Miscellaneous musings (time to clear out my head).

I can relate . . .
When I saw this morning's "Zits" I could so relate to it! The reason being that several weeks ago my doctor started me on both medication for my under active thyroid AND medication to lower my cholesterol. The effect that has is very similar to the mom in the cartoon in that I have killer hot flashes and just moderate exertion causes me to sweat like it's summer time -- never mind the fact that it's the dead of winter.

I'm going to try . . .

Early in the new year to obtain my General class Amateur Radio license. I received an e-mail from the American Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) saying that in July, 2011 the question pool for the General class license will change which usually means it will become more difficult. Not to say I'm not up to a challenge, but why make something more difficult than it needs to be?

They made the ultimate sacrifice . . .

My sympathy goes out to the families of Chicago Firefighters Corey Ankum and Edward Stringer who made the ultimate sacrifice last week when they were killed by a roof collapse that occurred while they were searching a vacant warehouse that had caught on fire. Not to get on my soapbox, cause this could be a blog all to itself, but how many more firefighters have to die before the ICs (Incident Commanders) realize that sometimes a search of an abandoned building is not worth the potential loss of life?

Until next time . . .

Remembering the fallen

Eleven (11) years ago today the fire service as a whole and the fire department of Worcester, Massachusetts in particular were shaken by the death of six (6) firefighters in cold-storage warehouse building in Worcester. Making the ultimate sacrifice that day were:

1. F/F Paul Brotherton, age 41

2. Lt. Jeremiah Lucey, age 38

3. Lt. Thomas Spencer, age 42

4. F/F Timothy Jackson, age 51

5. F/F James Lyons, age 34

6. F/F Joseph McGuirk, age 38

My hope is, after reading this, you will take a minute and say a prayer for the families of these men and for those who everyday put their lives on the line to protect our lives and our property.

May their sacrifice that fateful night never be forgotten

Until next time . . .

What was it?

Normally, I don't waste time commenting on conspiracy theories espoused by the extreme right . . . but, after what I read yesterday, I felt the need to insert my 2.5 cents. Two weeks ago - Monday, November 8, 2010 - a camera crew from KCBS in Los Angeles shot the above video of a "mystery contrail" over the California coast. Within two or three days of the occurrence, the Pentagon determined that the so-called "mystery missle" wasn't a missle at all . . . but the contrail from a jetliner flying along the California coast. Explained Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan: "With all the information that we have gathered over the last day and a half about this condensation trail ("contrail") off the coast of southern California Monday night, both within the Department of Defense and other U.S. government agencies, we have no evidence to suggest this was anything other than a contrail caused by an aircraft." CASE CLOSED.

Enter the conspiracy theorist

Not satisfied with the official - and quite plausible - explanation of what occurred, the conspiracy theorist began propagating their own theories -- the latest of which was released this past weekend in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin (http://g2bulletin.wnd.com/) and states, without fear of correction, that  "the exhaust and billowing plume emanated from a single source nozzle of a missile." My question is why are these folks trying to re-start the Cold War?

The conspiracy theorist didn't just say it was a missile, no, they also named the country they thought it originated from and why. According to Mr. Farah "the missile was fired from a submerged Chinese nuclear submarine off the west coast of the United States" Unless he was actually present in the alleged submarine, how could he say with any degree of credibility that it was launched from the same? Not only does Mr. Farah offered his idea what was seen, but why: "the alleged missile shot coincided with an increasing confrontation between the U.S. and China, and was likely meant to send a message to Washington." 


Oh, really Mr. Farah? I'll tell you what I think it was. Folks who had nothing better to do took a perfectly innocent, non-threatening, incident and used it as another attempt to bash the Obama White House.

Until next time . . .

