I know, you have all been patiently waiting for me to write on this page here. It's actually kind of funny, but I see people in various places and that's what they ask me. Hey, what are you going to update your rant page again? I laugh because I didn't think anyone actually read it. With studying for the exam and then other things in the last month, I've just not had the time. Although, it isn't for lack of things to talk about. I certainly have many things I could discuss. The first would be I've had enough of funerals lately and hope we get a break (this week's update is coming, I'm just waiting on some photos from Thursday and Saturday). It certainly has been a rough go lately. My friend and fellow Stoneham FF Bill McNulty lost his wife to breast cancer last month and that was tough. They are both real nice people and everyone loved Doreen. She taught my daughter how to skate and was just someone you could talk to with ease. She was well liked, which was fairly clear by the very long lines at the wake. She really was special and am honored I was fortunate enough to know her. The LOD death of Jon Davies out in Worcester was an incredible tragedy. That city's fire department has just not had it easy and to have to do another one of these funerals just after the anniversary of the Cold Storage Fire, well I don't think there are any words that are suited to sum that up. I had plans of going to the funeral, but something happened at the last minute to keep me from making it, but I managed to see the funeral on TV. While I don't always have a high regard for the media, I have to say they did a nice and respectible job with the funeral coverage. It was a great send off for our brother. I did make it to Sarah Fox's funeral on Saturday and that was a pretty sad event too. I didn't know too much about her and had never met her before. But, from the stories I heard she sounded like a really great person and touched a lot of lives. I felt really bad seeing her young kids, a very unfair set of circumstances indeed. One firefighter commented that when people see us in dress uniform, they automatically ask "who died?" It does seem like 99 percent of the time that is when we wear the Class A's doesn't it? And it seems to me it's been far too many times lately. I hope we all can get a break from bad news for a little while and have some...well boring times ahead. I've learned that boring isn't necessarily a bad thing.
I won't go on forever, but since I have a back log of stuff I'd love to gripe about, I'll leave you with this one thing for now. Merry Christmas everyone. Not Happy Holidays, not Good Tidings, not Season's Greetings, not anything else. Merry Christmas. Because...CHRIST is the reason for the season. Not the 10 million dollars of debt that we will be in or the over pricd fruit bowl we bought the person we don't even like just because we had to. For me, comparing last year to this year...I am humbled to thank God for what I DO have and am not as concerned about what I don't have. Be safe everyone.
I have been studying for the LT exam in November and haven't had the time or the brain power to really think about anything to write here. But, I recently was sent this clip which I think is interesting and would be worth a listen if you have a few minutes. CLICK HERE.
A couple of people mentioned to me that they were surprised I didn't write anything here for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Well, to be honest, I really wasn't sure what to say. It's been 10 years and it still sucks and it's still emotional. I was asked to do an interview by a reporter regarding my thoughts on 9/11, which I declined to do. I just prefered to keep my thoughts to myself I suppose, plus I'm a little suspect when it comes to any media coverage. While what I saw on TV looked to be professional and well done, I still am not a big fan of how the media operates these days. It's all about the story and getting people to read or watch and nothing about the people involved. You are just a story and not a person. People are exploited to sensationalize whatever story they are trying to pass along. A spin is put on the story and you can be made out to be a bad person, a good person, or whatever they want you to be regardless of what the real facts are. I guess that is what gets me, firefighters are exploited for the story and given acolades on one day, but as soon as 9/11 is over then the negativity starts again. It's all about how they can use you for their gain and nothing else. So, I opted to keep my thoughts to myself. Methuen had their own small service in the morning which my wife and I attended. It was well done, the fire department tolled out 5-5-5 on the large bell next to the station before having the service move a short way down the road to a bridge that is dedicated to the six Methuen residents that died on that day. They also included the two USMC soldiers from Methuen that died in battle following the events of 9/11. The fire chief and police chief spoke, the fire chaplin said a prayer, and several politicians offered their thoughts. FF James Garrity sang the national anthem and God Bless America. To close the event, a wreath was placed on the bridge in memory of all those who perished on 9/11 and the war afterwards, particularly those 8 individuals. I thought the service was tastefully and well done. The only thing that I can offer is that I will never forget the sacrifices made on that day nor the sacrifices made since. The lives lost in the Middle East in the war and the firefighters that have died from illness related to the toxic dust they inhaled at ground zero. And I'm grateful for their sacrifices every day, not just on one particular one.
A few things for this entry. First, have you ever noticed that when you buy something with electronic storage, such as a computer or an IPod, that the amount of space the device is advertised as having is never what's actually available when you buy the item? Take an IPod or MP3 player for instance. It might say it has 8 GB storage, but in reality it only has a little over 6 because of the applications that it has pre-installed. And these applications can not be deleted, so you will never have 8 GB of space to put your music or other files on to. And that really isn't what one would call a big deal to me, but it would be nice if they advertised it as such. I don't really care what the amount of space it has before they install the uninstallable applications, I want to know much space it has to put stuff on. And a lot of the time when you go to the store, it's not that easy to find out what the actual available space is. It should be shown on the display, in clear and unmistakable lettering so that everyone knows what exactly they are getting.
And here is a little something to watch for anyone that pays your bills electronically. I set up my payments on the day they are due and not before. The reason I do this is because some friends in banking told me that if you pay your bills early, the money sits in the creditor's account and earns them more interest. Most of my credit cards and non-fixed rate accounts bumped my interest up 15 percent or better just because they felt like it even though I always paid on time and have good credit. So, I don't feel they should have their payments early and earn even more interest. I happened to check one of my accounts and noticed I was assessed a late fee even though my payment was not late. I called the customer service center to find out what that was all about. I was told that even though my payment was set up for the due date, it can take them up to 48 hours to process my payment. Because the payment was listed as "processing" and not "posted" it was deemed to be late. I said, I don't think so. Here's where it gets funny. I asked the fellow if I had mailed a check and they received it on the due date would it be late. He said no. I asked does it still take 48 hours or more to process. He said yes. So...what is the difference? He had no answer. While he did remove the late fee, his advice was that I should make my payments several days in advance of the due date so that it would have time to process. I was a little miffed by this and I did some checking. If the payment is received by them on the due date, either by mail or electronically, they can not legally charge you a late fee regardless of how long it takes them to "process" your payment. If it shows on your account as being received by the company, it's not late. And while I can't say this is what this particular company is doing, I have learned through some friends that other creditors have tried to pull this so that customers will pay their bills earlier than the due dates. Then the payments can sit in the accounts longer and accrue more interest. It's not really the late fee they are trying to get out of you, they want you to pay your bills sooner than the due date. Just something to watch out for.
