Ready to recert

Recently the husband of a work friend got in a car accident.  We had very little news so I figured I would see if the EMS, Fire and Police radio bands had any info.  Although I didn't find the info I wanted the instant I heard the radio I wanted my EMT cert. back.

I want to be able to ride again....I mean of course I have a full first aid set in the back of the escape in case the need ever arises, but I want on an ambulance.

Breaking news!!

Breaking news! Congressional leaders have agreed to a four year extension of the USA PATRIOT ACT

NO GOOD AT ALL! This piece of legislation has ZERO regard for private liberties in the United States!

Please call/write your senators and tell them to repeal this legislation!!!

Preparing for a zombie apocalypse, CDC style

You want to talk about a great way to get people to take a look at your website? Post something about what to do in case of a zombie apocalypse!

The CDC today posted a what to do in a zombie apocalypse blog post on their emergency preparedness and response website. It was a fantastic way to draw attention to a very important website!

Not many people, especially 20-30 years olds (besides myself, I have it as a favorite) think about preparing for emergencies before hand. It's very easy to not think about it at all, until it happens. This is a great way to get the important idea of preparedness out into the younger crowd!

CDC was trending earlier on Twitter, I wonder how much they upped their traffic today?

What I would do in a Zombie invasion

So MW and I have been watching The Walking Dead and I have decided that the people who are writing the shows are probably close to the way people would actually react in a zombie apocalypse type of situation. This is causing me distress. I know that humans are animals that thrive on routine, but the thought that humans would just fall back into the social norms of every day life after a zombie invasion is just crazy.

In the show a medium sized group of survivors (from what I can see probably 6 guys, 6 woman and like 4 children) are trying to get through the zombie apocalypse. They seem to have fallen into gender driven roles (the woman clean and cook/ the men hunt and protect the group) Some of the woman are the show are clearly upset that the men hang around while the woman do nothing (understandable) Some of the men clearly do very little/nothing/dangerous stuff and don't help with anything (stupid people)

At this point it hit me. This particular group of people are just taking in random refugees? Why does that make sense. To me this is rule number one of survival. The social norms no longer apply, you need to look after your self and your loved ones.

In the show there is a guy who beats his wife and does no work to assist the group. Why would you allow him into this group? Just because he is a human doesn't mean he is going to assist you in surviving. If he/her isnt going to assist you then they can jog on. If the person reacts violently, than you must resort to violence or flee. This isn't down town Beverly man, this is survival.

The show also has two crazy guys that seem to have no want with people. Well then why the heck are they on the team? If that kind of situation you need people that will do work. not someone who will stand on a building starting fights.

Now thats also not to say that you need to like everyone in the group. So long as everyone is pulling their weight then that's what counts. If they aren't pulling their weight you have two options; leave or make them leave.

I am pretty sure the ninja/zombie/robots have started their attack

So I am pretty sure that the ninja/zombie/robots (or any combination of the three) have started running espionage missions against me. So far this year these are the things I have lost
Brand new prescription sunglasses--killed in action
Belt--Missing in action (recovered)
Camera Cord--MIA
Hat--Killed in action ( New one acquired)
Bag of rocks--MIA (presumed captured by ninja/zombie/robots (update 20 Sept. a new bag of rocks has been acquired)
butter knives--many MIA (ok this wasn't me but was at the house)
Shoes--MIA (recovered from CV)

This is just insane. I never loose this much stuff, its just crazy.

Also I am pretty sure those crazy agents snuck into the Ipswich Town Hall and messed with our marriage liscense. I have to call since my dad's name is listed as Peter Horward instead of Peter Howard...how does a ninja/zombie/robot sneak around so easily??

unreal

I had a very bad day today, but will hopefully post on this again later as its a ridiculous story.

This kid is fucking stupid. If I was his dad I would sue him for being a dumbass

Want to go for a drive? Careful they are watching!

A recent news story caught my attention as an amazing affront to the US Constitution and freedom in general.

