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I love these threads! The truth is you guys will never have a constructive discussion in here because most of you cant take the emotion out of this. Lets see it for what it is..... Somone bought/leased whatever a block of land in New York On this block of land they will build a building In this building there will be a gym, a swimming pool, maybe some office space? a car park? And someone is going to buy or rent floor space so a bunch of dudes can take off their shoes and pray to their deity - who gives a rats ass. Lets stretch it further, maybe the gym will attract fat people that will be a slap in the face to those fit firefighters who died...... Maybe that office space will have some fraudulent business people who are a slap in the face to those honest business people in WTC......... Maybe the swimming pool is a slap in the face to people who cant swim....... Car parking to people who don't own cars.... Oxygen to people who have COPD.......... A day care to people who can't have kids...... No urinals for blokes who like to stand up...... "slap in the face", calculated to upset people? anti american sentiment? Sure, only if you want it to be.... At what point are you people going to practice what you preach? Land of the free? freedom of speech? Religous tolerance? Separation of church and state? Habeus Corpus? It all means absolutely fucken nothing if its not extended to everyone, which includes some people being able to have a piece of empty floor where they can take their shoes and get their religious rocks off. Or is America to become the great hypocrisy?

Agreed: Take care, cbare.

It seems like we've been seeing a lot of new faces lately, and from them gaining a lot of strong, smart new members. In the spirit of the City I thought maybe we could throw out some ideas on how to be successful here? Here are a few of mine.. 1) Welcome. We're glad to have you no matter what your certification level, experience, education or what type of service you happen to work at. The fact that we're glad to have you doesn't mean we don't argue these points, it simply means that we value thoughts, and the people brave and kind enough to share them, from every point on the compass and political spectrum. 2) You can gain very little here if you don't participate. Learn here, where it's safe, to air your ideas and encourage constructive criticism. If you can't push yourself out front here then you need to question if you'll have what it takes to push yourself to the front when people are suffering. Also, doing so causes most of us some pressure, allowing you to learn to think with that pressure and accept the consequences of those decisions. 3) No one here, regardless of how it may sometimes seem, wants to see you fail, here or in your career. Too often it seems that criticism is considered derision when in fact the exact opposite is true. We thrash each other's ideas to make each other stronger, not to try and prove our superiority. There is nothing that makes the smartest people here happier than to see those that have been mentored here succeed and even surpass the high standards most often expected here. I'm always very aware when someone has commented on one of my thoughts that this is a smart, successful person that had better things to do, yet made time to help me try and get smarter. I try and remember to be grateful for that. Nothing makes me happier than to lose an argument, because it means that I've fought with every tool in my toolbox to defend something that seemed perfectly logical and evident to me, yet...I was wrong. And now, thanks to someone smarter, that fought harder, I don't have to continue to be wrong tomorrow. 4) Do not Google your answers and then pretend that they are yours so that you don't feel stupid. Being wrong isn't stupid. Being afraid of being wrong, and so allowing yourself to remain wrong is stupid. Give answers from your head, use your own brain, create your own logic trees, that is how you grow and become stronger. Think I'm kidding? Follow my posting history and you'll see some of the most idiotic thoughts you can imagine, but many didn't remain idiotic because I was allowed to work them out with help from my friends here. And when I say friends? I'm talking about some really smart folks that left my ego bruised and bleeding at the end of some gnarly discussions. 5) Please understand that when we critique your spelling and grammar that it is not to belittle you but to help you grow as a professional and separate yourself from the significant number of your peers that everyone else is laughing at every day. Hanging out is fine, but use that time to improve yourself. We all make mistakes. We're looking not for perfection, but for the effort that says you're trying. Spelling and grammar are a practiced skill. We all make mistakes, that's why we push each other to constantly keep practicing. 6) Chat is chat and the forums are the forums though often the two overlap. Please don't bring your playful chat dialog and insert it into forum conversations. Not because 'chat is stupid' because of course it's not. It's just easy sometimes to take the fun, carefree familiar attitude of chat and allow it to distract from conversation in the forums. Besides, most of the people reading the threads won't get your references anyway. One's not better than the other necessarily, they just don't often mix well. 7) Have fun, be brave, make friends, find mentors, ask for help, help others…but most importantly, use this as a resource. This isn't a place that you come to prove how smart you are, but to prove that you want to be smarter. Almost everyone here respects that. Some of the most intelligent people I've ever met I've met here and my life will never be the same because I was gifted with their patience and advice. Use them, but as you do, remember to be grateful and give back. And in case I was somehow not clear...If you see my posts, and you find a bad idea, wrong thinking, bad attitude, poor logic, spelling, grammar, and choose to ignore it to 'be nice?' I will never thank you for that. I will never be grateful that you allowed me to be weaker today than I needed to be..Just sayin'... I'm hoping that many here will add to my silly little list…what do you think guys and gals? Dwayne Edited about a gazillion times because, for some reason, the text I see in my edit window isn't translating well when posted. I don't think I'll cut and paste from Word next time. No contextual changes made. Formating only.

