Saturday, February 28, 2009
Cool-Thinking Trucker Avoids Fire Disaster
RIPON, CALIFORNIA, POLICE CHIEF RICHARD BULL is calling truck driver Randal Taylor, 49, of Salt Lake City, a hero after he cooly mitigated a potential fire disaster early Thursday morning.
Taylor was sleeping in the cab of his rig at the Flying J Truck Plaza when a fire broke out in his trailer. The load he was carrying included 908 pounds of sodium hydroxide and 612 pounds of an industrial-strength bleach, according to Chief Dennis Bitters of the Ripon Fire Department.
Instead of fleeing his truck that was parked with dozens of others in the layover lot, Taylor started driving it away with the intention of steering it to a safer location where the fire wouldn’t endanger the others. Just as he was pulling out of the lot, a Ripon police officer came along and the dash cam in his cruiser caught the activity.
Clik on Video from CNN
No Crosses on Federal Property?
No Crosses On Federal Property!
Did You see in the news last week where the supreme Court doesn't want any crosses on Federal Property?
Crosses On Federal Property?
Well duh.........
Let Them try and remove these.
What Are these people thinking?
At What point do we say, enough is Enough?
Some Messages just need to be forwarded and this is most certainly one of Them.
Supreme Court agrees to hear case involving cross on federal land
Monday, 23 February 2009 http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3868&Itemid=53
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could lead to the first major church-state decision under the panel’s current makeup.
The justices announced Feb. 23 they would hear Salazar v. Buono (No. 08-472). The case involves a cross -- a predecessor of which was first erected as a World War I memorial in 1934 -- standing on government-owned land in California’s Mojave National Preserve.
Supreme Court agrees to hear case involving cross on federal land
Associated Baptist Press - Feb 23, 2009 ... that a decision allowing removal of the cross would endanger other religious symbols on federal property, such as grave markers in national cemeteries. ...
Supreme Court to Consider Case of Cross Monument in Mohave Desert ChristianityToday.com
Supreme Court Should Strike Down Display of Cross on Federal Land ... Common Dreams (press release)
High court to weigh dispute over Mojave cross First Amendment Center
Los Angeles Times - Christian Post
all 231 news articles »
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Lets at least try and not make us look bad
Guess we need to train some more on overhaul, even in vacant dwellings?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Family members find Dallas man dead 5 days after fire near Fair Park
Dallas, Texas...By Blanca Cantu'...The Dallas Morning NewsA Dallas man was found dead by family members Wednesday morning in a charred vacant home that had been destroyed in a fire five days earlier.
The sister and nephew of Earnest Sirls, 46, found his body under a pile of debris, Sirls’ mother, Rose Davis Braggs, said.
The home, in the 2700 block of Cross Street near Fair Park, had burned in a one-alarm blaze at 1:30 a.m. Friday. Firefighters didn’t enter the vacant home before putting out the blaze and didn’t see his body during two sweeps of the house after the fire was extinguished, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Ernest Gurule said. “It was not treated as a rescue,” Gurule said. “What happened here is going to be thoroughly reviewed. We are going to make sure that everyone understands their role to minimize another occurrence. We express our deepest condolences to the family.”Sirls’ cause of death and the fire remain under investigation. Braggs filed a missing persons report with Dallas police when she didn’t hear from Sirls over the weekend. She said she went to the vacant home where he was known to go and asked people in the area if they had seen him. Braggs said her son had been released from a rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse a few months ago and had been staying at shelters temporarily. But he was in the process of changing his life, she said.“He was doing good,” she said. “He was going to church.” Now, Braggs is worrying about how she’ll pay for her son’s funeral.“I’m just hurt,” she said. “The fire department should have gone in there and looked.”
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
On the lighter side
Officer Winsor blocked two lanes of traffic for 30 minutes to protect a falcon that was feasting on a pigeon in the middle of the road. His reasoning was simple: “Anything that kills pigeons is good with me.”
He talked to KARE-TV in a video report about it HERE.
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Volunteer firefighter killed in firetruck wreck
One of them was killed. The other seriously injured.
