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Morning Lineup – May 17

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Friday Morning – Who's Following Us Now?

It's been a while since we've reviewed our more curious Twitter followers, so let's do that this morning.  As you might expect, we have a lot of Twitterers who sign up to follow our Tweets and hardly a day goes by that one or two more don't get on board.

Almost all of them are folks who are associated with the fire or ems business in some way or another, sometimes they are active firefighters and sometimes it's a business that sells thngs to fire or ems agencies.  But every now and then we get someone who is so far away from the topic that it's comical.

You see, there are these "social media experts" who advise businesses (for a fee, of course) on how best to utilize sites like Twitter to enhance their sales and they have these little programs that seize on key words.   Then they automatically generate a Twitter-follow action and the expert can point out all the "valuable" connections he has gathered for the business.  Our favorite was a Chamber of Commerce in a smaller city that automatically signed us up with everybody including a custom closet designer and a luxury car and yacht detailer.  We still haven't heard from the Tweetster who claims to "love the RedSox and heavy petting."  You can read a couple of our previous postings on this HERE and HERE.

Anyway, let's add some more to the lists:

  • True Happiness Designs is handmade silver jewelry created by (*******)
  • Knowledge Always Reigns Supreme–Listen, Learn, Live
  • News and updates from the Claim Adjustment Specialists Subrogation Department
  • Family owned and operated for over 40 years! Highest QUALITY sales & service for high pressure air systems.
  • I'm an eclectic individual.
  • Ford First is an online owners club for all classic & modern Ford Car and Truck owners. Registry, Forums, Library, Event Calendar and more!
  • hi my name is (xxxx) i have a girlfriend 3 3 3 and i haveing a babys 3 3 3
  • Real People, Reel time dating. Talk live face to face over your mobile network or via wifi. It's the fastest newest way to meet that special somebody.
  • A very unique style of photo letter art that is catered to each person's preference. Check us out to create your own unique word.
  • Our core mission: To Build the Toughest Patrol Bikes on Earth! Each frame hand built in the USA, check us out.
  • Not so gracefully stumbling through the world since 1980.

Let's all go stumbling through the apparatus bay now and get this equipment checked out now.  I'm going to concentrate on getting more hand-made coffee ready for our next meeting back in the day room.  See you there (and on Twitter).

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Posted by on May 17, 2013 • Filed under: morning lineup, Twitter • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – February 20

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Wednesday Morning – "How do I shut down Twitter?"

Lineup is a little late this morning and it will be brief also.  I have been spending some time getting more info. and updating last night's posting about that tragic ka-boom and fire in Kansas City.  The details and videos are in the posting directly below this one and I will be keeping an eye on what's going on in KC to let you know if there is any resolution to the missing person(s) that they are looking for.  The exact number of injured or missing victims is still uncertain.  So check back later today to see if anything has developed.

On another topic,  there have been a lot of stories and events relating to people being so anxious to see themselves on Facebook and similar "social media" that they rush without thinking of the consequences and end up in the proverbial deep doo doo.  This is especially problematic when you get your employer or their reputation involved, thus leading to an unplanned career change.  We've witnessed several firefighter terminations lately after they posted strange things on YouTube.

With that in mind, this headline for an article published by Forbes magazine early this month caught my attention:

Don't Fire An Employee And Leave Them
In Charge Of The Corporate Twitter Account

It refers to an instance where a large CD, Video games, and DVD retailing chain in Britain laid off a couple hundred corporate employees as their sales were plummeting last month.  Forbes wrote:

The company apparently pulled a large group into human resources and gave them the bad news. While this was going on, one employee, Poppy Rose, who had been an HMV community manager and thus had access to the corporate Twitter account, started live tweeting about the layoffs.

Over a period of around 20 minutes, she sent out a series of notes expressing her rising sense of alarm to HMV’s 61,500 followers (that number has since risen to 73,350). Rose admitted that it was unusual to use the company Twitter feed to express her views, but, she wrote, "when the company you dearly love is being ruined," she felt it was justified. "There are over 60 of us being fired at once!" she wrote. "Mass execution, of loyal employees who love the brand."

One of the most entertaining tweets that came through before HMV took back the account and deleted the offending tweets: "Just overheard our marketing director (he’s staying, folks) ask ‘How do I shut down Twitter?’"

Ah, yes … fine planning there.  The article has a graphic of Poppy's tweets and tells us what happened after that.  Could have easily been avoided, you know.  Read the whole story HERE.

No tweeting needed to remind us to get the equipment checked out, though.  So let's get going with that while I get the coffee refilled, and then we'll meet back in the day room.

