5||0|2142|0|yes
0|0|0|||1||Supertanker|Wedge||12:40:15|09/01/2009|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Sep-01-09 AT 12:55 PM (EDT)]It%27s been an exceptionally ugly week here in Los Angeles.  The only thing that%27s keeping this from being the worst fire for me since I moved out here is the direction of the wind.  The big fires in October 2003 coincided with the usual bout of Santa Ana winds that come around that time of year%2C so the giant smoke plume that%27s now reaching past Las Vegas and sending smoke as far afield as Colorado was instead blanketing the entire LA basin.  I%27ve never lived anywhere close to where the fires usually occur%2C so there%27s always an ocean of concrete and asphalt between me and any real danger%2C but it%27s still a lot of no fun.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat being said%2C it has been interesting to see the advancement of the technology used to fight the fires%2C especially the fire tankers.  My first job on %5Bi%5DDante%27s Peak%5B%2Fi%5D was across the tarmac from the operational headquarters of a %5Blink%3Aen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FS-64_Skycrane%7CS-64 Skycrane%5D.  One slow day we took the golf cart over there and talked to the crew.  It is a big son of a bitch in person%2C and watching it take off is pretty amazing.%0D%0A%0D%0AA few years ago at the last Edwards AFB open house%2C we got to see %5Blink%3Aen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTanker_910%7CTanker 910%5D.  There%27s some pretty impressive pictures in the last week of  910 flying below mountain-top level to make drops%2C which must be a pretty wild ride in a DC-10.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd it seems that%2C just yesterday%2C the %5Blink%3Awww.wired.com%2Fautopia%2F2009%2F09%2Fevergreen-supertanker%2F%7Cnewest upped-ante%5D made it%27s maiden fire drop in the continental US.  I%27m hoping they%27re not busy in October%2C obviously because them being busy means there%27s a fire somewhere%2C but also because it would mean that maybe they%27ll be on display for this year%27s Edwards show.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bsmall%5Dedit%3A The Fox News footage is outstanding%2C but I apologize for some of the inane chatter that comes with.  %3A%29%5B%2Fsmall%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.gweep.net%2F%7Ewedge%2Fufchad_ficon.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd%5DChad Collier%0D%0ASmirking Kilrathi%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%230000CC%5DThe Captain of the Gravy Train%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
1|1|0|||||RE%3A Supertanker|MoonEyes||19:07:06|09/03/2009|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Sep-03-09 AT 07:07 PM (EDT)]This sort of makes a nice segue into a picture I saw earlier today%2C from the NY Daily News page. Apperently%2C Athens%2C Greece%2C is having a MAJOR fire%2C due to drought and other things%2C to the point that the suburbs of the capital is pretty much at a minimum level of %27smoldering%27 all over. The government has declared a state of emergency%2C and they%27re just trying to contain it right now.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis picture is a shot out over the Mediterranean. In the background%2C as it were%2C are two helicopters scooping up water from the ocean%2C to be transported into the city and more or less %27bombed%27 onto the blaze. In the foreground%3F Three tourists%28presumably%29 catcing rays on their beach blankets%2C shading their eyes and watching the cool helicopters.%0D%0A%0D%0AI looked at this picture%2C sighed and wondered where it all went so wrong. I mean%2C to ME at least%2C %27City on fire%2C National state of emergency%2C Water bombing helicopters%27 means pack your shit up and cut the vacation short%21 It does NOT mean %27let%27s head to the beach and work on that tan%27.
2|2|1|||1||RE%3A Supertanker|Wedge||19:44:12|09/03/2009|%3EI looked at this picture%2C sighed and wondered where it all went so %0D%0A%3Ewrong. I mean%2C to ME at least%2C %27City on fire%2C National state of %0D%0A%3Eemergency%2C Water bombing helicopters%27 means pack your shit up and cut %0D%0A%3Ethe vacation short%21 It does NOT mean %27let%27s head to the beach and work %0D%0A%3Eon that tan%27. %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C near the beach is usually a safe spot in any wildfire situation.  My favorite picture from the LA Times this last week so far has been%3A%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fmedia%2Fphoto%2F2009-09%2F49003965.jpg%0D%0A%0D%0AThe caption from the website read%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bi%5D%28Don Bartletti %2F Los Angeles Times %2F September 1%2C 2009%29%0D%0AFrom a lakeside dock in Yucaipa Regional Park%2C the McHenry family cheers as a Sikorsky S64 Sky Crane firefighting helicopter goes %22In the Dip%22 for another load of water Tuesday. The parents and their son spent the night camping in the park after receiving a mandatory evacuation order from their nearby home. By about midday%2C half dozen aircraft were dousing hot spots in the all but extinguished Pendleton and Oak Glen fires. Cal Fire officials kept all firefighters and gear in the park in case lighting strikes or wind start new fires overnight.%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.gweep.net%2F%7Ewedge%2Fufchad_ficon.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd%5DChad Collier%0D%0ASmirking Kilrathi%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%230000CC%5DThe Captain of the Gravy Train%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
3|3|2|||||RE%3A Supertanker|MoonEyes||16:36:56|09/08/2009|Ok%2C but the preceeding is entirely understandable. And%2C you know%2C I could even understand %27the beach is safe%27. But %27Let%27s work on the tan%27%3F%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fassets.nydailynews.com%2Fimg%2F2009%2F08%2F31%2Fgal_best_8.jpg
4|4|3|||1||RE%3A Supertanker|Wedge||18:01:17|09/08/2009|%3EOk%2C but the preceeding is entirely understandable. And%2C you know%2C I %0D%0A%3Ecould even understand %27the beach is safe%27. But %27Let%27s work on the %0D%0A%3Etan%27%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AHeh%2C wow%2C that%27s great.  Bonus points for the Scooper in the background.  But hey%2C it%27s not like %2Aeveryone%2A is going to be effected by the fires.  %3A%29%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Btable border%3D%220%22 cellspacing%3D%220%22 cellpadding%3D%220%22%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.gweep.net%2F%7Ewedge%2Fufchad_ficon.jpg%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btd%5DChad Collier%0D%0ASmirking Kilrathi%0D%0A%5Bfont color%3D%230000CC%5DThe Captain of the Gravy Train%5B%2Ffont%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5B%2Ftr%5D%5Btr%5D%5Btd colspan%3D%222%22%5D%5Bhr size%3D%221%22 noshade%5D%5B%2Ftd%5D%5Btr%5D%5B%2Ftable%5D
5|4|3|||1||RE%3A Supertanker|Mephron||09:43:40|09/09/2009|You know%2C maybe it wasn%27t %22let%27s go to the beach to escape the fire%22 and more like%2C %22hey%21  take a picture of that%21  Who thought we%27d see that when we went to the beach%3F%22%0D%0A%0D%0AJust saying.%0D%0A%0D%0A--%0D%0AGeoff Depew - Darth Mephron%0D%0AHaberdasher to Androids%2C Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.%0D%0A%22And Remember%21  Google is your Friend%21%21%22