Final Post?

5 years…and then one day I just stopped blogging!

Thanks to all!

Ron

Life or Virtual?

I bought a pair of Brown pants and wore them this morning with black shoes and a black shirt. I thought to myself “I like this look!”. I got to thinking about the last time I had brown pants. I liked the look then too. I questioned myself as to why I never kept those pants. Then I realized that the brown pants were not mine but rather only on the character I made in Tiger Woods Golf on the XBOX! WOW!!! The lines between real life and virtual reality are really starting to blur!

Punishment later?

Remember when you were a kid and you did something wrong? Did your mother say “wait till your father get’s home!”? It didn’t take too long to figure out that by the time your father got home, he was too tired to get all worked up about some little issue. Also, your mom has lost some of her “steam” by then as well. So, often, the issue went basically unpunished. On the other side of this coin, is when your father was already home! The punishment and often the beating, came swiftly! Those are the ones you remember. Those are the times that helped shape you and keep you in line.

When the punishment is postponed until later, everyone calms down, no one ever learns anything and the action needing punishing happens again and again until the time when the punishment is immediate! This is evident even with dogs. When a dog does something wrong, gets caught and is reprimanded right on the spot, the lesson is more likely to be learned and the action not repeated. When a dog does something and there is no immediate consequence, he learns its ok and develops a habit. Then when the dogs does get punished at a later time, the dogs is confused. “Why you punishing me now? No one punished me when I did it so I thought it was allowed!”

Everyone needs “immediate” feedback on things to really know if its right or wrong or good or bad. If you cook a meal for someone and they eat the whole thing and don’t say a word, you may make the meal for them over and over. When they tell you that they don’t like it, you stop. Why not give feedback immediately so there is no confusion. Its so simple!

This is where religion gets it wrong. God is supposed to punish those who sin… Later! Huh? If you wait until later, people will think they got away with it and that the issue will be long forgotten by the time “Daddy” gets home. Punish them now! Duh! Then they won’t do it anymore! Someone rapes someone, God should send down a team of angels with BIG anal probes to dish out the @$$ reaming of a lifetime. Problem solved! That rapist will never rape again. EVER! I promise that!

8 Years of Squirrels!

8 years ago I battled a squirrel in my house. He jumped on my back when I went into my closet one morning. He scared the crap outta me! It took my a half hour to catch it and get it out of my room. I dubbed him “Super Squirrel”. He must have been getting his groove on in my attic because ever since then, I have been dealing with, what I assume to be, his offspring. They chew through my house repairs and continue to make their home in my attic. They have a place to eat, a place to sleep, a place to defecate and a place to bury their dead. Through the years we have found them all! We have had the house repaired numerous times but they simply chew through it.

We have had enough and are now aggressively trapping them. We bought some traps at Tractor Supply and are baiting them with peanut butter. We have trapped some in the past but we always slowed down when the traps started to be set off with no capture. We now have better traps and a stronger resolve to rid our home of the pests.

Some people will say that the squirrels were there first. I say hogwash! My house is 30 years old and not a single one of these squirrels is even 1/15th that age! This is MY HOME! They are invading into our territory and we are fighting back!

After we rid the house of the pests, we are planning to have our fascia boards and soffits replaced with cement board (hardi-plank) so they can dig through again. We are also placing heavy wire mesh on the backside of our gable end vents. We are going to make it very hard for them to homestead there again. Maybe this will be enough of a deterrent to steer them to another house.

After I get over the hatred for them, I may build a squirrel house up in a tree so they can live there instead.

ASAP!

I personally feel that typing ASAP in and email appears rude. I feel like I am DEMANDING something as opposed to requesting expediency. I prefer to type it out fully. “As soon as possible”. It’ seems so much more polite!

Don’t argue with a political affiliate

One thing I have learned in life is to NOT argue with anyone who affiliates themselves with a political party. Anyone who is close minded enough to say that they are a “Republican” or “Democrat” as opposed to an “individual” can not be swayed by any argument you may present. Even if that argument is completely logical to everyone else. People who affiliate seem to “accept” all beliefs of a political party may not actually believe them but they accept them and vote accordingly. I have a hard time believing that everyone who affiliates with a party, has the very same beliefs, values and views. That would be a huge stretch of the imagination. Yet people give up some of their beliefs and values to side with the party that best matches them. IMO, even 90% of common beliefs isn’t enough for me to side with any one party. I side with my own beliefs. I listen to all sides and make my own decisions on how I feel. Affiliates, seem to squelch their own voice and join in with the voice of their “team”. Once someone gives in and affiliates themselves with a group, they buy into all the arguments and rhetoric that accompanies it. We have 2 major parties in this country and in the realm of people that vote party lines and affiliate themselves with a party, there are only two sides to every argument. 2 sides? That’s not enough to actually have intelligent conversations or debates with. You cannot win those debates. You cannot sway someone away from their party. They will even ignore their own inner voice 1st before conceding a debate against a direction their party goes. Wow!

Funny how you can bring up a topic with people on a one to one basis and hear their beliefs from their heart. As soon as the discussion has political parties brought into it. The discussion gets much more defensive and steers right back inline with the party’s direction. Amazing!

New Country Music

Wow what a sad state the Country music genre is in. It’s all about money and not about staying true to the roots of the music and culture of the parts of the USA that country music was forged in. People that made country music a genre in the first place, actually “lived” the life that the sing about. That authenticity is what made the music so appealing. Peers could relate and others could simply appreciate the stories and songs. Today, most of the “Country” music stars are not even from the country. I live in Nashville and have met many country music industry writers and performers. Many and I do mean MANY are not from the south, didn’t have a horse or a truck, wasn’t divorced and didn’t lose a job at the mine. They are everyday people from around the states that want to be a famous Country Music artist. So they move to Nashville, adopt a fake accent that sounds like everyone else’s fake accent (yes, most are fake), buy the right clothing and write songs that they think the labels want to hear. They write their clever little plays on words and try to stick every idea they can squeeze into a single song so that something, even if just one part, appeals to anyone. They put so much weight into the clever tag line that they forget to actually write an authentic song. Then to top it all off, the songs get recorded by the very same handful of musicians. So all the music sounds the same. Same guitar licks, same, steel guitar, same vocal harmonies, same everything. The music is so NOT country and it has been this way for so long now that people think Taylor Swift is “Country”! People have forgotten what real country music is. Kenny Chesney is not Country music. Alan Jackson is. Big & Rich was not country music but John Rich is. Real country music is a simple song with a simple melody that means a lot to the writer and performer. What we have now is a pile of crap. I huge collection of songs forced on us by record labels that want to make as much money on an artist as they can as quickly as they can. So they push a hook for a week or two and make a few million. Then the song is long forgotten. They move onto the next flash to try and make money on. What happened to the good songs that stick with us for a lifetime? GONE! I have been listening to Country music my whole life. Now I find myself saying, I don’t like country music. Actually what I should say is that I don’t like the current drivel they label as country music. I still love the real country music. I hope that sometime soon, some people will start writing and performing real country music. Damn the record labels, damn the money and do it for the love!

Efficiency in planning vs. doing…

Spending excessive amounts of time trying to figure the most efficient way of moving a pile of rocks often wastes more time and money than simply moving the rocks by hand and moving on.

Some people will have meeting after meeting for months trying to figure out the most efficient way to complete a project. What’s wrong with that is the planning itself is inefficient. If it takes longer and more money to figure out the best way to do something then it does to just do it a less efficient way, then you have not saved anything. 1 month to figure it out or 2 weeks of just doing it. When you weigh the cost savings during the month long debate, figure in the savings in man hours and salary by “just doing it” and moving on top the next project.

Zealots drive away potential customers…

The very same enthusiasm that makes people love their Apple computer, when unchecked, actually drives other people away from buying what is actually a very good product!

I was a long time Apple/Mac advocate. I purchased a brand new Mac every year for about 5 years. The Operating System, OSX, is robust and slick. It is a much more visual experience over the rehashed same old Windows. Productivity on a comparable Windows based system is “comparable” though. Especially now that Apple is basing their Mac computers on the same foundation “x86” as Windows based PCs. Apple does have more control over hardware but they have less software titles available. There are trade-offs but nothing insurmountable if you are willing to pay the money for a Mac. So basically, it comes down to what you like and what you want to buy.

The problem is that Apple Zealots get so “in your face” and often insulting towards you and your previous purchase. Usually with exaggerations. It often comes across like they are telling you how stupid you have been for not knowing how great your life could be if you would only buy an Apple computer. That insult drives people into defensive mode. They defend themselves, their previous purchases and their future purchases. It’s might seem like a validation of the insults if a person gives in and buys a Mac. “Oh, so you finally bought a Mac huh? See? I told you that you were wrong and stupid before!”

Not a good way to convince anyone. I know. I was once a Mac Zealot!

Group success…

The common intelligence of a group working together does not necessarily predict the level of success to be achieved but rather only an indication of the groups ability to be led successfully!—Ron E. Marks

I think therefore I convey!

I enjoy the “meanings” of things and the way existence “ticks” on. I always thought of myself as a bit of a philosopher. Not Socrates or Aristotle or anything so grand but I do dwell on human interaction, politics, religion and life in general to put as much of it as I can into organizational boxes. When I do, I share it. Right or wrong, I share my ponderings. I realized recently that, even though I do spend quite a bit of time philosophizing, I am more a simple conveyor of observations. I do have some philosophies that are not commonly accepted if even ever previously published. Mostly I see, I ponder and then I share.

Growth through acquisition? Wrong!

I have never believed in growth through acquisition. It has been the norm for as long as I have been paying attention to business. When a company is not doing well in an area, they go and buy a company that is. This fails in a couple ways. First, it is almost inevitable that the company making the purchase will eventual push their culture and business practices on to the acquired business. This serves only to send the once thriving business, down the same path as the failed path of the parent company. Next it fails in a more long term way in that there is a reduction in competition. We all know competition breeds innovation. A 3rd way is that a large company cannot move with the changes in economy and markets. That is a topic all to itself and something I covered in one of my earlier posts. “Big ball, small ball”.

I believe that companies should first ask themselves “how big do we really need to grow?” Growth to what end? Is growth required mainly to appease stock holders? That is a never ending battle that cannot be won. Stock holders will always want more money and most don’t care how is obtained. They merely want portfolio growth. IMO that is not how to do business. That forks me off to another topic that I will address another time. We should not have a public stock market. Stocks should all be privately sold and our retirement should not be based on the growth of stock based 401k. Another rant, another time.

Let’s compare acquisition growth in a restaurant scenario. A restaurant, I’ll call is “Big Al’s”,  is not doing well. Losing customers to a small restaurant, “Little Joe’s”, down the road that is offering great food at a great price. The customers leave Little Joe’s very satisfied and come back for more as often as they can. Big Al is wishing is wishing that he had that kind of business. The problem is that people that tried Al’s didn’t have such a great experience. The food wasn’t very good and the price was too high. (After all Al has to make enough money to keep his investors happy. They have boats and houses to buy). Al cuts back a bit more to increase his profit margin. He hires inexperience wait staff and cooks. He buys the cheaper cuts of meat and buys mass produced vegetables. People decide to look for something better. They find Little Joe’s. Little Joe’s has no stock holders so he makes only enough profit for him and his family. The extra money goes into the best wait staff and the best food he can find. People see this and go back for more and more.

What could happen next is all too to typical. Big Al tells the stockholders that they need to buy Little Joes. They need to eliminate the competition and increase Big Al’s corporate bottom line by leveraging the profits made at Little Joe’s. They sell more stocks and buy Little Joe’s. Now the real mistake happens. Big Al tells the remaining staff at Little Joe’s (now a division of Big Al’s) that they need to change the business to match that of Big Al’s. Cut back on the food quality and service. Then they see how much Joe was paying his staff and they makes changes to get them inline with Big Al’s employees. The customers see this happening and begin searching for a new place like Little Joe’s “used’” to be like. Little Joe’s is no longer profitable and the stock holders are not happy. The circle is complete and Big Al starts all over again looking for another small restaurant to acquire in order to help appease his stockholder’s desire for more MONEY.

The way the scenario should be played out IMO is simple. So simple I am surprised it is so often over looked. Big Al’s should not give Little Joe’s a second thought. Big Al should find ways of keeping his customers happy. Get the best food, the best service and NO public investors to appease. They will come back time and time again and they will bring friends. THERE is your growth!

Need help? Be specific please!

I understand that not everyone is a tech when it comes to computers. Some people just don’t care to know the “lingo” or the “why’s”. They just want things to work. However, I think there should at least be some minimum knowledge required to work on a computer for a living. You should at least be able to describe your task or your problem.

So many times, I get called for help and the person doesn’t even know how to articulate what it is they actually do on the PC. Too many times I hear “Well, I click this and then click that. Then I type in some numbers and click something else”. When you ask them what system they are using to do it, they have no clue. They usually just say “the icon on my desktop”. I restrain my self from asking if they really went to school!

I often get calls for people that simply say. “I can’t print”. As a person who fixes things, my 1st place to look is the printer. Sound logical right? I know better! More often then not, the issue has absolutely nothing to do with printing at all. Usually it is something like a locked out password that won’t allow them to log in to the PC or a network connection is down and they cant login to the intranet to access the application they print from. They don’t step back to the actual issue. They just shoot straight to the task they were trying to do and can’t. They convey that the task they need to be doing is to be printing a report. They can’t do that task so they say. “I can’t print”. They should be saying “I can’t bring up my report” or something to that effect. We often waste plenty of time, tracking a user down in the building and having them try to explain their problem. Had I known it was a problem bringing up the report because they report application isn’t working, I would have sent the ticket to the APP SUPPORT team and they would fix it.

I always use analogies to make my point. So here is mine for this. A person calls their mechanic and says. “I can’t drive my car to work”. You wouldn’t say that if you simply lost your keys and can’t find them. You wouldn’t say that if a tree fell on your car and you can’t the car out from under. You wouldn’t say that if your spouse is blocking you in the driveway. Heck, you wouldn’t even call your mechanic in these scenarios.

Know your process enough to explain it to someone. Then take a minute to correctly explain your real problem. This will save plenty of time for the people that support you and you will get much faster results!

Your sh!t don’t stink?

When we eat pepperoni, garlic or certain other foods, our sweat kind of gives off a specific smell. I imagine that when bacteria feed on our sweat and body oils, they may give off a certain smell that is unique to each person. That same smell is given off during an person’s entire life. They smell it day in and day out for decades. I imagine a person gets used to that particular smell and learns to not even smell it unless it is extreme and over powering. What I am speculating is that we grow accustomed to all the scents that we and our bacteria give off. Other people aren’t used to it so it offends them more than ourselves if even at all. Ever notice that when you flatulate, it isn’t nearly as offensive as when someone else does and gives you a large dose of a smell you haven’t lived with your whole life. “P.U.” you say!

So if someone tries to insult you and says “you think your sh!t don’t stink”. You can say…”well, not to me!”

Over population video…

Looks like I’m not the only one who sees that we cannot continue to grow and expect to have anything left down the road. Too many people, too much growth and the stash of resources is dwindling fast! I don’t agree with the “Insist on policy” part though. I think people should simply be educated and take it upon themselves to be responsible.

1st Ride reminders

Spring is coming! For many, this will be the 1st motorcycle ride of the season. I will dispense with the poetry that often accompanies a description of such an event and simply say BE SAFE!

The excitement of getting on your bike and feeling the open road again, especially after and extra long winter this year, can blind you to all the dangers that we deal with every time we ride. There are 3 aspects of this season that warrant extra care and consideration.

1. If you have not ridden since last fall, many of the safe riding techniques and mental checklists you ran through day after day and on each ride, have long since been replaced by “Cager” mentalities. Remind yourself, BEFORE you get on your bike, as many of the things you used to look out for when riding. Are you geared up? Are your tires, inflated correctly, do your brakes work well, have you practiced some low speed maneuvers in your driveway or parking lot? Do you remember to look around you in 20 directions as you ride? Do you remember that all Cagers are on the road specifically to run you down and cut you off?

2. Cagers are on the road specifically to run you down and cut you off! I can’t emphasis this enough! Let them be idiots! Let them talk on their phones and put makeup on. Let them change lanes without looking or signaling. Let them slam on the brakes for no reason. let them be Cagers! Just ride knowing they WILL do all of these things and much more. Give yourself space, stay alert, stay calm and stay focused. You will enjoy the ride so much more not being stressed or angry at Cagers. You know how they are. So accept it, let it go and enjoy a safe ride.

3. Watch out for the seasonal riders or weekend warriors. These are riders that don’t get the chance to ride often or are simply “Dealership Dashers”. They are consumed by the 1st spring ride of the season and will NOT be focusing on a safe ride. More likely they will be focused on the new chrome gadgets they bolted on their bike over the winter, showing off the new branded jacket they bought or just wearing their new Village People Costume and not their normal business suit. They will be out in full force. Through the Fall and Winter there are a handful of riders on the road keeping their skills up to par. The rest forgot and will need time to remember how dangerous it is on the road and how to be a good rider. Stay clear of other riders on the road. Don’t group up with people you don’t know. Later in the summer, riders are more likely to be back in the saddle and safer to group ride with. Not only can a out of practice rider be directly unsafe to you, they can also be unsafe to Cagers and could cause accidents. I see sooooo many riders hanging in a Cager’s blind spot or tailgating! Remember Cagers cant stop as fast and they often cant even see you!

So relax, think things through BEFORE you get on your bike, relax, find your space and pace on the road and ride your ride. Stay out of “the mix” until you are back in the swing of things. Most of all Enjoy your motorcycle. You are one of the lucky ones!

“Cold” feels colder these days to me

These past few years I have been riding my motorcycle to work for most of the entire year. Usually I do about 11 months and drive my car for the 1 month or so, maybe 2, in the dead of winter when it’s just not safe. Black Ice is bad in a car let alone on a bike. It does get cold in the winter but I have been ok with it. I have ridden in temps as low as 13 degrees. This year things are not the same.

This morning I got on my bike and rode to work. It was 31 degrees outside. I knew that I have ridden in much lower temps and figured this was no big deal. WRONG! My hands froze and I was miserable! Dern! I am getting old. I totally can NOT handle the cold anymore. 40-45 is ok. 75-85 is PERFECT but 32 just sucks now! Either I need heated riding gear or I am going to be like the masses of motorbike riders and simply wait for the “riding season”.

Sucks to be normal!

Collecting vs. Using

I never understood the “collector” mentality. It seems so many people want to buy things and collect them in hopes of one day selling it for a huge profit. I have a 1977 Honda Gold Wing. I often hear people tell me “how collectable” it is and “how much it will be worth” someday. I say “who cares”? I bought the bike to RIDE it! Not to let it sit in my garage and appreciate in value. What a waste! It was made to be ridden! This is why I do not like to buy anything “limited edition”. They were made with the collectability in mind right from the get go. I have a limited edition Gibson Les Paul guitar and I hate that I can’t modify it or play it in bars full of smoke and getting it all dinged up. I feel terrible each time it gets a little scratch. I would rather sell it and buy an every day run of the mill Les Paul and play the crap out of it!

I want to ride my Gold Wing for as long as I can. When I can’t any more and there are no more parts left to repair it, THEN I have gotten my money’s worth out of it. I would rather collect the memories I created riding it 5600 miles to Nova Scotia through 2 hurricanes, than to look at it appreciate in my garage!

http://www.dbshovel.com/

D.B. Shovel has a new website.

It’s just getting started so there is only some basic content up. When I find a WYSIWYG editor that I like, I will “spruce” it up some. Until then, head on over and bookmark it so you will know when we are playing next!

http://www.dbshovel.com/

D.B. Shovel lives!

When I was a little boy around 12 years old, I was big into motorcycles. I wanted to be a motocross racer! I had no interest in music. I rarely listened to music and I certainly had no notion of playing music. One day I was riding my bike through the back woods of north jersey and I happened across a little shack. I thought it was a cool little place and had no earthly idea that someone actually lived there. I got off my bike and went inside. It found an old man hunched over in his chair with an old guitar laying on the floor at his feet. His mini "Pignose amp" was still on and there was a slight hum coming from its tiny speaker. I asked "mister, are you ok?" He replied "my time is here, sit with me a while". I did. He talked and told me stories of how he was a guitar player and then some of his stories from his adventures touring across the land. I was enthralled! His stories were magical and so tall they sounded made up. I listened intently anyway. I was enjoying myself immensely. After a couple hours, he said to me "I have no children and no family. I have no one here with me in the end but you. I want to pass on what I have learned but have no one to pass it on to. Will you take what was once given to me?" I didn’t know what he was talking about but I knew he was about to pass on. So I said "yes sir, I will!" He smiled and held my hand as he passed on.

A few months later, I could no longer fight the urge that had been growing in me since my meeting with the old man, to play guitar. I sold my motorcycle and bought an old beat up guitar and a Pignose amp. Looking back now, I don’t ever remember learning how to play. I kind of just knew. I only had to get my fingers to convey what I already understood and felt inside of me.

I have been carrying on what that man gave to me those 32 years ago, the best I can to honor him and the life of adventures he lived. I will do so until it is time for me to pass it along to someone else willing to accept.

That man’s name was "D.B. Shovel".

Gig this Saturday 2/20/10

I will be playing my guitar with my band “D.B. Shovel” this Saturday night at the Loading Zone at . 2825 Smith Springs Road Nashville TN 37217

C’Mon out and drink some beer and listen to some good music! No Cover charge!

Blondes and Pit-Bulls…

Do all people have blonde hair? No of course not. So generalizing to that extent is not very accurate. Are blonde haired people more prevalent in Norway? Probably so. even though they are not ALL blonde, the majority are. Why? Years and years of selective reproduction. This is not rocket science. People with fair skin and blonde hair were at one time considered more attractive in that region. That preference has continued for generations to the point where people are raised feeling an attraction to what they have seen their whole life and the “type” continues. Just like all Italians are not Dark haired and dark skinned but it is the preferred look so it perpetuates. This is not news and has been well studied and I believe accepted knowledge.

Take this knowledge to the dog world yet again. I have discussed this topic a bit before. Pit bulls specifically. Are all pit-bulls aggressive? Of course not! Are the majority of Pit-Bulls bred in America aggressive? That could be a more accurate statement. MOST people that breed this dog are attracted to a specific look and a specific temperament. The people that buy these dogs and perpetuate the type WANT a tough dog. This supply and demand is what perpetuates the aggressive dog trait in Pit-Bulls. There are aggressive small dogs as well but being that they are too small to inflict too much damage to people other than babies, breeders simply find it cute and just call it “tenacity”. There was a time when German Sheppards and Rottweilers were bred for aggressive traits. Does that mean they are ALL born with those traits. Of course not. Being that breeders that have successful businesses in breeding a specific breed, are the ones selling most of the dogs, they are the breeders that basically dictate the traits that become prevalent. Some breeders are credible and do their best to breed well tempered dogs. However, being that those dogs are not as desirable in society, they are the minority and their dogs are not as big a part of the breed’s perceived character.  Same as black haired Norwegians. Yes some people are attracted to black hair in Norway and they do procreate, perpetuating the type or look. However, they are few and far between in that region. So the popular blonde type or look prevails.

As far as traits go, people in NY City are more aggressive than people in say Hawaii. So saying that humans are aggressive based solely on your NY City experiences wouldn’t be very accurate. One would be naive to not see the difference. People in NY City find aggressive behavior to be accepted and probably attractive to an extent. Maybe even looked at as strong and take charge. Whereas that temperament in Hawaii would be looked on as NOT attractive. So Hawaiians perpetuate what the culture sees as acceptable and desirable. Same with people in NY City. The same goes for dog breeding. the “Pit-Bull” in North Dakota, might very well be a kind and gentle version of a dog once bred to kill relentlessly. Here in TN, the dog is still bred often for the aggressive traits that give the breed its name.

So when people that defend Pit-Bulls and say they are gentle and kind, may very well have a gentle and kind example of the breed. That’s wonderful! Love your dog! That does not mean that ALL Pit-Bulls are gentle and kind. the MAJORITY are bred to NOT be gentle and kind but rather to be aggressive and to not back down from any threat human or K9. It take many generations of responsible breeding to remove what many generations of irresponsible breeding took to instill.

OK enough of this topic!

Politics and bad parenting

The 2 parties of our country’s political system are the extremes of bad parenting. On one side we have the Democrats that are like the parents that give their children everything they want or cry for. On the other side we have the republicans who want to give nothing to their children and let a nanny raise them with no love.

Democrats are raising “children” in this country that are learning no self sufficient skills. There are so many programs and ways of dishing out money to people that people are forgetting how to take care of themselves. Look at hurricane Katrina. Look at how many people just stayed and waited for someone to come help. When help didn’t come, they did not handle things on their own, they simply bitched and cried to the media that “no one helped us”.

Republicans are no better. They want to simply let everyone fend for themselves. I believe when everyone fends for themselves, a huge divide between the extreme well to do and the extreme poor happens. When you give nothing to children, no love, no tools, no guidance, some grow to be bullies and some grow to be bullied. Some grow to have and some grow to have not. There is much less middle ground or middle class in that scenario.

I don’t know why it has to be one or the other. Still, to this day, I do not understand the need for the only 2 political parties to be such polar extremes. We need the middle ground in the political arena just as we all know the most stable and well grounded children are those that are given the tools and the love they NEED but are not spoiled with everything they WANT and too much pampering. Give your children love, support and help them self achieve and they will grow to be strong people. Give the people of our country guidance and the laws they NEED and they will grow to prosper and be self sufficient. Give children too much of material things and no love and they will grow to be abusive and self centered. Give a country no laws no guidance and you will have a society of financially rich bullies and poverty!

How the Saints won…

1st off… Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning Super Bowl 44. Great job! It looked like imminent failure during the 1st quarter but they pulled it together and won. This would be no easy task on any given Sunday. Payton Manning can win at any given moment. He has the ability to drive his team down the field to score with a speed and determination not matched by anyone in the league. They can rack up 2, 3 or even 4 touchdowns in a single quarter. So how did the Saints prevent this from happening? Was it their great defense? Was it the blitz and pressure on PM? Well they were both part of it. They did work hard and make plays. So what was it? The Saints did what the few teams that ever beat the Colts do. The kept Payton Manning and his offense on the bench! Payton cannot score if he’s not playing! The Saints took their time getting down the field keeping control of the ball. If they were to blast down the field and score quickly, the Colts would have come out and scored just as quickly and it would have been a high scoring shootout. Instead the Saints played methodical football, gaining ground a short 10 yards at a time and eating up the game clock. In the end, there just wasn’t enough time for PM to come out and play. When he did, he wasn’t warmed up as he sat on the bench cooling down for tool long! Smart football! The Saints didn’t try to beat Payton Manning and his offense by out playing them. The just didn’t let him play! Good job!

BBB useful?

At the end of 2009, I took my car to a mechanic for some work. I drove the car in and after a 1 hour test drive, the car was no longer drivable. The shop said sorry but it’s not their fault. Actually it was! The car drove in fine. I told them what the issue was and they didn’t listen. The mechanic took the vehicle out on the interstate even when I told him that the car was misfiring at interstate speeds. He tried to diagnose the problem for 1 hour. During which the catalytic converters got so hot while burning the unburned fuel caused by the misfire, that the melted and closed up. I had to have the vehicle towed. When they got it back they said it would cost me $3000 to fix! I towed the vehicle someplace else to have the converters replaced. $1700. The car still misfired. it was diagnosed in 5 minutes as being a bad coil pack. EXACTLY what it told the 1st mechanic who didn’t believe me. After replacing the Coil Pack, the car is running as it should. So I brought a running car into a mechanic, he rendered it undriveable and refused to pay me for his mistake.

I went to the Better Business Bureau and they said they cannot do a thing as I already had the vehicle repaired! They won’t even remove the A+ rating that the mechanic shop had. I said I chose them for their A+ rating and it turns out they don’t deserve it. BBB won’t do a thing.

I wonder if the BBB charges companies to list them with an A+ rating? A little more corruption going on? Probably so. Now I am filing with the Consumer Affairs dept in Nashville to see if they can do anything.

Are new computers and advanced technology really saving us time in the office?

10 years ago I was upgrading PCs in the office from 150Mhz CPUs with 16MB RAM to 400Mhz with 64MB. It was a great time. Everyone was so excited at the prospect of being more productive! Just think of how fast out spreadsheets will open!!!

Well here we are 10 years later. Dual core 3GHZ CPUs and 4GIGS of RAM. Spreadsheets still open about the same speed and people still enter the data at about the same rate. Computers simply require more power to run themselves and all the bloated interfaces we like to ooh and ah over! Although the experience has more bells and whistles, companies are not anymore productive on a user, data entry level.

One of the biggest differences I see is the overhead needed for Spyware, Virus and Malware protection. Take all those out of the equation and I really believe a person doing simple data entry, manipulation and retrieval with a Win98 PC running Office 97 could be just as productive as a user with a new system. With very few exceptions.

War/Results?

WWII lasted 4+ years and it completely changed the face of the world. Jews in Europe were free, Hitler was no longer in power, US entered into prosperity, Japan set on a path to dominate the tech and auto industries for decades to come among many other advances.

The wars in the middle east have been going on AT LEAST since 1990 when we have Desert Storm through to 2010. 20 Years and NOTHING has changed. We have more terrorists than we did before. The world is no closer to stability in the middle east and oil has been at historic heights. These middle east wars have been going on and in the news since I was a boy.

So for Trillions of dollars and thousands of lives lost or ruined over the course of 20 years or more, the world is not a better place!

Steve Jobs didn’t hang the moon!

Contrary to over zealous advocate would have you believe, Steve Jobs from Apple didn’t hang the moon. He didn’t invent the computer or the portable MP3 player or the tablet computer or even the mouse as many would believe. Steve Jobs is a master salesman. He has a fantastic ability to tell people what they need and want. Then offer the exact thing for them to purchase. Apple takes technology that many other companies have developed and puts them all into one tidy little package. Apple took the MP3 player and turned it into the iPod and it exploded! Apple does have powerful computers but they run on technology that others have too. Intel Processors, Seagate Hard drives, BSD operating system etc. Apple does make great products and I won’t dispute that. Top of the line stuff in fact. I just get peeved when people act like lemmings and regurgitate misinformation believing that Apple invented everything and companies like Microsoft are useless.

On the contrary. Microsoft has done more for the world of technology than anyone cares to believe. “Windows”, whether they be on a PC or a Mac was in use or development as far back as 1975 by Xerox. Apple was “influenced” heavily by Zerox’s PARC interface when developing their “LISA” platform. Apple also saw the “mouse” while at a visit to Xerox. Microsoft had Windows 1.0 in 1981. 3 years prior to Apple Macintosh. Microsoft gave the world the OFFICE suite and “Windows” and made it all work on anyone’s PC. This allowed the world to compute on most any budget.

I guess my point is that no single technology company is king! They all work together whether willingly or deceptively to create new products that we HAVE to have. Buy what you want to afford and what suits your fancy but stop the BETTER than talk! PLEASE!

Key West!

My family and friends motorcycle riding group has been going on annual group rides since 2006. This year will be our 5th. We do smaller rides through out the year but the annual ride is an entire week or 2 long and covers thousands of miles. Our group started out with about 10 and grew to 18 members but only 3 or 4 of us have been able to go on the past few rides.

This year we are all heading to Key West! Going to ride to the bottom of the USA! Southern most point. We are excited this year because some of the family members that had not been able to join in over the past few years are planning to join in!

New bed!!!

We finally bit the bullet and purchased a new bed! They are very expensive but it is very much worth it. After all we spend 1/3rd of our lives in bed. We spend $30k on a car that sits in the driveway and parking lot most of the time and shutter at the thought of spending $2200 on a mattress! Well we got past the shuttering and bought a new King Size Sterns & Foster bed. Amazing comfort. This is my 2nd Sterns & Foster bed but my 1st King size. So nice to be able to roll all around! Weeee!

Endurance

I was just gifted a book: “Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage”. The story is about a man who in 1914 set out to travel across Antarctica in a ship. The plan was sound, the crew wisely chosen and the equipment in order. What followed was the most unbelievable sequence of misfortunes that tested man so far beyond comprehension that even after completing the book, I am still not sure I fully “get” how bad they had it.

With in the 1st month at sea, the ship “Endurance” was blocked in by 3 separate ice “pressures”. The were forced to wait out the entire winter on the ship going nowhere. Eventually the ice would destroy the ship leaving all the men, the 60+ dogs and all of their supplies living on a large ice flow.

For the next year they floated through the Weddell Sea living in sub zero cold with limited food and no shelter other than tents and sleeping bags that were perpetually soaked and torn. The men literally sleep on the ice and often in puddles of cold water as their body heat would melt the ice. Eventually the ice flow broke and they had to move another ice flow that eventually was down to the size of 50 yards small.

They killed Sea Tigers, Seals and Penguins with planks of wood for food and used the blubber as fire fuel for cooking.

There were so very many trials that I can not begin to explain them all. Suffice it to say that they went through ordeals that an average man would have rather died than endure.

They drifted and drifted, month after month watching two Christmas’ pass. Eventually they had to get on 3 life boats and make haste for a small uninhabited island. Elephant Island. No one would pass by and rescue them as this island was a mere rock too small for any use. The crew set up camp there and the Captain, Shackleton and 3 men set out on a 1000 mile journey to civilization in a 22 foot wooden rowboat with a make shift sail.

The men on Elephant Island, suffered, frost bite, gangrene, insanity, hunger, and infection. All 22 men lived underneath two row boats covered in torn tents and placed on top of gather rocks to stay off the wet ground. They stayed in this for MONTHS on end. All the while Shackleton and his crew navigated the 1000+ mile trek using a sexton and a broken compass and made it through torrential down pours of rain, ice, 100 mile per hour winds and sub zero temperatures.

When they made landfall at South Georgia, where they had departed from so long ago, they still had to trek their weary broken bodies over the mountain pass of deep snow and freezing temps. when they finally made it to civilization, men literally wept upon seeing the once strong proud man who was now a filthy feeble aged man. The world thought them long dead.

It took an additional 3 months and 2 failed attempts to make it back to Elephant island to rescue the remaining crew. When the ice finally broke and a clear path was available, the rescue was made. All crew members survived!

I cannot begin to tell all of the parts of this story as there are simply too many parts of it. This story is a powerful one that shows the courage, perseverance and ability of man to survive. I am profoundly impressed and at the same time anguished at the thought of the pain these men had to endure!

 

Leaving the crew behind on Elephant Island

    

Global Warming vs. Pollution

Global Warming is “hot” topic. (PUN intended). There are many organizations, agencies, scientists, universities and committees that are studying this issue with the utmost scrutiny and attention. Yet so far no one can be completely sure. So pushing clean air and green house gas emission regulations is not moving along as fast as some would like. It would seem that 1/2 of people believe in Global Warming and 1/2 do not. So how do you work towards cleaner air and environment? You drop the focus on Global Warming and simply focus on Pollution in general.

1 simple point that I would like to make, that could get things rolling along faster, is that a MERE 100 years ago, you could quite literally walk up to almost any body of water in our country and scoop a handful to drink! Now an unbelievable percentage of the “fresh” water in our country is NOT DRINKABLE! WHAT? You can’t drink the water? I’m not talking about a pond where cows poop and bath. I am talking about the rivers and lakes that criss cross our country. The water is so bad that in MANY rivers and lakes such as the Colorado River in Austin TX and the Chattahoochee in Atlanta are posted that you cannot even eat the FISH you catch from those waters! The lakes in Nashville and MANY other cities are so polluted from boat engines and exhaust that there is literally a “film” that floats on top of the water and adheres to your body when you swim. It is disgusting! The mere fact that bottled water has become and billion dollar industry, when at one time, talk of that possibility was a joke, should indicate to someone that we need to make change!

Personally, I don’t think some people really want to clean things up. I think there is too much money to be made in bottled water, crude oil and such.

Dew & the mysterious “Cob”

2 months ago, my dog swallowed a corn cob whole. He didn’t bother to chew it. He simply “inhaled” it! we were very scared. We know it would be possible that he could not pass the cob as they are indigestible. There could have been many complications possibly requiring surgery. We watched him closely for 4 days and the Vet said he would be out of the woods by then.

He got sick yesterday and threw up the old corn cob that had apparently been sitting in his stomach for 2 months! OMG the poor little boy! I don’t know how that could have happened! Amazing!

Solid State Amps

A little tid bit about amps.

We all love tube amps and we know how many great tube tones have been recorded through the years. What we don’t know is how many famous recordings and tours were done with Solid State Amps. Of course Lynyrd Skynyrd comes to mind with their Solid State Pre/Tube Power Peavey Mace Amps but they were hybrids and we all know that the "TUBE" sound comes from tube power amps and not tube preamps! IMO my favorite sounds come from a SS Preamp pushing the crap out of a TUBE Power Amp. I am looking for a Peavey Artist from back in the day to do just that!

Any who….Here is a quick list of famous people who used SS amp on some album or tour or another. You will be surprised by this list. Also note that anyone who you ever saw playing a Vox Super Beatle amp was using a SS rig. All VOX Super Beatle amps were SS.

Ty Tabor Lab Series L5

Albert King Acoustic 260

BB King Lab Series L5

Allan Holdsworth Pearce SS

Doyle Bramall II Yamaha DG

Vernon Reid Crate SS

John Fogerty Kustom SS

Tom Scholz

George Benson

Tony McAlpine

Andy Summers Roland JC120

Alex Lifeson Roland JC120

Zakk Wylde Roland JC120

Ronnie Montrose

Pat Methany

Jeff Beck Rickenbacker Transonic

Ron Wood Rickenbacker Transonic

Keith Richards Vox Super Beatle

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin I & II) Vox Super Beatle, and Rickenbacker Transonic

Randy Bachman

Adrian Belew

Robert Fripp

Frank Gambale

Neal Schon Lab Series

Carlos Santana Woodstock era

Frank Marino

Les Paul Trademark 60

Randy Rhodes (Qiet Riot) Peavey SS

Billy Duffy (early Cult) Roland JC120

Chet Aktins

Tom Petty Vox Super Beatle

Mike Campbell Vox Super Beatle

Robbie Krieger Acoustic 261

Brad Nowell (Sublime) Roland JC120

Joe Strummer (Clash) Roland JC120

Robert Randolph Line 6

Steve Winwood Cyber Twin

David Gilmour Galien Kruger

Mark Knopfler Roland JC120

Stevie Ray Vaughan Roland JC120

Kurt Cobain Crest Power Amps (Mesa Boogie Tube Pres)

Joe Walsh Line 6

Aerosmith Musicman Amps

Billy Gibbons (Afterburner) Gallien-Krueger ML250

Billy Gibbons (many years) Marshall Valvestate Poweramps

Richy Sambora (slipery wet) Gallien-Krueger ML250

George Lynch Randall SS

Dimebag Darell Randall SS

Fun Stuff!!!

I have lost some respect for Peavey

I have been a longtime fan of Peavey Guitar Amplifiers. Since I 1st saw Lynyrd Skynyrd’s all white backline of Peavey Mace amplifiers on the stage at the Fox theater back in 76, I knew I wanted that look. When I heard all those incredible tones on Skynyrd’s “One more from the road” album, I knew I wanted that sound. I have owned quite a few in my day. I have used many Marshalls and Fenders and love them all but I always come back to Peavey.

Currently, I am in the market for a new amp. I need something that is low power but still sounds good. Most of the shows we play these days do not require the big amps of my youth. Actually we NEVER needed those big amps. I guess it was just the testosterone influence. Maybe it was simply a kid wanting to play the same gear his hero’s were playing. Anyway, these days, my back and the club owners are more influential in my amp purchase decisions.

At 1st I looked around for an old classic Peavey amp to buy on eBay nice and cheap. I soon remembered that Peavey did not make small low powered tube amps back in the day. Everything was 120 WATTS of SKULL CRUSHING POWER!! LOL! I really only need about 15-20 watts to play 100% of the venues I play. We have a PA system that can make up any difference the amp cant do. So I decided to see what Peavey has NOW as new amps. Then I saw it! The Windsor Studio!

The Peavey Windsor Studio is the answer to my dreams of an amp. It is a small 1×12” speaker design with a mere 20 watts and a control that will allow the amp to run full power to get the desired tube overdrive yet still turn down the output so no one complains! This is not a new concept but it is not something Peavey was know to implement in their designs. This in conjunction with the amps ability to run any one of 7 or 8 different tube types, would make for a incredibly versatile amp. one that I should easily be able to get the sound I want. All this in a lightweight, inexpensive amp! WOW! This is perfect!

What? MADE IN CHINA! Son of a bitch!

Peavey has proudly made products in the USA since Hartley Peavey started making them in his garage back in the late 50’s! I am so bummed!

On the road again…Finally!

After 7 weeks of having my vehicle in the shop for an engine replacement, a few misdiagnoses, waiting for parts to be shipped, towing between shops and Catalytic Converter replacement and LOTS of money spent, I finally have the SUV back on the road! It was stressful and trying at times but Amanda and I kept each other thinking positively. This morning was very cold and very wet and I smiled as I turned up the heat and remembered how I would have felt had I still been riding my motorcycle instead!

I still have a long list of little things need fixing though. It needs brake pads, rotors, ball joints, new tires soon, adjust headlights, new floor mats and a full set of Coil Packs for the ignition system but at least I am driving it!

3rd Party Cookies

No I’m not referring to cookies you eat at a 3 year kid’s birthday party. I am referring to Internet Browser Cookies. Those are small files that websites sent to your computer to allow them to remember things. This is handy when you are shopping and you have a “basket” and you want to keep what is in your basket while you continue shopping. Or when you fill out a form and go to the next page and all of your data from the page before is still available when you click the BACK button. Cookies can be helpful. The bad news is that many people will push cookies on your computer that are not good. Cookies that track your web surfing and you ads. I don’t actually know the technical end of all this but I know that those “tracking” cookies can’t be good.

3rd party cookies do NOT originate at the website you went to. They come from someone else. Like when you go to a website that you really want to go to like website.com, there are often advertisements on that site. Those ads push cookies to your computer that STAY! Even though you went to website.com, you may get cookies from click.com of webtrack.com or a million other tracking advertising companies.

You want to be amazed? Go into your Internet Browser settings and find the cookies settings. Tell your browser to “prompt” when receiving 3rd party cookies. Now surf the net like normal. You will; be bombarded with prompts to allow or block cookies from tons of 3rd party people trying to get cookies on your PC. My list of blocked 3rd party cookies now has hundreds of entries and I only turned it on days ago. Sneaky bastards!!

This is what you will see when surfing. A ton of these!

Elevator embarassment

Have you ever stepped on an elevator and realized, after the door closed, that it smelled bad in there. Like someone had recently farted or hadn’t bathed in a month. The embarassment happens when you get off the elevator and gasp for fresh air and there are a group of people waiting to get on. What can you say? “It wasn’t me!” No one will believe anything you say!

“Editing” is where the magic happens

In the movies, much credit must be given to the actor who is portraying the character. There is also credit for a director with the vision and skill to convey that vision and their ability to get everyone involved to be on the same page with that vision. There are countless people that have a huge part in making a movie come across great. Audio, Sound FX (Foley), CGI (computer generated graphics), costume design, set design, lighting, etc. Each person, or team of people, supplies a part of the production. One person or team does one process that brings all the individual components together. The Editor!

Think of this simple comparison. When you go on vacation, you take hundreds of pictures. If you simply made a slide show of those pictures, you would surely never keep anyone awake long enough to watch the whole thing. No one wants to see all the bad shots, the 12 shots in a row of the same thing, the pictures where the subject of the photo is a mile away and you can’t even see their face. To make this collection of photos enjoyable for anyone to see, you must delete or at least disregard all the not perfect or redundant shots and pare it down to a concise, coherent collections of images that are in time correct sequence. 30 key pictures shown with an appropriate song in the back will garner many accolades whereas the 300 picture collection instigates nothing more then yawns and snores.

This same concept is true with movies. If you had to see a scene that was 20 minutes long and consisting of long drawn out silence or duplicate takes of the same dialog, you would not be entertained. If the music for the scene was louder than the voices, you would be frustrated in trying to hear the actors. If you saw the man behind the door before he jumped out to scare the victim, you would not be scared or surprised. These and many components of a film that are captured, must be trimmed to the right length, placed in the correct order and balanced. When you feel a movie has gone by fast and it was 2 hours long, it is because the editing team kept the movie flowing. How many times have you ever said, “OK, let’s get to the next part!” or “man this movie is dragging on!”? Both are a result of how the movie was edited. No matter how great an actor or story is, neither will matter much if the editing wasn’t done just right! That is where the true movie magic really is!

Disease Criteria

I imagine this may offend MANY people. We really need to separate diseases from conditions. I personally believe a “disease” should be defined simply by a single criteria. Using this criteria as a litmus test, we would easily re-classify many “conditions” that are currently labeled diseases.

Is the disease present when you are unconscious?

1. When you are sleeping, CANCER is still killing you.
2. When you are sleeping, DIABETES still affects you.
3. When you are sleeping, AIDS is still killing you.
4. When you are sleeping, you are not overeating.
5. When you are sleeping, you are not drinking too much.
6. When you are sleeping, you are not gambling.

NOTE: Dreaming of drinking or gambling etc doesn’t count IMO.

Time now or time later?

It seems that no one these days has the time (or inkling) to do anything correctly the 1st time. People are in such a hurry to get a job or a service done that they don’t care how shabby their work is. They just hope no one notices or has the gumption to contest or complain about it. Then the can simply move on to the next sap. What I don’t get is how so many people struggle to cut a job time by rushing and doing a crappy work and not taking into consideration the amount of time it takes to do it right the second time! There have been COUNTLESS times these past years that I have literally had to send something back because it was the wrong part or damaged, or call to have something corrected or drive all the way back to a store for something that was done incorrectly in a hurry.   I think people really think, “man if i can do 20 of these jobs in one day, I’ll really be making some money!” They forget to add the time they aren’t getting paid a cent for the redo! We are a society of band-aids and quick fixes! We don’t care to really fix things or cure them. Just keep the problems coming in for more cash income!

Can’ go wrong

Can’t go wrong making supper with these ingredients!

e-Mugging

Back in the day, you did not want to carry cash in fear of being mugged. Someone could simply snatch and grab or worse yet beat you and take your money. Back then you had a choice. You could fight, you could shoot them or you could give up the hard earned cash.

Along came credit cards and debit cards. They were supposed to free us up from having to carry the vulnerable cash around with us. All was fine in this new generation until the weasels changed. They changed from bold criminals willing to confront people for their purse into cowards that sit behind their computer screen and steal your identity. They capture credit card numbers and make online purchases. You can’t shoot them if you can’t see them! No you have no choice but to get e-Mugged!