In 9 western states now law enforcement can place a gps tracking system on your car without a warrant or any type of court order. Say what? This is America, we have the clever thing called freedom. If I want to drive around in the desert where drugs are being grown (example from the news story) that is allowed! Driving past them, looking at the drugs, is not a crime. So why does the US Government have the right to track my car? Its not their business where I go. Nor is it there right to know.

Now I know the popular thing to say to things like this "Well if you haven't done anything wrong than you don't have to worry" That's not the way it works. I am a free citizen to go and do what I choose,so long as I am within the law. However if I just happen to have a friend who is a drug dealer or something that means that a GPS tracker could implicate me in drugs or something? No its up to the state to prove I am guilty, not up to me to prove I am innocent.

This, to me, seems like one of the worst decisions in legal history. Whats next? Tracking devices on phones, shoes, in our heads? Yes its a big jump from GPS in the car to GPS in our heads, but its not out of the realm of possibility. Are we going to have to carry around a little national ID card with a GPS chip in it "for our own protection"?

You know what give me my right to bear arms, my right to go where I want, and I will take care of myself. I don't need your help government, thanks for asking.

trying people for someones suicide.

So the story of Phoebe Prince has been an interesting one to say the least. It is sad that a young girl felt the need to take her own life, but I have been having a real hard time coming to grips with the fact that they are trying others for bullying her to death. I am not even saying that that isn't why she killed herself, but I can't help but see a place for abuse of this legislation.

First off what is bullying? I tried to google the legal definition in Massachusetts, but couldn't find any so this will have to do.
"A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself."

Let me put out a scenario for you right. Lets say that your teenage son doesn't get along with your neighbors teenage son. They go to the same school, but are fine there, its only when they are at home that its a problem. They like to call each other names and bluster about like young adults (boys) are prone to do.
Now lets say that the neighbor boy kills himself. Lets ASSUME for this scenario it was unrelated to what your son is doing. Obviously there is no way to prove that, but for a second lets assume. Now his family could say well your son bullied my son and now my son is dead therefore its your fault. Well in this assumption we know that this isn't the case.

Obviously thats just a thing that could happen, but in there is one very important factor...THERE IS NO WAY TO PROVE IT. Bullying doesn't equal suicide. And its not even considered negligence or anything like that. Maybe in this case it doesn't apply, but the thought needs to be put forth before it becomes a law. What about the first person who isn't nice to someone, but isn't the cause of their suicide...what about them?

By making legislation against bullying they are saying that its never ok to do anything that anyone doesn't like. Can you say the beginning of the end????...I can

technology is overrated

So it's been a while, but lets get back into things.

The rain has stopped in MA so that's a huge plus and the current temperature in Beverly is 83 degress. Glorious.

Now onto technology. As some know MF and I have gotten rid of cable all together, a monumental step many have said. I say nay. I think its a great step. I was worried that I would miss it and that I would be bored and have nothing to do, while that isn't the case at all. One we still have netflix and the ability to watch movies, but also I think that your mind is forced to move onto something else when TV isn't there to occupy it. I have plans for this lack of TV (including an hour of guitar playing a day, more reading and more character development.)

This leads me to a thought I have probably 10 times a day. Why can't I just move into the woods and live. Well obviously there is the lack of knowledge enough to live in the woods. That could be learned though. The other thing is the idea that life would be worse. We wouldn't be able to enjoy any of the modern amenities such as lots of TV and things like that. We would have to get some sort of small job to support electricity as I am pretty sure MF would leave me if I said I wanted to live in a hovel in the woods with out electricity. But you could find a perfectly good house in Maine and live there and have minimal contact with all these fancy technologies. Cutting out technology all together would be bad, but keeping very to nature and only enjoying those technologies every once and a while would make me sooo happy.

I wanna go to the woods!!!

thats right I said it

Fuck you PETA

Hows that for a short and sweet post?

Ps. Let me eat the food I want, no one is telling you to stop being vegan/vegetarian.

Survival, stupid and the human race

Ok so I know that I haven't written in a while, I have just been very busy and have not had the chance to.