And lastly, a quick thing that just annoys me a little bit. Why is it that so few people say "thank you" or just "thanks" anymore? I know I've talked about this before, but I just don't get it. You hold open a door for someone and they just walk by and don't say thanks. You help out someone at the store when they can't reach something and they just walk away. Even email requests, someone asks me for help with something via email and I give them a hand and then never hear back. I don't care about the accolades, it's just that it's plain rude. This is not the type of manners I was taught and I know most people that are at least 30 or 40 were taught the same way. And we wonder why the teens and younger people all have attitudes. Because these are all older adults that should know better that I'm holding the door open for, grabbing something on the top shelf, and assisting with requests. A simple "thanks" can go a long way. And I don't want to hear that these people are busy either. So am I, but I took the time to hold the door open, grab their item, or assist them with their request. If you have time to ask for help, you have time to say thank you.
It never ceases to amaze me how rude and inconsiderate people can be. I went to my daughter's 8th grade graduation the other night. That is another story in of itself as I don't quite understand why they have these. Yes, it's a bit of a milestone to go from 8th grade to high school, but it just seems to me like everything is put into overkill so that when a great achievement is accomplished it doesn’t...well...seem that great. When I was young, we didn’t have these things. And when you graduated high school it was a huge thing as it was the culmination of 12 years of school. It was closing the book on being a kid and starting life as an adult. Now it seems like we have a party and celebration for anything and everything, which to me diminishes the greater accomplishments. That’s just me though and if people think it’s great to have these added milestone celebrations that’s perfectly fine. I just think it’s a bit much at times. Anyway, as my daughter is going up to get her certificate, some lady steps right in front of me and stands there so she can take a picture of another kid in line. This is a quick thing, so there was no time for me to even say anything to her before my daughter had her certificate and was going back to her seat. So she ruined my shot of my kid getting her certificate so she could have a picture of her kid (or whomever’s kid) standing in a line. Nice. And she could care less that she ruined anyone else’s shot, as long as she got what she wanted. And this is pretty much the mentality of people today. As long as I get what I want, who cares about anyone else. Oblivious and perfectly happy in their own stupidity. This isn’t something that is unique to the other day, this happens all the time. No one looks around to see if anyone else might be taking photos or video or tries to at least make an attempt to not get in the way. Now, there are still some people that are respectful and courteous. It just seems like the balance is continually swaying towards the rude and uncaring over the ones that do try and be courteous. If people are respectful of others, everyone will get their photos and there will be no one left out. So, to all the young photographers out there just starting out, please don’t be a jackass. Don’t jump in front of other people taking photos, don’t stand up and walk in front of them, and always be aware of what’s going on around you. Or perhaps one day your special shot will be ruined by another uncaring individual who only wants to get theirs and doesn’t care about yours.
Well, it's pretty exciting to see the Bruins win the Stanley Cup. I've waited a long time and have to say I'm pretty pumped up about it. Congratulations to all the players, they certainly worked hard and earned this victory. It's really great to see all the support the Bruins have gotten and how all the people have gotten behind them. I wonder how many of the people out there celebrating are die hard fans and how many are late comers or band wagon jumpers. That's not a rant or dig, just an observation from someone that has followed them for many, many years. I've been a fan my whole life and there didn't seem to be as much interest in the team five years ago when they didn't make the playoffs. I went to some games and the arena was half full. Which, I can understand given what ticket prices are and whatnot. But, the other local teams were doing great and my friends would say to me that I was wasting my time watching them and that I shouldn't waste my money getting new Bruins sweatshirts or going to any games. Funny how many of these people are now wasting their time watching the team isn't it? Well, I can say that I was watching them when the interest wasn't as high and really enjoy this bitter-sweet moment. It's sweet for obvious reasons. It's bitter because they are a little late in winning for my sister who passed away just under 3 years ago. Janice was the one that got me into hockey when I was a young boy and was a true die hard fan. Win or lose, she watched every game and loved it. It didn't matter if they lost 9-1, she would say at least they didn't get shut out and what a good goal that 1 was. She loved them and I enjoyed all the times we went to games or talked about them. I wish she was here now to celebrate with us. But, I bet she is looking down from heaven with a big smile on her face pumping her fist. And I would be remiss if I didn't thank her again for all the games she took me to when I was a kid and all the games we watched together. She was a great sister and a wonderful friend and I miss her every day. I'm sure this victory is special to all the Bruins fans for many different reasons. For me, this is one is special because of her. Thank you Bruins, for in my mind, this win was for her.
Yes, I know it's been a very long time since I've done an entry. The long and short of it is that I was separated from my wife for a period of time through no desire of my own. I was advised by my legal council to be cautious of what I posted to the internet, so I decided it was best to refrain from any entries to this page and just stick to the news. Since then, a bit of a miracle took place and my wife and I are back together and working everything out. It was a pretty rough go for me, but after what I've seen in the last year, I have a renewed faith. A lot can be said for taking the high road and doing things the right way even if people think you should be nasty. The rewards are far greater than I could have ever imagined.
With that, I have a lot of making up to do in the rant page. And boy do I have one for you. Free Credit Report.Com. Free should be free right? Yeah, I don't think so. A few months ago I wanted to check my credit report and figured since I see these commercials all the time I'd check out the site. Seemed pretty easy, a quick sign up and they give you all three credit reports. It's not exactly free, it cost $1 and then you have a membership that you are signed up to. It's like $25 or $30 a month, but you have 10 days to cancel and you won't get charged. Fair enough. So I signed up and got my credit reports. A few days passed and I called to cancel that trial membership. Now, I figured I was in for a treat since you can't cancel it online, you have to call. I get this lady who naturally tries to convince me to keep the membership. I say I don't want it, but it doesn't stop there. She keeps offering me different services and ends each pitch by saying "I'll go ahead and charge your card for that". I'm like, no you're not. Now keep in mind that I don't know for certain that she's cancelled the membership yet, so just hanging up isn't an option yet. We go back and forth for a few minutes and finally after saying I don't want anything that they have to offer and not to ask me about anything else does she finally confirm it's been cancelled. I hang up with her but have a feeling I'm not done yet. After a few more days, I decide to check my credit card statement and you got it, there is a charge from Free Credit Report.Com for just under $30. I call back and am told that this is because I got all 3 credit reports. They charge $1 if you only get 1, but $30 if you get all 3. This is a pretty big rip off since you can get 1 free credit report from each agency every year. None the less, I never saw anything that said I would be charged more than $1. I had printed out the page when I signed up and nothing there, nor was their anything on the email receipt that I got. I explained this to the customer service rep and he just kept repeating himself over and over again saying that it's their policy to charge that much when you order and that it's clearly pointed out. Yet, he couldn't seem to explain that why on neither receipt it said this and only said I'd be charged $1. Finally I gave up with him and filed a complaint with my credit card. They did whatever they do and I was credited for that amount. So, the moral to this story is that you should stay away from "Free" Credit Report.com and just get your credit reports from the actual credit bureaus and save yourself the aggrevation.
