Away From Work – Page 4 of 5

A Glorious Dawn

Posted January 28, 2021September 27, 2009 in Away From Work, Plugs, Space, Technology43 Comments

I’m really taken with a video released on YouTube last week. It’s an Auto-Tune, which is the name given to soundtracks that use the audio plug-in of the same name. Auto-Tune was designed to correct the pitch of vocals, but clever music creators realized they could use it to make spoken word recordings musical. This is a fantastic example of the genre.

Tough Weekend

Posted December 2, 2020August 28, 2009 in Away From Work, Death, EMS Story28 Comments

This week I’ve been dragging after a tough weekend. “Just” two ambulance calls, but they were doozies. I was just starting to make a late breakfast Saturday morning when we got a call for a rollover just 3 miles down the road.

In the Line of Duty

Posted January 28, 2021July 27, 2009 in Away From Work, Death, Editorial, Explainer20 Comments

The county I’m in is pretty small, population-wise: about 4,200 people. (Geography-wise, it’s medium for the west: about 550 square miles.) As you might guess, there’s not much shopping in my county, so for groceries we pop into Montrose, which is a town of about 16,000, and is only 20 minutes away. (Montrose County has a population of around 34,000 in 2,240 square miles.) So we know the town pretty well.

Taking a Day Off

Posted January 28, 2021July 10, 2009 in Away From Work, Photo, Travel36 Comments

I live in one of the most beautiful parts of one of the most beautiful states in the union. If you’ve been following this blog, you know I work a lot, and know I stare out at the mountains from my office window — I have a great view.

Honest to Goodness Good Stuff

Posted March 7, 2024June 29, 2009 in Away From Work, EMS Story, Explainer, Medical101 Comments

Something fairly profound happened to my wife and me Sunday. I have a group of friends that I communicate with regularly via an email list, and Sunday afternoon I shared what happened with them. One asked, “Great story. Will you be sharing it with your readers?”

Herb Caen: Master of the Three Dots

Posted December 23, 2024May 18, 2009 in Away From Work, Editorial, Language, Trivia, True Business47 Comments

This story is what got me started on remembering Herb Caen — it’s from True’s 17 May 2009 issue:

Spring Snow

Posted January 6, 2022April 17, 2009 in Away From Work, Photo58 Comments

It was a good day to stay inside today. Just because it’s well into Spring doesn’t mean it doesn’t want to snow in Colorado! It came down all day today, sometimes in “whiteout” conditions, piling up about 18″ (46 cm) at my house. It stopped about two hours before tonight’s newsletter went out, so I just posted an amazing photo of what happens here when it snows:

Out My Window: a Golden Eagle

Posted January 28, 2021March 1, 2009 in Animals, Away From Work, Photo17 Comments

I just love my job. Even though I “have to” work Sundays, I really have a gorgeous view out my window, and I sometimes see the most amazing things.

Plane Crashes, Intelligence,
Dad, and Jack Williamson

Posted September 8, 2024December 22, 2008 in Away From Work, Books, Explainer, Military7 Comments

You may have heard about the plane “crash” in Denver Saturday. A Continental jet taking off for Houston veered off the runway, went cross country for a bit, popped up over an airport service road, then collapsed on its belly and burst into flame. No one was killed.

Visiting the White House

Posted November 4, 2024November 10, 2008 in Away From Work, Explainer, Government, Photo, Politics, Special, Travel33 Comments

I mentioned in my post last week that being in Washington D.C. was “more surreal than usual” because it was election time. Well, imagine being inside the White House just two days before the election! Because indeed, that’s where I was.

Another Independent Content Site: RIP?

Posted January 28, 2021October 17, 2008 in Away From Work, Celebrities, Online Life8 Comments

When I talk about how independent sites like True need your direct and ongoing support, I’ll often emphasize that all independent sites need such support; if you like “them” (whoever “they” might be), you need to support them so they can continue. And indeed one of the oldest, most venerable content sites has stopped publishing and is in very real danger of failing completely.

School Bus Plunge (On Purpose)

Posted December 20, 2024May 21, 2008 in Away From Work, EMS Story, Explainer, Photo33 Comments

I spent most of the day Sunday working at the scene of a school bus that plunged (buses always “plunge”!) over the side of a steep embankment on Ouray County’s famous “Million Dollar Highway” below Red Mountain Pass.

Hawaii Manta Dive

Posted January 28, 2021February 8, 2008 in Animals, Away From Work, Travel13 Comments

Last week, I promised to tell you a bit more about my trip to Hawaii, and one of the adventures I went on.

TV Land

Posted January 27, 2021January 22, 2007 in Away From Work, Plugs22 Comments

I don’t watch very much TV, so when I do I want something that’s interesting and thought-provoking as well as entertaining. There’s a new show on this year that I really like — and naturally it’s not doing all that well in the ratings. Why?

Ouray Ice Festival Photos

Posted January 21, 2024January 15, 2007 in Away From Work, EMS Story23 Comments

It’s winter in Colorado. No, I mean winter! The temperature here this morning was –12.2F (–25.5C). The high today was 10.7F (–11.8C). This weekend, then, was perfect for the Ouray Ice Festival, held each year at what is likely the premier ice park in the world — at the very least the best public park of its kind, the Ouray Ice Park.

EMS Stories: a New Series

Posted January 27, 2021September 28, 2006 in Away From Work, EMS Story, Giving Back

While This is True is a “weird news” publication, — its bigger mission is “Thought-Provoking Entertainment” — social commentary, or an exploration of The Human Condition. While True is my full-time job, I also volunteer as an on-call first-responder medic in my community. These are some of my stories from real medical emergencies.