This entry is about something near and dear to my heart...stupid. I hate stupid. I hate stupid more than anything else in the entire world. Now that is not to say that I hate people if they doing something stupid, or if they make a mistake, or if they act stupid. I am talking about the deep down stupid that can only be represented by things like the following

-People on Jersey shore
-The fact that a pair of jeans can cost upwards of 50 dollars despite the fact the material, labor and transportation couldn't equal more than 10-15 dollars.
-Welfare
-People who can't make up their mind no matter how much thought is put into it. SHIT OR GET OFF THE POT
-People who try and influence others with lies
-Baby Boomers ( yea I said it. And no I do not think that all baby boomers are stupid or evil, but i do think that their generation has set us back)
-The human race

Ok the last one needs some explanation. I do not dislike the human race ( I used to but thats a different post). In fact, through talk with MF and the Varnsi, I have grown to respect the risk and reward of a species that is not adapted to fit anywhere well. Have you ever thought that thought? Humans are adapted to live everywhere somewhat well, but no where very well. Well I digress

The stupid in the human race is evident more now than it has been in the past because of one thing, our ability to adapt. It is what makes us a unique species,but its also what makes us a scourge on the earth. Now this isn't some crunchy hippie shit either. I dont think that we could destroy the Earth is we tried, life always finds a way (to quote Jurassic park)I am talking in the fact that we are using our cognitive abilities to do all of these things to "help" mankind and are no longer in natural balance with the environment. Through medicine and technology mankind can defeat many of the things that once kept our population in check; disease, wild animals, weather etc.

Now I think this is starting to change. Everyone has noticed the increased amount of natural disasters in the world. The severity and frequency of these events seem to so much more. Now some would say that this is due to news and the advanced ability to report, which I partly agree with. That being said nature recognizes the fact that humans, as a species, cannot be supported. The increase in natural disasters, disease (every kind of flu known to man) and increased violence due to people is natures way of trying to get our population back in check. I really am convinced of it.

Now everyone knows about my survival team, but in case you don't lets talk about it. In my mind I always have a running tally of what I would do should the world resort back to the wild. Lets say a terminator-esque type situation occurred. What would I bring, where would I go, who would I go with? Now many would think of the obvious, food and water. And yes I agree that these are two things that are necessary, but I suggest looking at the people around you for your most valuable assets. Yes water and food are good, but anything that you can store will be done within 10 years (lets be realistic) We do not have the ability to carry years and year and years worth of food that would give us the nutrition we need to survive. That problem can be solved by the type of people you bring. Bring smart people that can improvise. Bring people that have skills and leave those behind that do not. Bring both woman and men because otherwise your group will not survive (there is a reason we are both here). So I know invite you all to help me out. What other traits are necessary? What priorities do you think should be at the top?

So you want to talk to a person?...that will be five dollars please

Read this

This is the beginning of the end I think. People keep laughing at me at work because I am convinced machines are going to start taking over the world, but here is some proof. They are going to start charging a five dollar fee to talk to a person at the RMV. A 5 DOLLAR FEE...ARE YOU KIDDING ME? They want to discourage people from going to the RMV branches, step one on the path to a completely online country...Two words for you.... fuck no.

As many of you know I always have a survival team rattling around in my head. Obviously it is made up of my friends and family, but it details what jobs I think people would be most good at. I am now taking all applications for my team... please include your name, viable skills and job you think you would excel at (including secluded housing, cooking, first aid, etc.) That way once the world is taken over by said machines(starting with the computers at the registry of motor vehicles)we will be prepared to carry on the human race.

Outdoors

So I have finally hit the part of every winter that I start getting a little moody wishing for spring. Some would call that SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder, I call it tired of being stuck inside when the outside is cold and dark. I don't think it needs a name it just stinks.

That being said I have decided to write a post about the thing that makes me most happy (except of course for MF who kicks natures ass) Nature. The outdoors has always been a big part of my life. I did boy scouts and cub scouts and all that fun stuff, but I also have my place in Maine. My place in Maine is my refuge, probably my most favorite place in the world. I love it when we have massive amounts of people up there for a real party and all that, but I love it most when its a couple people and I can just get outside.



