On the Interstate highway in Iowa, near the Girls' reformatory, there's a sign that advises drivers to avoid picking up hitchhikers, the only such sign I've seen. I suppose they have a problem with runaways.
Okay. I’ve known some kids that were in those. If I see someone running away it’s probably for a good reason.
Props from the Game of Thrones show are up for auction: https://entertainment.ha.com/c/search/results.zx?si=2&dept=2182&live_state=5318%7E5319%7E5320%7E5321%7E5324&auction_name=7366&mode=live&page=48%7E1&sb=7&ic4=SortBy-071515 I'd love to get some neat trinket, but it's looking like this will be for rich people only. Even the least significant items are getting plenty of bids. The big items? Forget about it. Jon Snow's sword is already at $31,000. The Hand's pin is $19,500, two of the three dragon eggs are at over $8,000, The Hound's helmet is at $9,000. And that's with nearly a month to go, still. Sigh. How cool would it be to own this? Bet it's going to cost over $50K by the end:
Stuff for people with too much money and not enough sense. Coming up next: Peter Jackson sells Thorin Oakenshield's tree-shield for a cool billion dollars and buys Cuba.
The Statue of Liberty apparently has a broken chain she walks over. I think I just ended that sentence on a preposition. I am not sorry.
The one I referred to is more of a minimum security prison with mandatory schooling. Been there for a long long time.
I was off work sick today, so no training on the rescue boat tonight. This is why I was sitting outside my daughter's gymnastics class earlier when an industrial building on top of the hill exploded. Naturally, the sensible thing to do would be to call the emergency services and leave them to it. That is not what I did. I jumped in the car and took off like the Dukes of Hazzard because the nearest fire station has a ten minute response time to there and I was three minutes away at most. Obviously, I could do nothing for the fire, but I'm still perfectly capable of doing emergency casualty care, even if I'd have to improvise a bit without the trauma bag. Luckily, that was not required; it seemed that nobody was in the building. Presumably some sort of machine or process hadn't been properly shut down when it closed for the day. I just drove back to pick up my daughter, passing a number of fire appliances on the way, but no ambulances, so I'm guessing no potential casualties had been reported to them, either. I don't know why I did that. I don't know why I'm posting about it, either. Maybe I'm looking for validation that I'm just a decent person and not a crazy Walter Mitty type or some sort of cynical glory hunter or something.
You're a First Reponder, right? Aren't they trained to run toward trouble when everybody else is running away? I think it's also just in their nature to begin with, or you wouldn't be able to train it into them.
I am, though I have a big orange boat now, instead of the big red truck and it's purely on a volunteer basis. I just get a bit embarrassed when I do these things. I doubt my own motives; I want to be a certain kind of person and that person does certain things. Also I just... can't not do it. I'm pretty 'famous' in the agency I actually work for for pulling off a rescue in my first couple of months on the job. Search and rescue isn't part of our remit, but I couldn't just...not do it. You know? Now every time I meet one of the Higher-Ups they're always 'oh, you're the guy who...'. I'm quite proud of what I pulled off that night and I feel bad for being proud of it. It was the longest stretch of casualty care in a risk area that I've ever done- over three hours- and basically single handed, as the only trained medic on scene. Still, we don't do these things for kudos. It was shortly after that that a place came up on the boat crew and I jumped at it. Anyway. I'm rambling again.
Hey, Sir Reg. I don't know if you're Irish or Catholic but that's about the most Irish RC post I've seen around these parts. Sometimes we all need someone who knows what to do and is willing to do it in a crisis. We also know there's more than self-interest and ranking in valour involved when people act in this manner. (Un)common decency fits right in there too. It's ok to be proud of a skillset that allows you to intervene in a crisis and make things better for people in distress. The orange boat sounds like RNLI. I've a sister who's helm on one and she responds decisively and authoritatively on call outs, with primary interest in getting everyone home safely. She's very good at it and we're proud of her for it, but I would not cross her when she's orchestrating a rescue. The motives of self-satisfaction and altruism are not automatically in conflict, so be proud of your achievements while ensuring you recognise no-one is invincible.
Thanks. I'm neither, as it happens, but I get what you mean. I think my thoughts on myself are best summarised by considering two episodes of Red Dwarf, specifically The Inquisitor and Dimension Jump. If a time travelling killer robot ever asks me to justify my existence, I want to have something for that. Also, I just really want to be the Ace version of myself not...the other guy, you know?
This time of year, sunny September days, when the University year gets underway and fills with students, I drive near campus and I see the co-eds walk past in their summer garb, sweet young things showing a remarkable amount of flesh, and I overhear them talking and laughing midst themselves and bantering with young guys, flirting . . . .this is the time I feel especially old, and I think of the lines from T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock": I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each/I do not think they will sing to me. Ah, but there was a time. There was a time.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/nkZBQ1W9bZjkFqFr/ . Might be an old man moment here, but I think we need more of this: to show people that life ain't over just cause they're not young anymore. There are people out there who hadn't really started living until they're in their sixties, because they had to spend the last fifty years trying to figure themselves and their lives out. . Don't get me wrong, work at it (whatever it is) but be patient with yourself. This ain't no speed race. The spunky kid in his twenties got a PhD, or is a hit musician? Good for them, they ain't you. . Take it easy, be patient. It ain't a race.
Hey, it might be worth a shot. One of those university mermaids is currently singing to me. Well, sending me flirty messages on WhatsApp at all hours of the day and night, but you get the idea. Funnily enough, it was my Marine Mammal Rescue hoodie that got her attention in the bar... Go cast your net!
