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Travel in Nepal: Farming the Old Fashioned Way

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Stepping Back in Time

During my recent trekking trip to northern Nepal we found ourselves well off the beaten track in a world largely untouched by electricity and completely free from mechanized agriculture. Fields are cultivated, sown and harvested using only human or animal power.  It’s early 19th century farming alive and well in 2012.

Livestock

 

 

Goats, sheep, oxen, buffalo, yaks, mules and horses are all plentiful.  Animals are rarely slaughtered for meat since they are far more valuable as sources for dairy products and to help in the fields.

 

 

 

 

 

Rice Paddy

 

 

 

Rice is an extremely important crop even in the steep and hilly valleys.  Over successive generations the land has been terraced to allow for maximum planting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harvest

 

 

We were walking through the country during a harvest period.  Rice and other crops are cut down by hand with whole families pitching in.  Very little is wasted as the rice stalks will be dried and used for fodder for farm animals over the winter.

 

 

 

 

 

Corn Crib

 

 

 

Corn dries in a crib alongside the trail.  It is elevated to keep pests away.  The corn could be used as feed but is also valuable as it can be ground into meal.

 

 

 

 

Making Meal

 

 

Here a young lady is grinding corn into meal.  She uses two flat rocks, one on top of another, with the top one having a hole in the center and a wooden handle for turning.  Dried corn kernels from the pan are dropped into the hole and the spinning of the handle crushes the kernels between the stones.  Meal spills out the sides onto the woven mat.

 

 

 

 

Thresh, Winnow, Fodder

 

 

In the background six buffalo are tightly yoked together and are being driven around a pole.  Their collective weight threshes the rice.  A pile of un-winnowed rice is visible in the center as two men hold winnowing mats.  They toss the rice into the air, the chaff  floats away and at their feet is harvested rice.  On the right, a team takes the threshings and hands them down to a man who is building a stack which will serve as winter animal fodder.

 

 

 

Ready for Winter

 

 

An immaculate field ready for the coming season with rice stalks stacked.  (Note fields in far background.)

 

 

 

 

 

Ganga Fields

 

 

Marijuana grows in the wild; this field stretched for miles.  No one seemed to be tending it though the buffalo were especially content.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by on December 30, 2012 • Filed under: Different, History, Travel

FF Safety: Out-of-Bounds at Tunnel Creek

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Social Factors and Risk Assessment

Tunnel Creek Avalanche

This past February 19th, 16 highly experienced skiers and snowboarders, making up an impromptu group, attempted an out-of-bounds run near Stevens Pass, Washington.

These expert skiers had read the avalanche forecast and were thoroughly familiar with the dangers posed after a 32-inch snowfall, yet they went ahead.

The ensuing avalanche killed three.

The New York Times has created a stunning visual presentation of the event that is a must see.  When you do, substitute “collapse”, “flash-over” and “interior firefighting” for “avalanche” and ”skiing”.  Ask yourself if you would make the same risk assessment.  Ask yourself if you would behave differently.

Several skiers survived, one because of the deployment of personal protective equipment.  Their experiences are crucial because they spotted and heeded the signs ahead.

Warning:  Don’t click on the link unless you are prepared to be pulled into a gripping vortex of words, sights and sounds.  We can all learn from their experience.

The link:

http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

 

(Credits:  NYT and Alan Ross)

Posted by on December 28, 2012 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, Firefighting Operations, Rescues, Safety and Health, Training, Training & Development

Murders in Webster: The Deafening Silence

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Fire Service Leaders with Nothing to Say

Webster, New York

On Christmas Eve, four Webster, New York, firefighters were shot and two killed when a paroled felon with a prior murder conviction set them up.  It’s more accurate to say they were executed with premeditated precision.  Arson was used as the pretext for drawing them into the killing zone so the connection to our profession is both direct and compelling.

If our national/international fire/rescue organizations exist in part to protect us by formulating solutions, they are all asleep at the wheel on this one.  A scan of web pages (IAFC, IAFF, NFFF, NVFC) reveals either complete silence or the issuing of  platitudinous press releases.  Pretty thin gruel under the circumstances.  So much for decisive leadership.

By the way, I’m not talking about overturning the second amendment but you would think they could momentarily shrug off their collective holiday torpor and (at least) pretend to give a shit.