Derrick Edward North died in the crash late Monday afternoon. Chad North was critically injured.
They were in this Stockton Volunteer Fire Department truck driving north on Highway 129. As they went through the intersection of Highway 84, the truck apparently swerved to avoid a car.
Investigators think the water in the tank shifted and caused to truck to roll twice. It came to rest against a utility pole.
We're told the North brothers were well-known and liked in the small community of Stockton.
http://www.walb.com/global/Category.asp?C=151146&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=15000&topVideoCatNoB=98800&topVideoCatNoC=65948&topVideoCatNoD=138451&topVideoCatNoE=157109&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=3479058
NIOSH release new reports
F2008-20
May 06, 2007
Volunteer fire fighter dies while performing exterior fire suppression at a large machine shed fire – Illinois http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200820.html
F2008-12
Apr 08, 2008
Volunteer deputy fire chief dies when struck by motorized water monitor that "launched" off aerial ladder truck – Pennsylvania http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200812.html
F2002-22 Revision
Sep 26, 2001
Fire fighter suffers fatal heart attack at fire at his residence – Florida http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200222.html
Projects included in Bill
Click on your state to see some of the projects included in this bill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Find projects by state or territory
Alaska (46 projects)
Alabama (318 projects)
Arkansas (199 projects)
Arizona (743 projects)
California (1971 projects)
Colorado (201 projects)
Connecticut (449 projects)
Washington, D.C. (8 projects)
Delaware (7 projects)
Florida (1752 projects)
Georgia (266 projects)
Hawaii (316 projects)
Iowa (51 projects)
Idaho (348 projects)
Illinois (1031 projects)
Indiana (713 projects)
Kansas (139 projects)
Kentucky (524 projects)
Louisiana (433 projects)
Massachusetts (266 projects)
Maryland (54 projects)
Maine (72 projects)
Michigan (782 projects)
Minnesota (335 projects)
Missouri (403 projects)
Mississippi (552 projects)
Montana (57 projects)
North Carolina (319 projects)
North Dakota (61 projects)
Nebraska (154 projects)
New Jersey (261 projects)
New Mexico (215 projects)
Nevada (163 projects)
New York (289 projects)
Ohio (847 projects)
Oklahoma (223 projects)
Oregon (159 projects)
Pennsylvania (352 projects)
Puerto Rico (340 projects)
Rhode Island (116 projects)
South Carolina (271 projects)
South Dakota (30 projects)
Tennessee (103 projects)
Texas (1240 projects)
Utah (298 projects)
Virginia (400 projects)
Vermont (61 projects)
Washington (368 projects)
Wisconsin (358 projects)
West Virginia (1 projects)
Wyoming (85 projects)
http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state
Replacing Michelle , Interesting
Of course, to be fair, one must realize that the U of C is perched right in the middle of the south side Chicago crime ridden ghetto and it goes overboard constantly trying to do things in and for the neighborhood so that both their students who live off campus (most of them) and the campus proper are somewhat safe. This "eliteism" of the U of C has long been around. Their President back in 1943 testified against the part of the GI Bill that would grant funds for the GIs to attend college as he said introducing large numbers of common people would destroy the Universities all over the nation." Mustn't mix the commoner with the elite you know!
Keep smiling, besides Senator Rolland Burris, Illinois has sent the Secy of Transportation LaHood to Washington who just proposed this week that car owners be taxed on miles driven to further entertain you. That makes little sense as it eliminates why anyone would buy a Prius or other hy-bred car. The long political arm of Mayor Daly has stretched to manipulate things in DC.
http://www.eagleforum.org/blog/2009/02/replacing-michelle.html
http://forums.grunt.com/forums/t/52181.aspx
http://dinahlord.typepad.com/dinah_lord/2009/02/replacing-michelle.html
At the top right hand corner of Page 17 of the New York Post of January 24th, 2009, was a short column entitled "Replacing Michelle" in the National Review "The Week" column.
