WHY?

WHY?

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Retired Chief Norm Davis passed away today




Today we lost a hero. Chief Norm Davis.
Chief Norm Davis retired saturday
Norm Davis for City Council

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Retired Wilkes-Barre Assistant Fire Chief Norm Davis dead



WILKES-BARRE - Retired city assistant fire chief Norm Davis died overnight inside his house on Kirkendall Avenue in South Wilkes-Barre.

Davis retired from the fire department in February after 36 years of service. He was a candidate for city council District A in the primary election, receiving 27 percent of the vote.

"Today is a sad day for the City of Wilkes-Barre as the community has lost retired Wilkes-Barre Assistant Fire Chief Norm Davis. He dedicated his life and 36-year career to serve the people of Wilkes-Barre and even in retirement, his commitment to improve this city and the lives of the people could not be questioned," Mayor Thomas Leighton said in a statement. "My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends but he will not be forgotten. His memory will live-on in the fire department that he served and the people that he touched."
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His retirement left a hole in our dept.
His passing left a hole in our souls.
The Marine Corp motto is 'Semper Fidelis' ("always faithful" in Latin) for the dedication and loyalty that individual Marines have for "Corps and Country", even after leaving service. Marines frequently shorten the motto to "Semper Fi".

Semper Fi, Norm.

Dan Emplit WBFD

Saturday, July 23, 2011

The Walking Dead (TV series)

I was just texting a friend who is a big fan of this show. And the release of a trailer for season two got us 'talking' about the show. Now I enjoy it as well, but there are just some things that, with a little thought or research or experience, are annoyingly wrong.
So here is a list (I make a lot of lists...)

1. If I awake from a coma to find the hospital wrecked and shot up, before venturing outside, remember to acquire pants.

2. Oh yeah, get shoes too. Before anyone asks, Raid the locker rooms.

3. The gun bag seems to weigh less than my laptop. That amount of weapons would weigh more than 80 pounds, add to that the 700 rounds of ammo (assorted) and you're talking more than half his body weight! In a sea bag!

4. Check those HMMWV's (Humvee's) or choppers for weapons and ammo.

5. Who holds an empty gas can in their gun hand when expecting trouble?

6. M1 Abrams (The Tank) do not have belly hatches (or a CB radio), that is a British Chieftain dolled up to look like an M1. Oh and the inside of a tank is CRAMPED. In the show it looked bigger than my living room.

7. You wouldn't be able to hear the pounding from inside either. Tanks are designed to take hits from OTHER TANKS. No way you could here pounding of fists, The armor is too thick.

8. The "Glock safety" mistake. The Glock safety is a small inner lever contained in the trigger. Put your finger on the trigger and the safety is OFF. What he flicked 'off' was the slide release. And what cop, on patrol, doesn't have a round in the chamber?

9. Spike strips are designed to NOT cause you to crash like that. They are hollow little spikes which cause the air to come out over a bit a time, making the car stop safely.

10. The whole department store thing, I mean, "Lets just stand here in plain sight and rile them up even more."

11. If you have to be where the zombies can see you. Why not do something productive, like IDK, put things in front of the doors to reinforce them or slow the zombies down?

12. Plus the camp in the woods, what is with that? Let's set up tents in the woods, that will keep them out. It's the woods, cut down some trees and make some barricades, some kind of defenses. And a strings of tin cans filled with rocks doesn't count as a defense.

13. Build a freaking fire pit that goes deep into the ground and has some sort of chimney type cover. That way it can generate heat and keep you warm without the light leaking out.

14. And why the hell go into Atlanta, anyway? it's only 1 month into zombie apocalypse, there are lots of smaller towns around to get supplies from first and they wouldn't have the massive number of undead.

15. As for the camp, have these people ever heard of having a 24/7 watch or the words 'defensive perimeter'?

16. The one handed shooting grips that these actors are using - have the guns canted to an angle that would assure a total miss. Despite what you see in movies, handguns for head shots? Not easy.

17. There are gun shops in Georgia, ones that are not in big cities and don't have endless numbers of zombies nearby.

18. Get a better hide out, one way in, means one way out.

19. Get better vehicles, Its only been a month or so, Steal a new RV.

20. 3 crossbow bolts in one deer? Really? I never heard of a deer that wasn't hit with a kill shot that just stood still for the hunter to hit it 2 more times, on the same flank and same side of the animal with a weapon as slow to reload as a crossbow.

21. You are surrounded and within proximity of a large mass of zombies. Everyone needs to be armed with something 24/7. Even if it is just a bat.

22. Instead of defense training - they did laundry.

23. And when the encounter happened - they had NO PLAN. Except - lets scream like an 8 year old girl and then go to the RV.

24. You are in DESPERATE need of fuel, ammo and food? Why don't they make any attempt to scavenge along the way? I don't understand. They have guns now. Can't the two deputies figure a way to work as a team and sweep/clear a simple structure so they can scavenge for supplies? Plus, there are plenty of abandoned cars on the way. Not all can be out of fuel.

25. They can't figure out how to get a 'decent' vehicle jump started?

26. The BIGGEST GLARING IMPOSSIBILITY.......... The FRENCH LASTED LONGEST!!!!!! Those cheese-eating surrender monkeys lasted longer than the U.S.!!!! Right. What did they do drop their rifles on the zombies heads?



27. At the CDC, once again they didn't forage for better weapons.

28. BTW, Grenades don't work that way.

29. What's with the muzzle of his revolver sticking out of his holster? That's a prescription for a failed draw when the front sight snags on the holster... not to mention the damage to the sight and crown.

