Fire/EMS/ERs/disasters, etc.

[Vrede too]

IMO Tropical Storm Bertha will intensify into a hurricane impacting New Orleans and Houston.

O Really gets a near-ish miss from Post Tropical Cyclone Elida. Good surfing?

[O Really]

IMO Tropical Storm Bertha will intensify into a hurricane impacting New Orleans and Houston.

O Really gets a near-ish miss from Post Tropical Cyclone Elida. Good surfing?

Surf report refers to "playful swells"

[Vrede too]

O Really gets a near-ish miss from Post Tropical Cyclone Elida. Good surfing?

Surf report refers to "playful swells"

Aww, that's cute.


Spokane is on fire. Is your daughter okay?

[O Really]

O Really gets a near-ish miss from Post Tropical Cyclone Elida. Good surfing?

Surf report refers to "playful swells"

Aww, that's cute.


Spokane is on fire. Is your daughter okay?

Yeah she's fine, thanks. She moved back to Seattle.

[Vrede too]

Spokane is on fire. Is your daughter okay?

Yeah she's fine, thanks. She moved back to Seattle.

Oh good, just quakes, tsunamis and volcanoes there, and rain. Nicer for you to visit, though.

Does she know how her old Spokane home has fared? It was crazy following along in real time as my Dad's old home slowly got swallowed by the Pacific Palisades fire.

[O Really]

Spokane is on fire. Is your daughter okay?

Yeah she's fine, thanks. She moved back to Seattle.

Oh good, just quakes, tsunamis and volcanoes there, and rain. Nicer for you to visit, though.

Does she know how her old Spokane home has fared? It was crazy following along in real time as my Dad's old home slowly got swallowed by the Pacific Palisades fire.

The Spokane house (really Spokane Valley) is fine and way the other side of the worst of the fire.

[Vrede too]

Spokane is on fire. Is your daughter okay?

Yeah she's fine, thanks. She moved back to Seattle.

Oh good, just quakes, tsunamis and volcanoes there, and rain. Nicer for you to visit, though.

Does she know how her old Spokane home has fared? It was crazy following along in real time as my Dad's old home slowly got swallowed by the Pacific Palisades fire.

The Spokane house (really Spokane Valley) is fine and way the other side of the worst of the fire.

Even though it was decades since Dad died and I was in the Pacific Palisades house, it still pained my heart.

Post-Helene, the buck has to stop somewhere


And here is what troubles me most: This is not new to Appalachia. For generations, rural mountain communities have been told, explicitly or otherwise, that if you want something done, you do it yourself, because no one is coming to help. That belief is not stubbornness or pride. It is accumulated evidence. It is the lesson reinforced by every flooded road and bridge that waited months and years for repair, every request that disappeared into a county office without response, every official who acknowledged the problem but didn’t return phone calls.

The danger is that we mistake bone-weariness for personality — call it mountain toughness — instead of recognizing it as the predictable consequence of institutional abandonment. WNC residents are not exhausted because we are weak. We are exhausted because we have been doing the work of government ourselves, for two years (and for generations), on top of everything else.

FEMA is MAGA, our Leg is majority GQP, most of our WNC legislators are RepuQs and our county commissioners are GQP.

[GoCubsGo]

FEMA is MAGA, our Leg is majority GQP, most of our WNC legislators are RepuQs and our county commissioners are GQP.

Where are the county commissioners?

They need to build a ballroom.

State Sen. Tim Moffitt (R-48) and state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (R-117) both represent Henderson County and have not heard concerns from Gerton or Bat Cave residents in a publicly announced gathering since Helene. Neither responded to requests for comment about their constituent engagement.

Why aren’t incumbents representing our area engaging more directly with citizens regarding Helene recovery? Aren’t they supposed to work for us?

[Vrede too]

Spokane is on fire. Is your daughter okay?

Yeah she's fine, thanks. She moved back to Seattle.

Oh good, just quakes, tsunamis and volcanoes there, and rain. Nicer for you to visit, though.

Does she know how her old Spokane home has fared? It was crazy following along in real time as my Dad's old home slowly got swallowed by the Pacific Palisades fire.