I found this interesting, so here it is, word for word, as it appeared
'Some employees are simply irreplaceable. Take Michelle Obama: The University of Chicago Medical center hired her in 2002 to run "programs for community relations, neighborhood outreach, volunteer recruitment, staff diversity and minority contracting."In 2005 the hospital raised her salary from $120,000 to $317,000 - nearly twice what her husband made as a Senator.Oh did we mention that her husband had just become a US Senator?
He sure had. Requested a $1 Million earmark for the UC Medical Center, in fact.
Way to network Michelle!
But now that Mrs Obama has resigned, the hospital says her position will remain unfilled. How can that be, if the work she did was vital enough to be worth $317,000?
We can think of only one explanation: Senator Roland Burris's wife wasn't interested.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Good video on floor joists
The Dangers Of Truss Joists - Pre Engineered Floor Joists - VIDEO
Find more videos like this on firevideo.net
News from all over
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Police in Arizona say three people are dead after a crash involving an ambulance and two other vehicles. Police say witnesses told ...
National briefs: Ambulance accident kills 3 in Arizona Fort Worth Star Telegram
Accident involving ambulance kills 3 in Tucson FOX11AZ.com
Accident involving ambulance kills 3 in Tucson NewsWest9.com
Fire Marshal: Ross Township Fatal Fire 'Suspicious'MSNBC -
An intense house fire killed a man inside a Ross Township home on Monday morning. The fire broke out around 4 am in the basement of a home in the 100 block ...
Ross man dies in house fire Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Man dead in suspicious Pittsburgh-area house fire Lebanon Daily News
all 11 news articles »
7 School Buses Set On Fire In CoatesvilleMSNBC -
Someone set seven school buses on fire in the North Brandywine Middle School parking lot early Sunday morning, police said. Residents are wondering when the ...
Video: Police: Pa. Teen Confessed to Setting Arsons AssociatedPress
Buses Set Afire Near Arson-Hit City New York TimesNew arson fire rocks Coatesville area: 7 school buses damaged in blaze Delaware County Daily Times
Officials: Arsonist Lit Boston Church On Fire
Boston Channel.com, USA - 8 hours agoThe New Fellowship Baptist Church, at 616 Blue Hill Ave., sustained extensive damage when the fire tore through the building, which is located at the site ...
Boston church fire ruled arson NECN
Pastor: Church arson a 'complete surprise and shock' Boston Globe
Church fire ruled arson WHDH-TV
16 Life Safety Initiatives
1 Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety; incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility.
2 Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety throughout the fire service.
3 Focus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities.
4 All firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.
5 Develop and implement national standards for training, qualifications, and certification (including regular recertification) that are equally applicable to all firefighters based on the duties they are expected to perform.
6 Develop and implement national medical and physical fitness standards that are equally applicable to all firefighters, based on the duties they are expected to perform.
7 Create a national research agenda and data collection system that relates to the initiatives.
8 Utilize available technology wherever it can produce higher levels of health and safety.
9 Thoroughly investigate all firefighter fatalities, injuries, and near misses.
10 Grant programs should support the implementation of safe practices and/or mandate safe practices as an eligibility requirement.
11 National standards for emergency response policies and procedures should be developed and championed.
12 National protocols for response to violent incidents should be developed and championed.
13 Firefighters and their families must have access to counseling and psychological support.
14 Public education must receive more resources and be championed as a critical fire and life safety program.
15 Advocacy must be strengthened for the enforcement of codes and the installation of home fire sprinklers.
16 Safety must be a primary consideration in the design of apparatus and equipment.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Venus
February 26, 2009
The Moon is racing toward the planet Venus. Venus, the "evening star," stands well above the crescent Moon tonight. By tomorrow night, though, they will stand side by side.
February 27, 2009
The Moon slips past the planet Venus this evening. Venus is the brilliant "evening star." They are well up in the west as night falls, with Venus just to the right or lower right of the Moon. They set around 9 or 9:30 p.m.
http://stardate.org/nightsky/weekly.php
2-11 in Chicago, good video
This fire was reported at 4:51 Saturday morning. The vacant building is at 2716 West Jackson Street in Chicago. By 5:08 AM it had been elevated to a 2-11. No injuries were reported.
