Oh My... More Visitors

DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.


Well... it seems that some "members" of the ambulance corps I belong to are visiting my blog. How nice. However, many are perturbed about what I've written. No names mentioned, mind you... but perturbed none the less.

Seems that over the 3 years I've maintained this "online" diary... many of my experiences and thats all they are, my experiences...have come to light and people (as is their right, just as it is mine to write about it) are uptight. Well, excuse me...

I have been accused of a lot of things, only because I am a visible member, outspoken and at times downright loud. But that's just the way it is... Someone told me I am too passionate about the "goings on" in the corps... that I should reserve that passion for the bedroom... lol I like it...

Most recent events have accused me of having a MySpace page with all kinds of bad things to say about the corps. Please... lol if you know how... visit my page... there is nothing there except for pics of 5 or so people who have asked to be part of it. Their posts are there... (which I have nothing to do with except that I can delete them and none of them have related to the corps at all.)

In addition, recent events have provoked some members to plead with everyone to stop the charges... stop the lawsuits... stop the bullsh*t... lol It's a clic thing... They preach unity and yet one of their own is the ONLY one in the corps with an "active" (according to the latest from the Unified Court System, State of New York) lawsuit against another member as well as a local newspaper. LOL ... Is this a case of do as I say not as I do? Well... no matter... seems frivolous anyway... Seems that a local paper published an article which contained a picture of members of some corps tending to patients of a motor vehicle accident. Unfortunately, neither member is wearing his/her issued turnout gear as is supposedly required. Seems it showed these members in a bad light (brought on themselves). In the article, a member, correction ex-member (thrown out illegally with no hearing) was misquoted in his commentary. Thus a lawsuit... the first actual suit I am aware of in 20+ years in the corps.

I'll comment on that one when and if it is not dismissed. (there have been motions to do so already) ...

I've got to run... more craziness later... cya

[note to anyone leaving a comment... comments are always welcome...however, anonymous comments, vulgar comments and comments with no real meaning will NOT be published. There were on July 7th 2007, 3 different comments I had to review when I updated this blog, errors in grammar, spelling and such lead me to believe they were not serious in their commentary and therefore not published]

Been Awhile Again...

DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.


Well... with blogger switching over to Google... oy... finally with Dan's help I am able to get back in and update my blog.

Lots has happened... Word has it that some members of my corps have found their way to my blog and are not happy... oh well too bad... Most times truth hurts but I've used no names, not even the corps name, so those that are unhappy can shove it... hows that.

I will be back shortly to update what's been happening.... i.e. the elections, the aftemath, shittergate and much, much more... stay tuned... lol cya

Support Our Troops When They Come Home Too!

DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.


Today I found out about IAVA. Iraq & Afganistan Veterans of America. This organization is attempting to wake up the Bush administration and the general public as to the short comings of our Veterans Hospitals in helping returning vets with PTSD and other problems... I watched some videos of news shows, detailing the problems of being able to get help in a timely fashion and it was an eye opener. How can we, as a country, dismiss or ignore our returning vets in this way? We shouldn't and cannot afford to continue to do so. Our returning veteran sons and daughters need help and should get it without having to wait and wait and wait.

Contact your Senators, Congressman, write the President and whoever else you can think of to do something to make it right. Our veterans fought to keep us free. We should fight to keep them healthy. Please support IAVA. Thank you.

Dang... Call me Mr Fixit...

DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.


Owning a home is a great... But with it come the problems of things breaking down. Major things, like the oil burner, I leave to the experts.. I don't know squat about oil burners, except how to prime it with oil after I run out. I run out because I don't keep track of how much I have. A simple enough thing to do.. But I don't. So I run out, get more and have to prime the pump before it will run again... Nothing unusual here...Probably many others like me do the same thing.

However, about a month ago our washing machine decided if was old enough to want a rest and it gave out. Not the motor or the clutch or the main innards of the machine... Just the agitator. Now, I am NOT a mechanic. Never really been mechanically inclined, but I ain't stupid. (personal opinion)

Seems the upper half of the agitator was no longer interested in turning, thus not allowing for a full wash load to be done. I had thought there were two clutches, one controlling the lower agitator and one the upper... Therefore, thought it out and came to the following conclusion. Need a new washer. I thought this way since calling a tech in to check the machine would probably run about $75... Then the cost of repair, whatever that might be just did not seem worth it if a new machine might cost about $350...

