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Some Sunday Morning Silliness

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Introducing KA-BOOM Ball !
Some Sunday Morning Silliness ©

MY SON RECENTLY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TWO TEAMS facing each other in the upcoming Superbowl, saying that the last time these two played, the ratings were near record lows for the Superbowl.

In other sporting events, things have gotten so bad, that promoters have even tried near-nudity to bring the fans into their taxpayer provided stadiums and arenas. The Lingerie Football League is steadily growing in attendance thanks to us pervs, but other sports have begun to wane in attendance. 

Lingerie Football League photo

Well I think I can fix that with just a little bit more work. Let's face reality. Many people watch stock car racing not for the race…but for the CRASHES!

It's a fact of human nature that we are inexplicably drawn to images of death and disaster. That's why so many TV shows now feature disaster footage and themes. They know you will watch. News shows lead off with the latest video just in from some God-forsaken place that just got hit by earthquake, volcanic eruptions or tornado….Why? Because you watch!  YouTube videos that feature explosions, stupid people and car crashes are among the top draws there.  Why? Because you watch!  So let's take advantage of that urge.

I propose that the powers-that-be in each of the respective professional sports replace the ball, puck or object used in the game with one that will at some point in the game….explode. Nothing huge, just enough to get your attention…and remove nearby body parts of the slow or unlucky.

The explosion has to be totally random so that there is an even chance that it will explode while no one is around it, or go off while the highest paid player is holding it.

This will accomplish several things:

* People will tune in to see if someone gets killed or maimed this week.* It will help thin out the herd of pampered, spoiled and waaaaaaay overpaid players, making way for the new and upcoming players with potential and motivation.

* We the fans will get to see just who really wants to play and who is just there for the pay check.

* It will be a financial shot in the arm for prosthetics manufacturers, physical therapy specialists, funeral homes and collectible sports cards makers, who will be busy constantly issuing new cards for all the new players and memorial cards for those who were slow on the draw.

* It will generate lots of new jobs and immediately start a whole new industry making exploding sports equipment!

As technology progresses, we could eventually eliminate the yellow penalty flag used in football with player-worn taser belts. Next time a linesman goes off sides, we all get to see the real punishment, not just some lame 10 yard penalty. BZZZZZZZZZZZZ YAH!!!!!!!

I can imagine the play-by-play now…..Jones throws a long bomb ….Richards is in the clear near the 5-yard line….OH NO! Richards and 2 of the CowboyS defenders have disappeared in a KA-BOOM penalty detonation!

You see? I have answers to all of the world's problems but no one asks me!

Reprinted from the Gnome Handler Steve Marshall's e-newspaper Meadville Live.

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Posted by on January 29, 2012 • Filed under: culture, fun • Tagged:

Do You Really Come Out in China?

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A Bit of Mid-day Fun

IF YOU NEED A PAUSE FOR SOME light entertainment, try out this  "through the earth" map program.  It shows you exactly where you would come out if you bored directly through the center of the earth to the other side of the globe.

The directions are listed on the page, but basically you will see a cross-hairs in the center of each of the two maps.  You use standard map-scrolling maneuvers around either one of the maps until the cross-hair is directly over your chosen spot.  The other map then shows where you would come out.

You can use the zoom-in, zoom-out tools to fine-tune your selection.  Just click on the Map Tunneling Tool HERE and have some fun.

p.s.:  I hope you like salt water.

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Posted by on January 17, 2012 • Filed under: fun • Tagged:

3 Days Left to Play the eBook Contest

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Enter the Contest and Start Your eBook Reading Now

Only Three Days Left to Enter

TO HELP INTRODUCE YOU TO the world of eBooks,  Dave Diamantes, author of top-selling eBook Dead Pen Pals has created this simple exercise combined with a contest for your enjoyment and enlightenment.

One of the unique features of eBook purchasing is the ability to download the first chapter of the book for free so you can "browse" and decide if you want to buy it or not.  Our contest is based on this feature and you begin playing by first going to the book's webpage:  www.deadpenpals.com

After you enter the site, move your cursor to the upper left corner of the page and click on "DEAD PEN PALS Chapter One"

That will bring you a .pdf  file containing Chapter One (my download was 5 pages, but the file contracted the spaces between paragraphs.  Don't worry, the actual eBook is formatted properly).  Read Chapter One and then…..