The video above and picture below are from Steve Redick. Steve reports two tower ladders, a snorkel and a ladder pipe were in operation.
Volunteer dies at fire scene
SILVER CITY — A volunteer firefighter died late Friday after battling grass fires in the area, officials confirmed Saturday afternoon. John Adams, 45, of Silver City parked a firetruck along Oklahoma 51 about 10 p.m. and then collapsed. He was pronounced dead at the scene, said Silver City Fire Chief Brutus Beall. "The fire was almost over and he started talking and just collapsed," Beall said. More than 600 acres were burned Friday after an arsonist set fires around the small city eight miles west of Mannford. Fire officials said most of the fires had been contained; however, a few hot spots remained Saturday.
Full story here http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090222_11_A15_SILVER43963&rss_lnk=1
Friday, February 20, 2009
Updated link for the W. Va. LODD
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Press Lease Vid.
Illinois Blacks Re-Examine Their Support For Burris
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100939353&ft=1&f=1014
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn urged Sen. Roland Burris to resign Friday and called for a special election to replace him.
While many African-Americans in Illinois have backed Burris, there are signs that some are rethinking their support.There are two things at play in the controversy over the Illinois Senate seat: race and integrity.
And Quinn's call for Burris to resign is sure to stir concern among many African-Americans.Chicago Sun-Timescolumnist Laura Washington, who often writes about politics, says many worry that if Burris resigns, his successor would not be African-American."I think there are many people who believe that this is all part of an attempt to make sure that the seat does not remain in black hands," she said. "Get Roland Burris out of the way, and then someone white will take it over."Since the 20th century, there have been four African-American U.S. senators. Three have been from Illinois: Carol Moseley Braun, Barack Obama and Burris, who is now the sole black senator. One of his staunchest supporters has been Rep. Bobby Rush, a former Black Panther and longtime congressman from Chicago's South Side."We need to have not just one African-American in the U.S. Senate," Rush said after Burris' appointment at the end of December. "We need to have many African-Americans in the U.S. Senate."Rush was the first to publicly call attention to the Senate's lack of diversity after Burris was appointed. Senate leaders initially blocked the seating of Burris because he was appointed by the state's former governor, Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of trying to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder.Hundreds of African-American ministers, activists and others gathered at a church rally last month to support seating Burris.He has offered different versions of how he received his appointment. On Friday, a large group of black ministers was to meet to consider what level of support they will offer Burris as the calls for him to resign mount.Even Rush is now a bit more cautious in his support."As a citizen, as a member of Congress, as a person who believes in Roland Burris, I do have some concerns," Rush said. "But I don't know. I don't know his side of the story."
Two West Virginia Firefighters Killed in Blaze
Hammons had been on the fire department for around 11 years, while Nicholas served for about a year. Both died while fighting a trailer fire on Route 20 in Craigsville Thursday night.
Investigators believe they might have died after the roof of the trailer collapsed.
UPDATE: Two Firefighters Killed in the Line of Duty, Names Released
Last Updated: 7:29 PM 02/20/09 - Two firefighters were killed Thursday night while fighting a fire in Nicholas County, West Virginia. WEB EXTRA: watch the complete 6pm news conference
NFPA releases new report on home structure fires
NFPA releases new report on home structure fires Fires strike where people live
February 17, 2009 – Three hundred ninety-nine thousand home fires were reported in the United States in 2007, according to the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s) recently released Home Structure Fires report. The category of homes includes one- and two-family dwellings and apartments.
On average, eight people die in home fires every day in the United States - a total of 2,865 deaths. Home fires accounted for 84 percent of all civilian fire deaths and resulted in 13,600 injuries. Direct property damage was estimated at $7.4 billion.
The report further breaks down causes and circumstances of home fires reported during the four year period of 2003-2006.