I had taken the agitator apart myself, (yes, I am not totally un-mechanically inclined) and found that parts that were supposed to move the upper agitator in the opposite direction of the lower, did not seem to be doing their job. Poof.. Reality time and I am thinkin ok... Get a new machine.

So Jay and I go to Lowe's to look for a new washer. While there, I look at the parts on the new machine that are not working on mine... Wow... Those little rubbery thingys... They put a brake on the agitator... hmmmm... Seems mine don't do that... Jay and I go back home and look again... We don't buy the new machine.

I go on the internet to Whirlpool.com... sure enough... The little rubber thingys are called dogs... (why???) they are my problem. I call around to various (about 6) appliance parts stores and find one that has the "agitator cam kit"... $24.99. I buy the kit, replace the old dogs with new and voila... My washer works again.. I am GOOD. Whew... Almost spent $350 unnecessarily.

On another note, two years ago I bought a Fiesta Bar-B-Q... Nice unremarkable dual burner model, simple, as my taste runs...(cheap too $99)... Well, the other night I cooked 42 thin sliced chicken cutlets. My kids and I love chicken cutlets. Jay showed me how cooking with less oil is better than cooking with more... Sorry... Off the track here... While at the butcher shop getting the cutlets, I also picked up 5 beautiful filet mignons...So Let's have those tonight... Not exactly. When I went to start the BBQ, found that the tray that holds the lava rocks over the burner was completely disintegrated, lava rocks (in pieces and covered in old food droppings broken and on the burner itself. The burner is even worse off, holes everywhere... Now... What to do... Well first off we cooked the filets in the oven broiler... Perfectly and were they good. Next day I set out looking for replacement parts for the BBQ.

Lowe's had a replacement burner, $19.95 but no tray for the lava rocks... That's a special order item for the Fiesta brand BBQ. I attempt to improvise, using another type of grid. No go.. Too big...I take it back and low and behold... They have a new fangled cover that goes over the burner to evenly distribute the heat, no lava rocks needed. Perfect. ($19.95) Now I've spent $40 plus dollars (tax included) to fix a $99 BBQ. Hmmmm something not right here... But it works... and I saved bout $50 not buying a new $99 BBQ. Call me Mr Fixit. See ya.

The World is Very Different Now....

DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.


Incoming President John F. Kennedy said those words in his inaugural address, January, 1961. "The world is very different now, for man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human suffering and all forms of human life."

If he only knew what was happening today.

On a local level I am simply amazed at the balls, chutzbah, nerve of some people. Especially those in the "volunteer" ambulance company located somewhere on Long Island, of which I am associated and ride emergency medical calls. As an EMT, I've been in the corps now, celebrating, well at this point I don't know if celebrating is the right word, my 20th year this year and seeing what our current officers and directors are doing to it hurts me and my community like all hell.

Somewhere, at sometime, someone said "ABSOLUTE POWER, CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY" How true.

It seems, having the headaches of being in a leadership position in the corps are outweighed by the benefits. You see the Chief and Assistant Chief get vehicles to use while they are in office. One uses the car for ambulance calls which is proper and correct, and the other uses the vehicle for more personal business than professional. The Assistant says answering emergency calls is not the priority and substantiates the use of the vehicle stating, "I do a lot of "administrative" work". Yeah right... O.K.

As in any organization, ours is a Not-For-Profit corporation, we have by-laws and rules and regulations. Well presently, all of them are being bent to the benefit and pleasure of our officers. One by-law promises a "fair and impartial hearing" should charges be brought against a member for any offense. But what is to be done, when one is charged and NOT given the benefit of a "fair and impartial hearing"?.

Our corps attorney offers us his " opinions" but rarely quotes the law. In one such case part of the law was quoted, "NYS state law dictates, that officers in a corporation cannot be disciplined for carrying our the official roles as officers", however our attorney told us only part of the law... left out was the last part of the above sentence, he left out "as long as they are acting in good faith". (found that out, surfing on the internet myself...) Well our officers recently acted, but NOT (in my opinion) "in good faith" . So what is to be done.

I'm rambling here...It's early in the morning and I've got another case of bronchitis and cannot sleep properly. I awoke thinking about the garbage going on in the ambulance corps and just had to write.

Anyway... Our elections for the coming year's officers are held in March and elected officers and directors take office on April first. How appropriate, April Fools Day they take office. As some people are slightly immoral, if you are interested in remaining in office, what do you do to assure that? You eliminate all those members you feel may not vote for you or run against you. Right? Well, unconfirmed rumor has it that it seems that of approximately 60 regular, voting members in the corps, there was concern that suddenly 29 were to have been eliminated from the priviledge of voting this year for one bogus reason or another.