Posted by on February 20, 2013 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged:

Morning Lineup – March 6

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Tuesday Morning – Let's Follow Somebody

A few times in the past year I have illustrated some of the strange practices of businesses who have installed some sort of program in their computers that automatically directs their Twitter account to start following websites or blogs that post articles with designated key words in them.  The champions of this practice are still the local businesses in Asheville, North Carolina, where seemingly everybody is plugged in to promote their hometown and businesses in this manner.  After posting a few articles about a tragic LODD in Asheville last year, I had a steady stream of followers signing up for a while (including an auto detailing business).  See our Lineup from this past August 14 HERE.

But last night I picked up a new follower who now holds the record for Fastest Follower.  Within three hours after I posted last night's story about the nursing home meth lab fire (HERE), I began to be closely watched and followed by a firm that claims to be:  One of Maryland's premier healthcare facilities, we offer comprehensive nursing and rehab care to guests from all walks of life. Take a tour today!   I might have to pass on that  invitation.  If they are willing to take "guests from all walks of life," they just might be setting themselves up for the next meth lab ka-boom, and I wouldn't like that very much.

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Speaking of LODD's,  Dave Statter has been giving extensive coverage on the sad case in Wisconsin where the roof of a movie theater collapsed on a group of firefighters in Abbotsford just as they were evacuating the building.  The young volunteer firefighter who perished in the collapse was also a local deputy sheriff.  Dave has compiled a good selection of photos, videos, and updated information onto his website STATter911 and I recommend that you take a few minutes to click over HERE and check it out today.  There are several postings, so start at the top and keep scrolling down.

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I have some more non-fire related hockey news to pass along and the Lineup is usually the best place to share that with you.  Instead of our usual commenting  on the National Hockey League, today we will take a peek at a local rink in Apple Valley, Minnesota, where a youth league was waiting for the Zamboni driver to clean the ice for the next round of games.

As the youngsters were looking on, Zamboni operator Joel Bruss, 34, who was pre-loaded with an alcohol blood count of 0.32, cruised onto the rink and showed the kiddies his expertise and driving in wavy lines.  It got so ridiculous that one of the moppets got ahold of a cell phone and recorded a brief video of the road ice-e-o.

 

Turns out to be convincing evidence for his upcoming trial in April.  The Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote:

Joel K. Bruss has been charged in Dakota County District Court with four counts of drunken driving. Three of the charges are gross misdemeanors, one is a misdemeanor.

According to the complaint filed by the Apple Valley city attorney's office, a police officer was sent to the Hayes Ice Arena shortly after 8 p.m. Jan. 30. Witnesses said Bruss, a part-time rink attendant, was driving erratically on the Zamboni and hitting the boards while attempting to resurface the ice between youth games.

The complaint said that when the officer entered the arena, the Zamboni machine was partly off and partly on the ice while the driver was trying to get it unstuck. Once Bruss got off the machine, the officer smelled alcohol on his breath and noted that he was "extremely unsteady" and was hanging onto the Zamboni to keep his balance. Bruss was slurring his words and mumbling and his eyes were red, watery and bloodshot, the complaint said.

Gosh Joel, we're trying to keep our kids' childhoods as innocent as possible and you're making it very hard for some parents to do that.  They take their youngsters to an organized youth event in order to do just that, and what do you do?  This is inexcusable and I hope the judge tacks some extra time on to the sentence and makes you serve it.

Ok, let's tack on some time to get this equipment checked out now.  I need to get some more coffee going before we meet back in the day room.

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Do You Have Your Firegeezer Travel Mug Yet?
(Fits Most Zamboni Cup Holders)

This is the perfect travel mug to get you to work in the morning and
keep you coffee’d up on the drive back home.
As you expect with any Firegeezer product, this is top-quality and will give you long and faithful service.

Whopping 16-oz. cup, double-walled and insulated.
Keeps your coffee hot for more than an hour (we tested it!)

CLICK HERE to see all the details and to order yours!

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Posted by on March 6, 2012 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – December 15

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Thursday Morning Tweets

Occasionally I like to report on the unusual Twitter Followers that I pick up along the way.  Many businesses and PR agencies have computer programs that pick up on select keywords in Tweets and then automatically sign up to "follow" that Tweeter from there on out forever.  Most recently, back in August I had some postings about an LODD in Asheville, North Carolina, and within days I was signed up for all kinds of great services based in Asheville including a custom closet designer and a luxury car and yacht detailer.  (Read my August 14 Lineup HERE.)