Restaurants are prime locations for this fraud. A waiter will take your card to pay for dinner and then simply write down the number, the security code on the back and the phone number of the issuing bank. This is enough for them to make tons of purchases online. This has happened to me, this week. This is the 2nd time in about 1 year. I talked to Bank of America and they said there is nothing I can do. Just check my online banking for transactions as often as possible.

Criminals are also “skimming” debit card numbers from swiping devices and using cameras to record your PIN number. This recently happened right at a Bank of America ATM. AT THE BANK! When someone uses your PIN to get cash, you cannot get it back. It is not protected by VISA. Only the transactions run as credit are.

When a criminal does get your number and buys stuff, you can stop the fraudulent purchases from being charged to your account but the vendors already shipped out the product so the vendors get screwed. This raises the prices of everything! There is no safe way anymore. Seems you have to go to the bank teller and withdraw just the amount of money you need for the day.

I am now running my debit card as credit which is then deducted right from my checking and is protected by Visa. Also a good tip it to not leave large amounts in your checking. Keep it in savings and transfer if you need to. Also don’t use the feature that auto transfers fund from savings if not enough in checking to cover transaction.

ARGGG!

Letter to CMA

To whom it may concern,

I have nothing against Taylor Swift at all! She is a charming young girl that appeals to many young girls in a the pop music genre. I believe, as well as apparently many other people do, that the methods and criteria you use to conclude who wins the annual CMA awards is flawed. I will focus on the awarding of Female Vocalist of the year, Entertainer of the year, Album of the year and Music Video of the year.

Female Vocalist of the year? Are you really saying that she is the best female singer in country music this year? Really? Better than Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride and Kristin Bush? Is she really better or did she just sell more records? Is your criteria talent, quality and performance or simply popularity? Shouldn’t Taylor swifts award, if any, be called “Most Popular”?

Entertainer of the year? Has anyone actually seen her perform? She is an awkward teenager with nothing that puts her in league with the GREATS! She is not an entertainer merely a popular celebrity.

Music Video of the year? Shouldn’t that award go to the director who made the video and not the artist in the video? Doesn’t the Oscar for best film of the year go to the director or producer, not the star of the film?

Album of the year? Was it the best album or just the best selling? Best selling is not an indication of quality or talent. It is merely a reflection of popularity. If your criteria is sales and not content, then yes she deserves this award.

Being that Taylor Swift is not really a country music artist, she is a pop artist that sometimes wears cowgirl boots, her fan base is much larger than a pure country artist would be. With that said, she should not even be nominated in a Country music award show but being that she was, she should get a “Crossover Artist” award at best.

I do not know anyone that believes the awards are given to people that deserve them but rather to those that are popular. In the case of Carrie Underwood, she was popular and extremely skilled at her craft. Her popularity last couple years kept her at the awards podium. now that her popularity has waned a bit she is not winning as many awards. She sings and performs at the same high level. much higher than Taylor Swift. This just shows where the focus of your award show is. Popularity and not actual talent. At least be honest about it and qualify each award by adding “Most popular…..of the year”!

Congressional Term Limits (revisited)…

A poll done by the US Term Limits Foundation shows that 83 percent of Americans support the idea of term limits for Congress. Unfortunately we, as a nation repeatedly shoot ourselves in the foot by voting into office, time and time again, the very same people we want to limit. No politician will ever create a bill or vote themselves out of a job. Especially such a lucrative job!

Term limits would eliminate Career Politicians with long term ties to special interest groups and lobbyists. Decision making would be sped up as politicians try to accomplish things during their limited term and not keep things dragging on for years.Brings a never-ending supply of fresh, relevant ideas. Most of all this could help restore confidence in our government by the people.

Why is all “good”, “bad”?

This topic is pulling my thoughts into many directions. Not only towards discussions of why but also towards debating “Intelligent Design”, “Creationism”, God/Satan, etc. I got to thinking about how almost everything we humans do that we really enjoy and that is easy (keep those 2 criteria tied together for the sake of this conversation) is bad for us. Eating delicious fatty foods, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes and weed, mood altering drugs etc. Is it mere coincidence that not one single “vice” is healthy or good for you and most often a detriment to your health? Why isn’t smoking a great way to be healthy? Why is eating until you are content a good thing? It is fuel for the body after all. Why isn’t lounging on the sofa day in and day out good for your body? Why doesn’t the more rest you get turn into a stronger, leaner, healthier body? Why does working hard and micro tearing muscle tissue, make you stronger? Why is it that things that are good for you like eating right and exercising are actually chores that you have to work hard at doing? You would think that over time humans that have survived the longest would have a strong taste for healthy foods. The ones with the taste for unhealthy foods would die off and the fittest would survive. The healthy eating specimens would procreate and continue on. Doesn’t seem to be the case now does it?

I direct this conversation to humans because as I see it, in nature, all animals do what they want and eat what they want with no negative effects. Lions can sleep all day and only wake long enough to devour a side of raw meat and live a long full life doing so. What no issue with Cholesterol or Atherosclerosis? How’d they get so lucky? Can dogs eat just about anything and be fine with it? Yep! It seems to me that in nature, anything goes with the exception of the case for humans! Does this mean that over billions of years, everything on the planet evolved to the masterpieces of science they are and somehow only humans, the very top of the food chain, got jacked up? That really doesn’t make much sense now does it?

This points my thoughts to a 3rd party influence. It may be God with a plan to make us “earn” everything, Satan trying to temp us with evil or maybe an intelligent designer with a bad sense of humor. I dunno but it sure seems more than mere coincidence and it surely sucks for us Humans! Because happiness to me would be lounging on the sofa with a keg of beer and a pile of ribs! ALL THE TIME!!!

Chess is my new “Frag” high!

For many years I played online 1st person shooters. I was very good at it and for a while, quite literally, no one could beat me at my chosen games. It was a rush to win and to win big! I am older now and no longer play 1st person shooter games. I would get slaughtered these days as bad as I slaughtered others in the past. These days I am getting more out of strategy as opposed to instinctive “twitch” killing. My new game of choice is Chess. Windows 7 has a really nice version. I just recently learned how to play and I am still only playing against the novice levels of the AI. The part I really like is that I get the same fist-pumping juice when I win in Chess as I did playing the blood and guts games online. I find my self yelling out “YEAH!” as I checkmate the opponent. I have even caught myself flipping the “bird” at the screen as I say to myself in victory “TAKE THAT”! I still have along way to go to be even remotely good at the game but beating the “newb” level of the AI still gives me a “Frag High”!

Boundry mic technique

I have been recording drums for quite a few years and during all those years I basically stuck to using 3 mics to capture the sound. The premise, as I see it, is that you only have 2 ears so 2 mics in stereo should be able to reproduce what you hear in real life. So if it sounds good in person, it should sound good with 2 mics. The 3rd mic comes into play to help with the “boom” you “feel” when you listen to music. You dont necessarily get that in through your ears. You can feel it in your whole body. That is hard to capture with just the 2 mics reproducing what you hear. I use the 3rd mic for the kick drum on the drum set. This captures the boom and also helps me match levels with a bass player or bass recording that was most likely done at a different time from when the drums were recorded.

Recording with 2 mics dows have its drawbacks. You get a broad sound with no focus on a particular part of the drums set which means when you want to bump a part up in the mix you can. You have to rely on the drummer to play his parts knowing that HE will have to be the one “mixing” as he plays. Need the toms to stand out during a fill? Gotta hit them a bit harder. You think the cymbal crashes are too loud? The drummer needs to alter his playing to make it work. Actually this is a good thing as the drummer should know how to do that for live performances anyway!

One of the other major drawbacks and the main focus of this blog post, is the room. Unless you have a professionally designed room, you will have to deal with the less than perfect artifacts that a room can create when recording drums. When you make a sound in a room, the room reacts and duplicate that sound. Sometimes it’s a pleasant sound. Mostly, in home studios it’s crap! That’s why we put up room dividers & wall treatments to help diffuse that sound. 1st preference would be a great sounding room. 2nd preference would be NO room sound at all so we could add digital room emulation after we track the sound. In my home studio i have been keeping the mics as close to the drums as i can so that the sound of the drums is much louder than the subsequent sound of the room that is echoed 5-10 ms later. That “room” sound is always there. Being that my room is simply a bedroom, it sounds bad. That has been my challenge for years. If I move the mics too close to the drums, I lose the natural sound of the drums. It can sound like one drum is only in your left ear and some are only in your right ear. The best sound of a drums set is one that is balanced naturally and sounds just like it would if you were a few feet in from of it, hearing all drums and cymbals in a nice blend. To do that you need the mics placed away from the drums. Hence the dilemma. The room then comes into play again! Let me try to make this clearer. Your brain can hear very very short differences in time delay. Sometimes its only perceptible but you can still hear it. So the closer you put the mics to the drums, the further they are from the wall. That increases the time it takes the sound to travel from the drum, to the wall and back to the microphone. It may be only 10 ms but you CAN hear that in the mix. You can literally hear the “room”. Did you ever hear a song that you thought sounded like it was recorded in a small room or a garage? That’s the mics picking up the sounds bouncing off the walls.

Enter the boundaries! I got to thinking that if I really like the sound of the drums but don’t like the room and I cant eliminate the room, the only thing left is to make the delay between the drum hit sound hitting the mic  and the delay sound coming off the walls as short as possible so that we can even perceive it! I thought, “what if I put the mic up against the wall so there is quite literally almost no delay at all?” The sound recorded would only be the drums! I took a pair of mics and pointed them directly at the was about 1/2” away from the wall. WOW!! NO delay! Sweet! I can record in a crappy sounding room and  hear far less of the room! Yeah! There is still sound coming from the opposite wall but I am trying a few things for that. I found that people make microphones that suit this technique perfectly. They are call boundary mics and are used on ceilings, floors and walls. I am searching for a pair now!

Sarah Palin in 2012? Really?

Sarah Palin is with out any rational argument, NOT qualified to be President of the United States. She has done nothing in her career worth mentioning to further Alaska nor the country. She has ZERO international experience. She does not have a remote grasp of hierarchy of our political structure and she cannot, by any stretch of anyone’s imagination, make a valid speech and/or carry on an intelligent conversation.

What she has is good looks and a strong desire to make this a better country closer to HER values. That is admirable but no different than 90% of the people that live and work in this country. I do not want her making decisions for our country no more than I want a high school cheerleader as President!

The amazing part about her “fame” is that she makes mistake after mistake after mistake and yet she still has a core group of people that feel she will be the best Republican candidate for President in 2012. How? How do we find so many people that have no clue to blindly follow people? George Bush 2 terms in office? REALLY? Sarah Palin ran for VP? WHAT? Now she is a possible candidate for PRESIDENT? WTF??? Why don’t we just put Taylor Swift or one of the girls from Dancing with the Stars? Better yet how about Reese Witherspoon for that matter? She has GOT to be smarter than Sarah Palin!

What is wrong with our country when we elect people based on how cool they are or how they look or what they did on TV the month prior to election? Sarah Palin’s name should not be mentioned in the same sentence and “President of the United States”! EVER!

Show at the ZONE!

Our show at the Loading Zone in Nashville was a hoot! Family and friends came from all over! Even as far as FLORIDA!! We ate, we drank, we danced, we jammed! Thanks to everyone who came out and to Jody and Brandon from the Loading Zone for a wonderful evening full of great memories!

   

REMINDER: Gig on the 24th!!!

2825 Smith Springs Road Nashville TN 37217

Horror movies have changed

Remember when a horror movie was completely unrealistic but still terrifying? Like a guy living in a lake and killing people or zombies trying to eat your brains, a crazy man with knives for fingers invading your dreams, Dracula, Frankenstein or the Werewolf! Then there were the movies like The Omen and The Exorcist that played on the supernatural. All those movies scared the pants off of millions of people!

These days horror movies seem to have crossed the line IMO. They are no longer movies that could not be real but rather exploitations of ideas and concepts that we have to fight in real life every day. Like the “SAW” series for instance. That series did nothing more than to give too many people too many ideas of what they could do in real life. We have enough psychos in our world with twisted ideas of their own. We shouldn’t be feeding them more ideas. And heaven forbid we tempt someone who didn’t know they wanted to do bad things until they saw these movies!

I also feel that TV shows, especially all the police shows give way too many ideas to criminals. There was a time when a drug bust was a good enough crime for TV. Now every show has to be about a brutal murder and all the details given for people to “learn” from.

I am all for scaring people. Even grotesque has a place in entertainment. However, I think people should stop blurring the line between fantasy entertainment and “way too close to reality”. This is my opinion!

Gig on Oct 24th in Nashville

My band “D.B. Shovel” is playing at the Loading Zone in Nashville on Oct 24th. We play from 9pm until they kick us out!
C’Mon down and drink a few beers with me!

2825 Smith Springs road Nashville TN 37217

China/America… Economies inter-dependant?

Everyone seems to finally realize that we are not in a good spot with regards to China and the lack of import/export balance with the USA. The numbers are eye opening! Do a Google search for China Trade Deficit and read the news. It is scary. Not only is the deficit highly imbalanced, it is actually still growing in China’s favor! In July of 2009 the balance favored China by 20 Billion Dollars. That means we bought $20,000,000 more goods from them than they bought from us! Here is the killer. With all of the jobs being lost in the USA and the economy floundering in pain, the deficit rose this month to a staggering $32,000,000!!! That is a 32 BILLION DOLLAR imbalance!

Many people say that if China’s economy falls, so does ours. We owe them somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 BILLION DOLLARS in loans. Here is my simple solution. PAY THEM BACK!!! How about we start charging IRAQ and AFGHANASTAN for our military services? How about we send them a bill for the past years of this “WAR”? How about that bill being around, oh, I’d say 800 BILLION might be fair! If not how about SOMETHING! For the balance, we could divide it amongst the American people. I think we would accept spending billions on freeing our chains to China and bringing millions of jobs back home much easier than they would willing spend that on health reform that no one is really sure will work. If we pay off China, we could immediately cease all importing and exporting. All those things we import, we can build here in the USA and give our citizens some jobs! SNAP! With one signing of a pen, we could eliminate the trade deficit and slow to a crawl the growth of dangerous China as a world super power.

Let the USA thrive again and not be dependant on ANYONE but ourselves. If anyone wants to do business with us, we need to make it on our terms and in such a way that it benefits US more than anyone else.

TN Rains…ALOT!!

When most people thing of “rainy” cities, they immediately think of Seattle WA. It’s not widely know that Nashville Tennessee gets more rain! Seattle gets an average of 37 inches and 138 days of rain per year. Nashville already has 39” and 112 day of rain with 3 1/2 months to go left in the year! Nashville averages 48 inches every year!

Believe me when I say I am sick of the rain! 

 

Sources:

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KBNA/2009/1/1/CustomHistory.html?dayend=22&monthend=9&yearend=2009&req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle

Used cars

Too bad the CASH FOR CLUNKERS program took many, many good cars off the road and trashed them. Now that I am in the market to buy a used car myself, I wonder how many of those “clunkers” which were in fact perfectly good running vehicles, would have been good for me. I saw a gorgeous Volvo Wagon, at a dealer with CLUNKER spray painted all over it. I was pissed! Our tax money made it possible for someone to be so enticed to buy a new car that they trashed a perfectly good used car that was probably worth $3500-$4000. So for an extra $500-$1000 of our tax money as a gift, someone is out a decent Volvo.

I do not want to spend the outrageous prices being asked for a new cars and I do not want a POS. I just want a decent car at a decent price with moderate mileage on it. Seems quite impossible to find. Seems that the price of used cars has gone through the roof for what you can get. I think people are realizing that buying a used car is wiser than buying new. Sellers who know this are adjusting the price of their used vehicles. $3000 buys you CRAP these days it seems. Cars with dents, rust, 100,000+ miles or worse, all 3. To buy a used car with low mileage in good shape with a warranty, you are approaching the price of what a new car “should” cost. Also it is very hard to find a vehicle with good MPG. Yes there are some used Honda Civics, but people are asking premium prices. Even for ones with 100k miles on them.

I hate that we need to have a car. I am fine with simply riding my motorcycle almost all of the time. However, there are many times when it is just not practical. So we are forced to have 2 vehicles. We are bent over a barrel! We can’t even fix the motor in Amanda’s SUV for less than the vehicle is worth in the first place. Such a waste of a nice vehicle. Maybe I should buy a motor lift and rebuild it myself. Either way I am dreading this whole car thing.

Spoiled Rotten

Serena Williams’ behavior was unacceptable and she should be banned from pro tennis for at least a year. For her outburst on the court  and violent threats to a line judge during the US Open Semi Finals should not be tolerated. The $10,500 fine they imposed on her does little more than a slap on the wrist in private. That kind of of money is not a punishment to someone with her income. The Tennis Association made no statement with this puny fine showing that this sort of behavior is unacceptable. I wonder if Serena Williams makes them too much money for them to risk losing by actually having a spine and some values!

Kanye West? I have heard him sing one song and it was weak. However, I have heard more about his mouth and attitude than about his music. People should stop buying his music. People should stop supporting him and giving the message that what he does is ok.

Seems to me that when you take a thug punk kid and give him millions of dollars along with fame. They become nothing more than rich punk kids with no values. Michael Vick? Terrell Owens? Pacman Jones? They do nothing for the image of their sports!

White walls

I added wide white walls to my road king!

Plumber greed

With so many people out of work, you would think that people would do whatever they could to get income when offered. Not so with Plumbers apparently. I called this weekend to find someone to install my hot water heater. I was amazed at the outrageous prices I was quoted. one guy started at $1500 to install a water heater that he would bring with him. WHAT??? They only cost about $400. When he quoted me the equally outrageous “installation only” price of $350-$500, I had to call him on the fact that he was obviously marking the water heater price up from $400 to $1100. So He wanted to make about $700 profit on the parts on top of his already bloated installation fee. So instead of being reasonable and getting some work, he ended up with no money from me. Maybe no income at all for that day. Which means les money for his family and for any employees he has. This would be like a hot dog vendor asking $100 for a single hotdog. When no one buys one at $100 he goes with no profit.

I ended up buying a hot water heater at a great discount, picking it up myself and installing it myself. After getting the necessary parts from Home Depot, the actual install didn’t take more than 20 minutes of work. Amanda and I connected the gas line with a new line and soldered the new adaptors to the 2 water lines. This was not $350 worth of work. It’s not like you have to go to school and get a degree to install a water heater. I would have paid $75 for one hour of time for a pro but everything beyond that is pure greed!!!

What can we really do?

Let’s really face it. Our government is corrupt. More corrupt than you can ever imagine. I believe that it is every single politician at the Congressional level. Maybe they aren’t all corrupt in taking money but they are all corrupt in that they play games with our tax money in order to get Bills passed. Bills that help them be in favor with someone. The sad part is that some politicians go in with the best of intentions. I believe that if they don’t play the game the way it’s played, they get nothing done and do not keep their seat in Government. So they “play ball”. Trading votes, voting for or not voting for something for the sole reason of weakening or strengthening popularity or power for someone who in return can help you when you want to get something done. Also the sneaking in of crap into Bills! What the hell does the study of some endangered squirrel have to do with health care reform? NOTHING! Yet they sneak this and other crap in as “provisions”.

I often suggest that we cannot rid ourselves of corruption without changing all incumbents in Congress. The only way to force that would be to start term limits on serving in Congress. this will not happen because we need congress to basically pass a bill that would fire themselves. In all our checks and balances written into our Constitution, I don’t think there is a check and balance in place for controlling Congress. I don’t think the President can even do anything about it. They are in control and will remain in control. Spending our money wastefully, forcing their beliefs on us and laughing all the way to the bank. Supposedly, “we” are the people that put them there and “we” can take them out. Unfortunately most people are simply blind to what goes on. They all blame Congress but come election time, they vote their party line and continue the same old corruption. No one is supporting candidates that are independents or 3rd party. They just don’t have the money and subsequent media presence to make a meaningful impression.

I think we will have to sit back and watch our country fall apart and then rebuild from the rubble a better country with a Constitution without so many gaps. I hope that when we do fall apart, another country like China doesn’t step in and take over. I have many suggestions to prevent that but none will every get done. There are simply too many extreme opinions. So what can we really do? Nothing really. Just bend over and take it like a prison bitch!

Finally fixed the pillars!!

Amanda and I finally had enough of looking at the rotting pillars on the front of our house. So we made new ones!

After the pillars were made and primed, we made a blocks from 2×4’s and a 1x cut to size.

We made it to fit nicely inside the pillar

We centered the block on the ceiling pad and screwed it into place

After lifting the pillar into place around the block, we side screwed the pillar to the block. Then we made a new platform by mating 2×4’s to the original block with glue and wood screws. Then we ripped thin veneers off of a 2×4 to make the trim.

We then filled the bottom block with wood fill to look like one block.

Top trim.

We pulled down one of the old posts and grafted in some wood.

We repeated the install of the second pillar.

Amanda sanding

After we installed them, Amanda primed them and they are now ready for paint!

I’m filling in again….

I will be playing guitar for a friend’s band this weekend. His guitarist and drummer will be out of town so my drummer/friend Ruben and I will be filling in.

We will be playing at Big Shotz  on 2nd avenue in Nashville TN at 10pm both Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th of October 2009. C’mon down and help us get through the show and have a good time!

 

Big Shotz
115 Second Avenue
Nashville, TN

Friday Oct. 28th @10pm
Saturday Oct. 29th @10pm

Automobile Irony

The automobile freed us from the limitations of the horse and steam train. It freed us to live where we wanted, work where we wanted, shop where we wanted and vacation where we wanted. “FREEDOM” we all exclaimed as we roll down our windows or flipped down the convertible top to take in all the fresh air we could ingest. Fresh air that was not to be found in the congested cities we were all used to as a nation.

Now, we are so spread out and populated that in most places we simply cannot live without our car. We have all but abandoned the train as commuter transportation, the bus infrastructure in most smaller cities and towns is dismal and inadequate at best. We need to shop, we need to work, we need transportation to every nook and cranny of our overbuilt society.

Amanda and I would like to NOT need a car but there is simply no way around it. If we move near my job, there is no way she could get to work without a car. The same goes for me. We are basically forced to buy gasoline, buy a car, buy insurance and drive. Society gives us very few if any options. If we were lucky we could both work near each and off of a bus line. That is near impossible. I am sure some people have found a way to do it because they happen to work down town but for the masses, we are stuck.

I find it quite ironic that the very same technology that gave us freedom and allowed us to spread out, now shackles us. We are no longer “free” but rather “bound” to NEEDING our cars, the gasoline they consume and all the other expenses that take too large a portion of our paychecks!

The balance of justice?

1st a little back story. I had an old $200 car that I traded to a friend for some work on my house. This was almost 3 years ago. I signed over the title and we wrote up a Bill of Sale. He then sold the car to another person, signing over the title (still in my name) and sharing a Bill of Sale. The 3rd person did not register the car nor insure the car. She simply drove the car until one night in her apparent habitual drunken stupor, caused a collision resulting in $2000 worth of damage. 2+ years later I get a call from the insurance company representing the victim in that collision informing me that I am responsible for all debts as I am still the registered owner of the car. I called the police about the woman who wrecked the car and they said she was in 3 accidents that month. Each one she was drunk. They finally put her in jail and impounded and subsequently demolished the car.

So just to make this clear. I, a law abiding citizen who pays his taxes in full, is never late paying a bill, has no tickets or arrests on my record, works hard and lives a simple life is now in debt $2000 to pay for the actions of a drunk, non working, drug addict with a LONG arrest record?

Ah the justice system at work!

Tough times but could be worse!

Amanda’s SUV motor went kaput! We are down to one $300 car that was only intended to be an emergency and bad weather car for me. We enjoyed not having a car payment. It was allowing us to spend that money on getting the house repaired. The list is long and just as expensive. We seem to just be on the good side of things and something happens. We have a vacation coming up and then before you know it, the holidays will be here again. There always seems to be something we need to save for.

We both get down from time to time about it but at the end of the week, we are just grateful to have jobs and the money to actually pay for these things. Even though it takes a while. Things could be a whole lot worse!

Tea Set #1

Amanda and I started collecting serving sets of a single tea cup and saucer. We plan on buying 1 pair at a time whenever we are in a new town(especially when out on our motorbikes) and see something we like. we hope to eventually have a full set, each with a story of their own as to where/when they came from and where we found it. Exciting!!

We found this one in Murray KY. It is a WWII era German made set. We both saw it at the same time and loved it!

Buying up all the gold

I don’t know what this all means but I am feeling that the current crop of “gold buyers” that have sprouted up everywhere is leading to something bad. I got this same feeling and wrote about it, years before the housing crunch, years before the China issue and years before the banking collapse. I see something happening and I get a feeling. Sometimes I can see the outcome. With the “Gold Rush of ‘09” as I am calling it, I can’t see the outcome. I only know it’s not going to be good.

How can one single company buy up $200,000,000 dollars worth of gold and not have a real outlet for profit? It seems that there are many companies on TV, in hotels and even in retail market places offering to pay top dollar for your gold. Hmmm? This makes me wonder. My gut feeling says it may have something to do with the low value of the Dollar in the world and something to do with the value of gold in the world. My mind goes to scenarios where the USA goes bankrupt do to the debt to China and the blatant mismanagement of our country by the government. In the end when the dollar is worth “$0”, people holding the gold will have the only thing with any value globally. Could this be a precursor to a revolution? Is this gold rush that big? I feel it may be. Does the US Government know about what is going on? Are some politicians secretly behind it all? Is this happening from the top? or is it happening from the bottom by citizens? I feel that the world as we know it is going to change within the next 5-10 years. The USA will change drastically in the next 5-10 years. This Gold Rush may be just the beginning!

Footwear of an older man

I just realized that most of my entire life was spent wearing Tennis Shoes. Growing up we called them “Sneakers”. I never played much tennis anyway! I remember wearing my tennis shoes until they either wore out or when sitting overnight was no longer enough for the stink to dissipate! LOL!

43 years have passed and when I look in my closet, I see about 3 pair of sneakers that I have had for years. I have one pair for mowing the yard and working on my motorcycles. I have had them for about 9 years. I have another pair that I bought and they just don’t fit my style anymore. Finally I have one good pair that I use for exercise and fun. That about covers it.

I remember thinking about this many years ago and wondering how adult men can wear shoes all the time. It seems weird. I remember that my dad didn’t even own sneakers. He did everything in shoes. For me now, I rarely bust out the sneakers at all. I wear boots for just about everything. Military boots. I wear them for working in the yard, i wear them to work most of the time, I wear them when I am simply hanging out or going to grocery store. Suffice it to say, they are my go to footwear. I even polish them up nice and wear them out to dinner with a button up shirt! They cover it all for me. The only other footwear that I wear often, is my flip flops. I even bring them in my motorcycle saddlebags. When we go someplace warm I will take off my boots and walk around in flip flops until we leave. Then I will put back on my boots.

I am sure this blog entry is a big wordy for such a simple topic but it was on my mind and wanted to get it on “paper”.

Ok everyone, break into small groups and…

The government of these United States has gotten way out of hand. They are in every aspect of our lives. The role of the Federal Government should be to provide for the common defense and to insure domestic tranquility. Not to manage everyone’s money and have a program for everything under the sun. The states should be able to handle most every issue they are faced with.

I would love for the litmus test for any government action to be that the action should fall under one of 2 categories. Providing for the common defense and to insure domestic tranquility. The only problem I see if that “insure domestic tranquility” was left wide open to interpretation. I may think that the government spending our tax money to help the auto industry is plain wrong but someone in the auto industry may think otherwise.

I simply believe that if we had 50 individual states that were allowed to manage themselves, laws would soon enough reflect the will and culture of that state. The people would have more say over how they live. How can someone in New Hampshire or Rhode Island vote with the best interest of both their own states and those of say Arizona citizens? They can’t. The culture is different, the geography is different, religion is different and simply PEOPLE are different. We have 50 states with 50 different cultures. We need to allow the existing 50 state level governing bodies to govern themselves in accordance with the Constitution of the United States and all contributing to the common defense. If you don’t like a state move to a different state! TX has the death penalty. If you don’t like it, vote to change it or move.

The Federal Government has such a reach into our lives that it is now choking and stifling our country. We are in a downward spiral that cannot be fixed with the same old mentalities and methodologies.

When you have a big group of kids that you need to teach or manage, you cannot simply handle them all at the same time. One, it is simply too much and nothing would get done. No one would listen. If you break the group into smaller groups, like every teacher knows how to do, you can address each group individually and tailor you words and actions to suit the group. You cannot reach a group of inner city children with the same dialog and actions that you would use to effectively reach a group of rural farm raised kids or wealthy suburban kids. You have to adjust and work with what you have. We need to mimic that style of management on a Federal level. You simply cannot govern with one tactic and expect to effectively manage states with such disparate cultures. What is good for some may not work for others. We need to break them down, speak and manage each group or state individually so that their voices are heard!

X-Games vs Olympics

The Olympics were originally intended to test and show the might and skill of athletes in a forum honoring legendary Greek Warriors. How did it ever evolve to “ping-pong” and “curling” among other lame “sports”? The original Olympians would either laugh or be disgusted that the event turned into what it has.

I have two basic criteria that should be used when determining if a sport should be allowed in the Olympics:

1. There should be some chance of you getting hurt badly.

2. There should be no possible way that an average person off the street could ever get lucky and do just as well as the “athlete”.

Enter the X Games! 15 years ago the Extreme Games took over where the Olympics went off track. The X Games are packed full of events that are exactly as the name describes. EXTREME! There is danger as every single event and there is no possible way in hell that an average person could walk off the street and do well let alone even finish an event. You need YEARS of skill to even make it through 1 attempt at any of the included sports. Contrary to the Olympics where I could easily get lucky tossing the stone down the ice and win a curling match. Gymnastics is a completely different game though. That takes years of skill! Too bad the judging is so very political, the true winners hardly ever get the scores they earned.

I think the Olympic committee should take a hard look at the X Games and get back on track. I love the tradition of the Olympics and the fact that it represents countries as opposed to individuals but too much of it is lame compared the power and excitement of the X Games!

Griffin Technology “Tune Buds”

I found ONE direct replacement for the Apple Crappy ear buds. No adapter is required and the microphone works for answering calls. I found them on Amazon for a mere $20 which is $9 cheaper than Apple’s junk. The reviews seem to be decent for sound quality and most of all they actually stay in your ear unlike the Apple ear bud which is notorious for NOT staying in position for more than a few seconds at a time. I am really looking forward to getting them. In the meantime, I am going to take an older set of ear buds from my old MP3 player and cut off the buds. I will splice them in on the stock Apple cord after removing the stock buds. This will retain the stock Apple “clicker” which is fantastic! This may work well as others have reported but I am sure it wont look as good with having a white apple cable and then black cables with some heat shrink tubing between them! At least I have some options!

iPhone Ear buds?

OK here is another gripe about the iPhone. The Ear Buds that come with it sound terrible for one. After 1 week of listening to music, the left buds blew and now it is distorted in that ear at all but very low volumes. I started researching getting them replaced under warranty and found that thousands of people have the very same problem! WOW! All these blown buds and Apple hasn’t come out with something better? I decided to dump MORE money into this iPhone and buy a replacement set of ear buds. Turns out that Apple made the jack that connects the ear buds proprietary! Only Apple buds are fully functional. You can buy an adapter that will allow you to plug in and listen to music but you cannot answer the phone by the bud volume control. You have to pull the phone out of you pocket, unlock the keypad (if you keep it locked like I do) and “slide” to answer the phone. Why does Apple always feel the need to be so proprietary and then NOT give you options? I wouldn’t mind the “Apple” jack if they offered some nice bud options. So now I will buy a nice set of ear buds and hope no one calls when I am listening to music!

I guess with any product that it so advanced in many good ways, there has to be some list of crap that goes with it.

————————————————————————————–

LOL!!

I found this review on the internet:

Apple iPhone Stereo Headset

• PRICE: $29 (free with iPhone)
• PROS: Best clicker of all: you can just grab it and click without looking.
• CONS: Crap sound, uncomfortable fit, and the white just screams “I’m a douche bag. Mug me!”

Apple and Market Share

I was reading some discussions on Apple Computers and how they are limiting their market share by making their products proprietary and very expensive. I heard both sides and all sorts of suggestions on how they could really make a difference if they would just do this or that. Then I got to thinking. Maybe they don’t want to big market share! Maybe they are happy with their incredible high stock value and growth. Maybe the market share they have is keeping the investors rolling in cash. I think the iPod and iPhone made a huge dent in their respective markets. I guess Apple is doing the right thing by making the Mac an “elite” product that not everyone can afford. If everyone had one, it wouldn’t be special anymore. Imagine seeing everyone driving a overpriced Mercedes. Wouldn’t seem so special anymore. Kind of like Harleys. They were really cool when few people could afford them. Then “financing magic” made it so everyone could have one. Then they lost their “cool”.

So Apple keeping their computers in the hands of fewer people and charging alot seems to work fine for them.

No Stimulus for me!

It seems that there is a program to help almost everyone that needs it. Except for me. I have great credit and a decent income to debt ratio. I would like to spend my money but I just can’t bring myself to spending $4500 more than the next guy who has an eligible car to trade in. My old beater gets too good gas mileage to qualify for the rebate from the government. So I don’t buy a car. Amanda and I were looking into taking advantage of the market and buying some land or a 2nd house. Nope! Credit too good to qualify for any programs and I make too much money to buy an inexpensive property. Underwriters were taking a beating by people who bought smaller homes and then foreclosed on their larger homes. So no one would finance me without me putting 28% down. I was told NUMEROUS times that if my credit were worse I would qualify for government programs and assistance and lower down payment.

IMO it seems that all of this assistance is geared towards people who do not make enough money and don’t spend it wisely in the 1st place, to actually stimulate the economy. It is seeming more and more like handouts to the irresponsible people who took on loans they couldn’t handle, bailout for everyone who made bad business decisions and less like a good plan to help the whole country. We also seem to be encouraging people to take on new loans by enticing them with rebates to buy new cars and assistance to buy new houses.

Maybe I am just in the wrong demographic. Maybe I actually don’t NEED assistance and should be grateful that we can make it on our own. I am just tired of always being the demographic that pays more and gets less. I have been paying more in taxes for years because I have no children, while people with kids that are more of a burden on the infrastructure actually get to pay less taxes and even get rebate checks form time to time. Now there are people who stretch out unemployment not because they have to but because it is easier to collect for a long time and stay home not paying for child care. So while some people stay at home with their kids collecting money, I am one of the ones working and paying for it. Also my house value went down in the market but the city determined that my house value went up $20,000+ dollars raising my property taxes! For the 1st time I can ever remember, my house has a higher tax appraisal than the market value.

I know this is all happening to many people in my position but this is my blog where I get to complain!

I guess I should just be grateful to have a job and be able to pay for anything!

Traffic light cameras

Well stats are in for the 1st year of Traffic light cameras in Murfreesboro TN. They are setup to take a picture of anyone running a red light and then automatically send them a $50 citation in the mail. After 1 year, side impact collisions are down by 11%. That is GREAT! You would think that proves the cameras work. WRONG! Rear end collisions at those lights are up a whopping 23%. People are apparently slamming their brakes as the light changes in an effort to avoid the $50 ticket. As a result they are causing more wrecks! Geesh!

Harry Potter

So what’s the significance of the “Half blood prince”? Ok so you find out who he is but that’s all. Weak! The whole movie was long and boring. No excitement no battles no resolved relationships, nothing! It was like 2 and a half hours of barely a story with nothing ever really happening all designed just to carry you through to the next movie. This movie also could not stand alone. You have to know the other movies. If you only saw this Harry potter you would have too many questions. The movie assumes you already know tts back story. I am surpirsed they released this movie. It appears as if the movie had no director or actuall story and was more of a mere capturing on film of teenagers having trouble dating. This episode does not stand withvtge previous Harry potter movies. You do not leave the theatre with the same feeling of wanting to be a wizard at hogwarts like you do after seeing the others! A total disappointment!

Train Ride

Amanda and I took a vintage train ride from Nashville to Watertown TN. On board, an acting troop did a murder mystery skit that was cute and entertaining. In Watertown, we attended a street jazz festival. We ate some food form street vendors and had some ice cream. It was a very relaxing day. We love trains! Here are just a couple pix:

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Rain on me? Go Figure!

If anyone doubts that I am a rain magnet, look at this. We had clear weather all day. When I left work at 4pm there was a freak, albeit typical storm only where I was riding home on the south side of Nashville. When I got home the sky was completely clear again! To steal a phrase from Dave, “Go Figure!”

Harness the wind in your car

Why not add a low resistance fan and a small generator to an EV (electric vehicle) as a supplementary system? You are looking at 50-80mph winds while driving on the interstate that are going to waste! The latter being hurricane wind force. I do not expect this to fully charge a EV battery solely by the wind turning a fan in the radiator opening.  We do have regenerative breaking which is the same used in diesel trains that recharges the batteries of a vehicle while breaking by using the resistance of the electric motor, we do have gasoline motors that charge and extend the range as in the Prius. The fan system (What I would call the SCS or Supplemental Charging Systems) doesn’t have to be a big drag on the car. It doesn’t have to have a massive generator. Just something that could charge a second set of batteries that are dedicated to illuminating the headlamps and gauges or the radio and windshield wipers. Or it could simply add voltage to the main battery array. In addition, the “radiator” fan could also be only active when NOT applying the accelerator. No resistance on normal driving but it could supplement the regenerative breaking component and only charge on deceleration. Simply done with an electronically controlled, fan shaft, clutch mechanism. If you can extend the range of an EV from 100 to 110 miles, that is 10% and that is HUGE!

There IS “other” news..

Although it is a great tragedy that some famous people died this month, I think we are going overboard with the media coverage. Steve McNair was a great football player and should be recognized for his accomplishments. Michael Jackson was the best at what he did and no one disputes that. The part that doesn’t sit well with me is how much coverage they are getting. All channels on TV have been going over this repeatedly until it appears as if nothing else is going on anywhere that is news worthy. You have to listen and look between the lines to find the stories that IMO should be our focus. Let the people who want to mourn the fallen “stars” do so but don’t force feed the rest of us.

• Lance Armstrong is making a strong run and is only a split second behind the leader trying to win his 8th Tour de France!
• Roger Federer has won Wimbledon 6 times for a record breaking 15 Grand Slam victories!
• The G8 Summit is underway in Italy where leaders are trying to make the world a better place environmentally and ecologically not to mention more secure!
• There are riots in China that have already killed over 150 people!
• Iran, despite warnings, has indicated they are still moving forward with nuclear testing!
• There has been a rise of violence in Iraq since turning over security to the Iraqis.
• NASDAQ is up!
• Crude oil is on the rise as speculators bet on futures again! The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is looking into stronger control and tighter regulations.
• Nissan is making a 100% Electric vehicle that will get 100 miles per charge and be cheap enough, factoring in the $7500 government tax credit, to actually buy!

The list goes on and on! There are other things we could at least be sharing the media time with. It shouldn’t ALL be about a pedophile and a Cheater no matter how great they did their job!

Steve McNair is no HERO

Is ANYONE going to speak out about Steve McNair and his infidelity? It is a tragedy and a huge loss to the sport community but what about his family? How humiliating could it be to find your husband was murdered by his 20 year mistress! Steve McNair may have been a great football player but he is NO HERO! He is perpetuating a miserable stereotype that unfortunately influences hundreds of thousands of young kids who look up to these athletes for inspiration. One of the major down sides to this is that kids see the bad side of these athletes and the media does NOTHING to show it in the light it deserves. They do not put any negative tone on the fact that Steve McNair, as well as many other athletes, was cheating on his wife and kids right in the public eye for all to see. No shame in his game at all! He bought a 19 year old girl and Escalade and an apartment. They he paraded her around in front of all his friend and the community to see. He took her out drinking and partying. Then in her immature mind thought it necessary to murder him and kill herself.

1st off Steve McNair put himself in this situation. This time his fame couldn’t get him out of it like when he got out of a drunk driving conviction a few years ago. Secondly why is no one speaking out against his actions? We are being pummeled with highlight footage of his glorious football career but no one is showing the pain he has caused. What are we telling out children?

This is SAD! He is NOT a hero. He was a person with fame and fortune that was no better than a million other people that lie and cheat on their spouse, their family and cause pain to people who love them.

(301)882-9986

Do a google search for this phone number and be amazed how many people are being harrased by this automated telemarketer. I am on the Do Not Call registry as are many other people. I have found out the company responsible has been “warned” a threatened with fines but so far nothing has changed. They are doing business as usual! This is annoying as hell! They actually have numerous numbers they call from. I had 6 of them programmed into my last phone. Check this link to google.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=301+882+9986&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=301+882+9986&aqi=&fp=dMlfxuRvj0I

Wind & LED lights

Two technologies that have been around for a very long time and could save us gobs of money if utilized to their potential. Wind & LED lighting!

DIY Wind Power…

I have been interested in alternative energy sources for years. I came up with an idea of my own and while researching to see if had been done, which apparently it has not, I found this great DIY website!

http://gotwind.org/

I’d like to build these:

http://gotwind.org/diy/led_experiments.htm

http://gotwind.org/diy/Soil_Prop.htm

Here are some awesome devices people made!

http://gotwind.org/diy/visitor_1.htm

Guns in TN Bars

A new law was passed in TN that allows firearms to be carried into bars and all establishments that serve liquor. Yep! Let me 1st state that I am firm believer in the right to bear arms. I think people should be allowed to carry a gun and protect themselves where ever they go.

With that said, I do not feel very good about this Guns/Bars law. Although I won’t say they should repeal it, I will say that I believe it should be mandatory for a bar owner to post a sign out front stating their policy. The law provides for the bar owner to deny guns in their establishment if they so choose simply by posting a NO GUNS ALLOWED sign on the entrances. I believe we should go a step further and REQUIRE a sign “for” or “against”. The law also states that you cannot drink alcohol in the bar if you choose to carry a firearm with you. I personally do not want to go into bars with drunk people and if the people that  carry a gun do not drink. I doubt many of the millions of tourists that visit Nashville and are a large chunk of our local economy would like it either. We would appear to be the Old West and many people would simply go elsewhere for their vacation!

I know “law abiding citizens“ don’t cause trouble..blah blah! Law abiding citizens can be pushed into situations they are not used to handling. How can a law abiding citizen defend themselves with a gun in a room full of innocent bystanders in close proximity? YOU CAN’T! Your carry permit training does not put you in situations that police are specifically trained for. Someone innocent person will get shot. I understand that criminals do not obey the law. I understand an individual my have some false sense that they could successfully stop a criminal in a bar without accidentally killing someone else. That’s all fine and good. I just don’t want to be there when they try and most likely fail. Someone could very easily bump you in the panic of a gun fight and you could shoot your spouse or your friend or the nice person across the room.

Everyone has rights to defend themselves. They do no have the right to further endanger innocent people. This is why it is illegal to drive drunk. Not to protect the drunk driver but to protect the innocent bystanders. Yes, people still drive drunk and they still kill people but imagine what it would be like if driving drunk were perfectly legal! MANY MANY more people would do it. The death rate would skyrocket!

Now if making drunk driving were legal but you had to ride on specific roads to do it, I would simply avoid those roads as often as possible. Same goes for the bars that allow guns. I would simply avoid them!

ABC news did a piece that highlighted the fact that most people, even with a carry permit and range experience are not well suited to use a firearm in a public scenario. I believe the training to obtain a carry permit should be much much more strict than the Single Sunday afternoon class that is required now.

Below is a transcript of the report from the Friday, April 10, World News with Charles Gibson on ABC:

DIANE SAWYER: …. If you had a gun, can you be sure you could use it in a crisis? Could an ordinary citizen count on being able to defend himself if he only had a gun? The Bethlehem Pennsylvania Police Department, working with ABC News, created an experiment, to show what happens when average Americans react under stress. At Wheelenburg College, the police go over gun basics with students. The gun is real but filled with paint ammunition. Our training is already more than almost half the states in the country require to carry a concealed weapon. Joey Dolan thinks he’ll be good at self-defense since he’s spent countless hours hitting the target using a gun that shoots plastic pellets. The police tell him he has one of our guns to use in a test of self-defense later. In the meantime, it’s a lecture.

Suddenly, the room under attack. The instructor is down, a student hit. Joey struggles to get his gun out, but it’s stuck in his shirt. He can’t even get it out to aim it. Had this event been real, police say Joey would have been killed in the first five seconds. Look at how your body undermines your decisions and your accuracy with a gun in crisis. Under extreme stress, your blood is actually pulled from your skin toward your muscles in case you need to flee, your heart pumping three to four times the normal rate. Your hands have less blood. They’re less dexterous. Your reaction’s delayed. Like this student, who freezes in his seat, hands on his desk. In seconds, he’s peppered with shots.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE STUDENT: No one ever gets hit in the movies, obviously. In real life, I got hit like five, six times.

SAWYER: And, while this woman started firing right after the armed intruder burst into the room, she makes a terrible error. She stands up and takes a hit to the head even though she believes she has already taken out the intruder.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE STUDENT: I think I hit you in the head, wasn’t it, at the top of the- [UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER #1 POINTS TO HIS LEG] Oh, I got you there.

SAWYER: And what about the risk that you’ll hit an innocent bystander. This woman comes within inches. Which is why police spend months and months training in ways designed to override the adrenaline and pounding heart in a crisis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER #2: -rounds coming back at you, you got outside environments, people are screaming, running. It’s too much for a normal person who’s never been trained to deal with. It’s overwhelming.

SAWYER: Police say so many of us don’t really know what we could and could not do in a crisis with a gun.UNIDENTIFIED MALE POLICE OFFICER #1: Don’t put yourself in a situation unless you are truly confidently prepared for it because, without training, you lose it.

SAWYER: And police also ask: Do you know the risk of hitting an innocent bystander? We have much more tonight on this special with children with teenagers. Again, it’s called "If I Only Had a Gun."

I am still a rain magnet!

Look at this crazy weather that seems to follow me!

iPhone: Some “Can’s and Can’ts”

You CAN watch fantastic looking movies on your iPhone
You CAN”T Transfer them to another computer even if you made the video and own it!

You CAN take pretty nice pictures on the iPhone
You CAN’T move or delete them on your iPhone (u need to use iTunes) huh?
You CAN’T copy your pics to your PC without using a 3rd party app. iTunes does not have that feature. You can use Picasa from Google.

You CAN play all of your favorite music and even songs you wrote yourself
You CAN’T move or delete them without iTunes. You have to use a Jailbreak application to “break” your phone, then buy a 3rd party application.

You CAN’T use the iPhone for file storage
You CAN’T use the iPhone throughout the day without multiple battery charges.
You CAN’T sync your files to multiple computers without 1st putting the files on the computer via other means. Otherwise syncing to an empty folder on the second PC will delete the files from the phone.

