Something’s changed

June 20, 2012

Jim Reeves commentary, Gay, Personal , , , , , 2 Comments

Monday June 18th, 2012 Visalia City Hall

If anyone had told me, oh, say back when I was in high school, or even for a decade or two after that, that I would end up as some kind of “community leader”, standing at the public’s podium at the City Hall, and accepting a proclamation for that community, I’d have thought they were simply nuts.

Something’s changed.

More

Sometimes, all you have to do is ask

June 16, 2012

Jim Reeves commentary, News, Personal , , , 1 Comment

It’s weird, every now and then, how things work out.

For years, various political figures have issued proclamations honoring June as LGBT Pride Month.  Whether a Mayor of a major city, or the President of the United States, the whereas‘s and the therefore‘s have highlighted the triumphs and tragedies of the gay pride movement across the United States, and marked the month in remembrance.  Some cities do it every year, Presidents (who are Democrats) issue one annually, and other government bodies sometimes do and sometimes don’t.

This is the story of Visalia’s LGBT Pride Month proclamation.

It was all quite accidental.

More

Videos taken on the Ensenada cruise

June 14, 2012

Jim Reeves commentary, Personal , , , Leave a comment

In several of these clips, I sound like an illiterate DBO.  It’s a bit embarrassing.  My only defense is these are all spur-of-the-moment videos, and I wasn’t thinking about presentation.

You can check the entire series of videos at my YouTube channel, here.

Back home, tired, and a picture to hold you over:

June 11, 2012

Jim Reeves commentary, Personal , , , , Leave a comment

I’ll post more about the cruise, later.  Right now, I need a nap!

The Lady and the Enterprise

June 6, 2012

Jim Reeves geek, News , , , , Leave a comment

The Space Shuttle Enterprise is on it’s way to New York’s Intrepid museum by barge.  It has been lifted onto the flight deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid, the retired aircraft carrier now permanently on display in New York Harbor.  The Enterprise was the first Shuttle built, and used for flight and landing tests in the late 1970’s.  It was originally planned to be retro-fitted for spaceflight, and be the second orbiter, but structural refitting to bring the Enterprise to acceptable specifications became to expensive.  The decision was made that it would be cheaper to build a new orbiter (Challenger) than to disassemble and rebuild Enterprise.  Enterprise has been on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport since 2003.

More

From the Archives, August 10, 2008 – “Stupid Drunk Human Tricks”

June 3, 2012

Jim Reeves 9-1-1, commentary, Personal , , , , Leave a comment

I almost titled this one “stupid criminal tricks” but until someone actually gets convicted, I suppose criminal is a bit judgmental….

Here’s the latest story that has us shaking our heads at what people will try to do to get out of trouble. The place and time – State Route 99, south of Pixley, California (in California’s great Central Valley) – about 3am. One of our south county patrol units is driving up 99 towards Pixley, heading back to the Substation. He sees a vehicle displaying all the signs of an intoxicated driver, so he makes a traffic stop. After the normal “license, registration, and insurance” interaction, the deputy gets on the radio and asks to have the CHP dispatched for a drunk driver. I get on the phone and place that call to get them started, when I hear my supervisor pick up a 9-1-1 line, and things start getting interesting…….

More

Space Geek: Another private spaceship begins testing

May 31, 2012

Jim Reeves geek, News , , , , , Leave a comment

Dream Chaser took to the air for the first time, in what is called a “captive carry” test.  Designed to test hardware, facilities, and ground operations, the test was conducted at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County, Colorado.  A heavy-lift helicopter…  lifted it.  Eventually, they’ll let it go, and see if it can fly!

This one sure looks more like a spaceship than the Dragon, which just successfully docked with the International Space Station, and splashed down today in the Pacific Ocean.  Of course, the Dragon is a working system, based on tried and true technology.  The Dream Chaser is following in the footsteps of the Shuttle, a very much more complex design.  I’m crossing my fingers.

Very possibly, in the near future… Correction: Done Deal

May 30, 2012

Jim Reeves commentary, Personal , , 1 Comment

I’m hoping.

UPDATE:
It’s a done deal. A cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada and back, leaving June 8th. Guess I better start watching old Love Boat episodes on Netflix to see how cruising is done right!

Sledgehammers, gnats, and the occasional sane response

May 25, 2012

Jim Reeves commentary, Personal , , 1 Comment

I’ve always been a jeans and casual shirt kind of guy.  I seldom get dressed up, even for work.  Apparently, that’s about to change.

Recently, my employer put out an updated policy manual.  Most of it was simply rehashed, and sometimes reworded, things that had “always been”.  Some of it was new.  One new part was the dress code.  In the number 1 dairy county in the United States, and the number 2 agriculture county, denim jeans are no longer acceptable wear.  Even though we work in the basement of the Sheriff’s Office/Jail, and are not visible to the public, the kind of clothing I’ve been wearing for all of my 17 and 5/6ths years of employment here is suddenly not acceptable.

Well, not “suddenly”.  Just “kind of suddenly”.  The manual came out either late last year, or early this year, I don’t recall precisely.  We were all required to electronically “sign” that we had read a copy of the manual.  (I had a bit of a problem with this, as we were required to click off that we had read the policy, BEFORE the computer would allow us to actually read it!  Sometimes government logic is best not studied too deeply.)

We were supposed to comply with the “new” regulations at that time.  Needless to say, few did.  In our defense, however, the policy was not enforced until yesterday.

Recently, somebody elsewhere in the department wore something they should have known would not pass muster, even under very relaxed attitudes.  When they were called on it, they immediately responded with “but dispatch can wear jeans!”

That’s when the shit hit the fan.

More

A time warp is the only explanation…

May 22, 2012

Jim Reeves 9-1-1, commentary, Personal , , , , , Leave a comment

The calendar said it was Monday.  My phone said it was Monday.  The newspaper said it was Monday.  Tulare County seemed to think it was Friday.  Friday of a full Moon.  On a Friday the 13th.

It started off quietly enough.  A nice staffing level, not much going on, things running fairly smoothly.  A nice, calm, reasonable Monday at 9-1-1.  The officers and deputies were all out getting into their routines, as Mondays are generally the beginnings of work weeks for them.  Some subpoenas to be served, maybe a warrant or two, and informants to be talked to, in order to glean intel over events that occurred on the weekend.  We were settling in there in dispatch, looking forward to sedate work shift.  We should have known better.  Just when you think it’s all good…

“WHO SHOT YOUR MOTHER??”

That’s the phrase that led our descent into chaos, nearly shouted by the Duty Officer, on a 9-1-1 call…

More

Older Entries Newer Entries