And speaking of without proper care and service, I can not believe the state of things in Lawrence. While most of us understand the economy is in the toilet, how can a large city with a large volume of fire activity lay off half of their firefighters and close half of their fire stations in just over a year and think that it's going to work out ok? Did the mayor really think the surrounding communities were going to be ok with having their firefighters supplement their manpower by the overuse of mutual aid? Mutual aid is a beautiful thing when used properly. It's one thing that you have a big incident and need help, it's another when a department is coming to your city nearly every day because you don't have enough companies to respond to calls. Everyone loves going out of town to help another department fight a big fire. No one likes having to go mutual aid constantly to do their regular runs. Especially the chiefs, they have their own budgets to deal with. And it's the guys and gals in the rigs that are stuck in the middle of it all. It's just a big mess. And if that's not bad enough, now the mayor wants volunteer camera crews to follow the firefighters because he believes they are not responding fast enough to calls. Seriously? Three out of six stations are closed and they are not getting there fast enough? Well gee, who's fault is that? Are they supposed to drive a thirty ton fire truck at 80 miles an hour through a dense city because the station that would have put firefighters on the scene in three minutes is closed? I don't know too much about this mayor over there, but after what I've read in the last few weeks, he doesn't seem like he's all there. I mean, who does stuff like that? All I can say is I feel for the Lawrence Firefighters and pray that none of them get hurt during these sad times.
Sorry that there haven't been any "rants" of late, but it takes a lot of time to do the updates every week and sometimes I'm just out of gas by the time I've updated all the other sections. I was having a conversation the other day and I was asked why is it that politicians are allowed to do favors for some people and then flat out deny the same requests to others. Well, I think the answer is quite simply that politicians and city officials have been playing the "wash my back I'll wash yours" game forever and I don't really see it ever stopping. It's the old saying of it's not what you know, it's who you know. As with just about everything else, the reason corruption and favoritism exists is because underneath it all we are human and have our own interests and desires despite what the elected role might be. Power is something people abuse because they are able to and often the temptations are too great. But, like many other situations, power is allowed to be abused by others because someone else is also benefiting from it. While the blunt of the blame falls on the individual abusing their power, some blame must also be shared by others. Therefore, there will always be someone with an interest in keeping a certain person in power so that they can continue to receive some type of benefit, regardless of how good or bad this politician may be. Even history's worst rules had their supporters, most of which had something to gain by having that person in power. If no one asked or expected to be given special privileges because they know a certain somebody, then there would be far less corruption. If no one tempted a politician with a tit for tat offer that was too good to refuse, then there would be less corruption. If a big company offers an "incentive" to a politician to vote a certain way, is it not also the company's responsibility for offering such a deal? Shouldn't the company operate with some type of dignity and honor and not expect to use their wealth and influence to sway a politician to their corner? As they saying goes, in a perfect world. But, the sad reality of it is, it's not a perfect world. Too many people only care about their little circle and will do what they need to get what it is they desire. Right and wrong is a blurred line that is constantly moving with each person's point of view. That line is further blurred by the needs and desires of the public who are looking for what they deem to be their slice of the piece. And I only see it getting worse as the selfish behavior becomes more and more intolerable. I see it all the time with kids, less and less have any manors at all and respect has gone out the window all together. How does that translate for the future? If you think people are selfish and uncaring now, wait until the next group of kids grows up. I've heard this called the "Me Generation" and if that's the case, then the future politicians the the future constituents greasing their palms are only going to be worse than what we have now. To paraphrase Betty Davis, fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy tomorrow.
I try and avoid reading the guest comments under news articles, as it usually affirms my belief that only idiots that have nothing better to do with their time make comments. Once and a while I'll find a comment that was halfway intelligent, but most of the time they seem to be posted by people that just enjoy making hateful statements about things they know nothing about. Since my last rant was about the EMT thing, I'll use that as an example. It seems like people that hate unions are the ones that post the most often. The union is to blame for everything from the scandal itself to trying to do its job and defend its members. First, that shows how uninformed these people are since many of the EMTs that were caught up in that debacle work for private ambulance companies that don't have unions. They are not part of any IAFF union either. It amazes me how so many have jumped on the "hang em high" band wagon, yet if they received the same treatment they would have been outraged. The state suspended all of these EMT's certificates without even interviewing them. They did their "investigation" and then handed out punishment without talking to the individuals. They handed down the punishment and then said, you can all appeal it if you desire. How long will that take? Meanwhile many are without jobs while they wait for their turn to plead their case. The last time I checked, this is the United States and in this country you are innocent until proven guilty. How can you be proven guilty when the accused EMTs haven't been given an opportunity to defend themselves? And how would these people that have jumped on the band wagon like it if one day they went into work at their office, were accused of wrong doing and then fired without even being given a chance to offer an explanation or show evidence to the contrary? They would be up in arms, calling lawyers, calling the labor board, calling the newspapers. Yet, they jump on the chance to condemn people when the don't have all the facts themselves. Did all these posters see the evidence? Did they talk to the state investigators and then to the accused EMTs? I don't think so. They formed opinions based on what the biased media fed them and because everything that is a public service has become the enemy. It's like some other countries where the fire and EMS services are looked upon as government positions and therefore are looked down upon by the general public. If the EMTs made a mistake and skipped out on a class, then it's a mistake. And they should be dealt with on an individual basis, not a sweeping one punishment fits all. I mean, like I said before, what if you showed up and the instructor said, hey buddy, I got to take off. Just put your name on the roster and screw. What are you supposed to do? Complain and then you are blackballed by your co-workers? I know what a lot of people in business do. They say, yeah baby, I'm going to the beach. You think I'm kidding? I know people that work in the business world that make a lot more than I do. They go to seminars and meetings that they are being paid to attend and then the person in charge will say "hey, don't come back after lunch, I'm finished". Do they go back to the office? Hell no! They go home, go to the beach, go shopping, or do whatever while they are still being paid by their company. Or, they leave the office to do something business related, finish early, and then go home rather than go back to the office. Hmmm. I guess it's ok for them to do it because, well, their meetings weren't that important to begin with. Right? And this is private business, no one needs to know. Right? It's ok for one to do that and not the other? Right? So, if one of these people were to get fired because they took off after lunch, I wonder if they would go post on the internet and say how justified the company was and that they shouldn't have taken the opportunity. Maybe they'll even post their real name, like OEMS did to the EMTs, just so everyone knows exactly who they are. I'm sure they would. Because fair is fair. Right? Sure. Same with the people that are applauding the lay offs in Lawrence. If their house burns down because the station closest to them is closed, they won't complain right? They'll say, hey I knew that was a gamble but I applaud the mayor for not bowing to the unions and cutting costs when they needed to be cut. I can rebuild, way to go mayor. Those possessions weren't important to me anyway. Go ahead and cut some more. Right, I'm sure that's exactly what they would say.