Answer the following questions:

  1. What is the name of Duncan Weller's company?
  2. What is Beverly Hartley's claim to fame?
  3. What is Neil Hartley's cyber-girlfriend's name?

Enter your answers in an email addressed to us:  geezerguys(at)yahoo(dot)com.  Put CONTEST in the Subject line and send it to us by midnight Saturday January 14.

We will draw three names from all the correct entries and those three winners will receive a free copy of Dead Pen Pals.  It will play on all the major brand e-readers, not just Kindle.  If you do not have an e-reader yet, then Dave will send you a paperback version of the book, so everybody has a chance to win!  If you don't want to wait that long for a copy, you can go ahead and order one off the website we linked above.

Ok..get started and Good Luck!

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Kindle Prices Begin at $79

CLICK HERE to compare all models and order.

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Posted by on January 11, 2012 • Filed under: fun, technology, Technology & Communications • Tagged: , , , ,

Play the eBook Contest

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Start Your eBook Reading Now

TO HELP INTRODUCE YOU TO the world of eBooks,  Dave Diamantes, author of top-selling eBook Dead Pen Pals has created this simple exercise combined with a contest for your enjoyment and enlightenment.

One of the unique features of eBook purchasing is the ability to download the first chapter of the book for free so you can "browse" and decide if you want to buy it or not.  Our contest is based on this feature and you begin playing by first going to the book's webpage:  www.deadpenpals.com

After you enter the site, move your cursor to the upper left corner of the page and click on "DEAD PEN PALS Chapter One"

That will bring you a .pdf  file containing Chapter One (my download was 5 pages, but the file contracted the spaces between paragraphs.  Don't worry, the actual eBook is formatted properly).  Read Chapter One and then…..

Answer the following questions:

  1. What is the name of Duncan Weller's company?
  2. What is Beverly Hartley's claim to fame?
  3. What is Neil Hartley's cyber-girlfriend's name?

Enter your answers in an email addressed to us:  geezerguys(at)yahoo(dot)com.  Put CONTEST in the Subject line and send it to us by midnight Saturday January 14.

We will draw three names from all the correct entries and those three winners will receive a free copy of Dead Pen Pals.  It will play on all the major brand e-readers, not just Kindle.  If you do not have an e-reader yet, then Dave will send you a paperback version of the book, so everybody has a chance to win!  If you don't want to wait that long for a copy, you can go ahead and order one off the website we linked above.

Ok..get started and Good Luck!

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Kindle Prices Begin at $79

CLICK HERE to compare all models and order.

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Posted by on January 9, 2012 • Filed under: fun, technology, Technology & Communications • Tagged: , , , ,

Join the Hero Rush

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A Participatory Event for Firefighters AND Spectators

THE NEW EVENT HERO RUSH is making its official debut this year.  A press release from the organization explains it all:

Hero Rush, the dynamic new firefighter-themed obstacle race and experience, has opened registration for 12 U.S. events, the company announced today. Designed for mainstream consumers by lifelong firefighters, Hero Rush will challenge participants from all walks of life to experience what firefighters face every day.

"Runners will tackle a 5K+ course studded with 15-17 obstacles that simulate real emergencies," said co-founder Dave J. Iannone. "They’ll crawl through a smoke-filled maze, scale steep roofs, drag a massive fire hose to the blaze, climb ladders and bust through windows to find victims trapped inside – and a few surprises, too."

Events are currently scheduled for Maryland, Minnesota, Michigan, North Texas, Los Angeles, Oregon, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Central Florida and Central Texas.

Obstacle races are one of the fastest growing segments of the running industry, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, with thousands of participants expected at each Hero Rush.

"These events have become very popular over the last two years," said co-founder Christopher Hebert. "They’re perfect for everyone, from experienced runners looking for a new challenge, to teenagers and college students, to people of all ages who just want to get out and get active."