You CAN use the fantastic technology known as Bluetooth.
You CAN’T use Bluetooth unless its is paired to an Apple headset only. No file transfers, phone or computer pairing. Basically USELESS!

You CAN brag that you have a cool ass phone that plays lots of games
You CAN’T beat a Blackberry for simplicity, reliability and COMPATIBILITY!!!

I am about ready to return this toy and go back to my 2 year old Blackberry curve and actually be able to manage it.

iTunes

Who would make such a non-intuitive, bloated and restricted piece of software such as iTunes? Uh lemme guess. Apple? Yep! I bought an iPhone (which is pretty dern cool and FAST!) only to learn that you cannot manage your phone or it’s contents without installing the resource hogging, bloated and invasive application called iTunes! OMG!! I can only imagine that Apple people love it despite all it’s annoyances. For me, it may be the main reason I return the iPhone and go back to Blackberry where I can simply drag and drop any file I want via a standard USB mini cable to a folder structure that I can control. With iTunes you have to “Sync” everything. Uh what if I want to use my iPhone and I have multiple computers at different locations? Yep. I have to install iTunes on each of them and then sync each PC to the iPhone. WEAK! You can’t even use it to transfer files. The Blackberry, when simply plugged into your USB port, no drivers or software necessary, acts as a removable drive just like a thumb drive. You can drag and drop any file you want and then transfer it to any PC, MAC or Linux computer with NO SOFTWARE REQUIRED!

I can only assume Apple wants to make it so difficult for PC and Linux users to use the iPhone for all it “could” be that they will “just buy a mac”.

The iPhone could really be a great tool but it is just not ready for the corporate world. You won’t  see many large companies installing iTunes on corporate PCs just so users can sync their phones. It takes way too much resources (Services that always run in the background even when iTunes is off) away from the PC that is most likely doing WORK for the company. Small companies that want to be “in” and have the finances to burn may buy iPhones. I believe the rest of the business world will stick with Blackberrys for now.

Backing in?

Why do people insist on backing there car into parking spaces? Does it save you time by making pulling out faster? No! You actually spend MORE time backing in a pulling out than you would pulling in and backing out. When you back up, it is harder to maneuver the vehicle so backing out into a wide open space behind a parking space is much easier than backing into a tight narrow parking slot. I see people everyday with their cars backed into spots at work. Almost all of them are crooked and in danger of getting/giving dings from adjoining car doors. Just pull straight in and back out. You will save time, dings on your car and you won’t look like an idiot who can’t park!

Swing away and risk it!

Some people have mild personalities and some have very outgoing personalities. I see people through my life that have mild personalities and they live a life of relative anonymity. People never hate them and people rarely write about them. As an actor mild can give you a long and meaningful career but rarely does it put you on the magazine covers or on the entertainment news. People with larger personalities, especially actors, athletes and entertainers are in the news no matter if it is good or bad. Extroverts gets noticed. This can be great if all the dice roll your way. Conversely having an outgoing personality can be just as bad.  There is rarely an indifferent take on extroverts. People either hate you or think your the best. Unlike the mild introvert who most people never even form an opinion about. “Oh John? Yeah he is a nice guy a guess”.

Sports can be a good analogy for this phenomenon. When a baseball player swings safely and gets base hits regularly, people do not often notice and he surely never makes the highlight reel. When a player swings for the fences every time, he will be on the news every time. Even though he will hit foul balls and pop outs just as often as he gets the big hit, he will get noticed more and as a result more people will form strong opinions about him. “I HATE THAT GUY, HE POPS OUT ALL THE TIME!” or “HE IS AWESOME! HE SWINGS AWAY AND TAKES THE RISK TO SCORE THE BIG HOME RUN!” The same in basketball the guy who is taking the risky shots is the guy in the media and public eye. Hence more opinions will be formed. The guy who scores 15 solid, safe points every game will most likely never get on the news and no one will wear his number on a sports jersey. In golf when you lay it up often you will be consistent and never make the public awareness. If you swing big you may hit the long ball but you may go wide in the bushes as well.

The bigger you swing or the bigger your personality, the more risk for some thing great or terrible to happen. There is rarely indifference or middle ground. You either hit the home run or you pop out. They either hate you with a passion or love you with a passion.

Skimming news links

Here is a story covered by WSMV in Nashville
http://www.wsmv.com/video/19782602/

“Skimming” (alert)

There is a "scam" that has made it’s way to Middle TN. It apparently has been going on for 3 or 4 years now starting out in California and spreading throughout the country. It has reached us here. The issue is called "Skimming".

Skimming is when a criminal attaches a card reader device to an existing card reader device on an ATM or a gas pump. This device captures the card number and stores it for later retrieval. The criminal uses this device in conjunction with spy camera mounted either on the ATM or pump and out of site or off in the distance and zoomed in tight on the keypad. They use the camera to capture the PIN as it is entered by the unsuspecting consumer. The criminal can then use this combined information to withdraw CASH from other ATM machines after they make their own FAKE card with the stolen card number and PIN. ATM machines inside stores can be at risk as well. I have found at that there are many unscrupulous merchants that are working with the skimmers and allowing them to set up shop on their ATM units in exchange for a percentage or "fee". Also some of these criminals are actually buying used ATM machines off of eBay and setting them up themselves. Debit card theft is on the rise in relation to Credit card theft. With a stolen credit card the criminal has to buy a product or service and then sell it for money. With the debit card theft, the criminal can steal cash. Easier for them and much more difficult to trace or get caught.

I investigated with my bank and found out that they do not charge for using your Debit Card as a Credit Card. So the safe way to purchase gas at the pump is to select CREDIT and swipe your DEBIT card. No PIN is necessary. As a result, the criminal whole stole your number cannot run the card for CASH without the PIN. The safe way to with draw cash is using your PIN at an ATM "inside" or at least "at" your bank location where security is much tighter.

44 Magnum power

This is just a little reminder to everyone as to how powerful a handgun can be. This was my .44 Magnum. It was not the most power ful handgun in the world anymore. Infact it is only about 1/4 as strong as the newer crop of power guns. Please be careful and use some sense when owning and shooting firearms.

Comments no more…

Due to alot of  SPAM and the often erronious assumption that my “Blog” is a forum, I am removing commenting from my new blog posts. Thanks!

It’s raining in Nashville? Really?

When I say it rains in Nashville, I mean it rains in Nashville. Not the surrounding areas. NASHVILLE! We get a surprising amount of rain here. It is POUNDING outside right now!

Cable quailty disappointing!

We have had cable tv for years now. We haven’t upgraded to digital but just the basic cable. Between the basic cable and the internet we pay $110 a month. The picture SUCKS! I guess we kinda just got used to it. Yesterday I decided to hook up a basic antennae to a digital converter and the picture is as clear as a DVD. We get about 10 OTA, over the air channels with a $5 antennae. Unbelievable. With Cable with get about 50 channels but 40 are crap. Religious shows, Spanish shows, info-mercials and home shopping. I am now shopping for a higher quality antenna and will connect it to all the TVs in the house. Oh and BTW, the OTA HD quality is just as good as Digital HD Cable! FOR FREE!!!

We are no longer on the path…

The intentions of our American forefathers were simple. Read this slowly and think about each part and add the words "for all" after each one. I believe that is the original intent. You could even add "law abiding citizens":

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Justice (for all) law abiding citizens
Tranquility (for all) law abiding citizens
Common Defense (for all) law abiding citizens
General Welfare (for all) law abiding citizens
Liberty (for all) law abiding citizens

These ideals and goals have been spread so very thin throughout the generations. Through the ever expanding growth and the diversity that comes along with it, the boundaries of those very ideals are being pushed into grey areas that overlap ideals that are NOT those of the forefathers. The very freedoms we hold dear and those that our Constitution is based on are being diluted to the point of unrecognizable and dissected into as many bits and pieces as there are people with opinions and no longer bear resemblance to the original intents. I could address each point above but I see no point. We all have our own opinions and take on it all. Suffice it to say I believe we are no longer on the path that we started down in the beginning. With uncontrolled growth of people and especially government, this is inevitable.

3 hours to change spark plugs???

I remember when changing the spark plugs on a vehicle took about 10 minutes. Sunday I had to change them out on Amanda’s SUV. NOT a 10 minute job! You do not have simple access to the rear plugs you have to remove the entire intake manifold assembly, all the attached hoses, throttle body and a few emissions devices. While I was in there I figured best to change out the PCV Valve as well. That require even more disassembly. Had to get fuel injection rack and wires out of the way along with the plenum. THEN I could change out the PCV. No wonder this is like a $400 job at the Mazda dealer!

Phone SPAM!!!

I have been on the National Do not call registry for years now. A couple weeks ago I started getting auto calls from the 314 & 301 area codes. They are SPAMMERS trying to solicit business and get your name. I tried to block the number by adding it to my phone and giving it a special MUTE ring so it never calls me but they are switching numbers daily and also leaving voicemail on my phone. Minutes that I HAVE TO PAY FOR! So far these are the one’s I have gotten this week alone!:

314-433-3319
314-259-1340
314-667-5307
301-882-9986

My phone provider of AT&T cannot do anything except charge me $4.99 a month to give me the ability to block all UNKNOWN callers. Which is silly because I don’t want to block ALL unknowns. What if someone needed me for an emergency and had to call from a hospital phone or a borrowed phone?

The FCC is aware of this and has yet to fine the companies even though they know who they are. READ THIS!

Let’s hope the FCC gets off their A.S.S. and starts to levy some of the $11,000 dollar, per incident fines they are threatening.

Republican contrast

I have never understood the Republican party with respect to governance. One the business side of things, the Republican party believes government should stay out and let the free market rule it self. They believe that businesses and consumers can determine on their own what is right, wrong, good or bad.

On the other hand, in the religious conversation, Republicans want to dictate and govern over every little aspect of faith and beliefs. They do not feel that people or organizations can determine on their own what is right, wrong, good or bad.

Hmmm?

Cars… Tool vs Toy

After reading over my last post, I got to thinking. Would I buy a new car if they made something inexpensive and got good gas mileage? Honestly, I don’t think so.

When our country was fat and the economy was cooking only a mere 2 years ago, people consumed! We bought everything and anything we fancied as it was all so easy. With that mindset, we bought new cars whenever we wanted. If they offered a new color, we could trade in our 1 year old car and buy a new one. “Tack on the difference in the loan!”. Auto makers knew this and they churned our cars like mad. The industry grew. Hindsight being 20/20… they grew too much.

In the distant past people bought a new car when the car they had could no longer be cost effectively repaired. It was a BIG deal for a family to go out and buy a new car. Even then, most people bought what suited the family needs and budget. I believe those days are upon us again. More and more people are looking at their car as transportation and not the play toy. People, including myself are looking at our budgets with much more scrutiny these days. We are cutting back on all we spend our money on. The car, which we know is a depreciating asset is now becoming the tool it was originally intended to be. We are buying less new clothes, less dining out, less money on vacations etc. It only seems logical that we would spend less on our transportation. We are repairing the old car and keeping it on the road longer. Not giving much thought to that new whiz bang hot rod car that just came out. We now spend our money on paying off old debt, saving in preparation for a possible job loss, paying for higher medical bills, higher grocery bills, higher gas prices, utilities etc. We simply do not have the “spare” money in our budgets to replace a car that works just to buy a “new” one. Some people will still need to buy a new car but I believe they will do it when it’s completely necessary and not just for the hell of owning a new ride.

I see the only way the auto industry is going to survive is to downsize substantially. They need to match the demand. We can’t have more people making cars than we do buying them.  It is simple supply and demand.

More Nashville rain

Thought we might actually make it a whole day without rain. I was mistaken!

Tell them what they want!

The auto makers seem to be echoing the same beliefs. They seem to believe that people want giant SUVs and trucks. They are worried that if they do not continue to build big SUVs, people will simply hold onto the older ones they already have! What a crock!! That is small thinking and the leaders who perpetuate that should step down as THEY are the reason the companies are behind the ball.

People only want what they are told. I am sure everyone believes that they choose what they want because of their own needs. I am sure that is true to an extent. But entertain this thought… How many people needed Ford Excursions or Cadillac Escalades BEFORE they were made. Probably none. I don’t remember anyone ever saying that they wish someone would make the SUVs and trucks BIGGER. Industry created the want in us by making the product and saying it is better. I even remember some commercials comparing a new bigger SUV to the old smaller ones. There have been numerous pickup truck commercials geared towards the cave man in us guys showing the new BIGGER truck next to the old wimpy truck. We believed them and bought the bigger one. Damn the gas mileage or extra 5 minutes a day it takes to find parking spaces suitable. We wanted BIG!

If the auto makers would simply make commercials that portrayed big as stupid and very much out of style, people would not “want” big anymore. Look at the Prius… It wasn’t big nor very flashy when it came out but when a few Hollywood starts thought it was cool, people wanted them! The Smart car? It doesn’t get as good of gas mileage as the new VW Jetta with it’s new clean diesel. The Smart car has a 1.5 year waiting list because it’s cool! It’s not big.

Big is out. WAY out. Then why are the auto companies still making full size consumer trucks, SUVs and minivans? Why hasn’t the full size truck been moved to the back lot where it has always been and the new sleek, fuel efficient and modern vehicles moved out in front for all to see. When I drive by dealerships, I still see the big cars out front. That alone would make most energy and money conscience people drive right by. I say make and put out the cars people need and can afford. Let the people who still want big simply go to the back of the dealership and choose what they want. The auto makers and dealers need to TELL people what they want by SHOWING people what they want and in reality NEED. Fuel efficient, stylish cars that we can afford.

Kia, Hyundai, Honda & Toyota seem to be on top of things. Why can’t the big 3 get it?

Team vs. Self

Being a good team player does not need to include completely giving up your focus on yourself and your individual goals or achievements. You can have a balance. Work for the team always but keep you best interests in mind as well. I believe this is true in the work place as well as sports.

Catch phrases about teamwork are everywhere in the work place from inspirational posters to emails to executive speeches. it’s all fine and good until someone from the “team” gets let go to downsize or someone on the “team” get’s passed up for a promotion for the person who is less of a team player and strongly focuses on their own advancement. In sports, the team player often gets traded for the “star’ with individual stats and focus.

I will simply say, have balance. Keep the team in front of you and your daily work but keep YOU everywhere else.

Growth Spurt!

Usually 3 of us go on the annual ride. This year we had a good friend Tony join us for a weekend of riding and camping. A 33% growth to the the size of our group! He rode his powerful Honda Valkyrie! This is us by the Buffalo river in Arkansas. Tony hopes to join us on more annual rides and we are looking forward to it.

Ride 09 finished…

We are back from our annual ride. More details to come after I recover a bit!

The stable grows…

Way too much cell phone!

The mobile phone has not just become a technical advancement or even just a modern convenience. It has become a drug. An addiction. A crutch! It seems that people cannot live without this crazy little device. I am all for the technology. It is the social abuse of it that I find troublesome. Have you ever found yourself talking to someone in person when their phone rings? They almost always stop mid sentence even and give 100% attention to the phone and a call that may not be as important or as personal as the interaction with you they were already engaged in. That doesn’t matter. It’s like putting a piece of bacon on the floor in front of a dog. All their focus goes immediately to the bacon no matter what was going on before. People even do this over a meal. The phone rings and dinner along with all conversation ceases and the phone with an unknown caller and an unknown topic becomes the focus. If you have to check your phone for emergency, that is a different story. All you have to do is look at the phone and see if it your baby sitter or spouse. Otherwise, respect the person you are with.

This phone addiction is also obvious to me every single day I ride to and from work. I see literally hundreds of people yapping away on their phones. Ignoring the dangers before them on the road. This is bad. We all know it’s bad and we see everyone blaming everyone else. “I can’t believe that ass hole! And they are on their cell phone of course!”. The very same people who bitch about people on their cell phone while driving, will pick up the cell phone while driving and call someone to tell them about the ass hole that just cut them off. Hmmmm???? Does anyone else see a pattern with this?

Yesterday this cell phone thing was taken to a new low for me. I was driving home from work and saw a toddler running down a driveway towards the street. With the death of her child in the balance, the mother chose to keep the phone to her ear as she tried to run down the drive to get her kid. WHAT??? She didn’t instantly drop the phone and run full speed to save her child? NOPE! The person and conversation on that phone call was too important to hold while she had to save her child from death. I wish I could have video recorded that and played it back to her. I bet she would be crying still at her actions.

Here are some basic rules I try to live by.

1. People with you in person are MUCH more important that 99% of the calls you get.

2. If you are expecting and important call, let the person or people you are with know ahead of time. (“Hey, I may get a call and have to take it quickly.”)

3. If your phone rings when you are driving, give it a glance to check for emergency, let someone in the car talk for you or simply ignore it.

4. For criminy sake use your friggin vibrate feature! No one and I mean NO ONE wants to hear your blasting loud, lame ass ring tone EVER. Really! They all suck, it’s annoying and very, very RUDE!!!

My kinda lover (Cover by skraMnoR)…

I used my older camera on this video and the quality is nowhere near as good as with my newer Canon. Oh well. I didn’t feel like re-recording all the parts. Musically this song was not difficult but vocally it was a challenge. It’s not that it’s out of my range, it’s just that I am “picthy”. I’m just not realy a singer. Anyway…I had fun again and I really like the bass line (even though I didn’t play it right I’m sure). Enjoy!

Tennessee is a rain magnet too.

Maybe Amanda and I are not the rain magnets. Maybe is Tennessee itself!!! While much of the country is begging for rain, TN has been mostly wet since January.

Kids!

For the 1st time that I can remember I was at a loss for words or actions in a situation today. I pulled up at a light on my bike and was next to a school bus. A bunch of kids pulled down the windows and proceeded to throw wadded up paper at me. They littered the whole street. I couldn’t kick anyone’s ass as they were only teens. I couldn’t say a word. Anything I would have said would have only been met by teenager replies. Not worth the effort. I couldn’t do a thing. Geesh!

Different, unique or yourself.

Many young people want to be “different”. They wear funky clothes and do their hair up etc. What happens is that they fail in their attempt at being unique by in actuality conforming to the look and attitude of the groups they are in. Being truly different or being a unique individual is something very few, if any, ever achieve. Even those that we historically credit for being unique were really not unique but rather only the first to be recognized such as Elvis, Jimi Hendrix or Curt Cobain. They were not truly unique or different that many of their peers (Stylistically speaking. Their musical contributions to the world are undeniable). There were many people back in the 50′s that had the same look as Elvis. Some even came before him. his musical ability took him further and he reached the mainstream. Curt Cobain, who has influenced a couple generations already was very similar in style to his peers as was Jimi Hendrix. You know that Curt Cobain wore the same clothes on stage as he did going to the grocery. He wore whatever he had. He didn’t have to contrive a look to be associated with a group. He was himself.

I see so many people try to be “different” and fail by conforming. This is true for bikers as well as the modern hippies I saw last night in East Nashville. They end up looking they are wearing costumes.  Some people will tell you that is in fact who they are. I highly doubt it. It is way often too contrived to be true.

I say be yourself.

Honda Storm Trooper Jacket :)

I got my new Joe Rocket Honda Mesh jacket for summer. I have a Black mesh jacket already but the black color attracts too much heat. I am hoping this white one will reflect some of the sun and heat and keep me a bit cooler on those hot summer days. Here it is on. The only downside is that you can’t cinch the center so it is a bit baggy in the mid. It is a much heavier duty jacket than my Black Honda Jacket. More race oriented. With my white helmet I look a bit like a storm trooper!

Jammin’ with Magnolia

This past Saturday I filled in for the guitar player in the band Magnolia (Tristan, Ruben and Nicole). We play at the Bunganut Pig in Lebanon. I had a real good time. Here is a pic Amanda snapped when she wasn’t dancin!

Like 2 little kids!

Someone shot a pic of me and my friend Kathy making paper airplanes. We look like two little kids playing in the park. ‘Cept it’s in the parking lot in front of a garbage dumpster! Fun Fun!!

Summer Riding Jacket

I have a really nice winter and cold weather riding jacket and a black fall/spring weather jacket but I didn’t have anything for the warm summer days. As much as I love riding in a tee shirt, I just don’t feel 100% safe. Especially when I am on the interstate at 80mph. Riding slow on the back roads is one thing but you have to get TOO the back roads. Anyway…I bought a summer mesh jacket in white in hopes it will reflect more of the heat that my black jacket soaks up. It is a 1 year old model so I got a great closeout deal on it. It also says Honda so it matches 3 of our 4 motorcycles!

250 on my 919

Amanda and I rode quite a bit on Saturday. It was my first full day in the saddle on my 919. We put on 250 miles mixed between interstate and back roads. I gotta tip my hat to Honda for designing a stock seat that you can pile on the miles in without even a remote thought about spending $400 on an after market seat. I felt no discomfort at all. The bike handled great on the back roads. In fact i think that’s where the bike shines. I was able to easily find the right gears and didn’t have to change hardly at all. The bike sweeps through the twisties effortlessly and in complete comfort. The herky hyper sensitive throttle that I have to deal with in traffic is not an issue meandering through the TN landscape. Find a gear to match the speed and just roll back and forth with the turns. During our interstate stretch, the only thought that came to mind was how I couldn’t hear my bike. I had ear plugs in so that i didn’t burn out my ears. I had a show later that night and tired ears wouldn’t work well trying to play and sing on stage. We were riding about 80mph and my tach was turning about 4300rpm in 6th gear. At that rpm with my stock pipes and the wind noise, I could not hear the bike at all. That is a weird sensation. I felt like I was riding an electric bike. I enjoyed my loud rumbling Harley pipes alot. That was a cool feeling but after having ridden in many state parks and to work in my neighborhood countless 6am trips to work, I am really appreciating the silky quiet stealth of my quiet 919. Even my Goldwing seems way too loud for me now. Funny how perceptions change!

Playing at the new pig

I am filling in on guitar with the band Magnolia at the new Bunganut Pig in Lebanon TN tonight. C’Mon out!
300 N Maple in Lebanon TN

Down South Jukin’

One of my favorite Skynyrd songs. I had to cover it!

The same dream…

After all the many years of playing music on stage and recording myself in my home studio, I still have the same dream I have had since I was a teen. I still dream of being in a recording studio with 2 other musicians and recording a brilliant album, then taking it to the stage. I want there to be pictures and videos of it all so that many years from now I can look back and enjoy what was accomplished. I dream of working out tight 2 part vocal harmonies that cut and fill the audio spectrum. I dream of playing the bass parts that bass players wish they wrote. I dream of a guitar tone that inspires players for years to come. I dream of spending all day and all night in the studio, napping on a sofa, not having to go to work the next morning or having to cut it short because I have house chores to do.

Imagery is huge for me. I remember staring at the album liner of Lynyrd Skynryd’s “One more from the road” album. I was so inspired by the picture of the stage at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta that I actually took up playing guitar in the 1st place based mostly on that one single picture. I wanted that. I wanted that stage with the wooden floor. I wanted those Peavey Amps (I actually still play Peavey Amps). I wanted those lights and the whole atmosphere. After playing literally hundreds of stages in my life, I have a strong mental image of the smell of beer and smoke soaked stages. I keep that “image” with me always. It is part of who I am. It is part of my dream. Sometimes I am still that 13 year old boy laying on the floor and dreaming!

Sportster leak…

 

Amanda’s Sportster started leaking oil around the base of her rocker boxes. Our Harley Mechanic made sure the bolts were evenly tightened but it still leaked. It was getting worse and worse. The oil was even splattering her pants. I read up on the issue on the internet and it is very common on the 2004-07 Sportsters. Usually happening around 10,000 miles. Which is why most people don’t know about the issue. Most people, not all, but most people do not put on that high of mileage in the life of the bike let alone in less than 2 years. Anyway. Amanda went and picked up the gasket kit which turns out to be about $56.00. Not bad until you open the box and find that you are paying for gaskets for 2 other kinds of Sportsers that you do not need! You literally throw them away. I am going to put them on Craigslsit for free for anyone with the OTHER Sportser 1200 models. I know one is for the 1200R which is a bit different than the L and C. I turned on the radio an got to wrenching! Everything is going smoothly and I can see by the condition of the existing gaskets, why it is leaking. They are useless. In just 2 short year of riding. She even keeps the bike in the garage. Looks like I will be doing this fix every couple years. Also, Harley put the front gasket on upside down. See the pic below. That is the front gasket. There is a breather filter under each rocker boxe that is in poor condition. So Amanda is going to pick those parts up and I will finish her bike right after. It’s about a 4 to 5 hour job to complete the 1st time. Probably 3 hours next time, now that I know all the ins and outs.

Getting ready for this year’s ride.

I packed up my Honda 919 with all my gear for my up comping annual ride with Amanda and my Brother Anthony. Being that this is a new bike and I haven’t packed it before, I figured it would be best to pack it all up and see if I run into any issues. All went well and I am ready for the next road journey. I actually have a tent and matting packed in their!

Bar end weights for my 919

After changing my handlebar to a Renthal Aluminum bar, I had to discard the factory bar ends. 7/8 Aluminum handlebars from Renthal are made thicker than 7/8 steel bars. That means the inside diameter or I.D. is smaller. Normal bar end weights, include the stock ones from my Honda, will not fit. I had to look high and low to find something. I finally found some from Motovation.com. They are pretty heavy and well built. All metal. Steel Aluminum and Brass. The go into the bar deeper so they don’t have to stick way out to be heavy enough to dampen well. I got them last night and so far so good. My hands didn’t fall asleep on the way to work today. Whereas they normally start getting numb in a matter of minutes!

View Full Album

Secure in his manhood

My friend Alan appears to be 100% secure in his manhood as he picks up some food for his kitty on his scooter. A lesser man, including me, might be too embarrassed. Not Alan! Good job buddy!!

Got me under pressure

Here is another simple little home video I made of me playing my rendition of ZZ Top’s “Got me under pressure”. I got a little silly with the effects but I was going for a more aggressive look. It was fun even though I got dizzy a few times!

Stuck in the middle…

Amanda is out of town this weekend so I will probably just make videos! This song “Stuck in the middle” is a “Steeler’s Wheel” song and I have always loved the bass line. So I had to record it. I aint no singer but again, I had a blast recording this! Make sure to switch to HQ (high quality)when viewing.

1 wheeling…

My Honda 919 is Fast! Too fast to use to it’s potential on the street safely. Amanda and I went for a breakfast cruise on Sunday. On the way back we took some back roads. Amanda is usually out front but when we came up on a section of twisty roads we know, she waived me on. I was doing 100mph in a split second. After my short run, I found a side street to pull over on and wait for her to catch up. I let her pass and then pulled out to come up behind her. I didn’t get on it in 1st gear because of all the street sand I was going through but when I hit 2nd gear and was in the middle of the road, I throttled up a bit. I mean just a bit. I was flying with my front wheel off the ground! Man these race engines are insane! Maybe I am just too old! Gimme a simple twin cyl engine any day!

Investments?

Wasn’t there a time when people invested in a start up company with an idea just to help them get started? It would seem that once a business got started, if it was actually a good idea and well managed, there would be no more need for investors until a new idea was found and capital was needed to get it up to speed and making money.

These days it seems companies need investors regularly. Why? Is the product not good enough to be self sustaining? Are companies rolling out so many new ideas that they perpetually need new capitol? Probably not.

I may not know enough about this and I am sure some people could spin it nicely to explain it all but I believe that the reason companies need investors these days, is to feed the off balance expense to profit margins caused by salaries that are higher than the profits. I think it’s just like people living beyond their means and using a credit card to make up the difference. Eventually something has to give. In the case of corporate America, this is happening now. There is only so much credit you can use up, there is only so many investors and there is only so much money on hand.

We don’t actually make anything!

We can dump gazillions into bailouts and new programs but in the end none of it will help. I think it will help in the short term but unless we actually change our ways, we will fail again in a short time.

Back in the 40’s and 50’s we came out of the previous depression by making things. We actually made products. Everything was made in USA and it was most of the time better than anything else you could get abroad. GE made appliances and TVs. GM made cars that people wanted and Americans could afford them all. Usually on 1 single salary.

It seems that people got greedy and everyone wanted to be wealthy with less and less work. We then started raising prices of everything to make more and more money. Then on top of that when employees were demanding astronomical salaries and they had unions to help them get those salaries and pensions, business leaders had to raise the prices more and send more and more manufacturing work overseas. This was the beginning of the end.

We taught people around the world how to make stuff. We taught them skills that took us generations to hone. We taught them so that we could take advantage of them and their much lower salary requirements. The problem is, they figured it all out. They started saying, “Wait a minute…why don’t we make stuff for ourselves and make larger profits?” Again, greed takes over. Now, years later, we have no one with real skills and no products being made here in the USA.

What do we have? We have a lot of people gambling with money in hopes of making more money. We have “investments”! People invest in a hope of getting rich quicker than their parents did. It’s all a gamble. Even the 401k is not a good retirement strategy. It is like going to Vegas with your hard earned money and putting your future on the black square. The problem is that in Vegas the odds of either black or red are 50/50. No matter where you are, the odd are 50/50. With speculation and investing, the odds are not fixed. They change by the minute and by the day.

So what am I saying? We have too many people making money off of money and not off of anything tangible. We are pouring our money into other countries for their goods. Most countries seem to have a product or numerous products that the world consumes. The middle east has oil and we all send them our money. Asia has manufacturing and the world sends money to them by the boat load. What do we actually have that the world wants? Autos? Nope. I think Japan has that market tied up pretty good and China is picking up the rear. I know we can make garden hoses and cinnamon holiday brooms but nothing on a global scale. We need to get our country back to making things that people around the world want to buy so that money is coming IN as opposed to always out.

We are rain magnets!

Every single road trip that Amanda and I have been on, we have encountered rain. Often not just a drizzle but rather pounding rains. Ride 06 to Lynchburg, RAIN. Ride 07 to New Orleans, RAIN. Ride to Savannah in 08, RAIN. Ride to family reunion in 07 RAIN RAIN and more RAIN. Ride 08 to Nova Scotia, not just 1 but 2 hurricanes. No matter what the weather is supposed to be, we bring the monsoons!

This Saturday was a nice day outside all day. We finally decided to go out for something to each on our bikes. We got to the restaurant and yep, the rain started. It wasn’t raining anywhere we could see except for the rain on us and the rain coming our way. On the way home, the weather got so bad we heard the Tornado warning going off!!!

Wish we were sunshine magnets instead!

Buy China or not?

After nearly 4 years of me NOT buying hardly anything from China and trying to buy American, I had a thought. Today I realized that China is funding our stinking Government and a good portion of our economy. I am having a dilemma. On one hand I believe that if we all bought American products, American economy would thrive. Jobs and factories would pop up everywhere to fill the needs of our consumers. This would be a great thing. However! We are so very much in debt to China for everything. All of our bailouts and rebate checks are mostly, if not completely financed by China. If we stop buying their goods and their economy crumbles, they would require their money back from us. No? It’s like we are their addicts and they our the dealers and we owe them big time. They let us owe them because they know we will keep buying as long as we are addicted and in their debt. What would happen if we couldn’t pay? They wouldn’t sent Bruno “3 fingers” Finelli over to break our knee caps. They could escalate the situation to a possible war. It is not beyond the scope of possibility.

So do we keep feeding China with our consumerism and perpetuate the “addiction” cycle or do we break the cycle, fight through the withdrawal pains and try to find a way to pay the “dealers”? I don’t know. I am considering buying Chinese goods and changing my principals to do my part. I just don’t know!

Mind is fried!

My mind is fried! After months of focusing on politics and then seeing one bad thing after another in the news, seeing jobs lots, having to choke down the bailout fiasco, the crappy weather here in Nashville for too long, trying to tackle all of the repairs needed on the house, trying to sort all my creative ideas and projects out, being let down by one musician after another, dealing with some personal dramas and trying to get by with 3 torn disks in my back…I am done! Stick a fork in me, I’m done! I will be going on vacation in 8 weeks and that should be relaxing enough but I know it will rain the entire time as it does every time we go away on our motorbikes! Oh well!

American Pride

Have you ever noticed that when anyone speaks of American Pride, the images are of Farmers, Firemen, Teachers, Soldiers and also of basic Americans that actually make up a small percentage of our country and the economy. We don’t see much pride towards the insurance industry, politicians, big corporations, corruption, or any other bureaucratic organization that actually is a more accurate representation of the majority of our country. There is no pride in that! People know it. It’s not who we want to believe we are. We want to believe in the good in our country. Unfortunately the good is being outweighed by the bad. Which is very sad. It’s bad enough when the whole world looks down on us for numerous reasons. It is much worse when we the people have no pride in a part of our country that has become the largest aspect of who we are. Greedy and corrupt!

I am pissed off at all the crap going on around us and I know many other people are as well. I still have pride in the good people and I can only hope that good people rise, squash enough of the bad and restore real American Pride. The pride that is inside. It’s like not having to tell someone you love them all the time. You don’t have to wear a tee shirt that says I love you. They just know it!!  

Greedy Bastards!!!

I, just like most Americans, am livid regarding the abuse of bailout fund by AIG and other bottom feeding corporations. As I understand it, no criminal acts have been committed. So that limits our retaliation against AIG, Merrill Lynch and any other @$$hole companies that took money given too them and abused it. They abused the very people that sent them a life preserver. US. In the past 10-20 years we have become a nation of greedy people. People that want the quick trip to millionaire status. They want to do as little work as possible and step on anyone and everyone that could help them get there. It seems that we have nurtured a society that no longer honors hard work and stability and is more focused on quick money. Think of how many times in the past few years you have a heard a friend or coworker talk about wishing they could do this or that so that they no longer had to work. Everyone wants to put in 1 or 2 years of work and make enough money to retire. That is the culture we have crafted for ourselves. This is how companies have worked their way into bonus programs that reward mediocre work with extreme pay. It has not been good enough to reward good hard workers with a nice $1000 Christmas bonus when the company does well. Those days are long gone. Having a job in the 1st place has not been enough these past few years.  Everyone wants a giant house and numerous brand new cars that cost more than the house they should be living in anyway.

This old greedy culture has been painfully brought to our attention during this recession and MOST of America has been hit so hard that many of us are already changing that culture. We are driving our older cars longer, downsizing and spending less. We are going back to a time when we knew how precious our jobs and incomes really are. Unfortunately the people that make extreme amounts of money do not seem to have gotten this lesson yet. They are still living the WEALTH AT ANY COST life. Ripping off the people to quick track themselves to billionaire status.

I hope I live long enough to see our culture change. I want to be here to see a strong, balanced, humble America where real values are present everywhere from the very top to the very bottom!

Nashville NOT Pedestrian/Bicycle friendly

I would like to ride my bicycle ALOT more. I would ride to work and out shopping if I could. Nashville is just not set up that way. The local government is trying to change that and I hope to be a small part of it. If not I at least hope to take advantage of whatever comes of it. Here are some disturbing facts:

Bike/Ped Fact Sheet

National Facts

• 54% of Americans would like to walk more
• 53% would like to bike more
• In the 1960’s, nearly 70% of children walked or bicycled to school. Today, less than 10% go to school under their own power
• 28% of trips in the US are under one mile
• 48% are less than 3 miles
• 1.7% of trips are made by foot or bicycle
• Motor vehicle emissions represent 31% of carbon dioxide, 81% of carbon monoxide, and 49% of nitrogen oxide
• 60% of pollution created by automobiles occurs in the first few minutes of operation
• A four-mile trip by bicycle keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air.

Local Facts

• 10% of Nashville households do not own a car
• Nashvillians drive an average of 38 miles of day, one of the highest in the US
• The Surface Transportation Policy Project ranked Nashville as the 10^th worst pedestrian city
• 81% of Nashvillians favor more sidewalks and bikeways
• Tennessee spends 0.7% of its federal transportation funds on pedestrian/bicycle facilities
• Pedestrians and bicyclists account for 7% of all traffic deaths in Tennessee
• The obesity rate in Tennessee is 22.7% which is one of the highest in the country
• Nashville has almost twice the road miles as Minneapolis, but half the sidewalks
• Of 338 miles of roadways surveyed in Nashville, 75% were identified as unsuitable for bicycling

Gas assist bicycling

I love this idea. Here in Nashville, we are one of the LEAST friendly communities for bicycles and pedestrians. Our local government is working on changing that. I am all for it. If we get some simple bicycle lanes like there are all over Austin TX and other Eco friendly communities, I may have to get a gas motor assisted bicycle. There are plenty of people making the kits and they cost as low as $100. Check this out:

Auto Bailout (Alternative Solution)

We seem to be throwing money at companies to help them stay afloat. I understand the need to help as the impact could be huge. I don’t agree with it but I understand it and I am reluctantly supporting anything we actually do to help. However. I learned that after all the money we have given to AIG, so far about 170 BILLION, they are still in need of more. The auto industry needs MORE as well. I got to thinking. What is the Auto industry doing with the money? Paying salaries? OK I can see a need to keep people employed but to what end? Are they building cars? What are they actually doing? There is an enormous surplus of un-purchased vehicles sitting in dealerships and who “knows how many?” still at the manufacturing plants. Giving the auto makers money will not relieve them of their costly surplus. It’s not like people will “eventually” buy those vehicles up and then in addition to the surplus, buy whatever new models they make in abundance by the employees whose jobs were saved with bailout money. This is not going to happen. People are NOT buying vehicle as much these days and I believe those days are gone forever. We are going back to a time when people buy cars when they NEED them and not because their tires need to be replaced or there is a new model that comes with a GPS. People will hang on to their vehicles until a time when they are no longer reliable.

This leads me to my solution. I think instead of us bailing out auto makers with cash going no where, we should buy their surplus vehicles. Not as consumers but as a country. We could buy all SUV’s, Pickup trucks and Vans and use them in the military. We could have them retro fitted with propane or CNG (compressed natural gas) engines and use them in our government auto program. We could GIVE them to police, fire and rescue programs across the country! This way the auto manufacturers stay in business. They would have no surplus inventory to try and move and any consumer who was in the market to buy a car could buy a newly manufactured vehicle that is greener, more efficient and made from manufacturers hopefully under a revised, modern, profitable & regulated business model. Seems like a win win win!

Dems vs Reps (more)

This rivalry between the Democrats and the Republicans seems to have lost it’s legitimacy and is now at the same level of street gangs or the freakin Hatfields and McCoys. There is no real reason anymore. It’s just a bunch of people following what they are told by their party to believe in. Many are brainwashed. I believe some people join a party in the beginning because they really do believe in one issue or a few issues. Then they get brainwashed into “believing” all the rest. I think people forget who they are and simply buy into the herd like lemmings. Personally I think we should have smaller Government and less gun control. Both are Republican views.  However I also believe in choice for abortion and more regulation in regards to pollution, banking etc. Those are Democratic views. Am I willing to give up some views to join a group that supports my other views. HELL NO! I intend to have MY OWN VIEWS for the rest of my life. No childish political party is going to tell me that if I want play in their sandbox I have to think like they do.

I am an individual not a Borg! It really seems like if one side is for something, ANYTHING, then the other side is against it. No kidding. How can the whole world full of issues be split so neatly into 2 distinct opinions? It is impossible to have the exact same opinion on all topics as everyone else. Humans are too diverse. How come there are Republicans that are against abortion but want more government spending? How come there are no Democrats that want gun control but less government? There should be as many opinions in Congress as there are people. There isn’t though. Their’s is a gang mentality that states, “I don’t care how I feel as an individual, the gang comes first”! Right or wrong, good or bad! They will quite literally KILL another human being because the gang says someone drove on the wrong street or wore the wrong colors. We look down on members of gangs for their lack of individual thinking and blind devotion. This is the same blind devotion that had Nazis killing Jews in WWII. There was no individual reasoning or choice, just blind loyalty and herd mentality. When I hear Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter smugly spew out crap about Barrack Obama it serves only to fuel the divide and sadly people follow them like people followed Hitler. I am not a Democrat nor a Republican. I choose not to pigeon hole myself into any party. I choose to vote and form a separate opinion on each and every topic. In the end I wind up siding with both sides at different times and often I will side with neither and have my very own opinion.

I believed this was the way to be ever since I was a child. In high school, I hung out with the Jocks, the Band Geeks, the Nerds and the Stoners. I saw them as people and not a group. I knew people from all groups that were good people and some from all that were bad. The group doesn’t define individuals, it only defines the group. People that choose friends based on the group miss out on making some incredible friendships outside the group and conversely, buying into a single groups means that some are stuck with “friendships” that are worthless in some cases.

People who know me well, have heard me rant about this so very many times. I can’t state it enough though. I we got rid of the political parties, we would not have to strive for “Bi-partisanship”. There would be no need. Theoretically, we would automatically have unification in diversity. Everyone could vote their beliefs and the beliefs of their constituents instead of party lines. So many more solutions and points of view could be heard as opposed to them all being stifled by the bullying that goes on. Striving for Bi partisanship is not the answer. It is still forcing there to be 2 distinct sides and asking them to find common ground. Striving for NON-Partisanship is asking people to step away from the predefined opinions of their party and form their own opinions with out the narrow-minded, short sighted limitations and rules of a party that does not have the best interest of the country as a whole in mind. Just like the gangs it seem “party 1st, country 2nd”.

Real change in our country will occur when strong men and women can be in offices and positions free from the shackles of “Red vs Blue”, “Left vs Right”, “Liberal vs Conservative” mentality and make decisions that can actually make a difference.

“Fort Worth” rack

I love the Honda Goldwing and the BMW K1200lt. I don’t usually prefer all the luxury in a bike but for some reason these full blow tourers appeal to me. One thing that I really don’t prefer, beside the big windscreen is the big tail case. I have been looking for a way to remove the case and make the bike look sleek and less top heavy. I even did a couple Photoshop mockups in the past. Well there is a solution! At least on the BMW end. It’s called a "Fort Worth" rack. I don’t know who makes it or where to even buy one but they are out there and WOW it makes all the difference in the world! I have a chance to buy a K1200lt for a great price and have been reluctant. After seeing these pix I am seriously considering one as a tourer!

Houses in Detroit

On the news last night I saw a house sell for $1 in Detroit. The average price of a house went from $75,000 last year to a jaw-dropping $7000 this year. I know the auto industry is failing and people are leaving but to me this seems like and investment dream! A large company could go there and buy up complete neighborhoods and then move there manufacturing there. Bring home all of the over seas manufacturing and bring it here to Detroit. After the UAW falls apart there would be MANY people up there willing to work in a different manufacturing plant for a reasonable amount of pay as opposed to their bloated union backed pay as before. One company could single handed change the economy. More jobs in America and NONE overseas. Inexpensive housing and modest stable incomes. Maybe those Detroit auto plants could be retooled to make windmills or solar arrays or green vehicles. They just need a large company with foresight and courage to start.

Little White Buggy (update)

Well, it’s inspected, registered, cleaned up and on the road. It was in rough shape but now it is doing it’s intended job of getting me to work when the weather is too bad to ride my motorcycle. It cost me $300 to buy but with the $65 towing fee, a new $80 battery, replacement tires and all the state fees, I still only have about $800 total in it. not bad at all. Also, now I know alot more about Mazda Proteges which is worth…well…nevermind!

Another call to the help desk…

A user called the IT Support Desk asking where the “search” function was in a new version of a company web application. This picture is literally an unedited screen capture from the webpage. No lie!

Content vs. Tone

I imagine that most people are far more interested in the content of a speech or music or art in general as opposed to how it is delivered or shared. People will listen to a great speech and think “brilliant” or listen to a musical passage and bask in the creativity of the artist. That is one way of looking at it. I personally do not put as much weight into the things people say or the music that they write or the subject of one’s paintings. I focus dern near 100% on the tone in which they convey the art or message. That’s just what has always captured my attention. In music especially. There are very few drummers or guitarists who actually “say” anything new or revolutionary. There are 12 notes to choose from and basically 32 or so beats that can be utilized to be creative with. After thousands of years most everything has been played in every way imaginable. What is left to change is the infinitely variable tones used to play it. Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top has not broken any ground in the content of his guitar playing but the tone he uses to deliver it gives me goose bumps! I can see a drummer play a simple drum beat, one I have heard a million times in a million songs, but if those drums are tuned just right and the room is just right, I could listen to that beat, all by it self, over and over again. So the content is not what is nearly as important as the tone. I could read the content of what the drummer is playing on sheet music but without the tone, there is no enjoyment for me.

With speeches or readings, there are no really new philosophies or ideas. The speeches differ in the “tone”. President Obama is not breaking new ground with his speeches. He is saying things that have been said a million times. He just does it with a tone and delivery that captures your attention and gets you to listen. I personally don’t think we listen to President Kennedy’s “It’s not what your country can do for you…” or President Roosevelt’s “The only thing we have to fear..” lines so often for their content but rather the impact of the tones. If President Bush had said either line we would have only heard them played again on David Letterman during a joke.

In acting, everything has been said or portrayed into the ground. What sets a actor apart is usually not the script but rather their tone. Think of Brad pit saying a line in a movie and then think of Al Pacino saying the same line. The content hasn’t changed but the tone and it’s delivery has! Al Pacino can elevate a simple dialog to a level of art. Then there is James Earl Jones, who is on a level all his own. Think of Darth Vader saying “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” from Star Wars. POWERFUL! He could literally read the obituaries and have everyone in the room enthralled!

I am definitely a TONE oriented person.

GM dying but Hyundai growing?

In this time, the worst economy in my lifetime, pillars of the automotive community are crumbling right before our eyes. Yet somehow during all this, a relative newcomer and small player in the game, Hyundai is actually growing! Car sales for GM, Chrysler and Ford are each down about 40-50% each. Enough to destroy each company. Hyundai is expanding? Yes, expanding! How. This is so simple a child could figure it out. GIVE THE CONSUMER WHAT THEY WANT!!! Hyundai sells good cars, with high MPG, at much lower prices than the big 3 do. They also build some of their line of vehicles right here in the good ol USA.Giving people jobs in manufacturing, distribution, sales, service, etc. Hyundai, a Korean based company is doing more for America than GM or Chrysler have in decades. How can they do it when the Big 3 can’t? I am quite sure it has something to do with paying FAIR wages to their employees and executives unlike the Big 3 who seem to think that it requires $50 per hour employees to friggin bolt parts onto a car and literally millions of dollars per year to executives to make bad decisions and sign off on ugly inefficient car designs. Both driving the price of the car to historic highs compared to annual salaries of the consumer! Take a lesson Ford, before it’s too late!

Amanda’s Cafe Racer project

I cleaned out the garage this weekend and rolled Amanda’s 1972 CB500 into the middle so I can start turning it into the Vintage Cafe Racer she wants it to be! I think simply losing the old fenders and tail light really toughen it up nicely. I bought a "Ace Cafe Racer" handlebar off eBay also and  I will install ASAP. That should really get the "cafe" look underway. We are both excited to see what we come up with!