I've had a lot of discussions with people regarding the "EMT scandal" that has been reported in the news a lot lately. I was going to avoid the subject, but it's gotten to be like that pink elephant in the room. Kind of hard to ignore. I've read and heard a lot of the news stories and to the credit of many of the media outlets, they've left their opinions out of it and just reported what was being released for information. A few have gone into opinion mode or have taken the route of interviewing those that have a strong opinion. What I'd like to say here is that while what the EMTs did was in poor judgment, that doesn't make them bad people. Some of these people they interview or even the news people themselves almost try and make the EMTs out to be criminals. Like they are harming the public and putting safety at risk. I think that is an unfair assessment. I am in no way going to say that what they did was right. However, as someone that spent many years in private EMS, I do want to offer another side to this. Just because they were offered a class that they didn't actually have to participate in doesn't make them criminals. It makes them normal human beings with busy lives. Many of these EMTs are no doubt upstanding, experienced, and a tribute to their profession. They made a bad choice because they had a lot going on in their lives. These are people with years of experience that know what they are doing. They are not putting the public in jeopardy because they do this every day. They have done more codes and traumas than politicians have told lies. So, when someone says "hey, I know you have problems with child care, why don't you just pay for the class but not show up", what is one to say? It's easy to sit back and say, you have to do it because it's part of your job. It's easy to say, but put yourself into the shoes of a single mom who's only income is working as an EMT. She has to find someone to watch her child to take the classes and turn down overtime which she desperately needs. Yes, I know there would be a million rebuttals to this, I'm just saying try and look at it from a different perspective. That EMT has been working an ambulance for 40-60 hours a week for eight years. She knows what she's doing and has valid reasons for being tempted to take that offer. Not everything is cut and dry. The answer of those EMT's are lazy and don't want to go is simply unfair. Especially the people that work for the private ambulance services, those guys do not make a lot of money and depend upon whatever overtime they can get just to make ends meet. They put themselves in harms way, exposing themselves to traffic on the streets and disease at every turn trying to help their fellow mankind. All for short money and someone always complaining that they didn't get a nurse's signature at the hospital. And most of them are very good people that really care about what they are doing. They are just like everyone else in the world, busy with work and family and a whole host of other things being thrown at them. It is only natural that they might take an opportunity to skip out on a class, in December mind you, to work overtime to help pay for Christmas gifts. And by doing so, it doesn't mean they are horrible people. It just means they are human and made a error in judgment. And have any of these news people or naysayers ever attended an EMT refresher before? It's 28 hours of pure boredom. No offense to the instructors either, the material is just plain dry. My thought here is why not have different types of refreshers depending upon how many hours one works. So someone that only works a few shifts a year or doesn't at all but wants to keep it would have the more basic type and someone that works 40+ hours a week would have a curriculum that would be more interesting and perhaps useful. I have sat through countless refreshers and classes that were really pointless. I mean, does someone that works on a ambulance full time really need to be refreshed in how to take a blood pressure? Or how to put oxygen on someone? God, I hope not. So you sit there poking yourself in the eye hoping that you don't damage your eyesight before the class is over. The state really needs to look at the refreshers and see how they can offer more useful information to those that work full time instead of going over the same crap that they do every day. As a point of personal information, I was an EMT for 17 years before it gave it up in 2008 to spend time with my sister before she passed away. It was a choice I don't regret because I needed the refresher and CEUs and I did not want to spend what would be my last Christmas with my sister in classes. I am not required to be an EMT in Stoneham, nor are EMTs given any extra money or incentive just for the record. Anyone that is an EMT retains it because they choose to do so. It was a difficult choice, but one that I felt was best. And to be honest, if someone said to me, hey Johnny, I'll put you on the roster, go spend time with your sister, I would have thought about it. I don't know if I would have done it, but I would have thought about it. Does that make me a bad person? I would hope that most people would say no. That giving the offer consideration was understandable. (No one did just for the record). SO, before the uninformed started calling all these EMTs criminals and other names, maybe they should try putting themselves in their shoes and gain a better understanding of their side of the story.
Those that frequent the department listing pages may notice that some tables are starting to look a little different. A few weeks ago I finally finished tabling the NH departments, which puts all of the listings in the same table format. Now, I am trying to upgrade the tables a little bit by putting photos in a separate column instead of having the name of the unit or station hyperlinked. This looks better I think and will allow for multiple photos of the same thing to be with that particular item. I am also separating fire apparatus from certain other types of vehicles such as ambulances and support vehicles by putting in breaks in the table with their own heading. I think this looks nicer and is helpful with larger departments that have a lot of vehicles. I will also be mixing up the tables from cities and towns that utilize multiple fire departments, such as so many in Connecticut and Rhode Island. Within the table, I will be separating each department so that their equipment is listed separately. They will still be under the same community, but listed separately as that has been the request of many firefighters that work for these departments. I am currently doing this to departments that I'm working on when updates and photos come in if time allows. So, it might look a little odd for a while to come where one table might have changes but the one before and after it does not.
There are many things I could probably complain about this week, but I'm going to limit it to just my experience with Comcast last weekend. On Friday night my phone went out, which seemed to be the case in the area. However, after most people got their service back within a few hours, mine was still out on Saturday morning. I tried resetting the phone modem, but that didn't do anything. So, I called Comcast. I waited 3 1/2 hours on hold. Yes, 3 1/2 hours. My wife tried calling from her cell phone and waited on hold with me for a period of time before trying back and asking for other departments. She was transferred back to the queue twice before finally getting someone that would try and help. This fellow could only tell us that there was a problem in the area. This didn't make sense to me since friends of my wife's had gotten their service back the night before. But, we said ok, and went without service for the rest of the day. Sunday morning, still no phone. So, we call again and wait on hold for several more hours. Once again, we tried calling other departments and after a few jerks that just wanted to transfer us back into the queue, one lady said she would call us back when she found something out. An hour later she did call back and said that she couldn't get through either and would call us back. Four hours later, I finally got fed up and decided to try back. I actually got someone in the phone department. Evidently there was an issue with their phone lines at Comcast and they were unable to pick up calls in the queue. I'll get back to that in a second, but to fix my issue all they had to do was click a button on her keyboard and voila the service was back. So, 2 days of no service and being on hold fixed by something that took ten seconds. The gripe I have here is that why didn't Comcast post a message to their website, put a message on their main phone line, or at least tell the custom service people in other departments that there was an issue. You can't tell me that they didn't know where was a problem. They had to have figured it out pretty quick given how many calls they must get in an hour. This question was posed to them in a follow up call and all the could say was um, ah, and sorry for the inconvenience. They did give us $25 off our bill for having no service for 2 days and for all the time wasted on hold, so I guess that's something. I would like to think that in the future if they have a similar problem that they'll have some common sense and post a message somewhere or tell the other departments there is a problem, but somehow I doubt it.