All events will feature an Inferno Midway where both runners and spectators can practice their firefighter skills on stand-alone obstacles and challenges. Local fire departments will give demonstrations and put a fun spin on fire safety education. This family-friendly festival area will also include two kid’s courses, food and drinks, apparel and merchandise tents, music and entertainment.

Hero Rush will give back to the firefighting community through national and local fire-related charities. As the designated national charity, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation will receive a $20 donation for each runner who chooses to run in the "343 Wave" honoring the firefighters killed in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

Hero Rush will also identify a local fire-related charity in each city to receive the proceeds from the Kid’s Firefighter Adventure Course.

Details and registration are available at www.herorush.com.

Hero Rush is currently seeking local fire departments, charities and sponsors to get involved – for more information visit www.herorush.com or email resonders@herorush.com.

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Posted by on January 8, 2012 • Filed under: fun, News, public relations • Tagged:

HGTV Returns to the Rose Parade This Year

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The Only Way to Watch the Tournament of Roses Parade

CABLE TELECASTER HGTV WILL BE BROADCASTING the Tournament of Roses Parade from Pasadena, California, again this year.  Regular Firegeezer readers know that the HGTV broadcast has NO commercials or incessant chatter about upcoming shows in the future.  Their expert commentators talk about the parade instead of themselves and you are able to see every float, every marching band, and every equestrian unit in the parade.

In years past, Firegeezer had given up trying to watch the parade on network tv becuase they spent most of their time talking to each other between hundreds of commercials and the viewers never get to see much of the parade at all.  But thanks to HGTV cable channel we can now truly enjoy the parade.

This year, since New Year's Day is on a Sunday, the Tournament of Roses will be held on Monday, January 2.  The parade begins at 8 am Pacific, 11 am Eastern.

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Posted by on December 31, 2011 • Filed under: culture, fun, News • Tagged: , ,

Morning Lineup – December 30

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Friday Morning – Another Long Weekend Begins

Here we are nearing the end of another year…and on a weekend, too.  Add the two together and you get a lot of jocularity as people have fun running away from the year just finishing up.  And that includes firefighters.

It seems like firehouse hijinks go on everywhere, no matter the area or culture.  Our Gnome Handler, Steve Marshal found this home video of some firefighters having fun unlike any game I've ever seen in a firehouse.  But I chalk it up to one of those cultural differences and wonder why nobody I worked with ever thought of this one.  The person who posted it does not say where it took place, but looking at the uniforms, truck style and markings, I'd say it's either from Russia or one of the former Soviet bloc countries.

 

What a guy!!  This puts a whole new twist to the Job Security category.

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The National Hockey League will be providing its now-annual bit of New Year's fun again this year.  About five or so years ago they scheduled a regular season game to be played outdoors on New Year's Day in a football stadium using a portable ice rink.  The game was a terrific success with the fans bringing the largest crowd ever to see a professional hockey game, plus very good tv ratings despite the snowfall cutting down on visibility.

So they did it again the next year and it was an even bigger success.  So now it has become an institution and is played each year in a different city and with different teams competing.  This year's event takes place in Philadelphia's baseball stadium and pits the Flyers against the New York Rangers.

The NHL has again taken a time-lapse video of the portable rink construction and made it available for viewing:

 

The game will be played on Monday beginning at 1:00 pm Eastern and will be televised everywhere.  The players have more fun than anybody at these games.

We had better get started on the equipment check now.  There will be lots of merrymakers out there this afternoon and some of them will undoubtedly get in trouble, so we need to be ready for them.  I'm going to start some more coffee before we meet back in the day room.

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Posted by on December 30, 2011 • Filed under: fun, Job Security, morning lineup, Videos • Tagged:

NORAD Santa Tracker is 10-8

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He's Already Airborne

NORAD HAS BEGUN THEIR ANNUAL "SANTA TRACKER" and as in year's past, they have the dynamic display posted online showing Santa's progress from when he left the North Pole on his wonderful journey.

He follows the sunset around the globe, leaving off the presents and goodies for all the good little girls and boys.  Here is the link for the website where you can open it in its own window and leave on. 

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

The display updates automatically as Santa moves along.  If you have children and they want to know when Santa's coming, just put them in front of the monitor.

