Christmas: did you know that?

The Christmas season is upon us and neighborhoods are full of houses with bright lights. Families have trees full of ornaments. Cities and counties decorate streets with ribbons, bows, lights, and huge Christmas trees. Children anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Party goers hang mistletoe, giggling with the thought of the “mandatory” kisses bestowed under the greenery.

Where did these customs and beliefs originate?

The best time of year for reading epic fantasy

I love the holidays in general but even more so for reading. Books are published with the Christmas season in mind.

It makes sense. Books make wonderful Christmas gifts and I love holding a book. There is nothing like the smell of  anew book or the feel of turning a page and that is something a digital book can never duplicate.

A Century at a time- notable people and events of the 4th and 5th Centuries

      

This period has been referred to as the “Dark Ages” as well as the Middle Ages. The ‘center’ of the world was considered to be Rome (remember, all roads led to Rome). Emperor Constantine had been the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity when it spread but the “pagan” worship of Gods didn’t stop completely. The Church had to adapt local deities and traditions to encourage the populace to join even though the Romans banned the worship of paganism. In Egypt, the Temple of Serapis was destroyed during as part of a series of civil disturbances against Christians. Alas, the Roman Empire had been on a long downfall and finally crashed and burned in A.D. 476 when the Vandals took control of the territories. As Roman society fell apart, other peoples took advantage of the discourse: Ostrogoths, Visogoths, Burgundians, Franks, Saxons, and the aforementioned Saxons. By 493 AD, Italy was under the rule of Theodoric, an Ostrogoth. Clovis is names King of the Franks in 481 – Clovis drives the Visigoths from Gaul in 507.

New NHL season 2018-2019

October 02 starts the new NHL season and it looks to be one for the books. One of the best off-season acquisitions was landed by the San Jose Sharks when they picked up Erik Karlsson. Eric, a two-time winning Norris Trophy winner, along with Norris winner Brent Burns, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic & Justin Braun, are probably the best four defensemen in the entire league and now the four are on the same team.

Who was St. George?

Was St. George a real person? How did George get missed up with a dragon? When did England adopt George as it's Patron Saint? Read on and find out.

The actual person, George, lived somewhere between the third and fourth century. It is believed George was a son of a Roman officer from Cappadocia (Turkey) and a mother, who was from Lydda.  As expected, George followed in his father’s footsteps and became a soldier. Lydia (modern day Lod) is 24 miles from Jerusalem. The story goes that George, who was a member of the Christian faith.

APCO 2018: the good and the bad

The 2018 APCO Conference at the Las Vegas Sands Convention Center is over. Those of us who attended are now back home and back to our regular routines. How was this year's event in Las Vegas? I've been to three Conventions (2009 in, funny enough- Las Vegas and back when it was held in Sparks at the Golden Nugget in the 1990's).  Showing my APCO Attendee badge allowed me to park for free.

As with any large event there were good and bad parts.

Photos from APCO

I'll post more about the conference this weekend but here are some pictures from the APCO Block party and the final night's meet and greet dinner with Louie Anderson providing entertainment. One of the highlight's of the Block Party was playing Blackjack: winner moved earned a space nearest the fan. It was more for the fun of hanging out and enjoying one another's company. Thanks for a great time!

Fremont Street was lit up for APCO

Me with a new friend Angela

Fremont Street entertainment

At the Block Party a friendly game of 21 with winner getting closest access to the fan

Meet and Greet before the dinner

final President's message before sweating in of new

Swearing on new Presidential Board 2018-2019

Louie Anderson

APCO Monday 6th

The Sands expo is nice but not quite as large as the Las Vegas Convention Center. On has to park at the Palazzo or Venetian. When you walk inside, there are banners and signs welcoming you to the Conference. It is easy to find sessions.

First day at APCO

Today I went to two sessions: Imagine Listening - Your Worst Day is My Everyday and The Voices Behind the Incident: A Discussion  Panel With the Dispatchers Involved in the Las Vegas Shooting.

Imagine Listening was put n my Ricardo Martinez II, the man behind the IAM911 movement. He has a podcast focusing on Public Safety Telecommunicators that is a must hear for anyone wanting to know what our job is truly about. Some of the stories are heart-breaking, some funny, and some just make your cringe. Today he played some audio and then invited the audience to share stories.

