Disqus - Latest Comments for mrcyclops

Re: Can your cell phone really bring down a plane?

mrcyclops — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 14:23:19 -0000

easier to swallow that pilots are concerned about it, if they weren't introducing iPad based flight manuals INTO THE COCKPIT as reported in AA's own in-flight magazine

Re: 29 arrested in prostitution, drug sting

mrcyclops — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 17:08:13 -0000

LOL

Re: Hampstead balloon crash causes power outages

mrcyclops — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 17:06:41 -0000

The injury accident rate for balloons is much lower than it is for cars / vehicles. I take it that you would both support a ban on the use of automobiles as well?

Re: Andover man charged in elaborate college-hacking scheme

mrcyclops — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 17:04:53 -0000

Many universities / colleges have their own fully-accredited police departments. As is the case here in MA. Thus, the warrant 'out of Purdue' indicates that the University Police Department went to court, sought, and received a warrant.

Re: Firefighters get citizen help digging out hydrants

mrcyclops — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 09:19:55 -0000

I take my kids out and we do 4 of them around my house. It takes us less than 15 minutes, even in a big snow, with snow-blower and shovels to do the entire circumference. Kids should be doing this for their families and neighbors. They should be doing sidewalks around their house and their neighbor's houses too.

Re: Firefighters get citizen help digging out hydrants

mrcyclops — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:02:25 -0000

Who edits these stories? There is no way a dozen or so firefighters, even if they’re in Ironman Triathlon physical condition, can clear snow from all them hydrants in just two or three days.

Is this a quote? Or is this the writing of the reporter? Either quotes are missing, or this is just terrible writing.

Re: Roof fire empties Tuscan Kitchen

mrcyclops — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:49:02 -0000

1) I was responding to your non-factual statement that all county fire-rescue agencies in places like FL were in rural areas and provided you with factual information to the contrary.

2) I never said that a County fire agency was the preferred answer or that it would save money. I have done a number of such studies and found that 1/2 save nothing or cost more, 1/4 save money for everyone involved and 1/4 save money for some but cost other participants a lot more money (due to variances in cost structures).

3) Despite your rhetoric and repeated lack of facts, I have not once called you a "loud mouth" or any other names.

Stay safe and thank you for the work you do.

Re: Roof fire empties Tuscan Kitchen

mrcyclops — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:37:40 -0000

what wrong with the FL systems - 3 man engine and truck crews, 2 man rescues, paramedics on almost every piece... sounds like a better version of what we are doing here - there are plenty of systems here in MA that have one man on their ladder - which is not safe, and not effective...

Re: Roof fire empties Tuscan Kitchen

mrcyclops — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:25:11 -0000

I do work as a trainer and as a consultant around the US in fire rescue. Teaching incident command and so on. The response times vary widely in those systems, as they do here if we are honest with ourselves. There are places in the valley, for example, where response times are measured in seconds and other places where they are measured in 8+ minutes. That can be said in any system. In many of those county systems there are large 'urban' areas that are very dense (and may include cities and towns) and there are areas that look less so. Broward County is pretty urban.

And while we are at it, we all know that average response times are irrelevant. What matters is the fractile response times.So what do you do for a living?

Re: Roof fire empties Tuscan Kitchen

mrcyclops — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:59:35 -0000

And, BTW, Broward County Fire Rescue (you know, in all those rural areas around Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, etc.) does contract work for a number of cities. They also are operated under the Sheriff's Office as a further efficiency.

Re: Roof fire empties Tuscan Kitchen

mrcyclops — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 07:58:38 -0000

Umm - what about Broward County Fire Rescue? Or Orange County Fire Rescue? Volusia County Fire Rescue? Or Palm Beach Fire Rescue? Or Seminole County Fire Rescue? Or Pinellas County - where there is no countywide department, but there is a single point of dispatch, a single Ops chapter in everyone's operations manual, boundary-less automatic aid (closest appropriate unit response drive by GPS), etc. In fact there are towns here in the valley that are now starting to charge insurance companies for responses to vehicle accidents. Please - there are plenty of ways to do business better than its done here - in fact, Fire Rescue management in the northeast is the butt of a lot of jokes around the country among Fire Rescue professionals. And, BTW, this doesn't even begin to talk about the countywide systems in CA - including several that span areas larger than the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and have over 100 career fire stations in them.