Posted by on December 24, 2011 • Filed under: culture, fun • Tagged: ,

“Jetman” Soars Again

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High-Flying Stuntman Pulls a Good One

YVES ROSSY, THE 51-YR.-OLD RETIRED PILOT from Switzerland has been spending his Golden Years flying about with his homemade jetpack.  We last watched him three years ago in September 2008 when he successfully flew across the English Channel.  A year later he attempted to fly from Africa to Europe, more specifically across the Strait of Gibralter, but he was unable to complete his trip when he crashed into the Mediterranean.

BBC

Rossy's flying suit has a wing with a 6-foot span on his back with four jet turbine engines attached to it.  The jet suit weighs 120 lbs. and allows him to travel at speeds over 125 mph.

Recently he made news again when he flew across the Alps while in flying formation with two Albatross aerobatic jets.  Wearing several video cameras aimed in all directions, Rossy jumped out of a helicopter, fired up the turbines, then got up to speed and joined the two Albatross jets as they all flew together over the peaks.  The video that he produced is a delight, so sit back and fly with the Jetman:

 

Video provided by the London Telegraph

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Posted by on November 30, 2011 • Filed under: current events, fun, News, Videos • Tagged: ,

Thanksgiving Video Bonus

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Can Turkeys Fly?

ONCE AGAIN FIREGEEZER OFFERS THIS THANKSGIVING TREAT by reprising the most famous Turkey Day television show ever, the classic episode "Turkeys Away" from WKRP in Cincinnati.  The final line of dialogue in the episode is among the top-ten of greatest comedy lines ever from a tv show.

I'm sure many of you know the story so well you can speak the lines along with the broadcast.  So sit back, smell the turkey cooking, and enjoy this annual presentation:

 

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Posted by on November 24, 2011 • Filed under: culture, fun, Videos • Tagged: ,

The Brushfire Beat Goes On

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You Gotta Have the Raking Rhythm

STOPPING A GRASS FIRE IN ITS TRACKS is so much easier when you've got the right beat as these Modesto, California, firefighters demonstrate:

 

Thanks to ModestoNews.org for putting together this light-hearted clip and sharing it with us.

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Posted by on August 17, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, fun, Videos • Tagged: , ,

No Checker Board in That Firehouse

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They Have Advanced….

MOST LIKELY THEY HAVE THAT CLASSIC kids' favorite board game Chutes and Ladders in the game closet of this Mid-Atlantic firehouse.

We'll spare them the late-night phone calls by not telling you which FD utilized this innovative evolution to ladder the modern church steeple to reach the fire.   A little controversial, perhaps….but every ladder is footed, and you have to admit ….. It worked!

Thanks to K. B. for catching this one for your enlightenment.

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Posted by on August 14, 2011 • Filed under: Firefighting Operations, fun • Tagged: ,

From the Department of Parking

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I'll Take the "Boot and Tow"

Let’s here it for Vilnius, Lithuania, Mayor Arturas Zuokas and his new campaign to discourage illegal parking in the city’s bicycle lanes.

Hizzoner, da' Mayor

Do you (secretly) pine nostalgically for the heady days of the former USSR when muscular militarism was all the rage?

Have you ever lusted to be at the controls of an armored vehicle?

Had to swerve your bike to miss a parked car in the bike lane?

If the answer is yes to any or all—then enjoy this video courtesy of The Guardian (UK):

 

"Mayor Zuokas wanted his message to be loud and clear that the city will not tolerate brazen and disrespectful behaviour by drivers who disobey parking rules," said his spokeswoman, Irma Juskenaite.

"The mayor hopes that he will not have to repeat his performance to have drivers heed his message, although he says that he is prepared to do so," she added, with a smile.

The mayor cleans up the mess of crushed glass at the end of the video, before riding away on a bike.

The car, Juskenaite added, was bought specifically for the stunt.

