Mandatory Evacuation Means MANDATORY!!

What part of mandatory don't you understand??

I understand that it's practically impossible to predict precisely where a wildfire will unleash it's destructive force.

Yes, I'm aware that by monitoring a variety of weather related instruments, taking into account terrain, the last time an area burned... yada... yada... yada... fire officials can plot a course of destruction.

It's using this information that the command center will issue evacuation orders for various communities.

So, when an order, er, request is given to evacuate, you might want to listen.

Yes, it can be an inconvenience for some people who live in fire prone area's. False alarms are probably part of life on the mountain.

The Station Fire is currently ravaging an area northeast of Los Angeles, burning 21 homes (so far) and thousands of acres. Not to mention, the possibility of roasting about two dozen TV, radio and emergency transmitter towers.

Then, we have a handful of people who refused to leave when firefighters told them to over the weekend, who became trapped by the flames.

They called for help, asking firefighters to put their own people into harm's way, to save their hides.

I listened to a co-worker last week discuss so-called "mandatory evacuation" orders with a producer.

She adamantly lectured the younger producer that there was "no such thing as a mandatory evacuation order" because in her words, "no one can make you leave your house".

Really.... unfortunately there IS such a thing as emergency crews, both law enforcement and fire, that are saddled with the task of rescuing people from themselves on a daily basis.

There are people out there who sadly NEED people looking out for them.

When you're told to leave, or excuse me, asked to leave forcefully, PLEASE LISTEN TO THEM!

If the fire passes your home or neighborhood afterwards, without so much as a burnt leaf, then you can complain about having to throw things in the car in the dead of night in some kind of fire drill.

It might be an inconvenience, yes.

But at least you won't be left wondering if someone will find it an inconvenience to risk THEIR life to pull you out of an inferno.

A Smoker's Reward

I'm not a cold-hearted individual, despite sarcastic and insensitive tendencies when faced with the following story.

An L.A. jury has just awarded the daughter of a longtime smoker 13.8 million dollars in punitive damages.

The victim, Betty Bullock, died of lung cancer in 2003, but before she passed, filed a lawsuit against Phillip Morris USA for fraud and product liability.

If the name or case sounds familiar, it was seven years ago a jury awarded Betty a record 28 billion dollars in damages, until a judge reduced it to 28 million.

An appeals court reversed that decision last year, an ordered a new trial which produced today's award.

If it gets dragged out another six years, the award might vanish completely.

And I believe that would be the right decision.

I'm not one who gets all wrapped up in talk of addictions.

For example when I was younger I drank. I drank quite a bit at times. I drank quite often.

I then got married and slowed down.

We had kids and I slowed down even more.

Now there is dust on the bottles in my liquor cabinet and expired beer cans in the mini-fridge.

I enjoy a glass of wine or two at dinner with my wife, and the occasional beer or two during football season or my annual guys weekend in Las Vegas.

I don't get the shakes, I don't sit around craving alcohol... I never have and probably never will.

I smoked when I was younger and, the way I see it, grew out of it.

No one forced me to do any of those things. It was my choice. I knew all the warnings and read all the labels.

I didn't blame anyone then for my choices and I wouldn't now.

I understand that some people feel they are prisoners to such vices, I just don't understand the "addiction" or "disease".

I'm kinda like Tommy Lasorda.

The old Dodger skipper was talking to a small collection of reporters (me included) during opening day back in the mid-90's, when he was asked about Daryl Strawberry's suspension for cocaine addition.

Tommy lashed out saying it was a "weakness", not a disease and not an addiction.

I'm from this school of thought. Smoking is not illegal. You know the risks. You understand the consequences.

Now they want to make marijuana legal. I say let them. You know the risks. You understand the consequences.

But it won't stop someone from screaming "fraud" when faced with the possibility of death.

It's cold, it's final and it's something you can't rationalize with once it comes knocking at the door.

That's your final reward.

Blogging Difficulties

ATTENTION... ATTENTION... THIS BLOG HAS BEEN HAMPERED BY UNKNOWN AND MYSTERIOUS HICCUPS AND CONNECTION ISSUES...
I WILL CONTINUE TO TRY AND POST FROM TIME TO TIME... AND MORE OFTEN ONCE THIS PROBLEM IS ELIMINATED.
THAT IS ALL....