A Peek at the Future? Maybe it's here already!

A friend of mine sent me this and I was amazed. As I get older and seem to slow somewhat the world seems to be moving ever faster. This video is about 9 minutes long and when it was over all I could do is shake my head and say WOW!

I predict all of this will be here sooner than anyone believes and the device demonstrated will be as small as lapel pin or even some type of implant in your head.

Click on the title of this post to see the future of a total interactive world.

Indoor Yard Sale, Salisbury Kennel Club

The Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club will be having an indoor yard sale this Saturday beginning @ 7:oo am inside their new facility in Winterplace park. Vendor space is available for $25.00 and you supply your own table. For additional information on this event see the poster to the right. (click on image to enlarge)

The Salisbury Kennel Club and are devoted to the betterment of purebred dogs. They offer classes in obedience, agility and conformation.

Another wonderful program the SMKC has is the "Canine Ambassador" In part the CA program:

"The Canine Ambassadors (CA) of the Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club is a group of members and friends that gather together with their canine counterparts to make appearances at various public events. The goal of CA is to educate the children and other members of our community about the benefits of owning a purebred dog."

The SMKC is a proud member of the American Kennel Club. More about the Salisbury Maryland Kennel Club, their membership, programs, show schedules and more can be found on their web site. To visit their site simply click on the tile of this post and it will take you there.

Admission to the indoor yard sale is FREE! See you there

Chief David See to retire From Salisbury Fire Department.

Updated:
I brought this up to the top again because of a comment received today. I though it was well worth the read and that others may wish to see it as well.
Thank You A/C Gladwell for the comment.

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Salisbury Mayor Barrie P. Tilghman announced that Salisbury Fire Chief David B. See will retire effective June 30, 2009, after 30 years of service.

Chief See began his career with the City of Salisbury on July 1, 1979 as a Probationary Firefighter. He served as an operational firefighter in various assignments and for several years as an administrative assistant. In March 1992 he was transferred to the Department’s training facility to serve as its first full time career training officer. He was promoted to the rank of Fire Lieutenant in July 1993 while serving there. In January 2000, he was promoted to the rank of Fire Captain and transferred to Fire Station #2 as a company officer. In October 2001, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Fire Chief. After the sudden resignation of Chief Steve Brezler in April 2003, Mayor Tilghman appointed See as Acting Fire Chief until a permanent successor was appointed. Mayor Tilghman subsequently appointed him to the position of Chief of the Department in December 2003.

Chief See also served as an active Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) emergency services instructor for 18 years and holds numerous state and national emergency services certifications.

Chief See currently serves as a Board Director-at-large on the International Association of Fire Chief’s (IAFC) Volunteer and Combination Officers Section (VCOS). His organizational memberships include the Delmar Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. (Active) and the Salisbury Fire Department, Inc. (Honorary), and active status with the Maryland State Fire Chief’s Association (MFCA) currently serving as its Treasurer, International Fire Chiefs Association (IAFC) and its Eastern Division (EDIAFC).

Since his appointment as Chief of the Department, Chief See has focused the Department’s efforts in the improvement of firefighter safety through the modernization of its apparatus fleet, the replacement of firefighting tools and personal protective equipment, and continuing to ensure the community’s service demands are met. He successfully led the Department through a brief period of internal strife when differences between a minority of Department members and the
City were highly publicized. He has overseen the renovation of Fire Station #1 and the construction of a new 41,000 square foot fire station and administrative headquarters facility on the City’s west side. He has been instrumental in the continued implementation of the Fire Department’s strategic plan since its development and initial implementation in 2001. During his tenure he has seen the replacement of all of the Department’s capital apparatus; new self-contained breathing apparatus; an increase in the total number of career and volunteer positions; the implementation of volunteer position descriptions and promotional processes; and the appointment of the Department’s first female fire line officer, among other accomplishments.

In his thirty years of service with the Salisbury Fire Department, Chief David See has committed himself fully to serving the citizens of the City and the Salisbury Fire District.

“Chief See has distinguished himself though many years of service to the City of Salisbury,” said Mayor Tilghman. “He has led the Department into the 21st century world of delivery of fire and emergency medical services. He came on board during a particularly challenging period and has transformed the Department into a united volunteer and career force that serves the citizens of the Salisbury Fire District extraordinarily well. I am honored to have served with him.”

Salisbury Fire Departments New Tower Ladder

The newest addition to the Salisbury Fire Departments fleet will soon be in service. Checking in at just over a million dollars is this 2009 Pierce Velocity sporting a 95 foot Tower Ladder. Overall length of the truck is 48 feet 61/2 inches and a road height of 10 feet 81/2 inches. The truck is painted with the new color scheme for the department of black over red. This truck will replace a 1980 CF mack with an American LaFrance straight ladder that was purchase used in 1994 when the the 1972 American LaFrance in service at the time was deemed unsafe. The face of Salisbury has changed tremendously in recent year and though this truck is definitely high dollar it was designed with a eye on the future as well as the current needs. One need not wander far in and around the City to see obvious life and property hazards not familiar to the landscape only 20 years ago.