If “balls”, (or rather the lack of them) is the problem, they can look to NYPD’s Chief Ray Kelly for leadership inspiration.  Kelly said,”I think it’s important to let the federal government know that something has got to change.”  Kelly backs his tough words up with action, something fire service leadership, both labor and management, seem unable or unwilling to do.  Come to think of it, we don’t even have the tough words so we are a long  way from action.

NYPD’s Ray Kelly

 

And Chief Kelly is no simpering-pinko-liberal-lefty.  He is a combat veteran and Marine who served (and led troops) in Vietnam as a Second Lieutenant.

The guy’s got balls enough to loan out.  Perhaps he’ll give us some.

 

We are certainly in need of them.

 

(Credits:  USA Today and NYDN)

Posted by on December 27, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighter Safety & Health, Fires, In the Line of Duty, Line of Duty, Major Incidents, Mass Casualty Incident, Values and Ethics

PG’s Kentland Scores PR Gusher

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Post Assigns Witless Reporter

33′s PR coup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prince George’s County, Maryland, is infamous for any number of things including what passes for a fire department in a metropolitan county of just under 900,000 people.

The PGFD is mostly known by regular folks from what they read in the press: endless stories of tit-for-tat spats in the firehouse between volunteers and career firefighters interspersed with fire scene brawls when they take the show on the road.

Firefighters are slightly more likely to pay attention to the constant stories of apparatus accidents and burn injuries.

In a gift straight from Santa, the Washington Post parachuted a clueless reporter into the special world of 33′s to spend a Christmas day with Santa’s fire elves.

Packed into one article is every sappy cliche ever written about firefighters, complete with “A Christmas Story” playing in the background.

But don’t be fooled:  the Kentland “brotherhood” are very media savvy. According to the Post, 33′s  ”Web site gets 60,000 hits a day, and buffs follow its two Twitter accounts and Facebook page, which include routine updates…”  They are on a mission and they are also on their public relations game.

In the rather bizarre world of Prince Georges County where the FBI works overtime wiretapping and prosecuting elected officials, 33 fits in nicely.  They are “100% volunteer 100% of the time!”  Whether that’s a good thing is debatable.

Washington, DC, with which Prince George’s shares a border, is substantially smaller.  Its population is right around 600,000 yet it employs well over 1,000 firefighters in all of its 33 stations.  Ironically, not a few of these firefighters then travel to PG county where they “protect” the community by volunteering in a fire environment that is more urban than many parts of DC.  In fact, the Post story references off-duty firefighters from DC and Baltimore County making up the crew.

Let’s be professionally honest:  few things are more bizarre than a career firefighter leaving his urban job to go serve at his “all volunteer” urban fire house.  Would the two firefighters mentioned in the article be OK with DC or Baltimore County citizens coming in while they were at work and telling them they were no longer needed?   (I think we know the answer to that question.)  Imagine the crew at DCFD Rescue Squad 1 or Truck 13 being bumped by off-work congressional pages.  Weird, but that is exactly what is happening in PG.

The Post’s irresponsibility here is inexplicable.  We can only hope that the starry-eyed reporter walked away with a belly full of that “pork roll, scrapple and bacon” because she sure came away empty where critical reporting is concerned.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by on December 26, 2012 • Filed under: Administration & Leadership, Command & Leadership, Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations

Almost Hidden DC: What Lovely Lamps You Have

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The (mostly) federal buildings around the city are adorned with some extraordinary lighting.

Ford House Building
441 D Street, SW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Library of Congress, Adams Building
2nd Street SE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Archives
700 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Gallery of Art, West Building
4th and Constitution Ave., NW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Red Cross
17th and E Street, NW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US Capitol
East Front

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US Federal Reserve
20th and Constitution Ave., NW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Academy of Sciences
2101 Constitution Ave., NW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organization of American States
200 17th Street, NW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bartholdi Fountain
US Botanic Garden

Posted by on December 25, 2012 • Filed under: (Almost) Hidden DC, Art, Different, History, Sculpture, Statuary, Outdoor Art

Pass THE Mushroom

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That Simple Christmas Feast

Tuber Melanosporum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this delightful season when we think of others, often those less fortunate than we are, there is the focus of Christmas, the traditional feast, where participants can communally reflect on the notion that it is “better to give than to receive.”

Uh, hold that thought and pass THE mushroom.

News is leaking out that the French Black Perigord truffle crop is coming up short and that prices are soaring. Black Perigords, (we say “mushrooms” in West Virginia), are also known as black diamonds as they sell for $1200 a pound.