This came back to my attention yesterday when I wrote about the .xxx domain names coming out soon (HERE) and within hours a searchbot spotted the word "domain" and I was signed up for a service that re-sells domain names.  So let's see who's watching us now:

  • "See the Time, All the Time"  (I don't know what that's all about.  Clock salesman?)
  • Our creative focus is commercial embroidery with top-of-the-line CQC – Care, Quality, Creativity.
  • Let the human mind loose. It must be loose. It will be loose. Superstition and dogmatism cannot confine it.
  • Dr. ****** is one of the nation's leading authorities on the situational awareness and decision making processes used by first responders.  (Remember, only you can prevent first responder.)
  • I love cheese, and have a twitter, too.
  • (my company) speaks with industry leaders from around the world to bring you ideas that you can use to help solve problems in your community.
  • I love the RedSox and heavy petting.
  • It's all about the Shock Value!
  • ****** is a private counseling facility providing quality mental health care to the busy executive and the entire family unit.
  • Since 1961. local produce market and garden center. A (local) icon! Love all things food and plants!
  • Awesome mum of 2 teenagers, likes Wine, great food, friends, music , human slave to 3cats , I overtweet often , share a lot of personal stuff & RT often

So you see…. Firegeezer is like the 6-month-old Time magazine in the doctor's waiting room.  We show up everywhere.

Now let's show up for equipment check, we're running late already and I need some more coffee.  See you back in the day room in a little while.

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Posted by on December 15, 2011 • Filed under: morning lineup, Twitter • Tagged:

Worse that we thought!

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Virginia earhquake crumbles emergency preparation assumptions

I love these dramatizations.

"Tweets from DC reached New York City 30 seconds before the actual shock waves."

While waiting out the post-earthquake gridlock in downtown DC I was preparing a snarky post, using the iconic fallen plastic chair image.

Alex Capece from Raising Ladders got online first with a great post:

Devastation in D.C. – structure toppled, debris everywhere [photos]

Temple University School of Communications and Theater weighs in with an academic evaluation: How a fallen lawn chair becomes an instant Internet classic

Crumbling Infrastructure

WTOP radio reported serious cracks in the Washington Monument.

Shortly after the shaking stopped, EVERYONE was getting online.

Jalopnick editor Matt Hardigree, a Texan transplanted to Charlottesville, Virginia, reporting the following:

And then my neighbor complained she couldn't find any information about it on Twitter — just 45 seconds after it happened.

This is like 50 miles away from the epicenter of an earthquake that occurred in an area that hadn't had a major damaging one since 1875.

The ground has stopped shaking; I have not

Overloaded communication systems

We should not be surprised that many were getting the rapid "system busy" tone when trying to use their phone after the earthquake.

Jack Gillum (2011 August 23) Washington, D.C. Earthquake Clogs Cell Networks On U.S. East Coast. Huffington Post

Bianca Bosker (2011 August 23) DC Earthquake Dominates Social Media Sites: 5 Must-See Stats.  Huffington Post

Snd, we hit about 5,500 Tweets per second (TPS). For context, this TPS is more than Osama Bin Laden's death & on par w/ the Japanese quake.

In April 2005 the Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University published an article by Anthony M. Townsend and Mitchell L. Moss.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE IN DISASTERS: Preparing Cities for Crisis Communications, provides analysis after the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, using the 2001 World Trade Center attack as another analysis point.

This report establishes a framework for understanding the interaction between large urban disasters and telecommunications infrastructure, drawing upon the experiences of the 1990s and 2000s.

While the majority of past research on telecommunications in disasters has focused on the emergency response phase, this article analyzes the critical role of communications infrastructure in all of phases of disaster prevention and recovery, which can stretch for years after the event.

Finally, this report does not focus only on official communications channels, but is concerned with the entire universe of civil telecommunications infrastructure that plays a crucial role in crisis communications.

access 45 page .pdf HERE

The analysis of the organizational procedures, relationships and infrastructure remain valuable.

The exponential expansion of wireless communication, in both technology and infrastructure, makes the 2005 discussion of the "universe of civil telecommunications infrastructre" more of a seven year old snapshot than a projection of what goes on in 2011.

Mike "FossilMedic" Ward

Posted by on August 25, 2011 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, News, Technology & Communications, Twitter, Videos • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Morning Lineup – August 14

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Sunday Morning - Tweet, Tweet

I am nowhere near to being all that knowledgable about Twitter.  I have observed and used it in the past couple of years and written a few postings about the various ways it can be utilized, especially by fire and EMS agencies.  It is also being used widely by commercial enterprises to get their messages out to potential customers and regular buyers of their product.  That's fine, I can understand using Twitter that way.  It fits right in with their design.