The Spokane house (really Spokane Valley) is fine and way the other side of the worst of the fire.

Even though it was decades since Dad died and I was in the Pacific Palisades house, it still pained my heart.

Arson suspect confessed to setting dozens of Spokane wildfires, records show

Mental illness escape? Idk, sounds too organized and consistent for that. Lock him up forever!

Meanwhile:

Residents warned to brace for the worst as Canada wildfire rages out of control

Thanks, Exxon.

[Vrede too]

FEMA is MAGA, our Leg is majority GQP, most of our WNC legislators are RepuQs and our county commissioners are GQP.

Where are the county commissioners?

They need to build a ballroom.

State Sen. Tim Moffitt (R-48) and state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (R-117) both represent Henderson County and have not heard concerns from Gerton or Bat Cave residents in a publicly announced gathering since Helene. Neither responded to requests for comment about their constituent engagement.

Why aren’t incumbents representing our area engaging more directly with citizens regarding Helene recovery? Aren’t they supposed to work for us?

That's an adorable fantasy.

[neoplacebo]

I read a story this morning saying that Sean Duffy is planning to hire 4,000 video gamers to be air traffic controllers. Sure is strange that this hasn't come up before in the past twenty years or so.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/ ... 38629.html

[O Really]

I read a story this morning saying that Sean Duffy is planning to hire 4,000 video gamers to be air traffic controllers. Sure is strange that this hasn't come up before in the past twenty years or so.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/ ... 38629.html

It's hard to believe anybody in Tru*p's pretend administration* could have a reasonable idea, but it does seem likely that the skills of a gamer really would be similar to those of an air traffic controller. I don't think the article implied the gamers would be put straight to work without training. Back when Reagan foolishly fired the striking controllers, they hired a bunch of people with no directly applicable experience. I don't know what percentage of them were successful at it, but I knew one guy who was an office admin of some type (HR I think) and he took on of the controller spots. Stayed with it, eventually retired.

Having said that, however, there's nothing that Tru*p and his minions can't screw up through malice, incompetence, or corruption, so I'm glad not to be a flyer anymore.

[supesalemgr2]

I read a story this morning saying that Sean Duffy is planning to hire 4,000 video gamers to be air traffic controllers. Sure is strange that this hasn't come up before in the past twenty years or so.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/ ... 38629.html

It's hard to believe anybody in Tru*p's pretend administration* could have a reasonable idea, but it does seem likely that the skills of a gamer really would be similar to those of an air traffic controller. I don't think the article implied the gamers would be put straight to work without training. Back when Reagan foolishly fired the striking controllers, they hired a bunch of people with no directly applicable experience. I don't know what percentage of them were successful at it, but I knew one guy who was an office admin of some type (HR I think) and he took on of the controller spots. Stayed with it, eventually retired.

Having said that, however, there's nothing that Tru*p and his minions can't screw up through malice, incompetence, or corruption, so I'm glad not to be a flyer anymore.

Seems to be a logical evolution. I am not a "gamer" but based on what I know the basic eye/skills are similar.

[neoplacebo]

I read a story this morning saying that Sean Duffy is planning to hire 4,000 video gamers to be air traffic controllers. Sure is strange that this hasn't come up before in the past twenty years or so.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/ ... 38629.html

It's hard to believe anybody in Tru*p's pretend administration* could have a reasonable idea, but it does seem likely that the skills of a gamer really would be similar to those of an air traffic controller. I don't think the article implied the gamers would be put straight to work without training. Back when Reagan foolishly fired the striking controllers, they hired a bunch of people with no directly applicable experience. I don't know what percentage of them were successful at it, but I knew one guy who was an office admin of some type (HR I think) and he took on of the controller spots. Stayed with it, eventually retired.

Having said that, however, there's nothing that Tru*p and his minions can't screw up through malice, incompetence, or corruption, so I'm glad not to be a flyer anymore.