On Riverside Dr. the multi story condos known as River place now stand where just a few years ago there were single story building and a convenience store. Just outside the City limits bur well within the SFD jurisdiction on Snow Hill Road stands the Allen Memorial Baptist Church. The Church itself is quite impressive and I understand this is just phase 1 of a larger complex to built on this site. Not far away from the church Marley Manor (not pictured) on the corner of Snow Hill Road and Robins Ave adds once again a number of taller building and population to be serviced by the SFD.

Another key site is the corner of Rt 13 South and College Ave. This building as well as the new multi-story Devilbiss Science Hall have been added to the Campus within the last 5 years and

there are many more projects afoot for the college. It should also be noted that Salisbury University has footed part of the cost of the new truck recognizing the benefit it gives the campus in the event of a serious event there.

Currently the new truck is housed at Station 16 on Cypress St. and personnel are undergoing training sessions on it's tower operation and participating in drivers trainings in order to be oriented with the new vehicles size and weight.

I had the good fortune last week to do a ride along with one of the training session and I was quite impressed with the way the truck handled in spite of it's size. Although this fine addition to the SFD fleet may appear costly, it should have a long and fruitful service in Salisbury and be a huge boon to the citizens it serves and the department as a whole.

In a future post I will have more photos of the truck in service.

Kara Adams Benefit Ride

Won't you please consider riding in this event if you have a bike and the correct cold weather gear? This brave young lady is in a fight for her life and I can tell you the financial drain for her parents is great.

Even if you don't ride please consider a donation to help out. It can be sent to the address listed on the bottom left of the flyer. Keep Kara and her family in your prayers as well.

THANKS!

In Memory Emerson Carlise "Corky Philips

Yesterday, March 4th, 2009, The Salisbury Fire Department lost it's oldest member. Emerson Carlise "Corky" Philips answered his last alarm on earth and has passed to a greater world. Born on May 28th, 1918 Corky was just a little less than 3 months away form his 92nd birthday.

Many of you may remember I did a post on Corky back on April 7th, 2008 while he was residing at the John B. Parsons Home in Salisbury. One of the things Corky told me that day was:

"I was born on May 28, 1918. I was a premature baby and the doctors told my Mother not to get to attached to me "cause I weren't gonna be here long."

My guess is he probably has lived longer than the Doc that predicted his early demise. Corky was of slight stature but he had a heart as big as all oudoors.

On April 27th, 2008 the Salisbury Fire Dept. moved it's operations division to the new Sation 16 on Cypress St. in Salisbury. Cory was given the honor to ride from the old station to the new in the lead staff car and was additionally given the honor of raising the American Flag at the new station for the first time signifying it's opening for business. On August 21st, 2008 Corky was once again present for the grand opening of the Station 16 and was proud to perform the "Hose un-coupling" (equivalent to ribbon cutting) for the dedication of the station. This was a dual honor for Corky because the Grand Masonic Lodge of Maryland and the Grand Prince Hall Masonic Lodge of Md jointly performed the dedication ceremony and Corky is a 60+ year member of Wicomico Masonic Lodge # 91 here in Salisbury.

Corky also served in the U.S. Army and is a WWII veteran.

Corky was loved by all that knew him and in all the years I knew him I never heard an unkind word spoken by him. He was extremely dedicated to the SFD and fond memories of him will live forever in our hearts.

Farewell Corky! Rest in Peace my dear friend.

God vs Science

I received this as an e-mail from a friend. I have not researched this to see if the student named at the bottom actually said it, but the message is so powerful I don't feel like it really matters.
Enjoy

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'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.' The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'

'Yes sir,' the student says.

'So you believe in God?'

'Absolutely.'

'Is God good?'

'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'

'Yes'

'Are you good or evil?'

'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!'
He considers for a moment.
'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good...!'

'I wouldn't say that.'

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent.

'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'
'
Er..yes,' the student says.

Prof. 'Is Satan good?'

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'

'Then where does Satan come from?'

The student falters. 'From God'
'
That's right.. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'

'Yes'

'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'

Again, the student has no answer.

'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'


The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?'

There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom.

The class is mesmerized.

'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'
'
No sir. I've never seen Him.'

'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'

'No, sir, I have not.'

'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'

'Yet you still believe in him?'
'
Yes'

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

'Nothing', the student replies. 'I only have my faith'.

'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat?'

' yes.

'And is there such a thing as cold?'

'Yes, son, there's cold too.'

'No sir, there isn't.'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees.'
'Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something.. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word.'
'In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.'
'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.'
'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed..

'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.
'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.'
The student looks around the room. ' Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter.
'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.'
'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.
Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I guess you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?'

Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it everyday It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'

The professor sat down.

If you read it all the way through and had a smile on your face when you finished, mail to your friends and family with the title 'God vs Science'

PS: the student was Albert Einstein