence says.

And, no, it's not only MBAs.

Just sayin'.

BushMaster... America's 21st Century Murder, Inc.

As you know, the whacko nutjob who killed 20 school children and six adults -- plus apparently his own gun nut whackjob mother -- used a BushMaster .223, as did this charming citizen:

who used his BushMaster to murder two volunteer firefighters and seriously wound two other volunteer firefighters in upstate New York.

Another BushMaster .223 was being schelpped around beautiful downtown Portland, ME, by some small-penis-compensatin', gun-totin, Second Amendment Libertarian whackjob. Douchebag's explanation? "I wanted to go for walk because I haven't exercised in ages." During the confrontation, the rifle-totin' jerkwad declined to identify himself.

And just what is a BushMaster 223? It is, appraently, a popular rifle for hunters:

I mean, isn't it obvious that you need a sniper-style bipod to kill Bambi?

And, of course, only highly-trained and thoroughly-experienced personnel carry them:

Some of the firefighting blogs that I have visited have been parroting the NRA line about how "this isn't the time to discuss gun control" followed by deleting pro-control comments, while allowing the small-penis-compensatin' crowd full reign to shriek hysterically about arming firefighters and first-graders, and by having the bigger kids -- in the case of Newtown, fourth-graders -- gang-tackle the shooter.

Now, many small-penis-compensatin', gun-totin' wingnut whackjobs will say folks should keep weapons at home for self-defense... how did that work out for you, Mrs Lanza?

Meanwhile, in DC -- which has some of the toughest gun laws -- David Gregory is being investigated for holding up an empty magazine. Read that again, an empty magazine.

God forbid anyone should say anything to someone wandering around with a LOADED one.

NSFW: Sandy Hook/Newtown, CT

UPDATE: The lovely yet talented Mrs618 convinced me to tone it down.

But you know damn well what I mean...

THIS POST IS FOR ADULTS ONLY. IF YOU ARE UNDER 21, GO AWAY.

IF YOU ARE A RIGHT-WING NRA GUN NUT, LEAVE NOW. I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FECK* FOR YOU, YOUR OPINION, OR YOUR "RIGHTS."

Once again, the fecking right-wing whackjob gun nuts at the National Fecking Rifle Association have let loose the hounds of disaster, this time killing 20 children. 20 elementary school children.

TWENTY CHILDREN.

Because some fecking whackjob got his mother to buy and register four weapons, cause he couldn't, cause he was a fecking psychotic nutcase.

Twenty children are DEAD, because the National Fecking Rifle Association will not, under any circumstances whatsoever, consider any kind of reasonable gun control.

All right. So be it.

Here's what we need to do to prevent this from happening again.

BAN ALL PRIVATE GUN OWNERSHIP, WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS.

Only ACTIVE-DUTY military and active law enforcement officers should be allowed to possess handguns.

Hunters can hunt with a .22 rifle, or a shotgun that can hold no more than one shell at a time.

NO ASSAULT RIFLES, NO AR-15S, NO LARGE-CAPACITY CLIPS FOR ANY WEAPON.

THE NATIONAL FECKING RIFLE ASSOCIATION, WITH THEIR BULL-HEADED INTRANSIGENCE, OWNS THIS.

THEY OWN THIS.

THEY SUPPORT THE MURDER OF HELPLESS KINDERGARTNERS, INNOCENT THIRD-GRADERS, AND TEACHERS.

And if you're one of the whining, mewling, sycophants for the National Fecking Rifle Association, and you want to make your point, DO IT SOMEWHERE ELSE. You have NO fecking rights HERE, you murderous scum-burping asshole.

I don't fecking want to hear it, murderer.

Go the feck away, and take your deathtoys with you.

Don't talk to me about your "rights"... I don't give a feck. Our nation's right to protect OUR CHILDREN outweighs your "right" to go squirrel hunting with a 50 calibre machine gun.

I no longer give a shirt for your Second Amendment "rights," since you National Fecking Rifle Association MURDERERS use it as a perverted excuse to go on your damnable killing sprees.

Columbine, San Ysidro, Aurora, Virginia Tech, Oregon, now Newtown. You National Fecking Rifle Association DOUCHEBAGS don't deserve to call yourselves "Americans." You should call yourselves BRAIN-DEAD, SLACK-JAWED, DROOLING, MORONIC GUN-TOTING ASSWIPES FROM HELL.

And don't try to say "If the teachers had been armed, yadda yadda...," cause that shirt ain't gonna fly.