Thoughts on pre-term birth from a preemie who made it (Part II)

Yesterday I posted part I of "Thoughts on pre-term birth from a preemie who made it". Today I will conclude with part II including sharing what it's look to be born pre-term AND have hydrocephalus. Today we'll start by taking a look at the medical conditions that might increase the risk that a woman will experience pre-term labor. These include:

1. Diabetes
2. High blood pressure & preeclampsia*
3. Infections (urinary, vaginal, sexually transmitted; possibly others)
4. Blood clotting disorders (thrombophilia)
5. Vaginal bleeding
6. Certain birth defects in the baby
7. Being pregnant with a single fetus after in vitro fertilization (IVF)
8. Being underweight prior to pregnancy
9. Obesity
10. Short-time period between pregnancies**


* Preeclampsia is a medical condition where hypertension arises in pregnancy in association with significant amounts of protein in the urine.


** Short-time period between pregnancies is less than six (6) to nine (9) months between birth and the beginning of the next pregnancy.

Can treatment prevent pre-term births?

Over the years, physicians have tried various strategies to help prevent pre-term delivery -- bed rest, intensive pre-natal care for high-risk women, and drug therapy to stop uterine contractions. As a rule, none of these are routinely effective, although the may help in some cases.

However - in 2003 - two encouraging studies concluded that treatment with the hormone progesterone*** reduced the incidence of pre-term birth in women who had suffered a previous pre-term birth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that progesterone  (sometimes called 17P)  be given when a woman is currently pregnant with one baby, and she previously delivered a baby before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy; either labor began on its own, without the use of drugs or other methods, or the membranes surrounding the baby in the woman's uterus ruptured too soon.

Today women who develop pre-term labor prior to 34-weeks are often treated with one of several drugs called tocolytics. These drugs can often delay delivery for about forty-eight (48) hours -- allowing doctors extra time to treat the expectant mom with corticosteroid drugs. The corticosteroids speed up the maturation of fetal lungs - and other organs - reducing the risk of death and serious complications associated with prematurity including respiratory distress syndrome and bleeding in the brain.


*** Progesterone (also known as P4) is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy (supports gestation), and embryogenesis. 

Conclusion

I hope that you've found my blog educational and easy to read. Even though I am a surviving preemie, I learned quite a bit myself.

Me around age two.

I promised to share a little about my experience. I was born four (4) weeks pre-term and tipped the scales at exactly four pounds. As if that wasn't bad enough - and as I mentioned above - I had the early signs of hydrocephalus which continued to develop during the six (6) weeks before my mom and dad could take me home. Combine these two medical conditions and you have a REALLY good picture of what a bad shape I was in. Despite this (and because of LOTS of love and prayers I received) I was one of the lucky preemies who survived and thrived! Now I'm 47 years-old and semi-retired (due to osteo-arthritis) helping to spread the word that there is hope!

Until next time . . .




. .

Thoughts on pre-term birth from a preemie who made it (Part I)

To look at my picture at left, you would never think I was born pre-term and weighed in at a meager four (4) pounds -- but it's true. When I was born on Thursday, October 24, 1963, I entered this world, not only pre-term, but I had the early signs of Hydrocephalus . . . a condition which was almost always fatal. More about me later . . .promise!

What is pre-term birth?

In humans, the usual definition of pre-term birth is a birth that occurs prior to 37 weeks gestation. In the case of a "premature" infant, that is one that has not yet reached the level of fetal development that would generally allow life outside the womb. In a normal human fetus, several organ systems mature between the 34th and 37th weeks, and the fetus reaches adequate maturity by the end of the 37th week. One of the main organs that is most affected by pre-term birth is the lungs which are one of the last organs to develop inside the womb. Because of this, pre-term babies typically spend their first days / weeks on a ventilator.

It's estimated that in a single 24-hour period, more than 1,400 babies in the United States will be born prematurely. Many of these will be too small and too sick to go home. Instead, they will face weeks (or possibly months) in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Although these babies face a higher risk of serious medical complication and, possibly, death, most will eventually make it home.

Who is at risk?