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Posted by on August 4, 2011 • Filed under: culture, fun, News, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

“51 in Quarters” a Huge Success

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A Banner Day for Emergency! Fans

IF YOU HAVE BEEN READING our weekly Upcoming Events column each Wednesday, then you may have noticed the item announcing a special event that was held last Saturday, July 9 by the Los Angeles County Fire Museum.  They are the owners and restorers of the squad truck and two pumpers that appeared in the still-popular tv series Emergency! that ran for five seasons (plus a couple of years of specials) in the 1970's.

The Ward LaFrance pumper that was used during most of the series was just retired from active duty two years ago and restoration was completed in time for this special open house at L.A. County Station 127 that served as Sta. 51 in the series.  All three vehicles were parked at the station for the first time in more than 30 years and a big open-house party was held for the public.

JEMS Editor-in-Chief, A.J. Heightman, who himself credits Emergency! with inspiring him to become a paramedic and push for improved EMS throughout America, traveled to the event and wrote up a fine article about the big day. 

JEMS

It was published on JEMS website HERE along with many photos and interviews.  It makes for some great Saturday reading and we encourage you to take the time to soak up the lengthy report.

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Posted by on July 16, 2011 • Filed under: culture, EMS Topics, fun, News • Tagged: ,

“Melons Bursting In Air”

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A FireEMS blogger "team-building" event?

Rachel Emma Silverman, writing for The Wall Street Journal posted a fascinating article with video about Steve Wolf's Stunt Ranch.

(2011 July 02) Melons Bursting in Air (probably need a Wall Street Journal subscription to access entire article)

Silverman notes the changes required due to the severe drought:

The five-hour, $250 class offers a glimpse of the secrets behind fireballs, squibs, other cinematic explosions and holiday fireworks.

But with a severe drought here, and a ban on most open fires, Mr. Wolf's Special FX International classes this summer feature "aquatechnic" effects.

Cue the exploding watermelons. The class rigs the melons with blasting caps, small explosives that typically help to trigger larger explosions but are quite potent in their own right.

Oops, we may have a snag ..

Students must be willing to submit to a federal background check before enrolling.

They have to fill out a questionnaire from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives including such queries as "Are you a fugitive from justice? "

Mr. Wolf requires that they wear safety goggles, hearing protection, closed-toe shoes and natural fibers, such as cotton, rather than flammable synthetics.

Big finale

Capping off the class is another aquatechnic effect, using high-energy liquid explosive, or Helix. The agent, a reactive powder mixed with a liquid catalyst, is rigged to the bottom of a large ditch that is then filled with about 500 gallons of water.

Students stand about 150 feet away and detonate the explosive with the Holatron, sending a 100-foot plume of water into the air and a rumbling shock wave beneath the class's feet.

Cool!

Stunt Discovery Day promotion:

Stunt Ranch on FaceBook

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on July 4, 2011 • Filed under: current events, explosion, Fire Rescue Topics, fun, HazMat, News, Special Operations, Training & Development • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

“.. enough room to set a bag of groceries in it”

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Following up from Bill's Morning Lineup:

How about a newer Packard – 1948?

Mr. Gibson wants $24,000 for this ride.

Too green?  How about a 1958 London cab:

Needs tires and a tune-up. Located in Maryland.  $15,000

Too foreign?  How about a 1976 Checker

It is in California, an interesting fly-and-drive $9,999

I have MY eye on this sweet V-6 1987 Zimmer – $11,000

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on June 3, 2011 • Filed under: cars, fun, shopping, Vehicle Operation & Ambulances • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Quarter Life Crisis

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A lawyer chucks it all to be an at-home firefighter for hire

 

From Season 4, Episode 18 (1993) "The Kids In The Hall" Dave Foley abandons his life as a lawyer to be an at-home firefighter for hire. Hilarity ensues.

The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson.

Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States.

Wikipedia link

The Kids In The Hall on myspace. 

Dave Foley fanboi page

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on April 14, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, fun, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

Retirement Heaven For Sale

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Just What I Have Always Dreamed Of !

I HAVE LONG BEEN INTRIGUED by the possibilities of owning my own aircraft carrier. Imagine the 9 hole golf course you could put on the flight deck….with the worlds biggest water hazard!  Put dinner theaters in the hanger decks…. guest rooms in the other spaces…. a floating Las Vegas with real clout! 

