Ambulances, Boomsticks, Coffee

Like Caleb Says...

2009-11-05T16:31:00.001-06:00

And then follow the link to Caleb's and download the song on iTunes. $0.99 isn't much, and it goes to a good cause!

That is all.

Nature....

2009-10-26T13:52:00.001-05:00

While taking a hike in the woods, please be smart... don't walk across a fallen tree suspended 15 feet in the air above a creak.

If you insist on doing so, please try not to fall.

If you must fall, please fall where the EMS guys can get to you without a ton of issues...

The full story will come out sometime later.

Engaged

2009-10-03T19:17:00.001-05:00

As of approx 1715 this afternoon I jumped off the cliff and got engaged.

Better picture later.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Sorry for the absense

2009-09-29T22:34:00.001-05:00

Medic School/ Work / Sick is just wiping the floor with me.

I'm gonna go pass out, and maybe have a chance to blog tomorrow.

(It also doesn't help that I found a new author whose works I love!!!)

Hang with me, and we'll get back in the swing of things. Promise.

Tougher Gun Laws Would Not Have Prevented This Tragedy

2009-09-18T15:48:00.001-05:00

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=11153484

I am truly sorry for the grief that this family is going through, but the simple truth of the matter is that the firearm in this instance was simply a means to an end. If the child was determined to commit suicide, then for all intents and purposes there is no way to stop him, short of putting him in a psych facility on suicide watch.

In all reality, the system failed this kid. The system being his parents, and his school and his friends. That is truly a tragedy, but prohibitting the population from owning firearms would not have fixed this issue. The child in question could have downed a bottle of Tylenol and destroyed his liver, or overdosed on illegal street drugs bought at his high school.

My smpathies to the parents.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Explosions...

2009-09-16T17:00:00.001-05:00

...And Boobs.

How much more fun does a guy need. Want more pictures, simply refresh, and I use the F5 key to perform the function :)

--Jim

Always Remember

2009-09-11T10:47:00.001-05:00

Always remember those who lost ther lives, their loved ones, and everyone who had their lives changed by this horribleday 8 years ago.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Citizen's Academy

2009-09-08T17:04:00.003-05:00

A blog post by Xavier reminded me of something that I have actually meant to talk about here in the past.

At one time, I was firmly convinced that I didn't want to work in the engineering field, that I wanted to take my four year college degree and use it to find a job in federal law enforcement. As time went on, and I never heard anything back from the federal positions that I applied for, I looked to the idea of possibly getting involved in local law enforcement.

When I first move to Indiana from PRNJ in 2007, I was firmly in the midst of attempting to locate full time local police work. I had the opportunity to attend the Evansville Police Department's Citizen's Academy in the fall of 2007. I was hoping that attending the academy would give me a leg up in the future.

The Citizen's Academy is a great educational experience. We attended sessions ranging from the motor patrol group, to the K-9 teams, to the SWAT, to the firearms guys, to the homicide detectives. It was an awesome couple of months. At the time, class was once / week for several hours in the evening.

If you have any interest in law enforcement, or just want a better look at what the guys in blue do for a living, what they have to put up with, attending a citizen's academy like the one that EPD does is probably worth your time.

I wish Xavier nothing but the best in his experiences, and may he teach us all something :)

--Jim

Martha Stewart

2009-09-07T15:14:00.000-05:00

Ain't got nothing on my friend Lauren.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Doggy Blogging

2009-09-01T11:46:00.003-05:00

Took both of the dogs to the vet this morning for check up. The bill ended up being just north of $300 between the two of them.

Nutmeg's bill of health came back all good. We got some more heart worm preventative and got a booster for her vaccines.

Unfortunately, Samoa has some kind of respiratory infection, so we had to start her on antibiotics. She also has several types of intestinal worms that she needs treatment for. We'll pick up medication for that tomorrow because the stool sample we brought in won't be completely analyzed before they can give us the right meds. We also started her on heart worm medications.

Hopefully both puppies get and stay healthy, and we get to have lots of time together.

"Don't worry....

2009-09-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

....when you feel something, worry when you don't."

Capt. Cragian, Law and Order SVU

The same can be said about EMS, when you stop havi g feelings about the runs you're making, and the patients you're treating it's time to hang up the scope, or at least take a nice long break from it all.