Pre-term labor and delivery can affect any pregnant woman, however, it happens more often to some women than others. Researchers continue to study pre-term labor and birth, but still can't predict which women will give birth too early. So far three (3) groups have been determined to be at greatest risk:

1. Women who have had a previous pre-term birth.

2. Women who are pregnant with twins, triplets, or more.

3. Women who have certain uterine or cervical abnormalities.

In addition, some studies have also found that certain lifestyle factors may place a woman at higher risk of pre-term labor. These include:

1. Late or no pre-natal care.
2. Smoking
3. Consumption of alcohol.
4. Use of illegal or "recreational" drugs
5. Exposure to the medication DES.
6. Domestic violence including physical, sexual, or emotional abuse.
7. Lack of social support
8. Extremely high stress levels
9. Long working hours with long periods of standing.
10. Exposure to certain environmental pollutants.


There is much more information that I want to present, however, doing so in a single blog would make it a pain to read. For that reason, tomorrow, I will post the second part of "Thoughts on pre-term birth from a preemie who made it."


Until next time . . .

"You like being a Red Cross man"

The title of this blog is my paraphrase of what the Battalion Chief says to Johnny Cage (Randolph Mantooth) at the 5:48 mark in this clip from the premiere of the television show "Emergency". The exchange occurred after Johnny - already tired from an all night structure fire - is dispatched on yet another rescue call and looks at the speaker in disgust. I think Johnny's comment is true - or at least it is for me - because, no matter how tired I am, I still like being a "Red Cross man".  Take today for example, I'm dragging because, over the weekend, I responded to two incidents AND worked three six-hour shifts dispatching.  Still, if the phone was to ring right this minute and I was asked to respond, I would because I enjoy helping other people in their time of despair. Truthfully, I think my desire to help others is at least one of the reasons that God allowed me to live when the doctor's said I wouldn't.


But what does it mean to be a "Rescue man" or a "Red Cross man"? It means that no matter how many times you've been out during your shift, how cold (or hot) you are, or how hungry you might be, you make that a secondary priority and answer the call for help. It means thinking "what can't somebody else handle this one" and, yet, never verbalizing the words. It means being polite to that client that has lost their home and never letting them see how tired you are or how many runs you've been on prior to theirs. And, when you leave that call, you're ready to respond to the next one.


Until next time . . .

Things that make me go "hmmm" . . .

As you become more familiar with my blogging style, you'll see that sometimes I will blog for no other reason than to get thoughts out of my head and this is one of those occasions. (Buckle your seatbelt and hang on!)

I must be getting old . . .

As much as I like to think that I'm "hip" and "with it", I must admit that I just don't understand young people today. Earlier today, I was on the bus running Saturday errands and I came across a situation where a girl looked like a boy and here male companion, well, looked like a girl. Back when I was their age (late teens) you were beginning to see long hair and "unisex" clothing . . . but, I kid you not, with these two it was really hard to tell. I hate to admit it . . . but it makes me yearn for the old days when the line between male and female - as far as hair styles and attire - wasn't quite so blurry.

Why do they need Blackberries?

 Something else that I got to thinking about in my travels today is . . . what's with all of the teenagers carrying Blackberries? I guess what I'm really wondering is how they afford them since the cheapest ones I've seen start at around $140.00 and go up from there. I mean I work and can't justify the cost of this device that is part cell phone, part computer, part MP3 player, and part camera. (If there are any teens who reads this "old man's" blog . . . feel free to help me understand.)

What's up with that?

One last thing is pinging around in my head (at least for this blog) and that is how I could have worked for the City of East Point for 14+ years and never reached a managerial or supervisory position, but yet I've worked for the Red Cross for almost seven (7) months and already hold a managerial position? I'm not sure if I've mentioned this (in previous blogs) but I work in Staffing Services (part of Disaster Services Human Resources) at the Red Cross and am in charge of the Special Projects section. Mind you I'm not complaining . . . I'm just wondering how I can work under the same supervisor for seven of my fourteen (14) years at the COEP and she never saw my potential as a manager, but yet my supervisor at the Red Cross was able to see it after just seven months. As the young people would say, "What's up with that?"

Until next time . . .

When I'm not working . . .

I enjoy building scale model vehicles  . . . especially fire trucks such as the one pictured above. It, by the way, is a 1/25th scale model of Sag Harbor, New York's American-LaFrance  rear-mount aerial.  I first got interested in model building when I was about 12 or 13 years-old  . . . but it has taken me this long (35 years) to really get proficient at it and even begin to have mine look as good as the one pictured above. To that end, I'd like to share a little bit of what I've learned over that time:

Take your time!