An update from my issue with Amazon. They corrected the problem and all is right with the world again. But, as I said before, you have to keep a close eye on your transactions to make sure they are correct. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. And of course, take a moment to reflect upon what Memorial Day is really about. While many consider it the start of summer and a time to fire up the grills and once again enjoy outdoor cooking, we just must also remember what the purpose of the holiday is. To honor and remember those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can have our cookouts and go about our business. Remember those like Sgt John Basilone, the Marine Medal of Honor recipient, who died at Iwo Jima fighting for our freedom. From the Revolutionary War, to WWI, to WWII, to Korean and Vietnam, all the way to present day in the Middle East. Men and women are sacrificing their lives so that we can do the little things that we do everyday. Remember them this weekend.
Here is my latest gripe that also serves as a word of caution. Ok, not really a word of caution, but more of something to keep your eye out for in this specific situation. If you use Amazon.com and pre-order something with a balance from a gift card and then cancel that order, be sure they refund your gift card balance. I placed a pre-order for something recently using what was left on my gift card to pay for part of it. The balance is immediately withdrawn, unlike the credit card that is not charged until the items ships. Shortly after pre-ordering the item, I found that it would be available sooner locally and that it would actually be cheaper since I would get a member discount from the store. I cancelled my order through Amazon, however the amount used from the gift card was not returned to my gift card balance page. I knew to keep watch for this because this had happened once before. I had pre-ordered a book with a small part of the price being paid with a left over gift card balance. The book was delayed six months, so I decided to cancel the order. I didn't think about the balance until months later when I went to order something else. By then it was too late to do anything about it. This time I watched for it and after a few days of checking and seeing the funds were not returned to the gift card balance page, I contacted Amazon. The response was that they couldn't see that a gift card balance was used and that the balance was zero when I placed the order. Well, I know for a fact that this was not the case since I checked the balance before I placed the order and when I checked out there was a page that asked me if I wanted to apply the balance of my gift card to the order. The email I received also said that they can give me a complete run down of how each gift card was used and applied, so I asked them to do that and have not yet heard back. The question here is this: Since this has happened to me twice, is this a glitch in the system that they are unaware of or is this something they know about but choose to do nothing about? It would be easy to say that it's just an honest mistake. That maybe when you use part of a gift card balance and a credit card at the same time that if you cancel the order an error can take place and your gift card balance is not refunded. This is very possible, but given that the other issue took place a few years ago, one would think the techies would have fixed that by now. I also did a search on the internet and found that a number of other people reported similar issues over a span of various years. So, this isn't something unique to me nor is it unique to a certain time frame. So, the question would be, if this has happened to multiple people over the course of several years, why isn't it fixed? The pesimistic answer would be that they know about it and leave it alone on purpose hoping that when someone cancels an order that they might forget and not persue the gift card balance, like I did the first time. And I know companies do this, because many moons ago I worked for a company that would lease equipment and not tell the customer when the lease was up because it would then go into a rental phase. Some people would forget about the automatic debit and pay for the thing three and four times over. So, that's why I say, it's not beyond possibility that they do it on purpose. So, the point of all this is that if you use a gift card at Amazon.com and then cancel your order, make sure your balance is refunded right away.
Have you ever noticed that over the course of your life things change and yet you don't know how or even when it happened? This seems to be especially true when it comes to social changes or what is considered politically correct. One minute something is ok, the next is isn't. Yet, no one knows who changed the rules or even why. One thing that seemed to happen overnight was that a black person is now an African American. I don't have a problem with that, a race should feel comfortable with what others refer to them as. I just don't know who decided to make that change. It just kind of appeared on documents and everyone started saying African American. Maybe I missed the memo, but I never saw anything that even suggested the average black person was not happy with being called black. I asked a few black people I know and they didn't seem to know how the change was made or even why. I would think if our government is going to change how you refer to a race they would ask the people involved. As far as I know, there were no petitions sent out or surveys or anything like that. It just changed all of a sudden one day. And why African American? Correct me if I'm wrong, but not every black person's heritage originates from Africa. Haiti and Jamaica are two other places that come to mind. I've known people that fit into this category, so why would I call them African Americans knowing their families came from other parts of the world? Kind of odd isn't it? And how do we know the person is American? Maybe they are visiting relatives or on vacation. If I'm wrong, then I apologize for that. But, it seems to me that someone somewhere decided to make this change, but didn't ask the people involved how they felt about it or if they even wanted a change.
Another thing that I always wondered is how do we take a word that means one thing and then assign it to something else. For instance, how did gay come to be a term we associate with homosexuals? I mean, up until a certain time it meant that you were happy. Then, someone decided that it now means a homosexual person. How did that happen? And who decided it? And how did everyone just accept that is the new meaning of the word? Kind of weird isn't it? And yet there is no official announcement that a word has a new meaning. Everyone just tells everyone else that they know and then in a short period of time the word changes. And what's even stranger is how multiple words change their meaning, yet not all are acceptable uses. For instance, if you refer to a homosexual person as being gay, well that's perfectly fine. They refer to themselves as that and would like for you to call them gay. But, fag for instance, is very bad and is a degrading term. Yet, the word originally meant something else. Again, somewhere down the line, someone someplace decided that fag would be a derogatory name for a homosexual and everyone in the country agreed. That amazes me. How does that happen? I know some gay people and we've discussed this. They don't know either. It just seems to be the way it is. Back in time, one day, gay meant happy and fag meant a bundle of sticks. Then all of a sudden, like magic trick, gay was the acceptable name for a homosexual and fag was the derogatory slang word for a homosexual. That is just incredible. And my question here would be....why gay? Why not another word? Who decided that gay would be the word to use and who signed off on it? How did that happen? Why not pill, or lamp, or chicken? No, someone decided gay would be the word to use and that was that. And it's not like you can say John Smith went to congress and said we should call homosexuals gay because of this that and the other thing. No, it just happened. No one knows who started it or why that word in particular was chosen. Since gay people don't mind being called gay, I guess it really doesn't matter. It's just the process that amazes me. One day a word means one thing, the next day it means something else and everyone seems to be ok with that even though no one knows how this change occurred. It leaves me to wonder what word will change meaning next and what group of people it'll be used to describe.
