The Fire Critic reviewed a new docu-drama produced by BET.  First two episodes are posted with the review, HERE.

From the BET webpage:

Though Compton has a population of only about 100,000 people, there are a reported 75 active gangs operating within the area, making it a unique environment for the city’s emergency teams. With one of the highest crime rates in the country, gunshot wounds, gang-related violence, and mangled cars are just another day on the job for these highly trained professionals. Day after day, all the drama is caught on tape as the Compton Fire Department team – an ambulance operator, multiple firefighters, an intern and Marcel Melanson, one of the youngest Battalion Chiefs in the country – fights battles both at home and on the job.

Loved the 32 year old battalion chief’s personal ride. 1959 Cadillac low-rider, white with purple flames.

A ten episode mini-series, more information HERE.

WHEN IT COMES TO STARTING UP A CHARCOAL GRILL, there are scores of tricks and home remedies to get the blasted thing going.  But now, help is here with a sure-fire method to:

Get Your Charcoal Grill Started in 30 Seconds:

THE NEWARK BEARS BASEBALL TEAM IS HOSTING FIREFIGHTER APPRECIATION NIGHT on Wednesday, August 12.

Along with the festivities, they are offering 2-for-1 tickets for firefighters, their friends and families.  Included will be performances by Newark Bears Idol second-round auditions, and it’s DOLLAR DOG WEDNESDAY as well.  All hot dogs only a dollar.

To purchase tickets visit Ticketmaster or call 1-888-852-3277 and use promotional code FIRE09 when purchasing.

Get a bunch together and tell them Firegeezer sent you.  The game starts at 7:05.

AFTER ABOUT A YEAR’S HIATUS, THE FX NETWORK’s fire department TV drama returns on Tuesday evening.

The series has proven to be a hit with the general public and an almost cult-like following in the fire and rescue world.  Along with great casting, it’s writing combines excitement along with a soap-opera  undercurrent that keeps ‘em coming back for more.

After the 4th season was broadcast in 2007, production was just getting underway for the 5th season when the movie industry’s creative writers began a lengthy strike that upset the production schedules of all the networks.  At FXN the decision was made to scrub the 2008 season (although they filled the time slots with so-called “specials” for ten weeks) and combine the completed episodes with the 2009 season which begins on the 7th and will run 22 episodes.  They promise that next year they will have another 18 episodes for the 6th season.

For all you fans out there, Firefighter Nation has started a discussion thread to carry you through these next two days until it gets rolling.  You can join in (or lurk, if you choose) the discussion group HERE.

The AP ran this “behind the scenes” report on the upcoming season:

THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL WILL BE SHOWING a special report tonight (Sunday) about a unique dinosaur fossil.  “Secrets of the Dinosaur Mummy” will air at 9 pm Eastern.  It will be repeated at 1 am and then shown again on Monday evening.

Kathy Blumenstock of the Washington Post writes about the unusual find and the program:

The program chronicles the story of the first dinosaur mummy unearthed with an intact digestive tract: the fossilized Brachylophosaurus was a duck-billed, four-legged plant-eater.

Scientists estimate the male, 20-foot-long juvenile dinosaur was only 3 or 4 years old. He was discovered by amateur paleontologists near Malta, Mont., in July 2000.

The dinosaur could not be excavated from the dig site until a year later, after more than 18 feet of canyon wall was bulldozed or blasted away. Twenty diggers spent more than nine weeks just removing the cliff face above the fossil, whose body was covered 90 percent by skin. 

The massive find both excited and puzzled scientists. The dinosaur’s identifiable stomach contents are a rarity, because the preservation of plant matter demands specific conditions.

After its death, this dinosaur rested on a sandbar, and the wet sand covered and protected his body from scavengers. Centuries later, the creature, which originally weighed about a ton, had transformed, along with its sandy resting place, into more than six tons of solid rock and fossil. 

The program follows the excavation and examination of the fossil and, using computer-generated animation, shows what has been learned so far about the creature’s life habits.

Read Kathy Blumenstock’s complete review of the show HERE.

