Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Conversations about Death

Batman caught us off-guard last week by asking what will happen to him and Robin if we die.  The Spouse blanched and launched into a talk on Heaven, and Batman corrected him by reiterating that he wanted to know what would happen to the kids if we died.  Frankly, I think The Spouse should consider himself lucky it wasn't a conversation about how babies are made. 

I explained to Batman that he and Robin would go live with Aunt Boo and Uncle Cell Phone.  Mimi would  take them to the land of Oz, and stay with them for a little while until they got used to it.  Furthermore, Sally and Leo would move with them, so they wouldn't have to leave them behind. 

This led to a discussion about what would happen to us when we died.  We talked about Heaven, and seeing family and friends again.  I told him that I would be with Roxanne the Wonder Dog, meeting her at the all-you-can-eat Milk Bone bar.  And Daddy and I would always watch over the two of them.  Batman corrected us and told us that we would be on a planet in outer space, which led me to wonder if he had been reading the Book of Mormon...

Eventually, Batman realized that if they were living with Aunt Boo and Uncle Cell Phone, then Gus would be their big brother.  And he has awesome toys.  So when *would* we die? 

I slept with one eye open. 

Mostly because Batman and Robin and Sally had me up that night.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Nominee for Douche of the Year!

Firefighter refused Giffords 911 call
msnbc.com news services
updated 2/17/2011 8:53:32 PM ET 2011-02-18T01:53:32
 
A city firefighter refused to respond to the Jan. 8 shooting spree that left six people dead and 13 wounded, the Arizona Daily Star reported, citing city memos.

The firefighter, Mark Ekstrum, quit the force two days later as management was considering possible disciplinary action against him, the Daily Star reported.

Fire Capt. Ben Williams wrote in a memo that when Ekstrum told him he would not go on the call, "he mentioned something about 'political bantering' and he did not want to be part of it," the newspaper reported.

After he was contacted by the Daily Star about the incident, Ekstrum said in a statement he was distraught about the shootings and had no disagreement with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head and is recovering at a Houston medical facility. Ekstrum said he was "distracted" and doubted his ability to focus on an emergency call.

Ekstrum was part of a team trained to handle major medical emergencies. The unit was not part of the first group of emergency responders and was only dispatched to the scene about 90 minutes after the gunfire broke out, the newspaper reported.

The Daily Star obtained the city memos that detailed the incident via a public records request.

The newspaper reported that Williams wrote that Ekstrum "started to say something about how he had a much different political viewpoint than the rest of the crew and he was concerned."

I thought it was understood in our post 9/11 world - and, indeed, in the ENTIRE culture/history of firefighting - that when you are called you respond.  I"m sure a lot of paramedics would prefer not to treat gangbangers, or parents who just shot their kids and tried to commit suicide, or other clearly horrible people.  Yet, a civil servant is shot doing her job and this man can't show up to help the other nine who were killed because he didn't agree with her politics?!?! 

What a fucking douche!

Veteran retired from force before he could be disciplined, newspaper reports