 

The little white buggy rides again!

After a couple weeks of wrenching, lots of cleaning and a replacement set of tires, my $300 1995 Mazda Protege passed inspection and is now on the road! It’s not very fast and it doesn’t look all that great but it gets pretty good gas mileage and the heat works nicely. Zoom Zoom (kinda) LOL!!

Movie vs. Animations (expectations)

I probably talked about this before but it is again fresh in my mind so I want to bring it up again. This weekend Amanda and I watched the animation “WALL-E”. I LOVED it!! It was such a well crafted piece of work. I got to thinking again about how most of my favorite movies are actually animations. Cars, Shreck, The Lion King, Monsters Inc, Ice Age, Beowulf and now wall-e. What makes them all better to me than a movie. I nailed it down to the lack of expectations in regards to reality. My mind is one of a typical Virgo. I analyze everything! When I watch a movie, I can’t help but scrutinize each scene and say to myself “no one would ever do that!”  or “that’s just not possible!”. With Animations, I can let go of the expectation of reality, free my mind, except anything that is dished out and enjoy the production.

Vintage Motorcycle Racing

I want to race motorcycles. I have ever since I was a boy and I had my bedroom walls covered in motocross pix cut out from magazines. I have one major problem. I don’t like extreme speed. How do you race without extreme speed? Enter Vintage Motorcycle racing!!!

There are tons of categories from motocross, to flat track, to asphalt and trials. All on old vintage bikes. It appears that mostly older folks get into this racing. Maybe for the same reason it interests me. A love for vintage motorcycles and racing without having to compete at the relatively dangerous speeds of modern racing. Also us older folks probably couldn’t compete with the young, fit and courageous younger riders. Personally I am interested in Asphalt Track racing on vintage racers that top out at 100 in the long straights. That would be a blast! I would have fun not only racing but also the building, tweaking and inevitable repairing of the machine. FUN!!!

Check out this link for some info…
http://www.ahrma.org/

Stability & Confidence…

Everyone in Congress is spouting off what they think we need to end our current economic hole. One side is pushing tax breaks the other spending. I don’t think we need either. Without stability in our economy, no amount of money or tax breaks will help. Most people have cut their spending not solely because of lost jobs but also out of fear. People are holding on to their cash “just in case”. People are thinking that they can hang onto the old car a bit longer and make due for a while longer or wear that older outfit to work for a few more months. Etc. No one wants to get caught with no money in the bank and debt on top of that if they lose their job.

Consumer confidence is a big deal. I know I personally keep waiting for gas prices to go sky high again for some other bogus reason. I keep waiting for the power bill to double or groceries to be in short supply. I fear my portfolio is going to drop another 50% like it has this year. We have all gotten bitten in the ass this past year and I think we are all gun shy.

To move our economy along we need confidence. To get confidence we need stability in the markets. Stability that could come from legislation or simply positivity from the media (Their gloom and doom is fodder for another blog). In my solution to the slow economy, there are no bail outs and no tax breaks. Just stability.

Ford Motor co. is at least TRYING to make it right

In December of 2008, Alan Mulally, the CEO of Ford Motor Co. said that they would not need a short-term loan from the government but did request the nine billion dollar line of credit as a “critical backstop or safeguard against worsening conditions.”

Ford  stated “We do not face a near-term liquidity issue, and we are not seeking short-term financial assistance from the government,”

& “All of us at Ford appreciate the prudent step the administration has taken to address the near-term liquidity issues of GM and Chrysler,”

Ford said the comprehensive restructuring plan it presented to Congress will allow it to return to profitability by 2011. They are “working to aggressively reduce costs” and will “continue to invest heavily in product development, including approximately 14 billion dollars over the next seven years to improve the fuel economy of its vehicles“.

Politics as usual!

Well it looks like “Change” lasted about 7 or 8 days in our new government! The new stimulus bill that not one single Republican voted in favor of, passed. Why did not one single Republican vote yes? The Democrats included more crap into this bill. Just like the useless politicians always do. 75Million for a program to help people stop smoking? What the hell does that have to do with a stimulus package? It is annoying to keep hoping for change and still have the same crap ass politicians playing games with our money.

Solution:

How about we limit the scope of any bill to the summary statement only? If someone wants to pass a bill that supplies funding for unemployment, make it solely about just that. If want to have money for highway renewal, submit a friggin bill!!! Don’t tag it on to a bill that has nothing to do with it. With individual bills up for vote, other politicians are more likely to actually vote on it. Politicians will often not vote for something not because they are against the main portion of the bill, they are against some other piece of legislative BS tagged on.

Get it right Washington. It’s not that friggin complicated!

The Economy is already fixed!

I know this won’t sit well with most anyone but I believe the economy was broken BEFORE and is fixed, or mostly fixed NOW! We had years of bloat, over spending, over extending on credit, greed, sub prime lending, overstaffing (remember the dot.com bloat) and simple fiscal irresponsibility. We were all living like there was an infinite amount of money and revenue for a LONG time. Many people bought extremely expensive cars, houses, boat and motorcycles. Myself included and lenders flooded the market with easy, sub-prime credit.

Now before anyone get’s in a huff and tells me how they have been living right, I am not talking too you. I am addressing the MILLIONS of people that didn’t live right. Again, myself included. So the economic levee finally broke and we are now faced with the natural leveling of the waters. Yes, the waters are wiping out some houses, business, jobs and lifestyles but maybe the lesson is that we shouldn’t have tried to build the dam and live under it in the 1st place. Lenders have moved back to more strict requirements and people are being more conscious of there spending. I think the economy fixed itself and now for us to not feel the pains, we need to not try to “fix” it back to the previous state where we “thought” is was working well and instead, leave things alone and try to change our lifestyle to match the economic environment.

I see “fixing” the economy about as smart as fixing the levees in New Orleans. Eventually another storm will come that we can no longer weather and we will face another disaster with equally devastating consequences. Instead of fixing what we know to be flawed just to move back to where we were before is silly. we should be thinking forward and not backwards. We should be thinking of how we can live WITH the knowledge we gained form the Katrina storm and not try to shore up to fight it when it happens again. We are trying to “fix” the economy by throwing money at a business model that no longer works. We are doing as a country the very same thing that auto industry is doing. They are failing and instead of changing culture and the business model to suit the times, they are asking for money to keep going with business as usual for the most part. We are all tired of that and disgusted that they let it get to this point yet we are doing the same thing with our economy. It failed because we let it get bad. Everyone is to blame. We all put too many expensive cars on the road, we all built too many houses, we all built too many stores, we all took too many loans, we all used too much of our credit cards. we all got greedy and lazy. Now that we are aware of the causes and results, we need to take a lesson from it and move in a direction to where this won’t happen again. If we band-aid the problem with cash, the problem is still there. When the band-aid fails, we will have a fresh open wound again.

Leave the economy alone and fix our culture. The waters will settle to their natural levels.

Cresent Furniture… Out of business

I hate to see any company go out of business because employee lose their jobs. I also believe that most companies goes out of business because they are simply greedy and not flexible. Today was the last sale of the long time furniture store in Nashville TN. They stated that the current poor economy is to blame. After seeing the store, the stock and the prices, I must disagree. The furniture, artwork and carpets they have in the store are of basic quality. I saw nothing of master craftsmanship or design. The artwork was very generic, the carpets were thin and no better in comfort or style than the carpet I have in my living room. The prices on the sofa paintings were as high as the $4000+ range. Quite expensive for mass produced, generic paintings of flowers and landscapes. Maybe worth $100-$200 in reality. Had they sold it for a smaller profit they could have actually sold more of them. I saw a queen sized bed that I could quite literally build in my garage in 1 day with the existing tools I have. I am not exaggerating in any way. They had a $7000 price tag on it. Geesh! Greedy is not enough to describe them in regards to their carpets. We hoped to find a good deal on an area rug. So I knelt down and felt the quality. They were a bit thinner than the carpet I have had in my living room for 7 years and the design more generic. Here’s the killer. The price tags. $38,000. Yep THIRTY EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS!!! For a friggin area rug! They had hundreds of them! If they were really worth that much, I doubt they could afford the insurance on them! First off what kinda of person would pay $38,000 for an area rug that doesn’t come with Pam Anderson laying naked on it? Then I gotta wonder if Cresent sold items at a markup enough to simply do good business, they may actually be able to stay open. Instead their greed gave them an income during good times and now 30 people are out of jobs. What a shame!

Big aint big no more!!!

Remember when a large soda at a fast food resturant was 18 ounces and a small was about the size of a Dixie cup? Sometimes I go back into historic mode and order a large. I am always blown away when they hand me a 44 ounce soda with a 12″ straw!

We Americans sure do like our stuff collasal sized. If you ever see an old early 80′s full size pickup truck next to a new midsize you will see what I mean. A 1980 Dodge Full Size 2wd pickup is the same size and maybe even smaller than a new Dodge Dakota. Then compare it to a full size Dodge 1500. GEESH!!! The modern full size trucks are like Earthmovers from the 80′s! Cars are like this too. Compare a 1980 Mustang and it is much smaller than a modern Ford Focus. No kidding! What was once considered Compact is now sub compact. What was a midsize before is now a compact. Everything shift up. I saw a Honda Element the other day next to a Dodge Caravan which used to be a pretty large vehicle considering it is a van after all. The Honda Element made the Van look like a Mini Cooper. Which has grown itself to dwarf the original Mini. The VW Golf/GTI today make the original GTI look like a go-cart. Why do we obssess with making everything as big as we can? I saw a woman today climbing out of her brand new Chevy Tahoe. Yes I guess there are some people that still do not know that it’s a bad recession and that gas prices could still go up again. She climbed down out of that thing like she was a big rig trucker mamma from Smokey and The Bandit days! She held on to a hand hold and stepped out onto her step bar. The truck was too friggin high to just get in. She had to have an extra step! What planet are we on? I was waiting for her to say “10-4 good buddy!” 

Take a look around you and try to compare what you see to your childhood. My family grew up in a GIANT 1600 sq ft house with 6 people and a Great Dane and we felt like we had a castle. We had a Station Wagon and thought it was huge. Now houses are “starter homes” if it’s under 2000 sq ft.  Here is somthing from the Washington Times: The average size of newly built homes has steadily increased from just over 1,600 square feet in the late 1970s to nearly 2,300 square feet today, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

I am glad the trend is starting to change though as reported by many different agencies. House sizes this past year dropped and will most liekly continue. I see that cars and everything else will follow suit. If it happens slowly, no one will really notice and there won’t be a conflict with our American culture of “keeping up with the Jones family”

Oddly enough a large Pizza is smaller these days then it was whenI was a kid. Large was like 20″ now Large is 12″ and Extra large is like 16″. Go figure!

1995 Mazda Protege

I have been looking for a cheap car that gets great gas mileage. Amanda found me one that a friend had sitting in the back yard for 3 years! It is a 1995 Mazda Protege. It had weeds literally growing up into the engine and wheels. There was a gap where someone had stood on the roof and separated the sunroof from the roof. Water leaked in and created a nasty puddle of water and mildew on the floor. The car WREAKED! The tires were flat too. We gave her $300 and towed it home. I have spent the last week working on it after I get home from the office. I scrubbed the years of weather off the outside, filled the tires with air and spend a hour on the interior floor. I ended up pouring a couple gallons of hot water with Pinesol in it, letting it soak in and then using my shop vac to clean it all out. After 3 times, the floor was noticeably cleaner. The car still has a bit of smell but its getting better.

After putting in a new battery, new spark plugs, new main fuse and adding a can of “Seafoam” to the engine oil and to 4 gallons of fresh gasoline, I was able to start it up! It struggled at 1st as it had to get gas from the tank all the way to the motor. It idled like brand new! It is surprisingly smooth and quiet. I can eve rev the motor up and it is still smooth. I took it for a ride and when it is in gear it had a bit of trouble for the 1st ride. Last night though I drove around the block for 30 minutes and it got better and better. I am guessing that there was and still is some buildup and varnish from the old gasoline. The Seafoam is supposed to clean it all up in one tank full but at 30MPG it could take a shit load of laps around the neighborhood to clean it up fully. The car is not registered yet so I don’t want to venture out too far.

There is a lot of things I still need to fix before I get it registered and officially on the road but I love the challenge and I love fixing things. Besides, the radio works!

English only failed in Nashville!!! :)

Nashville had a law up for vote yesterday. Sadly, only 73.896 people voted on the issue. I believe that saving the current $150,000 annual cost of translation services in the Nashville Court system is not enough of a reason to pass this law. I personally do not think it would encourage non English speakers to learn English which is another “benefit” that the proponents used as argument. I think this is another example of a rash solution to a much smaller problem. If the city does not wish to pay for translation services, make the person needing the service pay for it! Problem solved. If they cannot pay, we can allow the private sector to provide the service and arrange payment, similar to a bail bondsman services that have been in place for decades, nationwide. We could simply supply the non-English speaking person with a document that explains their options and provides a phone number they can call to various, rotating, private sector services. There are many possible solutions that are not knee jerk. I am glad that our Mayor Dean opposed this as I and the majority of voters in Nashville!

Congratulations Mr. President!

Congratulations to Barrack Obama. Congratulations to The United States of America! We have finally voted into office a man with the knowledge, education, demeanor, dedication, skills and passion to guide our country back onto the path that our constitution and founding fathers intended us to be on! I am proud to be an American! I am proud of our President. I know he has a long hard road ahead of him, as do we all. He still has much to live up to. For the 1st time in my lifetime, I have confidence that we have chosen the right man for the job. Let us all give him and each other the support we all need to prosper and achieve security, stability and peace of mind.

“Applause!!!”

Builders vs. Fixers

I have learned that there is a difference between someone who builds something and someone who repairs that same something. This is true about cars, motorcycles, computers, electronic devices, etc. A person who builds can often be simply an “assembler”. They may know exactly how something goes together but not the “why it works”. The person who hand builds guitar amplifiers may not be actually qualified to diagnose, customize or repair that amp let alone any one of hundreds of other different amps. The repair person on the other hand may not have ever seen the inside of a “Joe Smoker” amp but with the repair knowledge he has he knows, why things are assembled the way they are and what each component does. A key difference between a builder and a fixer is the knowledge of what DOESN’T work. A builder knows how to build something from parts that are known to work. A Fixer has to look at what failed. After years of looking at what has failed and figuring out why, the Fixer has the knowledge to actually be a better builder than a person dedicated to building something. Would you take your car to the manufacturer plant to repair a worn out part or to find out why the car is hesitating or sputtering? No. They are only familiar with parts in the pristine condition of new. A Fixer see the parts in various stages of wear and can determine if the wear is enough to cause an issue. Fixers are much more intimate with the workings of the technology they are dedicated to. Anyone can build a computer but fixers can diagnose and repair them. Just my observation. It is not always the case as some builders are fixers as well but more of a general rule of thumb.

Face Detection

I was excited to see that the new Apple iPhoto had “face detection”. I was thinking that someone really came up with something new and fresh. Then I looked at my already installed Windows Live Photo Gallery tool on my WindowsXP PC and saw that it was already there. That got me to thinking. How many ideas in the PC world are truely unique? I guess it has always been a bit of stealing, a little borrowing, a pinch of influenced by and a touch of original thinking by everyone. In the end, “new and unique” is just perception and marketing!

“high mpg used cars”

I guess I am not the only one who has had it with the over priced, low gas mileage vehicles that we have to choose from in the recent past few years. I have bitched about it a few times in the past. Cars used to be a much smaller part of our monthly bills. Now they seem to take as much money a month from our checking accounts as does our houses!
I did a Google search for “high mpg used cars” and was surprised how many people are looking for the very same thing. Some of us are realizing we don’t need a $400 per month auto loan with $100 insurance and crappy gas mileage just to get back and forth to work. A simple inexpensive car will suit fine! I’d rather pay off my house sooner and save interest than dump money into a depreciating money pit like new cars all are.

Nashville Zoning commision is blind!

I was watching a Nashville Zoning hearing on TV the other day. A single family plot of land in a historic section of town is up for rezoning to allow 8 buildings of 4 residences per unit. Where 1 family lived, someone is proposing 24 families. This could be 50-75 more people and up to 50 new cars added to an extremely dense traffic area. Anyone who lives in Nashville and has ever been down Hillsboro pike south of I-440 knows that the traffic into Green Hills is insane at best! Another greedy builder wants to add more new units to a Nashville landscape that is littered with empty new construction. Some estimates put the new construction occupancy as low as 50%. Yet we keep building and building new construction to just let it sit. The zoning commission doesn’t seem to get it. 2 Councilmen stood up and said that this is not a good idea and pointed out numerous clearly stated reasons why so. The other commissioners seemed like they weren’t even listening. They asked no further questions, had no debate about it. They simply said. “All in favor?” The majority raised their hands and they moved on to the next topic. These people are ruining this town. They are changing all the charming, historic, residential areas that give Nashville it’s character into COMMERCIAL everything. From condos to strip malls to one after another empty or soon to be out of business new construction. People are so frigging greedy. We need our councilmen to slow down and let some of the empty new construction be utilized first. There is PLENTY of it around as well.

Titans lose in the playoffs

Well here it is again. That time of the year when the Titans lose and end their season earlier that we all hoped for. The number one team in the NFL and they lost their fist playoff game of the season.

Here is my take and gripe on it. The Titans were not beaten by the Ravens. In fact the Ravens didn’t even play all that well. The Titans dominated the time of possession, double the acquired yardage, consistently moved the ball on offense and stuffed the Raven’s offense with dominant defense. Then why the loss? Lendale White and Algae Crumbler are one reason. 2 key fumbles in the red zone that otherwise would have been scoring situations for the Titans. The other reason is the 3rd team on the field. The referees!!! I know that it is easy to side with the call that go against your opponent and complain about calls to your team but there were two calls that resulted in scoring situations for the Ravens.The 1st call was a personal foul on a Titan for pushing a Raven off of a Titan on the ground. The play was over and the Raven player was bending a Titan player’s back so far backward that even the commentators said they look like they might break his back. This went on for 5 or 6 seconds passed the repeatedly blow whistle. The Raven player was not penalized but the Titan WAS!!! 15 yards and a 1st down. The 2nd bad MAJOR call played a significant role in the outcome of the game. 4th quarter, tie score, Ravens miss the play clock by a full 2 seconds and not referee called it. They went on to obtain 1st down and good enough field position to score the winning field goal. Had they been penalized as they should it would have been a 5 yard penalty and a 3rd down/7.

So I feel the Ravens did not beat the Titans. The Titans lost to themselves and the refs!

My 1st “Marlees” show

Here is a picture from last night’s show. I will give more details when I have more than 3 hours of sleep.

New songs, new amp, new band, new club…Oh my!!!

I bought a guitar amp for the 1st time in many years. It is very different from any amp I have ever owned before. For the most part, I played and was comfortable with “master volume” amps that would allow me to get your sound and a wide range of stage volumes. They also had a standard compliment of EQ knobs to help with the “dialing” in of tone. This new amp has neither. It is a bare bones tube amp with only volume bass and treble adjustments. No gain settings. No mid range adjustments. No reverb. No presence control. It also has a set of tubes that I have never used before either. I used the mainstream EL34 tubes for years but over the past 10 years grew to prefer and use 6L6 tubes. This new amp utilizes 6V6 tubes. This amp sounds fantastic but it is very different from what I am used to.

Tonight I am playing a show with a band that I hadn’t played with before. We will be playing many songs that I learned only this week and on top of it all my main amp died and I will have to play my new amp. I will not have the comfort and confidence that I get from NOT having to think about my sound while trying to remember all the parts of the songs AND entertain like I am not a rookie! The perfect storm if you will. Everything is coming together to make this a challenging evening.

I would feel much better if I didn’t have to work all day! I could be at home running over the songs and tones from my new amp! Luckily I am playing with 2 seasoned and accomplished musicians that I can lean on during the show. Fingers are crossed! I’m sure theirs are as well!

Apple Wheel

This is hilarious!!!

Music & gear again

I haven’t bought any guitar equipment in many many years. I have plenty of guitars and an amp that I have been happy with. That is until last Friday! After all the years with this amp it finally blew. Of course it had to happen the night before a 5 day stretch of scheduled playing. I had to run out and buy an amp. I bought my 1st “new” amp in about 8 years! I prefer used equipment for some reason. Maybe I am just cheap! Anyway, I am taking that amp back anyway. I tried it at a rehearsal and it didn’t do what I wanted. There is an amp that I have been wanting and after having played that amp, I knew nothing else would come close. That amp is a Dr. Z Z-28 amp and the $1300 plus tax, price tag was stopping me from buying it. UNTIL…I found one online for sale used for $875. MUCH easier to swallow Especially because the new amp I bought last Friday was $715. Not much of a difference to get the exact amp I have been wanting. It will be here on Tuesday JUST in time for my show on Wednesday. I will be spending all Tuesday night getting used to the sound.

I am excited to be getting my feet wet in the gigging pond again. It has been a long time. I hope this time around, it is longer lasting. Music has been such a huge part of my whole life. I really miss certain aspects of it all. The actual music. I can live with out the drama of musicians, the drunk patrons and the often evil club owners but I play for the music and the feeling I get. I hope this Dr Z helps me achieve that feeling I get when it all just works!

Giggin’ with The Marlees!

I am playing guitar for a couple shows with a band called The Marlees. Wednesday Jan 7th and Wednesday Feb 11th. Both are at 8 pm at the Bunganutpig in Murfreesboro TN. Should be a great time. Ruben, the drummer, and I have been playing in bands together on and off for just about 23 years. Nicole, the bass player/singer is in a class by herself and I am looking forward to a night full of grooves and jams with the both of them. Come on down and watch me scrape the rust off my playing and have some fun. The set list is not like anyone else’s in the area!

BAND:                   “The Marlees”
VENUE:                “The Bunganut Pig” in Murfreesboro TN
TIME:                    8pm
DATES:                 Wednesday Jan 7th &  Wednesday Feb 11th

Garden hose fountain

Remember when water was clean enough to go outside in the summer and drink right from the garden hose? I remember turning on the spigot and waiting for the hot water that had been baking in the hose as it sat there in hot summer sun, to pass through and let the cool water from the underground pipes to come out. MMMMM! I would drink so much that my belly would bulge! I remember my friends saying “HEY SAVE SOME FOR US!!” as if it were going to run out. It never did and I will probably never experience that simple joy again in my lifetime.

Japanese vs America “Canoe Race”

Copied from a circulating email…

A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company (Ford Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practised long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race. On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 7 people steering and 2 people rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order; American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing. Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team’s management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager. They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 2 people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the ‘Rowing Team Quality First Program,’ with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to ‘equal the competition’ and some of the resultant savings were channeled into morale boosting programs and teamwork posters.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles. Humiliated, the American management laid-off one rower, halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses.

The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for unacceptable performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year’s racing team was out-sourced toIndia.

Sadly, the End.

Here’s something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can’t make money paying American wages. TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US.The last quarter’s results: TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses. Ford folks are still scratching their heads, and collecting bonuses.

IF THIS WEREN’T SO TRUE IT MIGHT BE FUNNY

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all!

Big ball, small ball…

This is my simple analogy regarding the size of a company, big ball or small ball, in relation to the ever changing direction of the wind or economy.

A small ball rolling along with the winds is very light and therefore is effected by every single shift of the wind, no matter how small. This is what I would consider instability. The slightest of winds would easily blow the small ball off track, whereas a large ball would not be affected by the small fluctuations in the wind. Stability is a good thing in business! Conversely when the winds change direction and stay changed, the small ball can flutter along with the change or trend. There would still be the same level of instability but it would be in the very same general direction as the wind or trend. A large ball would not be changed by the wind. It would continue to roll in the direction it was going prior to the shift.  Eventually, with no wind in the direction of the big rolling ball, the ball maybe cease to roll altogether. There it would sit, corroding and rotting into nothing. The small ball would still be moving along in the turbulence of the wind growing and growing until it was moving with the wind, changing direction with the wind and not being effected by the smaller fluctuations. This is now a medium sized ball and is the best size ball to flow with the winds.

Using this analogy, I came to the conclusion that giving money to the “big balls” with the GM, Ford and Chrysler logos painted on the side, is a waste of money. Even if we could spend enough to change the direction of the ball to match the current wind directions (which is “leaner and greener”), the direction could change again as this storm is far from over and we could be stuck spending more and more to keep the “big balls” moving. My solution? Divide the big balls into several medium sized balls that can easily move with the change in direction but are strong enough to be stable during the small fluctuations. Separate GM into Chevy, Cadillac, Pontiac and GM. Separate Ford into Volvo, Jaguar, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury. Separate Chrysler back into Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler and Plymouth (if it’s even still around). Separate them all and let them all navigate this storm in smaller more maneuverable ships on this sea of uncertainty and turbulence.

KingX at the Mercy Lounge

I went with a couple friends of mine to the Mercy Lounge in Nashville the other night and saw KingsX. I was mixed on the show. The 1st half of their set was very low energy. The were loud and played their songs well. It was just that they lacked any “show”. That is until they played their last song of the set, “Over my head”. They kicked that song in the @$$ and the crowd responded. In turn, KingsX respondend a the song was the pinnacle of the show. They then took a break and came out for 3 encores. All 3 songs carried the energy the band found playing “Over My Head”. The end of the show was enegetic and fun.

I always knew that Doug Pinnick, the singer/bass player was skinny but in person it is shocking! He stands about 6’3″ and weighs a mere 100 lbs IF THAT! I didn’t matter because he belts out vocals with the power of a man 3 times his size! Amazing power!

9 degrees

OMG! It is 9 freaking degrees outside! I am not looking forward to my heating bill this month!

Pretty good perspective on the various “wars on…”

Article about the wars on….

Ron Paul!!!

This is why I voted for Ron Paul in the 2008 Primaries!!

More on overpopulation

I have been talking about these points for decades now! We are busting at the seams everywhere you look!!!

Waste of a day off!

I figured I would take the day off and get some things done today. I took Amanda to work so I could drive the SUV. Well we had some ice on the roads this morning so it took quite a while to get her to work. Then NOTHING WAS OPEN! None of the stores I had to go to were open. They all open at 10am. That’s 3 hours of wasted time. Well it didn’t matter too much. The traffic around the eentire area is bumper to bumper in every direction I had to go. It is almost 10:30 and there is still traffic for people trying to get to work. This is insane! Can I restate that we are WAY too over populated and congested? Nashville has just over a million people. I think 200,000 of them are on the roads right now trying to get to work. I am so frustrated. I could have just gone to work myself and not wasted this whole morning sitting in the car doing nothing. I would not have hit the traffic as early as I go in.

Overpopulation

Overpopulation is an issue that has always concerned me. Up until about 10,000 years ago there were relatively a handful of people on this whole planet. Everything was in abundance, from food to space to live. Then came the agricultural revolution and bing, bang, boom! The population exploded. Then just over 100 years ago the Industrial revolution hit and Ba-Boing!!! The population growth kicked into overdrive. We went from about 1.5 billion worldwide (est) to a staggering 6.7 BILLION in just a minuscule point on the human time line of our planet. This is estimated to be 9 billion by 2040ish. That is ridiculous! I am reading a book called “Ishmael” which is about this very topic. It is a fantastic book! (Thanks Clay for the recommendation).

Anyway… I am not actually blogging about the book. It is just on topic. I am blogging because today many people in Nashville are being effected by overpopulation and don’t even know it. There is a wreck on I65 here in Nashville this morning. This one wreck between, most likely 2 individuals is effecting tens of thousands of people, if not, many more as the traffic all throughout the city has ground to a mere crawl. All the main highways and roads are congested all the way to the far outskirts of town. It took me 1.5 hours to drive to work today. It normally takes me 30 minutes as I am only 12 miles from work, door to door. I got to work worried about being very late and having to park at the end of the parking lot in the rain. No worry. The place is deserted. Everyone else is stuck in the traffic as well. Every business is suffering. Deliveries will be late, services will be delayed and you can just imagine the impact it would have to everyone’s business.

We are so crowded and over populated yet we are still offering “tax breaks” to companies who move to our areas, bringing more people, more growth and more crowding to our streets, our schools and our lifes. I could get deep into it and all the repercussions but I think I am simply going to recommend to anyone who cares, read Ishmael!

UPDATE: The accident on I-65 happened at dawn this morning and The Tennessee DOT has since shut down all Southbound lanes of the interstate and they don’t expect the wreck to be cleared until 10:30. That’s is Amazing. A car wreck can bring a large portion of city of over 1 million people to a crawl for 5 hours!!! WOW!!

Assumptions (rider vs. cager)

Motorcycle riders see the road in many different ways than do people who drive cars or “cagers”. One particular way is what we choose to “assume”. For instance. This monring on my way to work, I was trailing about 40 feet or so behind a cager in the right lane. Up ahead I noticed a car waiting to exit an apartment complex driveway from the right. My assumption based on experience and the perspective of a full time motorcyclist was that the driver had every intention whether subconscious or not, to pull out and kill me! The cager’s assumption was that the driver would patiently wait their turn to pull out. I moved my bike to the left lane and kept a buffer zone just in case. I didn’t make much out of this as this is what I always do and this morning was no different. The cager did not move. At least not until the oblivious or plain stupid driver coming out of the parking lot decided to pay no attention to the oncoming traffic, ignore the fact that it was cold, dark and raining and pulled right out into the side of the cager that stayed in the right lane. BANG!!

Some people say “never assume”. I say when you are on a motorcycle ALWAYS assume the worst case scenario will happen and act on that assumption!

Winter setting in…

Winter is setting in. It is actually snowing here in Nashville today. It’s only light flurries and nothing is sticking but it is a definite sign that winter is indeed upon us. I used to love the winter. Now I could really live without it. I would be fine if winter meant skiing and snowmobiling on the weekends but it doesnt. Here in Nashville winter is just a season you have to live with. It’s too cold to do anything outdoors and not enough of a winter to go ice skating on a local pond of sledding down the street. It’s just a cold inconvenience. Christmas time is here and that’s great but with it being so commercialized these days, even Christmas has lost some of what it had years ago. Now we are force fed Christmas as early as weeks before Halloween. We are rushed into it and then rushed out of it. More people seem to be concerned with sales to buy the Wii or a new widescreen tv than they are about Christmas itself. Oh well. I will continue to bundle upand ride my motorcycle through yet another cold winter and try to keep the energy bills low. The in the spring time LIFE begins again! Great weather, trees and flowers in bloom, people mowing their yards, country road rides on the bikes with friends and family who can finally take their motorcycles out of winter storage and all the other activities that get put on hold for the winter season. Seems like there is no life in winter people even get pale skinned like death is setting in. Spring and summer brings color to people skin just as it does the landscape with new fresh life. I bet the economy picks up in the spring too. Spring brings optimism, life and color whereas winter IMO brings gloom.

Philosophers vs pole dancers

Some people have a huge musical vocabulary when it comes to playing an instrument. They can play for hours and not say the same thing twice. Drawing on musical concepts and theory to craft a never ending communication of ideas in a multitude of directions. There are actually some people that can understand this expression in all it’s cerebral nuance. I am not one of those musicians. I have a bag of tricks and some staples of musical conversation that can excite and stimulate a far larger demographic but for a much shorter period of time. I compare these two contrasting styles to those of philosophers and pole dancers. A few people can listen to a philosopher speak for hours and not tire of his wisdom and never ending perceptions. Whereas many people can go see a pole dancers for an hour or so, see all 20 or 30 moves she has, smile and then go on to the next pole dancer or even just home. I play guitar like the pole dancer. You see me, we are both drunk, I play my bag of tricks for a while and then it’s over. I don’t mind though. People that go see pole dancers go back time and time again for more and more of the same. I really do like philosophy though!

A nice Sunday hike

Amanda and I took Dew out for a nice little hike on Sunday. the weather was fantastic and the trail was beautiful! I wanted to setup camp and spend the night.

Mess kits

We went to an Army Surplus today. I bought some US mess kits for when we camp off our bikes. I love that they were made in the USA and that they were used by a soldier at one time. I need to scrub of some light dusting of surface rust but I don’t mind. It’s a piece of US Military history and I feel honored to have it.

No more bailouts!

I am tired everyone making years of bad decisions based on greed and the desire for an easy millionare status and then whining about needing a bailout. I wish we could just let them fail and go under. This would let the smaller businesses, take over. If GM and the like fail, there would be dozens of smaller American auto manufacturers, popping up like weeds! I understand though that if GM, Ford and Chrysler go out of business, there would be huge consequences. Many people would lose their jobs. Not just the auto workers but the people who bring them materials, the people health care industry, the grocery industry, all all the other companies that make up the community would all suffer catastrophic losses. Does this mean we write a blank check on loan from China and hand it over to the CEO and say “Here. I hope this tides you over for a while until people can afford your overpriced SUV’s again!”? NO!!!

1st off they need to start with trimming their own damn fat and making business decisions as if they were NOT going to get 25 Billion from the taxpayers. How about they start with trimming the executive’s salaries and instead of hundreds of individuals making 6 and 7 figure salaries, they accept fair pay. I don’t think executives need a movie stars lifestyle. Now some people may say that we are capitolists and people should be allowed to make whatever money they can. I agree. UNTIL it interferes with my life by without my consent. I chose not to buy an expensive car and to save my money. Now that they have been so greedy for so long, they are forced to ask congress for money of which a portion comes from ME.

Many people including myself have seen this coming and could do nothing about it except NOT buy an overpriced, depreciation money pit. Now that it has happened, pointing the finger at who and how it happened is secondary. Our primary goal here should be to come up with a solution. Here is what I propose. We DON’T give them 25 Billion.  The business practices and past decisions of the Big 3 show us that they do not know how to manage the finances of a company. Given a wad of cash, they will waste it like they always have. What I suggest is that we set the 25 billion aside for assistance and put strict rules on it. For example. For every car that they make that gets 35MPG and sell for a mere 5% markup over the cost of manufacturing and distruibution and marketing etc, the government can give the purchaser of the car a $2000 rebate. With this, people will be more apt to go out and buy a new car given that 35MPG and the fact that the car would already be enormousy discounted from the factory. People would keep their jobs and the $25 Billion would go back to the people and into the economy and not the Executives at the Big 3 and their $20,000 per flight private jets.

ARGGG!!!

Not everything is “fundamental”!

Ever since Joe Biden used the word “Fundamental” 7000 times during the VP debates last month, way too many people in the media are using the word as is it was the main word in their vocabulary. Time for a new word! PLEASE!! This one is fundamentally tired!

Some people scare me!

I am constantly surprised by people and some of the views they have. I know I am pretty strong in my views but I spend large amounts of time forming my opinions and sometimes through the wisdom of friends and sometimes research, I am forced to change my views. We can all learn. What drives my jaw agape is when I hear people with views that are so NOT thought out but still very firm in them. I think to myself “How can they possibly believe that?”

Today for instance a small group of people were discussing the financial crisis we are in and the bailouts that we are paying for. This is the gist of their thoughts. “We should NOT be bailing banks out because it is their own fault for being greedy”. “We should bailing people out instead”. WHAT???? What is the freakin difference??? Someone gets greedy and buys a house they can’t afford and then when they are going to lose the house, it somehow becomes my duty to pay for it with my tax money? No one forced anyone to sign a crappy balloon mortgage. I understand people lose their jobs and that is just plain sad. If I lost my job I would be quite upset. Especially if I had to lose my house. I cannot blame anyone else though.

It seems that no one wants there to be any responsibility for anything. It always someone else’s fault. Maybe it’s OUR OWN FAULT!!. No one forces people to use a credit card. No one forces you to buy a $50,000 SUV when you only make $30,000 per year. Of course the dealer is going to try and get the most out of you they can but if your name is on the dotted line, YOU are responsible. The Buck Stops with you! I am tired of people blaming everyone else for the mistake or bad judgements they make.

During this conversation, one woman was particularly fervent in here blaming of the banks. She even said the bailout money should go to the people and not the banks. WHAT? It’s not their house! The BANK OWNS THE HOUSE! THE BANK OWNS THE MORTGAGE!! You own equity only!

I tried to explain it like this. When someone goes and buys a gun and kills someone, you can’t blame the gun dealer. You have to put the blame with the person doing the killing. SHE DISAGREED! She said the gun dealer is responsible! OMG!! HOW CAN PEOPLE THINK THIS WAY??? How can a gun dealer know someone is going to kill someone? How can a bank know someone wont be able to pay their mortgage in 5 years? Where does the blame end and where does the responsibility of our actions come in? I chose to buy a house I could afford. I chose to NOT buy a 60inch HD wide screen TV on credit because I know I cant afford it!!!

If you can’t tell, I am furious. I am not upset that people have a different view. I am upset that they VOTE!!

11/11/08

Happy 11/11!!!

Another year, another 11/11. Again, I will wait for something amazing to happen! My fingers are crossed!

Vintage or just simple?

I have always had a liking for the look and vibe of vintage things. I love the look of an old house or guitar. I really love old vintage motorcycles too. I have a vintage motorcycle now. A 1977 Honda Goldwing. It’s 31 years old and I love it. I got to thinking… What is it about old things that I like? I came to the conclusion for me that it is not about being old so much as it is about being simple! What is it that I love about my old Honda? I know I love that I rebuilt it and made it a decent running bike that catches alot of attention but when no one is around and I am riding by myself is when the bike what matters most. So what about the bike do I love? I tell you what, it’s not the weak brakes or the worn out suspension and it’s sure not the carburetors or the lack of low end power. It is just that it is simple. I learned that I don’t necessarily like old stuff. I like simple things and in the modern world no one seems to have the ability to make something simple. Some people make retro simple to duplicate what was done in the past but I do want modern technology. I don’t like that you have to buy a bike with all the extras that I don’t need to get the technology I do want or forego the technology to obtain simple.  Not a good trade IMO. What I want is a motorcycle or a house or anything that is as simple in function as it was back in the day yet all of the safety and performance technologies of today. A vintage looking motorcycle with a high performance suspension, brakes and motor. So I learned that as much as I love my old Honda and will probably buy another vintage bike, my main wants are more modern with only a nod to the simpler vintage style.

Happy Birthday Amanda!!!

We celebrated Amanda’s birthday last night in the Tatami room at Sonobana, an Authentic Japanese restaurant in Nashville. A Tatami room is a traditional Japanese dining room where you sit on the floor with a very low table, the room is surrounded by rice paper walls and there is bamboo mats on the floor. We took our shoes off and ATE. Boy did we all eat! We were surrounded by our friends who shared in the laughter and good time. Amanda looked fantastic as usual and as always FAR younger than the candles on the cake would indicate!

Finally a new direction!

Finally! After 8 years of a bone head running our country into a war that has lasted longer than WWII and for the wrong reasons, an economic state that is almost as bad as the great depression and generating more hatred for our country from the rest of the world than any of us could believe, we have a new leadership! Let’s all be excited for this new direction. I don’t agree with 100% of President Elect Obama’s views but I do feel he is a much wiser, stronger and best of all more educated man than we have been forced to live with for the past 8 years. Things can only get better! Godspeed Barack Obama! Godspeed United States of America!

Jesus vs NASCAR

It never ceases to amaze me how strongly people in the south feel about their Christianity. They tout their religious beliefs as the most important thing in the world and will tell you in passing, that it is the foundation for their life and all their decisions. However!!! Go to many (not all but many) homes in the south and in one room with at least a few decorations honoring their favorite football team (usually a college they never even went to) or a NASCAR race driver. Coffee mugs, banners, lamps, seats, sweatshirts, hats, seat warmers, you name it. There is merchandise of every kind for people to show their support for “their team”. Even the state sells license plates that support local teams but denied plates with Jesus on it. (sidenote: I think if someone wants to support Jesus on their license plate they should be allowed. If you can support the ASPCA or the University of TN, you should be able to support your religion). If you talk to someone about their team, you will hear a passion unlike anything you have seen. They are loyal and extremely knowledgeable about every player, coach and the full history of the team. They will even argue opinions with another “fan” about who is best and what decisions were good or bad etc. Now bring their religion into the discussion. Southerners especially will say the God and Jesus are the foundation of their lives and all their life’s decisions, from election voting, to schools for their children to people they marry, etc are all based on their religious beliefs. This is where I feel hypocrisy is fervent. Those same passion sport zealots, know very little about their actual religion, or the bible in which they put so much weight into on the surface. If you try to discuss facts in the bible or heaven forbid, inconsistencies in the bible, they have no valid arguments and can often be relatively to their sporting passion, listless in their rebuts. Say something bad and you will get a mediocre response like, “you don’t know what you are talking about.” If you say something bad about their football team, they will go NUTS! They will give you a charged up, passionate and very compelling argument as to why they love their team. Where is that passion for Jesus? The core of their life! How come I never see those same people wearing Jesus ball caps and other clothing? How come they do not decorate a whole room in their house with a big screen TV to have Jesus parties as they and their friends all gather round over dip and chips to watch their favorite evangelist on TV?

I know religion has a different tenor than sports but for people who tout it is being so important in their life, they should at least be supportive as they are for their sports teams. They say Jesus died on the cross for them yet they worship the redneck NASCAR driver who drives a car in circles for their respect.

Hypocrisy knows no bounds in the south!

Alternative Tax ideas

I found some links worth reading about alternative methods of taxing our nation. Some are already in place in other countries with varying degrees of success. We should all look at these and then write our Congressmen.

http://www.ncpa.org/pi/taxes/tax7.html

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/bg1866.cfm

http://www.cse.org/flattax/index.php

http://www.freedomworks.org/informed/key_template.php?issue_it=17

Find out if you get a tax break under Obama.

http://taxcut.barackobama.com/

GO TITANS!!!

I moved to Nashville in 2000. Shortly thereafter I got into pro football and started watching the TN Titans. MANY people in Nashville are HUGE Titans fans. I had not seen this level of team spirit any place else I have lived. People in NY are big fans of their sports teams but not like TN. On any given day of the week and OMG, especially on game days you will see cars and people decorated in TN colors and merchandise. Men and women alike and of all ages. It really surprised me when I 1st got here and saw older women screaming about the Titans and knowing the rules of the game like a ref would. The same is true about the University of TN, NASCAR and the NHL Predators. People here are die hard sports fans! So I jumped in and learned the game of football which has since become my favorite sport. I am not a die hard and will miss a game for a nice ride on my motorcycle if the weather so dictates but I am still a big fan.

Back in January of 2000 the Titans made it to the Superbowl but were defeated by the Rams. I didn’t see that game. I came in after. Unfortunately for me the team went down hill from that peak. Each year after the team got worse and worse. With every new rookie came hope of a spark and a new Titans. It never happened. We lost each good player we had to retirement and trade. We lost Steve McNair, Eddie George, Drew Bennett, Kevin Dyson, Jovan Kearse and plenty of others. Although we still watched every game, we did so knowing we would lose. The only question was by how much.

A couple years ago we got a new quarterback. College star, Vince Young. We all had new hope that he would lead our young team to new victories. As it turned out, it was all too much pressure for the young man and he “cracked”. He was not mentally ready for the game and all the weight. Enter aging backup QB, Kerri Collins. He has had a long career of ups and downs and was basically winding his career out here in TN on the bench. Well in game 1 Vince Young freaked out after the home crowd boo’d him and his dismal performance. Coach Fischer pulled him out and gave the ball to Collins. He went on to win the game and inspire the team with his leadership, experience, steady play and a rocket for an arm! Since then the Titans have won a franchise high 6-0.

The Titans are scheduled to play the Colts tonight on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!!! Why is this big? It’s not it’s HUGE!! The Colts our a Division rival for one. The Colts have been beating us in the AFC south for years. Even when Steve McNair was voted MVP for the season, Payton Manning shared the honer and they were given CO-MVP titles. This year, we are 1st place in the AFC, undefeated and playing in Nashville on the biggest NFL stage shy of the Superbowl. Monday night football is huge as it is the only game played that day. So all teams, fans and news are watching the one single game. Nashville is pumped and they are literally painting the town and stadium blue!!! This is exciting and tomorrow we will be exhausted I am sure. Our fingers are crossed. GO TITANS!!!

Nashville Eats!!

I have a new blog. It will be about food reviews. Mostly Nashville resturants but I will venture off and review others from time to time.

http://nashvilleeats.wordpress.com/

“Speaking of…”

Some politicians and analysts would like you to believe that being “eloquent” in speech is a bad trait or at the least “too slick”. There is an implication from those people that because a person can speak eloquently that there is no substance and therefore how could the person be a good leader? At 1st I thought to rebut that notion by stating “what does how a man speaks have to do with how a man would lead?” Then I thought EVERYTHING!!!  We look back through history and we see great leaders who have made great speeches that motivated people and the nation as a whole to do amazing things! I WANT the leader of my country or my company or my community or my church to be educated, well spoken and yes even eloquent! I want a leader with the verbal skills to get opposite sides of any given situation, conflict, disagreement or even a discussion to come closer to the middle and see both sides. I want someone with the ability to speak and inspire. Actions do indeed speak louder than words but words can move mountains!!!

Bread Bowl Seafood Chowder

Amanda and I experimented last night and made home-made Bread Bowl Seafood Chowder. We used our bread maker to knead the dough for us. Then we cut it into pieces and put them into baking pans. After letting it rise for a hour we baked it. We followed the instructions for baking time but ours was done in half the time. The time was for a loaf though and we did much smaller divisions. So we will adjust next time. The Chowder was pretty easy and now we have a modified recipe of our own. After we went to Cananda this fall we became even bigger fans of seafood chowder. So this will be a staple on our Fall/Winter menu! It was very delicious! We learned alot and know our next batch will be much better!

Winter is upon us in Nashville again!

We have been trying to keep the heat off as long as we can to save money on our electric bill. Well when you have to use the blow dryer to warm up the toilet seat, it’s time to turn on the heat! The sun is up and it is 43 degrees this morning!!!

Red Yeast Rice and the friggin FDA!

OK so there is this natural food suppliment that has been used as far back as in China 800 A.D. It’s called Red Yeast Rice. Red yeast rice is a substance made by fermenting a type of red yeast called Monascus purpureus over rice. One of the wel know properties of this Red Yeast Rice is it’s ability to lower Cholesterol by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that triggers cholesterol production in the body. The ingredient in RYR that does this naturally is called Lovistatin. Enter the FDA!

This is a natural chemical and has been around the world for 1200+ years. However, being that the chemical is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in prescription drugs for high cholesterol such as Mevacor. I assume the drug companies didn’t like that. In August of 2007 the FDA issued a warning and also banned Red Yeast Rice containing Lovistatin. Here is an excerpt from About.com: http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/redyeastrice.htm

Thanks to the FDA and the federal courts, there has been a lot of confusion about the red yeast rice products available in the United States. In the late 1990s, studies showed that this over-the-counter dietary supplement was quite effective at reducing cholesterol levels, mainly because one of the natural ingredients in red yeast rice turned out to be lovastatin. (Statins were originally derived from yeast products; the lovastatin in red yeast rice is “natural.”) When the FDA figured out that red yeast rice contained a regulated substance, an effective drug protected under patent law, it banned red yeast rice products, unless manufacturers took extra steps to remove the lovastatin.

