Saturday morning, 8:30AM... heavy fog... MVA...
Haven't we seen this before... next verse, same as the first?
This Saturday started exactly the same as last, with the exception of this call wasn't in our territory and it wasn't on fire, AND we weren't out on the call till after Noon.
Hopefully, that's all we have day...
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
Into the Fire
by Bruce Springsteen
The sky was falling and streaked with blood
I heard you calling me, then you disappeared into the dust
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
You gave your love to see, in fields of red and autumn brown
You gave your love to me and lay your young body down
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need you near, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
It was dark, too dark to see, you held me in the light you gave
You lay your hand on me
Then walked into the darkness of your smoky grave
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your love bring us love
The sky was falling and streaked with blood
I heard you calling me, then you disappeared into the dust
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
You gave your love to see, in fields of red and autumn brown
You gave your love to me and lay your young body down
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need you near, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
It was dark, too dark to see, you held me in the light you gave
You lay your hand on me
Then walked into the darkness of your smoky grave
Up the stairs, into the fire
Up the stairs, into the fire
I need your kiss, but love and duty called you someplace higher
Somewhere up the stairs, into the fire
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
May your love bring us love
Thursday, November 23, 2006
The Fall of the Roman Empire
I posted the exact same post below to the forum section of an online community of which I have been a member for over five years. I don't know what type of response I was expecting, but I wasn't expecting to be attacked. I was called naive, stupid, and a racist. The FD was accused of using "strong-arm tactics" to "guilt" people into donating.
Words fail me.
Then I realized that the problem lies in the way I perceive the world with the way these people perceive the world. I don't know if it is a generational, regional, idealogical, or socio-economic issue.
Or maybe it's just me. A good friend is constantly telling me that I'm the world's last true Boy Scout. I prefer to think of myself as the heir to Cincinnatus, willing to abandon my fields, throw on my cloak, and go off to fight just because Rome needs me. I'm not trying to be a hero, just doing my civic duty.
Many historians point to a decline in the average Roman's views on civic duty as one of the reasons for the fall of the Empire.
What does that say about where we're headed...
Words fail me.
Then I realized that the problem lies in the way I perceive the world with the way these people perceive the world. I don't know if it is a generational, regional, idealogical, or socio-economic issue.
Or maybe it's just me. A good friend is constantly telling me that I'm the world's last true Boy Scout. I prefer to think of myself as the heir to Cincinnatus, willing to abandon my fields, throw on my cloak, and go off to fight just because Rome needs me. I'm not trying to be a hero, just doing my civic duty.
Many historians point to a decline in the average Roman's views on civic duty as one of the reasons for the fall of the Empire.
What does that say about where we're headed...
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
A Fair Trade Proposal for Mexico
Since you seem so intent on shipping most of your citizenry to the US, I think it's only fair that you take a portion of our citizenry into Mexico. I propose two groups, the criminal drug addicts (which only makes sense, since Mexico is their prime supplier) and the typical yuppy scum that blights our landscape with their smug smile, sipping cappacinos, and driving their BMWs, Acuras, or SUVs.
Why do you ask am I so indisposed towards yuppies? Well, I just spent the last two days doing a fundraiser for the VFD of which I am an officer and member. This fundraiser is a simple fill-the-bucket at the only four-way stop in the area. Nothing major, people drive by, roll down their window, and drop whatever they feel appropriate into the bucket. We've gotten everything from a handful of pennies to a hundred-dollar bill to a diamond ring.
Why do this type of fundraiser and not others, you may ask? First, it is easy to organize and requires little manpower. Second, the amount of money it raises per hour is quite good. And third, 75% of all MVAs in our district involve out-of-towners. Our department is not supported by a city or any type of taxing authority. Instead, we rely on a per-run contract with the county and on donations. So fundraisers like this are very important.
Anyway, as I worked this fundraiser, I noticed something that began to grate on me the longer the fundraiser lasted. I noticed that your average working-man or woman, no matter their ethnicity, were donating at a much higher percentage than those who, by appearances, seemed to be much better off financially.
In fact, it was so bad that it was surprising when someone driving a BMW, Acura, Cadillac, any upscale SUV, etc. would donate. Most would stare straight ahead, pretend not to notice that we were even there (hard to ignore the big red trucks with flashing lights), and drive on.
Someday, somewhere, they are going to need the services of a VFD and I hope they remember all the times they didn't donate. Moreover, I hope that the VFD is actually able to respond quickly and not be held back because of lack of funds because pricks like themselves wouldn't donate.
Why do you ask am I so indisposed towards yuppies? Well, I just spent the last two days doing a fundraiser for the VFD of which I am an officer and member. This fundraiser is a simple fill-the-bucket at the only four-way stop in the area. Nothing major, people drive by, roll down their window, and drop whatever they feel appropriate into the bucket. We've gotten everything from a handful of pennies to a hundred-dollar bill to a diamond ring.
Why do this type of fundraiser and not others, you may ask? First, it is easy to organize and requires little manpower. Second, the amount of money it raises per hour is quite good. And third, 75% of all MVAs in our district involve out-of-towners. Our department is not supported by a city or any type of taxing authority. Instead, we rely on a per-run contract with the county and on donations. So fundraisers like this are very important.
Anyway, as I worked this fundraiser, I noticed something that began to grate on me the longer the fundraiser lasted. I noticed that your average working-man or woman, no matter their ethnicity, were donating at a much higher percentage than those who, by appearances, seemed to be much better off financially.
In fact, it was so bad that it was surprising when someone driving a BMW, Acura, Cadillac, any upscale SUV, etc. would donate. Most would stare straight ahead, pretend not to notice that we were even there (hard to ignore the big red trucks with flashing lights), and drive on.