Many of us left the session with wet eyes. It was very emotional.

So what did I go to next? The Las Vegas Fire Communications Center panel discussion. WOW! They started out by playing a montage of 911 calls accompanied by video footage. The room was dead quiet as a packed Ballroom of Dispatchers watched and listened. Then the Dispatchers stood up one-by-one and shared their take on the night's event and how they have coped since then. Each one received a raucous round of applause and a standing ovation at the end. To hear about what they handled in that short amount of time was crazy.

I left the conference after that to meet with my son and daughter-in-law. We spent a nice afternoon at the Lion Habitat Ranch. Then we went out to lunch. Denise wanted to check out Zak Bagan's Haunted Museum. We went ahead and took the tour. I have to admit, there were a few parts of that tour that truly creeped me out.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are full days. The vendor area open up and I have a request to bring back swag.

For any of you at APCO reading this, I have signed copies of the Dispatching History book with me. Find me and say hello. Maybe you'll walk away with a free book!

Stay safe out there!

The long drive to Vegas

I made the drive in a decent amount of time. Wanting to avoid the traffic, I left at o'dark thirty from Reno. It didn't matter. I still hit traffic. Once the sun rose, and I left Washoe County, the traffic thinned out.

Darn, the smoke from the multiple fires was bad. It made for a gorgeous sunrise but it didn't clear until I passed Tonopah. I put in a CD to practice my private karaoke skills. after a while, I flipped on the Sirius Music classic rock. The view was nice: lots of mustangs and later, some burros, and some amazing scenery. Thankfully, I didn't see any suicidal critters on the road.

No accidents and minor constructions kept me going steady. I made a few pit stops to top-off the tank in Yerington, Tonopah, and Death Valley (I wandered around the famous candy store but left empty handed). I finally broke down in Beatty and turned on the air-conditioning for a bit when I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck.

Tomorrow is check-in day but I mostly have it to myself. I will be taking pictures and posting them daily.

Stay safe out there!

Why I'm not driving to Las Vegas for APCO's conference

It’s less than a week to APCO. I’ve two more shifts left to work and I can’t wait to get out of town. The smart person would fly to Las Vegas from Reno but not me. Nope. I’m driving. So, you ask, why would I cram myself into a car for seven to eight hours in the summer heat instead of a short 1.3 hour flight?

Why indeed…well, I’ll tell you.

Our business: action figures and hand-made pens

Are you looking for actions figures? We have 'ems. Star Wars Lord of the rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Game of Thrones we have are wide variety of action figures available.

SD Curiosities: July focus on nautical collectibles and the Shark Dart

This month I want to focus on some of the fun items we have for sale. July is the hottest month of the year in Reno so we like to think of any way we can to cool off. Naturally, getting wet takes off the heat which makes me think of swimming and nautical related items.

The jewel in our collection is a mannikin completely tricked out in vintage dive gear including gear similar to that used by Jacques Cousteau. This is a package deal which includes the mannikin, the dive gear and a Shark Dart. In the early days of the NASA Space program, when the capsules splashed down, the Navy Divers would help evacuate the Astronauts. To keep away any curious sharks, the divers carried a weapon called the Shark Dart. The tip had an explosive charge which went off on contact. You can see the divers holding the SD in photos and old films. This device is banned in several countries. We also have vintage dive fins and a mask.

For those who enjoy the sights of the coast, we have a large selection of lighthouses. Some of the figures are brand name figures and others are generic, but still nice pieces. For example: we have a Cheryl Spencer Collins lighthouse and several Spoontiques. We also have a set of four mini Harbor Lights lighthouses.

Do you like ships? How about a beautiful glass paperweight in the form of a ship? We have nautical weather gauges. And for you swashbucklers, a pirate shot glass. Oh, let's not forget a couple of different Pirates of the Caribbean action figures.

So, next time you are in Reno, come check out our offerings.

Our both is: Sd Curiosities
We're at Sierra Antiques and Treasures (a mall without walls)
151 N Sierra Street
Reno, NV 89501

Until next time,

Stay safe out there!

Getting involved as a Dispatcher

Are you looking for something more out of your career as a Public Safety Dispatcher / Telecommunicator? At some point in our jobs, many of us reached the same plateau. We wanted more but weren't sure what we wanted or how to get it.

