VETERANS DAY 2009

Our Nations armed forces are the best in the world. On this Veterans day we should all take a minute to reflect on what they do for us on a daily basis. They are on the wall 24/7 keeping us free and safe. This video was made for Memorial Day but illustrates my point exactly. The guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns work harder than almost anyone I know for one simple reason- honor. They consider their duty an honor and take it exceptionally seriously. No amount of pay or reward can get you this kind of dedication. No amount of power or fat cat bonus is more impressive because it comes form within. Their simple, precise execution of a sacred duty, carried out to perfection reflects what we all know to be true. That America is a powerful idea that lives in the hearts of free people. Ideas like dedication to duty for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do is what America is all about. It is an idea like every idea that will never die.

SEPTA GOES ON STRIKE

It’s 6AM and I’m sitting in the Philadelphia Emergency Operations Center due to a transit strike. Oh boy. More later.

SHOP TALK

I watched some of the Phillies World Series disaster last night at the firehouse. I say some because we had a job early in the shift so we missed most of the beginning. I really thought the Phillies would pull out a win last night. I even predicted the home run that tied the game up. My guys were stunned at my audacity. Everyone was calling for doom and gloom at that point. I thought they had a chance and they did.

Yet the Phillies lost badly in the end. Not so much because they were outplayed. They lost because they made some fundamental mistakes and strategic errors. The fundamental mistakes were mostly by the pitchers. Throwing hittable fastball’s to the Yankees best hitters when hardly anyone on either team has been able to hit breaking balls is just bad. The strategic errors is not walking a strong hitter to get to a weak hitter, putting a SHIFT on with two outs THEN throwing to second with no one covering THIRD! ARRRRRRRRUGH!!!!! Taken one at a time none of these moves seem to be that big of a deal. Combined they sink your team and you lose.

THE PERFECT STORM

Pictured above is the sports complex in south Philadelphia. As you can see Lincoln Financial Field, Wachovia Center & Citizens Bank Park are all in close proximity to each other. Together they make up one of the premier sports and entertainment venue’s anywhere in the country. The Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, 76′rs and every major entertainer from Billy Joel to Ringling Brothers Circus perform in one of these stadiums. While many people beat Philly up over being a second-rate city few could lay claim to a weekend like this:

Saturday afternoon- Flyers hockey (They won)

Saturday Night- Phillies host the Yankee’s World Series, game three (Series tied one each).

Saturday night across the street, same time- Pearl Jam in concert.

Sunday afternoon- Eagles / Giants.

Sunday Night- Phillies / Yankee’s game four.

That’s FOUR major sports events and a headline rock band all in one weekend. On top of it all its daylight saving’s tonight so the clock get’s turned back an hour. (That means at 02:00 am the bars will turn the clocks back to 1:00 for an EXTRA hour of drinking). Oh man O man is this going to be crazy. If the Phillies win all bets are off when the Pearl Jam concert lets out. I’m glad I’m off. BELIEVE THAT!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

TRICK OR TREAT!

GO PHILLIES!

CRASH!

Today I went down to my office to fire up the computer and maybe do some blogging as usual. As it went through the normal start-up sequence things started to get weird. After I was alerted to some Microsoft updates the computer tried to re-start. It didn’t. Oh no. For a long time all I got was the black screen of death. After spending an hour and trying everything in my power to get it fired up I had exactly squat to show for it.

I recognized the black screen of death for what it was right away. An Omen of impending computer doom. So I decided pretty quickly to call for backup. I got the H.P. tech on the line and his initial call was *gasp* a fried hard drive. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I can’t believe this, I’m thinking. That would be the second time in a year this thing wrecked on me.

But this guy was pretty patient, thorough and American too. So before long we were able to rule out the demise of the hard drive. I ended up having to nearly dismantle the tower to help with the troubleshooting process but in the end it was worth it. It turns out the video card has passed on to the eternal, electronic afterlife. It’s bad but at least I didn’t lose any data. He also helped me to hook up to the computers alternate video port after removing the video card. I was back in business after about two hours. Not too bad this time. The card is covered by the warranty so he’s sending me one out ASAP.

While I was at it I bought an extra hard drive that fits right in the tower for backing up all our files. This time I was too close to losing everything to risk it any more. So all in all it was a close but non fatal crash.

It looks like the Phill’s will give this one up to the Yanks although they had their chance in the eighth. Plenty more ball to go. Back to the firehouse in the AM.

CLIFF EM ALL!

Cliff Lee pitched an astounding game tonight in game one of the World Series. Astounding not because of all the batters he struck out but because of the way he did it. Calm, cool and collected is about as close as you can get to that performance.

It wasn’t just his pitching either. His glove helped almost as an afterthought. Fielding lazy pop up’s as nonchalantly as you order a slice of Mac & Manco’s and screamers with flair. He made it look like he was throwing batting practice not game one against the Yankee’s in the World Series. That’s composure squared.

Nice job also to Chase Utley who parked two homers to set the mood and put the Yankee’s on notice that the Phillies are in town.

Better bring your “A” game next time boys! Go Phill’s!

WORLD SERIES- GO PHILLIES!

GAME ON. 2- zip Phillies up 6th inning. Beat the Yankee’s!

UPDATE- THE PHILLIES CRUSHED THE YANK’S TO TAKE THE LEAD 1-0 IN THE SERIES!

DIRTY HARRY: BEST SCENE EVER!

EAST ST. LOUIS — City officials seeking a new police chief passed up the former director of the Florida Highway Patrol, who formerly was a top commander of the Illinois State Police, because he is white, two former members of a city board
claim.

Wyatt Frazer and Della Murphy allege in a federal lawsuit that they were forced off the Police, Fire and Civil Service Board for their advocacy of a white candidate when the chief’s job was open in 2007.

Their lawyer said Tuesday the spurned candidate was Ronald Grimming, a Metro East resident who rose to be deputy superintendent of the State Police before taking the top spot in Florida in 1993. Grimming could not be reached for comment.

LINK

If you think this doesn’t happen EVERYDAY in cities across this country you are delusional. The major U.S. cities are bereft with this sort of racial politics and discrimination. Philadelphia has been hit again and again with “reverse” discrimination suits although the “reverse” label is incorrectly applied. There is no real “reverse” discrimination. There is discrimination period, and it is illegal no matter who perpetrates it.

The Philadelphia police and fire departments are typical big city departments with typical big city problems. One of the biggest issues we face is also one of the biggest and costliest. It is racial politics. From hiring, to promotions, to discipline and firing, racial politics plays a naked, ugly part in all of it. The supreme court said as much this year.

SHOP TALK

It was an abbreviated tour for me this past week. I spent one shift filling in for the Chief. My Chief is also an elected Union Official and was attending the ongoing arbitration hearings.

That’s a strange element of our Department. Our officers, technically management, are represented by the same Union who represents the rank and file. It makes for some interesting situations sometimes. The officers are in the same boat as the members they supervise. Personally I like it this way as it creates more of a united front against the stupidity of the city and helps keep discipline problems low. Like I said we are all in the same boat just pulling different oars.

GUESS WHO- STANDING BY AS THE FIRE IS UNDER CONTROL.