But wouldn't you know it?  The spammers have figured an angle on it, too.  This is where I am glad that I don't have to follow Tweeters who follow me, like you have to do in Facebook, because I would have to bail out of Twitter after this latest round of "new followers."  Somebody has sold a bill of goods to the merchants or Chamber of Commerce in Asheville, North Carolina, apparently because there is a spambot that searches the web for headlines with the word Asheville in them and automatically signs up their patrons to the poster's Twitter account so that they can pitch their wares to the unwary.

In the last couple of weeks I have had such headlines due to the tragic LODD in their fire department and my postings have brought a pile of new followers from an unusual variety of business, none of whom I am sure are waking up in the morning anxious to see what Firegeezer has posted lately.  And I am certainly not planning on spending a relaxing Sunday afternoon reading up on the activities and offerings of entities that will enrich my life with news from 500 miles away telling me things like:

  •  Burlesque and Sideshow Festival in Asheville…
  • Boutique Bar & Kitchen. Exquisite Martinis, Hand-picked Wines, Locally-roasted Organic Coffee, Small Plates…
  • International Children's Film Festival. Independent films from all over the world.
  • Custom Closet Design, Murphy Beds and office organization in and around Asheville…
  • Life, love, people, madness & insanity in and around Asheville.
  • I'm a Professional Detail Technician. I've been detailing luxury cars and yachts for 6 years.
  • We serve hand made NY Style Pizza, generously loaded with fresh ingredients and then baked in Brick Ovens.
  • Hello, I specialize in wedding and event photography in Asheville,
  • Asheville House Cleaning & Maid.

And so it goes.  If I decide to have my luxury car detailed while I'm eating a pizza and waiting for the wedding to start, then I know just where to get it all taken care of.  I have to admit that I'm a little curious about the office organizer that sells Murphy beds.  Now when does that burlesque festival begin again?

We'd better begin our equipment check festival now, though.  I definitely want to have more coffee ready before the film festival begins.  See you back in the day room later.

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Posted by on August 14, 2011 • Filed under: morning lineup, Twitter • Tagged:

Morning Lineup – May 26

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Thursday Morning Twitters

Are we about to see another internet bubble inflate and then burst?  It's been a few years since an assortment of program and software developers built up their inventive projects, then sold the rights to some entrepreneur for multi-billions and went off on a bender while their baby starved and withered away.  The stock values of all the internet developers crashed and left everyone a little dazed.  But it looks like that sort of hopeful speculation is starting to wake up again.

It was announced yesterday that Twitter has agreed to purchase TweetDeck, the software that organizes your Twitter feeds by category and keeps a dynamic scrolling screen shot of your choice of topics.

TweetDeck image

I would be willing to bet that very few of you are even aware of TweetDeck and even fewer use the service.  It's handy for some people, but it ain't for everybody.  But Twitter thinks enough of it to be paying $40 million for the company.  That's right…. 40 million smackeroos for a service that is a free download.  There's a hint of what they might be thinking in Twitter's brief announcement:

In early 2008, a London-based programmer named Iain Dodsworth began thinking about how to organize everything happening on Twitter. His answer was TweetDeck, a groundbreaking dashboard for monitoring what people are saying in real-time. Today, we’re pleased to announce that the TweetDeck team has joined Twitter.

This acquisition is an important step forward for us. TweetDeck provides brands, publishers, marketers and others with a powerful platform to track all the real-time conversations they care about. In order to support this important constituency, we will continue to invest in the TweetDeck that users know and love.

TweetDeck is a great example of a third-party developer that designed tools for the incredibly important audience of Twitter power-users and, in turn, created value for the network as a whole. As Iain’s journey suggests, there is significant opportunity for developers who deliver insights that foster a more engaged Twitter user base.

Got that?  A "platform to track all the real-time conversations they care about."  Perhaps Twitter has been watching the success of Google and Facebook in their sorting out and marketing their own members' surfing trends and e-visits to third-party clients, and they want to cash in, too.  Somehow they will have to convince (or coerce) their Tweeters to run the TweetDeck, though.  Maybe it will pop up easily by just clicking a button or something.  CBS News also posted a short explanation (HERE) of how you can use TweetDeck to your advantage – if you are heavy into the social network game, that is.  Ho-hum.

We'd better get our own networking going now and get this equipment checked out.  I'm going to get some more coffee started, but pardon me if I don't Tweet it.  See you back in the day room.

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National Hockey League Conference Finals
Standings as of Thursday Morning

Boston's David Krejci scored a hat trick last night, the first time a Bruin has done that in a playoff game since 1991.  But it wasn't enough in a wild affair in Tampa last night as the Lightning bagged their first goal just 36 seconds into the contest and edged Boston 5-4, forcing a Game 7 tomorrow night.