When I read the story I came away with mixed feelings about it. I get the concept that a video game and a radar screen share similar visual symbols that designate a certain thing. But even as one with no more experience with video games than Pong and Pac Man, I also know that the pace of activity (what's happening on those screens) is likely much more intense in a video game than on an sir traffic radar screen. I imagine a young gamer quickly getting bored with the routine....that it's just not exciting enough. But, like you, I have to figure that extensive training would occur prior to any of these people being certified as an ATC. I wish them success. But I've not flown since 97 and don't plan on doing so again. I wouldn't mind stashing myself in a catering truck, though, just to see what's in there.

[GoCubsGo]

I wish them success. But I've not flown since 97 and don't plan on doing so again. I wouldn't mind stashing myself in a catering truck, though, just to see what's in there.

I promise you that you would absolutely be disappointed with what is in there.

Are gamers serious people, or are they just gamers at heart?

Dunno, but trusting the flying nations lives to people who spend a lot of time not living in the real world seems like it may have risks. Guess it could be worse, like if they hired Star Wars cosplayers.

[O Really]

If it were anybody but Tru*p toadies, I might think it was a good idea. But that's because I would know that even recruiting for certain skills gained by gaming, that candidates would still be otherwise well-screened and trained. But Tru*p has a long track record of hiring people with no real qualifications, who, ignoring the professionals that have been working there for years, put in their own friends and sub-toadies and then tell those toadies to do something in a week that by normal standards should take a year and further tell them to feel free to ignore applicable law, regulations, or professional advice.

So yeah, given all that - it'll be a mess.

[GoCubsGo]

If it were anybody but Tru*p toadies, I might think it was a good idea. But that's because I would know that even recruiting for certain skills gained by gaming, that candidates would still be otherwise well-screened and trained. But Tru*p has a long track record of hiring people with no real qualifications, who, ignoring the professionals that have been working there for years, put in their own friends and sub-toadies and then tell those toadies to do something in a week that by normal standards should take a year and further tell them to feel free to ignore applicable law, regulations, or professional advice.

So yeah, given all that - it'll be a mess.

Yeah, just look at the ICE "Agents."

[neoplacebo]

I wish them success. But I've not flown since 97 and don't plan on doing so again. I wouldn't mind stashing myself in a catering truck, though, just to see what's in there.

I promise you that you would absolutely be disappointed with what is in there.

Are gamers serious people, or are they just gamers at heart?

Dunno, but trusting the flying nations lives to people who spend a lot of time not living in the real world seems like it may have risks. Guess it could be worse, like if they hired Star Wars cosplayers.

If nothing else, I would not mind getting my hands on a few boxes of those little bottles of liquor. Maybe a few packs of peanuts, too.

No idea. I kind of suspect that a lot of them are video game savants....aces in the game but unable to do damn near anything else. I wasn't aware of any drastic shortage of controllers, but even if there is, what's preventing the recruitment of recent college grads (that requirement is apparently waived for the gamers) into the ATC training program?

I have some doubts about the wisdom of it all, which is why I posted it here to see what others think. But the dark cloud of reality that is Sean Duffy hangs over it all. Hell, it may turn out this whole idea was invented by Duffy's sons' friend, who may or may not be a video game virtuoso.

[O Really]

If nothing else, I would not mind getting my hands on a few boxes of those little bottles of liquor. Maybe a few packs of peanuts, too.

Yeah, it has been a while since you flew. They haven't offered peanuts for maybe decades. Last time I flew I think was out of Portland ME to Memphis and back. Decent flight but cramped seats and basically zero amenities. I think the "choices" were 4 miniature pretzels or one generic cookie. Quite a few years before that, I had flown in to visit my folks around their birthdays and got to their house around 8-9pm. My mum, as mums do, asked was I hungry, or "was I on a dinner flight." I laughed at the the time and told her they haven't done dinner flights for a long time and she wouldn't recognize the flights now from back when she would go to England a time or so a year. Old pictures of food servings in coach class look imaginary. From real food served on plates to stale pretzels and room to take a nap to hunched over with you seat "in a completely upright position" - yeppers, real progress.

[supesalemgr2]

I am so glad I do not fly anymore. When retired I had been "Platinum" level on Delta for a number of years and being upgraded to "first" 90% of the time. (The hardest upgrade" was ATL to Denver). It was just bearable then and Sky Rooms were not too bad in most locations. I found it miserable to fly coach, especially on a 757.