I learned early on that building scale models is not a hobby where you can rush and be successful. Once parts have been put together, the glue needs time to set so that they will stay together -- this is especially true with heavier parts or parts that will have others attached to them.

Have a designated work area




Although most model builders - myself included - dream of having a shop where you can work on projects, a kitchen table will work just fine. Two things to keep in mind when selecting your work area: 1) Does it have good natural lighting or good overhead lighting?; and 2) is the area easily ventilated? The latter is especially important if you're working in the house because it doesn't take long for fumes from the glue and paint to make your work area smell like a nail shop. (For the guys reading this who might not understand, ask your wife or girlfriend.)

Cleanliness is next to godliness


Okay, maybe it's not quite that important . . . but it can mean the difference between a really sharp looking one and one that has a smudged paint job or glue residue "fingerprints". It's easy to do too by washing your hands after you finish painting parts (and, of course, giving them ample time to dry.) Something else that I find helpful is to use latex gloves as this also helps to prevent the oils on your skin from getting on the plastic which can also mess up paint and cause glue not to adhere properly.

Use quality products


Normally I treat product preference as a matter of personal choice, however, in the case of model building, I have to suspend my rule and recommend Testors. In my personal opinion, you can't beat their model cement for adhesion and their paints give a beautiful finish every time! Check out their website at: http://www.testors.com/model_and_hobby.

And, last, but not least . . .

Don't work on days when the humidity is high


When the humidity is high, paint - and glue - tend to dry very slowly and remain tacky for a LONG time. With that in mind, it's best to postpone working on models on damp or rainy days (unless you're able to do some REALLY tight climate control).





Until next time . . .

Yesterday I found out . . .

. . . how it feels to be in a wheelchair and I didn't like it. Just so nobody will worry, I didn't get hurt (or sick) . . . I was one of the "disabled" participants for a Red Cross course on shelter operations -- specifically how to make it easier for people with disabilities. There were four of us with a "disability": myself in a wheelchair, one lady who worn a mitten to simulate having neuropathy, one lady who had gauze placed over her eyes to simulate having a cataract, and one who had cotton placed in her ears to simulate being hard of hearing. The first thing that I noticed was how I (or, more specifically, the chair) stuck out and it made me feel SO VERY SELF-CONSCIOUS! Even though the folks in the room where co-workers - and friends - I couldn't help but feel like they were watching my every move. Then, there was the matter of moving around in the chair. Not so much the actual propulsion - because that was MUCH easier than I thought - but navigating between tables, chairs, podiums and the like. I found out that when you're in a wheelchair, the easiest way to travel is like electrical current, and find the path of least resistance. That means - usually - going up the center of the room as if you we're making your way toward the front and then turn right or left as needed. You still encounter obstacles, but not nearly as much so as you would trying to get between tables and chairs!

About the only difficulty I encountered was when I tried to do those "little things" that, up to that point, I'd taken for granted. By "little things" I mean stuff like getting into the men's room, getting on an elevator, and the like. Our instructor said "try getting in the restroom," and I was amazed how difficult it was to do something so simple as getting the men's room door open . . . then, once you got in, finding a urinal that was the correct height. All of a sudden, those "little things" weren't quite so little anymore . . . as a matter of fact they become daunting! By the time that the class was over, I had a whole new outlook on what it's like to be in a wheelchair and the challenges faced by those in them on a regular basis!

Until next time . . .

How do you handle your emotions?

When your emotions are raging like the waves in the picture above, how do you handle it? Consider this example given by Dr. Charles Stanley, Pastor of First Baptist Church (Atlanta), of how a member of his congregation did it and see what Dr. Stanley recommends.