Yesterday I went up to Portsmouth NH to purchase some pink ribbon stickers. If you haven't heard, Porsmouth FF/PM Sarah Fox is battling cancer for the 2nd time and the prognosis is not very good. If the doctor's prediction is true and she has less than a year to live, then she'll leave behind a husband and 3 small children. Having lost two close family members to cancer in less than two years, this is something that just hit me. I never met Sarah or even emailed with her before. Yet, she's a firefighter and is having to undergo such a hardship that it does mean soemthing to me. So, I've put the information about the pink stickers on my front page in hopes that Portsmouth can raise enough money to help her family out. It is my understanding they have had a great start, but have some goals that they'd like to accomplish and are not near them yet. I hope that they can accomplish their goals, and even better yet, that somehow Sarah can beat it. There is no way around it, cancer sucks. And yet, now more than ever, it seems that's all you hear. There doesn't seem to be anyone that you talk to that they don't at least know someone that has it, is in remission from it, or died from it. My question is, what's the deal? Was cancer always this rampid and people just didn't know what it was? Or is something happening to make cancer cells grow in more and more people? I'm not a conspiricy theorist, but I've always wondered if our technology has determintal medical effects on us. Like I said, you never heard that so many people had cancer even fifteen years ago. Now, it's like every time you talk to someone a new person has been diagnosed. So, it's natural to wonder if our technological advances are partly to blame. We have cooking equipment, cell phones, game and television remotes, GPS, and whatever else that sends signals through our bodies constantly. How do we really know that they are harmless? They haven't been around all that long. And with the amount of money made on this technology, would the people making the money really care if it was? And I also asked this question before too, which is even if a cure for cancer was ever found, would it easily be put out to the masses? While cancer is a horrible thing, there are companies that make a lot of money treating those that have it. How willing would they be to give up their profits simply because a cure was found? And how much of a profit would the companies making the "cure drug" demand for it? Would it be only affordable to the wealthy? It's sad, but this is the kind of world we live in now. Where profit is more important than anything else. But, even with that, I do hold hope that compassion will overcome greed and that if a cure is eventually found, it will be made available for everyone. Only time will tell.
I received this really nice letter of thanks to all firefighters and have decided to post it. I will post it here for now since I'm rather short on time, but will find a place to keep it online permanently. With all the guff we get, it's nice to know there are those out there that really do care.
A Thank You to Firefighters
There are two words that members of the Fire Service do not hear nearly as often as they should. Those two words, although simple, are profound in importance. Those two words are thank you.
I wonder how many people are aware of the sacrifices--on every level--firefighters must make each time they report for a Tour of Duty. I wonder if people realize what a sacred oath it is to pledge your life to protect a complete stranger, a stranger who--all too often--never looks back, never turns around to say--thank you.
This is an expression of appreciation to one of the most compassionate and giving groups of people, as a whole, and individually, that I have ever had the privilege of knowing. This is a personal, and very heartfelt and sincere, thank you to every one of you who proudly wear the uniform, display the badge and have earned the title of...firefighter…defender, protector, friend.
Thank you, first and foremost, to those who have gone on before and have already given the ultimate sacrifice--your lives. You will never be forgotten.
To those who are left to carry on the legacy, thank you for risking your lives to protect the lives and property of total strangers. Thank you for being willing to subject your bodies to the intense and rigorous physical demands of one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Thank you for every job-related injury or illness you've suffered, major or minor, without complaint. Thank you for enduring the emotional strain and stress that, so often, goes untold and unnoticed.
Thank you for the countless times you've been woken from an exhausted slumber. Thank you for answering every call, no matter how trivial. Thank you to those of you who work in dangerous neighborhoods and in deplorable conditions. Thank you for safely navigating busy or narrow streets and for your endless patience with the ignorance of civilians who will not yield. Thank you for tolerating aging apparatus, the lack of necessary tools and equipment and the continual threat of budget cuts. Thank you for doing more with less.
Thank you for working in weather conditions and under circumstances not fit for animals, let alone, human beings. Thank you for every holiday and weekend, ball game and performance you've missed with your families and children. Thank you for every meal you've gulped or eaten cold, due to countless interruptions.
Thank you to those of you who hold additional jobs and titles within the Fire Service and the Armed Forces. Thank you for undergoing the grueling physical training and for educating yourselves in the ongoing technical courses that are a required part of your job. Thank you for your undying devotion to God, Country and your fellow man.
Thank you for willingly answering the call, both on and off duty, in your professional and personal lives. Thank you for the numerous times you've patiently answered questions, donned and doffed your bunker gear or lifted a starry-eyed child into the seat of an engine or truck company. Thank you for the thousands of waves and smiles you've freely given. Thank you for giving of yourselves in every conceivable way, until there is no more to give. Thank you.
There is an old proverb that says to understand a man, you must walk a mile in his shoes. The truth is that most of us would be unable to. Thank you for doing a dirty, dangerous job that requires great personal sacrifice, courage, commitment and stamina. Thank you for forgiving the lack of empathy and understanding you receive from civilians. Thank you for remaining, through every kind of adversity, a tightly knit "Band of Brothers". Thank you for the countless other things you do that are not mentioned here.
If you are a firefighter, thank you. Please know that every one of you is appreciated and that your lives matter. What you are doing in the service of others matters. If you know a firefighter, please take the time to thank one, sincerely, today. Don't wait-don't put it off until tomorrow. None of us are promised tomorrow, and tomorrow may be too late.
Every day around this Nation and around the world, our firefighters are called to put everything on the line for us. The very least that we can do is to express our appreciation with two simple, heartfelt words…thank you.
"I thank my God every time I remember you." Phillipians 1:3 (NIV)
I would like to thank everyone for all the emails of sympathy and to those that even went as far as sending cards. I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers. I've created a memorial page for my dad with some rememberances on it, which can be found at Click Here. This will be in lieu of my usual rant.
As an update to my previous entry, Chevy never called me back. Additionally, my wife's friend brought their vehicle to Commonwealth Motors for an inspection. The mechanics there said $500.00 worth of work was needed to be done in order to pass inspection. She had them put the rejected sticker on it and then took it to another garage where they found nothing wrong with it. However, the 2nd garage was unable to put an inspection sticker on it because in Mass, the inspection station that initially rejects the vehicle has to be the one that then passes it. Needless to say my wife's friend was furious. She returned to Commonwealth motors with the paperwork from the other garage, but they refused to pass the vehicle unless she had the work done. The last I heard on this is that her friend was contacting Chevy's corporate office. I don't know what they'll do since they only seem to be interested in giving you a bunch of blah blah blah on the phone but then perform no action. But, hopefully it'll get straightened out. So once again, I advise those in the Merrimack Valley to stay clear of Commonwealth Motors, at least their service department anyway. They are nothing but crooks and will hustle you out of money for repairs you don't need.