Western Conference Finals

San Jose Sharks vs. Vancouver Canucks.  Vancouver wins series 4-1, advances to Stanley Cup Finals.

Eastern Conference Finals

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins. Lightning – 5, Bruins – 4. Series tied 3-3. Deciding game Friday night

 

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Posted by on May 26, 2011 • Filed under: morning lineup, Twitter • Tagged: ,

Morning Lineup – March 6

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Sunday Morning Lineup

While there are many differences between Facebook and Twitter (they perform entirely different functions), the one I appreciate most is that with Twitter you don’t have to follow someone who follows you.  If somebody wants to receive my Tweets and see what we are posting here, I can send them out to them without having to read their daily diary telling me that they just got back from the Walmart, or something.

Lately, though, FossilMedic and I have both been the recipients of a surge of new Twitter followers, sometimes as many as four or more every day.  This accelerated signing-up has just picked up in the last couple of months and it has aroused my curiosity and has me wondering “Why?”  And just as puzzling is the category of followers who have taken this sudden interest in us.  Or do all of them really have an interest in what we are Tweeting?  Take a look at a representative sample of the kinds of followers we are adding to our distribution list:

  • A tool manufacturing company (that I have never heard of).
  • A confidential crisis referral service.  (Is it confidential once it hits Twitter?)
  • Somebody who has thousands of badges for sale.
  • A leading global consulting firm who delivers results for clients in industry and government.
  • Another firm that sends us safety and security tips to help us live safer and smarter.
  • Someone who sells “affordable dentures” (did they choose me after seeing my avatar on Twitter?)
  • A “Motorola Two-Way Radio Dealer.”
  • An expert in planning, operations and logistics of large special events (like 4-alarm fires, maybe?).
  • Somos un portal interactivo dedicado a la educación profesional y continua.  I’ll just take their word for it.
  • A copywriter who specializes in campaign planning.
  • And one nice bunch of folks who tell us that they “are here to help families be prepared for home problems.”

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.  But why and where are all these unrelated followers coming from?  The best that I can come up with is that somebody has come out with a book that tells budding entrepreneurs how to use Twitter to “get their message out” in this sure-fired method that will generate sales and open doors to new opportunities.  (Hey, that sounds like something the campaign planning specialist would come up with!)  And it looks like some firms have learned to use a search-by-keyword method to automatically follow Twitter accounts whose descriptions include these chosen keywords.  Right, that’s it!  Why else would I be followed by someone who is:  A  passionate, independent,  BioChemist/Molecular Biologist who specializes in Sexuality and EMS Porn?

Now you see why I’m grateful that Twitter followers are permitted to be one-way connections.  So why aren’t I being followed by someone who sells the world’s best coffee maker?

Speaking of that, we’d better get started on this morning’s equipment check.  I’ll use the same old Bunn-O-Matic to get another pot of coffee going.

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Posted by on March 6, 2011 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged:

Morning Lineup – January 4

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How to Make a Fortune Off of Twitter

If you’re signed up with Twitter so that you can watch the feeds from people who have things to say about topics you are interested in, do you occasionally get an email notice that says something like, Distant Faint Signals is now following you on Twitter ?  And underneath is a brief “bio” that says Distant Faint is a premium designer and maker of emergency signalling devices for transport ambulances, or something like that.  I get a couple of those things every single day, sometimes more.  But my screen title is more of a target than most personal names are, so it’s understandable that I get more than most individuals.

But do you wonder why we get Followers who have no connection with our normal lives in the first place?  After all, I don’t purchase emergency lights nor do I use them anywhere.  And I’m sure not interested in reading about Distant Faint’s latest servo motor upgrade.  Well, I think it has a lot to do with an explosion of “web trafficking experts” who are going around selling clueless CEO’s on how best to capitalize on the Social Media popularity wave.  These titans of industry have seen the headlines for months now about the expansion of websites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and of course, Twitter, but they have no idea at all of what they’re about.  Moguls of commerce don’t have time to periodically change their profile picture or post where they are going to lunch later today, but they do know that millions of people check in with those so-called social media sites.  And especially since it was announced over the weekend that for the year 2010 Facebook was the most-visited website in the United States, surpassing Google which held the top spot for several years running.  So who isn’t going to want to tap into that market?

Enter the Web Optimizer Professional who will coach the CEO and his marketing staff on how best to reach the gazillions of potential customers who are floating around the social media sites looking for some action.  W. O. P. already has the computer programs all set up to scan the web and by using keywords they can pluck out all the relevant Twitter users who just might be interested in Distant Faint’s fine blinking lights.  So money is exchanged and W.O.P. plugs in about 50 keywords like ambulance, medical, bandages, needle control, etc., etc.  Then he returns to CEO in a couple of weeks with a compilation of reports showing that Distant Faint is now being followed by 30 million Tweeters who are devouring every word coming out of DF’s pubicity department.