Fire truck roll over, here's the video
Click here to watch the story from KTXS-TV
Thursday, February 19, 2009
President Obama Signs Economic Stimulus Bill
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 | | February 19, 2009 | |
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President Obama Signs Economic Stimulus BillFunding Included for Fire Station Construction, Other Fire Service Priorities On Tuesday, February 17, President Obama signed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly referred to as economic stimulus legislation. Among the bill's initiatives is funding for a variety of fire service-related items, including $210 million for competitive grants for "modifying, upgrading, or constructing non-Federal fire stations." The maximum grant size is capped at $15 million and up to five percent of the appropriated funds may be used for grant administration. The stimulus bill also eliminates the local matching requirement under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants for funds appropriated in FY 2009 and FY 2010. Local governments had previously been required to match hiring grants at 10 percent in the first year of the grant, 20 percent in the second, 50 in the third, and 70 in the fourth. There has never been a matching requirement for SAFER grants for recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Both the fire station funding and the SAFER match elimination are part of a section in the bill dealing with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) State and Local Programs. Based on the area of the bill that the fire station funding is located in, it appears likely that this grant will be administered by the same office that administers the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), SAFER, and Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) grant programs. The stimulus bill includes several line items for wildland fire-related programs, including:
The NVFC will monitor the implementation of the economic stimulus legislation closely and provide you with updates as warranted by events. | | |
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Sorry this is late
Sure, the new stimulus package may seem hard to figure out. Uncle Jay will explain it all, just as soon as he figures it out.
In the news
Man Shot After Threatening Firefighters
Posted February 19, 2009
Texas - A man was fatally shot by a police officer Tuesday after he lunged at the officer and firefighters with a knife and fire ax, authorities said. The incident began after the Raymondville Volunteer Fire Department was called to a house fire in the 400 block of San Francisco Street, Robert Supulver, a firefighter, said."When I arrived on the scene, the firefighters were scattering," Supulver said. "The man had come out of the house with a knife and proceeded toward the fire truck. He grabbed an ax off the fire truck.""Nobody was in the house," Supulver said. "It was not his house, but he set it on fire."As the man wielded the two weapons and lunged toward the police officer, the officer fired to protect himself and firefighters, striking the man in the upper torso, Supulver said.Willacy County Emergency Medical Service Director Frank Torres said the wounded man was taken to Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen. A VBMC spokesman said the man, whose name has not been released by authorities, later died at the hospital.The contents of the house were destroyed, Supulver said. "It was pretty well gutted," he said.No one except the man with the weapons was injured during the incident, he said.Police Chief Uvaldo Zamora did not immediately return telephone calls.Willacy County Sheriff Larry Spence said the last name of the officer who fired is Betancourt.Written by Valley Morning Star
February 19, 2009
Marijuana Sales Reportedly Stable Despite Economy
I would imagine that our nation's economy is enough to drive marijuana sales sky high.
Here's part of an educational piece published in the Independent Florida Alligator, a newspaper run by college students but separate from the nearby university:
"While this marijuana wasn’t any more expensive than usual, one–eighth of an ounce for $60, he is just one of many who continue to blow smoke in the face of an ailing economy."Drug use is normally not affected by economics."
Continue reading "Marijuana Sales Reportedly Stable Despite Economy" »
Swiss Bank Will Open Files to U.S. Authorities http://crooksandliars.com/
Ah yes, the Swiss bank account. Truly, the end of an era. For decades, it was the banking tool of choice for those who were hiding income - for reasons as mundane as tax evasion, but also for more nefarious purposes, like money-laundering from illegal enterprises:
UBS, the largest bank in Switzerland, agreed on Wednesday to divulge the names of well-heeled Americans whom the authorities suspect of using offshore accounts at the bank to evade taxes. The bank admitted conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and agreed to pay $780 million to settle a sweeping federal investigation into its activities.
It is unclear how many of its clients’ names UBS will divulge. Federal prosecutors have been examining about 19,000 accounts at the bank, but UBS ultimately may disclose the identities of only a few hundred customers.
Brush Truck Overturns
Texas: truck overturns, 3 firefighters hurtfrom Wildfire Today by Bill Gabbert
History our young folks don't get
Profile In Incompetence: The Worst President In American History
Jimmy Carter became our 39th president at the young age of 52. He was a one-term governor from Plains, GA, where he managed the family peanut farm and taught Sunday school. He was also a graduate of the Naval Academy and served seven years in the Navy, leaving as a lieutenant.