Re: Sex before competing: Does it boost athletes' performance?

mrcyclops — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 22:01:10 -0000

LOL - my girlfriend wears a t-shirt I bought her in the airport in Baltimore with that quote on it...

Re: UPDATE: Two arrested, two sought for questioning in Airsoft gun shooting in Andover

mrcyclops — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 07:22:47 -0000

trying to turn their life around?! what did they used to do? work as assassins? these are the same kinds of kids that think its ok to take what they want when someone says 'no', etc. - entitled brats should go to jail - their claim to being 'nice boys' was lost last night (if not before)

Re: UPDATE: Two arrested, two sought for questioning in Airsoft gun shooting in Andover

mrcyclops — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 07:17:02 -0000

my thought on reading the article was that i hoped the spotting of the weapon in the car turned it into a felony traffic stop - with the whole routine - that alone would be a life lesson that these kids (and any observors) would never forget... i've been on the giving end of a number of those, and it is possibly the best reminder we have as a society that we don't tolerate this kind of behavior - and that you are no longer 'a good kid' when several police officers are pointing their weapons at you and you are being ordered out of your vehicle and on to your face in a parking lot in front of 50 people... i hope that the officers did this for their own safety as well...

Re: UPDATE: Two arrested, two sought for questioning in Airsoft gun shooting in Andover

mrcyclops — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 07:13:11 -0000

if it happened there it wouldn't have been reported

Re: Ice cream truck vendor charged with attempted murder of wife

mrcyclops — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 09:06:31 -0000

not suggesting death to fun - suggesting a mandatory 5-7 song rotation for all of our sake. i think that we should be looking into the psychological impact of hearing the same song played over and over again has on people - no wonder he snapped LOL...

i just spent a weekend working on a medical team at a major gymnastics competition - after several hours of hearing the same song played over and over (compulsory floor exercise) it was no wonder that these parents and kids are all so irritablespeaking of death to fun, learn to recognize a joke

Re: Ice cream truck vendor charged with attempted murder of wife

mrcyclops — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 08:01:54 -0000

They should have held a danger to the community hearing after that noise complaint. I hate that ice cream truck music.

Re: Cupcakes on the move

mrcyclops — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:17:17 -0000

Or maybe she's a small business person who is selling them in the town she lives and and in the town next door. She's up at 5 AM doing something OTHER than complaining and whining on this blog. She has a line for her cupcakes. Just like Orange Leaf. Good for them for coming up with an idea where people with disposable income are willing to spend their money. I don't see any of you making fun of the people selling phone cards and fried chicken in Lawrence.

Katzmom - are you disputing the fact that she is, in fact, only one person? I don't even understand what point you are making, or why you even bothered to make it.

I say congratulations to Ms. Levin. I wouldn't pay $3 for a cupcake, but I am glad for her that lots of people will.

Re: Town cuts $2.9M from design of new school

mrcyclops — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 15:16:57 -0000

And soccer fields - we also lost some of those to these very important people.

Re: Agreement reached on Bancroft site appeals

mrcyclops — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 06:44:21 -0000

How is a project that results in less play space outdoors for the children who attend the school, or the kids in town in general, a better project? Why is there no reporting on the deal made by the SBC to reduce the play spaces agreed upon and presented to Town Meeting?

Re: Kowalski elected, Major re-elected to Andover selectmen

mrcyclops — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:28:56 -0000

Congratulations to all five candidates!

Re: Settlement in works for Bancroft School appeals

mrcyclops — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:22:35 -0000

The 'soccer fields' are part of the existing property. The various sporting groups spoke favorably on the project and have supported it, based, in part, on the continued provision of fields. The fields were part of what was approved by Town Meeting. The soccer fields are a non-issue on people's use of their private property.

Re: Andover jewelry store burglarized

mrcyclops — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:08:55 -0000

Thank you for fixing the article ET.

Re: Andover jewelry store burglarized

mrcyclops — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:07:54 -0000

the police don't sit in their station like firefighters, waiting for something to happen...

Re: Andover jewelry store burglarized

mrcyclops — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:01:26 -0000

Matt - I know that - you know that - but how about they just do their jobs and report it to everyone else. LOL