Reclassifying Public Safety Dispatchers as First Responders

Public Safety Telecommunicators, also known as 911 Dispatchers job classification, needs to be updated. Again, legislation has been put before Congress to change our status from clerical to first responder. 

Why should we (as a group) care? 

Our jobs are important. We were part of the few groups who come to work every day, no matter what is going on. If we mess up, people can die. 

 APCO sent out the following email yesterday:

Pick a song - what are your favorites?

Variety is the spice of life, right? So, I challenge you to follow my lead. Pick 20 your favorite first run albums and 20 "best-of" compilations. It is not easy, and I had to pick and choose which ones to include. There were too many left off. Below are my choices. First, the list of albums. It is a mix of rock and new age.

 Blackmore’s Night: Fires at Midnight Ritchie Blackmore was formerly with Deep Purple) 

 Boston: Boston 

 Bruce Hornsby and the Range: The Way it Is (just love the piano) 

 BrunuVille: Fantastic Journey (I dare you not to tap your toes to Dance With Dragons) 

 Eagles: Hotel California (classic all the way) 

 Enya: Watermark (Enya started me on new age - the first and still amazing) 

 Foreigner: Feels Like the First Time 

 Alice Cooper: From the Inside (the album was crazy, and the songs dug deep) 

 Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (just WOW) 

 The Go-Gos: Beauty and the Beat (fun music from a great group - not just a girl s rock band) 

 Jimmy Buffett: Off to See the Lizard (my fav JB album and his best in my opinion) 

 Lesiem (wonderful instrumentals - powerful!) 

 Metallica: Metallica (San Jose Sharks favorite and they are hockey fans) Pink Floyd: The Wall (epic - movie just as good) 

 Styx: The Grand Illusion (I love "Castle Walls") 

 Loreena McKennitt: An Ancient Muse (Loreena has a way with music - she even performed for Queen Elizabeth). 

 Police: Synchronicity (it became a greatest hits) 

 REO Speedwagon: Hi Fidelity (great work - again, this could be a greatest hit choice) 

 Electric Light Orchestra: Out of the Blue (ELO had a way with the electronic music - hard to pick a fav song on this one) 

Wicked Tinkers: Banger for Breakfast (Bagpipes!! BTW, Wallop the Cat is just the kitty's name) 

Hits Albums: 

 The Babys: Anthology 

 The Beach Boys: Made in the USA (surf's up for a CA girl) 

 The Beatles: Number 1’s (hard choice to pick a Beatles album) 

 Heart: The Essential Heart 

 B-52’s: Time Capsule (alternative rock at its best) 

 The Bangles: Greatest Hits (who didn't want to "Walk Like an Egyptian"?) 

 The Cars: Greatest Hits (again, try to pick one album...the Cars are legendary) 

 Eurythmics: Greatest Hits (Sing it, girl!)

 Billy Joel: Greatest Hits Vol 1-2 (Which of his multiple greatest hits to select. Tough choice) 

 Journey: Greatest Hits (Bay Area music at its best) 

 Kansas: The Best of Kansas (classic rock) 

 Loverboy: Loverboy Classics (gritty songs) 

 Steve Miller: Greatest Hits 1974-1978 (smooth and essential rock) 

 Marvin Gaye: Marvin Gaye’s Greatest Hits (for getting down, who else?) 

 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: greatest Hits (long live a legend) 

 The Pretenders: The Singles (alternative rock) 

 Queen: Greatest Hits (Freddie was the Champion!) 

 Jethro Tull: The Very Best of Jethro Tull (flute in a rock band never sounded so good) 

 Van Halen: The Best of (the music throughout the career - hard to pick just one song) 

 Paul McCartney & Wings: Wings Greatest (Mull of Kintyre is my favorite the rest are epic)

How to make Thoroughbred Racehorses Better

 

It is no secret I love horses, and Thoroughbred racing. I read magazines and watch racing shows. I have a nice collection of reference books about the sport. Over the years I have come to the same conclusion many breeding experts have: the Thoroughbred has peaked in its speed, endurance /soundness, and longevity in the sport.