Dr. Stanley tells of a member of his congregation who was very committed to God, taught Sunday school, and was just an overall good example to those he instructed. Sadly, however, this all changed when the man's three year-old son took sick and died. Unable to understand how to deal with the emotions he was feeling, the man went into a tailspin and his sorrow festered in him until his life became characterized by bitterness and resentment. Now, in addition to loosing his son, he also forfeited his life, health, effectiveness for the kingdom of God, and relationships too. Too bad he didn't take the time to read Ephesians 4:31 which instructs us to "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you." This is only my humble opinion but, if he'd followed this advice, he might still be a vessel in the Lord's hands and a servant in His kingdom.


Dr. Stanley offers the following positive steps as a defense against devastating emotions:


Confess what you're feeling to God -
As long as you deny the emotions exists, you are merely repressing them and they will continue to control you. However, once you acknowledge your frustration and anger to the Lord, you've taken an important step toward gaining peace. He desires for you to have enjoyment.


Identify the nature and source of the emotions -
From what do these emotions stem? What has happened in your life that has made you especially sensitive to certain kinds of pressures, injustices, or offenses? You can't heal unless you know the true cause of your wounds.


Decide to deal with your feelings immediately -
Ephesians 4:26 instructs us, "Do not let the sun go down on your anger." In other words, the longer you remain exasperated, the more damage it will do to both your heart and your relationship. Take it to Heavenly Father as quickly as possible.


Do not sin -
James 1:19 admonishes us "Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger." Whenever a circumstance arises that cause irritation and fury to rise up within you, take time to seek the Lord's direction about how to deal with these emotions in a godly manner. Through reading the Scriptures and prayer, God is able to clarify your situation and show you how to deal with the problem effectively.


Use the energy produced by your emotions positively -
For example, if you witness an injustice in your community, find ways to minister to those involved, thereby, showing them the love of Christ. You can also channel the drive you feel into such activities as exercise, cleaning house, and spending time with Heavenly Father.


Develop strategies to help you respond correctly -
As long as we live in this fallen world, there will be people, circumstances, and issues that trigger frustration and indignation within you. Therefore, be able to identify when emotions begin to take hold, and decide in advance how you will respond.


Aggression is contagious -
Therefore, steer clear of those with a temper or complaining spirit. Recognize the characteristics in others that are especially upsetting to you and avoid them when possible.

Until next time . . .

Was she out of her mind?

I wish I would have had audio recording equipment hooked up to my scanner where I could have captured what an Atlanta Fire Department dispatcher (which are actually police dispatchers) said to a battalion chief a while ago. He was responding on a brush fire between the expressway and the rear of a large church and saw a large "loom-up" (column of smoke) and requested a second-alarm. Rather than acknowledge his request and get two additional engines and one additional truck (aerial ladder) started, she wanted to argue with him and ask him why he needed the additional units. Correct me if I'm wrong, but since it didn't cost her anything and she didn't have to get up from her console, why would she question starting the second-alarm? I'd heard her on the scanner before, so she wasn't new and, no matter how bad your day is going, you have a job to do without questioning the chief on the other end of the radio. Perhaps she hadn't heard of the fire in San Bruno that I posted a blog about yesterday (San Bruno explosion & fire)?

In my opinion, the dispatcher in question should either have the battalion chief stop by the Communications office or call him on the phone and offer an apology for the way she acted. What do you think?

Until next time . . .

San Bruno Explosion, September 9, 2010, 6:38PM

At 46.75 years-old, I've seen more than one occasion where the news media got their facts wrong about an incident and then do a retraction, but I think this video from YouTube is the first time I've seen them take incorrect information and seemingly build on it. The video is about fifteen minutes of news coverage of the gas line explosion in San Bruno that occurred last Thursday, September 9. 2010. Originating from the CBS affiliate in San Bruno, they report that the blast is the result of a plane crash and, despite information to the contrary from the manager of the local airport, continue to say that is the cause for the duration of the report. My question is how can you take something that doesn't even remotely have the appearance of what you're reporting it to be and not verify what you're saying is actually what is occurring?

If you haven't already, stop and watch the video and, more importantly, listen to the news anchors talking. To hear them talking they knew without question that the raging flames they were seeing were caused by a plane crash. They even went as far as to say they had an eyewitness who "saw the tail of the plane as it went down." How could someone be an eyewitness to something that never happened? If I had been the news director - or the general manager - of that CBS affiliate I would have gone to commercial and called them aside and told them to cool it. If they didn't, I would have revisited the issue the next morning and gave them several days (off) to review their comments. Right or wrong?