As for me, I was advised that the seven (7) FEMA certificates of training I submitted during the year are astonishingly (but not surprisingly) missing! Therefore, I am told I cannot vote. Oops, I kept copies and resubmitted them to one of the officers, so whew... now I can vote. Others are not so lucky. They are being run off simply because they do not agree with the officers and have no recourse. Lame excuses, such as not enough committee work, or no doctors note when unable to ride due to injury or illness. Petty stuff but good enough for the officers to say you cannot vote. In good standing in November but not in January.

Discrimination is rampant. One member (not well liked by the officers) submitted a request for a copy of the tape recording of the hearing she attended regarding charges against her. She also requested to see her personnel file. She was told to have an attorney request that information and was denied access to her file. That same night, I verbally asked (and I'm not well liked by the officers either) to see my personnel file and was immediately granted access. Is this not discrimination? I believe it is, and unfortunately again, the courts will have to decide. And believe me... it'll probably come to that.

As an agency of a municipality, our corps is subject to The Freedom of Information Law or FOIL. But some of our officers, one in particular, think otherwise stating "we don't have to give them nothin" The big E goes up on the board people... Error, error, error.

In addition to this silly sh*t ... oops, stuff going on... One member (4-5 years in the corps) was thrown out of the organization without ANY hearing at all. He received a letter, from the board of officers, stating that the board of officers would be meeting on a particular evening to discuss the charges against him, but the letter was in no way asking, requiring or making it mandatory for him to attend. So they found him guilty on all charges, in absentia. And still no recourse (internally). But since it is a crime to deny someone their civil and constitutional rights, the courts will have to decide the final outcome. Again, time will tell... How unfortunate it has come to this. What will happen to the corps? Who knows. Anyway I'm goin back to sleep. Wish us luck.

My son the Captain...

DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.


Too much happening since my last post... but my son Jay, my sailing son finally came home from the Pride of Baltimore in late July... Jay had made up his mind to take a course and sit for his captains ticket... Well the course is very expensive... and so Jay decided to study on his own... and did he ever... day in and day out for two weeks straight... It ain't easy stuff.. Jay went to Boston for the testing... And he passed... And now has his Captain's Ticket... Congratulations Jay !! WTG... I am so proud of all my kids.... More later... byeeeee

Oh yes... The Pride is back... The Pride II of course..

DISCLAIMER: The images and writing contained in this blog are the thoughts and opinions of the blogger. Obviously, all names have been left out to protect both the innocent and the guilty. Thank heavens for the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows presentation of my own feelings and opinions. There are those that feel I have violated privacy or confidences, however, with no names mentioned, attachment can only be made by inference. If by chance you don't agree with what is written here, or, feel you don't like what you have read, stop reading and don't bother coming back.


Wow... no posts since February... Life does move along quickly sometimes...

In this edition of "This is My Life.." My son Jay arrived back in the states aboard the Pride of Baltimore II. The Pride is a tall ship, the "good will" ambassador of the State of Maryland, USA... He arrived April 30, 2006 at the inner harbor in Baltimore. We (his siblings and I) met him at the dock. It was a long trip from Long Island in the wee hours of 4/30/06, but we were there on time with time to spare...


Here the pride comes in, sails already down but with cannon blasting. Jay worked the cannons. Other ships in the harbor also blasted cannon in salute and still others blasted their air horns constantly. There was even a fire boat to welcome the Pride home.

The big story behind this particular ship is the fact that this past September 5th, the Pride II was caught in a squall off the coast of France. (I believe 2 squalls, actually...) During same, the rigging gave way and the ship was dismasted. This means the masts cracked and fell... harrowing from the stories told... Miraculous in that none of the 12 people on deck or the 6 people below was killed or injured. With skill and commitment, the captain was able to limp the Pride to Saint Nazaire, a port city in Western France. Repairs would have to be made there...and the crew, was befriended by a local family. Some of the crew flew home, and replacements arrived in January of 2006, my son Jay among them.

From January to the middle of March, the crew and repairman worked on the Pride. A local family, headed by a man with many "friends" helped the Pride's crew and even provided connections for needed work and dinners for the shipmates. Jay became friendly with the family. (see photo below)

Jay with 3 members of the family that befriended him (he played piano with the daughter, and trumpet with the son)

I'm at work as I write this and there may be an alarm coming in... so... will write more about this later... bye