You bottom-feeding, inbred hillbilly yokels, YOU SOCKSUCKERS from the National Fecking Rifle Association, have forfeited any claim to consideration or even adult discussion.

THERE'S NO SENSE IN TRYING TO HOLD A RATIONAL DISCUSSION WITH A CRAZY-ASS MUTHERFECKING PSYCHOTIC NUTJOB.

YOU MURDEROUS FECKING ASSHOLES OWN THIS, YOU CHILD-KILLING SOCKSUCKING MOTHERFECKERS.

* "Feck" is a very useful word I picked up from one of the British paramedic blogs, either Trauma Queen or Medic999 (Mark Glencourse). It gets the point across rather well.

Finally: A Cop Who Gets It.

For the past few years, I've been bitching mightily about my former fellow police officers, the Oath Keepers (the ones who claim that they and only they understand the intent of the Framers), the ones who drive like demons in city-owned cars because they can, the ones who kick handcuffed women because they feel "threatened," the ones who choke out paramedics on emergency calls, the thugs with badges who disgrace a once-honorable profession, the ones who pervert their oaths, the ones who oppress those they are supposed to protect.

Well, I am proud to say there are still cops like the ones who inspired me, who led me to think as a kid that there was nothing more important than helping others.

And, simply to make things even better, after all the negative publicity for years, after Amadou Diallo, after pepper-spraying moron Anthony "Tony Baloney" Bologna, after Abner Louima, of course it had to be...

... an NYPD officer who...

... bought a pair of boots for a barefoot homeless man.



NYPD OFFICER LARRY DePRIMO, YOU ARE A GOOD MAN AND A GOOD COP.

PD versus FD... One to Watch

Dave Statter has a post up at STATter911.com, involving a situation in which a Wisconsin police officer engaged in a high-speed (and high-risk) pursuit trying to stop a vehicle that turned out to be a volunteer firefighter/EMT. The FireLaw blog, written by chief officer and attorney Curt Varone, also weighs in on the issue.

The jackass involved is suing the police department, for excessive force (apparently due to the fact the cop approached with his gun in his hand).

Statter has a good portion of the officers dash-cam video posted; here is what *I* got from it:

• the cop was already watching for a person allegedly impersonating a police officer; the suspect was allegedly driving a black Challenger;
• the officer saw a black Charger with a spotlight and push bar go past his location at high speed, running red lights and siren;
• the officer initiated a pursuit of this vehicle, based on the impersonation complaint;
• the officer ran between 85 and 105 mph for roughly the first minute and a half, attempting to catch up to the Charger;
• the Charger, when the cop caught up, was driving between 70 and 80 on a basically-deserted open-country secondary road, with virtually no other traffic;
• both vehicles reduced speed to 45-55 in a more developed area, and 15-30 mph in an obvious residential zone;
• both vehicles pulled into the "Brooklyn EMS building," at which time the officer was able to see a Wisconsin EMS marker plate, but he still handled the situation -- at this point -- as a felony stop (bearing in mind the earlier impersonation complaint and the fact that a chase had occurred);
• the officer approached the Charger with his gun drawn, as is standard for felony stops;
• as soon as the driver of the Charger identified himself, the officer holstered his weapon, and explained his view of the situation to the driver of the Charger, in a polite professional manner.

Statter links to a Wisconsin State Journal article, which picks up the story:

By the time the two vehicles pulled into the station, a bay door was open and other firefighters were arriving, so the situation should have been clear to the officer, Dean said. Also, according to an in-squad video of the incident, the officer learned prior to drawing his gun that Dean's vehicle had a state-issued Emergency Medical Services plate.

The dashboard video, made available to the State Journal by the Oregon Police Department, shows Dean getting out of his car, then ordered by Gilbertson to "Get back in the car" and "Get your hands out the door, right now, both of them."

Gilbertson then approaches the car with both hands on his pistol and appears to hold the gun close to Dean's head. Dean can be heard apologizing and explaining he's a Brooklyn firefighter.

Unfortunately, possessing an EMS marker plate is not a guarantee that the driver isn't a bad guy: there have been many EMS personnel arrested for various offenses, plus of course, there's the possibility the Charger was stolen.

One thing that is not mentioned in the fire blog reports is this:

Clark's written report faults the firefighter for acting without "due regard" for public safety. The call went out as an "Alpha-level" page for an "odor investigation."

According to Dane County policy, Alpha-level calls are non-emergencies and should be answered with "no lights, no siren (and) normal driving conditions," Clark wrote. [emphasis added]

I have no idea what the laws are like in Wisconsin, and every state's laws differ, but...