Volunteering is a great way to connect to ours of a like mind. No doubt you're either helped out in other areas before or know of someone who has. For example, maybe a family member or friend is involved with Special Olympics, the local animal shelter, or the Red Cross but that's not right quite for you.

APCO Conference 2018 is just around the corner!

Look out Las Vegas, you will soon be surrounded by Telecommunicators, Radio Technicians, and Vendors associated with the Public Safety communications industry! August 5-8 is the 84th annual International Conference. There is only four days left to purchase tickets.

Go to the official conference link for more information:

https://www.apco2018.org/


I'll be there and pending a wi-fi connection will try to post daily updates and (hopefully) some pictures.

Wild & Crazy Dispatchers roaming Vegas? Uh-oh. The meows will be off the charts! Let's hope I don't end up on LIVE PD when enroute to LV from Reno (lol). I'll remember to at least smile for those cameras.

Anyone want a signed copy of my dispatcher book, like my blog and post a comment IF you are attending ? I'm bringing some with me to the conference.

Until August,

Stay safe and MEOW to my Game Warden LEOs.

Know before you sign or vote

Yesterday I was approached by a young man seeking signatures to get a amendment to an exiting law on the next year's ballot. He was respectful when asking if I was a registered voter. I said yes and asked what he was seeking signatures for and listened to his pitch. I gave him a chance to give his speech. After he was done, he held out his clipboard as if he expected I would fall in line and enter my John Hancock.

Not so fast Mr. Wizard. I had questions.

Our store booth has expanded - check it out!

Sam and I have put a lot of work into adding more storage space (well, mostly Sam has). We now have LOTS of cabinets which allow for more goodies. If you are in Reno (NV), make a point of coming to the store and seeing what treasures lie within. The address is 151 N. Sierra Street, Reno, NV 89501. The store is Antiques and Treasures and is "a mall without walls".

Autographed Casino poster (13 signatures)

Autographed Braveheart poster with 11 signatures

An overview of our booth

Thaelia's World: A History of the Greycliff Royal House

The Royal House of Greycliff

There is no written history of the Royal House of Greycliff. This is a factual based notation on the Kings and their Queens of Greycliff according to the official documents in the Royal Archives as collected by QueenGaelynn.

Where did my social media go, and other randon thoughts

Hello,

You may have noticed my Twitter and Facebook account are no longer active. My time constraints are such, and the concern for the security of said media are such, that I have made the decision to de-activate both services. I didn't make the decision lightly. I realize many folks make extensive use of social media and I respect their choice to do so. In light of the recent testimony of Zuckerman and the announcement by Twitter of the hacking of passwords, I don't feel confident of those mediums to keep my information secure.

Will I miss the passing of information from my family?

Absolutely!

Perhaps in the future I will re-examine my standing but until then, feel free to contact me via the feature on my page here. For family, I welcome emails with photo attachments and will send you the same if you provide me with your email addresses.

I will increase posts as time permits. We are getting into our 'busy' time at work and I have commitments for overtime and extra training this month. I hope to step up my posts with Greycliff Chronicles stories and updates on the next book soon.

To end this, I am disheartened and saddened on the loss of the San Jose Sharks in the second round of the play-offs. To say the Sharks didn't play to their ability against the Vegas Golden Knights is an understatement, to say the least. On the other hand, kudos to Vegas for stepping up and having an amazing first season. I wish I'd thought ahead and placed a bet at the beginning of the season on the team.  The way they are playing, who knows: they could go all the way.

I'd like to see he Knights play the Capitols in the Cup Finals. What a fun match.

With my team gone, I've a little extra time now. I'm re-reading S.M. Stirling's "Conquistador" and Patrick Rothfuss' "The Name of the Wind" while I'm counting down to the start of the final Game of Thrones season.

Who will win the Iron Throne?

What are your thoughts?

Until next time.

Stay safe out there!

Sign of the Times: A Thaelia's World Story

 10^th of Jenslu’s Moon, 1195

The blizzard was in full force outside. No one was on the gates for no one with any sense would be roaming in white-out conditions. In the private solar, Queen Gaelynn, her husband, Duke Ranulf, their one-year old twin sons Gawain and Gilbert along with her children from her previous marriage to King Arken I:  six year old Arken II, and two year old twins Prince Rivolyn and Princess Ranaia lounged in comfort by a roaring fire. Gaelynn’s brother, Sir Christopher of the Silver Serpents had made a rare journey from Foxwarre to visit.