We are so corrupt! I can’t even begin to get my frustrations about this into words. It seems that we get so many things wrong! ARRGG!!

VOTE for term limits in Nov!!!

At least here in TN, our Novemeber election ballot will have 2 bills on the back side for us to vote on. The 2nd one is of concern to me. Term limits for publicly elected officials. In this case the limits are regarding majors and other officials at the sub congress level. PLEASE read about it and vote informed on this issue. My take is that we should do this and start changgin the culture. Once we have term limits in place at this level, it could be easier to pass similar limits at the congressional level. Agree or disagree is fine but read, consider the consequences and vote informed!

Proud of my brother!

I couldn’t be more proud of the amazing accomplishment of my brother Antman. He has recently lost over 110lbs and is showing no signs of letting up! Rock on biggest brother!!!

VW did it!

Volkswagon finally brought the new “Clean” Diesel motor to the USA! The new 2009 VW Jetta Sport Wagon has the option of running the new TDI engine. Clean Diesel!! I won’t get into the technology behind it but it is not your old dirty diesel puffing and clanking down the road. It is new quieter and CLEANer technology. It is has been out in Europe for a while but as normally the case we get it much later in the USA.

The car is a bit pricey if your main goal is to buy an economical car with high fuel MPG. However, if you are in the market for a higher end luxury sport wagon, that competes with the Mercedes IMO, you cant go wrong with a VW. I configured a nicely optioned model on the VW website and the car came out at $30,000 msrp. I do not know if dealers are offering incentives. The price may be lower. Also the government is offering a $1300 tax credit due to the wagon’s “Alternative Motor”. I don’t believe tax credits help our country overall but while we have them, you might as well take advantage of the extra green in your pocket.

The car has a modest 140hp but a ripping 236 ft lbs of torque! All from a 2.0 litre 4cyl. Sweet! It also gets a very respectable 30/41 mpg which is close enough to a Toyota Prius in MPG AND Price, that it would make no sense to get the underpowered Prius over this VW gorgeous wagon with a beast under the hood! I don’t even think the environmental reasons apply as the VW TDI motor is CLEAN! (it collects and burns off “soot” that normally comes out of a Diesel engine).

If I could justify spending money on a car these days, I would make this my 1st on my list!

Trickle up or trickle down?

There seems to be 2 contrasting ideas on how to stimulate an economy in the US. Give breaks to the wealthy and big business and allow them to hire more workers and pay higher salaries or give breaks to the middle class and let them circulate more money into the economy. Both seem like valid proposals in theory. In reality, our recent history and the former plan has shown this to NOT be the case. 1st let me preface the rest of this blog with the fact that I do not affiliate or approve of either political party and there commitment to either economical ideal.

For the past 8 years, our government has gone the rout of “trickle down”. They have given large tax breaks and incentives to big business in an effort to stimulate the economy from the top down. Again, on the surface this seems like a valid plan. There is one catch…it relies on the big business actually trickling the money down. For this plan to work, executives at large business would have to actually hire more staff, offer more benefits and pay better wages. Instead, we have seen, staffing reductions, outsourcing to foreign countries, fewer company paid benefits and overall spending cuts. So where did all the “stimulus” go? It went, unregulated, into the pockets of a relatively small number of executives and corporations.  This plan obviously does not work as intended.

I am not saying that the “trickle up” plan is a guarantee to work and get us back on track. I am just suggesting that of the 2 philosophies, 1 has already failed. until someone comes up with a better plan (such as a flat tax) we should at least TRY the other idea. Enter “trickle up”. The notion is that if you give breaks to the middle class, they are more likely to spend the money as opposed to saving and the money will circulate and stimulate the economy.

The way I explain this is simple. You take 2 people. 1 makes $50k per year and the other makes $250k. Each pays their taxes according to their pay scale. If you give a $2%  tax break to each, the money would be spent completely different. The person making $50k per year would take the $1000 and use it right away! They would buy gasoline, food, clothes, dinner out, a new Blue Ray DVD player, maybe they would even have confidence that there might be $1000 per year each coming back and go out and buy a new car. In other words, the money goes directly into the economy where ironically enough, sales tax would be paid on the purchases. Liquid cash would be circulating. If you give the same break to a man earning $250k per year, the $5000 dollars might not even see the light of day. It may go directly into a 401k or IRA where it could sit tax free for 20-30 years. I am speculating that most but not all people do not need $250k per year to live and anything beyond “X” is surplus and “gravy” if you will. This money will be on paper and in the bank. It would not, like I said for most, stimulate the economy.  To make this even simpler to describe. If you give someone a piece of gum, they will most likely unwrap it and chew it! MMM!! If you give someone a piece of gum that already has a piece in his mouth and 20 in his pocket, he will not chew the gum.

Personally I think that neither plan is truly the fair way. One way looks at the problem from the perspective of an individual and the other looks at it from the perspective of a society. Both plans help some and hurt some. I think we should do away with tax breaks, tax incentives and tax codes altogether. We should adopt a flat tax. Simple. If you make 50,000 per year, you pay 10% (I don’t actually know what the right percentage would be). If you make $250,000 per year you pay 10%. If you make $7500 per year, you pay 10%. This would not only be the fairest way, there could be no finger pointing and no loop-holing. People and companies would be forced to make wise decisions. For example, maybe people would think twice about having 4 children if they did not get huge tax breaks from the government and other taxpayers with no children. They would realise, “WOW children are expensive, maybe we should make sure we can earn enough money 1st!”.

Anyway… My point is that we tried “trickle down” and it failed miserably for many years, if we aren’t going to try a “flat tax” then we should at least try the “trickle up” plan!

Term limits for congress… Looks like I’m not alone in this

I am not the only person (and Tony) wondering why we don’t have term limits for Congress! Check out these links! There are tons more. Search google and see!

http://www.termlimitsforcongress.com/

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_10647607

http://www.heritage.org/Research/GovernmentReform/BG994.cfm

http://www.citizencongress.org/

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2008/09/18/20080918thurlets187.html

“King of the road”

As a motorbike rider I have to deal with rude, oblivious people in cars each and every day. We call them “Cagers” because they drive in cages like mind-numbed circus animals. As many people as I have had to deal with, it still never ceases to amaze me when someone else steps out of the human race and becomes and blithering idiot no smarter than a baboon.

This morning, again on my way to work, it was a foggy dark ride in. I had to be extra cautious. This, as a motorbike rider, is common sense. Cagers are still cagers no matter what. A man in a green Ford Explorer abruptly swerved into my lane with no signal. We were doing 45 miles an hour so this is not just a traffic crawl. I tooted my horn so he would know that I was there and that he cut me off. I didn’t want him to think he could now slam his brakes if something happened in front of him now that he was in a new lane. It is a tiny little motorbike horn and it’s not loud or rude at all. So right after I tooted my horn, he did a brake check and tried to scare me! WHAT??? Is this guy kidding? Damp roads in the middle of morning traffic, he cuts me off and then tries to scare me with a brake check? OMG!! So I figure I best just avoid this guy. On a bike you can ill afford to get worked up and frustrated. Besides, he may try to run me off the road which has happened before. So I switch lanes to the one he WAS in which is now clear and proceeded to pass the man. I wasn’t speeding or being rude. Just keeping my calm and moving away from a man who apparently has nothing in his life worth living for. As I pulled up he wailed on his horn. I guess he was trying to tell me that I was a complete @$$ for having tooted my horn at him when he cut me off. I didn’t realize that he was the ”King of the Road” in Nashville. I guess I didn’t see his crown!

Votes not counting…

I know people like to believe that every vote counts. I see that can be true to an extent. However, think of it this way. When your home state votes 51 percent for the opposing candidate that you voted for, the state then takes every single vote from the 49% and discards them giving the electoral votes of the state to the majority winner. That IMO means that 49% of the people have no say in the final outcome. Our votes will not be added to a total of votes for one candidate. They would only be counted if they matched the majority of voters in our state. This can and has been a HUGE problem.

We need to either change to a popular vote nationwide or better yet IMO, change to county by county electoral college to better get an idea of the real will of the people. I live in a middle income county but the county next to me is upper income. We may vote differently and should be tallied in the end differently. Each county in America should have 1 Electoral vote. There are 3143 counties, there should be 3143 votes counted.

Let’s take California for instance. California has 55 Electoral votes. They have 58 counties. Using the current Electoral count, if 51% of the 36 million people (I know that not all can vote) in the state as a whole voted one way, that candidate would get all 55 votes. The other 17+ million people’s votes (again I know they all can not vote) would not be given to the other candidate at all!!! In the county by county electoral college, more of the actual votes earned by a candidate would go to each candidate total in the end. Instead of nowhere. So instead if a 51%/49% actual vote split statewide giving all 55 of the current electoral votes to one candidate and the other candidate getting “0″, they would be split 31/29 electoral votes. Much more representative of the actual will of the people.

I could live with that!

Term limits for Congress.

My friend Tony brought this topic up to me a few months back. Term limits for Congress. He stated that serving as a Congressman should be a duty and not a career. I agree and think we could even take it a step further and make term limits for the Supreme Court as well. All 3 branches of government, Executive, Judicial and legislative should all have term limits. We can not continue having career “lifers” making decisions that affect us all. First off they can be there so long that they lose touch with the real world and they become “Washington Insiders”. Corruption follows and then complacency. Second issue is that they just grow old. You need fresh young people with fresh ideas and education more relevant and closer in time period to present day! Some of these people have been in office or on the bench so long they should have retire YEARS ago!

Our government was set up to have 3 branches in an attempt to have “checks and balances”. These checks and balances cannot effectly be executed when all 3 branches have “Cronies” and “Insiders” that over time develop relationships and connections that can circumvent the process.

The Shovel!

Ironically, backin my gaming days, for a long while I used the name of “Shovel” as I used to “bury” my opponents! Now, years later, I am hoping to build a motorbike from the ground up from parts I buy from eBay and junk yards. This Harley Shovelhead motor on my workbench will be the foundation and starting point. At least until Joe gets around to coming to get it back if ever!

Pro manometer

Last week I made a home made Manometer to sync my carbs on my Goldwing. It worked well enough to get the bike “close”. No cigar however! I bought replacement fluid for my MotionPro Manometer and hooked it up. My bike was still a bit off after using my home-made device. I tuned the bike using the pro tool and it really made a difference. It runs even smoother now!

Dude…CHANGE THE AIR FILTER!!!

Note to self: Change the air filter more often!

Your perspective, your movie…

We live our whole life in one perspective. Our own. Our life is like a 1 camera movie. We can only see what we direct our camera at. In the end all our memories are playbacks of what was seen through our own camera lens. This overwhelming concept to try and wrap your brain around is that there are about 7 billion camera all running at the same time. Each one is recording a different take on a different subject in a different part of the world at the very same time. Think of watching an event on TV as opposed to seeing it in person. There are many perspectives. On TV you see what the camera shows you. In person you choose what to focus on. The bench, the fans, the hotdog vendor, the gum on the floor under your shoe, the sky etc. Your broadcast of the event woudl be very different as would be the case for the other 40 thousand people right next to you. During a murder trial, each person’s “movie” would be so very different even though we think with our small mind capability that it must be roughly the same for everyone. Imagine this: The wife of the murder victim is devastated for her loss and that is all she can focus on, the defense lawyer might be thinking how he can attack the witness, the defendant might be happy that the victim is dead, where as the balif just wants to go home to get to his football game on tv that 40, 000 other people are getting to watch. We all see the same day and minute so very differetnly from everyone else and we can never see it as they do.

We as humans can direct our focus towards something more important than ourselves. This happens all the time with parents who give all their attention and focus towards their children. This is focus and not perspective however. The perspective will ALWAYS be their own. Your whole “world” emanates from your as your center. Your child may be you center of focus or “Star Actor” in your “movie”, but you will always be the director and cameraman. Try as hard as you can and you will never be able to see life through someone else’s viewfinder! We can’t even watch the playback of the movie.

Sometimes I get caught in this place of trying to imagine it. I see some people as mere characters or extras in my movie. For example. The “idiot” who cuts you off on the road in the morning. We think of that person as an “idiot” with a cameo role in our movie. He won’t even get credits other that “The Idiot” in our playback. Then I try to imagine that this person is the very center of their own existence and they have a movie being made as the same time. One where I am but a idiot who was in his way. This way of thinking gets even more complicated when you attempt to see the world as it is seen by someone who is in your very own life or cast of permanent characters. You can empathize and you can guess at how it is from their perspective but you cannot. We cannot do it because we have no reference of comparison. We have never lived as that person or thought as that person. We cannot do it.

Similarly, we cannot, no matter how hard we try, fully understand “infinity” as in the universe or infinitely divisible measurements. We cannot do it. We have no point of comparison that we have ever experienced. So it just as trying to see the world through someone else’s “camera” will always have to be just an abstract concept. A frustrating concept at that!

I should have been a mechanic!

Ever since I can remember, I took things apart and put them back together. Whether or not they were broken to start with was irrelevant. I just needed to see how things work. This has stuck with me my whole life. I used to repair and build all my guitars for years. I would repair my own electronic devices used for my music. I even did most of my auto repairs. The only repairs I wouldn’t do were the ones that would require tools I didn’t have or couldn’t afford. Everything else I would just jump in and figure it out. This desire even led me to my current carreer. Computer repair. I started when I jacked up my first computer and had to reinstall The Macintosh Operating System. From there I got the bug and started disassembling computers to see what made THEM tick. Years later after learning most everything myself (with occasional help from Dave, Tony and Google) I have a good paying job, taking computers apart and putting them back together.

Since I got back into motorbikes a few years ago, I have done MANY repairs and modifications to quite a few bikes. I work on my own and I help friends with their bike as well. There have been time when I would step back and look at my $20,000 Harley sitting on my lift in the garage with 50% of the parts on the floor and a grinder in my hand and wonder “What the hell am I doing??” Yes, I did go ahead and grind away! In the end though, I had a 200mm tire and wheel set on the back of a bike that should only have a 160mm and it rocked! The reward was intoxicating! As was the reward of taking my old 1977 Honda Goldwing from a rusty, Rhino-lined, pile of non running bike along with a box of missmatched parts that I bought off of eBay and making it a reliable nice looking daily rider! I LOVE knowing that the hours sweating in the garage with a pile of tools, grease all over my hands and my old tattered shop manaual for help were all worth it!!

I want to do more! I want another project bike. I also have a long list of tool I want to buy so that I can do all the things I want to a bike. It’s addicting and makes me very happy!

Debate? What Debate?

I am watching the Vice Presidential debate and it is no debate at all. They are asked a question and then they take 5 minutes talking on a soapbox about some completely other topic. There are no rebuttals. Then another question and more out of context soap boxing.

Sneaking crap into the Bailout Bill!!!

I can’t believe that Congress and it’s customary B.S. Politics is sneaking a provision into the Senate Rescue Bill up for approve now. This Bill is “supposed”" to be about bailing out Wall street and the financial markets so that the economy doesn’t suffer. This is supposed to be a high level emergency. It seems that it is taking quite a while to make this bill happen. Now I know why. Among other “provisions” they snuck in an EXEMPTION FROM EXCISE TAX FOR CERTAIN WOODEN ARROWS DESIGNED FOR USE BY CHILDREN. Yes, you heard me correctly!! It’s in Sec 503 of the Senate Rescue Bill. Current law has an excise tax on the first sale by the manufacturer, producer, or importer of any shaft of a type used to produce certain types of arrows. The provisions in the bailout bill would remove the excise tax for any shaft consisting of all natural wood with no laminations or artificial means to enhance the spine of the shaft used in the manufacture of an arrow that measures 5/16 of an inch or less and is unsuited for use with a bow with a peak draw weight of 30 pounds or more. The estimated cost of the proposal is $2 million over ten years.

Now it may be a good bill but it should NOT be attached to a bill intended as a bailout of the financial market. They are sneaking in a list of othe rprovisions as well. They need to be doing this separately and letting each bill stand on it’s own merit. NOT sneaking in crap that might not ever get passed otherwise. Politicians!!! ARGGGG!!!

1984 Vice Presidential Debate

Last night I watched a replay of a 1984 Vice Presidential debate. WOW!! I got a couple things out of it. First, I was blown away by the intelligence and speaking abilty of both George H. Bush and Geraldine Ferraro. Both spoke passionately, intelligently and to the point! The actually addressed the questions asked of them and didn’t use their turn to speak to pitch their pitch about something unrelated. That seems to be the norm now. When a candidate is asked a question, instead of answering it the get on a platform about something else and totally avoid the question posed. It’s liek they do not want to publicy commit to any position. This was sooo not like the 1984 debate. They took on the questions with conviction. They even rebutted those questions DIRECTLTY to the opposing candidate. The last Obama/McCain debate wasn’t even a debate and John McCain barely looked at and surely never addressed Barrack Obama direclty. Politics has indeed taken a turn for the worse with all of these media wary candidates afraid to stand up with conviction about anything.

The other thing I got from the debates is just plain sad. It was 24 years ago. Let me say that again… “24 YEARS AGO!” and they were talking about the very same things as we are today. The economy was in trouble and the middle east was unstable. There were still wars going on in the middle east. Same countries, same issues with new radical leaders. Unbelieveable. I wonder how much money we have spent in the middle east of the course of the past 50 years.

So all in all the topics never change but the candidates are just not up to the level of our predecessors. We are so used to George W. Bush and his inability to complete a coherant sentence along with his almost cartoon like stupidity that we seem to have forgotten how his father was a powerful, intelligent and plain sharp speaker and leader. I don’t agree with all his policies but I cannot deny the man was smart!!

Palin the “Post Turtle”

This was too funny not to pass along!!!
———————————
While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year old Texas rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while trying to rescue his cattle after Ike hit his ranch, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Sarah Palin and her bid to be a heartbeat away from being President . The old rancher said, “Well, ya know, Sarah Palin is a post turtle”. Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was. The old rancher said, “When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a post turtle.” The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor’s face, so he continued to explain. “‘You know she didn’t get up there by herself, she doesn’t belong up there, she doesn’t know what to do while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put her up there to begin with.”

Valve job on my 1977 Goldwing

Before I snyc’d my carbs I had to make sure all my valves were adjusted correctly on my 1977 Honda Goldwing. I got out my shop manual and a few new tools and got to work. It was a relatively easy job after you understand how to determine which stroke the engine is in as you manually rotate the crankshaft. Using 2 separate manuals helped me get a clearer understanding. One manual can sometimes not be enough to get a clear picture of the task. Here are a couple pix of me with the valve cover off of the bike and adjusting the guide screws with a “feeler” gauge and my new offset wrenches!

Syncing the carbs for $1.87

Last year I bought a very nice carb syncing tool last year for the Goldwing. It was a $100.00. When I connected it, the fluid inside turned to bubbles and made it impossible to determine if the carbs were sync’d. The carbs were so out of adjustment that the vacuum of one of the cylinders sucked the fluid up and into the motor. Now there is not enough fluid to use the tool. I ordered some new fluid so I should be able to get it back working. Well to avoid the same issues as the last time, I decided to sync the carbs a pair at a time to at least get them close.

For those here that do not know, let me give a little info. When you have multiple carburetors on a vehicle they need to be synchronized so that they are pulling the same amount of air/fuel mixture into their respective cylinders. When they are out, the bike does not perform as well as it could and fuel mileage can suffer. Also exhaust pipes can “blue”. All were the case with my bike. To test for sync, the manufacturer of the bike puts a small threaded port on the side of the intake to the cylinder. This is called the vacuum port. When you remove the screw and replace it with a hose fitting and then to the manometer hose, you can get a fixed vacuum reading off of that cylinder. When you put the meter on 2 vacuum ports you can see the “difference in vacuum between those 2 intakes. You do not need to know the “value”, you only need to see the “difference” between the 2 or 4 cylinders and balance then so they are the same. There is a balance screw that when turned in either direction increases or decreases the vacuum balance.

So I made a carb stick for $1.87!!! It consists of 12 feet of clear hose, a piece of scrap wood and some spare transmission fluid! The idea behind this is that I am only trying to look at the balance of the two carbs. I don’t need meters and values etc. So I hooked one end of the tube to one port and the other to the opposite carb. After starting the bike, each port will be sucking on the tube and trying to draw the tranny fluid up. If one side is sucking harder the fluid will rise. All I had to do was adjust the balance screw until the fluid level was the same on both sides of the tube. Sweet! It worked!!!

Between the valve adjustment and no syncing of the carbs, the power come on with my bike around 2800rpms whereas it came in at 4500rpm before! Nice inexpensive work and improvements!

CEO’s and Presidents…

For a long time I thought of our country as a giant corporation. I guess I still do. There are many similarities from the common worker all the way up to the CEO or President. I used to hope for a president who was successful in big business. My thought was that if he or she could lead a whole company towards growth and prosperity, they should be able to do the same for the country. Well as my years go by I am learning more and some of my thoughts are changing. Call it growth, call it cynicism or call it old age wisdom starting to set in. Either way my views, at least my view on leadership has changed.

I have learned that leaders of big business do not actually care about the workers or common employees they “lead”. This is where my cynicism shows. Workers to big business executives are only a means to an end for them. A tool to make money with. If this were NOT the case, the earnings of the company would be more evenly dispersed. I do know that a person cleaning the office should not be paid as much as the person responsible for company wide decisions. However, I have seen CEO’s of companies get paid crazy amounts and really do nothing to move the company or its people forward. I have seen the workers in the trenches busting there butt on a 12 hour day so that the company will not lose a certain client or customer. I have seen people save million dollar accounts with their efforts and yet they make $40,000 per year. At the very same time the CEO, who is often barley more educated, only has a few years more experience than the some of their subordinate and has no actual contact with the clients and customers who pay the bills let alone the people who keep those clients and customers coming back, makes MILLIONS!!! They are out of touch with the real machine. Yet they earn millions and often times hundreds of millions of dollars. In the grand scheme of things you could pay someone 1 million dollars to run anyone of the largest companies in the world and they would be living large. The balance of the hundreds of millions could be divided amongst the employees that actually earn the money for the company in the 1st place and the stock holders. This would all go into the economy as opposed to a CEOs bank where it does nothing but grow for them.

Digressing here… My point is that many CEOs have no knowledge, concept or understanding of what is really going on in the foundations of a company. They are so far removed from the reality of the workers that they cannot possibly lead them with interest in their lives. Executives make executive decisions with the interest of executives in mind. The workers just trail along and hope for the best. If we elect a leader like that, all the decisions will be made with the interest of his or her peers. Socially and financially.

Chris Rock made a point last night on Larry King that resonates my feelings on the matter. He stated that ( I will paraphrase) John McCain has 12 houses and is worth 100 million dollars. Even if he lost 6 of those houses and dozens of millions, he would still be living VERY well. Barrack Obama has one house and a worth of 1 million. Losing his house and his money is something that is closer to reality for him. If he lost his house due to some crazy Wall Street issue or a Savings and Loan collapse, it would impact him and his family greatly. So his focus and understanding of what is going on and what needs to be done comes from a perspective very close to the common American. Extremely wealthy politicians are like corporate executives. They are out of touch with the world of their very people they lead.

This is my opinion and I’m sure it doesn’t reflect ALL high end executives and wealthy politicians. Just MOST!

We need smaller slinkys

Today many of our corporations are enormous. Our country is very much like a large corporation as well. I equate this to driving a large slinky. Even if the leader at the front end of that slinky is a masterful and wise leader, it takes a very long time for all the coils of the slinky and especially the end of the slinky to get moving. This is not unlike traffic in the roads. When a light changes to green, the 1st car gets started. The last car in line may not ever even make it through the light due to the slinky effect. The cars that didnt make it through then have to stop and wait until the next light. (read: Next leader).  Think of the slinky trying to cross an interstate. When the leader sees an opening and leads the “CHARGE!!”, the rest of the slinky has to catch up. During this long and wasteful time more cars may come down the interstate and crash right into the slinky. This not only hurts the portion of the slinky that gets hit but it hurts the entire slinky. A corporate leader make make great decisions in the right direction but by the time the slinky and all of its coils catches up, many other issues have arisen and taken place. So the way I see it, in corporations as well as goverment, we need smaller slinkys.

Politics should NOT be Black and White

How can it be that we only have two political parties in our country and how can it be that almost every single issue that is discussed only has 2 views? Black or White! Every single time I see a Democrat or Republican state a view on an issue, I can guarantee that when it is turn for the opponent to speak, their view will be a complete 180 degree difference. I keep waiting for one stinking politician to have enough back bone, enough individuality and enough modesty to agree once in a while! I think I would pass out if I ever heard a politician comment on an opponents view in even slight agreement. Someone says “I think we need to offer the people a tax incentive in regards to this or that!”.I would love to hear the opponent say “I think that is a good idea!” instead of “I completely disagree! My opponent has no idea what they are taking about and that policy would ruin our country!!”. I would be happy with “I like where this is going but I think we need to handle it a bit differently than my opponent is suggesting“.  Instead everything is like a sport. You defend one side of the court or field and attack the other side which is 180 degrees in the other direction. Gimme a break! We need politicians with enough humility to admit when someone else has a good idea and enough leadership to take the idea, expand on it and make it happen. All this commitment to only the black and white serves only to eliminate the solutions to most all of our country’s problems that lie in the grey areas in between!

Wise thoughts from an ex colleague

Someone I worked with for the past couple years has summerized a few really good thoughts about I.T. and management.  It’s worth a quick read! http://www.chenry.com/2003/09/things_i_believe_in.html

Hiding 42 or not!

If it weren’t for my grey, thinning hair, my constant back aches, my cynical views on everything, my preference for lounging as opposed to partying, my ranting, my newly formed wrinkles, my creaking/grinding joints and bones and the fact that I have shrunk near 2 inches lately, you can barley tell I am about to turn 42.

Sarah Palin & Hilary Spoof from SNL :)

This is hilarious!!!!

Motorcycle trends

As I see it, it started with the restoration of vintage Harley’s. From there it when to al the custom choppers and tv shows. At the same time some people were building custom street-fighters. Then there was a large group of people customizing the race replica bikes. What’s left? I say a great place to have fun customizing a bike where alot hasn’t already been done into the ground is the dirt bike platform. Yes some have gone and done the Super-moto bikes but mostly to race them. I say we look into the 450cc class of 4 stroke dirt bikes and start customizing them. More and more parts are becoming available and some can be modified from other parts. I already have some cool ideas. I think this could be a fun way to be more unique on the road!

Gas thing is getting out of hand again

The price of gas has been an issue for well over a year. It finally fell a bit recently as we all know. Yesterday, with all the hurricane activity in the gulf coast, the oil facilities had to be evacuated. This is blasting the price of gas again. Today gas is $4.19 per gallon for regular! The worst part is that all of the stations I passed today were OUT OF GAS!! I cannot believe we let it get to this point. We have been seeing this problem coming on for years yet we do nothing about it. I wrote my representatives and congressmen today telling them about my interetst in CNG (compressed natural gas) for powering vehicles and asked what we are doing about helping the people of my state reduce dependecy on foreign oil. I wish we could do soemthing but the problem is so big I cannot see how to fix anything from my level. I feel so helpless. So dependant on everything else. We cannot get by in our country on our own anymore. Can’t even move to the wilderness and live off the land. Land is expensive everywhere, there are property taxes to pay etc…. Have to hope for a good idea or some new leadership in our country.

Polyphasic sleep

For years I have realized that I personally am most productive when I sleep about 5 hours at night and then another 1 hour or so during the day. I cannot normally sleep a full 8 hours at night. I just wake up in the morning ready to get busy. A couple hours later I feel the immense need to crash. After a short nap, I am ready to go for the rest of the day again. If I do not get that nap, I am useless for the rest of the day. Even if I sleep through the night before, missing my nap in the middle of the day ruins me for the remainder. I cannot get this nap during the work week and therefore I am useless IMO for all but the early morning, pre-afternoon hours. When I was a working musician I would come home at 3 or so in the AM and sleep until 8 or 9 am. That’s all. I would wake up and be able to do all sorts of things wide awake and rested. However, come late afternoon I would crash and need a nap. Luckily I was able to take that nap as I didn’t have to be at work until 8 or 9pm. This worked out great for me for 15 or so years. Then I moved to Nashville and had to get a real day job. WAH! I haven’t been well rested since. I also feel my productivity and creativity have suffered. At the least, I do not have the energy to pursue many of the creative idea I do have. If anyone has noticed almost all of my blog entries are done in the AM. Later in the day, my creativity and ambition both diminish greatly. 

I did some reading on this and what I found was called Polyphasic sleep. It means to have multiple phases of sleep as opposed to the monophasic sleep we use in modern society. 1 sleep session at night. Some research seems to indicate that this is not natural and is only normal as a society has to be on a similar schedule to function well as a whole. Long before we had electricity humans did all of the work they could from sun up to sun down. To make full use of sunlight. At night, nothing could be done so we slept. Hence the modern pattern of sleeping at night.

In actuality, we do not sleep all the way through the night. We sleep in cycles. Those cycles are on average 90 minutes each and contain 5 stages.

Stage 1 is light sleep. You can be awakened easily.
Stage 2 is when eye movement stops and the brain slows down
Stage 3 is when the brain start producing Delta Waves mixed with bursts of normal waves.
Stage 4 is when the brain make mostly all Delta Waves.
Stages 3 and 4 are considered deep sleep stages and it is difficult to wake someone from them. Sleepwalking occurs here as well.
Stage 5 is REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and when dreams occur. Limbs and muscles are paralyzed and heart rate/blood pressure increases.

After these 5 stages, about 90 minutes, we are back in stage 1. Stage one is when we usually wake up through the night. A full bladder, a sound, a movement from a sleeping partner a light or any such disturbance can wake us. We can fall right back to sleep but this is when that happens.  From what I can read we need 3 or 4 good cycles per day to function well. During an 8 hour sleep we may only get 2 or 3 and therefore we can wake up the next day and still feel tired. We may have been in bed “sleeping” for 8 hours but we may not have gotten as many complete cycles as we need as it can take 20-40 minutes just to get through the light sleeping stage. 

Enter Polyphasic Sleep. It is believed that if you sleep for 1, 3 hour period and then catnaps through the day at equidistant intervals you can sleep less overall and have more awake time each day. Some people will divide the day into equal cycles of sleep and awake. Such as 90 minutes down and 270 minutes up or something to that effect. This would be only 6 hours of sleep per day. All of the different cycles that people try yield more awake hours. The process is believed to work as when you train your body to sleep in smaller phases, you can get to “deep sleep” in as little as 5-10 minutes as opposed to 20-40 for normal monophasic sleeping. Your body rejuvenates faster.  

I have never tried this since I learned about it after I switched to a normal day job but it makes some sense to me. I experienced greater productivity in my life and better health when I slept twice per day. I could also just be getting older. One thing really make sense to me. I feel we can be more productive even if we get a full 8 hours but still divide it up through out the day. By the time I run my battery down towards the end of the day, I am mostly useless. Makes sense to keep recharging as needed. Think of something as simple as a battery operated motor. When the battery is full, it works great. It actually works fine down to like 40 or 50%. When it gets too low, it still works but very poorly. A radio controlled car will chug along on a battery with a low charge but it won’t do much other than drive straight. When you charge it up or put fresh batteries in it, it can race around, jump things and run through the carpet. We are similar in that we work best with charged batteries. I would prefer to charge myself often and work at a higher level than run my energy down to nothing and chug along!

Damon on Palin

As hot as Sarah Palin is, I don’t think she is right for VP and maybe President. I think Matt Damon of all people, has nailed this issue and verbalized a very valid set of concerns.

Morbid thoughts of the future of music :(

It will be a very sad day for music the day Eddie Van Halen passes. It will be mind numbing for me the day Billy Gibbons passes. I hope I never see those days.

T. Boone Pickens

T. Boone Pickens is a multi BILLIONAIRE. He made his billions as a oil man. He calls himself a geologist. Either way, he knows energy and business. He knows that oil is on the way out and alternatives are on the way in. He is a huge advocate of wind power and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). I am too! Not that I compare to T. Boone but I have been researching alternatives to oil for years. At 1st I did it for environmetal reasons. Recently I have added economic reasons to why I search and learn. Anyway. T. Boone is not trying to get money for himself. I think he knows he has enough. He seems to genuinely care about our country and it’s future. This is why he will not take money from groups. He is funding this with his own money and is trying to educate and steer our population to a cleaner future with less or no dependency on foreign oil. PLEASE take a little time and check out his website. This man is worth listening to!!! Help him, help us!

http://pickensplan.org/index.php

Resistance

Without resistance there would be no growth, reward, no accomplishments & life would be oh so boring. Resistance is important in so many aspects of life. This “hit” me as I was riding my motorcycle on a recent long journey to Canada. I put my feet on my rear foot pegs to stretch out a bit and at high speed the bike started to wobble. I then remembered a scene from the movie “The world’s fastest Indian”. When the rider in the movie hit some specific speed, very fast, the bike became unstable. He then figured if he were to stick his head up a bit, the resistance would stabilize the bike and it did. For me, I brought my feet forward and spread my knees a bit to grab the wind. What do you know? It worked! I then started contemplating all the other ways that we need resistance. Look at the obvious, we need resistance to develop and keep our muscles tone. Without resistance or even gravity our muscles would atrophy and we would be weak and even susceptible to bone breakage. In relationships we need resistance or hell, everyone would be sleeping with everyone they saw. Our morals and conscious are forms of resistance. They keep us in check. We resist temptations. We resist the desire to beat the crap of of people (most of the time) and we resist many other evil or negative things we could be doing. If there were no resistance, everyone could be a top athlete. Those who overcome resistance the best, become the best.  We even have resistance to infection and disease. When our resistance is down, we lose the fight against them. No accomplishment in life would be an accomplishment at all without resistance.  Who would care if someone climbed Mt Everest if there were no resistance? Who would care who made it to the moon if it were so easy that anyone could do it? Would a woman be appealing to you if she just gave it up the very 1st second you met her? Convenient yes! Rewarding and lifelong? I highly doubt it. We need to earn things. Love, respect, goals, accomplishment etc. It is the fight against resistance that makes overcoming them rewarding.  I remember learning to play guitar. There were many obstacles both mental and physical. All offered resistance to me learning how to play. I fought the resistance and achieved the ability to play music. The resistance that I overcame then gave me the ability to translate what I did to overcome it into other accomplishments in my life.

I thought of so many more examples while riding my bike but I forgot them. So this will have to suffice to get my point across.  I guess I could sum it up by saying… Anything of value requires overcoming resistance to obtain. The reward usually matches the amount of energy it takes to overcome the resistance.

5700 miles & 12 days of rain!

We are back. It has been a loooong 15 days, most of it wet from the rain but I made it home. 5700 miles on a 1977 Honda Goldwing!! More soon. I posted some pix here: http://picasaweb.google.com/skramnor/Ride08. I will add my comments about the ride to this blog after a very needed day of rest!

V-Twin powered car?

An idea that has been stirring in my head. A V-Twin powered car! I have been thinking about Miles Per Gallon alot lately as I shop for a new bike. In-line 4 cyl engines can produce good amount of horsepower that most people can never fully utilize but they lack the daily driving usable torque. This is where the V Twin shines. Harley’s actually have more torque than the have horsepower. That is a statistic not many engine manufactures can say. They get it from a long stroke as opposed to the short stroke high RPM style of the in-line 4cyl. The long stroke generates high compression and in the end high torque. The crazy by-product of this all is MPG!!! My full size Harley would get 52-54 on the highway and no less than 45 around town with spirited riding. The Buell version of the Sportster motor can get up to 65+ MPG all while getting dern near 100 ft lbs of torque. The Honda VTX 1800 get over 120 ft lbs of torque STOCK all while maintaining the characteristic high MPG.

So why not apply this to a car? Why do we make in-line 4cyl cars to try to get high MPG? Probably because manufacturers know that the American public wants as much horsepower as they can get. You don’t see TV shows called American Torque or Torque TV. It’s always about the horsepower. I would drive a car with 80HP if I could get 100+ torque. Hell I drove a 1970 VW beetle for quite a few years and it only has 38HP. My though was to build a small car, similar to the new Smart Car but use a 120ft lbs of torque V Twin motor instead of a 75HP in-line 4cycl. The car, if designed correctly could easily boast 50mpg. A big fat Harley weighs 800+ lbs and is as about as aerodynamic as box. A nice aerodynamic auto shape on a car about 1800lbs could make a kickin commuter car.

Well someone is already on top of it. Although this one is race inspired and will cost $50k, ”Twintech” is in the same train of thought as I am. V Twin powered cars!

Wired!

I wired my Goldwing with a DC connector. I can now charge my cell phone, my bike communications and my digital camera! I also wired up a Push To Talk button on my handlebar for my Motorola Bike Communications. Now I just have to remember to unplug devices when I  shut down my bike as not to drain my battery.

“I’m from Jersey, you from Jersey?” (copied from the net)

If you’ve ever lived in Jersey …you’ll appreciate this!!!

• New Jersey is a peninsula.
• Highlands, New Jersey has the highest elevation along the entire eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida .
• New Jersey is the only state where all of its counties are classified as metropolitan areas.
• New Jersey has more race horses than Kentucky .
• New Jersey has more Cubans in Union City (1 sq mi.) than Havana , Cuba .
• New Jersey has the densest system of highways and railroads in the US .
• New Jersey has the highest cost of living.
• New Jersey has the highest cost of auto insurance.
• New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation.
• New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is sometimes referred to as the “Diner Capital of the World.”
• New Jersey is home to the original Mystery Pork Parts Club
  (no, not Spam): Taylor Ham or Pork Roll.
• Jesey is home to the less mysterious but the best Italian hot dogs and Italian sausage w/peppers and onions.
• North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world, withseven major shopping malls in a 25 square mile radius.
• New Jersey is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island .
• The Passaic River was the site of the first submarine ride by inventor John P. Holland .
• New Jersey has 50+ resort cities & towns; some of the nation’s most famous: Asbury Park, Wildwood, Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, Long Branch, Cape May.
• New Jersey has the most stringent testing along our coastline for waterquality control than any other seaboard state in the entire country.
• New Jersey is a leading technology & industrial state and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation when you include pharmaceuticals.
• Jersey tomatoes are known the world over as being the best you can buy.
• New Jersey is the world leader in blueberry and cranberry production (and here you thought Massachusetts ?)
• Here’s to New Jersey – the toast of the country! In 1642, the first brewery in America , opened in Hoboken .
• New Jersey is a major seaport state with the largest seaport in the US ,located in Elizabeth . Nearly 80 percent of what our nation imports comes through Elizabeth Seaport first.
• New Jersey is home to one of the nation’s busiest airports
  (in Newark ), Liberty International.
• George Washington slept here. Several important Revolutionary War battles were fought on New Jersey soil, led by General George Washington.
• The light bulb, phonograph (record player), and motion picture projector, were invented by Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park , NJ , laboratory.
• We also boast the first town ever lit by incandescent bulbs.
• The first seaplane was built in Keyport , NJ .
• The first airmail (to Chicago ) was started from Keyport , NJ .
• The first phonograph records were made in Camden , NJ
• New Jersey was home to the Miss America Pageant held in
  Atlantic City.
• The game Monopoly, played all over the world, named the streets on its playing board after the actual streets in Atlantic City . 
• Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the world, not to mention salt water taffy.
• New Jersey has the largest petroleum containment area outside of theMiddle East countries.
• The first Indian reservation was in New Jersey, in the
  Watchung Mountains
• New Jersey has the tallest water-tower in the world. ( Union , NJ !!!)
• New Jersey had the first medical center, in Jersey City
• The Pulaski SkyWay, from Jersey City to Newark , was the first skyway highway.
• NJ built the first tunnel under a river, the Hudson
  ( Holland Tunnel).
• The first baseball game was played in Hoboken , NJ , which is also the birthplace of Frank Sinatra.
• The first intercollegiate football game was played in New Brunswick in 1889 ( Rutgers College played Princeton ).
• The first drive-in movie theater was opened in Camden , NJ ,
  (but they’re all gone now!).
• New Jersey is home to both of ” NEW YORK ‘S” pro football teams!
• The first radio station and broadcast was in Paterson , NJ .
• The first FM radio broadcast was made from Alpine, NJ, by Maj. Thomas Armstrong.
• The Great Falls in Paterson , on the Passaic River , is the 2nd highest waterfall on the East Coast of the US .

You know you’re from Jersey when . .

• You don’t think of fruit when people mention “The Oranges .”
• You know that it’s called Great Adventure, not Six Flags.
• A good, quick breakfast is a hard roll with butter.
• You’ve known the way to Seaside Heights since you were seven.
• You’ve eaten at a diner, when you were stoned or drunk,
  at 3 A.M.
• You know that the state isn’t one big oil refinery.
• At least three people in your family still love Bruce Springsteen, and you know the town Jon Bon Jovi is from.
• You know what a “jug handle” is. 
• You know that the state isn’t all farmland.
• You know that there are no “beaches” in New Jersey –there’s the shore–and you don’t go “to the shore,” you go “down the shore.” And when you are there, you’re not “at the shore”; you are “down the shore.”
• You know how to properly negotiate a circle.
• You knew that the last sentence had to do with driving.
• You know that this is the only “New” state that doesn’t require “New” to identify it
  (try . . Mexico . . . York ..! . . Hampshire– doesn’t work, does it?).
• You know that a ” White Castle ” is the name of BOTH a fast food chain AND a fast food sandwich.
• You consider putting mayo on a corned beef sandwich a sacrilege.
• You don’t think “What exit?” is very funny.
• You know that people from the 609 and 856 area  codes  are “a little different.” Yes they are!
• You know that no respectable New Jerseyan goes to Princeton –that’s for out-of-staters.
• The Jets-Giants game has started fights at your school or local bar.
• You live within 20 minutes of at least three different malls.
• You refer to all highways and interstates by their numbers.
• Every year you have at least one kid in your class named Tony.
• You know the location of every clip shown in the Sopranos opening credits.
• You’ve gotten on the wrong highway trying to get out of the mall.
• You know that people from North Jersey go to Seaside Heights , and people from Central Jersey go to Belmar, and people from South Jersey go to Wildwood. It can be no other way.
• You weren’t raised in New Jersey –you were raised in either North Jersey, Central Jersey or South Jersey .
• You don’t consider Newark or Camden to actually be part of the state.
• You remember the stores Korvette’s, Two Guys, Rickel’s, Channel, Bamberger’s and Orbach’s.
• You also remember Palisades Amusement Park .
• You’ve had a boardwalk cheese steak and vinegar fries.
• You start planning for Memorial Day weekend in February.
• And finally . . you’ve NEVER, NEVER NEVER, EVER pump your own gas.

Almost ready for the The Ride ’08

I have been scrambling for parts for the past couple weeks in order to get my 1977 Honda Goldwing in shape for my 6000 mile journey coming up this weekend. Some parts are hard to come by but most are easy to find just hard to get shipping in a timely manner. I fully understand now how those custom motorcycle shows and house flipping shows are always down to the “wire” with time. I used to bash them and question “why do they wait till the last minute”. Now I know. You always have to wait on someone else for something. Counting on other people is something I don’t like to do. They almost always let you down. This is why I have always done most everything alone. Original music, home renovation, motorcycle customizing, etc. Anywho… I got my parts in a big pile in the garage last night. I turned on the radio and put on some shorts. 2 1/2 hours later I had completely rebuilt the front end of my bike and swapped out the wheels and tires for a better set. New tires on 1979 Aluminum, tubelessm “spoke” less wheels. Much more reliable and easier to fix a flat with. I also changed my fuel pump a few days earier. This morning I took the bike to work and was very happy with the new and improved handling of the bike. Stages better than before. With the addition of some accesory wiring and an oil change that I will do tonight, my bike is ready to go! I will clean it up and take some new pix but this one from my cellphone will have to suffice for now!

Ride ’08…Getting down to the wire!!!

I have been a bit on edge about getting everything going in time for the ride but I feel pretty good about everything now. I leave in 5 days for a 16 day motorbike journey. I have lots in the works and plenty of options along the way should more issues arise. I have a set of caliper brackets that my friend is bringing to me at lunch today and in case they are bad or something, I bought a pair last night off ebay and they are being expressed to me today and I will have them Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. I am just waiting on my fork seal retainer clips and they have been express FedEx’d to me and according to tracking, I will have them Tuesday. I am dropping off my wheels and new tires today after work to have the tires “beaded” and balanced. I already mounted them, so that sould be a quick job for them. I will pick them up Tuesday. I also already replaced my fuel pump. My waterproof duffle bags will be here today and I have my wiring kit for phone and radio chargers. I still am waiting on my camera charger but I have my wall socket charger that I can use at my family’s houses along my route. I have two long use batteries so I should be good even without the bike charger. I am still waiting on my headsets for the radios. So by Wednesday I am expecting to have the Goldwing completely done and ready. I can now put together a front end of a GL1000 in about 30 minutes and another 30 for the rear wheel swap! I still have to change the oil on both our bikes but that is easy. Amanda changed her airfilter and put on new highway pegs on her Harley by herself with no help from me! Sweet! I love it when a girl can wrench!

As an extreme back up plan, if the Goldwing just doesn’t seem to ride right after all the work is done, I am looing at a couple bikes today. I am happy to see that there are all of a sudden a few bikes I like available for decent prices. Must be nearing the end of season. I am considering a 2003 Yamaha VMax at a dealer right near my house, a 2005 Kawasaki ZZr1200, a 2005 Kawasaki ZRX1200, a 2007 Honda CB919 and a new 2007 Yamaha FZ1. All are well under $10k and would serve me and my needs well!

So with all that said, I will have a packed, busy few days but all in all it looks great! I plan on hitting the road early Saturday morning with a chipper attitude and the excitment of a little kid seeing his 1st set of boobs!

Swingin’

I did a parody of John Anderson’s swingin. It’s about the frustration I feel sometimes as an “IT guy”.

More Spitfires!

I got another set of Bridgestone Spitfire II tires last night. I love the ones on my Goldwing now. I bought those new as well and they handle very well. I have 6000 miles on them and they look brand spanking new! They have a dual compound. Hard and long wearing in the center and soft on the outer sides to offer better grip in the turns. This is a common feature these days. Just not on cruiser tires as much. This set is going on my Comstar 1979 wheels without tubes. I was able to mount the tire bymyself using a pair of tire spoons that I bought. Sweet! That is saving me a good amount of money. I am going to balance them myself as well using an old technique I learned. You mount the wheel/tire onto an axle and then suspend the axle. I am going to use a 2×4 stand that I will make that will have holes the size of the axle in it. You spin the tire over and over taking note of the spot that settles on the bottom each time. When its out of balance the heavy spot will sink to the bottom over and over again after each spin. you can mark the rim with a sharpie at the bottom each time to keep track. Eventually when you add the correct weights, the ending spot will be different each time. This and the home mounting will save me $50 per wheel! Money in the bank!