Then just last week my dream came one step closer to reality.  The Associated Press ran this story:

For sale: One Aircraft Carrier, Slightly Used.

Britain put the mothballed carrier Ark Royal up for sale Monday on a military auction website.

The former flagship of the Royal Navy was decommissioned this month, four years ahead of schedule, as part of defense spending cuts. Bidders have until June 13 to make an offer. No minimum price was set.

The government sold another carrier, HMS Invincible, which was bought for its metal and towed to a Turkish scrap yard.

The Ark Royal could be sold for scrap, but there has also been a proposal to park it on the Thames river as a heliport.

I'm going to check my portfolio now! 

p.s. Don't tell FG Gnome… He'll want one for himself.

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Posted by on April 5, 2011 • Filed under: commentary, fun • Tagged: , ,

Full contact “rampage”

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What has Captain Wines gotten into?

Check out his Charity Football post at Iron Firemen.

Discovered that there is a National Public Safety Football League team in metro Washington DC.

They play Los Angeles Heat Saturday night!

Thats right Generals fans, the details are ironed out and the press release is created.

Tell your friends, family and coworkers, the LA Heat are coming to town and we need all of DC, Maryland and Virginia to come out and support the Generals.

Gates open at 5:30 with kickoff proptley at 7pm. Pick up some Generals gear, get some great food and watch some hard hitting action.

Check out the attached press release for more information. (HERE)

April 2nd, 2011, 7 pm Kickoff

George Mason High School (www.masonathletics.org)
7124 LEESBURG PIKE
FALLS CHURCH, VA. 22043

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>

DC Generals webpage

National Public Safety Football League

 

 

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on April 1, 2011 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, charity, entertainment, fun, Line of Duty, News • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Follow That Fire Engine … in NYC

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Unique Fundraiser and Around-the-World Expedition

Rhett and Willie passed the rig on the way to EMS Today (HERE). Rhett provided a quick summary. I got lost in this amazing adventure.

This week ends Stage 8 of their nine stage expedition.



Two dozen 20/30 somethings riding in an old fire pumper

The rig is a 1994 Mercedes 1124 AF/HCB-Angus four-wheel drive pumper from the Dorset Fire & Rescue Service. “Martha” had her water tank and fire pump removed. (details HERE and HERE)

None of the crew members are firefighters or have any emergency background, save an austere emergency medicine course they took in preparation for this journey.

Which came in handy on Day 12 when a drunken lorry driver plowed into the line of vehicles waiting at the Russian border crossing in Latvia on July 30th. (see blog) Six vehicles were destroyed and the FTFE crew extricated a child from a crushed car.

The website provide frequent blog updates, amazing pictures and videos. It appears that a documentary will be made of the trip, but following the details of the adventure are addicting.

True unscripted reality.

Let’s talk about accomodations

From sleeping in tents in the middle of nowhere, to a FEMA homeless trailer behind New Orleans Fire Station 7 (Day 224 blog) to an unexpected executive upgrade at InterContinental “Hotel Nikko” Kuala Lumpur (Day 93 blog), and a few fire station bunkrooms.

Lot of round ball exercise.  The Chengdu (China) Fire Station firefighters dominated the FTFE crew in basketball, table tennis and snooker (Day 68 blog); then providing a feast.

Diversions like horseback riding, bungee jumping, glacier exploring and sky diving.

Day 233: Tonight’s NYC Fundraiser

7 pm at Dark Horse, 17 Murray Street New York, NY 10007

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

FTFE on FaceBook

@FollowEngine on Twitter

FTFE website

Posted by on March 7, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Fires, fun, Funding & Staffing, News, Technology & Communications, Vehicle Operations & Apparatus, Videos • Tagged: , , , ,

What A Smooch !!

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Love Is In the Air

WHAT WOULD VALENTINE’S DAY BE WITHOUT SOME Guinness-breaking romance in it?

This St. Valentine’s Day an enterprising promoter in Thailand decided to give some Thai loving couples the opportunity to break the world’s record for the longest contiuously-held kiss.