Of course, not all of those people elect to follow DF in return, but many of them automatically choose to follow everyone who follows them.  It’s only fair.  So WOP collects the other half of his fee and the CEO thinks he’s sent a zinger into the heart of an untapped customer base.  But when the sales numbers fail to soar accordingly, it will be DF’s sales department that gets the blame for doing a poor job of selling the product on their Tweets.  It certainly isn’t Web Organizer Professional’s fault.  He’s getting rich off of Twitter.

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Here’s an update to that report Gnome Handler gave yesterday HERE about the Mega-Millions lottery draw coming up today.  The expected storm surge has run the jackpot up over $330 million so far, making it the 7th largest lottery jackpot in U. S. history.  Good Luck!!  And don’t forget the 1% commission to your favorite website that steered you to the ticket sales agency.

Ok, we’d better get this equipment checked out now.  I need to get some coffee started and then we’ll meet back in the day room in a little while.

Posted by on January 4, 2011 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , , ,

Morning Lineup – April 11

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Ah…. Spring weather is definitely here, and in most other places, too.  It gets the urge going to get outside and "do some stuff" like cleaning up the winter debris from the back yard, going shopping for plants at the garden center, or maybe getting the camping trailer ready to go:

(Video removed for technical reasons)

Ok…so maybe it was a staged stunt.  But I thought you'd get a chuckle out of it anyway.  Think Spring!

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There is some tech. news out there this morning that isn't on my list of exciting happenings, but some of you are likely interested in what's going on in the Twitter universe.  There is an app. on the market for iPhones and Blackberrys called Tweetie.  It's a thingy that lets you post Twitter  messages from your cellphone if that's important for you.  Apparently Twitter thinks it's important enough in their future that they just bought out the company that makes Tweetie for an unannounced sum.  The app. has been selling for $3 and Twitter says they will be offering it for free.

PC World has the update on this move by Twitter HERE.

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And lastly, a bit of Celebrity news to pass along.  Longtime popular actress Dixie Carter passed away at age 70.  The date, place and cause of death have not been released by the family.  Carter had a long and successful career on the stage and came into national prominence performing in the TV sitcom Designing Women that ran for seven seasons beginning in 1986.  She was also known from being married to the famous actor Hal Holbrook.  You can read more about her life and career HERE.

It's Sunday, so that means a big breakfast will be ready soon.  So let's get this equipment checked out.  I'll go start some more coffee and Think Spring.

dove mug

Posted by on April 11, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup, Twitter • Tagged: , , ,

New Front Page Coming for Twitter

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TWITTER IS REFINING ITS FRONT PAGE TO INCLUDE more information and make some features easier to use.  One of Twitter’s designers, Doug Bowman wrote in a TwitterBlog entry Tuesday:

The homepage now features a set of algorithmically-selected top tweets that automatically appear every few seconds. It also highlights a random sampling of suggested sources; hover over any of them to see a profile summary and their latest tweet.

twitter

 Trending topics now scroll across the page, allowing us to present a large set of trends using little page real estate. Hovering over some of these trends will show a description explaining why the keyword is (or has recently been) popular.

All of our recent changes embrace the notion that Twitter is not just for status updates anymore. It’s a network where information is exchanged and consumed at a rapid clip every second of the day.

Also, you will see in the image that the search box is incorporated into the header making it much handier to find and use.

The problem is, all that new design is on the “sign in” page.  Once you’re logged in, or if you remain logged in while you are working on your computer, your home page is still laid out the same old way.  Firegeezer doesn’t understand why the trending topics and search box are outside the website.  I’ll give it a few days and see if they plan to migrate the new page design into the individual home pages.  That must be the plan because you can’t follow a trending link if you’re not signed in.  Can you?

Posted by on March 31, 2010 • Filed under: News, Technology & Communications, Twitter • Tagged:

Morning Lineup – February 24

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It seems like every day there is more “news” about online social networking something-or-others.  Most people don’t care one way or the other, but since this blog is online – and you come online to read it – some of it is of interest to us.  A little while back we were talking about how and why large numbers of fire and EMS people were vacating the forums and flocking over to sites like Facebook and Twitter.  Many are also signing up with FirefighterNation and JEMS social websites.  These last two are more specialized in their content and offer a more efficient way to communicate within the emergency community.