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National Geographic image

The Discovery Channel further explains: 

From high-tech testing of Leonardo’s remains, scientists have positively identified what a plant-eating dinosaur ate — something that has never been done before. Leonardo’s last meal consisted largely of leaves, which included ferns, magnolias and conifers. Additional analysis has confirmed at least 40 different types of prehistoric plant pollen preserved in his stomach. Since most dinosaurs were herbivores, this find is an incredibly important step in learning more about the creatures’ lives on the planet. 

Read Discovery’s write-up HERE.

Warm summer evenings
And the fishin’ is great.
But who goes out
Without any bait?

These good ol’ boys
From down on the bayou
Will be more than happy
To sail off and show you.

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HOW LONG UNTIL SOMEBODY RUNS ONE OF THESE CALLS?

A FEW YEARS AGO BRIAN BRUSHWOOD WAS LIVING IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, and working at the Dell Computer complex.  But he decided that he wanted to follow his dream, so he quit his job and became a …… fire eater.

Now he travels around the country performing and earning even more than he was at Dell.  But not necessarily eating better.

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Recently he stopped by an Austin firehouse and showed the fire lads how he gets up close to the flames.  He even got one of the firefighters to do the “jack-o-lantern” stunt.

TV station KVUE caught it all and filed this video report:

LARRY HARMON, WHO PORTRAYED ONE OF THE GREAT ICONS of the entertainment industry, Bozo The Clown, died yesterday (July 3) at age 83 of congestive heart failure.

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International Clown Hall of Fame photo

While he was not the orignator, nor the original Bozo, it was Harmon who bought the property rights to Bozo and made him an istitution.

The AP writes in their obituary:

Pinto Colvig, who provided the voice for Walt Disney’s Goofy, was the first Bozo the Clown, a character created by writer-producer Alan W. Livingston for a series of children’s records in 1946. Livingston said he came up with the name Bozo after polling several people at Capitol Records.

Harmon would later meet his alter ego while answering a casting call to make personal appearances as a clown to promote the records.

He got that job and eventually bought the rights to Bozo. Along the way, he embellished Bozo’s distinctive look: the orange-tufted hair, the bulbous nose, the outlandish red, white and blue costume.

He also trained over 200 others to play the role and licensed the character to TV stations nationwide.  The licensing and merchandising fees earned him million$.

You can read the full obituary HERE.

The Associated Press filed this video report:

SEAN “WICKED FINGERS” SEARS OF CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS, IS $50,000 RICHER this week after walking away the winner in Las Vegas Sunday.

He was there for the National Finals of the USA Rock Paper Scissors League Championship.  Covering the competition, he snipped away his opponents over the weekend and finished up as the winner after crushing Julie “Bulldog” Crossley’s scissors in the final showdown.  Crossley, of Canton, Ohio, won $5,000 for 2nd place along with the honor of being the first female to ever make it into the Final Four.

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Sean’s rock breaks Julie’s scissors in the
final showdown for the championship.
(photo provided by even sponsor Anheuser Busch)

Sears, 23, is a systems analyst for an insurance company and had systematically put away 300 RPS players as he worked his way through the regional tournaments on his way to the top.  When asked what his strategy for winning is, he says,  “It takes a little bit of luck , but it also takes being able to read your opponent, trying to determine if they have a pattern and guessing what they are going to do ahead of time, catching them off guard a little bit too.”

Next stop:  Beijing, China for the International World’s Championship that will be held concurrently with the Summer Olympics.

The AP filed this video report from Las Vegas:

To read the official rules of the game, click HERE.

LEGENDARY SPORTS BROADCASTER JIM McKAY died at his Monkton, Maryland, home this morning following a lenthy illness.

The famed broadcaster who won 13 EMMY awards was the “voice of the Olympics” for many years and became renowned when he provided the live coverage during the 1972 Olympic games as a band of barbarians seized and then murdered a group of Israeli athletes.

Overall he covered 12 Olympic games telecasts and was with “ABC’s Wide World of Sports” from its inception in 1961 until 1986, bringing millions of Americans “The thrill of victory …. the agony of defeat.”

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Jim McKay in 1980  (ABC Sports photo)

ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said in a statement:

“There are no superlatives that can adequately honor Jim McKay. He meant so much to so many people. He was a founding father of sports television, one of the most respected commentators in the history of broadcasting and journalism.