He came to power in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the resignation of President Nixon. The public wanted change and someone new, and Carter was an ambitious, hands-on politician who promised better days. As good as his intentions were, however, the things he tried were not successful. In fact, he created far more serious problems than he ever solved.
The centerpiece of Carter's foreign policy was human rights, and he did achieve one noble success -a peace treaty between Egypt 's Anwar Sadat and Israel 's Menachem Begin.
Unfortunately, that later led to Sadat's assassination at the hands of Muslim radicals.
Many people felt Carter was a good man who worked hard and meant well. But he was naive and incompetent in handling the enormous burdens and complex challenges of being president.
He wrongly believed Americans had an 'inordinate fear of communism,' so he lifted travel bans to Cuba , North Vietnam and Cambodia and pardoned draft evaders. He also stopped B-1 bomber production and gave away our strategically located Panama Canal .
His most damaging miscalculation was the withdrawal of U.S. support for the Shah of Iran , a strong and longtime military ally. Carter objected to the Shah's alleged mistreatment of imprisoned Soviet spies who were working to overthrow Iran 's government. He thought the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini, being a religious man, would make a=2 0fairer leader.
Having lost U.S. support, the Shah was overthrown, the Ayatollah returned, Iran was declared an Islamic nation and Palestinian hit men were hired to eliminate opposition.
The Ayatollah then introduced the idea of suicide bombers to the Palestine Liberation Organization, paying $35,000 to PLO families whose young people were brainwashed to kill as many Israelis as possible by blowing themselves up in crowded shopping areas.
Next, the Ayatollah used Iran 's oil wealth to create, train and finance a new terrorist organization, Hezbollah, which later would attack Israel in 2006.
In November 1979, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other Iranians stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Not until six months into the ordeal did Carter attempt a rescue. But the mission, using just six Navy helicopters, was poorly executed. Three of the copters were disabled or lost in sandstorms. (Pilots weren't allowed to meet with weather forecasters because someone in authority worried about security.) Five airmen and three Marines lost their lives.
So, due to overconfidence, inexperience and poor judgment, Carter undermined and lost a strong ally, Iran , that today aggressively threatens the U.S. , Israel and the rest of the world with nuclear weapons.
But that's not all. After Carter met for the first time with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, the USSR promptly invaded Afghanistan . Carter, ever the naive appeaser, was shocked. 'I can't believe the Russians lied to me,' he said.
The invasion attracted a 23-year-old Saudi named Osama bin Laden to Afghanistan to recruit Muslim fighters and raise money for an anti-Soviet jihad. Part of that group eventually became al-Qaida, a terrorist organization that would declare war on America several times between 1996 and 1998 before attacking us on 9/11, killing more Americans than the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor .
On Carter's watch, the Soviet Union went on an unrestrained rampage in which it took over not only Afghanistan, but also Ethiopia, South Yemen, Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique, Grenada and Nicaragua.
In spite of this, Carter's last defense bud get proposed spending 45% below pre-Vietnam levels for fighter aircraft, 75% for ships, 83% for attack submarines and 90% for helicopters.
Years later, as a civilian, Carter negotiated a peace agreement with North Korea to keep that communist country from developing nuclear weapons. He also convinced President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to go along with it. But the signed piece of paper proved worthless. The North Koreans deceived Carter and instead used our money, incentives and technical equipment to build nuclear weapons and pose the threat we face today.
Thus did Carter unwittingly become our Neville Chamberlain, creating with his well-intended but inept, unrealistic and gullible actions the very conditions that led to the three most dangerous security threats we face today: Iran , al-Qaida and North Korea .
On the domestic side, Carter gave us inflation of 15%, the highest in 34 years; interest rates of 21%, the highest in 115 years; and a severe energy crisis with lines around the block at gas stations nationwide.
In 1977, Carter, along with a Democrat Congress, created a worthy project with noble intentions—the Community Reinvestment Act. Over strong industry objections, it mandated that all banks meet the credit needs of their entire communities.