While I think I understand why the forums suddenly lost favor, I’m still trying to understand fully the appeal of the so-called social networks to replace them.  I think a major part of it is the ability to screen out the obnoxious few that you don’t want to “listen” to.  And that’s where most of the forums messed up.  They didn’t adequately monitor their chat threads and allowed a very few nutjobs to drive away their membership base.

social net tabs aWith the inter-connected network system that is evolving now, you don’t need to log into several websites to check the latest offerings, just one or two of your favorites that you can remain logged on in the background while you use your computer to do/watch other things.  And that brings us around (again) to commenting on those little tabs that you are seeing on many websites, not just blogs - including this one – where you can choose to share information that you would like your friends and correspondents to see.  By simply clicking once on the tab, you can forward the page that you are reading to your page on either of the two networks.  Currently, this is how news is flashing around the globe as it happens.  It’s an innovative way to “spread the word.”

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If you are following the men’s hockey in the Winter Olympics, today is an exciting day for the fans.  Canada came into the tournament as the favorite to win the Gold, but their upset loss to USA set them back to where they had to play an extra game yesterday and win it just to stay in the playoffs.  They did by beating Germany, but now they have to play again today and they will be facing off against Russia, a very formidable opponent who didn’t have to play yesterday.  In fact, Firegeezer would be willing to bet a few ducats that Russia will take it all.

Team USA will be facing off against Switzerland, who played yesterday while USA rested, and if the win they will next play the winner of today’s contest between Czech and Finland.  Don’t count Finland out on this one.  I know that the USA v. Swiss game is being televised at 3 pm Eastern, noon Pacific today, but I need to check on the Canada v. Russia game and then get back with an update for you.  It should be shown because they are two top teams and only the winner moves on.

Update:  The USA v. Swiss game will be shown on NBC at 3 pm Eastern/noon Pacific.
The Canada v. Russia game will be shown on CNBC at 7:30 Eastern/4:30 Pacific.  Note the time change.

Right now we need to move on and get this equipment checked out.  I’ll go get the coffee started and then check that tv schedule.  See you back in the day room.

Posted by on February 24, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , ,

Morning Lineup – February 19

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As you surf around the FireEMS Blogs community, you will start seeing these little tabs in the upper right-hand corner of all the individual postings:

tweet tabs a

 

 

 

 

You will see more of them on other websites as well.  They are like a “speed dial” for social network sharing of favorite articles that you would like to send to your correspondents.  Let’s take the “f / Share” tab, for example.  If you already have a Facebook account, then by clicking on that tab you will automatically open the famliar little posting window that has the link to the story already there.  Up in the top box, you add in your message, same as always, then click on “Share.”  A reminder:  on the link box, don’t forget to scroll to the pic that you want to display.

For your Twitter account, it is even simpler.  A simple click on there brings up the ReTweet box with the link already in it and you add your brief message.  The first time you use the ReTweet button, you will get a “permission” screen asking if you want to use the Tweet Meme Access program.  This is a security measure and it will be the only time you will be asked.  Future retweets will post unimpeded.

So if you want to, just for the fun of it and a learn-by-doing experience, click on the tabs that you see on the upper right (not the sample box I posted above on the left) and see how it works.

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 calabria aa

If you didn’t see that impressive video that we posted yesterday of the mudslide-in-progress in Calabria, Italy, then take a minute and CLICK HERE to watch it.  It’s a stunner.  This morning I’m posting this video of a couple of firefighters surveying what looks to be the same spot showing the aftermath of it.  It’s got to be tough on those folks.  The entire town of just over 2,000 people has been vacated.

Well, let’s count our blessings and then get this equipment checked out.  I need to start some more coffee.

Posted by on February 19, 2010 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , , , ,

Texting While…..What?

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TEXTING WHILE DRIVING SLIPPED TO #2 on the list of dangerous activities back on November 21.  That’s when a groom interrupted his wedding ceremony to log onto his Facebook page and change his status from “in a relationship” to “married.”  Then he sent the news out on Twitter.

groom twitters

The high-tech event took place in Abingdon, Maryland, and just as soon as the minister pronounced the happy couple to be “man and wife,” the groom, Dale Hanna whipped out his cell phone and immediately updated his Facebook page, and then he Twittered the news to all of his friends who couldn’t make it to the ceremony.   As the guests in the audience started giggling, the minister who was in on the stunt, told everbody that the groom was updating his relationship status.  After the quick posting, he handed his bride Tracy’s phone to her and she did the same on her page.

Hanna later explained, “I have a lot of family scattered around the country and we all use Facebook a lot to keep in touch. So when Tracy and I were engaged, most of my family found out via Facebook because we updated our statuses.”