For those of you in the Merrimac Valley, this is my auto dealership warning to you. Stay away from Commonwealth Motors in Lawrence, they are scam artists. I will be brief, but here is my story. Last year before my warranty expired, I brought my Chevy Silverado in because of a problem with the ABS. They fix it and send me on my way. However, less than a year later, I being to experience the same problem, conveniently a few months after my warranty expired. To fully understand this, one must know that I put very few miles on my truck. I have just over 22,000 miles on it in the nearly 4 years that I've owned it. I don't have the paper in front of my, but if I was generous I'd say I put 5,000 miles on it from the time the ABS issue was fixed the first time until it began again. But, I don't even think it was close to that amount. At any rate, against my better judgement, I bring it to Commonwealth Motors because the ABS sensor that they replaced is still under a parts warranty. I go home and a short time later they call to say that the problem is being caused by buildup of dirt and rust behind the sensors and it will cost $135 to fix. I thought that was kind of odd, because if they had fixed it properly less than a year prior, then there shouldn't be enough buildup behind them to cause a problem. But, I said whatever and to go and fix the problem. Then, less than a half hour later, I receive a phone call back with them saying the left sensor (the one that isn't under warranty) is so frozen into place that they will have to break it and charge me $250 for the part. I wasn't too happy about this, but I needed my truck back so I said to go ahead and do what they had to do. While I know my way around computers pretty well, motor vehicles I'm not so great with, so I took their word for it that this was the best method. A short time later, they send the courtesy shuttle to pick me up and I'm on my way nearly $400 poorer. As the day progresses, I think to myself how is it possible that the sensor was so frozen now, but not back when the truck was under warranty? And further more, if they have to break a part, shouldn't they at least be responsible for part of the cost? I start checking into this. Remember I said I'm not good with vehicle repair, but I know people that are. My first call was to my friend's brother who is a service manager for Toyota. I tell him the story and he says...well I can't type here what he said, but I got taken. He said they could have sprayed the part with a foam spray that would have loosened up the part. He said that they didn't want to do that because it was time consuming and they couldn't charge me extra for labor since it was the spray doing the work and not a mechanic. Then he said not only was it faster, but they could then charge me for the part. While his expanation was good enough for me, I checked it with two other people that I know that are well versed in mechanical repair to which I was told the same thing. So, now I'm pissed. I answered Commonwealth's customer satsifaction survey negatively, but they didn't seem to care about my experience. However, I filled out Chevy's survey and explained the situation. Much to my surprise, I received a phone call from corporate headquarters. After explaining everything in detail to them, they said they wanted to open a claim and pursue this further. They were supposed to contact me today, but have not as of yet. Still, even if they blow me off, I thought it was decent that someone at least wanted to listen to my complaint. I can say this though, I will never go back to Commonwealth for anything. I hope their $250 part is worth losing a customer over. And while I'd never tell anyone what to do, if you are up in this area and are looking to have your vehicle serviced by them, I'd say avoid them like the plague. After doing some research online, I found that there are numerous complaints against them. Sadly enough, with auto sales down, it will be hard to find a dealer that is trustworth in my opinion. Service is where they make a lot of their money and they are going to stick it to you any chance they get.
If you saw the Channel 4 report this past week, then you can probably guess what my rant is about this week. If you didn't and for those out of the area, this is the scoop. Channel 4's "I Team" did an investigation on how firefighters use the apparatus to go to the grocery store to buy food for lunch and dinner. They followed a Boston engine company to Stop and Shop where they seemed to be appalled by the fact the guys were looking at fish and cookie dough amongst other things that would then be used to...oh boy...make lunch! I mean, the nerve of these guys really. And....one guy.....actually was looking at toothbrushes. The travesty of it all. What really was funny was how they had the hidden cameras photographing the truck in front of the store. I mean, it's not like any fire department tries to hide the fact they are at the store. I'd say many people have seen a fire truck at a grocery store or ran into the crew inside. Not like it's a big secret. As I watched this, I asked myself if the news really was that slow. Aren't there enough corrupt Politians to follow around and catch stealing public funds and calling in questionable favors? Seriously, they were buying stuff to eat while on shift. Then you had this guy who used to work in the finance office who seemed to be the driving force behind this. Yet, the number cruncher couldn't come up with a figure of how much extra fuel this is costing the city. It wouldn't be possible to do anyway, because many times these errand type runs are used as driver training or on the way back from doing an official assignment. They tried to make the engine crew out to be bad because they left the city to neighboring Somerville to go to the grocery store. What they failed to mention is that the store is literally on the city line, that there is no grocery store in their service area, and that there is another company in the same station that could also respond to calls. I like how these investigations tend to only pass along the things the news finds to be juicy, yet holds back on the other facts. What did impress me was that not only did the commissioner say he had no problem with this practice, but the rallying of the public behind the firefighters. The news station received many emails and posts from civilians that said they had no problem with the practice since the companies are available for calls and that many actually enjoy running into a crew. I know when I've been at the store while on shift, people will say hi, make small talk, and ask if their kids can look at the fire truck. I think it's actually good public relations as it gives you a chance to mingle with the public. It seems that the citizens didn't buy into this ridiculous story and I'm glad they didn't. Maybe one of these days the news should investigate the actions of their own reporters. While they go around trying to make everyone look like they are doing something wrong, I'm sure they are not white knights either. Like the poor guy that raises and lowers the draw bridge. He brought in a small grill and was making lunch outside his closet sized office because he had no place to put a microwave. You would have thought he was cooking small children on the grill the way the news lambasted him. I'd be willing to bet they have a few skeletons in their closets, but because they probably have some honor code they would never do a story on one of their own. And they have the nerve to talk about the firefighters and the cops. And what kind of benefits to they get? Funny how we know what everyone in America makes for money and gets for benefits except for news people. Maybe they should investigate that.