Chris and Ranulf were enjoying a bottle of vorane while Gaelynn sipped on a nice white wine. Her ever present Lady, and fast friend, Beatrice of Wymerth, worked on a piece of embroidery. After the death of Arken, Beatrice had become a permanent member of Gaelynn’s household and had taken the place of Sophie, who was now happily married to Sir Edward of Faucione, and head of her own household.

“Ranulf, you have been promising to tell me how the practice of heraldry started. We’re a captive audience.” Gaelynn begged her husband.

“Now, Gael, you don’t want to hear that boring old story.” her husband replied as he moved a knight on the chess board.

She fixed her gaze on her husband “Don’t make me get on my knees and truly beg, my love. You know how I love history.”

He sighed “See, Chris, what I do for my wife?”

Gaelynn's brother studied the game board, looking for a way to avoid loosing. Ranulf had managed to set-up a win and one more move would have his Queen. “Don’t have to tell me, Ranulf. Remember, I grew up with her! She’s settled down from the wild girl I remember.” He let out a growl and moved his High Priest.

Gaelynn threw a pillow at her brother.

“Hey, watch it, sis. You almost knocked over the vorane!”

Ranulf immediately pounced, "Check-mate. I think we should put chess away and get out the dice or cards."

"Are you kidding? My pouch is light enough as it is without you relieving me of the few coins I do have. No thanks, brother, I'll hold on to my silver pieces."

“Suit yourself...very well, everyone get comfortable…” Ranulf warned “and please don’t interrupt me.”

2018 Stanley Cup Play-Offs Begin this week

The 2018 NHP Stanley Cup Play-Offs are back!

Starting on Wednesday, April 11^th, the top sixteen teams begin the battle for the Cup. The biggest story of the season, and the Play-offs, has to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Who would have thought the first year expansion Golden Knights would have done as well as they have, much less made it to the post-season. The team is the first in the modern expansion era to finish first in its division in any of the four major sports leagues. Another story is the attempt by the Penguins to win the Cup for the third consecutive year.

We're open for business!!!

SD Curiosities

We are open for business. Come check out our booth at the Antique Treasures and Antiques at 151 N. Sierra Street, Reno. There are enough unique items and fun treasure to keep you browsing for hours!

A Medieval Murder Mystery

On August 02, 1100 about sunset, a group of men were finishing a stag hunt. On any other day in medieval England, a party of nobles searching for a deer probably wouldn’t have turned any heads but in this case the group included William Rufus, also known as King William II. Along with William was his brother Henry, Walter Tirel, the Count of Poix, and William de Breteuil. At the end of the hunt, one of the men would be lying on the forest floor, dead, with an arrow impaled in his chest.

Defiance at all costs: Nicola the first female Sheriff and the Battle for Lincoln Castle

Who was Nicola de la Haye?

She successfully defended Lincoln Castle against the French forces led by Prince Louis in 1217. This happened after the death of King John. A little back story: The English Barons, fed up with King John and his overbearing rule had actually offered the English throne to the French just after John reneged on the Magna Carta.  John felt betrayed by his barons and went on a rampage. In turn, the rebel barons fought back. After John died, Royalists, on behalf of John's son, Henry III kept up the fight when the rebel barons and Louie refused to back down.

Gerald of Wales (1146-123) had written about the insurrection and campaign in his The instruction of a Prince. In the document, Gerald stated “that England, so oppressed for so long under the insufferable yoke of servitude, would see at last complete liberation and liberty.” I wonder what he thought about events after John's death?

Expansion Teams and the Las Vegas Golden Knights

2017 -2018 NHL Season to date

It has been a fun first half of the National Hockey League. The surprise feel-good story has been the Las Vegas Golden Knights. A Cinderella story, no doubt, of a team that by League history, should be near the bottom of the pack but is sitting in the number TWO spot. Amazing! Everyone has been asking how this team compares to other expansion teams. One writer did his research and here is an excerpt (a link to the full article is at the bottom of this posting and I encourage you to read it).