In 1995, President Clinton imposed even stronger regulations and performance tests that coerced banks to substantially increase loans to low-income, poverty-area borrowers or face fines or possible restrictions on expansion. These revisions allowed for securitization of CRA loans containing subprime mortgages.
By 1997, good loans were bundled with poor ones and sold as prime packages to institutions here and abroad. That shifted risk from the loan originators, freeing banks to begin pyramiding and make more of these profitable subprime products.
Under two young, well-intended presidents, therefore, big-government plans and mandates played a significant role in the current subprime mortgage mess and its catastrophic consequences for the U.S. and international economies.
Hardest-hit by the mortgage foreclosures have been the citizens that Democrats always claim to help most—inner-city residents who fell victim to low or no down payment schemes, unexpected adjustable rates, deceptive loan applications and commission-hungry salespeople.
Now we're having to bail out at huge cost Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the very agencies that were supposed to stabilize the system. In time, this should improve the situation. But the party of Carter and Clinton that midwifed our mortgage mess now wants to be trusted to take over and have the government run our entire system of health care!
Don't forget his "incompetent" interventions in the elections of Nicaragua (Daniel Ortega), the elections of Venezuela (Hugo Chavez) and his "stupid" decisions with Cuba (Fidel Castro).
And everyone is blaming Bush for our current problems.
Full Series here:
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=264640488332348
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/Special3.aspx
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
STATter 911: Enforcing the "two hat" rules. How one New York IAFF local is handling ban on volunteering. A look at the City of Jamestown.
"To be consistent, the IAFF should also prohibit its members from part time work on their off days as painters, plumbers, truck drivers, carpenters and other skilled trades, since they are taking work/jobs away from other "brothers" in other unions. Additionally, members should only be using union labor for work and other services they may need (house painting, plumping, etc)."
In the far southwestern corner of New York State, the City of Jamestown has operated a career fire department for almost 100 years. Jamestown has four fire stations, with three engines and a ladder company.
IAFF Local 1772 represents the firefighters of Jamestown. The union is making news in Jamestown and surrounding Chautauqua County with its enforcement of IAFF's "two hat" rule. The Jamestown Professional Firefighters Association has set April 1 as the deadline for firefighters to choose between volunteering and being an IAFF member.
STATter 911: Enforcing the "two hat" rules. How one New York IAFF local is handling ban on volunteering. A look at the City of Jamestown.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Roland Burris clears everything up: Nothing to see here, move along | csmonitor.com
Remember that scene in Naked Gun where that guy runs his car into a gas tanker, miraculously survives only to hit an Army tank carrying a missile (which just happened to be in the area), surviving that fiery explosion only to plow into a fireworks stand causing yet another fiery explosion?
Trying to dismisses the crowd’s interest, Lt. Frank Dreben says, “Move along. Nothing to see here. Please disperse. Nothing to see here.”
Some cynics might say this sounds a little like U.S. Senator Roland Burris.
Posted using ShareThis
Was Burris the right man for the job?
FOXNewsBurris on Monday tries to save himself with another statement.
Chicago Sun-Times - 30 minutes agoBy Lynn Sweet on February 16, 2009 10:32 AM Permalink Comments (0) WASHINGTON--Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) trying to save his sinking Senate career, delivered a brief statement Monday morning where he argued he answered questions about the contacts ...Video: Ill. Republican Calls for Burris to Resign AssociatedPress
USFA Releases Provisional 2008 Firefighter Fatality Statistics
EMMITSBURG, MD. - The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today there were 114 on-duty firefighter fatalities in the United States as a result of incidents that occurred in 2008. During this period, there were firefighters lost from 34 states and one from the Virgin Islands. North Carolina experienced the highest number of fatalities (11), while Oregon (9), Pennsylvania (9), California ( 8), New York (7), Illinois (6), Missouri (6), and Ohio (6) each suffered more than 5 on-duty losses.
"The tragic losses of on-duty firefighters in 2008 are a reminder of the necessary commitment and efforts by firefighters in all fire departments across the United States to focus on and improve our operational safety," United States Fire Administrator Greg Cade said. "We understand all too well that many of these losses are preventable. The USFA remains dedicated to continuing our efforts to ensure 2009 is a year where we reduce these losses so that firefighters can return home safely to their families and continue serving their communities."