In case you’re wondering what Dale tweeted from the altar, here it is:  “Standing at the altar with @TracyPage where just a second ago, she became my wife! Gotta go, time to kiss my bride. #weddingday”

Was this Tacky, or Techie?  Tell us what you think in the Comments.

Posted by on December 2, 2009 • Filed under: culture, technology, Twitter, Videos • Tagged: , , , , ,

Morning Lineup – November 21

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Hardly a week goes by that we don’t see a story about how Twitter is, or isn’t, on the brink of making billions of dollars for its developers.  So far, despite its tremendous popularity, nobody has figured out how to turn it into a money machine.  But Twitter has something like 60 million people signed up and Tweeting, and the internet biggies like Microsoft and Google are trying to come up with a plan to tap into that potential market.  It seems to be that using their search engines is the way to go.

Yahoo! thinks they have cracked the nut and are starting to utilize Twitter on their search engine, supposedly starting this past Thursday.  The Associated Press explains:

Yahoo is relying on Twitter to highlight the latest news about specific subjects. When a user enters a search request tied to breaking news, Yahoo will top the results page with four tabs — one for direct links to news sites, one for photos, one for video and one dedicated to Twitter.

Clicking on a Twitter tab will show news links posted by Twitter users. Some of the links will be drawn from Twitter accounts set up by the news media, such as CNN and The Associated Press, while others will be pulled from people pointing out a story they find interesting.

Google’s search page has “tabs” at the top also, namely Images, Video, Maps, News, Shopping, Gmail, and More.  No Twitter (or Facebook).  I clicked on the “More” tab, but still no Twitter.  I went to the Yahoo! search engine and entered “Miley Cyrus,”  certainly a “breaking news” topic with that fatal tour bus accident yesterday, but there aren’t any Twitter tabs or even any links in the results yet.  Anyway, they’ve got an interesting concept and has some good potential with this growing trend of the Citizen Journalist to get photos and information uploaded to Twitter as the news is actually happening.

But it seems to me like the technological advances these days are popping up so fast that innovations like this are left behind within weeks and it’s on to the next Great Digital Adventure.

Well, let’s get a great equipment adventure started and get the morning check list started.  I need to get some more coffee going, too.

Posted by on November 21, 2009 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , , , ,

Morning Lineup – October 19

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The early shake-down of the new blog adventure, FireEMS Blogs, has passed pretty smoothly.  This wasn’t something that just came out of a box and was plugged into the internet.  It took many months of programming, designing and “imagineering” to get it up and running.  I’m very impressed with Go>Forward Media’s accomplishment.  As far as my little corner of the blogisphere goes, it went well.  I think there were one or two sudden-panic moments when it first turned on, but they were quickly straightened out.

And the new Comments program appears to have been easily adapted by our readers.  It’s functioning just fine, but at my end I’m still discovering some new features of it.  As an example, I made an entry on Twitter yesterday referencing one of the postings and it also showed up in the Comments of that story.  It’s my understanding that this will also be applied soon to Facebook entries.  If somebody posts a link to one of my stories on their Facebook wall, then you can comment on it directly from there.  I’m not sure how that works, but we’ll learn by doing, I suppose.  As I said the other day, this is the beginning of a new era in digital communications.

Speaking of Comments, one of our readers sent us an email yesterday saying that he wasn’t getting any “confirmation” back after “registering” as a Commenter.  In fact, this is something that has been confusing since we first started publishing back in April, 2007.  There is a  box somewhere that can lead you to believe that you have to register before you can leave a comment.  But this feature has always been turned off on our site.  I don’t know why the publishing program (WordPress) displays this when it’s been disabled, but it does and sometimes leads to people filling out the little box and sending it in.  So I will remind everybody, you don’t need to “register” before you leave a comment.  Just ignore that thing.

The value of Comments was quite evident last night and this morning.  Following our posting about the Grand Island FD putting bone drills on their ambulances (HERE) we have received many comments from medics who are already using this device in the field and they are very pleased with the way it operates.  Now Firegeezer hasn’t seen the inside of an ambulance since the crew of the Bounty mutineed, so this was the first I had heard of this handy tool.  But within a few hours, we’re getting lots of valuable feed back on the device.  That’s the internet on cruise control ….. doing what it’s meant to do.

And thanks again to everybody who took the time and effort to email us complimenting us on the new design.  It’s truly appreciated.

I am sorely in need of some coffee, so I’m going to go get a pot started while you take care of the equipment check.  It’s Monday, so the list is a little longer.   We’ll meet back in the day room in a little while.

Posted by on October 19, 2009 • Filed under: morning lineup • Tagged: , , ,