Oddly enough here's a few quotes from that Brilliant Public Speaker, Obama's predesesor: This is NOT the Top ten either ! At least Obama can make some sense, even if it is a touch politically sensitive in the comparison. I would hazard a guess he is apprised of a bit more intel than WE the general masses of people.

Proof positive that one cannot please everyone, but the jury is still out on this topic as we haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg as long term fallout, far more deaths could result as the entire fishing industry in the GOM and beyond ! Just wait till the oil starts washing up on the shores of Cuba or Jamaica / the entire Caribbean archipelago and how that will factor into world politics ... sheesh what a freaking mess. The point(s) Obama makes is lack preparedness By Governments AND Oil company), the extremely POOR coordination of response +++, No mention that the USCG put the fire OUT possibly compounding the environmental devastation ? oops outside voice again. Maybe BP should build an Off Shore Floating Hotel or a Eco-tour Cruise ship or maybe a Shrine to the Global Oil Giants, to demonstrate BPs commitment to the People of the Gulf Coast Line ? <insert sarcasm>

I don't know what site your on because it sure the heck isn't this one.....sounds like you have some personal issues with people.... I have to agree with Dwayne on this topic, two thumbs up Dwayne!

The truck I had this morning/last night has the electric oxygen switch, but as AK said, D cylinder would have done the trick. Obviously the medic wasn't paying attention or didn't care.

Herbie, that is an excellent analogy! I do think that there are times when political correctness goes too far, and the wishes of a few outweigh the wishes of the many. This mosque is going to be offensive to many who travel to Ground Zero. Although Christianity has its bizarre splinter groups, overall, Christianity focuses on leading a life free of sin, including avoiding sinning against others. Leading a sin free life includes treating others well, and forgiving those who do ill to you, and loving all people. Forgiving sins is not the same as ignoring sins. Christianity does not tell people to ignore the sins of others. The Bible says to “turn the other cheek” but it does not tell its followers to ignore abuse. We do not ignore a child who continually hits others. We do not ignore a person who abuses others. We do not say “oh, it is their belief and so we must tolerate their behaviors.” Some religions teach their followers to actively discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or nationality. So why then, do we ignore the beliefs of certain religious groups, who teach racism, sexism, homophobia, hatred of other religions, etc., in the name of tolerance? Yes, there are members of the Muslim community who are not terrorists, and are kind, compassionate members of society. Perhaps we should expect them to control their own members, much as we expect a parent to control their screaming child. By not allowing this mosque to be built, we are sending the message “we will not accept your religion in this area, due to the damage, pain and suffering some members of your religion have caused to those in this area.” Why is that a bad thing? By showing members of the Muslim community that they have to control their own members in order to be welcome in America, we are not being intolerant – we are protecting our own innocent members of our society.

About nine years ago, I ran a really bad call that kinda got to me. I had some trouble sleeping for a good while, and I was prescibed a moderate dose of Ambien to help me get through the night. I took one. Wow. It caused me to hallucinate, slightly. I was seeing colors, and hearing things, like people talking to me, music. It was all so vivid. Someone came to stay w/ me till I went to sleep, and claimed that during my diatribe, I proclaimed I had discovered the meaning of life. I said "Life is who you are, and there's nothing more to it than that". Apparently. Maybe it's true. If there was no reason for our existance, we'd have ceased to be, long ago. Anything that lives and thrives, has a purpose. What is that purpose? Exactly. Maybe we're better off not knowing.

Don't explain to them! remember when you assume you make an A-S-S out of you and me..... Gotta love armchair medics/EMT's, dont you 4c.....

Your a real winner...........and to support wendy....please....

Knowing you it was a "she"..............was she hot?????

As mentioned, don't trash someone due to what they say. It is better to say to anyone else, even me (the admitted legend in his own mind), that something stated is incorrect, but back it with facts. Do not say "You're wrong because you are a dunderhead", but instead, say, "You are wrong for the following reason(s)", and explain your reasoning. A personal peeve of mine is, never presume that everyone else will understand something indicated locally by wherever you're certified or licensed as an emergency medical practitioner by initials. I was once confused by some folks' usage of "Con-Ed". By me, that's the electric company, Consolidated Edison, here in New York City. I returned the confusion with "C.M.E." Is that Chief Medical Examiner, or Continuing Medical Education? If you must use initials TRANSLATE the initials. NEVER USE ALL CAPS! Even in non-EMS related areas outside of EMT City, that is considered to be shouting, and impolite even at best. Remember that the search, and the spell check, functions are your friends. We really don't need a gazillion separate strings on the same topic, and either the administrator will shut a string down, or one of the moderators (which I am not!) will. Spelling is considered to be a function of good intelligence, even when I, and others start typing in dialect, as sometimes we Noo Yawkahs from Lawn Gyland might do wit youze guyz (Ya wanna make sumpin of it?). Yes, we play (some even more than I do, if you can believe it) but we keep it within the context of EMS work. Be advised that there is always going to be a battle primarily between the hospital based, and the Fire Department based, EMS systems, as well as the paid and volunteer service providers on the site. Opinions are like noses, everyone has one. No matter how well you state a position, someone will have an equally well stated opposition opinion. I may have a different opinion than you, but I'll defend you the right to have that opinion; you might even sway me to your view. (Who'da thunk it?) Newjacks and Newbies, be advised: Welcome Aboard!