While it's great that so many organizations and celebrities are trying to fundraise for Haiti, it's kind of sad to think that no matter how much support we send and how much money we raise, we'll still be looked at as the selfish Americans. To some degree, I can see some nation's negative view, but others I don't get. The U.S. sends millions if not billions of dollars worth of relief at a moment's notice, yet as soon as the crisis is over they all seem to have a negative thing to say about us. Funny, you didn't seem to feel that way when you accepted the help. This is not to say Haiti would, I'm just saying in general from past events. And then you get the politician in France that accused the United States of occupying Haiti. Call me crazy, but how do you occupy a country when they want you there? It also makes me wonder when you see every celebrity come out of the woodwork when an international tragedy strikes. While I'm sure many have nothing but good intentions, you also have to wonder how many occupy the spotlight simply to show the world they are doing something good. The reason that I say this is because we have many issues plaguing good people in our own country, but you don't see pop stars, pro athletes, or big wigs running commercials and concerts to fundraise for them. Like the downtrodden Americans that have no where to go that don't even have a clean shelter to take up refuge in. Or a system that would rather investigate a healthy home because a child that shows no signs of abuse makes a false claim or a teacher jumps the gun, while other children slip through the cracks and are living with drug addicted parents that beat them, barely clothe them, and barely feed them. Or how about better assistance for the elderly who are constantly taken advantage of because they don't have the easy access to resources that they need. And what about the veterans? Soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan that don't have legs or lost an eye? These guys can't work regular jobs anymore, yet what the government gives them is not enough for one person to live off of let alone if they have children to support. I say to these people, what about them? Everyone wants to fix the world, yet no one wants to fix what's wrong at home. Maybe because when a disaster strikes, you run a fundraiser for a while, hand over the money, feel good about yourself, and then move on. Where these other issues are not as easy to tackle. They are more long term and require more of a commitment. I for one try and give as much as I can to charity over the course of the year. The recession has hit me hard as well, but I try and still remember those less fortunate, especially those that have given up so much in the name of our freedom. So when I wrote out my checks to charity last week, I made the decision to leave Haiti out of my donations since the celebs seem to be raising quite a bit without me. I instead donated to the American Paralyzed Veterans, Adopt A Platoon, Support Our Wounded, and the USO. I also donated to other organizations during the holidays that were helping the wounded and less fortunate veterans have a nice Christmas. I don't have a lot, but I'm thankful for what I do have and want to help those in need. And even when I'm tapped out for a time, I will always post fundraising requests on my site. I'm not telling you this so you'll think I'm great, I'm telling you this because I believe we need to take care of those that have taken care of us. I don't look for thanks or a spot light so the world can know I did my part. The spotlight should be on those that have made such honorable and life altering sacrifices. If not for them, there would not be the freedoms we have now. There would be no silly squabbles over politics, sports, religion, or whatever else we argue about. We would live in an entirely different world where the things we take for granted now would only be dreams in a dreary world. So to all those that served and are currently serving, once again I say thank you.
Well, the special election in Mass is over. I for one am very happy that I won't have to see the ads anymore. It was getting ridiculous. You couldn't watch a game or television show without seeing 3 or 4 ads in a row every commercial break. And the phone calls were ridiculous. My 80 year old mother received nearly 12 phone calls in 3 days. 2 were from Scott Brown's camp, one or two were from organizations just saying to vote no matter who it is, and the rest were from Martha's camp. I don't get it. If people are on a do not call list, shouldn't campaigning not be allowed? Do not call means do not call. If a company can't call to solicit your business, then politicians shouldn't be able to call and solicit your vote.
What gets me is how each side (Republicans and Democrats) blame each other for the economy. In my view, the word to describe the mess we are in isn't Democrat or Republican, it's greed. Greed is what got us here. Regardless of what party people belong to, the ones involved were looking at financial gain when decisions were made. And not just at the law making level either. Banks and financial institutions chose to give people loans that couldn't afford it. Did the government push giving loans? Yes. But, how many loans did they give out that they knew the people could not possibly afford? And you can't tell me that someone didn't see that an economic collapse was likely. And what about the adjustable rate mortgages? Many were misled about those as well. But, things were going great and those making money wanted to make more. Someone had to see what was going to happen. Maybe they hoped it wouldn't or maybe they figured if they closed their eyes it would go away. And then there is the one thing that no one wants to seem to address. The individuals that took the full amount of the loans knowing they couldn't afford it. I'm sorry, but the theory of "if the bank gives it to me then it must be ok" doesn't fly. If you are told that your payment will be $3,000 a month and you bring home $3,500 a red flag should go up to you and you should say, no I can't afford that. I'll have to look for something more in my price range. Just because you have $10,000 available on your credit card doesn't mean you have to use it all right? Just because you have $5,000 in the bank, does that mean you have to spend it all until you have nothing? No. Same with the loans. The bank gave you a cap, but that didn't mean people had to spend right up to that cap. My wife and I didn't do that. We worked the numbers to figure out what we could afford and then went with that. I'm not out of touch, I know what it's like. The house prices are high, the pressure is on to get your own home for various reasons, and the desire is so bad it's driving you crazy. But, the fact remains, those that took out loans for more than they could afford are part of the problem. If more people said no, I'm not going to use this amount because I will have five bucks left after my car payment and mortgage then perhaps things might have not gotten as bad. Perhaps. Maybe not, I don't know. But, the point of this is that many people share the blame for the mess we are in. The top of the list is the politicians because we put our trust and faith in them when we vote them in. But, there is also a lengthy line of people after them that contributed. It's like any other disaster. It is not created by one event, but a series of events happening at a specific time in a specific order. So now, we try and fix the disaster that is our economy. And to do that, we need our law makers to stop throwing blame and pointing fingers and figure it out. Not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. Ones that supposedly care about the people that they serve. And the common individuals have to be vigilant so that we never fall into this trap again.
Happy New Year everyone! First I'd like to give a congrats to my shift's no-longer probie Brent Last who just passed his one year mark with the department (and what a long year it was). Congrats bro, but you're still junior man so go clean the bathroom.
With the new year comes the annual run totals that start to filter in. And with that come the usual questions. I posted something with the runs, but will also talk about it here. First, from time to time there is an error in the runs totals. Like most things here on the site, the totals are sent in by someone and a number might be transposed or someone might send in the wrong figure by accident. It happens, no biggie. But, there are some that question the number of runs a particular department might have. I don't make these numbers up, like I said, someone (usually a member of that department) sends me the figure. The thing to consider is not all run totals are created equal. A fair many, like my department's, only consist of emergency calls for assistance such as fires, motor vehicle accidents, medical emergencies, elevator entrapment, and so on. Other types of calls such as plugging out boxes, smoke detector inspections, school inspections, and other fire prevention type calls are listed separately and not included in that total. Not everyone chooses to do their totals like that. Some may include the plugging out of boxes a run if a fire company such as an engine performs it. Others may include the smoke and school inspections. And still others have unique responsibilities within their district that they include in their totals. And in a few places, ambulance runs are considered to be 2 calls if an engine accompanies the ambulance. This is where sometimes the debate comes in. Some feel that the run total should just be emergency calls and not include the other types of calls. Others feel that if a fire company does these things it should be included because it shows they are doing work. I don't really have an opinion either way, I can see both sides of the argument. But, if you don't like it, don't yell at me. I only post what is sent in, I didn't calculate the numbers.