NOTE: Notice the little yellow circle on the sidewall of the tire? That is the manufactures indication of the part of the tire that weighs the least and there fore should be placed by the valve stem which is the heaviest part of the wheel.This will aid in easier balancing.

Olympic scoring bias?

I am enjoying most of the 2008 Olympics. I say most because I am not enjoying ALL of it. I am loving watching Michael Phelps make history! I am enjoying watching all the powerful and skilled athletes do their things. However, I am not enjoying the judging. The “objective” sports I am fine with. If there is a timer or a 1st to finish type scoring, I am fine with that. You can not dispute a photo finish of someone crossing the line 1st or jumping further etc. What you can dispute is the sports where the scoring is “subjective”. Subject to a judges impression or bias towards or against a particular athlete or in the case of my rant, a country. For example. The woman’s gymnastics. It really seemed that all week there has been a judging bias against the USA and in favor of China. I know the events are in China and there is the hometown crowd sheering that lends to a slight advantage. “SLIGHT” advantage. Not a blatant disregard for the scoring criteria! An American woman did a routine on the uneven bars with a very high level of difficulty of 7.7. (most others were doing routines at 5.5to 6.5). She NAILED the routine! The commentators all stated “Perfect!” “You cant do it better than that!!!” etc.. They deducted 1.1 points on her execution. No one is told where the deductions came from and the commentatorscouldn’t find any flaws. Then in a few minutes a Chinese woman..(more like a 10 year old child) did a 7.7 difficulty routine on the same apparatus. The uneven bars. She came up short on a handstand which is normally a .5 deduction. She also took a giant step on the dismount landing. Another .3 deduction. Some how, she beat the American! WHAT? How can that be? I thought maybe I was being BIAS towards team USA but after I heard Bob Costas question the same issue, I knew something was a miss. In the end Nastia Liukin won the Woman’s All Around Gold so it turned out good for that event. What about all the other subjective events? Are we getting shafted in the Olympics? Are our youth paying the price for our countries, world politics? Looks like that to me!

1st Softball win!!!

It took a while but on our very last game of softball this season WE WON!!! We started out the 8 game season playing poorly to say the least! Personally, I struck out twice in one game recently! After some coaching by one of our best players, my hitting has markedly improved. In our win last night I felt really good that I contributed! The team had won a makeup game last Sunday but I wasn’t there so I obviously didn’t contribute. Or did I? LOL!! In last nights game, I singled twice, hitting in 3 RBI’s and I scored once. Not bad for a rookie! I really enjoyed it last night. Amanda also got a hit! She also got the record for the shortest single ever. She hit the ball straight down to the ground and it didn’t move but 6 inches. She ran to 1st while the catcher fumbled to pick up the ball and then couldn’t get it to 1st in time. Woohoo! She made it to 3rd base before getting tagged out on the way to home. It was very exciting and this experience has sparked me to want to participate in some more adult inter-mural sports. Ultimate Frisbee anyone???

Childhood new is now becoming “Vintage”

We are getting older and older. Seems that just a few years ago, (more like 30) motorbikes from the 40s and 50s were vintage. Then boom, now the 60s and 70s bike are considered vintage and collectable. I have seen my $750 1977 Goldwing skyrocket in value. People are selling them anywhere from $2000-$10,000 these days!!! Parts are plentiful but people are going crazy scoopin them up on ebay. So with all this said, I am looking ahead of the game a bit more than I originally wanted. I was hoping to start buying 70s Japanese bikes and hangin on to them until the value goes way up. Then I would sell a few and keep a few. Well that door is quickly being closed as the train is filling up. I now have my sites set on 80′s vintage bikes. They are UGLY as hell but in the 80′s plenty of technology was starting to be used in the mainstream bikes. Disk brakes as standard, better rear suspensions, HORSEPOWER, handling and design were all becoming more important. Racing also started playing a bigger role and influence on the designs of bikes. Much more so than in the past. Designers took queues from the bikes and innovations used on the race track. So I will choke down the ugly looks and square lights and fairings to own some bike that in a few years can reward me with a decent growth on my investment and in the meantime I can enjoy a decent piece of history!

Pot calling kettle black?

I don’t know all the details yet but let me get this straight. We are telling Russia that it is unacceptable to go into another country and overthrow the leader and government by means of military force? Is that right? How is this different from us going into Iraq and doing the very same thing?

Are we at the door step of a World War III? I am very concerned!

Making do with the 1977 Goldwing.

Well. I could not find a way that was comfortable to buy a new bike for the ’08 ride. For me to feel good about it all, I would have to sell my car. I just can’t see paying for a car and a new bike with the economy the way it is. With that said, I have to get the Goldwing in shape to handle the 6000 miles! I have done a bunch of stuff but I still have a few projects to do.

Today I added a simple bracket to the tail light assembly so that I could relocate my rear indicators. This allows me to hang my throw over saddlebags far enough back to sit in comfort. They normally on the side of the seat.

I also tore apart a second set of 1979 forks for my Goldwing. I am replacing seals, seal retainer clips and fork tube dust covers. Then installing my progressive springs into them. I am using 1979 fork sliders so that I can mount a set of 1979 Comstar wheels. They are spokeless and tubeless. This way I dont have to worry about truing and I can also do roadside plugging if I get a flat. No tubes to worry about! I will also change the steering stem bearings which I haven’t gotten around to yet.

One dependancy problem for another!

We all are hearing how we must reduce, if not eliminate our dependency on foreign oil. I fully agree! However, many political leaders are looking towards bio fuels as an energy alternative. I am in disbelief that I have not yet seen anyone comment on the long term stupidity of this. In the 1st place we have to separate ENERGY into two distinct catergories. Transportation and Electricity. Foriegn oil does not make up that big of a percent of America’s energy needs outside of transportation. Petroleum only generates about 1.1% of America’s electricity. The rest is generated by: 50.4% Coal, 19.8% Nuclear, 19% Natural Gas, 6.5% Hydroelectric and 3.3% Other sources combined. So we should be looking at the foriegn oil issue with transportation in mind. The other thing I find wrong is that we are looking at taking one bad issue and replacing it with one that has similar potential. Let me explain. Oil was dirt cheap at one time. The ownership of the oil is in the hands of a select group of people. Those people have the world by the collective “balls”. So say we comepletely eliminate oil from our needs and we switch over to bio fuels. What would stop the eventual and inevitable squeezing of our balls by the people that grow corn? NOTHING! There will be a huge demand and a small supply and they will raise the price of corn to levels we can not imagine now. This would raise the cost of friggin EVERYTHING else in our lives as well. We are looking making the same mistakes.

I say we need to focus on energy where the source of that energy cannot be controlled by a select few. The sun, the wind and free renewable sources. Let people charge for the equipment to harness the energy. Let then charge for the devices that use the energy but we need to look at sources of energy that are themselves FREE!!!

Dehydration sux!

Saturday was hot. It was also very, very humid! We went for a motorcycle ride and a mere 40 minutes into the ride I was feeling the humidity. My jeans were sweated up and I was roasting at every traffic light/ When we got to our 1st destination, Panhead Phils Swap Meet, we were standing outside in the sun. I had a black T Shirt on. 1 mistake after another. I finally said, this is too much and I need ot go inside. We did. It was nice and cool inside for a while but the it started getting warm inside too. We then said let’s go for a ride and get some wind to cool us down. We stopped for gas and a Gatorade. I guess sharing a small Gatorade with Amanda wasn’t enough. About 20 minutes later I was so weak that I had to pull over. I needed a nap! I laid in the grass and in the shade for about 10 minutes but I felt no better. I asked if we could call it a day and head home. On the way I stopped and got another giant Gatorade G2 and drank it down. We got home and I went right to bed. I was all clammy so I took a nice shower. By the time I got out, I had flu like symptoms. Major chills and muscle aches. I laid on the bed and Amanda covered me in layers of blankets. I was still cold. I suffered through this for 10 or so hours. The next day I woke up and felt better but not 100%.

I have a cross country motorcycle ride coming up in 2 weeks that takes me all the way down to Florida and back up to Cananda. I really need to be super conscious of my hydration. I will buy a Camel Pak, this weekend so I can sip from it all day during my ride.

Hypocrisy!!

“If we don’t stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we’re going to have a serious problem.” — George W. Bush, Jan. 2001.

A/C failure again!

Our poor old heat 28 year old heat pump failed again! Of course it happened on a day when we had company staying with us which seems to be the way it always goes. We have replaced almost every single component of the system over the years. I am wondering what is left to fix! our AC guy will be here monday but as luck would have it we ave to endure 2 extrememly hot and unusualy humid days until then! NOT THIS TIME!! We went and bought a 12,000BTU window AC unit. It was on sale from $400 down to $200 as it was a little damaged cosmetically. WHO CARES? Not us! We stuck it in th eliving room window and it was able to keep the entire downstairs down at 71degrees overnight. The upstairs is still a humid and swealtering 90+. When the main AC is fixed I plan on putting the Window unit in the garage side window so I can work on the motorbikes during the heat of summer!

WWII was over in less than 5 years….Iraq War…????

During World War II the US and our allies fought against some of the best and biggest militaries in the world with technology, man power and training far beyond what our peace-time forces were comprised of. When we joined the war, we were forced to adapt and grow. We did! We did it in less than 5 years time. we went from a vulnerable and relatively unorganized to a dominate force in the world. We fought the mighty Japanese Imperial Navy in the Pacific with their ZERO fighters and Kamikaze pilots. we had to take on Germany with their powerful Panzer Tanks, advanced scientists, the German Luftwaffe, the Blitzkrieg, the SS and the sheer amount of trained experienced and MOTIVATED soldiers. Not to forget that we had to fight Musolini at the same time! We took on a global war that we were not equipped to handle. We took them all on and won the war bring peace to the world and MOST OF ALL security to our homeland. This took less than 5 years!

We have been in the middle east fighting bands of crudely trained rebels in sandals hiding in shacks and caves. They have no network of advanced scientists, no aircraft carriers, no fighter jets, no bombers, no long range missiles, no troops of thousands. They have Improvised bombs strapped to peoples backs and left over WWII rifles and they are holding off and killing the worlds most powerful army! This is bad enough but when you realize that they have been doing this since March 30 2003. That is over FIVE YEARS!!!

Where are they getting the money to fund this? Where are they getting the people? Why have we not “SQUASHED” them and said DONT *&#@ with the USA!!! ??? How can they be killing thousands of highly trained soldiers? Why are we letting this happen? Why has this “Conflict” been going on since I was a boy? All the people that were terrorists in the middle east when I was a boy are probably all dead by now. Why are we still fighting over there? Why, with all that we have at our disposal is this NOT OVER YET? There is more to this than meets the eye. We aren’t over there still cause we can’t kill them. We are over there because someone is making money!

Scooter Hype!

With gas prices higher than any of us could ever have imagined just a couple years ago, many people are looking for ways to ease the “pain at the pump”. One way many have chosen is the scooter. Everyone seems to be biting at the bait being dangled in front of them and as a result the scooter industry is booming! There are literally thousandsof scooter shops popping up in cities and towns across the country. All trying to capitalize on the recent surge in popularity of the little 2 wheel commuting alternative.

On the surface 65-75 and even as high as 95 MPG seems like the answer to all our prayers! Even some “tough” guys are putting up their Harley’s along with their ”Village People” costumes and opting for a Vespa for their daily commutes. People of all walks are being lured into the dealer for what I see as a subtle version the old bait and switch! They get the people in the store with visions of cruising down the road to work obtaining 75mpg all while saving the environment with less pollution. As noble as these consumer intentions are, this is not the best way to go about achieving those objectives.

First let me give you some rough numbers for digestion. The scooters that get the incredibly enticing Miles Per Gallon ratings of 75 and higher are most often the 50cc-150cc scooters. The cost of acquiring one of those lawnmower powered deathtraps is modest and, I believe, is what lures most folks in to the dealership. When they get there and start the investigation, all excited that they have finally convinced themselves that “riding a scooter won’t be all that bad”, they soon learn that those scooters top out at about 30-45mph. On a GOOD day! Flat ground and no head wind are required to achieve those speeds. Now imagine yourself hoping on a 100 lb scooter and TRYING to get out of the way of the 3000 people in giant SUVs, that cannot see you out of their windows as they are 10 feet in the air and applying makeup or tuning in the radio. I do not see a favorable scenario for the scooter rider. With this new found knowledge, they now move the 250cc-500cc models that the salesman is more than willing to show them. They then see that the price has gone up abit. Scratch that…ALOT and on top of the that, the MPG has dropped way down to 45MPG!!! “Well if you want the power to drive on the main roads, you will need a bit more power!” I agree that the 250cc and 500cc scooters can easily power you along most any road you will commute on shy of the interstate. There you would need the 500cc scooters. I wouldn’t ride a scooter on the interstate for couple reasons. 1 the scooter is light weight and can be blown about by all the turbulence you experience on the interstate from cars, suv and tractor trailers. Also, riding near a vehicles maximum speed leave you no ability to pass, find openings coming down on-ramps or get out of the way of emergency situations. So with the price of some of the larger, powerful Scooters coming in between $5000-$8000. One must ask, “At what price, do I save money on gasoline?”. I know there are some Korean and Chinese scooters that you can buy for less money but who would want to invest even $4000 on something that will fall apart in 2 years? Not me? I will speak on of name brands such as Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Piaggio, Vespa etc. So the salesman Gladly sells people a 45mpg $6000 scooter, a helmet, jacket and all the other bells and whistles they can.

Now let me tell you about a couple of options. Buy a real motorcycle! Not necessarilry a $20,000 chromed Harley that weighs 800lbs but rather a simple $3000 commuter motorcycle. A Ninja 250, a Honda Rebel 250 or a Suzuki GZ250 or even a full size Kawasaki KLR650 which can be had for $5000+ and get 50-60mpg. Infact if someone is considering a $7000 scooter, they could spend a bit more and get a $4500 69-73MPG Buell Blast 500cc,  Buell City X 900cc or even a full 1200cc Buell Lightning for $9500 thet gets 65mpg but can still whoop the butt of most bikes on the road. There are options. Bigger, faster, SAFER options for similar and often less money than a scooter.

The scooters are the rage now but IMO we need them as much as we needed the Ford Excursion. We are a nation of extremes! If we want big, we build WAY TOO BIG. When we want to save gas we go all out in the other direction and build 100lbs death traps. In both cases the manufacturers hype tha market and convince us what the smart buy is. Millions of lemmings follow in line to the nearest dealer and dump precious hard earned cash into a trend.  Now if you just want to buy a scooter cause you love them, well then just ignore logic, go with your heart and have a blast! If you are buying a scooter to save money, please take a look out from under the wool and see your options!

Negative Jobs vs. Positive Jobs

When I was a musician most all of the interaction you had with people was positive. People would always say how much they love you or your band or your music. They would praise you performance or just be glad to be talking with you. I know it’s not founded in reality and that drunk people in bars often have on rose colored glasses but it was still nice to have positive interaction on a daily basis. It wasn’t ALWAYS positive but nowhere near as negative as it is being an “IT Guy”. Almost all of the interaction you have with people is them upset about something no longer working or them wanting something they can’t have due to policy or budgetary constraints. So everything that comes out of their mouth is negative! When everything is working, they rarely give you a second thought. I am feeling the cumulative effect of being bombarded with negativity day in and day out. with the exception of the well appreciated kudos I receive from Executives and management, I am perpetually steeping in a pot of negativi-TEA!!!

Vanson Leathers :(

I ordered a mesh motocycle jacket from Vanson Leathers. Their website says that there maybe a delay of up to 3 weeks for items not in stock. It has been about 5 weeks and today I heard for the secobnd time “about 2 more weeks”. They already charged my credit card for 75%, which I assume it to pay for the materials. Had I know it would have taken 7 weeks, I would have purchased elsewhere. I read some of the other forums and blogs around and others have the very same issues!! Sad! No wonder everything is going “overseas”. Too many American companies do “bad” business.

My take on the New Yorker Cartoon of the Obamas.

It’s no wonder our country is falling apart!! 51% of the people polled approved of the next “New Yorker” magazine cover (I will not show it or link to it as I feel it is not right) that depicts Barrack Obama in a robe, turban and sandals “pumping fists” with his wife dressed in what looks like terrorist outfit with an AK47 strapped to her back. On the wall is a picture of Osama Bin Laden and in the fireplace is a burning flag! OMG! I believe in the freedom of speech but I also believe in social responsibility. Some of the problems I see with this are that even just “seeing” this poster and not reading anything about it (even the the New Yorker actually does not include an explanation in the entire magazine) some people will believe this as fact!. I hear it now. “I saw a picure…so it must be true!”. The New Yorker is undermining the power and respect that Obama has earned and may need as he may very well be the next president. The same people that would believe the cover’s cartoon as fact would never give Obama even a chance to run the country. They would spend the next 4 year complaining about him based on fallacies. Does Barrack Obama really have a picture of Osama Bin Laden over his mantle? I doubt it! Does he burn American flags? I doubt it? Does his wife sport an AK47, probably not! Yet they and other lies perpetuated by the 51% of our country that has no common sense will be foundations that are the basis for votes! Yes people will vote based on the image and impression that cartoon left in their head. It is extremely slanderous. Those same people that feel it is ok would file an enormous defamation of character law suit if the cartoon was of them and their family! So again I am in disbelief of the 51% of the country that are idiots! The same people that put G.W. Bush in office for a second term. The same people that sit at home perpetuating lies and bitch that country is falling apart yet vote on moral issues with NO moral fiber themselves. I hate to judge as I am not an educated man and in no position to do so but this is my blog after all. So I can say that personally I wish they would just stay home and be quiet and let the NON-Morons vote and run th country! Who are the non morons? How we do we distinguish? We show them the cover of the next New Yorker and see if they think it was ok for it to be published. There is your litmus test!

Goodbye “Juice”!

After 2 and 1/2 years, 19,000 miles of pleasure, countless hours wrenching and customizing in the garage and more than my share of frustrations, I finally sold my 2006 Harley Davidson Deuce. I will miss it but I am looking forward to whatever my next bike will be! Here is the first and last days of my Deuce “Juice”.

Me and Shrek!

I have been mentioned in the same sentence as “Shrek” NUMEROUS times by many different people! Is there a resemblance?

My 1st rock climb

I have always wanted to try an indoor rock climb. I know that is not much of a goal or challenge in life but I am somewhat afraid of heights. I get a bit unstable and nervous when I am high off the ground with a chance of falling. So over the years I have walked by all the rock climbs with only a look and a passing thought of how I wish I weren’t afraid. Well, I did it. My buddy Brent was in town and I do not get to spend time doing the adventurous things we did together as young men any more. I thought this was a good opportunity to do two things. 1, overcome my fear of the rock wall and 2, do something fun with my best buddy! I only did the beginner wall whereas Brent tackled the intermediate section but I had fun! I was surprised at how easy it was and I seemed to scale the whole thing in about 45 seconds! Boom! OVER! I wanted to go back and try the intermediate but I figured I should be happy I walked away without embarrassing myself with a aging man back spasm. I left well enough alone! Another memory in the scrapbook!

No simple answer

Ron’s flaw #12…

I seem to lack the ability to answer someone’s question with a simple answer. People could ask me for the time and I can somehow turn it into a 20 minute conversation full of useless information that I am sure most people don’t give a rats ass about. I must learn to just say “The time is 7:52pm. Have a nice day!”

Custom pipes on my Deuce

I made some custom pipes for my Deuce. I bought a pair of thin Cycle Shack Slip ons and had them welded to the header pipes from my old Vance & Hine Shorts shots. I had to cut the header pipes down to the correct length. The guy at the local Midas shop rides a Harley and he did the welding for free!! Sweet! I was able to use the Vance & Hines mounting braket to mount the top pipe after a few modifications to the bracket and the screw plate. I wrapped the pipes in 2″ Grey Heat Wrap (after soaking them in water to make it stretch better. Thanks to Lee for the tip) and used a Hi Temp pipe wrap paint to seal the wrap from the weather and to give it a nice dark black look. They sound great and the bike didn’t lose any power like it did with the short shots. Click HERE http://guttersociety.com/videos/deucewrapped.wmv for the video. The smoke is expected for the 1st 20 minutes.

Incredible shrinking man!

I have sadly moved on into the portion of my life where I am no longer growing and not even leveled off. I am actually shrinking. I peaked out at 6’1″ and stayed at that height since high school. Every visit to the Doctor for years still showed 6’1″. This year I went to a Doctor because of my back problem. The Xrays show my spine is twisted and crushing down on a disk. I was measured at 5’11″. I was stunned. I though there was a mistake. Today I measured myself very acurately and came up with 5’10 1/2″. I have lost 2.5 inches!!! WOW!! I wonder if my back gets fixed will I get any of it back or will I be 5’8″ by next year? WAH!!

1st at bat ever

I singled

1st Softball game

Last night I played in my 1st softball game. I played at a family picnic once but it wasn’t really a game. This is a league. We played on a team of people from Amanda’s job. We got slaughtered! HA! The other team was actually a team. We are a bunch of people that have never played together and all but 3 or 4 have never played period! We have no practice, no batting cages, no discussion, didn’t know some of the softball specific rules etc.. We lost 21-4 dern!!!! I had FUN! I was a bit nervous having never played and they put me on 1st base. 1st base is VERY active position. Every hit goes through 1st base. I played 2 innings (the gmes are limited to 1 hour only) and had 4 plays at 1st. I caught 2 and got them out. The other 2 were a bit wild throws from the over excited teamates. One, that was throw to the next guy to play 1st base, was so wild it went in the dugout and right into a garbage can. The hitter got a ground rule double. There was some stress involved. We had a player quit in the middle of the game and leave and we had a few players that literally couldn’t run due to leg or back issues but played anyway. Why? I have no idea. The ball was hit once about 10 feet from one of the players and the other outfielder had to run all the across to throw it in. Oh well. I think all those things will be worked out. We have 7 more games to go and I am hoping to win at least one of those. Oh yeah…I also got up to bat once and got a base hit. Sweet enough for my first game. The underhand lob pitch is crazy to judge and hit. I can hit 80mph baseball pitch easier! This is another one of those things in my life I should have done years ago! Being a musician was a great experience in my life but I missed out on SO much!! Had I chosen a more stable lifestyle, I maybe would have had some kids, got back into motorcyling years earlier and maybe even went to college. The possibilities that I passed up are countless. so this softball thing is one way of doing some of what I missed while I still can. I am having a blast!!!:)

Red Robin $$$$$$

Normally when you go to a resturant, you don’t really have to keep an eye on the price of the food that much. If you go to a pizza joint you know you will spend a certain amount of money. Same with O’Charley’s or Friday’s etc. When you go to a gourmet French resturant and have wine with dinner, you should have an expectation of spending more. We are usually pretty good about this. Red Robin threw us for a loop! Yesterday we went to a Red Robin (national hamburger chain) and ordered a sandwich and a beer each. Amanda paid the $99 cent upcharge to have onion rings instead of fries with her hamburger and I opted for the fries included with my roast beef sandwich. She had a Corona and I had a 16 ounce Amber Bock.  Thats ALL we had. No additional sides, no extra drinks NOTHING. The total was $36 dollars!!! Holy shnikies! With a tip it was over $40. FORTY FREAKING DOLLARS!!! We could have had a couple steaks, salads and fries at any number of places for that! What makes it worse was that the Hamburger was no better than something you could get at number of places for $2. My 16 ounce draft beer alone was $5.99. INSANE!!!

Locally grown

Amanda and I are starting to buy as much food as we can that is locally raised and/or grown. We plan on utilizing the faremer’s markets and even hunt out local butchers and dairy. We actually found a place that raises rabbits and sells the processed meat. They were sold out when we got to their stand at the market but they will have more in a few weeks. I have been looking forward to trying rabbit for many years. We have been eating deer meat that a friend shot. We went to the processing  facility and picked up a freezer full of packaged meat. It’s a little “gamey” for my taste though. Rabbit is supposed to be delicious and much healthier than most other meats. I hope it tastes good to my liking.

Going to the framer’s market changes how you feel about cooking. It automatically puts you in a different frame of mind. When you go to the grocery and you are surrounded by prepackaged foods, you THINK prepackaged. You plan your meals around those prepackaged goods. You also have to read label after label after label to find food “products” with the least amount of crap added. When you go to the farmer’s market, there is nothing added to what you see! You also start thinking about “what can I make with what is here”. You choose from food items that are in season and fresh! WOW!! I was amazed at how easily I fell into wanting to cook more vegatables. You don’t have to just steam them or microwave them with butter. You can do all sorts of stuff. One of my new favorites is stuffed bell pepper! Sadly, bell peppers are not in season so I am attempting a new version using, giant Banana Peppers that are in season. Also…DERN everything cost soooo much less at the market. The bag of peppers we bought for our meal was $1. Not $3.99 but ONE DOLLAR! Sweet! There are MANY farmer’s market in our area and we plan on checking some others out. I may start riding my bike home by the market every other day and picking up some fresh produce to cook supper with. Fun!!

We also found that some resturants in Nashville are commited to using only local produce. Their menus change based on what is available. I am looking forward to trying “Taste” out. It is one of those such places.

 

More Corruption???

Walgreens, CVS and Omnicare pharmacies have been exploiting a loophole in the Medicaid prescription drug coverages. It is alleged that they “manipulated” their computer systems to automatically change the tablets that a person was prescribed to the capsule form when submitting for Medcaid reimbursement. Medicaid reimburses certain tablets at one price but they reimburse the same medication in capsule form at 3-4 times the amount. This is because they fall under the catergory of “Rarely used”. All 3 pharmacies denied any wrong doing but settled for a total of over $121 Million Dollars.

Does EVERYONE have to be corrupt???? Geesh!

We ARE “Big Oil”!

We all keep bashing the “Big Oil Executives” for ripping us off. I did some reading and found that “WE” are Big Oil. I found this at energytomorrow.org

A study by economists Robert J. Shapiro and Nam D. Pham found:

* Almost 43 percent of oil and natural gas company shares are owned by mutual funds and asset management companies that have mutual funds. Mutual funds manage accounts for 55 million U.S. households with a median income of $68,700.
* Twenty seven percent of shares are owned by other institutional investors like pension funds. In 2004, more than 2,600 pension funds run by federal, state and local governments held almost $64 billion in shares of U.S. oil and natural gas companies. These funds represent the major retirement security for the nation’s current and retired soldiers, teachers, and police and fire personnel at every level of government.
* Fourteen percent of shares are held in IRA and other personal retirement accounts. Forty five million U.S. households have IRA and other personal retirement accounts, with an average account value of just over $22,000

A motorcycle can pay for itself!

I went to http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/savemoney.shtml and punched in the fuel mileage numbers for the car I was driving most recently, a 2001 Grand Marquis and my Harley. The Grand Maquis used regular unleaded and the Harley needs premium so there is a difference in the cost per gallon. Even with the Harley using the more expensive gas I am still saving $2,000 per year and $10,000 for the life of the loan driving it exlusively. My Harley costs a bit more than an average motorcycle but you can buy a very nice bike for $10,000. Amanda’s harley was only $9,500 and it is a 1200cc. I no longer drive a car at all.

The future is not in oil…

The more I think about this whole crude oil issue, the more I feel there is no future in oil. There is no solution for the rising cost. At least no solution that I can see being implimented. We could deal with it if we had a state owned process so that profit was not an issue. we would have to drop our consumption down to a level that we could supply with our limited resources without having to suppliment it with foreign oil. If America can process x-billions of gallons per year, we would need to be at or below that to keep prices in check. We are way above that so we have to buy most of what we consume from for profit countries and companies. Even if we drove 100mpg vehicles, the price of foreign gas would just go up to compensate so that the profit margins are still met. It is a losing battle. We should make more fuel efficient vehicles only as as an interim solution for some relief. Our main focus in the world should be how we can change culture and society back to regional and not global. Global is great if you can support it with an infrastructure. The world we live in is based on a finite resource. Simple logic says that we need to start changing NOW before the oil either runs out or is cost prohibitive to obtain. We need to be looking at ways of getting food to market. We need to be looking at a different market model all together. Right now we get food from all over the country and some from around the world. We get our clothes and everything else we buy from far away. All this requires oil to get them to us. What we we do when trucks can’t bring food from the Kroger Distribution Center hundreds and even thousands of miles away? Do we have enough local farming around the country to self sustain? I don’t think we can. I think we have multiplied so much and have become ever increasingly dependant on mass market that we cannot self sustain. Maybe I am thinking in the wrong direction. I am a Virgo. I play it safe 1st. I am thinking..how did we get by BEFORE oil? We had local farmers and even gardens on our own property. We bought furniture made in our own country. I know forward is the right direction to go long term. New technology should be researched. until it is found, I think we should start localising our communities. Instead of building 20 more strip malls,multi-plexes houseing developments and condos crammed in like sardines, maybe we should allow some land to be used for local growing of food and livestock. Maybe we should step back and slow down. I think of the old town squares. where the local government, police, post office, barber shop, grocery and everything else you needed was all in a town square and the housing was all on the off-shoot streets. You could walk to work, walk to town for entertainment and any things you needed. when you wanted to go to another town, you could take the train. I know we could never go back to those times but the “idea” of it should be in our minds as we “grow”. Everything is just too big, too many, too corrupt, too poluted and just plain too much!

Lets find ways of weaning ourselves from the addiction of oil and build a new society. One closer to the ones that were around when having a car was a luxury and not a necessity. When we do find new technology we won’t be so quick to suck it dry like an addict on a crack pipe!

Harley’s may once again leak oil!

If you want to live the American dream and culture…move to friggin China! They have a middle class with a “disposable income”. China is apparently thriving as everyone seems to be moving thier manufacturing there. Volvo, BMW, Volkswagon and soon the epitome of Americana….HARLEY DAVIDSON!! Yes. Harley opened a dealership in China on April of 2006 and is “seeing strong potential in China.” Harley Davidson already has many parts and most all of its merchandise manufactured there. The part that makes me want to cry is that there is discussion of Harley Davidson moving it’s motorcycle manufacturing to China. OMG. The thought is putting chills through my body. There is already a feeling of doom and despair in our country with no light at the end of the tunnel. There is no “let’s get through this ____ and we will get back on our feet. We may never get back on our feet. The world is changing. The global market is changing. The United States’ place in the hierarchy of the world is changing. The American Dream is moving over seas and we may be left here with poverty and extreme wealth and no foothold in the global landscape.

Why do companies seem so short sighted? They see a decline in business here in America so they jump ship and move to China. in Harley’s case, if they do this, they will not just be down the 15% in sales lost last quarter of 07, they will be down all American sales as no one here will be proud to ride a Harley draped in the Chinese flag. This would be about as smart as a motorcycle company selling to a bowling ball company during hard times. history will repeat itself and Harley’s will once again leak oil!

“One man’s junk…”

The old adage must be true… “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”. This car is a piece of crap and I think the guy is proud of his work and design. I couldn’t even drive the car to the corner store without wearing a mask. Click picture for larger version.

50% Is it enough?

Is being 50% of anything enough? Is Barrack Obama really “black”? Is Tiger Woods really “Black”? It seems to me that Barrack Obama is 50% White and Tiger Woods is 1/4th Chinese, 1/4 Thai, 1/4 African American, 1/8th Native American and 1/8th Dutch. The African American community is in such dire need of role models that as soon as someone with even a 1/4 percent black heritage is famous, it seems that he is exhaulted as a “Black Champion” who has fought through centuries of oppression to bring the race to a new higher level. Barrack Obama is not black. He is American with a parent from Kansas for criminy sake. You don’t get much whiter than Kansas! There are so many 100% African American decendants that are doing wonderful things in this world but they are not held up to this level. I hate to even discuss a topic like this as so many people will find a way to be offended. If Barrack Obama becomes president, we won’t have a black president. We will have an American who has a parent from Africa and the other from America. He is just as white as he is black. I say we just call him Mr President!

Skip once a day…

Everyone should skip at least once a day. You feel a bit silly at first doing it but it has a huge affect on you. Even if just down the hallway at work or from the car to your house. You get blood flowing, you get joints moving and it is mentally liberating! I have been doing this for years. When someone sees me (I usually do it when no one is looking) they smile and sometimes even giggle! So not only does it effect you, it effects others as well! Sweet!

Bears or Children?

First off let me state that I believe that we should never lose focus on the search for alternative sources of energy. That should always be our main focus. With that said, I cannot believe that we are not pursuing the drilling of the trillions of barrels of oil currently sitting in our Government protected land. I fully understand the need to preserve wildlife and habitat. I also understand that much of the land that is now protected was protected 20-30 years ago. Technology has advanced substantially since then. We have the ability to fix a toilet in outer space, we can drill for some oil in Alaska or offshore much more safely than we did when the drunk Captain of the Exxon Valdez tried to park his “boat” at the local tavern! The environmentalists will be screaming NO NO NO but I think their tune would change when it is THEIR children that have no home, no food, no clean clothes etc. How many children have to starve to save the Polar Bears??? Our economy and the safety of our country is in the hands of “foreign oil”. If we can reduce our dependency, we can reduce the threat from terrorism and have more money in our pockets to feed our families and grow our economy again. I say open the preserves to drilling! If the government wants to “regulate” something, let them keep a close watch on the drilling process.

I also am wondering if the American people should OWN the oil company that would have the right to drill? I have been kicking around the idea of a state own oil company. A non-profit oil company that is owned and managed by the people. We should be able to vote on people to run the USA Energy Acquisition and Distribution Agency. A name I just made up !HAHA! We should also be able to vote regularly on all decisions regard this agency. we have the technology to do this. Lets get the economy and security of our nation in order first. With those working well, we can have the resources to advance in alternative energy which will also impact the environment in a positive direction. A country that cannot stand on it’s own two feet cannot be a leader in anything let alone global issues.

Bible Park??

OMG!! only in the Hipocrite Belt..Uh I mean the Bible Belt would you find an amusement park based on the Bible. http://www.bibleparkusa.com/ They actually have areas called “Jesus Tomb Walk-through” and “Jesus walks on water”.I am speechless!!

Sunday ride by the lake

We took a nice leisurely ride by the lake in Mt Juliet/Hendersonville area. Amanda found some nice twisty roads to ride and we saw some nice ranches. We stopped at one of the many parks around the lake and enjoyed the scenery.

 

China’s growth may be similar to Japan’s

At the end of WWII, Japan had no industry and no way to sustain itself in a global market. Much of what they had prior had been destroyed. They had to ramp up quickly in order to get goods to market. This meant that most everything they made was crap! If you are at least my age, you will remember saying things like “This crap was made in Japan”. It was known that cheap stuff that fell apart often was most likely made in Japan. It took a couple decades but now, and for quite some time, things made in Japan command respect and high dollar as they are some of the best products made anywhere. Japanese, audio video equipment is top of the line. Motorcycles are rock solid and we all know about the qualitythat is put into Honda vehicles. I see this could happen to China. Right now they are a relatively new player in the global manufacturing industry. We all know that most of the stuff that is made there is crap. The stuff falls apart and is almost disposable. There was a time when you bought a piece of electronic equipment such as a Sony Walkman, with the intent of it lastingforever. Now we get an mp3 player from China and HOPE it lasts long enough to wait for the next generation of player which is only 1 year away. 1 year? I am sure the original Sony Walkmans are still running. If anyone actually still has cassette tapes to play in them! In time, with all of the money we are dumping into China’s economy, they will learn to make high quality products. They may even get the motorcycle and car thing down. They could even lead the way in alternative transportation. They will need to. They have a glutenous appetite for fossil fuels that rivals our own. With a growing population and economy that has no signs of slowingdown, they will NEED to figure something out. If they do, we could be importing MORE stuff from China. Transportation and other alternative power solutions. America needs to step up to the plate and take the lead. In as little as 10 years I see China being THE country to look to for EVERYTHING. The USA is becoming the old man on the porch watching the neighbors grand kids out in the yard playing, growing and making cool go-carts.

Ethanol and Vintage Motorcycles

E10 Ethanol affects my Harley’s performance and gas mileage but MAN does it suck on my old Goldwing! The old carbureted bike just can’t handle the crapanol. The station I normally by from usually has normal gas. No E10. They just changed over so I had to fill my Goldwing with E10. I ran a whole tank of sputtering and farting. Well maybe the farting was me! LOL! The bike ran like crap. I thought it may be my fuel pump which is leaking a bit and in need of replacment. However, I stopped at another Shell station to check for the “<em>This gas contains 10% Ethanol</em>” sign and there was none posted. 1 out of every 5 or 6 Shell stations here in middle TN seems to have fuel without E10. So I check them 1st. Well I was pretty low on gas so the fresh fillup was instantly being used by the bike. There was a HUGE difference as early as leaving the gas station driveway onto the main road. Not one sputter. I road the next 15 miles in traffic and on the interstate and not one problem. I will check my mileage and see if that also improved. I am sure they weren’t thinking about E10 back in 77. They had good old, dirty LEAD gasoline back then!

Gatlinburg weekend

Amanda and I had a nice cozy weekend in Gatlinburg. A wonderful little cabin was gifted to us for the weekend from a friend. Although Gatlinburg was PACKED and there was lots of traffic, we still found things to do and ways to enjoy ourselves. . We took the ski lift to the top of the mountain in Gatlinburg and this was the souvenir picture we bought. I had it with me today so I scanned it. I will post more pictures on skramnor.com when I get home.

Votes not cast???

The media spent the past couple months counting Hillary Clinton out of the primary race for the Democratic nomination. Yet every time we have another primary in other states, other than the states that voted on “Super Tuesday”, I hear “Hilary could still win the nomination if she clinches (this) state (or that state)“. If she still has a chance today, this late in the race, she had a chance after Super Tuesday. The media should be more responsible. It has been my observation that people generally like to be associated with (and vote for) a winner. They also do not want to “waste” thier vote. If people that have not yet voted believed that thier candidate, in this case Hillary Clinton, had no chance of winning, they may not have voted at all. I am sure many of Hillary Clinton’s votes were never even cast due to a media instilled perception of futility.

NOTE: I am not a Hillary supporter per se. I just think she as well as many other candidates shoud, be given a fair chance.

Gas guzzlers still selling

People seem to not be aware that there is a gas crisis. Giant gas guzzling suv sales have gone down but only by a relatively small percent. I think most people think the gas prices are due to gas companies ripping us off and that in Feb our new president will fix it all. They are ripping us off but not as much as you think. If they gave us back all of their profits it would only lower gas about 20 cents per gallon. The rest is simple supply and demand. China’s population has doubled in the pas ten years, India is next in growth and we are getting around jimmy carters old law stating that cars need to get 28mpg. We make suvs that get 10-15mpg and that is what sells and dominates the roads. USA oil production peaked in 1970 and the middle east is only about 10 years away. It will happen faster the more the world grows. Stop buying gas guzzlers people!!!

Exxon’s billions!!

Condensed from MSN

ExxonMobil generated $40.6 billion in net income last year and $36.6 billion in free cash flow.  It gave $38.4 billion back to shareholders — $7.4 billion in dividend payments and $31 billion through share buybacks. Despite ExxonMobil’s generosity with shareholders, it’s made so much money recently that it still had $31.4 billion in cash, net of debt, at the end of the first quarter of 2008. Thanks to rising energy prices, ExxonMobil’s free cash flow jumped 135% to $36.6 billion last year. The amount of money spent on share buybacks increased 427% to $31 billion last year. But capital spending only went up 20% in the same time frame, to $15.4 billion.

My take:
They are NOT investing back into new technology or locating new reserves. They are just sitting back and milking it until the inevitable failure of the whole Oil Based economy! I don’t blame them in a way.

Reminder: Made in USA links

http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/

http://www.allamericanclothing.com

http://www.shopforamerica.com

http://www.howtobuyamerican.com

 

Let’s all be heard!!!

You may have different opinions than I do on how to fix the economy and some of the major issue that are going on. We can’t sit back and gripe and hope that our “next” President will magically fix things. We need to take an active role in making change. I am not saying you have to grab a picket sign and make a fuss but you can take 5 minutes out of your day, once a month to write a quick email to your Congressmen. We all spend more time forwarding junk emails than we do voicing our opinions and ideas  to the people that we gave the power to actually do something about it. The guy you eat lunch with everyday is not the right guy to bitch to. Although it can be a start to getting people interested in helping change. Your email can be short and to the point. Just let them know you are there and what you want. Polls on the news are fine but don’t really show what they people want. Let’s all be heard! Let’s all take some responsibility to pass the word and write some emails. Let’s talk about what we can do to make change. Not just gripe about it. You may have the idea that can spark real change. One that no one else has thought of!

To contact your Representative:
https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml

To contact your Senators
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

 

Wake up people!!!

Now I know why our country is in such a bad place economically. I had a conversation with some people today and believe it or not they both had no idea there was an issue with China! The conversation started with the typical gripe these days about the price of gas $406.9 for premium here in Nashville. When I told them about the value of the dollar being so low in the global market place and how crude oil is purchased based on that dollar, therefore it takes more dollars to buy the same amount they returned blank stares at me. I then asked “Have you looked at where everything you buy is from?” I got a “uh no not really.” as a reply. WOW! I literally asked ” what rock are you living under?” That was kinda rude of me but I just can’t believe people ignorance. I mean, I don’t know all the facts and I know many people don’t but it is simple common sense that says if we spend all of our money on Chinese products (and now even food), we are killing our own economy! All our money is going outward and nothing is coming in! The big killer of this conversation was that one woman said that she thought our economy was so bad because so many countries like China owe US money!!! OMG!! We owe $9,358,051,368.626.00 That is 9 Trillion Dollars!!! That is $30,780 for each American! Children included! Our debt is going up $1.49 billion per day! We need to start paying attention people! READ! Talk to people! Learn ways you can do your part. Read the labels! Buy American! Don’t support Chinese financed stimulus packages that are used to buy Chines products anyway! We can fix this economy if we all just pay attention. I am surprised that the media is not making news of all this. They are more concerned with Obama’s middle name or if Brittney Spears is going to get custody of her kids. Wake up people!!!

Why are we looking after the next election for fixes?

People are saying that whomever wins the next presidential election needs to fix this gasoline price issue 1st thing! I agree that it needs to be addressed fast but why are we waiting for February for a fix? Are we so tired of Bush’s lack of accomplishments (or ability to speak in coherent sentences) that we are just assuming nothing can be done now? We have 8 months before we have a new president. TONS can be accomplished by then. we should be looking to our current leader to do some friggin leading! If we wait until February EVERYONE will be poor! Fix this gas issue NOW!

Bush will be in the history books as the President with the lowest approval rating of any president let alone one during war time. He will be remembered for the bumbling fool who could barley speak with out fumbling over his own words. He will be remembered as the president who took us into an illegal war and costs us 400+ trillion dollars that contributed heavily to a recession. He has no redeeming accomplishments that will be famous. He could fix this by fixing the gas issue. Forcing manufacturers to make autos with 50mpg or better HWY by 2010, stopping the blockades that are preventing companies from releasing hydrogen or electric cars and making Iraq pay for it’s own war or at least lowering the price of crude to the USA only. How about lowering the price of crude to the tune of 400 Trillion over a 5 year period? If Bush stood as firm on gas prices as he did about the war, he may be remembered in the history books in a better light and we would have money to spend again, which could fix the economy!

Do not buy from China

A friend forwarded an email. Unlike the “dont buy from exxon for a month” plan, I think this might have some impact. I we don’t buy from China for 1 month, there will only be a true impact if we DO NOT rush out after July 4 and buy a month’s worth of junk!

I did not fully realize the impact of the Chinese market on the U.S. Until I noticed that we are importing fruits and vegetables from China .  Imagine importing vegetables from a country that uses human waste to fertilize their crops. We have already stopped buying any produce and products from China several months ago and highly encourage everyone I know to do the same.  Please read on.
 
Do you want to send a message to China ?  Remember these dates:  June 4, to July 4.

Read below and you will see why.

Are we Americans as dumb as we appear or is it that we just do not think? While the Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets, the media wrings its hands and criticizes the Bush Administration for perceived errors. Yet 70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended. Well, duh..why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? DO IT YOURSELF!!  

Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says ‘Made in China ‘ or ‘PRC’ (and that now includes Hong Kong ), simply choose another product or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, however you will be equally amazed at what you can do without. Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example, the point is.. Do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.
 
If 200 million Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that’s a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor…fast!! The downside? Some American businesses will feel a temporary pinch from having foreign stockpiles of inventory. ** Downside ??
 
The solution ?
 
Let’s give them fair warning and send our own message. We will not implement this UNTIL June 4, and we will only continue it until July 4. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for
1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they will at least have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it.
 
Remember, June 4 to July 4.
Send this to everybody you know.
Show them we are Americans
And NOBODY can take us for granted.
If we can’t live without cheap Chinese
Goods for one month out of our lives,
WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!
Pass it on America !!!

Poor little starlets!

I’m sitting here at waffle house and a couple booths over is a young woman sitting with a much older man. She is pitching her music and singing.I feel like walking up and telling her that if this guy is doing business at the waffle house, he probably can’t help you with anything except undressing. Poor little starlets!

“Sevens” finally on the road!

After MANY months of hard work, ebaying and wrenchin’ I finally got my Vintage 1977 Honda Goldwing done! I painted it (including new decals under 3 coats of clear paint), completed the wiring harness, removed the carb rack for rebuild, replaced the front fork springs, add fork boots, installed new handlebar with internal wiring, new grips, mounted turn signals, disassembled both wheels and had them rebuilt with new spokes, powder coat and new bearings, had new tubes and tires mounted, replaced the battery and main fuse/wiring, bled the brakes, replaced the pads, replaced the gear oil and replaced the subframe. I gotta add that I painted the bike with spray paint cans in my garage. With some patience it came out pretty nice for $50!

Tennessee…NOT so eco friendly

I have been researching alternatives to gasoline powered vehicles in my search for a way to get away from being dependent on the oil companies and thier greed! I found that Honda is making a Civic GX that is powered by CNG. Compressed Natural Gas. The very same stuff that is piped to my house for my hot water heater and my BBQ grill. Sweet! I could fill up at home! So like I do, I started looking into what it would take to do it. Leave it to TN and it’s backwoods, outdated laws and ways. If you use CNG to power a vehicle in TN you have to pay MORE taxes!!! Rock on with the enviromental policies you friggin idiots! So they say..”Hmmm? let’s tax the people that want to make a difference in the environment and our dependency on middle east oil! Sounds like a plan!” Here is text from the TN government website.