“For more than 60 years he brought sports into the homes of Americans on Wide World of Sports, the Olympics and many other programs that captured the essence of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

“Jim was the ultimate colleague, having helped generations of people who have now taken his mantle. He was also a warm and devoted family man. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Margaret, Sean and Mary for their loss. And I know that countless people, around the world, have been touched by this great man. We will miss him.” 

McKay’s real name is James Kenneth McManus and he is the father of Sean McManus who is president of CBS News and Sports.

The New York Times has an obituary column HERE.
ESPN has MORE.

1960’s Wide World of Sports Intro.:

FossilMedic’s viewing suggestion for tonight: 

KENTLAND 33 ON INTERNET TV!

theBattalion is an internet TV series that produces 20 minute episodes every Sunday. http://www.thebattalion.tv/

Each episode provides a “day in the life” firefighter perspective. They started with San Francisco and then went to the District of Columbia. Tonight’s episode starts a new series from the heart of two-hatter land … from a note on their website:

Dear Battalion Viewers,

If you don’t know about the Kentland Fire Company, go to www.kentland33.com and check these guys out.

This Sunday at 7:00 PST we will introduce some of the firefighters from this community; I was on more runs there in ten or so days than in three weeks in San Francisco; these guys work really hard and know what they are doing and it beat me up just filming them.

I understand that they are one of the busiest 100% volunteer fire company’s in the world.

When I was there a firefighter from Denmark arrived and spent two weeks doing a ride along and it was his first time to the USA and that is the only place he went to…you’ll see him later in the Kentland Series.

About twenty-five of these guys live there 24/7-365, they really love what they do; check it out. 

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HAVE PITY FOR POOR JOHN ODOM.  A struggling minor-league baseball player, Odom was recently traded from the Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League in Canada to the Laredo (Texas) Broncos in the Class A United League.

In exchange for this budding young pitcher, Calgary received 10 baseball bats, worth approx. $655 for the lot.  Odom might have to look around and see if he’s taken seriously as a player after this.

But as you might expect, there’s more to the story.  The 26-yr.-old right-hander was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants organization 5 yrs. ago, but after failing to develop as much as they’d hoped, he was released this spring.  Odom was able to sign a contract with Calgary recently and started driving up to Canada.

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John Odom in Oregon in 2006 (AP)

 Unfortunately, he was stopped at the border because his passport scan kicked out a conviction he got in Atlanta 9 years ago for a fight that he’d gotten into.  Stuck in Montana and unable to report for work, the Vipers worked out a trade with Laredo where they would send Odom down there in exchange for a hitter.

Laredo’s player said “No way,” when it comes to moving up to the land of 10-month winters.  So there was a stalemate.  It was finally settled when Laredo found out that Calgary wanted some realllllly good bats.  And the deal was made:  10 Prairie Sticks Maple Bats, double-dipped black, 34-inch, C243 style for a career minor-leaguer who can pitch pretty well.

Odom looks at it philosophically, though.  “I don’t really care,” he said Friday. “It’ll make a better story if I make it to the big leagues.”

The Associated Press has the STORY.

WHO SAYS…….

…….. that women can’t parallel park?

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THE SECOND ROUND OF THE ELIMINATION TOURAMENT FOR THE STANLEY CUP begins tonight after some gripping first-round series’. 

Usually the first round brings one big surprising upset with it, but this year that didn’t exactly happen.  There were two series where the winner was the clear underdog, but I don’t think they qualify for “upset” status.  One of them was the Colorado – Minnesota contest.  I would have bet that Minnesota would take it with a bit of work.  But the Avs edged them out in 6 games.  If memory serves me right, 5 of the games were decided with 3-2 scores.

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Colorado center Ryan Smyth gets puck past
three Minnesota players to score in Game 6 (Reuters)

The other mild surprise was Dallas knocking off the defending champions, the Anaheim Ducks.  Elsewhere, we had two terrific series with Montreal taking out Boston in seven games and the Philadelphia Flyers squeaking by the Cinderella team for this year, the Washington Capitals in seven games.  Two of the games went into overtime and Philly won them both.  They were the better team in that series.

I thought Detroit would take out Nashville more easily than it turned out, but still they won, along with Pittsburgh, San Jose and a great showing by the NY Rangers as they set New Jersey back in a hard-fought round.