This is a picture from the winter. I have to find a good summer picture and put it up.

Fishing is the time when I feel the most relaxed. I can get away from everything and just sit on a brook and fish. Although of course I would like to catch something, I don't really care if I do or not. This time also gives me the ability to reflect back on the great things about my life. Its easy to focus on the crappy parts, but sometimes its tough to really get a grasp on all the great things in life. My favorite spot is a nice little log bridge over a small brook in backwoods Maine...glorious.


My favorite fishing spot (left)

It makes me excited when it gets to this time of year and I know that sometime in the next 2-3 months the snow will be gone and I will be able to once more sally forth into the great unknown of Andover Maine with my two favorite girls (MF and Maddie) and just relax :)

To the requirements of the Service

I read today that the T/S Kennedy, Mass Maritime's training ship has been commandeered by the US government to help in the relief work in Haiti. All lower-class cadets will be offloaded in Florida and flown home, while the upper-class will have the option to go home or continue on with the ship and assist in the relief work.

Although it sucks for all those who were on cruise, I think that it was the right decision by the gov't and the Academy. Good luck to all those travelling with the ship to Haiti.

We shall beat to Quarters!

Let me tell you about my crazy December. It seems as if the end of the year always brings about hectic things and this year was no exception. I found out that the EMT requirements for Mass had changed and they now required you to have all recertification requirements done by the last day of December. In addition to that my Class A pistol permit (license to conceal and carry) is on hold until I redo my safety course (which i have done at this point, I am just waiting for my permit).

I understand the need to award certifications and licenses to people for things like these, in fact I think its a good idea. That being said I do not approve of the way that the state goes about it. I spent almost an entire day filling in useless tests for my EMT. The issue is that these tests do not make me any better at being an EMT. Yes there is a definite knowledge base needed to be any type of emergency medicine, but it is not so much the knowledge that is the important thing, it is the reaction of the EMT. Responding to an emergency situation is not like taking a test. There isn't always a right ansewer, sometimes a person has to trust their intuition and make a choice. The EMT is there to render emergency care, but mostly to be a calm and collected force in the situation. This is the key aspect of any emergency, so me sitting through 28 hours of extra credits doesn't make me a better EMT at all, but just wastes my time.

That being said that is really to most important part of hands on instruction when it comes to emergency situations. While watching Jericho last night it was amazing how complacent people get when something doesnt happen. 95% of the time things do not go wrong(thank God), but I dont think that is any excuse to forget the things that have gone wrong before and not learn from them.

I am not going to get political or anything in this post (maybe I will save that for a later post) but the perfect example right now is airplanes. For all the know me I am a rather hardcore Libertarian ( small government, social and religious freedom, and those rights guaranteed me by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. That being said I think a distinction needs to be made between rights and privileges. Flying in an airplane is not a right. I say again flying in an airplane is no more a right than getting a rental car. Companies make their livings off of flying people around, great grand wonderful. Now the issue has come up that using things such as full body screeners, dogs and other intrusive means of searching a person infringe on a persons rights of unlawful search and seizure. If someone walked up to you randomly on a city street and used these devices on you then that would be an infringement of your rights. If you choose to fly on an airplane than that is not an infringement of your rights. Flying is not a right, it is a choice you are making. IF you don't like the way security is carried out at the airport, then don't fly on a plane. Its really as simple as that. I find it ridiculous and irresponsible that we do not have more people searching passengers on planes and drug, bomb, etc sniffing dogs everywhere at US airports. When I went to Germany I was greeted by two German Shepherds the second I entered the terminal. (my love of the German Shepherd aside) Why is this not the case in Logan? Because Logan doesn't want to put people off. Life is about putting people off so get over it. They don't like the things business are doing then don't use the business, its as simple as that.

Ps: I think that the title of this post is the best alert ever. I wish they still had a guy with drums beating to quarters instead of a general alarm.