Here in Maine, when I am responding to a fire, the use of a red light requests the right of way, it does not demand it (the way a police car can; even fire apparatus cannot demand right-of-way). I am not allowed to exceed the speed limit, nor am I allowed to violate any other traffic regulation (stop signs, one-way, etc). Our local department restricts the use of lights to in-town only... if I am in the next town over, I cannot use the light till I cross into my town. The only volunteer FF who can use a siren is the chief, and he/she can only use it on a fully-equipped emergency vehicle (which has to be registered and insured as such, which, for an individual, would be astronomical).

As far as I know, every state requires "due regard for the safety of others" -- even police officers cannot drive like complete lunatics (though some certainly do; see, for example, Fausto Lopez, formerly of Miami PD).

Unfortunately, there are a few circumstances that make things look bad for this particular FF/EMT and the fire service in general:

• The FF/EMT was a driving a POV (privately-owned vehicle) that is a black Dodge Charger, which is about the only police package sedan available right now.
• The vehicle had a pillar-mounted spotlight (which firefighters could find useful) and a push bar... sounds a little too much like he was trying to make people think he's a cop.

It's like all the volunteer FFs over the years who brought Crown Victorias (here, here, here, here, here, here). Some of these yahoos go so far as making traffic stops (here, here, here [and I love the gold badge that says 'concealed weapon permit' and 'second amendment, my freedom']). The more firefighters -- especially volunteers -- try to look or act like police officers, the more it'll piss off the "real" cops. There was a similar case just a few months back... a volunteer FF in a Crown Vic with a spotlight and LED light heads all over the place, who got into a dispute with a guy in a Corvette... who happened to be a real cop who called for uniformed backup.


This jamoke will hopefully be convicted, thrown off the FD, and -- if we're really lucky -- the state will seize his car as an instrumentality of the crime.

Where Is The Dark Wraith?

The Dark Wraith was one of the first big-name bloggers to link to my humble offering a number of years back. I had grown spoiled (and, yes, inspired) by reading his rants. But he has posted nothing at his Forums since February. And it looks like nothing at Big Brass blog since 2006.

Dark Wraith, we miss you.

PTS Sandy

Now that PTS (Post-Tropical Storm) Sandy has come and gone, let's see what's going on. Here in Mid Coast Maine, we came through it fairly well. Lot of power outages due to trees taking down wires, some coastal and low-lying flooding, but we were quite lucky.

Further south, both Jurassic Pork and Michael Morse seem to have come through it okay. Heading down into NYC, things aren't so good.

NBC Nightly news had a story from Staten Island, where the Borough President James Molinaro lit into the American Red Cross. Molinaro is incensed at the fact that three days after Sandy, there still has been no Red Cross presence on the Island (I am assuming there are some local volunteers there who have been trying, but I'm sure they're totally overwhelmed and shell-shocked).

Flooded subway tunnels, PATH tunnels, road tunnels, underground electrical networks, all sorts of problems in southern Manhattan (which is all built on 400 years of landfill activity).

New Jersey got hit even worse. But Governor Christie seems to have realized that we DO need a Federal government to handle disaster relief. When it was states like Florida and Texas and Montana, Christie seemed to agree with Romney about abolishing -- or at least gutting -- FEMA and leaving it to the states:



But now Christie appears to be moving toward the reality-based community:



After seeing his response to the storm, and to Romney's attempts to politicize the disaster, and Obama's attempts to mitigate the disaster, I might almost have to start respecting they guy.

Then, of course, there was Romney's campaign rally relief supply collection drive, which collected the $5000 worth of stuff his staff bought at Wally World, and the three cans of Spam donated by his followers, which the Red Cross now has to deal with, instead of sending folks to Staten Island...



And Mitt feels our pain, from when he had to clean the football field after the big game.

NO Blogging Till Sandy Passes

Between the town and county Emergency Management Agencies, the Red Cross and other emergency commitments, there won't be anything till after Sandy passes.

Stay safe.

Spending a Saturday with Things That COULD Go BOOM!

I  had the opportunity to attend a training session on tanker truck roll-overs today, and it reinforced what had already been my own personal SOP (standard operating procedure): if I see a hazardous material placard, I'm beating feet and letting the younger guys -- who have hazmat Operations or Technician training deal with it. I don't want to step in a puddle of methyl ethyl badstuff.

And if you see any of these on the back of a wrecked truck, or if you see smoke or anything else dripping/leaking/oozing/seeping out of a truck with one of these, don't get near it. Go call 9-1-1.

