|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,663
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,663 |
Two days ago on Jan 25, 2013 my son and his friend were crossing Bangs lake in Waucanda illinois at 10:30 pm on two ATVs when in the middle, a half mile from shore, the ice below them gave way. My son Jon, was totally engulfed in the icy water using only the floating tires of the ATV to keep from going under. His friend Tom, about 30 feet away, found himself on a shelf of ice which broke free and dropped about 3 feet into the water. He was able to escape to solid surface with his cell phone still working. His call to 911 brought the local fire rescue team. Within 12 minutes of being in the water, unable to climb out, a rescue fireman was in at this side getting a rope around his arms and he was pulled out. The rescue team pulled my son back to the ambulance over the 1/2 mile of ice.
I just returned from the firehouse. Jon and Tom, Jon's wife Amber and my wife Carol and I brought donuts and pizza to the firehouse and we spent a half hour with the whole firehouse team recounting the ordeal.
These fireman saved my sons life that night. I know we have fireman here, and I know you know a fire and rescue professional, so please accept and pass along my thankyou to them. These guys do save lives.
Dan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109 |
WOW, Dan.. its great to hear that this worked out well for your son and his friend! You and your wife must be beside yourselves with relief!
It could have been the phone call that changed everything
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Stuff like that makes all the training and ice rescue exercises hit home. We had to disband our dive team, although we had the gear and were exempt from labour laws in emergencies, we had to abide by labour laws in training, and the certifications became too much. We sold that gear and got into ice rescue, for we never saved a life diving, but we did pull 2 or 3 every year out of our river and one large lake. You need 4 " of 'good' ice to bear the weight of a horse, 6 inches for a team. I remember that from the logging days before firefighting. Pizza was the bane of the firehall. Everyone thought we should have some. At times the companies would make extra and stop buy with 3 or 4. There were only 4 of us at most stations. We'd have to call in other trucks to come and get one! I did learn that if I ordered one for me for supper to get double anchovies on it. I like them. No one else would touch it then!!!! I never go onto the ice without dragging a substantial 20 foot pole, even on a snow machine. Gets you out of trouble quick. At work we used to snowshoe 12 feet apart with a rope between us, and they made fun of my pole. The downside to running those exercises is...it's freaking cold! The upside was it was good team building. We used to deck out a reporter every winter in the cold water survival suit and throw them in. See how strong you can be after 10 minutes in that water, it saps you so fast you can almost not lift your arm. It must have been a scary scenario. Imagine if the phone didn't work? Imagine if you were in N. Canada, 30 to 100 miles from the nearest rescue team? We'd call in the Air Force rescue then, 20 minutes arrival time for a big chopper and 8 man crew. Sometimes Michigan showed up to help. Some of the other rules, 1. be prepared, even if you went in, to have the stuff to make a fire FAST. 2. have survival blankets. 3. People know where you went, when you were coming back. As to the first, all my kids had the exercises every year, maybe twice. In the pouring rain, or snow, get out the waterproof container, and make a fire in under 5 minutes. Sounds easy. It is if you've done it many times. We'd be walking, I'd yell fire, and they had to make one big one. And get 2 more ready, for 3 fires in a triangle that can be seen from 20,000 feet is a distress signal. And it works if there are flights going anywhere near. Pilots can be counted on to see those and respond. A guy on our crew cut his leg very badly with a chain saw, 50 miles from the nearest road. We were a 1/2 mile from a lake, got the signal going, cut a landing spot and had him in the hospital 100 miles away in under an hour. I got fired, my boss told me he was just an indian, we could have carried him and got a float plane. I drilled him one good one in the chops, right over his desk. And fired myself. Those 2 Cree brothers were good friends. And they could walk out, 60 miles, leave 2 days early, and be sitting in the hotel drinking beer when we got back. How did they cross 3 major rivers, no roads, and get there without a compass I've no dang idea, other than that is how they were raised. Great guys. Here's a good one, just to hijack the thread and I can still type 120 wpm, Fred was very quiet. Never talked much. Our crew was putting in roads 5 years a head of cutting, Me, 2 students from forestry school, and the 2 Cree Indians, and one labourer. Every morning the students would as Fred what kind of weather we could get. He'd grunt, "Rain afternoon today, cooler a lot", or some such thing. That would be it. One day they ask him, the great native guide, could conjure up the weather, so amazing.. "Hey Fred, what's the weather like today...?" He reaches in his tent, pulls out a little transistor radio with an earpiece, shrugs and says, "who knows, my batteries died." I laughed my butt off. Deadpan too. 
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
BTW, I did almost die one year falling through a beaver pond trying to retrieve the duck I shot.
ALONE.
Up to my chest in water.
Can't move.
I got back to my truck, on all 4's so tired from the cold. Just getting the door opened took forever.
I ended up in the hospital with water in my lungs, pneumonia, and some flu like thing. 6 weeks in the hospital. That was sick. I quit hunting alone. More or less. I was the fire marshal and had the run of 600 miles of private road. So my gun was behind the seat of the truck all the time. Or guns. No more gun racks. No more CIL warblers to get fish in beaver ponds. (that's dynamite) I used to blast the beaver dams that messed up the roads. The the RCMP found out I had sticks and caps in the same truck. Oh Oh.
BTW, thanks for the thumbs up. I used to say we had 90% boredom and 10% when all H broke loose.
I keep saying I'll write a book. Our fire department was 600 strong, all brothers, and at the end, sisters too. Every day with me was an episode of MASH combined with an hour of serious training and planning.
At times it was hard to get through to the new ones. Stick with someone who's been there and done that, and learn.
I still have goosebumps thinking about your son in the water. It does not get scarier than that you know.
Nature is nice to look at, but needs a whole lot of respect.
John Conley
Musica est vita
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Video: New User Interface (GUI)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,372
Posts791,374
Members39,862
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are no members with birthdays on this day. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean