Zinke the Troll speaks

A ban includes your ISP address. Randy told me others have been banned and tried to come back under a new name or tried to start a second account on here and were caught because of their ISP.

Problem now is many Internet Service Providers (ISP) give people dynamic IP's... Static IPs of earlier days were linked to a person or single client. Dynamic is always changing... They will link to the ISP and if one has pull with someone at that ISP, have discovery via court order or a warrant - you may be able to find who had that IP address during the specific time frame of use.

Earlier, it was static IP which was basically a number assigned to each person within that ISP and that could be tracked to the house.

Maybe some new way of tracking dynamic IP's has become available...(?) Anyone ever play, "Where in the world is Carmen Santiago"? Haha! Kinda fun pondering the identity of such people.
 
Per James RIley. That was an epic argument. At some point (3 posts) let it go. But my original assertation was the OP doesn't get banned, Southern Elk was the OP.
The aggressive, idiot or stupid reply get the ban.

Big Fin is fair and probably too lenient.

He turned a thread that I started to simply ask for help saving public land into an argument with the boss man. He was asking for it. That wasn't the first thread he derailed either.
 
Damn you guys are smart. I do not understand the bot comment. A robotic device or someone posting under aa assumed name. I am old. Help out.
 
Southern Elk.

Was not meant to be negative to you at all. My point was that the original OP is not banned. You did not make the asinine comments on the thread. You just started the post.

You are one my favorites. Do not mean to piss you off!
 
Southern Elk.

Was not meant to be negative to you at all. My point was that the original OP is not banned. You did not make the asinine comments on the thread. You just started the post.

You are one my favorites. Do not mean to piss you off!

I understand. No worries. Like you, I try to avoid confrontations like that.
 
wllm1313.

Did a quick read on your suggested site. Does this mean that do not believe anything posted unless you know the poster. An automatic reply based on the intellectual or political content programmed into the bot.


By the way, I did not mean to sidetrack this thread with my reply to NHY. I am not displeased with the results.
 
wllm1313.

Did a quick read on your suggested site. Does this mean that do not believe anything posted unless you know the poster. An automatic reply based on the intellectual or political content programmed into the bot.


By the way, I did not mean to sidetrack this thread with my reply to NHY. I am not displeased with the results.

Not necessarily... FB on the other hand... that place is a nightmare...
 
Wow this thread got out of hand real fast... Well Ill try to remain on the topic brought up. It has been fascinating to see all of these Trump tweets and political comments on the fires as someone who has experience in the field. I was a firefighter for the BLM and Forest Service for four years, two on engines and two on a shot crew. Heres my perspective on what causes these fires:

1.) The Historic Suppression of fire: Most people out west now know the previous history of the USFS and other firefighting agencies. They created smokejumpers (aka Prima Donnas) and more aggressive firefighting operations after the Big Burn and some other large fires. They implemented the 10am policy where any fires discovered were to be put out by 10am the next day. This has created an unhealthy forest that has created the problems we face today.

2.) Modern Money Times: Nowadays the fire management system is caught in a vicious cycle. Wildfires today are more aggressive and more destructive than ever before. They cost millions of dollars to fight, in a system that is not operating in even that remote realm of budget. A single large california fire, like the one this year, will cost at least $100 million dollars to fight. That a lone is gonna suck up any and all budget for that local forest, plus tap into national resources by the tons. This then leads to a smaller and smaller fuels budget every year. What happens then? Less money to keep people on for the winter to do fuels and prescribed burns, that then helps keep forest unhealthy and it all happens again next year. Rinse and repeat.

Another big thing is the huge logistical nightmare that is the modern wildland firefighting business, which is what it is. Go to any large fire in the West and you will see the greatest in American waste technology. Firefighting is right up there with the military, if there is a way to waste money, they will find it. So many worthless positions, people, equipment, etc. that just sucks up money left and right: Operations manager assistant, supply manager assistant, boxes of fuel cans just left around, chainsaws ordered for nothing, tools thrown away, and so on. Its ridiculous. Look at that large fire in Cali, it has roughyl 3400 people on it, supposedly fighting it. I can guarantee you 30 to 40% of those numbers are actually doing anything of worth. There will be tons of contract crews, structure engines, and even USFS/BLM crews just doing jack on the fire collecting $20 to $30 dollars an hour for nothing...

Such is life
 
Wow this thread got out of hand real fast... Well Ill try to remain on the topic brought up. It has been fascinating to see all of these Trump tweets and political comments on the fires as someone who has experience in the field. I was a firefighter for the BLM and Forest Service for four years, two on engines and two on a shot crew. Heres my perspective on what causes these fires:

1.) The Historic Suppression of fire: Most people out west now know the previous history of the USFS and other firefighting agencies. They created smokejumpers (aka Prima Donnas) and more aggressive firefighting operations after the Big Burn and some other large fires. They implemented the 10am policy where any fires discovered were to be put out by 10am the next day. This has created an unhealthy forest that has created the problems we face today.

2.) Modern Money Times: Nowadays the fire management system is caught in a vicious cycle. Wildfires today are more aggressive and more destructive than ever before. They cost millions of dollars to fight, in a system that is not operating in even that remote realm of budget. A single large california fire, like the one this year, will cost at least $100 million dollars to fight. That a lone is gonna suck up any and all budget for that local forest, plus tap into national resources by the tons. This then leads to a smaller and smaller fuels budget every year. What happens then? Less money to keep people on for the winter to do fuels and prescribed burns, that then helps keep forest unhealthy and it all happens again next year. Rinse and repeat.

Another big thing is the huge logistical nightmare that is the modern wildland firefighting business, which is what it is. Go to any large fire in the West and you will see the greatest in American waste technology. Firefighting is right up there with the military, if there is a way to waste money, they will find it. So many worthless positions, people, equipment, etc. that just sucks up money left and right: Operations manager assistant, supply manager assistant, boxes of fuel cans just left around, chainsaws ordered for nothing, tools thrown away, and so on. Its ridiculous. Look at that large fire in Cali, it has roughyl 3400 people on it, supposedly fighting it. I can guarantee you 30 to 40% of those numbers are actually doing anything of worth. There will be tons of contract crews, structure engines, and even USFS/BLM crews just doing jack on the fire collecting $20 to $30 dollars an hour for nothing...

Such is life

^^^Very good first-hand perspective here. Thank you sir for your input! Something real for us to actually consider without all the keyboard experts chiming in.
 
Wow this thread got out of hand real fast... Well Ill try to remain on the topic brought up. It has been fascinating to see all of these Trump tweets and political comments on the fires as someone who has experience in the field. I was a firefighter for the BLM and Forest Service for four years, two on engines and two on a shot crew. Heres my perspective on what causes these fires:

1.) The Historic Suppression of fire: Most people out west now know the previous history of the USFS and other firefighting agencies. They created smokejumpers (aka Prima Donnas) and more aggressive firefighting operations after the Big Burn and some other large fires. They implemented the 10am policy where any fires discovered were to be put out by 10am the next day. This has created an unhealthy forest that has created the problems we face today.

2.) Modern Money Times: Nowadays the fire management system is caught in a vicious cycle. Wildfires today are more aggressive and more destructive than ever before. They cost millions of dollars to fight, in a system that is not operating in even that remote realm of budget. A single large california fire, like the one this year, will cost at least $100 million dollars to fight. That a lone is gonna suck up any and all budget for that local forest, plus tap into national resources by the tons. This then leads to a smaller and smaller fuels budget every year. What happens then? Less money to keep people on for the winter to do fuels and prescribed burns, that then helps keep forest unhealthy and it all happens again next year. Rinse and repeat.

Another big thing is the huge logistical nightmare that is the modern wildland firefighting business, which is what it is. Go to any large fire in the West and you will see the greatest in American waste technology. Firefighting is right up there with the military, if there is a way to waste money, they will find it. So many worthless positions, people, equipment, etc. that just sucks up money left and right: Operations manager assistant, supply manager assistant, boxes of fuel cans just left around, chainsaws ordered for nothing, tools thrown away, and so on. Its ridiculous. Look at that large fire in Cali, it has roughyl 3400 people on it, supposedly fighting it. I can guarantee you 30 to 40% of those numbers are actually doing anything of worth. There will be tons of contract crews, structure engines, and even USFS/BLM crews just doing jack on the fire collecting $20 to $30 dollars an hour for nothing...

Such is life

Interesting comments. I largely agree, though haven't seen the rampant waste you speak of, I have no doubt there is some waste. The costliest fires to fight are those burning in the WUI, we just keep on building into country that historically burns. Highly trained firefighters raking the pine needles in folks' yards in an attempt to save their homes is a waste for sure, but I'm not sure whose fault that is.

Well over 90% of the fires in MT are put out on initial attack. Largely by volunteers not getting paid a dime.
 