Tennessee Incentives and Laws

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Tax and Permit

A use tax of $0.13 per gallon is imposed on CNG used for the propulsion of motor vehicles on public highways. For the purpose of determining the tax on CNG, a gallon equivalent factor of 5.66 pounds per gallon is used. Government agencies are exempt from this tax. A CNG vehicle user must apply for and obtain a CNG user’s permit from the Commissioner of Revenue. (Reference Tennessee Code 67-3-1113, and 67-3-1114

I also found it ironic (but not surprising) that the Nissan Altima hybrid, which is built at Nissan’s Smyrna plant, is not offered in Tennessee. “Go figure!” (nod to Jazzbo)

 

I saw it coming…

I have to say “I told you so!” I have been speculating China as a threat to our economy for almost 3 years. My prediction of gas prices going to $3 has come to pass and then some!

http://skramnor.wordpress.com/2005/07/07/chinaa-threat/

304 Million:2

We have 304 million in the United States. Out of all of those people, exluding children and elderly, we only seem to be able to muster up 2 people to choose between for president come November. Or at least that’s what the press/media would have you believe. What is more alarming is that out of all those people, including, brilliant scientists, lawyers, doctors, professors and business leaders, we chose to keep George Bush in office to “lead” us for 8 years! Yes, our political system is flawed and I think daily of ways to fix it. I blame GW for many things but I blame the people of America more for allowing him to be elected, re-elected and NOT impeached after his many unconstitutional and illegal actions. WAKE UP people!!!

Rock on stupid leeches!

In Nashville this year, we have an embarrassing 33% high school graduation rate!! THIRTY-THREE PERCENT of the kids do not finish high school. They do not go to work, most of them are unemployed according to the news report I just heard. WTF!! When I was in school up in New Jersey, if 2 or 3 kids didn’t graduate it was a shock! We never even thought for a second that not graduating was an option. We knew we HAD to. If not for the reason of having a decent future and a good job then out of fear of disappointing our parents and the humiliating social embarrassment. Do kids now think it’s cool to drop out or fail? Another thing I noticed is that young folks in TN do not care to get their driver’s license as soon as they are old enough. Many of them don’t bother. They just let their parents drive them around and pay for everything. OMG! How embarrassing. Can you imagine being 18, a high school dropout and having your parents drive you around??? I couldn’t sleep for a month prior to being old enough to take my drivers test. Same with everyone I knew. INDEPENDENCE is intoxicating! I can’t blame the kids though. They are impressionable young minds that only do what they learn. I blame the idiot parents for not instilling independence and pride in their kids. Many parents, at least in TN, do not hold their kids to a high enough standard. They let them get away with too much. Dropping out of high school is “too much”. I know there are circumstances where some kids have to drop out to help support the family. understood. Those are not the majority of the 33% who have failed. The way I see it is the more stupid dropouts we have running around town, the more crime there is. The more crime, the more it costs us taxpayers in law enforcement, courts and prisons. Parents: Make you kids finish school! Have some friggin pride!

Ba-Boing! Goes another Harley cable

OK I am officially tired of this. I broke another throttle cable on my Harley this weekend That makes 3 in the 18,000 miles I have put on my 2006 bike so far. I was just riding down the road and “dink”. Both the Harley Dealer and the mechanic I use don’t see why they are breaking. This time I am going to change the cable myself and I am not going to buy the Chinese made Harley cables. Motion Pro makes cables for my bike and I use them for my other bikes. They are teflon lined and Made in USA! Hopefully they will fare better. Also when I route the new cable I will have a chance to look at the full path for sharp edges or burrs that may be making this happen.

The cable broke about 9 miles away from home. I decided to nurse it home at idle. I made it all the way home, up and down hills, through stop lights and intersections using my clutch and gears and no throttle! It was a challenge but I made it and learned alot about what each gear is capable of and just how freaking torquey the Harley V Twin really is! My Goldwing or most inline 4′s probably couldn’t have made it up those hills.

Any way, I was surprisingly not mad but rather excited to have completed the challenge. Fun Fun Fun!

Smart cars? Get in line!!!

I have been shopping for a fuel efficient auto for the past couple years. Not 20-30mpg like the auto giants would have you believe is a fantastic number but rather 35-55 and beyond! There are cars that get that mileage and some can even do it at a reasonable cost. Not 50grand but as low as $11k-$15k. A couple years ago I found the Smart Car and LOVED it right off the bat. They finally released it for sale here after it already being available in the rest of the world for quite some time. We are always last. On purpose I am sure. After all our government has their fingers in the world oil pie! Anyway… I called about getting a Smart car today and found that there is a LOOONG waiting list. Well over a year. The manufacturer is shipping 20, 000 units to USA each year and the waiting list has surpased 30,000 people. Each paying $99 to be on this list. During the waiting period they are spending TONS driving their current gas guzzler. Just like me! I want something NOW! I don’t want to wait until there are no suckers..uh I mean buyers for my V8 vehicle. Next year NO ONE will want to buy my car! So it looks like I need to trade in on an interim vehicle. What are my choices? Prius? $25,000. WHAT??? The Smart car is going to be $11k-$15. Honda Civic? $23k-$30k. unless of course you get the one with no anti-lock brakes, hub cabs and nothing resembling creature comforts. VW has a great bit of technology in their clean burning diesel cars. Only available overseas. Not here in the good old USA yet. I wonder which politicians are the ones slowing down the manufacturing of efficient vehicles. The very same ones in bed with the oil companies! They grow rich and we take it deep in the shadows as we pay $4 per gallon at the pump and higher. Where our our choices in the land of freedom. Realistic choices, not “Walking” or “carpooling”. Those are great ideas for those who live in the urban areas. The areas that people who are concerned about gas prices cannot afford to live anyway. Another story…Another Rant. 

I only need…

All I really need in life is the financial freedom to ride a motorcycle all over the world and play guitar for people once in a while. I just want to be on the road on a bike all the time. I don’t care where I sleep as long as I wake up and get on the road. There is so much to see!!!

More disk space please!

This is by no means a fresh observation. I am sure millions of people think this same thought from time to time. I was just refreshed by having finished a weekly tape backup here at work and I had to use 8, 320GB tapes to do it. I got to thinking back to my 1st computer. An Atari 1040st. I remember being so “inconvenienced” when I had to use 2 floppies to back up my files or to play/load a game. “2 FLOPPIES?” Seems that as we get new technology to expand out data storage, our needs stay just 1 step ahead. When we had ZIP drives, we some how had more than 100MB of stuff we needed to save. Then we had 1GB JAZ drives! Woohoo. When we started backing up our stuff we needed many more than 1 cartridge. Then DVD-R drives came out and we could burn 3.7GB!!! Too bad we had 20 gigs of crap to archive. Now I store my files to 500GB external drives at home and STILL have to “manage” what I archive. With ripped DVDs taking 1+GB of compressed space, 1000 MP3′s, video camera captures  and 10 years of digital pictures all needing to be saved (even if I will never view them again), we need more and more space! I wonder if it is just that data is soooo much bigger or if it is that we know we have the space so we save much more than we really need. Just cause we can. I know that at least 1/2 of the pictures I have taken and saved, I won’t ever look at again. Especially the ones where I took 20 shots of the very same thing and kept them all “just in case”!  We may never actually have more space than we think we need!

Tiny Sleeping Bags!

Amanda and I are getting ready for the next camping season. The difference this year is that we plan on camping off our motorcycles! So we have been shopping for new gear. Smaller gear. We stopped at REI this weekend and found some really cool, tiny sleeping bags. They are only for summer use but that’s all we really need. We are also checking out smaller tents and everything else we can cut down in size to fit on our bikes. In August we are riding across the country, South to North, on our bikes.To save money we plan on camping quite a bit with the family. So we will definitely need everything to be small and easy to pack and unpack. Check out Amanda, displaying the tiny “Cocoon”!

My kinda pizza!

There is only 1 place outside of NJ or NY, that I can remember having the kind of pizza I grew up loving. The kind that is thin and rubbery, drips oil and cheese and folds over in your hand when you pick it up. Amanda and I had such a pizza at Picnic Pizza on Murfreesboro road in Nashville! The owner is straight out of Brooklyn and even brought his ovens here from back home to be able to make the pizza as authentic as possible. The only difference I could see would be the water used to make the pizza being different here than back home. Other than that, he nailed it! This would be a great place to stop off with a group of friend on our motorcycles. MMMMM!!

Backyard Movie!

Our backyard movie was a success!!! Amanda and I made our backyard into a little drive, no WALK in movie theatre. We had about 8 people over for the 1st and about 20 more that want to attend the next. We planned it on kinda short notice. We made a giant viewing screen on the wall, had tiki torches, hot dogs and beer. The guests all brought their own lawn chairs and blankets. Between all of the beer that was brought and food, we had tons to fail at consuming all of. Danette brought enough of her, now famous, chicken dip to feed NASHVILLE!!! (lol) It is delicious!! Kris brought movie theatre candy!! What a great addition. We started by grilling up a pile of hot dogs, watching “Family Guy” episodes in the background, and then when the sunset, we watched our first movie. We watched “War”. It was pretty good movie but the temperature, dropped outside. So for the second movie I got out our fire-pit and started a campfire in the middle of the yard. That really helped get through the evening. We will be doing these throughout the summer. We had a fantastic time!

I want gas prices to keep going up!

You are probably saying “WTF?”. Why would anyone want these prices to keep going up? Well it is simple. We can fix so many issues just by letting the gas prices go up. 1st let me add that the Clinton/McCain idea of cutting the gas tax for the summer is a bad idea that won’t make a single bit of difference. They are proposing an 18 cent tax break on gasoline to help alleviate some of the financial strain we are feeling as prices go up for gas. Why it won’t work is that 2 weeks after they cut the tax, which funds many road maintenance projects, the price will go up higher than the 18 cents anyway. So we are back at where we were 2 weeks earlier but we have less money for the roads. So back to letting the price go up. Right now the gas prices are an “inconvenience” for most. It is obviously not too much of a burden to people as nothing is changing really. People are still driving gas guzzling SUVs and trucks. We still do not carpool to work. For the most part things are business as usual with the exception of all the bitching everyone is doing. No one is ACTING on this. Not really. Yes we have new laws that say cars have to get 20mpg by 2010. Big woop!! Real change wont happen until the pain is HUGE! When everyone is paying 10$ per gallon, I guarantee things will change. People won’t be able to afford to pay that much and will HAVE to find new ways. The auto makers will continue to make cars with 20-30 mpg until those cars don’t sell at all. They will then make cars that WILL sell. When gas cost 10$ per gallon, car manufacturers will make alternative vehicles or go out of business. Companies like Honda will push their Fuel Cell cars like the new ZERO emissions FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle, which IMO is the answer to our oil dependancy problems. Follow me on this… If we stop making and buying gasoline cars, we will no longer depend on middle east oil. Without us paying for middle east oil, the terrorists won’t have gazillions of dollars to plan attacks on us. The war would be over and th emoney we spend daily over there would be back into our own economy. It all makes sense. You may say “what do we do with all the cars we already have?”. I thought of that too. If we make fuel cells in America, we could retro fit all existing cars. This would allow people to save the investment they have in their current car and it will also increase manufacturing in USA. Jobs!!! Built in ecomnomic stimulation! I could go on with this but I think you get the idea!

Bending over at the ATM!

Bank of America is charging me $2 for each ATM use not with Bank of America. This is ON TOP OF the $2.50 that the ATM machine’s bank is charging. So it costs me $4.50 to take out money on non BOA ATM’s now! OMG!!! I am so tired of bending over for corporate America!

Productive!

It feels good to be productive! Today I planned our 1st backyard movie night party, took my Goldwing wheels to the shop to get powder coated, laced, mounted and balanced, wet sanded the side faux tank panels on the Goldwing and affixed the new logos, swapped the bleeder screws, bled the fluid and changed the brake pads on the Goldwing, practised the songs I will be singing in the new band, updated my laptop to the new version of Ubuntu and crafted this lovely run on sentence! Phew!

Google Maps..Street View

Google is just moving in leaps and bounds! I love all their tools and products. The newest one to freak me out is the Google maps “Street View”. As if the amazing satelite view wasnt cool enough. They now have street level views with a 360 image. You can get right down on the road and look horizontal. AMAZING!! You can “drive” around and look at places in a way you may never ever do if you dont actually go there. I will be doing this for days as I drive around other cities and countries if possible! WOWWIES!!!

3 Years!!!

I made my 1st blog post on April 13th 2005. I can’t believe I stuck with it this whole time. It has been a great way for me to rant and vent but it has also been a way to reconnect with some friends. My blog has been read by a surprisingly large amount of people. Some of my postings have been referenced in other posts. Some of my postings have actually been printed out, read to other groups off line and even brought up in my and other’s office meetings. I have received emails from people I haven’t spoken to in years after they stumbled onto my lil blog and read it for while. I have communicated with strangers after they found postings of mine. I have some people that read my blog once in a while just to keep up with how I am doing, without actually having to call. I heard from a friend once that a few people I grew up with read my blog once a week but I have not heard from them. That’s kinda cool! I am still flattered and amazed that anyone would care to read to my babblings-on more than one time. The fact that anyone comes back for more is a sincere treat for me. I hope my thoughts will continue to entertain or at least frustrate people for another 3 years at least! Thanks again to all who read me and especially the few that post comments (Tony, Don and Jess)!!!

25th!!

I can’t believe my 25th high school reunion is coming up! Dern I feel old! I am very excited about it though. I have been in email touch with a few of my classmates over the years and am really looking forward to seeing them in person!

Savannah trip

We found a nice park in the center of Savannah with awesome Live Oak trees.

Savannah Ride Report..

Ride Report Nashville:
We got a good start at 3:30 and stayed ahead of the rain storm looming behind us the entire time. We made real good time to Atlanta but lost an hour due to time zone change. We ended up having to nogatiate the 285 loop of Atlanta at night. YUK! All in all 16 lanes of interstate was not too bad. We got to Beacon’s house and caught a good night sleep. We hit the road the next morning at about 9:30. Just after Beacon finished his notoriously “last minute” chores. Like changin his oil! LOL! We hit the road and it started to rain. We dealt with light rain and a few heavier bouts all the way through to Macon GA. After that it was smooth sailing. I say “sailing” because the wind was HEAVY!! We got blown around the entire weekend. Riding at 90mph a gust of cross wind can move you all the way across the lane. We were careful and no real scares. Just exhausting! we rolled into Savannah around lunchtime. We said our hellos and headed downtown. We rode down and found a nice parking lot attendant who watched our bikes and directed us to where to eat. We chose “Fiddlers Crab” and had a nice meal on a balcony overlooking the water and all the people. After a nice meal, some shopping, a pause to watch a very entertaining street performer we head back to the hotel and some conversation (and beer). I passed out from being so sleepy and woke the next morning ready for a big ride home. We had a great big breakfast at Perkin’s (I miss Perkins). Then we said goodbyes and hit the road for a 508 mile ride back to Nashville. With the exception of a stupid woman blindly running me off the road in the interstate, it was an uneventful enjoyable ride home. We left Savannah at 9:30 CST and made it home by 6:15pm. Not bad at all! Amanda’s bike took on a loud lunking rattle in Savannah. Luckily it made it home. I think it’s the primary chain tensioner. I will open the inspection cover and look for evidence tonight. We are looking forward to the next ride. Hopefully I will get to do it on my old Goldwing! Thanks to all for a new challenge completed and a fun fun time!
Pictures are being uploaded to here:
[url]http://picasaweb.google.com/skramnor/Savannah08[/url]

Savannah here we come!

Amanda and I are leaving work early today to head out to Savannah GA! We have our motorcycles all packed up and ready to go. We are planning to make to the 250+ miles to my Sisters house near Atlanta to spend the night. On Saturday, my brother in law will join us on his bike for the next 250 miles to Savannah where we will meet some family and friends riding up from Florida at the same time. We are so excited. We get to see family, including my Mom and her husband. I also get to see my best friend, who is riding in the Florida group. I haven’t seen him in way too many years. Oil is changed, bikes are washed and loaded with gear. We are hoping for a safe fun journey full of clear skies. Pix will be posted when we get back.

Record Sales

It is sad that we can judge a person’s success by the number record they sell and then compare them based on those sales to masters of the past. I got on this thought when I saw that Mariah Carey surpassed Elvis Presley in #1 hits. I could not name 1 single Mariah Carey song and so far only 1 person I have talked to about this was able to barely remember 1 song. She has not impacted or changed music in any way other than adding a high pitched squeal into her vocal style. She has not influencing tons of people like Elvis, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elton John, Nirvana, The Beatles, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Hank Williams Jr & Sr, The Bee Gees, Prince and the list goes on and on.  Yet with the internet (obviously not available back in the past) her 286,000 internet downloads the 1st week of the songs release has catapulted her past Elvis. Many other artists have impacted music in way that Mariah Carey will most like never do. The same goes with Carrie Underwood. She is a fantastic Singer and a charming attractive young woman but is not changing music or impacting it anywhere near people like Patsy Cline or Tammy Wynette, Reba Macentire or Shania Twain. They all put a huge fingerprint onto the definition of country music. Carrie Underwood has and most likely will never steer Country music in any new direction. yet her record sales are killing those of the one who have. It is all due to the fact that back in the day an artist had to work hard at getting know. That hard work weeded out the casual singer even if talented. They had to go from show to show, town to town and radio station to radio station peddling their music. This hard work turned them into MORE than a singer or songwriter. It gave them credibility and their enduring presence helped direct a genre. With only 500,000 copies of an album. now it can be announced that a new artist is up and coming. You put her cute smile on a popular tv show and BOOM 50 million people see her all at once. Then a week later you announce a new album (tossed together in a month, with top paid studio musicians) and BEFORE the album hits the shelves, it is platinum. iTunes and online ordering can allow a song to go gold and then platinum in literally hours as opposed to the years it took in the past. Hell, we can popularize a prostitute on the news and people will buy enough of her song recorded the night before to give her a gold rating. Good or bad doesn’t matter in this day of lightning fast connectivity and instant access to anything. I know there is no other easy way to measure someones success than record sales. I wish we could compare them by year or decade so that the comparison is relative.

We brought it on ourselves…

We all (including me) seem to be pointing blame for the high price of gas and the state of our economy. I believe it all came about from our own doing. Our need to find the cheapest of everything has forced this onto us. Follow me on this. We go to the store, usually Wal-Mart but many others also, and shop for a widget. There are 2 widgets on the shelf. Both seem to do the job. One is a bit cheaper looking but we accept that when we see the price tag. One is $2.99 and the other is $5.99. We then rationalize. “Well the one is a bit cheaper looking but I guess that’s why it costs less. They both do what I want them to do…”. So we buy the cheaper one. What we ALL failed to do over the past 2 or 3 years is look at where that product was made. Not in the USA but instead it was made in China. No big deal we think to ourselves (back then). Now multiple those little widget purchases by literally millions of people buying dozens of products each and every week, month after month, year in and year out! The America companies have to go out of business or at best lay off many of its American employees. Now those people are working lower paying jobs or not at all and have to shop for cheaper and cheaper products. China is ready! They open more and more factories, make more and more exports and the cycle continues. American manufacturing diminishes while China’s grows exponentially. We have less money circulating inside our borders and much, much more of it funneling out. PERMANENTLY!! China is not buying American exports to balance this economically. So where does the “price of oil” come in to this scenario you ask? China, due in part ot it’s lack of EPA style regulation and it’s enormous manufacturing industry coupled with it’s ever growing population is now the leading consumer of oil from the middle east. THIS is what drove the price of oil up. The oil industry’s infrastructure has been on pace with the grown and consumption of the planet since the mid 70′s. Supply and demand went hand in hand. Growth around the world went hand in hand with the growth of the oil industry. Until we let China EXPLODE! They have thrown off the balance in the equation and did it faster than the world, especially the middle east, could keep up. We are all paying the price for our own blind need to save $3 on widgets.

NOTE: We should be taxing the crap out of Chinese imported goods just like we did to Japanese cars when American auto manufacturing was dying in the late 70s and early 80′s.

11:11 A new bike sign?

I have been shopping for a new bike for a while now. It’s a tough choice. Once I freed my mind from the Harley thing, I realized there are way too many bikes to choose from. I have been used to choosing between the 3 full size bike that Harley makes. Yes they only make 3 basic fullsize bikes. Anyway, after months of choosing I am very interested in a few particular bikes. I decided to stop by one of the dealershiops that I frequent and see if they have the bike in stock to check out yet again! Well I walked in the door and not only saw the bike, I am interested in but saw it in the exact color scheme, I have been drueling over. I walked directly over to it and looked down at the bike. I looked at the gauges and noticed the time. 11-friggin-11. I said “NO WAY!! This can’t be!” For those who don’t know, I have a long history with 11:11. After talking with the salesman, I was given a price of $10,900 for a new 2008! 195hp motorcycle for under $11k. WOW! I didn’t buy it but was very tempted. Amanda and I thought it safer to wait till the Harley sells. We said it could have been a sign! But what kinda sign? To buy that particular bike, to buy that model but not necessarily that one, to NOT buy that bike “cause it’s the Debil” or that it’s not a sign at all. I guess I’ll never know!

 

The “Primaries” is NOT the semifinals!

It seems that we look at the “Primaries” as an earlier round in the presidential elections. This in not really true IMO. The primaries are only each of 2 political parties individual way of gathering a candidate to enter into the race for President. IMO, it should be a private race and completely funded by the party themselves. There should ZERO dollars coming from tax payers for the primaries. I am not sure there currently is but there shouldn’t be. The fact that this democratic race is consuming so much air time on TV and so much activity from politicians is a bit unfair to every other candidate who is getting no airtime from this race. I’ll make an anaology to the Olympics. Each country submits a team to compete at the Olympics. How each country chooses their team or “candidates” is irrelevant and most other countries do not care and definitely have no say in the matter. How we choose, is not broadcast all over the world taking up airtime. We choose who we wan to represent us by having “Nationals”. Then we send the final team. The Olympic viewers, judges and comptetetors need not know a thing about the people we didn’t send only the people we do send. The Olympics is the show, the FINALS if you will and that is all relevant. We as a nation need to let the democrats pick who they feel is best, let the republicans pick who they think is best and same with the green party, the liberatarians and so on. When they pick, with the help of registered voters and leaders of each party, THEN the race can start. Televising the primaries to such and extreme extent just perpetuate the misinformed notion that there are only 2 parties. All this airtime, is ingraining the faces of the 2 democrats into people minds and brainwashing them into thinking the whole race for president is between them. It would be like all the judges in the Olympics watching the American National competitions for a year prior to the olympics. Naturally they would develop a liking for certain athletes. They would develop dislikes for others. They would start to feel like they know the competitors. Then when the actual Olympics started everyone else would seem like rookies or strangers. They would not garner the same attention or immediate relationship from the judges as the teams they have been seeing daily for a year. Its not fair or even.  IMO the race fro presidency (and the national airing of the race) should be held off until all parties and independants have submitted their nominations. THEN it’s a race. Currently it’s a horse race and only a few are allowed to race. The gates are closed on all the others!

You drink the coffee? Then MAKE some coffee!

I think most people believe it is everyone else’s job to make the coffee. Maybe they think there is a magical force that keeps fresh coffee in the pot. Irks me (just a bit) when the coffee pot is always empty! It seems that when I want a cup of coffee at work, I have to make a whole pot. When I do all of a sudden everyone wants a cup and BOOM gone! Many times I have started a pot of coffee, went to my office for 5 minutes to work while it brews only to come back and see the pot is 99% empty. People grow up from kids that think they can eat all the cookies, leave 1 in the jar and say “I didn’t finish the cookies!” to adults who drink the last cup of coffee in the pot, leave a spoonful in the bottom and say “I didn’t finish the coffee!”. If you drink the coffee, then make the coffee too! Please!

Jesse!! Jesse!! Jesse!!

For years I have been on a soapbox about how our 2 party system is ruining our country. It eliminates real competition from anyone not working for the furtherment of their party and who would rather work for the will of the people. They are not welcome in debate nor election. I bet that the majority of Americans do not even realize that other people run for office. Ask ANYONE “who is running for president?” and you will get “Obama, Clinton and McCain”. Republicans and Democrats. No one really likes either party. We just pick the lesser of two evils. We need to get back to the will of the people. Not big money and big politics. I truely feel unrepresented in our government. Yet I am taxed! ”Taxation without representation” was a big issue in this land at one time in our history. It seems we all just choke it down now and accept it. Our forefathers would call us “pansies”! Many people that I speak with daily are discontent with the war, the economy, the environment and the overall state of the union. Yet our hands are tied. We elect the people we feel can do the best job in Washington to represent us and yet nothing seems to get accomplished. Another bill, a new law, yet at the end of the day, we still have no choice in way too many aspects of our lives. We still pay way too much, to way too few, for way too little. We need change! Not the change Obama is promising where we go from one corrupt political group with agenda’s and that is open to influence by big money, to another party with the same issues, under a different color banner. We need TRUE change. Someone who wants for the people the same things he wants for himself and his family. Freedom, choices and a say in the direction of the country. Believe it or not that man might very well be Jesse Ventura! He would have my vote even if only to break the grasp on our balls that the 2 party system has!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2004-04-15-ventura-white-house_x.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jesse-ventura/thinking-politics-in-bush_b_94684.html

http://www.ontheissues.org/Jesse_Ventura.htm

http://www.voters4ventura.com/index.php

Fly TN

Welcome to Fly TN, population “I guess around 20″. SALUTE!!! We rode our bikes out to find a town called Fly TN. We actually rode through it in 2 seconds and missed it. We had to turn around and go back to a general store we passed with Fly’s on the front. We pulled up and went in to this way old rusted roof, wooden building that has seen better days 30 years past. We asked the man behind the “register” (lol) where Fly TN was. “Yer in it” he replied. I asked him if he was the mayor. He said “I guess so”. He said his name was “Wislon Fly and this is my land”. He owns the whole town. Or better yet he had his house, general store (including a man with a hunting rifle chilling in a rocking chair on the front porch) and property declared a town or something. Probably the smallest town in the whole country! Amazing that this trip back in time is only about 40 minutes from Nashville. Dern!!

The technology exisits so what’s the delay?

VW has developed a new generation of Diesel engine. It is the new version of their TDI engine (Turbo Direct Injected). It has been selling in Europe for a few years now and people are experiencing mileage up to 65 MPG. They sell a 3 cyl “Lupo” also that gets around 82mpg. Yes 82MPG!!! YEARS later VW is still trying to get past US Politicians and our “protective” codes and regulations. The very same regulations that allow Expeditions, Excursions, Escalades and a whole slew of full sie trucks that get sub 10MPG on the road. Who makes up these BS regulations anyway? Allow the 10MPG cars but deny the 65mpg clean burning cars? Yes clean! The new clean diesel is not the same old soot blowing rattling engine cars of the past. They are a whole new advancement. They now have a new “particulate” filter in the exhaust system. This catches all of the soot, when the filter reaches a specific amount, the system allows the engine exhaust to raise the temp in the filter and incinerate the soot. Brilliant! The other by product of this amazing filter is that it is very quiet. So quiet in fact that when a TDI diesel motor won the 24 hours of Lemans in 2007 (a 1st win at Lemans for a diesel vehicle ever) it was commented that the car, as it kept driving while all the other cars had to pit for fuel, was “eerily quite”. The new Jetta TDI Sport wagon is hoped to finally make it past the US regulations by late summer of 2008 as a 2009 model. Right AFTER the busy summer driving season. DUH! I also read that the US version will only be getting 45-50mpg to meet US regulations. WTF???? Are we idiots here or what? The engine already beats anything we have on the road for emissions, why dumb it down? Here are a few amazing statistics for the 2009 VW Jetta TDI. 140hp, 236ft lbs of torque. 45-50mpg and 90% less emissions than the last generation Diesel. The car passes California Diesel standards which are MUCH higher and more strict than anywhere else. BTW. All diesel fuel is now a cleaner diesel than it was in the past. The Jetta TDI will only be $2000 more than the gasoline Jetta. At 20-25 MPG more economy, you can recoup that difference is a relatively short time. Note: Mercedes is also using this new technology under the name of “Blue-Tech” or “BT”. IMO, this technology is offering us an immediate interim solution for our oil dependence issues by reducing our consumption. The would save Americans alot of money that we could spend elsewhere and THIS could stimulate our economy. Instead we chose to subsidize Ethanol manufacturers with a 51 cent on the gallon tax credit that takes revenue away that could be used to pay for new technology advancement. Renewable, environmentally sound technology such as Hydrogen fuel Cells! With ZERO EMISSIONS and ZERO cost to perpetuate the energy! Solar generated electricity converting water into hydrogen. That’s another story though. So here is the new VW. I will seriously consider this when it arrives.

On the motorcycle front, a company in Holland called Starwin Motors has created a bike called the Thunderstar. It is a race style motorcycle based on the VW TDI Lupo 3 cyl engine. The bike has more torque than any bike on the road and get insane fuel economy. Power output begins at 80bhp and 165 ft lbs of torque, BUT, with a remapping of the bike computer the numbers increase to 120bhp and 250 foot pounds at 5500rpm! The bike weighs 450 pounds which is heavy by race bike standards but 250lbs less than my Harley and MUCH more power. They are looking into making a touring model and a crusier as well. Amazing technology already here and I can’t believe in this day and age, we still have NO CHOICE! We are no better off now than when England ruled us. Taxation without representation. Kinda still rings true now if you think about it. Oops Off topic again!:)

http://www.e10sucks.com/

http://www.e10sucks.com/

Glad I’m not the only one bitchin’ about Ethanol!

http://www.nashvillegasprices.com/Forum_Topics.aspx?category=1356

Ethanol CRAP!

Recently I noticed 2 things about driving my car and now even my motorcycle. Both are starting to sputter and get worse gas mileage. My car went from 22mpg on the interstate to 17mpg and my Harley went from 50+mpg to 45mpg or less.  Then, a couple weeks ago I noticed a sign on the pump at the gas station. “This gas contains up to 10% Ethanol”. WTF??? I started looking around and now all of the local stations are posting similar labels. I did some research. Adding Ethanol to fuel up to 10% is call E10. There are other blends called E85 and E100 but those fuels will only work in a “Flex Fuel” vehicle. E10 is what we are dumping into our cars now. It has less emissions than full on gasoline and is made from corn. Using this was thought to stimulate the economy by having a larger percentage of our fuel come from America. Ethanol is made from Corn in America. Brazil uses Sugar Cane to make theirs and it is far cheaper to make than corn based ethanol but we have a 54 cent tariff on each gallon imported from Brazil. The US Government is subsidizing 50 cents on the gallon to US manufactures that do the “blending” of ethanol and gasoline for market. This is in the form of a Tax Credit. E10 blend has less energy per gallon than 100% gasoline. This means you will have to fill up more often using corn based ethanol. Hence my lower gas mileage on both my vehicles. Another issue is water. This is from Businessweek:

Are there any problems with ethanol?
Oh, yes. Ethanol can’t travel in pipelines along with gasoline, because it picks up excess water and impurities. As a result, ethanol needs to be transported by trucks, trains, or barges, which is more expensive and complicated than sending it down a pipeline. As refiners switched to ethanol this spring, the change in transport needs has likely contributed to the rise in gas prices. Some experts argue that the U. S. doesn’t have adequate infrastructure for wide ethanol use. Also, ethanol contains less energy than gas. That means drivers have to make more frequent trips to the pump.

Is ethanol cheaper than gas?
Surprise, surprise, it isn’t. The move this spring by more regions to use ethanol means that demand has spiked, driving up prices. On Monday, the New York harbor price was around $3 per gallon compared with about $2.28 for gasoline (before being mixed with ethanol). In other words, for now ethanol is helping to increase prices at the pump, not to push them down.

So ethanol production and distribution are also controlled by market forces, right?
Only to a certain degree. In addition to heavily subsidizing the ethanol produced domestically, the U.S. government levies a 54 cent per gallon tariff on imports from other countries, such as Brazil, a lower-cost producer. This, of course, discourages the U.S. from importing cheaper ethanol.

This is most likely the cause of BOTH of my vehicles starting to sputter! I don’t think Ethanol is the answer. On the environmental angle, using Ethanol as a energy source will drive competition up with growers. They will strive to grow more and fatser than the next guy. This could drastically increase the number of steroids, pesticides and herbicides that will all end up in our rivers, lakes and water tables. Not to mention raise the cost of food more than it already is! I am bummed by the path we are on!

Pick a stooge…any stooge!

Keeping a safe following distance..

It is very hard to keep a safe following distance in traffic. What is defined as a safe following distance is 1 car length for every 10 mph. So at 50 there should be 5 car lengths between you and the vehicle in front of you. Most of the time that is hard enough but in rush hour traffic it is dern near impossible. Everyone seems to feel safe enough tailgating 1 car length at any speed. Whenever there is a safety gap a car will squeeze in and ruin any chance of safe driving. This morning the roads were wet so I was trying to be extra conscious of my distance. Motorcycles, with 2 round profile tires, do not stop that well on wet roads. There is only about a 1-2″ contact patch on each wheel touching the ground. Compare this to a car with 4 flat-profile tires gripping the road with a 8-10″ contact patch on each tire and there is a huge difference in stopping distances. I had a nice following distance going when a car needing to squeeze every inch of road for their use, pulled in front of me and into my zone. They didn’t cut me off and it was NOT an aggressive move at all. Just a careless, selfish one. Now my following distance was cut in half. Before I even had a chance to slow down and increase that distance, the car stopped in a hurry! The car in front didn’t want to block the intersection we were all about to go through, so they stopped at the green light!!! There was actually room for all of us to go to the other side but I guess they wanted to play it “safe”. In their attempt at “safety” they almost caused a pile up. The car that came in front of me had to slam the brakes and almost hit the car in front of them. They had anti-lock brakes and I don’t! I modulated my brakes as much as I could and nothing! My back tire caught the oil spot that accumulates in the center of the lane at all traffic lights. I slid sideways and just kept going, my speed didn’t change at all! Almost time for a bowel movement! At the last second I let go of my brakes and swerved around the car staying as close to the dividing line as possible. I made it around the car, downshifted and went through the intersection. I looked in my mirror and the light was STILL green! The car behind me had to swerve around the stopped cars as well. Not a day goes by when I am not amazed by all the people that “think” they are good drivers but are instead just oblivious to the wrecks and devastation they probably leave behind them in their wake!

A world of “rude”!

It’s bad enough that we are all crammed in next to each other on the roads every day where we all treat each other like shit. To have to go home to neighbors who live too close in the 1st place and deal with more rudeness is just a pain in the arse. If you have been following my blog for a while, you will know how I feel about neighbors with barking dogs. It drives me mad! People can be so very selfish. Most people just don’t think their barking dog is an issue. Just like way too many people think their crying baby in public is ok. They tune it out so they assume everyone else does as well. WE DON’T! The people that really get under my skin are the one’s that are so very rude and simply lie. I have gone to many neighbors with a smile on my face and a kind tone and asked to control their barking dog at 3 am. People immediately turn defensive and lie. “My dog doesn’t bark!” and they do nothing about it. It continues and continues until I feel like shooting either the dog or the owner! It’s insane how we have to work hard all day with rude people, drive home in traffic with rude people and then go home to try and find some peace only to be interrupted constantly by rude people. I can guarantee that everyone reading this will “know” they are not one of those people. Unless you make a daily conscious effort to not be rude and to consider others, things you do that you may consider normal, may actually drive some one else crazy! I set strong guidelines for myself and try daily to follow them. I have hours at home that I won’t mow my yard or play my drums, I start my Harley in the street as opposed to my driveway in the morning, I trained my dog not to bark and if he gets out of hand when we are in the yard playing, I end our play time and take him inside. After all, someone may be wanting a nice Sunday afternoon nap on the sofa. I know I do! I make a point of yielding on the road as much as possible without interfering with traffic. etc.. I am sure I still do things that many consider rude but we all have to make an effort! Don’t make me call Alan over with his pellet gun!!

Traffic solution?

Nashville is actively seeking out a solution to our ever present problem of traffic. For a mid size city we are packed in like sardines on the road! Bustin at the seams, overflowing etc. They keep looking at expanding roads. An obvious choice. However, this would only work if they weren’t also, at the very same time trying to grow grow grow! Building extra roads is a futile effort. They will never meed the growing demands of the tons of people and businesses moving here. I see a solution is to SLOW THE FREAK DOWN on the building, new construction and incentive plans to get as many people crammed in to the smallest area possible. Spread out! People seem to want a “center” so they try to put everything they can in that area. This leads to traffic, lack of parking, destruction of trees and any other greenery. OK Back on point Ron…. I started thinking about this all and came up with an obvious observation. We can lower the amount of people driving but we can lower the amount of space they take up! I was just looking out my office window and down on a man sitting in his SUV. WOW! From up here you can really see how much wasted space there is in modern vehicles. A person takes up like 5-6 cubic feet I am guessing. Yet the SUV, mini van and even my Grand Marquis takes up MUCH more than that. Enormous engines and wheels, extra seating that hardly EVER gets used. Really think about the last time you went to work with another person let alone 5 others in your car. I know some will say “Well I car pool!” Good for you, hardly anyone else does. Its too inconvenient. Let’s just for the sake of making a point say we take up only 25% of the capacity of our vehicle (not even including trunk space). I we cut out of our vehicles the extra unused space, we would free up an unimaginable amount of space on the freeways. What am I proposing? An inexpensive, yet comfortable commuter car. Keep our suvs and mini vans for the weekends but drive a motorcycle engine powered, 1 -2 seater mini car with plenty of safety features and all the legs room and comforts ONE PERSON needs. Make it get 100mpg and only top out at about 80mph. With it being so small and light acceleration wouldnt be an issue. I am not talking about a cheaply made novelty vehicle but rather a legitimate “Commuter” car form reputable names like Honda or VW. The Smart car (at Smartusa.com) has got the right idea but even they are changing the legendary car for US import. Bigger engine, less gas mileage and an actual bigger car. I think the traffic problems would not even be an issue if everyone had these lil tiny cars!

Waiting…

Again I find myself waiting on someone. I am trying to get my Goldwing fixed up so I can ride to Savannah in 3 weeks. I have been waiting for up to 5 weeks for some of the parts I have ordered! I am also waiting for  a bunch of parts for jobs at work. Seems I can’t get anything done until other people do their part. WAH!!!

Crackberry pix!

I recentley bought a Blackberry Curve. I have been reluctant to get into the whole Crackberry thing. So, after a couple weeks with the phone, I gotta say…”WOW!”. I love the GPS and I love the media player. What I really love most about this phone is probably the camera. After having a VGA (640×480) phone for so many years, I had grown tired of crappy pix that were not good enough to even send to other crappy phones. The images I took were mostly useless. not so with the new Curve. This 1st picture was from my old Samsung T509. (other than the camera it was a fantastic phone). The 2nd shot is from my “Curve” Night and Day! Now I don’t have to tote my Digital Camera everywhere!

   

Got busy on the Goldwing this weekend…

I put in some good elbow grease this weekend on my old Goldwing. Amanda helped some as well. The more I dig into this bike, the more I want to fix and restore. I won’t be happy until I disassemble the entire bike, replace all worn parts with new and rebuild the bike from the frame up! FUN! I hope to be able to do that soon. Right now we just don’t have the space in the garage and I also really want to ride this bike this season. The Harley will just have to sit! Here are some pix: http://picasaweb.google.com/skramnor/WorkingOnMy77Goldwing

Vintage Cycle Shop

I don’t know where to begin. My heart is still racing from our visit to S&G cycles today. My buddy Alan and I rode down to Columbia TN (home of many ignorant, hick rednecks AND) S&G Cycles. S&G cycles has a website http://www.sgcustomcycles.com/ that I have been viewing for the past year or so. I have been wanting to visit them because the web site shows that they have a nice collection of vintage bikes. That might just be the understatement of the decade! OMG!!! If any of you ave seen the museum Wheels Through time in N.C. imagine that many bikes and MORE all owned by 1 guy in his old warehouse building. As I was told today. S&G cycles was a race team in the 70′s and 80′s. They had great sucess racing Shovelhead Harleys. So much so that they became sought after for modifying other peoples engines. Back then there wasn’t as large of an aftermarket for custom Harley engines and parts so S&G custom did all the fabrication and modding. The owner took bikes in on trade for labor to help lower the cost to racers. He took anything they had. Bikes that were considered valueless back then like oil leaking panhead harleys, inexpensive japanese bikes from the 50s-70′s etc. Now all these bikes are worth alot and this guy had about 800 of them piled up in his garage. In 1995 he retired and sold 300 bikes to pay all his debt and buy the house and warehouse. Since then he opened the shop back up for parts and mechanic work. He still take stuff in on trade and still prefers not to sell anything. I asked about a old goldwing and he said he would trade but not sell. So one of the guys in the shop pulled me aside and told me that they NEED to sell some stuff and that he would call me later this week. He said the owners wife would be pissed if she heard him turning down business. He also told me that they have 80 bikes in the basement that they haven’t gone through yet and they took about 20 bikes in already this year that are all crammed in the garage door bay. They can’t even get the trailer in anymore. I was blown away by this place. I took a couple pix with my cell phone but you can only see about 1/4 of the place. Notice that they have tons of bikes strapped to the ceiling rafters as there is no more room on the floors. They have just about every vintage Honda, BMW, Triumph and Harley you can think of! AMAZING!!!

   

Oriental glazed chicken spinach toss.

This is what I made for supper the other night. It was delicious and nutritious! I cubed up some chicken (tip: chicken is easier to cut when it is still somewhat frozen)I sautéed the chicken with some Olive Oil and chopped red onion. (tip: stop cooking chicken BEFORE it’s actually done. It will continue to cook with it’s own heat).I then mixed the chicken with an Oriental Orange/Ginger glaze. It is made by “Iron Chef” and only has 110mg Sodium for 2 tablespoons. Which is all you will need per person. I half filled a bowl with Baby Spinach, put the chicken on top then sprinkled Parmesan and raw red onion slices. (tip: do not “toss” until right before serving. Hot chicken will wilt all the spinach if tossed and sit for too long. I presented with the chicken on top and toss when people are seated and ready to serve). A nice little Hawaiian dinner roll or two would have made this complete.

 

Wheel work on “Sevens”

Don’t even know where to start! I have so many little projects in the works on the goldwing. Today I addressed the wheels. The spokes on the original wheels are a bit rusty and I am afraid of them breaking. I could replace the spokes (which I still may do in the long run) but I am also wanting to get away from tubes and go tubeless. Temp tire repairs on the road are a simple plug and go fix. So I bought a set of ’79 Goldwing wheels off ebay. The rear is a direct replacement and even uses the stock rotor. The front is a different story. The rotors are 5 bolt as opposed to the ’75-’77 6-bolt pattern. I had to buy used rotors for the replacement front wheel. The rotor also sit about 1/8th of an inch closer to the center of the wheel. So I will have to use some 1/16th” washers on the caliper mount OR do what I did on the deuce and find a “shim” to push each rotor out 1/16th. It would have to be a full shim to cover the openings. The wheels I got turned out to be in a state of bad finish. I don’t see a way to clean it up so I am bidding on 2 in perfect condition now. My new wheel bearings should also be in soon. Then I will get my rotors turned so my new brake pads will work and seat nicely. The rear wheel came off so easily. Much better than a chain or belt. No adjustments necessary. How sweet! Drive shaft won’t break or stretch and no external lubrication is needed. Also…gotta love the center stand! No jacking the bike up to change the wheels and tires! Brilliant! Anyway…I had a fun, learning experience in the shop today and of course…I am waiting on ordered parts to finish this project up. What’s new?

On stage.

Went to see my old friends Ruben and Danny play in their new band “The Marlees” this past Sautrday night. They got me up a couple times and I played about 4 songs. I had a great time getting back up there and rockin out. People seemed to like it which made it that much better! I really hope to get a couple players to play out my music this summer. This “sitting in” really sparked my desire even more.

Sliders?

Remember “sliders”? Not the TV show back in the 90′s but White Castle hamburgers! I haven’t had one in years. The other day we watched Harold and Kumar go to White Castle again. Even though I was not high, I still had a craving. So at lunch today, I destroyed my healthier eating plan and stopped at White Castle for 4 little butt-rockets! I didn’t even finish eating them before the “slider” phenomenon started! Dern!! They are slick little bastards with a mission to get in and out as fast as possible! Delicious though! MMMM! Uh oh… Gotta run!!!

I couldn’t say no to crack any longer!

I have seen so many people succumb to the power of the Blackberry. It’s like they are addicted to crack! Hence the nickname “Crackberry”. I have been shopping for a new phone for almost a couple years now. I never found one that did what I really need until now. The Blackberry “Curve” is covering all the bases for me. 1st and foremost it has to be a phone. DUH! Next in my list of wants was GPS. I don’t pay for the service though. I just use Google Maps which is free! It allows me to do all the basic stuff you would use google maps online for. Driving directions and satellite images. It also has a feature called “My Location”. It will show you where you are with or with out satellite view. This is great for when we are out on our motorcycles and not sure if we passed a landmark or turn. We don’t have to pull out maps and try to figure it out. GPS for motorcycle is way too expensive compared to this which is FREE! Another need for me was a camera. I have a really nice 12MP camera that I use for most needs but there has been plenty of times when I need to just snap a pic or two just to show someone a cool motorcycle or a hot waitress etc.. Antman will thank me for the higher resolution over my last camera phone’s VGA. The Curve has a 2MP camera that takes pretty dern good shots. I can email them right away too. The last feature I wanted was a media player. The curve can play videos and mp3s. I bought an 8GB expansion memory card that will allow me plenty of space for mp3s. I can stick the stereo earbuds in my ears, put on my full face helmet and hit the interstate on my motorcycle with hours of music to keep me company. Sweet! I can also get my gmail direct to the phone without having to use a browser. The best part of all this was that I got it on sale from AT&T for only $75

Dreaded **space

I don’t like myspace! Let me start by saying that. Too many children and way too many adults acting like children. It’s like high school kids passing notes and seeing how many people they can get to sign their year book! I was on for a while. Just long enough to find Amanda! Now, after almost 2 years of being away. I went and created a profile. This time it’s about my music and I could give a rats ass about chit chatting with people. They know my phone number and email if they have anything worth while to say to me. So “why?” you may ask. It’s all about the music. My profile is a music profile and I hope to use it for networking and letting people know when my next show is. I hope to be playing my original music out some this summer. This will be one of the ways I can get others to come see me. http://www.myspace.com/skramnor

Still jammin!

My mother bought me this jam box when I 1st started playing guitar back in 1980. 28 years later, I still have it and still use it every day!