This is a great idea Dwayne I wish there had been something like this back when I was newer. I am still new and there is great advice in your post.

While I agree that as a whole, the Islamic religion does not represent the views of extremists, it irks me that a mosque (a representation of Islam) is being built at the foot of two amazing structures destroyed by muslim extremism. Some of you here might argue that it was actually socioeconomic and political factors that gave rise to Muslim extremism that took countless lives on 9/11, but you would be wrong. Most of the conspirators including the pilots in the 9/11 plot had PhDs, and were from wealthy backgrounds. Recent psychological research into religious extremism finds that even after you correct for poverty, lack of economic opportunity, etc, extremist views in the middle east actually increase. "Go forth in Jihad... [9.39] If you do not go forth in Jihad, He will chastise you with a painful chastisement and bring in your place a people other than you [to go on Jihad]"... Um, have you read the Old Testament? Yahweh of the old testament is perhaps one of the most unpleasant, cruel, jealous characters ever to be written about in any book.

Some very good advice here! A couple other things to add: 1. Intentionally 'stirring the pot' is a good way to start collecting frowns from the general membership. We're each entitled to our opinions, but to go out of your way to 'stir things up' is generally not well received. 2. Please try to refrain from digressing to name calling. It usually proves nothing, and it more often than not precludes others from wanting to try to see things from your perspective. 3. Your homework is your homework. We don't mind helping you with it, but please don't expect us to do it for you. We've already done ours. There are some very bright minds here (I'm still wondering how that happened!); take advantage of them, you'll be surprized how many are willing to pass on what they know. 4. A little logic and common sense go a long way around here. Want to really bring the wrath of the gods to bear? Defend an action with 'because the book says', as opposed to logically defending your point..... 4a. Don't be afraid/ashamed to admit that you were wrong. You'd be surprized how far that goes toward 'credibility' and respect! Above all, jump in; the water's fine and the piranhas have all been fed (for now)!

No, I'm no hypocrite. I'd have said similar things If I thought someone harmed a patient out of disrespect. I was a prep myself, dyed my hair blonde, dressed beyond my means. Fit in where need to, it's their life to live or ruin. It's our job to put the wheels back on the track, in case they want to get to the next station.

So when I read this post really I wondered what the hell is a nemo kid. I live in a small town and I'm not thinking we have any, but with cutting things off. In my community we have alot of people who do not have money to replace clothing ect. I will cut off clothing if needed. I have a frequent flyer and not once have I had to cut his cloths in 14 years. Then one day he decided sleeping in a cold place and having snow fall on him was something to exeperience I had to cut off everything to warm him up. I hated doing this but there is a time and a place for it. I'm sure that the OP didnt cut off whatever the nemo kids have on because of discrimination but because of need for medical attention.

I really don't care about online popularity contests. The OP posted something on an internet forum where the public is free to reply and I posted my opinion. I can see that you think that destroying property when not nessecary is trivial. A 110 hour certain class or even a paramedic program does not give one the right to indiscrimatley use those shears in your pocket just because you find the way someone dresses silly. How could what you have written in response to my post been any less intelligent or debate provoking than the thumbs down emoticon you have in their? A "real winner"......

Not all muslims are terrorists ! BUT ALL TERRORISTS ARE MUSLIMS !

We just got a vacum mattress and were trained to it . Have not used it yet so I am interesdted in your feed back on it. But a snappy dresser

Disagree- on so many levels. By making such a comparison, Obama is positioning himself to steer public policy towards his green agenda. Agree with Obama or not, agree with oil companies as being the antichrist or not, this is wrong. This is exactly what Obama's advisers have said in the past: "Never let a good crisis go to waste"- meaning use a disaster to gain a political advantage. 2012 cannot come soon enough.

Be ready to be belittled and criticized for every tiny thing you may mention. The attitude here is "you are wrong, so we will trash you for it" no matter what. Ignore those people, some of us here are friendly and understand.

Funny because after my post in this thread my "rep" went to negative something. Funny, the popularity contest. Another reason why this site can suck sometimes!