 



Any truck bearing any of these is NOT somewhere you want to be if you haven't been through a ton of training. I've been doing this kind of thing for 30+ years, and never had the desire to play with stuff that could kill me.

Not that the absence of a placard is any guarantee of safety. Depending on which year it is, the largest transporter of hazardous materials is WalMart, UPS or FedEx... and those are in quantities below the threshold for placarding.

Too Good To Pass Up

Okay, I've been trying to be a good boy and cut back on the political diatribes, but this one was just too good. I think even if you're a Republican, if you're honest, you'll have to admit this is pretty funny. Plus, it shows that Obama's been listening to Jeff Foxworthy.



"Romnesia"

As Foxworthy's buddy Larry the Cable Guy would say, "I don't care who you are, that's funny right there."

Love It!

This past weekend, Knox and Waldo Counties in Maine held a joint exercise, simulating a plane crash into Penobscot Bay.

Best part of the whole story?

Ray O. Sisk of the Knox County EMA was the director of the event, and assisted in organizing the various agencies and the volunteers to ensure the exercise was as effective as possible for everyone involved.

According to Sisk, the volunteers were mostly people that they had worked with in the past, and included members of the Ragged Mountain ski patrol as well as some members of the Waldo county government.

“We call them 'red shirts,'” said Sisk, as an homage to the Star Trek actors who were known for being victims in every episode.

You can't make this stuff up.

Picture Source: http://www.trekp.com/gallery01.htm

I hope Gary doesn't mind if I link to him.

 

Oh, Christ, Not Another One...

Just saw on STATter911.com that an off-duty police officer for Prince George's County, MD, was killed in a car crash.

Prince George’s County Police have confirmed the death of PGPD Officer Kevin Bowden who was killed this afternoon in his take-home cruiser in an off-duty crash on Route 5 in Clinton, Maryland. Officer Bowden was 28-years-old and had been on the police department for six-years. He leaves behind two young children.

Obviously, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Officer Bowden, as well as the occupant of the other vehicle and his/her family.

I am hoping desperately that the cause of the crash will be something "legitimate" instead of a tragic outcome of an on-going problem of cops driving like lunatics in take-home cruisers.

The Miami Police Department recently fired one Fausto Lopez, after Lopez was chased by a Florida Highway Patrol officer and removed from his vehicle at gunpoint. Lopez had been driving at speeds of about 120 MPH during the 7 minute pursuit. Bear in mind, 7 minutes at 120 MPH yields a 14 mile chase. Lopez had been clocked operating in excess of 90 MPH over 80 times. In three months. Or about once a day.

Apparently, Lopez's excuse for the last trip was that he was late for an off-duty job. Uh-huh, right.

When I was a cop, if any of us had been caught driving over 90 MPH while off-duty, even once, we would have been fired, arrested, and charged. I don't even want to try to imagine what would have happened if we had been caught doing 90+ every day for three months.

Anyway, I sincerely hope that Officer Bowden didn't pay the ultimate price because he was a speed demon. I hope to Christ it was a sudden mechanical failure, or a kid darting in front of his car, or the driver of the minivan swerving to avoid a pothole or something. ANYTHING other than another cop being a fool, simply because he could.

We won't know the cause of the accident until the investigation is complete. Until then, I'm giving Officer Bowden the benefit of the doubt.

R.I.P., Officer Bowden.

Apropros of Nothing...

Michelle Malkin (nee Maglalang) was born to Phillipine parents residing (illegally?) in the United States. This makes her an "anchor baby" (one who can facilitate immigration for relatives), which is something the conservative movement abhors.

Dinesh D'Souza was born in India, which makes him a dusky-skinned furriner, something the conservative movement abhors.

Why are the conservatives listening to either of them?

... After A Word From Our Sponsors...

Up here in Maine (and across New England, I'm sure), we've been treated to a new commercial from Dish Network, featuring a bunch of Bostonian-Americans discussing something called -- apparently -- the "hoppah." I haven't heard such thick Boston accents since Jack Kennedy.




This led me to wonder... does Dish do variations of this commercial for different regional accents? I tried calling Dish to find out, but the not-so-nice young lady at their call center called me an "@sshole" before she hung up on me.

Next up, we have a commercial from Little Tikes, for some new flying toy, with a typical Little Tikes theme song (couldn't find the exact commercial, but this one gives you the general idea):



Then, we were treated to the new Toyota Prius commercial: 



Am I the only one discouraged by the fact that Little Tikes sounds more grown up than the freakin' Prius?