Fourteen couples registered for the tournament with the realization that they would have to maintain a lip-lock for at least 33 hours with not breaks from the embrace.  They were each given a 1-square meter space that they could not leave except for toilet breaks.  But even those required a non-separation and a monitor accompanied them into the bathroom to make sure the proper contacts were maintained.  Nourishment could only be taken through a straw and definitly no sitting or sleeping permitted.

AFP

The contestants started their super-smooch on Sunday morning at 6 am with two things in mind:  One, maintain their kiss for more than 33 hours, 7 minutes and 14 seconds, the current record set in Germany in 2009, and Two, to be the last couple standing to win the prizes, a diamond ring and a generous cash payment.

When Monday afternoon arrived and the old record’s time was reached, there were still 7 couples engaged in the ritual.  Finally, just before dawn Tuesday morning a married couple, Ekkachai and Laksana Tiranarat outlasted the only other twosome remaining and were stopped at 46 hours, 24 minutes and 9 seconds after they began.

The Tiranarat’s Celebrate Their Victory  (Reuters)

The contest was held on the concourse of a shopping mall in the resort city of  Pattaya and was viewed by amused shoppers as the time ticked on.  The Associated Press has filed this video report on the event:

 

The Guinness Book of World Records has to verify the results and audit the competition before the new record is officially established.

Posted by on February 15, 2011 • Filed under: current events, fun, News • Tagged: ,

International Firefighters Road Race

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Firefighters From Across Europe Participate

ON SUNDAY JANUARY 23, AT CRETEIL, FRANCE, a town outside of Paris, an annual track event was held exclusively for firefighters, the “Foulees 18,” an 18 km race.  The length of the course corresponds with France’s fire emergency phone number, 18.

This year’s race commemorated the bicentennial of the birth of  the Sapeurs Pompiers (Fire Brigade) in Paris.  The event brought 1,560 participating firefighters from almost every country in Europe to the unique course that travels on paved roadway, dirt roads, and across grass.

 

And They’re Off !

The rain that fell most of the day made for slippery streets and muddy fields.

Vigili del Fuoco

Competition is between teams of up to 10 runners.  This year’s winners are from Torino (Italy) and the 2nd and 3rd place teams are from Madrid.

Vigili del Fuoco

The fastest runners were completing the course in about an hour.  A “good” time for the distance with the road conditions was around 1:20.

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Posted by on January 26, 2011 • Filed under: current events, fun, News • Tagged:

Keep Voting!

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THE VOTING WINDOW HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO ALLOW YOU TO CAST
A BALLOT EVERY SIX HOURS NOW.

Also, the page with the voting machines on it has added a brief resume of each
Fire and EMS blog that are in the running.

So CLICK HERE to cast your ballots for your favorites.  Vote for as many different blogs as you like,
or vote repeatedly for one, it’s up to you.  Balloting ends at midnight, February 1.

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Posted by on January 25, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Blogs, fun, News • Tagged:

Fire Critic gets “breaking news” training

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Rhett Fleitz prepares for his next career as mainstream journalist.

Discovered “Tips for More Effective Live Remotes” video from Bob Kaplitz, one of the bloggers at Audience Research & Development.

As Rhett prepares for his next career as a media mogul (HERE) this video may help.

So will this collection of technology from Cliff Etzel (bluprokect) who wrote in Solo Video Journalist blog.

Solo video journalist Cliff Etzel http://www.solovj.com

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

Posted by on January 12, 2011 • Filed under: fun, Technology & Communications, Training & Development, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

A Stocking Stuffer

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From the American Bar Association journal:

Irvine, Calif., attorney Kim Olenicoff’s estate planning practice has slowed in the past couple of years due to the economy, but that’s OK with her because the need to guard against flatulence and sweat stains appears to be recession-proof.

Read December 01, 2010 article: “Lawyer Trades Estate Planning Practice for Biz Guarding Against Flatulence and Sweat Stains”


I am shocked that it was a lawyer and not a firefighter who made this a going concern.

Check out her website Solutions That Stick.

Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

(Tip of the keyboard to TaxProf Blog)

Posted by on December 2, 2010 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, fun, Technology & Communications, Videos • Tagged: , , , , ,