A single truffle large enough to dress a turkey runs about $138.  So much for the mushroom pie.

Oh well, so what if 2 billion people live on $2.50 a day–it’s the thought that counts.

Merry Christmas!

 

(Credits:  NYT, Guardian)

 

Posted by on December 23, 2012 • Filed under: Different, Values and Ethics

Kathmandu FD

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Nepal’s Bravest

Kathmandu Valley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nepal’s Capital, Kathmandu, is nestled in a broad valley at about 4,000 ft above sea level.  As it is about the same latitude as Key West, Florida, and despite it’s proximity to the world’s tallest mountains, it is surprisingly warm.

The Valley is roughly 220 square miles with about 1,000,000 residents.  Most live in apartments that are sometimes crowded onto very narrow  streets where access of any kind is quite difficult.

Traffic in the city is horrible and is compounded by the fact that many side streets are unpaved mud paths.  Getting around is very difficult.

Center City Street

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sprawling valley is comprised of three main centers: Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.  Each has but a single fire station, meaning three for about 1,000,000 people.

Fire protection is obviously on the back Burner, (no pun intended) since the response times and lack of staffing are so great as to render a quick attack impossible.

Firefighter on Duty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kathmandu’s fire station is in the “New Road” area not far from the historic Durbar Square.  The equipment bays face the street and an enclosed and gated courtyard.  The rigs exit through the courtyard for security.  In fact, guards with automatic weapons are on patrol on the grounds.  Some will know that Nepal has struggled with a Maoist insurgency and political instability.  Terrorist attacks targeting the police and the military, especially in the countryside, were once common.

SCBA Bottles and Compressor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much of the apparatus and equipment comes from Europe, often as a donation.  Kathmandu is like much of the rest of the world, including many parts of the US where fire protection is either an after-thought or entirely ignored.  Police protection takes pride-of-place over fire safety and protection.  Perhaps because of the extreme shortage of resources,  nuisance fires are allowed to burn in streets and vacant lots where they add to the pollution and can easily spread to structures.

Fire protection plays “Second Fiddle” the world over.

Posted by on December 19, 2012 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, Firefighting Operations, Fires, Travel

The Newtown Massacre and the Zombie Archetype

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Mindless and Soulless in America

Sandy Hook (AP)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zombies, at least in entertainment and gaming, are resurgent.  They are in their way both terrifying and popular.  Zombies are among the dead and have the vacant, expressionless look that typifies life without a soul.

Two days ago, Piers Morgan, the TV talk host, referred to Adam Lanza, the Newtown shooter,  as “deranged.”  Lanza was the apparent lifelong sufferer of a mental defect that left him troubled and adrift.  His final actions were those of a person un-moored from his soul and  conscience.

Lanza seems to share traits with Jared Loughner,  James Homes, Seung-Hui Cho and other psychotic mass killers whose actions defy rational explanation and leave us wondering about our communal safety and sanity.

On Friday, President Obama said that events like Newtown are happening more often.  It certainly seems so.  If it isn’t a national epidemic, it is certainly an emergency.  Since 2001, 88 Americans have been killed in school shootings alone.  Schools and students have become favored targets.

As is the case with other national emergencies, we look to our elected leaders for guidance and decisive action.

The real zombies among us are not the killers mentioned above, but rather those who blindly adhere to a policy of unfettered gun acquisition and the elected leaders  who pander to them.

It is likely that a (momentarily) sane Jared Loughner or Adam Lanza had more soul and conscience than they do.  This is because  many members of congress, both in the House and the Senate,  are failing to act while in full control of their mental faculties.  They actually aid and abet these murderers.

What can be said of a society and a government that fails to protect youngsters against violent mass death?  What litany of  excuses and reasons makes Newtown allowable?

Like the zombies they resemble, the blood on congressional hands comes from their latest feast on the dead, in this case first-graders and those who gave their lives to protect them.

 

 

Posted by on December 16, 2012 • Filed under: Major Incidents, Values and Ethics, War and Peace

A Fetus, a Nurse and Two DJs

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A Crisis of the Womb

Kate Middleton

Her Majesty’s minions simultaneously celebrated and cringed at the recent news that the Duchess of Cambridge, AKA Kate Middleton, was both pregnant and very ill with morning sickness.  So sick, in fact, that she was hospitalized.  (At a private hospital, of course.)

