30 Aug 2009
Homeland Stupidity

Here's a strange tale, from an unusual source, about a company you've probably never heard of. But it goes a long way in explaining a lot of things.

Lorraine was skimming a jobs board in Indy the other day, looking to see if she could find an RN position that was part time and close enough to help bring in some extra cash. No luck on that, but she did run across the following, reproduced in it's entirety below. Why it popped on an RN search is beyond me. I've added links to the company (and division) - suffice it to say that they're a major defence contractor, probably second only to KBR. A final comment follows the job posting ...

Company: URS Corporation
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Employee Type: Full-Time
Industry: Environmental
Manages Others: Not Specified
Job Type: Other
Education: 4 Year Degree
Experience: At least 3 year(s)
Post Date: 8/25/2009
Contact Information Ref ID: EGG
Description Interest Category: Business Operations/Administrative
Job Description:

The candidate will provide immediate real time support to appropriate law enforcement personnel by retrieving, analyzing and summarizing information gathered from law enforcement and external sources. The candidate will query a host of databases in order to supply information specific to case needs. The candidate will be responsible to ensure compliance with 28 CFR part 23 and I.C, 5-2-4.

Must be able to manage the intelligence database, including input, processing, and and output procedures in an automated data processing, or computer environment. Locate, retrieve, and process information within assigned functional areas. Must be able to provide visual aids, (eg. link analysis, geographical charts, bar graphs, telephone toll analysis, flow and organizational charts).

Maintain a working knowledge of IIFC computers, equipment, and telephone systems, and provide related training to IIFC approved personnel as needed. Monitor all available sources of media, intelligence sources, and homeland security resources to timely identify incidents and patterns.

Assist in creating reports (i.e. officer safety bulletins) to law enforcement, public and private sector, and senior government leadership, and subject information to correlation and analysis in order to discern patterns, recurring events, identities, and criminal and terrorist activities.

Assist with routine administrative projects, and perform special projects when needed. Perform other duties as defined by IIFC Executive Director.

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelors degree in English, Journalism or Criminal Justice and at least 3 years of job-related experience. Good written communication skills; working knowledge of word-processing and integrated software applications; organizational skills and ability to perform detail-oriented work are required.

Must be able to perform analysis and interpret criminal intelligence information.

Must be organized and able to access, input, and retrieve information from available Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center (IIFC) systems. Must be able to prioritize work and meet deadlines.

Must pass a background investigation, an initial and subsequent random drug screening. Must pass periodic security related polygraph test on request.

Starting salary is $15.50/hr

That works out to an annual salary of $32,240/yr. That's with a four year degree and 3 years of experience. Judging from the "success" of the various intelligence "wars" our government has been waging (drugs, terror, etc.), I'd say that the old saw is true: If you're paying peanuts, expect to hire monkeys.

09:44 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Blaze strikes Old Dover School

We were finishing up our tomato canning about 11:30 last night when I smelled smoke and went outside to investigate. The air was pretty thick with smoke. Everything on the farm was OK, so we hopped into the truck and took a drive down 32 less than a block when we spotted the fire. We are across the road from the SW corner of the building. We came home and called 911 and our neighbors to alert them - engines were out there until about 4 this morning - luckily no cinders fell on the gas station across the street from the fire, or we would've have some real problems.

Firefighters were called to a blaze at the Old Dover School just after 11 p.m. Thursday.

(link) [Lebanon Reporter]

Update: Fire could be end for old Dover school

“serious, serious work” would be necessary ... to salvage the structure

09:38 /Home | 0 comments | permanent link