-- Posted From My iPhone

Samoa...

2009-08-31T10:30:00.004-05:00

My girlfriend and I adopted another puppy on Saturday. So far the old (Nutmeg) and the new (Samoa) seem to be getting along.
Nutmeg and Samoa share a stick in the backyard...

Tag

EMS Training

2009-08-31T05:30:00.000-05:00

It is my recommendation (though I be a lowly EMT-B) that after obtaining your EMT-B certification, you spend some time riding on the street (the slower the service, the more time you need) before you decide to go to Paramedic school.

You look like a fool when the questions you're asking the preceptor medic are things that as an EMT-B, you MUST know.

That is all.

Gun School Bleg

2009-08-27T11:31:00.002-05:00

Does anyone have any info on Force Options Tactical Training? They are offering a class near me at the beginning of October that I'm considering taking, and I'm wondering if it's worth the time and money.

Input is appreciated.

Home Defense Thoughts..

2009-08-27T05:30:00.000-05:00

Brigid shares her thoughts on home defense.

Work has a prohibition against firearms while working, it also has a prohibition against firearms in personal vehicles while parked on company property. That being said, as soon as I'm in the door after a shift, I'm out of uniform, and wearing at least some kind of firearm around with me. My general thinking goes like this: When the chips are down, I am going to KNOW where my gun is, 100% of the time.

Will you?

My house has an alarm, and we're good about keeping the house locked even when we are home. The dog is only 40lbs, but she sounds real menacing when she needs to. That all being said, the true protection in the house comes from me always having a firearm ready to go, and within easy reach. It's such second nature anymore, that I feel naked when it's not the case.

Ted Kennedy Dead at 77

2009-08-26T18:39:00.002-05:00

Mommy always said "if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all."

This concludes the current post.

Paramedic School

2009-08-26T05:24:00.001-05:00

Tonight, I embarked on the epic journey that is medic school.

Baring any unforeseen issues (I decide to give up, or move away to find an engineering job), I should be starting my ambulance internship in about a year, and ready to test sometime just before December 2010.

Hold on for a wild ride.

MHI Review

2009-08-24T21:57:00.002-05:00

Apparently all of the cool bloggers are reviewing Monster Hunter International, MHI, written by Larry Correia and currently published by Baen Books. If you're lucky enough to have one of the original self- published copies that Larry put out about this time last year, make sure you keep ahold of it. Rumor has it that the self-published copies were drawing outrageous prices on eBay recently.

The reviews are almost entirely good. Everyone who reads the book has good things to say about it. Me included. I literally can't recommend the book to enough people, and have loaned my copies out several times.

Larry is also running a way to purchase an autographed copy and patch, if you'd like to do that. I need to do it one of these days.

So anyway, what is this book about? Start here, monsters are real, And the government is trying to keep it very hush hush, they don't want ordinary citizens learning the truth. Enter Owen Zastava Pitt (he shares a last name with another book protagonist that I love) who manages to throw his boss out of a fourteenth story window in the first chapter. And it gets better from there.

The gun play is excellent, and written in such a way that even if you are not a gun nut, it makes sense, and won't bore you too much. The action sequences hit hard, and then take you through a roller coaster ride. Right up to the very end, you're not sure how it's all going to turn out.

And I won't ruin it for you. But I will strongly suggest that you pick up your own copy and get it read before the sequel is released!!

As always, specific questions in the comments section below.

An afternoon delight

2009-08-24T05:00:00.002-05:00

The other day (or at least the other day is when I read it) Jay G posted about his .22LR spinner target and how much he enjoys the target. I have one, and I enjoy it immensely, but I don't use it with regular .22 ammo.

Slightly more than a year ago, I was introduced to the following ammo selection at the local gun shop that I frequent. A customer brought in a bolt action .22 rifle that he said would not function and fire properly. The owner grabbed a box of ammo from the desk drawer, grabbed the rifle and walked out the door. Around the side of the building we walked, to the small pile of sand next to the concrete wall.

"Terry, do you have a range back here that you've been hiding from me?"

"No"

"OK, so where are we going? What kind of ammo is that?"

"You've never seen these?"

"Nope, what is it?"

"Watch"

I watched as he opened the box of ammo and loaded the rifle. I put my fingers in my ear, and waited. Terry and the owner of the firearm seemed unconcerned.

Terry took aim, or at least pointed at the base of the wall/ the sand pile, and pulled the trigger.

"Pfffft."

"Huh, what was that?!?!?"

"One of these," said Terry as he handed me the box of ammo.

Super Aguila powderless 22's. A 20 grain bullet loaded for a maximum velocity somewhere below 500fps. The gun sounds like a BB gun when it goes off. The ammo isn't even strong enough to function the action on a .22LR semi-auto.

I immediately thought that this ammo was perfect for introducing a new shooter to the sport. As little recoil as most .22LR has, these rounds are quieter and would allow the shooting of the rifle in the backyard without wearing ear protection, which makes the whole experience far
more pleasant.

I bought a brick (because I always buy .22 in brick lots) and took it home. The next time I had the opportunity I put a few rounds downrange. I loved the idea, but I hated having to function the action on my uncle's .22 after every shot.

The next time I had some money saved up, and had permission to purchase a new toy, I headed to the shop and picked up the rifle shown in the picture. It's a Henry lever action, capable of shooting .22 short, long and long rifle. The combination is perfect.

I frequently shoot these rounds in the backyard at my aunt's house (with safe backstop of course). I shoot them about 20feet from where the rest of the family is sitting around talking. I have introduced several new shooters using the combo above.

My cousin brought her two daughters and her son to my aunt's house and we spent the afternoon putting rounds downrange. I've also used the combination to introduce my girlfriend of 2 years to shooting for the first time, and she enjoyed the experience.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

Remember...

2009-08-22T23:23:00.001-05:00

When dealing with corporate entities, it is a good idea to remember that all rules, policies and guidelines ever created were created because somebody did something they were not supposed to.

That's my piece of advice for the day.

Always...

2009-08-21T21:53:00.001-05:00

...carry a gun!

It's a lighter burden then regret...

and remember, the life you save may in fact be your own.

Prizes....

2009-08-20T22:15:00.003-05:00

Too Old to Work, Too Young to Retire is running a contest.

Check it out.

I use those S-biners to hold my keys at work, and on my own time. I also have one clipped behind my ID badge at work.

Goodluck.

Politically Incorrect Joke...

2009-08-20T21:07:00.001-05:00

Stolen from Warthog, over at Warthog's Wrants.

Three strangers strike up a conversation in an airport lounge while waiting for their respective flights ...

One is an American Indian passing through from Lame Deer, another is a Cowboy on his way to Billings for a livestock show and the third passenger is a fundamentalist Arab student, newly arrived at Montana State University from the Middle East ..

Their discussion drifts to their diverse cultures. Soon the two Westerners learn that the Arab is a devout, radical Muslim and the conversation falls into an uneasy lull.

The cowboy leans back in his chair, crosses his boots on a magazine table, tips his big sweat-stained hat forward over his face, and lights a cigarette. The wind outside is blowing tumbleweeds around, and the old windsock is flapping; but still no plane has arrived.

Finally, the American Indian clears his throat saying softly, 'At one time my people were many, but sadly, now we are few."

The Muslim student raises an eyebrow and leans forward,'Once my people were few,' he sneers, 'and now we are many. Why do you suppose that is?'

The cowboy removes his cigarette from his mouth and from the darkness beneath his Stetson says in a smooth drawl . .

'I reckon that's 'cause we ain't played Cowboys and Muslims yet, But I do believe it's a-comin'.'

M.W.A.G. Fireworks Festival

2009-07-06T13:40:00.002-05:00

Took in the annual fireworks display on the Riverfront in Downtown Evansville on Saturday night. The show itself was nice, the music score not so much.

As is my custom, was carrying concealed. In this case, Kimber TLE II/RL with a Surefire X300 attached, as well as Ruger LCP in the pocket.

No problems, no funny looks from police, or anybody else. All's well!

Man with a gun...

2009-06-28T10:39:00.004-05:00

At a wedding, and with alcohol served.

No one was injured, and the gun didn't magically go off by itself.

The only mind control effects of the gun caused the carrier to make a fool of himself on the dance floor!