 Until next time . . . 

Maybe, if he would . . .

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking article

I just finished reading an interesting article on Yahoo (link above) where he says "Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing . . . it is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going." Excuse me? Who does he think created the universe and the law of gravity?  I like to consider myself as being science-minded, but, at the same time, I realize that God created the things that we study in the field of science.

Mr. Hawking would probably try to explain away why I've survived 46 years with Hydrocephalus and never figure God into the equation. But, I know for a fact, science isn't what kept me alive . . . it was God. Medical science said "he won't survive . . . take him home and let him die." According to my research, Mr. Hawking is something of a miracle man himself. He suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis  (ALS) (also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease") -- a form of Muscular Dystrophy. What makes his case different is the fact that he has survived more than three times longer that was expected by his doctors when he was diagnosed at age 21. He is sixty-eight. If, as is his opinion about the universe, and there is no need for God, how does he explain surviving this long with a condition that is normally fatal within ten (10) years of diagnosis.

Mr. Hawking, from one miracle man to another, I think we need to sit down and talk.

Until next time . . . 

FDNY All Hands Fire - 1943

First of all, I think a brief lesson in fire service lingo is warranted. For those who might not be familiar, an "All Hands" fire means that units arrived and encountered fire conditions and that all personnel are being put to work. Secondly, if you're like me, you'll notice that the firefighters seem to be walking kind of fast or with an ackward gait . . .it's not them . . .it's an eccentricity of 1940's vintage celluloid film that has been re-mastered.

Now, back to the matter at hand, the video! Up until 2006, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) operated a unique unit known as the Fire Patrol. The thing that make it unique was the fact that, even though they were dressed in protective gear and looked like firefighters, they were actually civilian members of the Board of Insurance Underwriters . They served the fire department on what was known as the Fire Department Emergency Auxiliary and there primary duty was to prevent secondary damage to burning structures caused by the fire hoses. As shown in the video, this was accomplished by members of the Fire Patrol who would enter the burning structure and place salvage covers over furniture. Although this doesn't sound as dangerous as actually fighting the fire, there were members of the Fire Patrol who were injured and killed in the line of duty. As I mentioned above, they continued to serve the citizens of New York until four years ago when the last unit was disbanded.

Serving others: a time honored tradition

Serving others: a time honored tradition

The actions of firefighters, police officers, and "just plain folk" was perhaps no more evident than when fire struck the Winecoff Hotel located at Ellis and Peachtree Streets

Through out the history of the United States, helping others during their time of need has been a time honored tradition. Perhaps at no other time does this desire to help us show forth as it does during times of disaster – be it fire, tornado, or flood. Perhaps one of the best examples I can think of occurred on December 7, 1946 when a fast moving fire ravaged the Winecoff Hotel located at 176 Peachtree Street (at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Ellis Street). By the time the flames had been extinguished, 119 people had perished – many falling to their deaths when makeshift sheet ropes broke.

Even as firefighter's were still battling the flames, citizen's of the “city to busy to hate” were already coming to the aid of both hotel guest rescued from the fire as well as firefighters themselves. One of the best examples of this – in my opinion – was Georgia Tech student Al Hardy. Hardy, who was headed home after a date, heard of the fire and went directly to the hotel to photograph the unfolding tragedy. Not too long after he arrived, he saw a police officer and firefighter at the nearby Rexall drug store who were reading the emergency contact card on the door of the pharmacy and discussing calling the manager to open the store so emergency workers could have access to first aid supplies. Hardy approached the two men and suggested that they force entry into the store. When they refused, Hardy took the initiative and kicked the door open himself. Shortly thereafter, the store was converted into a temporary aid station where guests with minor injuries could be treated and await word on their loved ones.

Hardy's action, although memorable, weren't the only acts of compassion that cold December morning. Gray Ladies (see footnote below), other Red Cross volunteers, and members of a local Boy Scout troop who made coffee and sandwiches for firefighter and other rescue workers. The Boy Scouts set up makeshift coffee stands on the sidewalk in front of the Rexall store while the Gray Ladies made sandwiches inside.