As the USFA continues to collect and evaluate information regarding the 2008 on-duty firefighter deaths, here are some of the early known facts:
Preliminary estimates indicate that heart attacks and strokes were responsible for the deaths of 50 firefighters (43.8%) in 2008. This shows a decrease from 54 of the 118 (45.7%) firefighters in 2007.
In 2008, 26 on-duty firefighters died in association with wildland fires.
This loss is more than double the 11 wildland firefighter fatalities in 2007.
The 2008 toll is also above the annual average of 21 wildland fire-associated fatalities over the past 10 years, 1999-2008.
For 2008, 64.9% of all firefighter fatalities occurred while performing emergency duties.
Twenty-nine firefighters died in 2008 as the result of vehicle crashes.
Fourteen of these deaths involved aircraft crashes.
Fifteen firefighters died in motor vehicle crashes.
Six firefighters were killed in crashes involving their personal vehicles and three died in water tender (tanker) crashes. These two vehicle types have historically been most often involved in crashes that take the lives of firefighters.
Speed and a lack of seat belt use historically contribute to these incidents.
These fatality statistics for 2008 are provisional and subject to change as the USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify the names of firefighters reported to have died on-duty during 2008. The final number of firefighter fatalities will be reported in USFA's annual firefighter fatality report and is expected to be available by early July.
For additional information on firefighter fatalities, including the annual fatality reports from 1986 through 2007 and the Firefighter Fatality Retrospective Study 1990-2000, please visit the USFA website.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Ohio Aerial Rollover
A SHAWNEE TWP., OHIO, QUINT rolled over “more than once” following a collision with a pickup truck Friday afternoon.The quint/tower was occupied only with a driver, Firefighter Dick Oder, 48, who has been in the FD for 24 years. He was bringing it back from a maintenance shop in a neighboring town when the pickup drove through a stop sign and into the side of the truck. The resulting crash sent both vehicles out of control with the aerial running onto a soft field where it flipped end-over-end one time and then went into a roll.
The pickup careened across the roadway rolling at least a half-dozen times. Both drivers were airlifted to hospital in Toledo where they are each in “serious but not life-threatening” condition. The aerial truck is a total loss.
Shawneed Township is near Lima.
WTVG-TV Toledo has the STORY.
From Statter 911
Video of the day: In the middle of the death and destruction from Australia's wildfires, Firefighter David Tree pauses a moment to help one of the non-human victims. Click here to read more about the saving of the koala. For the rest of the news from Australia, with few happy endings, click here.
Reunited after 40 years
This was on several Blogs, put it hear again to make sure you saw it. Really heart warming.
The firefighter crawled on his stomach through the pitch-black apartment, the smoke so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. Somewhere inside was a baby and he had to find her. A window broke, light filled the room, and he saw her lying in her crib, dressed only in a diaper, unconscious. Soot covered her tiny nose. She wasn't breathing and had no pulse.
He grabbed her and breathed life into her as he ran from the apartment.
Click here to read more about William Carroll and Evangeline Harper.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Farm Accident
var headline = "Two killed in farm accident in Wadena County";
http://www.brainerddispatch.com/ystories/021309/new_20090213031.shtml
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Commuter Plane Crashes
An emergency director says there have been "multiple fatalities" after a Continental Express plane with 48 people aboard crashed into a suburban Buffalo home and erupted in flames.
Authorities say Flight 3407 from Newark, N.J., hit a house in Clarence around 10:10 p.m. Thursday.
Clarence emergency control director Dave Bissonet says the crash killed one person on the ground and an unknown number of people on the
Johns Hopkins University offers free software tool for large-scale
Called EMCAPS, for Electronic Mass Casualty Assessment & Planning Scenarios,the software program is believed to be the first that generates theanticipated outcomes of disaster-planning scenarios developed by theDepartment of Homeland Security.The program can be downloaded from the CEPAR Web site,http://www.hopkins-cepar.org/EMCAPS/EMCAPS.html