Enter Mel Greig and Michael Christian, two tactless Aussies. (But, aren’t they all?  That’s why we love them.)  Mel and Michael (Michael’s a she) pranked the hospital staff, posing as the Queen and frumpy Prince Charles.  They were good enough to get some yummy stuff to air to their fellow melanoma-afflicted lineal inmates down under.

A bit of juvenile fun–but wait, there’s more.

The nurse who was involved in handling the call, Jacintha Saldanha, subsequently committed suicide over her role in–what?  Passing a call through?  Innocently aiding witless shock jocks?  Helping to give the world a chuckle over British obsessive gazing at Kate’s growing navel?

Meanwhile, down under, Grieg and Christian, grieve and atone for their apparent outrageous conduct, but not enough to keep from getting fired.  But will they stay fired?  Or, better yet, should they stay fired?

What are the prevailing societal norms when Jacintha Saldanha is compelled to commit suicide in such a circumstance?  The world is chock full of tactless nitwits willing to go to any length in order to gain notoriety.  If being swept up in their cesspool is a cause for suicide, it may be time for a well targeted asteroid in our blind spot.

But, let’s be honest, committing suicide is evidence of significant mental instability and focusing on a precipitating event, even one as silly as this, dismisses a reality that was there for all to see.

No one’s womb is so famous or special that cracking a few jokes about it or its contents should be cause for a suicide.  And the idea that breaching the fantasy confidentiality of the world’s most famous pregnant lady would lead to a death is cause enough for serious introspection about fame, blame, and “royalty.”

My British friends, may ye be looking inward this season.

Photo credit:  AP

 

Posted by on December 12, 2012 • Filed under: Values and Ethics, Words

IAFF Legend Set to Retire

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Rich Duffy, Renowned Firefighter Safety Expert

Richard Duffy

Sources report that Rich Duffy, the man who created modern safety and health at the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) will leave the union at the end of 2012.

Duffy has been at the IAFF for over 33 years and has been instrumental in every advance in firefighter safety during that time. He has been the “safety guru” for four IAFF General Presidents beginning with the legendary William “Howie” McClennan.  In addition, he is an authority on firefighter line-of-duty deaths having assisted dozens of IAFF locals after catastrophic events such as NY after 9/11 and Worcester, MA.

No information was immediately available on his decision to leave though it is thought that the Union’s safety and health program will likely be in dis-array for sometime as any replacement would lack Duffy’s extensive institutional knowledge and contacts.

Among Duffy’s widely known and respected accomplishments,  as noted on Drexel.edu:

He has been involved in numerous committees involving fire fighters’ and other workers’ safety and health, including those of the federal government, state governments, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Standards Organization.

He has authored numerous books, manuals and articles on worker occupational health and safety issues.

Duffy has been actively involved in addressing protective clothing and equipment for workers. He served as the Chairman of the NFPA Technical Correlating Committee for Fire Service Protective Clothing and Equipment and as the Secretary of the NFPA Technical Committee for Career Fire Service Deployment and Organization.

He also served as a member on the NFPA Fire Service Occupational Safety and Health Committee and the NFPA Technical Committee on Hazardous Materials Response Personnel.

He also directed the NASA/FEMA program Project FIRES (Firefighters Integrated Response Equipment System), which under the auspices of the IAFF continues to work towards the development of state-of-the-art protective clothing and equipment, including the management of the new IAFF initiative Project HEROES (Homeland Emergency Response Operational and Equipment Systems) and the new IAFF initiative addressing light weight pressure vessels for SCBAs.

He is responsible for the coordination and technical aspects of the IAFF/IAFC Joint Wellness/Fitness Initiative for Fire Fighters, including the Wellness-Fitness Program, the Candidate Physical Ability Test Program, the Peer Fitness Trainer Certification Program and the recently released Fire Ground Survival Program.

He has been directly responsible for IAFF efforts in addressing infectious diseases, including pandemic flu and proper personal protective equipment (PPE) recommendations.

Duffy follows Ron Kuley who left recently after revamping the IAFF Muscular Dystrophy Charity effort and serving as its operations manager for over a decade.  Kuley was responsible for the IAFF raising record sums during his tenure.

While staff turnover is normal, especially in the latter stages of a presidential administration, such losses can be substantial and difficult to overcome.

Posted by on December 11, 2012 • Filed under: Firefighter Safety & Health, Safety and Health