While there might be some who was disagree with this statement, I think that same spirit of service is still alive and well today. While the Gray Ladies are but a memory today, the service they provided is still found in today's Red Cross. Today assistance would be rendered by a Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team (DAT) comprised of volunteers that can evaluate damage to the structure(s), provide temporary shelter, and assist with providing first aid. And, depending on the magnitude of the fire or disaster, it can be designated a “DR” (Disaster Response) or “DRO” (Disaster Response Operation) which will bring even more personnel and resources to the scene.

Another group that epitomizes the spirit of services are the Amateur Radio operators – affectionately known as Hams. In times of need, they are able to provide communications when other forms might be inoperable or otherwise unavailable. Perhaps one of the best examples of this occurred in late August 2005 as Amateur Radio operators monitored Hurricane Katrina as it approached New Orleans and were prepared to be a vital communications link once she made landfall. And this assistance wasn't just from amateurs in the Gulf coast area. Amateur Radio (and Red Cross) volunteer Bob Joplin was manning his radio in Oklahoma City, OK when he picked up a distress call from people trapped on a roof in New Orleans, LA. Thanks to his fast actions, they were rescued without injury!

I hope that something that I have written here might have piqued your interest in volunteering or, at least, obtaining a little more information. Here are some web addresses:


American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
American Radio Relay League: http://www.arrl.org/
Volunteers of America: http://www.voa.org/



Until next time . . .

1The Gray Ladies were Red Cross volunteers who provided personal services of a non-medical nature to patients in hospitals, other health care facilities, and private homes. This included writing letters, tutoring, reading, and shopping for their patients.

Source: American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/museum/history/grayladies.asp)

If it quacks like a duck, then . . .

Kathryn Johnston

CNN link to the story:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/16/georgia.botched.raid/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

. . . it must be a duck or so my grandparents used to tell me. Applying that logic, it would appear that the City of Atlanta is admitting guilt in the case of 92 year-old Kathryn Johnston who was shot to death during a botched drug raid on her home in November, 2006. In announcing the settlement, Mayor Kasim Reed said the settlement was "in no way an admission of guilt on the part of the city". Really?

Lets take a look back at that infamous November night. Officers from the department's Narcotics Unit had gone to Ms. Johnston's home to serve a "no knock" search warrant that was obtained on what was later determined to be falsified affidavits stating that drugs were present in the elderly woman's home. Fearing that her home was being broken into, Ms. Johnston fired one shot at the officers with an old pistol. That shot went through the front door of the woman's home and over the heads of the officers. The officers returned fire striking Ms. Johnston five times. According to testimony given in court the officers fired a combined total of 39 times which, even though the elderly woman had fired on them, was definitely over-reaction on the part of the officers.

Since the raid, Officers Jason Smith, Greg Junnier, and Arthur Tesler have been tried in court and found guilty of:

1. Conspiracy to violate civil rights resulting in death.
2. Voluntary manslaughter (Smith and Junnier only)
3. Making false statements (Smith and Junnier only)

Former officer Smith was sentenced to ten (10) years in federal prison; Junnier six (6) years and Tesler five (5) years. In addition, all three men were ordered to split the cost of Ms. Johnston's funeral ($8,180) and three years of supervised release after completing their jail sentences. My question is, if punitive damages were warranted, why didn't the judge impose them at the time of their sentencing rather than the City deciding to pay them?  As I said at the start, if it quacks like a duck. . .

Until next time . . .

It could have been worse . . .

By now, thanks to extensive television and newspaper coverage, I'm sure that most folks have heard about the near riot that occurred yesterday - Wednesday, August 11, 2010 - in East Point, Georgia when an effort to pass out applications for subsidized housing went awry. The problem, as I see it, occurred when the East Point Housing Authority (EPHA) was told to expect 10,000 people and instead had three times that many to get an application to get on the waiting list. The reason for such a large turn out? There were two reasons: 1) Since subsidized housing (more commonly known as Section 8 housing) is funded by federal money, it must be opened to anyone who wants to apply and not just to residents of the municipality where the application is being made available; and 2) The last time the EPHA had allowed potential residents to sign up was 2004. Combine these two factors, add temperatures in the upper eighties to near ninety degrees and you have the recipe for chaos.