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Rangers center Chris Drury scores on
Martin Brodeur in Game 4 (Reuters)

With each round, the play gets more intense and the skills of all the players are shown at their highest.  Detroit takes on Colorado.  I’ll pick Detroit Red Wings for this one.

Rangers vs. Pittsburgh, gotta go with the Rangers this time around.  They’re peaking in performance while the Penguins had to sit around and cool off after sweeping Ottawa in four.

I’m going to pick San Jose over Dallas by a half-point.  It’ll be a close match, but I have the feeling that one of the teams will collapse.  Just don’t know which one.  Pittsburgh and Montreal will be sloppy and a toss-up.  I won’t try to pick a winner in that one.

Schedule some tube time to watch as many of these as you can because there will be some good action.

Click to play the
Round 1 highlights video
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Practice on this now so that you will be ready for the Fire Prevention Week Open House.

It’s the Fireball Shooter!

  Make a Fireball Shooter! – video powered by Metacafe

Back again….

This week’s Top Ten Hits from
the National Hockey League

click to play the video
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HERE THEY ARE:

This week’s Top Ten Hits
from the National Hockey League

Click to play the video
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Here they are……

This week’s Top-10 Hits from the National Hockey League

Click to play the video
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THE TRADE DEADLINE FOR THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE was last Tuesday.  Now all the teams’ rosters are set for the remainder of the season and they will be pursuing the playoff slots vigorously.

It will be especially intense this year because most of the teams are bunched  within a few points of each other there are only about 15 to 17 games left to play.

In both conferences there are at least six teams in contention for the final playoff spot.  There will be plenty of good action during the next six weeks.

As a public service, Firegeezer brings you the National Hockey League’s Top-10 Hits for the week ending February 28:

Click to play the Top-10 Hits video
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THERE AREN’T MANY THINGS WORSE THAN CATCHING THE LATE DESK WATCH.  It’s dark outside and you can’t see out the front window.  You’re too far from the tv to watch whatever the rest of the guys are enjoying.  And it’s so darned quiet!

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Be alone no more!  Firegeezer will help you through the night.  Just click on THIS LINK and then follow the little blue ball.  Time will just sail on by.  And enjoy the catchy tune, too!

FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE FANS of the hilarious television show Monk, we want to remind you that the famous “Defective Detective” returns to USA Network tonight for the next 8-episode set.

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I LOVE A GOOD, HARMLESS PRACTICAL JOKE.  Especially one that everybody enjoys watching and nobody suffers from it.  That’s why I wanted to share this one with you.  Actually, it took place in April of last year, but I just now saw it online.

A group of 80 people dressed in the same clothing style that the employees of Best Buy electronics stores wear.  Then they all went into a large Best Buy store in Manhattan and just walked around the store.

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They photographed and video’d the event and it’s hilarious.

Here’s one sample from the report:

I was lingering near the audio equipment at one point when a middle-aged couple asked me if I knew the price of some speakers. I looked for a price tag and then read $99.99 labeled on the shelf by the product. I said “$99.99?” Unsure. And they pointed out, “No. That is the price of the wireless speakers”. “Oh”, I said “Maybe it’s been labeled wrong.” The man said, “Well, do you work here?” I said, “No,” but I thought they looked like good speakers. They looked puzzled.

Just then an actual Best Buy floor clerk approached me:

Employee: “You can’t talk to my customers”.
Simmons: “I’m just having a friendly conversation with these people”
Employee: “But you don’t work here.”
Simmons: “It’s a free country I feel I can speak with anybody I choose.”
Employee: “You’re playing some games.”
Simmons: “I’m just here to shop with my wife.”
Employee: “Yeah, you and your 50 friends?”
Simmons: “I don’t know anybody else here.”
Employee: “Yeah, you’re instigating (sic) our shirts.”

Yes, he said INSTIGATING.

I told him, “I’m only wearing what I wore this morning,” and walked away.

A little while later, an older woman with a handful of products walked past me at one point muttering to herself, “Everyone in this goddamned store is wearing a blue shirt and nobody knows a thing!”

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Go to the website HERE and read how they did it, look at the photos, and keep scrolling.  They have several videos posted from the adventure.    But be sure and watch the first one.  It’s precious.  And don’t be afraid to chuckle.