30. Revolvers hold 6 shots (Most of them) and take a comparatively long time to reload. A Glock 17 holds 17 rounds in a magazine plus 1 in the chamber and take a second to reload. Which would you want to be carrying in a zombie apocalypse?

31. Shotguns hold 6 to 9 rounds and take FOREVER to reload. An AR-15 (civilian version of the M-16) holds 30 rounds in a magazine (most) and take a second to reload. Which would you want to be carrying in a zombie apocalypse?


I'm going with this kid. He has a better chance of survival.


There are a large number of things that should be ignored simply because of timing for a TV show (IE why wasn't the deputy covered with bed sores?). But come on, some of these things just don't make sense.

A lot of these points were made by friends of mine (like ZIPBAGS, MikeE, Bluto, Beamish & Dux to name a few) who have been helping me get back in the shooting groove. Thanks Dudes.

Add on Season 2 Here.


Dan Emplit WBFD

Friday, July 22, 2011

Duane L. Jones

Most people will not recognize the name, or even the name of the character he is best know for, Ben in the 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead (NotLD).
His role in 1968 movie Night of the Living Dead marked the first time an African American actor was cast as the star of a horror film. He was executive director of the Black Theater Alliance, a federation of theater companies, from 1976 to 1981.



He taught acting styles at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. As executive director of the Richard Allen Center for Culture and Art, he promoted African-American theater. After leaving the American Academy of Dramatic Arts he taught a select group of students privately in Manhattan, by invitation only. His hand-selected students were of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

He died of cardiopulmonary arrest at Winthrop-University Hospital on July 22, 1988.

His most famous character, Ben, was originally to be a gruff, blue collar, rough speaking, determined to survive but not-to-bright Caucasian. Until well spoken, reserved, dignified Mr. Jones auditioned for the part. At that time, it was not typical for an African American man to be the hero of a film when the rest of the cast was composed entirely of white actors and actresses. Social commentators saw that casting as significant; on the other hand, George A. Romero (the director) said that Jones "simply gave the best audition".
Karl Hardman (one of the producers), “The script had been written with the character Ben as a rather simple truck driver. His dialogue was that of a lower class / uneducated person. Duane Jones was a very well educated man and simply refused to do the role as it was written. As I recall, I believe that Duane himself upgraded his own dialogue to reflect how he felt the character should present himself"

The first time I saw NotLD, I was about 10 or 11, it never occurred to me to think about an African American star in a black and white film. Mr. Jones simply embodied the resourceful hero role. I didn't know for years that he tore down preconceived barriers. I only knew that he was a great actor, and his character Ben was... well a bad ass everyman.

Duane Jones died 23 years ago today, He was 52.

Dan Emplit WBFD

Glodzik not living up to his contract?




Mark Robbins of Forty Fort has started a blog about Leo and his L.A.G. towing monopoly in Wilkes-Barre. You should check it out.
If you haven't been reading the papers, well here are the links.

Dessoye: LAG Towing’s profits not my business

Critical remarks target Wilkes-Barre's towing operator

Wilkes-Barre towing contract not enforced

W-B tower denies driver’s claims

City tower’s conduct blasted

Here is a short list of what Mr Robbins has claimed on his site:

1. L.A.G. towing has NOT fulfilled its contract by:
a. NOT keeping an accurate and running log of all vehicles currently in storage
b. Not giving Wilkes-Barre PD An accurate and running log of all vehicles currently in storage
2. NOT giving WBPD a list of the tows made by the Contractor under this contract for the preceding month
3. NOT giving WBPD a copy of all inventories held
And has failed to do this FOR 75 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS!!!

No matter how you feel about the circumstances that got Mr Robbins started in this investigation. The details he is digging up are showing even more corruption in city hall.

One final claim I would like to point out, (From his 'CARs for Cash' kickback Scam)
"SCRANTON FBI IS COMPROMISED No wonder why Mayor Leighton is so cocky that he taunts people at City Council meetings. The FBI is “in his hip pocket.” Scranton FBI Agent Joe Noone attended a “Leighton for Senate party” and Noone has been seen out to dinner with the W-B Police Chief Gerard Dessoye. Noone has effectively corrupted himself by taking part in these social events. These are the people he is supposed to investigate! The Scranton FBI is the entity to which I should report. It’s now compromised."
Scary. Now even the watchmen may be compromised.



Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? "Who watches the watchmen?"

Dan Emplit WBFD
AKA Don Quixote

Thursday, July 21, 2011

What is wrong with the people that run this country?



From my Email in-box
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Someone please tell me what the HELL's wrong with all the people that run this country!!!!!!
Both Republicians & Democrats

We're "broke" & can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.,???????????

In the last months we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile, Pakistan, Lybia, Egypt and Turkey .. And now Japan

Literally, BILLIONS of DOLLARS!!!

Our retired seniors living on a 'fixed income' receive no aid nor do they get any breaks while our government and religious organizations pour Hundreds of Billions of $$$$$$'s and Tons of Food to Foreign Countries!
We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans.
AMERICA: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry, elderly going without 'needed' meds, and mentally ill without treatment -etc,etc.

YET......................
They have a 'Benefit' for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.

Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries.

Sad isn't it?

99% of people won't have the guts to forward this.
I'm one of the 1% -- I Just Did
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This is a sad truth. We need to start looking after our own, before anyone else.

Dan Emplit WBFD