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Another big thing is the huge logistical nightmare that is the modern wildland firefighting business, which is what it is. Go to any large fire in the West and you will see the greatest in American waste technology. Firefighting is right up there with the military, if there is a way to waste money, they will find it. So many worthless positions, people, equipment, etc. that just sucks up money left and right: Operations manager assistant, supply manager assistant, boxes of fuel cans just left around, chainsaws ordered for nothing, tools thrown away, and so on. Its ridiculous. Look at that large fire in Cali, it has roughyl 3400 people on it, supposedly fighting it. I can guarantee you 30 to 40% of those numbers are actually doing anything of worth. There will be tons of contract crews, structure engines, and even USFS/BLM crews just doing jack on the fire collecting $20 to $30 dollars an hour for nothing...

Such is life

Glad to hear your perspective from the inside. I have a similar perspective from the outside and am always blown away when the number of people and cost for some of these fires is discussed. Even these little ones like we had West of Laramie can end up with hundreds of people, airplanes, helicopters, etc that cost a small fortune to fight by the time it's all said and done. As you mentioned the amount of money involved is just crazy, I know I built the new fire station in Harrison NE with the proceeds they received from the 2011 fire withe the volunteer fire department running up the bill. Even Job Corps crews of kids end up at these fire camps running up the bill and doing almost nothing useful. Essentially we fight fires by dumping large quantities of dry paper currency on them until they are out. Got to be a better way to do this.
 
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Wow this thread got out of hand real fast... Well Ill try to remain on the topic brought up. It has been fascinating to see all of these Trump tweets and political comments on the fires as someone who has experience in the field. I was a firefighter for the BLM and Forest Service for four years, two on engines and two on a shot crew. Heres my perspective on what causes these fires:

1.) The Historic Suppression of fire: Most people out west now know the previous history of the USFS and other firefighting agencies. They created smokejumpers (aka Prima Donnas) and more aggressive firefighting operations after the Big Burn and some other large fires. They implemented the 10am policy where any fires discovered were to be put out by 10am the next day. This has created an unhealthy forest that has created the problems we face today.

2.) Modern Money Times: Nowadays the fire management system is caught in a vicious cycle. Wildfires today are more aggressive and more destructive than ever before. They cost millions of dollars to fight, in a system that is not operating in even that remote realm of budget. A single large california fire, like the one this year, will cost at least $100 million dollars to fight. That a lone is gonna suck up any and all budget for that local forest, plus tap into national resources by the tons. This then leads to a smaller and smaller fuels budget every year. What happens then? Less money to keep people on for the winter to do fuels and prescribed burns, that then helps keep forest unhealthy and it all happens again next year. Rinse and repeat.

Another big thing is the huge logistical nightmare that is the modern wildland firefighting business, which is what it is. Go to any large fire in the West and you will see the greatest in American waste technology. Firefighting is right up there with the military, if there is a way to waste money, they will find it. So many worthless positions, people, equipment, etc. that just sucks up money left and right: Operations manager assistant, supply manager assistant, boxes of fuel cans just left around, chainsaws ordered for nothing, tools thrown away, and so on. Its ridiculous. Look at that large fire in Cali, it has roughyl 3400 people on it, supposedly fighting it. I can guarantee you 30 to 40% of those numbers are actually doing anything of worth. There will be tons of contract crews, structure engines, and even USFS/BLM crews just doing jack on the fire collecting $20 to $30 dollars an hour for nothing...

Such is life

Great post, and insight.

Question though: What happens if those fuel cans and chainsaws were needed, but never ordered? I totally get that there is duplicity and waste in any effort, public or private, but I also have been on the management side of programs and campaigns that show the wisdom in having equipment on hand you may not need, or have supplies that don't get used if you're planning for a catastrophe that doesn't arrive. Hopefully that gear gets cycled back in to use throughout the course of a season or seasons, rather than sit idly by.
 
I don't like bringing this up among friends who fight fires or sell insurance, but I think an even bigger "why" should be asked. Why do we even fight most of these? I mean, really, fighting fires is dangerous. Would you like to stand in front of a mom or dad and say thank you for giving your son or daughter's life to save my pile of stuff? Or gas pipeline, or Preble's Jumping Mouse? I get the fast moving fires closing in on urban centers that haven't been evacuated, or hospitals and such. But really, homes and infrastructure are insured and that's precisely why we have insurance. Yes it's a home with memories and all of that, and no, I've never lost a home to fire. But I've buried plenty of friends and family and frankly, I'd gladly let my unoccupied house burn down if the alternative was anyone risking life and limb. I get that fighting fire is a big, high energy operation that can easily catch people up in the frenzy. But really, let the SOB burn. Like was stated, putting out every fire was part of what got us into the state we're in. Just my two cents.
 
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