Are you telling me the only way to sell a car is to sing like a 5-year-old?

Quickie Medical Call

We had a call a while back, at the local upholstery shop, for a guy caught in an automatic slipcover machine.

We called the hospital the next day, to follow up.

We were told he was fully recovered.


Musical Drum Hit Rim Shot Joke Cymbal Choke

I'm Not The Only One

Chris Kaiser has a guest post at Life Under The Lights.

Chance Gearhart, a paramedic in Tennessee, wraps up his article thusly:

As EMS we need to always remember that we are Patient Advocates. Our patients deserve us to always stand up for what is best for them. Apathy should never stand in the way of proper patient care. [original emphasis]

The quote below is not from the guest post, but it does an excellent job of summing up what all of us owe the public:

One of my EMS truths is that while there may be boring calls and calls that are less than exciting, there are no “routine” calls. There is no EMS patient that doesn’t deserve the absolute best that we have to give them. Every single patient we take into our care, be it a scheduled dialysis transport or a simple discharge from a hospital to a nursing home deserves to have professional, competent, and caring EMS providers taking care of them. They all deserve our best care, our best assessments, our best comfort, our best compassion, and most of all, our simple act of caring about them as a person and a patient. Never forget that, you may just save a life during one of your “routine” calls.

Go read the entire thing.

Kaiser, by the way, is one of the more influential EMS bloggers around. He, along with the other medical bloggers I've mentioned (and, I'm sure, virtually all medical bloggers) seems to be as disgusted with those few of our brethren who screw us all. Not that I'm putting myself in his class, of course, but it's nice to know we're all on the same page.

[This has nothing to do with this post, but I just noticed that Blogger's spell-check function -- BLOGGER's, mind you -- does not recognize the word "blogger." < sigh > ]

FEAR and Loathing In The Military

First we had the "Oath Keepers," a bunch of military and law enforcement types who claimed for themselves sole jurisdiction over interpretation of the Constitution of the United States. These guys -- and gals -- felt that they and only they understood the intent of the Framers, and that they and only they had the right to decide what orders to obey and what orders to disregard. The Southern Poverty Law Center lists the Oath Keepers as an organization active in the "Patriot" movement. According to the SPLC, "Patriot groups define themselves as opposed to the “New World Order,” engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme anti-government doctrines." As such, they are loosely affiliated with other anti-government movements, such as Sovereign Citizens, Christian Identity, Redemptionists, various militia groups, Tax Deniers, the Neo-Nazi movement, and racist groups. The Patriot movement is also closely connected to the Tea Party movement, which was confirmed by Mark Potok, of SPLC:

[T]there's a lot of cross-pollination between the movements. Richard Mack, for instance, is a former Arizona sheriff and Patriot hero who has given dozens of major talks to Tea Party groups. We've also seen Patriot conspiracy theories -- like the idea that FEMA is building concentration camps for American Patriots -- get into the Tea Parties." [personal correspondence from Potok to the author, May 25, 2012]

Now we have a group of "brave" military types calling themselves FEAR -- "Forever Enduring, Always Ready" -- who decided to overthrow the United States government through a campaign of terror and political assassinations (they funded this noble movement the way most of these yahoos do, by committing petty crimes like burglary, although at least this bunch didn't sell meth, another favorite fund-raiser for the anti-government crowd). FEAR is "an anti-government militia largely made up of active-duty and recently discharged American soldiers," according to SPLC, part of the lunatic fringe that believes in the "New World Order," the "Zionist Occupation Government," and black FEMA helicopters hauling all the God-fearing, patriotic white American citizens off to concentration camps in Arizona.

Ten of the group, in an effort to maintain security, whacked a young couple in Georgia, fearing the male, 19-year-old Michael Roark, a military veteran and erstwhile FEAR member, had betrayed the group. Roark's girlfriend, 17-year-old Tiffany York, was also murdered, apparently just for being with the "traitor."

As is usually the case with these "brave warriors," as soon as they were arrested, they started singing like canaries, betraying their "brothers," their "comrades in arms," in an attempt to save their own worthless skins. "Forever Enduring," my ass.

Once again, we have people to whom we have entrusted the national security of the United States betraying that trust in the interest of their perverted views of what constitutes a "normal" society. Unfortunately, we are the ones who paid for the training they will use to subjugate all of us, we are the ones who furnished their weapons, and -- worst of all -- we are the ones who tacitly encouraged their lunacy by not stepping on them as soon as their true nature started to show.