The bright side of this potentially ugly incident was the response by the City of East Point. Not just Housing Authority Director Kim Lemish and her staff, but the police department and the fire department as well. All three agencies took steps to see that a potentially bad situation was diffused and that the people standing in line were able to get the application they had come for. By mid-afternoon yesterday the crowd began to disperse having received the prized application and, despite the ugly pictures and news video coming from the parking lot of the Tri-Cities Plaza Shopping Center, no arrest were made. And, despite rumors to the contrary, there were no deaths and only minor injuries -- the majority of those being heat-related.

GOOD JOB EAST POINT!

Until next time . . .

I've said it before . . .

. . . but it bears repeating -- I don't know how some people make it through the day without be attacked by the wood peckers! Case in point: police in Norwood, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati) have arrested a 44 year-old woman after she called 911 FOUR TIMES attempting to find a date! Then, just to add insult to injury, when police arrived to confront the woman about making the calls, she refused to come to the door. Later, after she did finally come out, she added another charge to the growing list when she urinated on a wall in the hallway outside of her apartment. To the best of my knowledge, she's still "cooling her heels" in the Norwood city jail.

Just to be fair, stupid people are just limited to north of the Mason-Dixon line. Over this past weekend, I went downtown on MARTA (Atlanta's bus and rail transit system) to return a book to the library and do some research. On the way up I observed a young mother and her - approximately - 18 month-old son sitting across from me on the bus. I'm sure that she meant well, but she paid no more attention to her little boy than the man in the moon. Actually she paid NO ATTENTION to him until he got worn out and made his way up into her lap and went to sleep. Otherwise, she was on the cell phone the entire time and could seem to care less what her son was doing or what he needed. Note to all parents: children are a gift from God and should be treated as such! (Stepping down off my soapbox now.)

Until next time . . .

Planes, Trains, and other assorted thoughts

I knew I'd been busy but . . .

. . . I didn't realize it had been almost two years since I'd posted a blog here on Blogspot. Guess I'd better make up for lost time and empty my head out a little! :)

First of all, sometimes I have to wonder how some folks make it through the day without being attacked by the wood peckers. Why I mean is their head has to be a block of wood because they show absolutely no indication of having a brain or, if they do, they've never used it! Consider this illustration. Earlier today, I was out running errands and came across a traffic sign (a big one that's normally suspended from an electrical wire) that had either blown down or fell and was laying on the sidewalk. Well, trying to be a good citizen, I propped the sign up where it was out of the way until the proper authorities could take care of it. Fast forward to when I got back home about 45 minutes later. The sign was still propped up just as I had left it so I called the Public Works department's Traffic Division - which handles traffic signs - and got their voice mail! Well . . .I hung up and called 911 thinking they could at least send a police officer to get the sign so it wouldn't be "borrowed". Would you believe the call taker didn't understand what I meant by an overhead traffic sign? After about five minutes (or so it seemed) trying to explain it to her, she finally agreed to send a unit out to check it. See what I mean about wood peckers?

On a more positive note, planes and trains, did you know that you get listen to them - or rather their operation - on the Internet? Thanks to a neat site called Radio Reference (Radio Reference.com) you can listen to railroad traffic. The same is true for aircraft radio traffic. It can also be found on Radio Reference or on this site this I found yesterday . . .Air Traffic Atlanta (Air Traffic Atlanta) where you can listen to anything from ground crew chatter to final approach.

In case you're wondering why I have this "sudden" interest in listening to two-way radio broadcast - other than the fire department - it's because back in February I became the "consummate geek" when I got my Amateur Radio operator's license in the Technician class. Now it's not unusual for me to have my Ham HT (handi-talkie) and my scanner going simultaneously . . . and, yes, I can follow both conversations!

 :)

Until next time . . .