Someday, somewhere, they are going to need the services of a VFD and I hope they remember all the times they didn't donate. Moreover, I hope that the VFD is actually able to respond quickly and not be held back because of lack of funds because pricks like themselves wouldn't donate.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
RETARD ALERT!!! RETARD ALERT!!!
So I'm at the gas station last night, filling up the Dodge (Damned Old Dad's Gas Eater, for sure!!), when I smell the unmistakeable odor of cigarette smoke. I look around and notice the guy on the other side of the pump smoking. The following exchange occured.
"Ummm... would you please step way over there if you're going to smoke."
"No, I'm fine"
"It's not you that I'm worried about. If you want to blow yourself up, be my guest, just don't take me with you. Now please step away from the pump."
"No, really... I'm fine..."
You know, you just can't fix stupid.....
"Ummm... would you please step way over there if you're going to smoke."
"No, I'm fine"
"It's not you that I'm worried about. If you want to blow yourself up, be my guest, just don't take me with you. Now please step away from the pump."
"No, really... I'm fine..."
You know, you just can't fix stupid.....
CSI: Houston
You've gotta love Texas!!! Where else would you have mosquitos that could be mistaken for wasps, plus be mowing the lawn, in the middle of November?
But I really do love this state. Watching CSI last night on the Tivo made me so glad I live here and not some pseudo-communist state. You see, on CSI (which is set in Las Vegas... I thought Nevada was fairly conservative, but I guess it's just too close to the People's Republic of Kalifornia) they were having a coroner's inquest for one of the CSIs who ran over a young, black man who was part of a gang "fanny-stomping" some poor guy to death.
Whiskey?
Tango?
Foxtrot?
I can just see how this would have played out in Texas.
Judge: "Lemme git this straight. CSI Tanner, you observed the victim as part of a mob that was beating an innocent civilian to death, who then picked up a large rock to finish the job, but instead ran at your vehicle weilding the rock when you tried to stop him."
CSI Tanner: "Yes, sir."
Judge: "And you only hit him once, correct?"
CSI Tanner: "Yes, sir."
Judge: "You didn't back over him, run him over two or three times, didya?"
CSI Tanner: "No, sir."
Judge: "Then why the hell are we here?!?! Case dismissed!!!"
Sometime during this inquest, some young liberal smart-@$$ young man who is part of the jury steps up and says, "I just want to know when it became OK to run over young, black men in the street?"
Once again, I can see what would've happened in Texas.
Judge: "Bailiff, could you kindly escort this young punk out of my courtroom and into the back alley and beat the livin' $h!t out of him so he'll know what police brutality really is the next time he sees it!!"
Gotta love Texas justice....
But I really do love this state. Watching CSI last night on the Tivo made me so glad I live here and not some pseudo-communist state. You see, on CSI (which is set in Las Vegas... I thought Nevada was fairly conservative, but I guess it's just too close to the People's Republic of Kalifornia) they were having a coroner's inquest for one of the CSIs who ran over a young, black man who was part of a gang "fanny-stomping" some poor guy to death.
Whiskey?
Tango?
Foxtrot?
I can just see how this would have played out in Texas.
Judge: "Lemme git this straight. CSI Tanner, you observed the victim as part of a mob that was beating an innocent civilian to death, who then picked up a large rock to finish the job, but instead ran at your vehicle weilding the rock when you tried to stop him."
CSI Tanner: "Yes, sir."
Judge: "And you only hit him once, correct?"
CSI Tanner: "Yes, sir."
Judge: "You didn't back over him, run him over two or three times, didya?"
CSI Tanner: "No, sir."
Judge: "Then why the hell are we here?!?! Case dismissed!!!"
Sometime during this inquest, some young liberal smart-@$$ young man who is part of the jury steps up and says, "I just want to know when it became OK to run over young, black men in the street?"
Once again, I can see what would've happened in Texas.
Judge: "Bailiff, could you kindly escort this young punk out of my courtroom and into the back alley and beat the livin' $h!t out of him so he'll know what police brutality really is the next time he sees it!!"
Gotta love Texas justice....
Sunday, November 05, 2006
The Joy of Teaching, Reloaded
The last week has been that wonderful time of year that every teacher enjoys: the last week of a grading period. At my school, this would be the end of a six-weeks grading period. It absolutely mystifies me that students that could care less for five weeks about their grades are all-of-a-sudden very, very interested.
More amazing is that it is up to me to pass them. In their minds, it's not their responsibility whether they pass or fail, it's mine. So it comes as a major shock to them when they realize the truth.
Every year I start by telling my students to not expect me to bail them out when they've fracked off for five weeks, that there is no extra credit, and that I will not let them turn in all that work that they never did just so they can pass. I sometimes feel like I'm the only teacher that stands by their policy of refusing to accept late work.
It was so bad that I actually had a student tell me, "No wonder everyone hates you!!"
Wow, that's the problem right there. They're under the mistaken belief that I got into this profession to make friends....
More amazing is that it is up to me to pass them. In their minds, it's not their responsibility whether they pass or fail, it's mine. So it comes as a major shock to them when they realize the truth.
Every year I start by telling my students to not expect me to bail them out when they've fracked off for five weeks, that there is no extra credit, and that I will not let them turn in all that work that they never did just so they can pass. I sometimes feel like I'm the only teacher that stands by their policy of refusing to accept late work.
It was so bad that I actually had a student tell me, "No wonder everyone hates you!!"
Wow, that's the problem right there. They're under the mistaken belief that I got into this profession to make friends....
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