Out on the town with my hottie!

Sodium and water weight

Since June of 07, I am happy to say that I lost 41 lbs. during the holidays I put a little of that back on. About 10 lbs. Still a good a step towards a healthier life. I watched my calories, carbs, fat, cholesterol and sodium. All was well. A couple days ago we had Chinese food for supper. MMMM!! Love Chinese/American style food! I gained 3 lbs in 1 day. I thought there is NO WAY I ate 3lbs of food. After all I still have oatmeal for breakfast and a salad for lunch every day. I was bummed. The next day I ate my normal breakfast and lunch but grabbed a hot-dog in a hurry for supper. 1 hot dog. I gained another 2 lbs. I was upset on my scale the next morning. 5 lbs in 2 days. WAH! I thought about what had changed and it was not enough fat content or calories in what I ate to hold 5 lbs. I figured it had to be the sodium and water retention. So yesterday I figured I would not have any sodium at all. Or very little that can’t be avoided. I real oatmeal (not packets) for breakfast and lunch. I had a piece of baked Talapia and rice for supper. I pee’d ALL DAY!! 8 times and I had nothing but about 8 ounces of water all day. I got on the scale this morning and I was almost a full 5 lbs lighter. In 1 day!!! not only does sodium thicken our blood and put extra strain on our hearts, it makes our body retain water. I was so bloated! YUK! I am going to strictly monitor my sodium over the next couple days and see what happens. No more than 1200-1500mg a day.

Nashvegas??

Last week I wrote about there being no “Authenticity in Nashville“. Let me add a couple things. There is an area off 12th in Nashville that up until a couple years ago was dead. Someone opened a pretty good restaurant there called Mafiosos. It is now a different name and I don’t remember what it is. Anyway… They had gourmet pizza and a pretty hip atmosphere. That’s all that was in this area. 1 little restaurant with pizzas on their menu. That does NOT make it “Little Italy”. However, Nashvillians in their ever phony reach for identity and culture, self proclaimed this area as such. OMG!!! Do they even know what “Little Italy” is? In New York it was a place where Italian immigrants moved to stick together with other immigrants who spoke the same native Italian language. The area became mostly Italian for those reasons. The food and culture was brought with them from ITALY!! Not some bogus business man’s attempt at creating something cool. There is also Maggiano’s Little Italy on Westend, Savarino’s (claiming “Little Italy” as well) and let’s not forget “Little Italy” in East Nashville.

Then we have to talk about “Nashvegas”. Nashville is so lacking of it’s own identity and culture that people are constantly grabbing at bits of other cultures to try and make something. Hence the term Nashvegas. What does Nashville have to do with Las Vegas? Abso-friggin-lutely NOTHING! Yet people even businesses are trying to capitalize on the name. The urban dictionary has 2 entries for Nashvegas.

1. Another name for Nashville. Called this because Nashville is the center for glitz and glamour, stealing all the spotlight from dumpy Memphis, and a GREAT place to live. 
“Where yall from?” “Nashvegas, baby.”

2. What the locals actually call Nashville TN due to it’s country tackiness.
“We went to Nashvegas for the weekend it looks as tacky as ever.”

I agree with the 2nd one! TACKY!!! This place gets under my skin!

1st work on the CB500

Amanda and I started our 1st bit of work on her CB500 today. We took of the tank and it looks pretty good. Just a bit of surface rust where the trim was gathering and holding water on the outside. Amanda wire wheeled the bulk of it off. We also pulled the throttle cables and throttle grip/sleeve combo. All were corroded so bad that the couldn’t move. Luckily the carb linkage moves smoothly. Some new cables, a new battery and some carb cleaner and we may be able to give it an attempt at starting.

71 in Nashville!!

Today the weather was fantastic here in Nashville today. Amanda and I got out a couple of our bikes and rode to the 4 Points Marina (correction..4 Corners Marina) on our lake and had a nice lunch. 

What is this world coming to???

I cannot believe that this happened and no one tried to stop it! I am so angry!

From newschannel5.com:
Police said the 14-year-old girl, a Riverdale High School freshman, was assaulted as she rode home last Wednesday. Detectives said 18-year-old Brandon Stover sat next to the girl, forced her up against the window before he fondled and raped her. “There’s a 14-year-old girl who was on a bus and on the ride home, she is repeatedly sexually assaulted over and over again and, in fact, raped,” said Murfreesboro Police spokesman Kyle Evans.

http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=7923713

Busy???

My calendar at work is getting so full of “meetings”, sometimes it’s hard to get actual work done!

New Arai helmet

I did it! I bit the bullet and bought a new Arai Kenny Roberts helmet! I took it for a ride and was amazed at how quiet it was and no tears in my eyes! That is a first! I am so used to riding a 1/2 helmet with the wind and noise. I was able to whisper and hear it loudly in my helmet. I also was so happy that I was able to ride in 34 degrees and not feel the slightest bit cold! I will still ride my 1/2 helmet on the slow hot trip to work and putting around in the spring and summer but I wanted a Snell rated helmet for when I do long interstate rides at 80+ mph. Even though it cost almost as much as what I paid for my Goldwing! LOL!!!  Notice the Eagle and Stars??? Go Red White and Blue!!! I do have to add that the full face helmet takes ALOT away from the riding experience. I feel like I am kinda in a car. A bit isolated from the surroundings. You don’t hear the road, wind or surroundings nearly as well as you do on an open helmet. I will still have to wear the open helmet to really experience the back roads that we love to navigate on the weekend trips.

Too big and not enough time…

How many people actually know the names of their state representatives and senators? How many people know what they are voting for and what they believe in? How can we be expected to keep up with all they do or don’t do. The government is so very very big. Council members, mayor, governor, senators, representatives, judges, Sheriff, chief of police, etc..etc.. There are so many people to keep up with. It is impossible. There is not enough time in the day. I make it a point to be as knowledgeable as I can about the people I vote for but I just can’t seem to find the time. Even if I could, there would be no way for me to remember what everyone of them stands for and what they have voted for in the past. Our government is just too big!!!

No authenticity in Nashville.

Today, Amanda and I were looking for a place to eat. It is very hard to find anything in Nashville that has true authenticity. Everything is contrived. No true history or culture left. The old “Meat & 3′s” that this area was known for are mostly all gone. Very few old places left. Most everything here is some business person’s attempt to create something. You can’t create true culture. It has to happen on it’s own. Even the places that were once authentic here have since been turned into marketed tourist spots. Anyone with money can open a restaurant and strive for authentic culture but they will always miss the mark. Authenticity comes from the ground up over time not purchased. I think it is like people who try to be “cool”. Possibly an out dated term. People see people who they think are cool and they want to emulate them. So they buy the same clothes and try to act like them. They wind up looking like a copy cat. You have to ask yourself…”Are people cool because of the way they dress or walk?” No. They are cool by nature. They wear what they wear. They do what they do and people like it. You have to be authentic to be “cool”. You can’t buy it. Same with restaurants. You can’t just buy culture. You have to create it over time by being who you are. If it is good or better yet, great, people will pick up on it over time and it will be what others will want to emulate. This is the same as in music. The bands that copy are short lived and never fully considered great no matter how much money you dump into them. The bands that are considered great throughout history did what they did just being themselves. They MADE their style cool by just being themselves. We should all aspire to take inspiration from the past and blend it with who we are and go to a new direction. Music will be better, food will be better, culture would be better.

Godspeed

Anyone ever say “Godspeed” to you? Ever wonder where it came from?

FROM WIKIPEDIA…
Godspeed was one of the three ships of the English Virginia Company that were led by Captain Bartholomew Gosnold on the 1607 voyage that resulted in the founding of the first permanent English settlement in North America, Jamestown, in the new Colony of Virginia. …… The route included a stop in the Canary Islands and, with better wind, would have taken about two months to traverse; instead, the voyage lasted 144 days. Godspeed, as a word, is a wish for a prosperous journey, success, and good fortune. For example, it was said by Scott Carpenter to John Glenn before Glenn’s first trip to space in Friendship 7, and is now traditionally said prior to launch to all U.S. spaceflight crews.

So it’s not about “speed”. Not about getting there faster. It’s about having a prosporous journey even if it takes longer than you had planned!

Dear Abby…

Gen-X in the White House???

If Barack Obama wins the Presidency, we will have our 1st Generation X aged President. This hits home because “I” am a Gen-X (1961-1981) aged person. This will be the 1st time during my life, where someone my age or near my age would be running the country I live in. Wow! I am indeed growing old!

Sevens on a sunny day

Today was a nice, crisp, sunny day for a ride!

The stable at the Compound

I sure love going into the garage!!!

The one with the glasses on…

This may not mean anything to most people but I really appreciate when someone can describe someone else without using race as a descriptor. I don’t know that it is bad to use race but ever since I was a boy and I saw that commercial where the boy in the canoe was telling his grandpas about Joey his Jewish friend. The grandpa explained that the fact that Joey was Jewish had nothing to do with the story. That stuck with me. Every since, I try to describe people by the next most obvious thing.

 Today I had a manager bring me two employees so that I could take their security badge photos for the office. Usually I just look at them and can tell who they are. I usually only set up 1 or 2 users at a time. Often the girl has a girls name and the guy has a guys name etc. When it is not obvious, I ask. This time I forgot to ask so I emailed the manager asking which one was which. She replied, ****had the glasses and ****wouldn’t smile. Awesome! I love that she looked past race and looked at the person for who they were at that particular time. I thanked her for doing so! That means alot to me. Not judging by the book cover and all!

It’s been too long

It’s been too long since I have been able to ride my bike to work everyday. This winter seems especially brutal and LONG. Amanda needed the car today so I decided to ride. It was 42 degrees with only a 20% chance of rain. In Nashville there is ALWAYS a chance of rain though. 171 Days a year with measurable precipitation. It was invigorating. I love riding to work. It seems I was getting used to driving the car again. YUK! I made it to work in 25 minutes. Lately it has been taking me 35 to 45 minutes in the car. That’s 20-40 minutes a day saving that I get to have for ME! Not to mention all the gas savings and fun! Anyway I really enjoyed myself and look forward to riding everyday without freezing my hands off.

Limitations

“It is our limitations and overcoming them that define who we are and not so much the actual achievements”.–R. Marks

• Landing on the moon was huge but it wasn’t really as much as was the amazing work that led up to it.
• Running a marathon and finishing is tough, granted, but training for a solid year through pain and discouragement to be ABLE to run that race is the real accomplishment.
• Taking a test and getting a great grade is not nearly as hard as the endless hours of study that must be done to be able to take the test in the 1st place.
• Celebrating a 50 year anniversary is easy. Putting in the 49 years, 11 months and 30 days before is the achievement.
• Don’t focus so much on the prize at the end of your work. Have pride in and appreciate the achievement during! When it’s done it’s done!!!

Snowing in Nashville

Crazy weather here in Nashville! Snowing today…supposed to be in the mid 50′s tomorrow. This winter we went from single digits to as high as 70 in a 2 week period. That brought on Tornadoes. Then back to the teens. Geesh!

 

Old man down the road

I have been getting requests to do another “after work” video on YouTube. So I whipped out another. A relatively quick edit but close enough for rock and roll!!

Learning to catch

When you put a ball glove on a child’s hand and toss him or her a ball, they instinctively hold the glove horizontal and open to the sky. This we know, is not the correct way to catch a baseball but it is after all, only their 1st attempt. You don’t even have to show them to hold it up. It is a simple reaction based on their experience with gravity. How cool is that? A child with no schooling can react based on accumulated knowledge about an advanced principal of physics. In their mind they know that a ball will drop to the ground if they don’t put a glove in-between the ball and the floor. They are thinking this based on the assumption that the ball is going down and they have to stop it. Good thinking, good reasoning. It is not until they get hit in the face a couple times as the ball bounces across the open face of the glove that they learn that a baseball is moving more horizontal than it is vertical (ideally). Eventually, with either the help of a teacher or on their own, they will start to rotate the glove as to stop the ball from continuing horizontally. Then they can actually star playing “catch”. Pretty exciting stuff!!!

Amanda’s CB500 Four

Amanda wanted to have a Vintage Honda like my 1977 Honda GL1000 so she bought this today. A 1972 Honda CB500 Four. We are so excited about having a pair of vintage Hondas to match our modern Harleys. Hopefully I will have hers running smoothly soon.

Trying on new bikes for size

Been trying on bikes for size!
Triumph Tiger 1050. Very comfortable. plain looking, ugly exhaust.


BMW K1200RS. A couple years old. Great fit. 130hp

BMW R1200R. Very comfy, 110hp 85 torque. Hate the exhaust.

Ducati Multistrada 1100 AWESOME ride, ugly fairing, stiff seat.

KTM 990 Adventure. AMAZING fit! UGLY plastics
.

KTM 950 SM Supermoto PERFECT fit!!!

Kawasaki zrx1200r Great fit, inexpensive! Carbs

Finally bought some real boots

I finally bought some real motorcycle boots. They are Alpine Stars and are weather proof! I got tired of getting wet feet. Had to spend the bux for a real pair of boots. They are so very comfy and very supportive. I tried on about 5 or 6 different pairs. These are the ones I liked best!

1st trip to work on the Goldwing

Last night I put new spark plugs in my 77 Goldwing. After the carb tuneup and a new battery, the plugs really made a big difference. It ran real smooth. I wound up riding it all the way to Amanda’s job and back home just to see how it ran. Sweet! So today, even though it was raining, I decided to put on my rain gear and ride “Sevens” to work. It was a bit of a “white knuckle” ride, as I didn’t know how the bike would handle on the wet roads. Especially with all the cagers in rush hour traffic reading the paper, drinking coffee, talking on the cell phone (probably to the person they just left back at home) and basically not paying any attention. I only got cut off twice, which wasn’t too bad. The old Goldwing doesn’t have brakes as good as modern bikes either but it was a fun ride. Sevens came through and ran smooth with nary a sputter  the whole way. I feel a kinship with this bike somewhat like “Jim Douglas” (played by Dean Jones) and “Herbie” the love bug. It’s like I found and old clunker that no one wanted and put a bit of love into it and voila! He came to life! Willing to give the rest of his time to me. A bit dramatic sounding but fun for me anyway! I can’t see it being my daily rider without a full over haul but for the occasional jaunt to the store or work, he will do just fine!

Super Tuesday!!!

It’s Super Tuesday and we get to go and exercise our right to vote! A constitutional exercise in futility! The best person for the job will NOT win. The candidate with the best advertising will win the nomination. Then in November the person who is most popular will win. I am cynical about our crappy election process that doesn’t seem to do anything towards putting someone in office that can really make a difference. We have dozens of people that would make great leaders but only the ones with the backing of either of 2 parties will make it to the general election. The sad part is that the people with the power to change this are the people involved. Politicians. Our elections are about political party support and media coverage.

A perfect example is Ron Paul. Ron Paul is extremely suited to run for office. Probably much better qualified than Hillary Clinton or Rudy Giuliani. Yet being that he was not on a TV show, not a woman married to an ex president, not an African America, not a War hero, not a religious zealot etc… He flies under the media radar and therefor people do not know about him. We are force fed our choices. Judging from discussions with people and overhearing other speak, you would think the primaries are between 4 people. Hillary Clinton vs Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney vs John McCain. Geesh! It’s so obvious when Hillary gets 41% of the polls, Obama gets 41% and the remaining 18% is divided amongst all the rest. Those 2 are not THAT much better suited to run our country. They are just THAT much more in the media. Sad Sad Sad times!

Go GIANTS!!!

In the beginning of the NFL season, I picked my 2 fav teams. The Patriots and the Giants. I watched all year as the Patriots went 18-0 up to the Super bowl. I watched the Giants struggle a bit and then scrape by the season into the post season as a wild card team. As much as I love my home town Giants, I didn’t think for a second they could beat the Patriots with their insane ability to squash everyone in their path and do it by ridiculously running-up scores and blowing away their opponents. The Giants however, DOMINATED the Pats in the 42nd Super Bowl. The Pats could not get a rhythm and the Giants earned the title of Champions! Great game!!!

Duh!

I took my old Goldwing out for a ride this Saturday. Had a nice ride. Went to Walmart. When I came out I saw the purple bike in the sun. What’s a girl’s color!!! YUK! I HAVE to change that color asap!!! I must have been so distracted by the thought of people seeing me on a purple bike, I forgot to turn on my fuel! LOL!! I am used to EFI where there is no petcock. Anyway, the bike stalled and I was pretty worried for a second. Then I realized…DUH!!! I turn on my fuel and started it back up. PHEW!!! Went home and took out my Harley!

Economy Marbles

I was thinking that the economy can be looked at simply as a fixed amount of marbles being shared amongst a fixed amount of people. I know there are whole bunch of nuances to it that can’t be summed up in this analogy but to break it down to the core this works well enough to convey my point. If 10 people each had 10 marbles and they used those marbles to trade for work those people did, the marbles would change hands often but remain balanced amongst the people. Person 1 cleans person 2′s house and so person 2 gives person 1 a marble. Person 2 now has 9 and person 1 has 11. However, person 1 needs to eat so he gives a marble to person 3 who has grown food. Etc. Each person pays the other person a marble for what they do. Theoretically, in a perfect world, each person would do the same amount of work, need the same amount of services and in the end each would still have 10 marbles. Much gets lost in the translation to the “real” world. Some people don’t work as hard, some don’t work at all. Then they run out of marbles. Then they develop programs so that all the people who do work, give 1 marble to the ones who don’t. Then the ones who work are short marbles. So they borrow marbles from outside of the 10 people. Now they have to work more to pay for the marbles that they borrowed to replace the marbles they gave to the person who didn’t work. This giving of marbles is a good idea for when people truly can’t work. After all we are humans and need to take care of each other to an extent. Again in the real work this doesn’t translate. People abuse this. Then there is the issue where some people find something everyone NEEDS to be able to earn their marbles. They charge ridiculous amounts of marbles for this product or service. So much so that people don’t have enough marbles to pay for the service they need just to earn marbles. So they borrow even MORE marbles. This goes on and on until the difference between the people and the amount of marbles they have or how many they owe is huge. Think of the Oil companies. They are not struggling at all during this recession. In fact I think they are ONE of the main contributing factors, greed in housing is another and the other being insurance IMO. We have been paying so much for gas for so long. All our marbles are in their hands and we are struggling as a nation to pay debt. You would think we have alternatives to paying them but we really don’t. We need to pay them as many marbles as they want just so we can go to work to earn marbles. It is a vicious cycle. Some people are hogging all the marbles. Some people work harder today than they did just a couple years ago yet have fewer marbles in the bag!!! Unless we all walk or ride bicycles, don’t pay insurance and live in the middle of nowhere, we and our economy will always be in the hands of the people who can dictate where we need to pay most of our marbles. To them!

The Ride 07

Last year’s annual Gutterboyz ride took us to New Orleans and via the entire Natchez Trace! we had an incredible time. Here is a picture montage set to me playing “Bring it on home” from Led Zeppelin.

“Sevens” test run…

I got my carbs back on, got a new battery, installed all new cables but I am still waiting on a clutch safety switch and spark plugs. I wanted to get it running with the new carbs. It still backfires a bit and it seems like its “missing” a bit. Could be due to the cold, could be the plugs that look fouled, could be the coils etc… more thought will go into but I got it running again. Warmed up nicely and idled at about 900rpm. Sweet. Sounds like a friggin race truck!!

Stevia!!!

I have been concerned lately with my health. So in an effort ot maintain my caloric intake, I have switched to diet drinks and artificial sweeteners for my drinks and food. This has me concerned for my long term health. Yes, I may loose weight and not die from a heart attack but who know what type of cancer I could get from these chemicals. So I started searching for an alternative to alternatives sweeteners. This led me to Stevia. It is an all natural, zero calorie sweetener with NO chemicals! It is supposed to be 10 times sweeter than pure cane sugar. I found this link for more info http://www.sweetleaf.com/. I am hunting some down now and will post my opinion after I give it a whirl!

Wasted energy…

Some people, in an effort to get ahead, simply waste energy. This morning was a typical example. Driving on my way to work , I needed to switch from the right lane to the left lane. I flipped on my turn signal and looked over my left shoulder behind me about a couple hundred feet was a woman in her car. I started to cross over, as I had PLENTY of room, when I noticed her slam the accelerator. Her car lunged forward and she sped up to close the gap. Wow! I though to myself how she must really not want me to get over. I slowed down to cross lanes behind her and before I could she switched lanes to my lane. WHAT A FRIGGIN WASTE OF GAS!!! She could have easily crossed behind me without altering her speed and I could have crossed over with no hassle either. Instead she wasted about 2 gallons of gas to get in front of me! Another example is more frequent. At work we have 4 parking levels. The level closest to the doors holds about 40 or so cars. I always get to park on this level because I am one of the 1st people in to the office in the morning. I understand that it is a pain in the butt to have to park on one of the other levels but here is where I think people waste. When I or anyone else on the 1st level leaves for lunch, people in the office windows will see and literally run out to move their car to the 1st level. I can only imagine that they wish to cut the amount of walking they have to do when the day is over. Here is the catch. THEY HAVE TO WALK THAT SAME DISTANCE TO GET THEIR CAR TO MOVE IT!!! no time or energy saved here. Actually, they are wasting a trip to the car. It never ceases to amaze me at how narrow focused, blind and often plain ignorant people can be. Maybe I am the one who is wasting energy. Maybe I shouldn’t bother gripping about people who have no care in the world about the little things that bug me. Maybe there is some truth in “Ignorance is bliss”!

Vacation adventure!!!

I officially have my time off!!! I can’t believe it! This is going to be my biggest adventure ever! I will be riding one of my motorcycles on the road for 16 days! From August 23rd through Sept 7th. From TN to Fl, all the way up to New Jersey, around New England and then and back to TN. I am so excited! I hope to find time to drop in on old friends that I haven’t seen in years!

More on HVAC

I have had my 25 year old heat pump go out on me more than a few times over the past 6 years. Back in the beginning, I didn’t know any better but to call the HVAC repair guy. On 3 separate occasions, I have had a repair guy tell me that I need a whole new system. Oddly they would whip out a brochure for the latest and greatest system on the market. I don’t want to know where he was hiding it! &quot;Sir, this unit will save you $50 a month on your heating and cooling and will only cost you $5000. WHAT? That would take me like 8 and half years before it paid itself off with savings! I think they just want to get a big work contract. I was lucky enough to find a guy who fixed the HVAC at my work. I asked him a few questions and he said he would come out and look. He would up fixing the issue that the other guy said &quot; you need a whole new system&quot;. He fixed it in about an hour for $75. While he was working I watched and learned. I asked a few questions and learned that an HVAC system is not unlike a computer. It’s just a system made up of smaller sub systems. You can repair just the broken part and all will be working. It’s like if your hard drive dies in your computer, you do not need to buy a whole new $1000 computer, you can just buy a $50 hard drive and it will work as good as the day you bought it! So, ever since, I have been fixing my HVAC myself as much as I can. I have replaced the return blower and the main fan motor outside so far. I also had a guy come in and fix a part that would have cost me $1000 to replace. All in all, it pays to learn a bit about the things we own so we don’t get ripped off.

Poor old heat pump

The heat pump at the house is over 25 years old and should have died a long, long, time ago. I keep replacing bad parts and nursing it through season after season. So far so good. I have been able to keep it running at $180 per month during the peak of summer and most of the winter. Well, the outside fan has been making some extra noise this week. Loud vibrations. I finally went over to it last night to see what was up. The cover, which only has a few screws in it was vibrating. No big deal. I figured I would put a heavy rock or something on it and it would stop. It did. However, when I went around to put the log on it, I noticed that it was covered in ice. We have been dealing with single digit temperatures in middle Tennessee this past week. The ices was about 3 inches thick and covered both coils, the pipes and even the fan blade. I figured THAT is why it was vibrating so much more. The ice was throwing the fan off balance. So I tried to get a blow dryer out there. LOL. That was like trying to put out a 10 story fire by pouring a cup of sand on it. Not doing JACK! I checked the temperature outside and it was 36. ABOVE freezing! Ha HA! I had an idea. Take the garden hose and spray it down until the ice melted. You can melt ice with 36 degree water. However. The hose still had ice in it. Dern! NEXT IDEA! I took a bucket and filled it with hot water and slowly poured it over the top and I watched the ice melt pretty quickly. The hard part was there was no way to direct the water to all the frozen parts. Enter next idea. Garden sprayer! I got my garden sprayer, filled it with hot water and salt and proceeded to spray the A/C unit. It took well over an hour to spray all the ice off. It was dark and my feet were cold but I melted all the ice before the temp dropped below freezing. Turned on the heat and Voila! We slept in comfort and warmth. yeah! Today is supposed ot be in the 40s so I turned off the heat in a hope that the ice that formed over nice will melt and then evaporate. Poor old heat pump! I think heat pumps age like dogs. So that would make my heat pump about 175 years old! Good job ol girl!

Multimeter fun

I was given an antique multimeter many years ago as a gift. I never use it. It is big and too old to want to have on the floor of the shop while working on my bikes. Well I finally went and bought a nice digital multimeter last night. I am sure it is no big deal for most people but for me it was ANOTHER TOOL!!! I love tools! I love fixing things. I love the mental challenge of trying to figure out what is wrong. Sometimes it is frustrating but the reward is well worth it in the end. So I got my Goldwing all put back together, rewired with new cables and a fresh carb rack. I went to start it and the battery was dead. It was dying when I got the bike. I bit the bullet yesterday and bought a very very highly recommended battery from Odyssey. It costs twice as much as a standard battery but it is supposed to be worth every penny. So with the battery dead I decided to put my Harley battery in just long enough to get “Sevens” running and to hear it run smooth for the 1st time. No dice! The starter turned but no spark. I started looking into why. I checked all my connections and all looked good. Then I was looking through the shop manual and found the few things required to start the bike. I needed to check for continuity on a few things. The kill switch being my 1st thought as I just changed my throttle cable. I dug into the wiring harness and pulled wires according to the wiring diagram and checked with my cool new multimeter. All was working. All Diodes were fine as well. Then I finally found that the Clutch Safety Switch was bad!!! Woohoo!! No continuity engaged OR disengaged! Got online and ordered a Honda Gl1000 Clutch Safety Switch for $15. Fingers are crossed! Very exciting evening. I will be ecstatic when I finally get it running nicely.

Another screwing in TN (cont.)

UPDATE: Turns out this is a civil matter and can in no way jack with my credit nor can wages be garnished or warrants be issued against me. I provided the insurance company with a signed affidavit form the family of the person I sold the car to indicating as such. This is not good enough for Allstate because they know I am the only one with money they have a chance at getting. The woman who wrecked the car has been in jail since on drug charges. They are going to have to find a judge that won’t recognize the affidavit as proof of my relinquishing of ownership of the car. I am fighting this one!

New blog host

I have been using Blogger.com for almost 3 years now. They offer no built in way to back up my blog. There was a convoluted way in the past. They have since limted the amount of blogs I can show and therefore backup to 500. I have 626 posts so backing up is time consuming. Worldpress allows the importing and exporting of blogs so I am giving this sight a whirl. I really like the interface and the options for customizing!  

Economy Stimulation

There is talk in the news that the US may be in a recession or will be in the near future. (Recession is 6 months of decreased Gross National Product). To help with this, President Bush has asked for a stimulus package consisting of a tax rebate. Proposed rebates indicate this may be $800 for individuals. Democrats are proposing $200 for NON-Tax paying low income families. Which is jst plain rude. If you don’t work and pay taxes, why should you get a rebate? Who will pay for it? The working people will. That is just not fair. Also to pay for this 100 Billion dollar rebate the government will borrow money from other countries such as China. We already owe them ridiculous amounts. So the idea behind this stimulus package is that if people received $800, they would spend it right away and thus stimulate the economy. The problem I see is that the money will be spent on products that are mostly made in China or overseas. So we wouldn’t really be stimulating anything. We will be dumping more money into the Chinese economy. This stimulus rebate is just a simple little trick for Bush to appear that he is doing something for the people on his way out of office. This won’t help anyone in the long run. I say that we should NOT borrow that money, STOP spending money in Iraq and really focus on stimulating our local economy. We need to back out just a bit from the global economy and focus at home. Offer incentives for manufacturers to build in America, incentives to reduce outsourcing of support and incentives to keep money HERE! Our bucket is emptying faster and faster and we are not putting anything back into our bucket. It will be empty before to long and we will be in a place of no return. When we are that weak as a nation, someone will try to take us over. It may take 20 years before we get there but we are on that path. Our economy is funding the middle east and Asia. It is not unreasonable to imagine that China will be strong enough over us someday to wage war against us.

Dude dropped his bike on day1

This guy dropped his bike the 1st day he bought it. Read below for my comments after you read his posting.

Dropped my new bike first time on it!!! Well, here is the lesson learned… Regardless of whether you are an experienced rider or not, I suggest selecting a large empty parking lot to either learn the bike as an inexperienced rider(me) or even if experienced just the fact you are unfamilar with the bike. Here is what happened…my list of mistakes. 1) Overconfident- I was so excited that I forgot all the safety guidelines I know. 2) Instead of a large empty parking lot, I was in an active one, and the section I was in did not have any room for errors. 3) Instead of releasing the clutch slow and applying throttle gently to accelerate, I was too heavy on the throttle and more concerned about stalling than jumping. Thus, instead of stalling the bike blasted forward catching me totally unprepared. I didnt even have time to lift my feet, and was frozen. Instead of pressing in the clutch I just froze because I was afraid of hitting cars or being hit. had I been in a large empty lot I could have blasted forever and taken my time to realize what I needed to do. basically, too many obstacles and things to worry in this parking lot which combined wit learning the bike was information overload for me and I froze as a new rider. I fell backwards, and my knee is swollen, two gashes in my leg, hand hurts like hell, bike is scratched on clutch control, speedomder bezel, spring, contol cover, tail light bent, tank dented and scrapped bad. 4) I was so scared and shaken up, i am considering either selling the bike or as a friend suggested hiring this police officer who teaches motorcycle skills to beginners and is very good. My problem is now I am under confident and scared… On a positive note, I feel better this morning but upset I scratched a new bike up. ok…yes I feel like a dork

MY TAKE… The guy shouldn’t have gone and bought a $20,000 Harley if he didn’t know how to handle a bike. He should have started on something cheap and NOT in a public place. I can’t believe all of the posts in the forum I read, no one said that dude is an idiot. It’s like buying a gun and not being sure how to use it. “Oooops!! the gun went off by accident!!!” I understand accidents happen but dude even admited that he “froze”. I would say to him…”sorry man, you are not ready to share the road with everyone else if you don’t have the sense about you to STOP TWISTING THE THROTTLE!!! Geesh. If it is information overload for you. STOP and get off the bike BEFORE you kill someone or jack up a $20, 000 Harley or worse yet, someone ELSE’s $20,000 Harley. Some people should just stick to crayons and leave the big toys and guns to people with who can handle them.

Again…Accidents do happen but stupidity can be stopped!

Another "Screwing" in TN for me!

I have not had the best of luck since moving to TN. It seems that there is always some way that I get screwed and have no recourse of action. Or the mere fact that I have to take action in the first place sux. I work hard, I pay my taxes, I don’t even speed in my car or motorcycle but for some reason, I find myself in situations where a criminal or Police Officer acting in a criminal way, has me bent over taking some bull situation right in the ass. This time it’s all over a $200 car. I had a car a couple years ago. An old Datsun. You can see it somewhere in this blog. I had some work done on my house and in trade for services, we arranged for the man to have my Datsun. Well all went fine. Until now. It turns out that he never registered the car. He sold it. Here is twist #1. The person he sold the car to never registered it either. Twist #2. That person got into a wreck with no license, no registration and NO INSURANCE. In the wonderful state of red-neck, bullshit, hypocrite Tennessee, the responsibility of a accident with no insurance falls to the owner of the carat fault. In the eyes of TN that would be ME! I cannot find any bill of sale or any documents to prove I sold the car. Twist #3 The person I sold the car to initially, died last month. I have no way of proving the car is not my responsibility. So I have to pay $1800 in damages or the issue will be sent to a collection agency and will affect my 24 year perfect credit history! So yet again, I may have to take one right up the friggin backside! Thanks TN!!

Vinyl pillion???

Maybe if I get a BMW I can talk Amanda into getting this outfit to ride Pillion with me!

in with the new!

Went to a dealership near Knoxville this weekend and checked out some of the new BMW’s and a couple Moto Guzzi’s. The Harley will be going up for sale this weekend!

"Sevens" carb update…

We went to Oliver Springs TN and dropped off my carbs to Pistol Pete from oldwings.com. I had an incredible time meeting with Pete and talking Goldwings. He has been riding Gl1000′s since 1975 and still has the original bike he bought in 1975. He has 2 other original GL’s also. One was made in December of 1974. It is one of the original 40 bikes that were hand made. It is in amazing condition. All his bikes look factory new 30+ years later. Anyway. My carbs will be shipped back to me on Monday and I should be able to have the bike back together and running by next weekend. While I have the whole bike apart for the carb repair, I figured it would be wise to replace all my cables. I bought all new cables from motionpro.com. Clutch, throttle pair and choke. I also checked the fuel from the tank and filter and it runs out clean and clear. Sweet! I got my mirrors and tail light all back on and am so ready to give this bike a ride to work. It’s all tagged and registered. more to come…

Bike Jack

I got my belated Christmas gift from Amanda today. It was on back order. Now I can finally lift my motorcycles safely when I work on them. No more teetering on a cinder block!

Carbs out

Took the carb rack out of my 77 Goldwing tonight. I am having it overhauled this weekend. I can’t wait to get them back and get the bike running smooth. Pete at oldwings.com will be doing the rebuild. We are driving out to his shop in East TN this Saturday to drop off the carbs and to discuss the further renovation of my bike. I am very excited!

Ridin’ the Alps!

I think we need to plan a trip to ride motorcycles through the Swiss Alps! WOW!!!

Hot Tuna Boat

This is my “Hot Tuna Boat“

Bakery Fresh bread, baked with olive oil, provolone and tuna sald covered with Apple Slices (grapes and nuts works as well), romaine lettuce, red onion and a spread of mayo. It is “hearty” and very tasty. 1 loaf makes enough for 2-4 people. MMM MMM MMM!!!

Vanity factor

Yesterday while riding my motorcycle on my way home from work I had a discussion with myself. Yes, I often have full conversations with myself. I am either a bit crazy or just enjoy a debate that I always win (even though I always lose as well). Anyway! Lately I have been closer and closer to selling my Harley and buying something better. Yes I say better. Harley is not a very good product. I just looks and sounds cool. Which lead me to the discussion. I am, for the most part, a very practical man. I like to make wise decisions, especially when those decisions involve large sums of money. For many years I purchased Apple computers convincing my self that performance was worth the expensive cost of ownership. My practical side won out over the years and I found that I could spend less and get basically the same amount of work or play done. Another large purchase is cars. I have owned and MR2, a BMW sports car, a Corvette and a HEMI Dodge to name a few. All these vehicles had WOW!! written all over them. They said LOOK AT ME!! That “wow”. Cost me $$$$ An expense I was willing to pay. The pure delight it brings to hear someone say “nice car dude!” or to see them ogling it in the parking lot. Worth every penny. In a non-practical way. I have since found that I get just as much personal pleasure and reward from my old Toyota Cargo van or my current Grand Marquis (albeit without the attention). It’s just a car. As long as I can go places and do things in comfort, I am happy. Right. The car doesn’t define who we really are right? Does owning a Harley make me a different man? No. Does it make me a different man in the eyes of others. Oh hell yes it does! Does that matter? Yes! Should it? Of course not!!! Then why do I care? Hence the personal debate.

People are vain. It is our nature. Why don’t I ride one of the hundreds of motorcycles out there that cost 1/2 as much and perform twice as well? I’ll tell you. It is the human EGO! I LOVE when I go anywhere on my bike and people stop to look at it. I love it when they talk about it. I see this every day. “nice bike dude!” or “Wow, I wish my husband had a Harley, That is so hot!” or “Can I go for a ride?” or just walking around the corner to see people standing there looking at it and having an entire conversation about my bike. Talk about STROKING ones ego! The part to remember and it is a hard one to remember is that they are talking about the BIKE. Not me, not my accomplishments, not who I am as a man or a person or friend. Just a bike. A bike that anyone of a million other people could have or already have. I know this. Yet I still let that false praise give me a rise.

So I started asking myself “Does letting this make me happy, actually make me less of a man?” “Am being vain?” I believe it does make me less of a man. However, in my defense, this is human nature. I started devil’s advocate and realized that people are just vain by nature. Women buy sexy clothes, high heels, makeup, jewelry and put hours on end in making them appear sexy. Wouldn’t it be easier to be comfortable and put on some loose slacks, and some flat shoes to go out dancing? Of course it would but that is not what they do. We all cut our hair and bathe, we all buy the nicest cars and houses we can afford, we buy things that are “in”. If people were not vain by nature, we would all be driving practical cars that get 100mpg, living in modest sized homes, we would wear simple comfortable clothes and we would give a rats ass about how hot our partners look. We are vain.

One challenge in my life is to limit my vanity and focus on practical. This why I drive modest cars, live in a modest house, use a modest computer, have a modest cell phone and wear modest clothing. I am still not sure if I can part with the Harley though! LOL!!

No wonder I am in pain!!!

Just got back from my 1st chiropractor visit in way too many years. Looks my car wreck back in 1991 is still affecting me! WAH!!! My spine is all sorts of twisted and jacked with a buldging disk and pinched nerves to boot!

Lonely "Sevens"

With both Harleys in the shop, my Goldwing looks aweful lonely!

Snapped another cable…

I broke another throttle cable on the Harley this morning. WAH!!! I had to walk way too far to work this morning in the damp cold air. The bike is being towed to my mechanic who will find out why I broke two cables in less than a year. I don’t think I want to rely on Harley’s lack of reliability for my 5000 mile journey coming up next summer. I am thinking that renting a Goldwing or an ST1300 might be the wisest way to go. If anything happens, I call then up and they get me a new bike. No worries. I did want to rack up those miles on one of my own bikes though. Decisions decisions. Maybe time to BUY a goldwing or ST1300.

Made in USA search…

Found a website that lets you search for products made in the USA. Support America and not communist China. Try as hard as you can to buy American
http://www.madeinusa.org/

Merry Christmas!!!

AGAIN???? Yep another year has gone by and we are in the middle of yet another holiday season! I think I am still paying off LAST Christmas. We had a great time visting Amanda’s family and this Friday we will be traveling to see my family for an extended weekend into New Year’s Eve. I CAN’T WAIT!!! I love the motorcycle shop jack that Amanda got me (boy do I need it) and I am wiggling with anticipation about the box of Sabrett hot dogs my brother Greg so thoughfully shipped me for Christmas! MMMM MMMM MMMM!!!

MP3 Cleaner!

Like a dumbass, I left my MP3 player in my pocket and then washed my jeans! DUH!!! I often leave money in my pockets, especially change. It all winds up rattling around in either the washer or the dryer. I have even left a Chapstick in my pocket on a few occasions. This time I left my little Samsung MP3 player. It was only $19 but it is a very good player that has served me well. Amanda pulled it out of the washer and it was still a bit damp. I thought I was going to have to shell out another $19 to replace it. However, after letting it dryout for 2 days, I plugged it into my PC to charge it and Voila! It works! Rock on Samsung! I don’t know if the built in microphone (for voice recording) still works but it plays my MP3′s and still stores data files. Sweet!

Election Quiz and info..

PLEASE!! Take the short amount of time to take this simple quiz. Then see which presidential candiates come close to your beliefs. Then you can read a nice summary of their views and history. It is well worth the few minutes. I actually came up with a candidate that I knew nothing about and found that his views were very close to those I feel strong about!

http://www.speakout.com/VoteMatch/senate2006.asp?quiz=2008
http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Why did the chicken cross the road?

DR. PHIL :The problem we have here is that this chicken won’t realize that he must first deal with the problem on ‘THIS’ side of the road before it goes after the problem on the ‘OTHER SIDE’ of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he’s acting by not taking on his ‘CURRENT’ problems before adding ‘NEW’ problems.

OPRAH :Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I’m going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH :We don’t really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL :Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road…

ANDERSON COOPER – CNN:We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY :Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken’s intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE :That chicken crossed the road because he’s GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN :To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART :No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer’s Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR SEUSS :Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I’ve not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY :To die in the rain. Alone.

JERRY FALWELL :Because the chicken was gay! Can’t you people see the plain truth?’ That’s why they call it the ‘other side.’ Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media white washes with seemingly harmless phrases like ‘the other side. That chicken should not be crossing the road. It’s as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA :In my day we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS :Isn’t that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

JOHN LENNON :Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

ARISTOTLE :It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

BILL GATES :I have just released eChicken2007, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken This new platform is much more stable and will never cra…#@&&^(C% …….. reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN :Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON :I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE :I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS :Did I miss one?

DICK CHENEY :Where’s my gun?

AL SHARPTON :Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens.

Ellendale’s

We love a good Sunday brunch! There used to be a place called 101st Airborne in Nashville, right near the house that was amazing at the least! Sadly, it is no longer in business. I think I ate them to the poor house. I found a replacement called “The Copper Kettle”. Although the food is fantastic and the price is right, it is on the other side of town and the atmosphere is great for lunch during the week but not for a good Sunday brunch. Their eggs benadict is perfect! Well, Amanda found a place real close to the house. That is important because I can only stay awake for about 15 minutes after stuffing my self to the point of exploding without dying to take a nap. This place, Ellendale’s is just about 15 minutes away . The atmosphere is perfect. It’s a turn of the last century house thta has been renovated. So you eat in small rooms that were, at one time, the dining room, the parlour, the master suite, etc. There is one large room that is nice but the small rooms are nice and cozy. We went this past Sunday and it was COLD outside. It was so quaint to come in from the cold to what looks like someones house and eat a fantastic breakfast in the warm toasty charm of this place. The food selection is not as large as The Copper Kettle and nothing was a diverse as 101st Airborne. However, they had waffles and custom made omelets. The cook over did my ommelette but the ingredients seemed fresh and tasty. the waffles were plentiful but we in a chaffing dish so the steam softened the outside. I prefer waffles to be a bit more textured. Fresh butter and hot syrup negated any shortcomings in the texture. There was nice desert table but it lacked pastries. Mostly cakes, fudge and some. This leaned more towards the “lunch” end of BRUNCH. This is a nice alternative to the long drive across town and definitely a place we will take family and visting guests for brunch.
http://www.ellendales.com

Bring it on home

I looked at the cover of the guttersociety.com forum today and was inspired to record a song. I usually steer clear of Led Zeppelin due to the simple fact that the drums are hard to play for me being mostly a guitarist and bassist. I have covered many Zeppelin songs in bands but never on my own. So I gave it a go with one that I heard and liked alot. I tracked it this morning and sent it off to the Gutterboyz resident Zep expert “Ant man”. He pointed out that the guitar track wasn’t “poppin“. I went back and listened and yep the man was right. I tracked one guitar track and the song has 3!!! I was so focused on trying to drum it and singing that I overlooked my main area of “expertise”! Geesh! I went back and added the 2 other guitar tracks and mixed it. Here it is:
http://www.guttersociety.com/misc/bringitonhome.mp3
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USA Jeans

I found a company that makes jeans in America using American made parts!!
http://www.gussetjeans.com/madenusa.htm

Many of Wal-Mart’s "American Suppliers"…

Many of Wal-Mart’s “American Suppliers” actually manufacture most or all of their products in China An example of an “American Supplier” is Hasbro, headquartered in Rhode Island. Today, Wal-Mart is the largest purchaser of Hasbro products—accounting for 21 percent of all Hasbro goods or more than $600 million in sales. But Hasbro reports, “We source production of substantially all of our toy products and certain of our game products through unrelated manufacturers in various Far East countries, principally China.” Hasbro specifies that “the substantial majority of our toy products are manufactured in China.” [2004 Hasbro 10-K filed with the SEC]

NY Time article on China/Walmart

The more I investigate this China deal, the more I find out about the crap that is going on. I wonder how many Americans woudl buy these crappy, cheap made in china items if they had to buy it directly from the 12 year kid working 15 hour days 7 days a week for 26 cents an hour making the item. I think the “savings” would be the last thing on your mind. We put a happy yellow smiley face on it at the store and we don’t even think about it. The NY times has an article worth reading: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/report-cites-labor-infractions-by-wal-mart-supplier-in-china/#comment-122546

DON’T BUY CHINA!!!

Wal-Mart-China

I have been bitchin about “Made in China” to anyone who will listen and to some that won’t for the past year or so.
http://skramnor.blogspot.com/2005/07/chinaa-threat.html
http://skramnor.blogspot.com/2007/08/made-in-usa.html
http://skramnor.blogspot.com/2007/12/we-make-brooms.html

Well it looks like others are starting to see it too! I make the strong effort to not buy Made in China and look for Made in USA as much as possible! If you are reading this, you most likely know me. I wouldn’t fuss about this if it weren’t important to ALL of us! Check out this link to a site dedicated to “Waking up” Wal-Mart.

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/

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Animal Control

Davidson County Animal Control… Do they need help? There is a stray wild dog in my neighborhood. It has been living there for months. It is maingy and aggressive. It barks all day and night at anything nearby. have called Animal Control about this dog 4 times already and nothing is being done. They keep saying “we’ll get someone out there” but they never do. Last night this dog chased a woman pushing her baby in a stroller down the street. Animal Control will do something, I am sure, AFTER the dog mauls some little baby and it hits the news.

It’s all the same here in Nashvegas.

I haven’t played out in Nashville in a band in close to 2 years. Last night I went out to take in some music and maybe get inspired. No such luck. After all this time, the bands I saw were still playing the same tired songs I heard last year and the year before and since I moved here for that matter. From one club to the next, each band has 90% the same song list and they sound exactly the same doing it. No variety, no originality, no unique tones from the instruments. It’s like everyone is saying “look at me, look at me” but IMO, once you’ve see a man juggling 3 bowling pins in a clown suit, you really have no need to see it again. Nashville music scene is tired. Even the original bands I have seen offer no groundbreaking or even just plain ol unique sounds. It’s all been done a million times the exact same way. They even sing about the very same topics. This must be the culture here. No pride in individuality. Which is odd because if you look on myspace for Nashville bands, you can find some cool original music in a variety of styles. I guess variety is not embraced in what little live community we have here. That probably why so many of the artists here are trying to be the next Carrie Underwood or Dirks Bentley. Even the fashion scene is cookie cutter. All the girls look and dress the same with the same hair styles all the guys look like they want you to believe they grew up on a farm but now live in the city. I swear almost every guy under 30 had a college football or tractor brand ball cap on. Nashville is a town of lemmings. I guess I’ll go out and give it a check again next year to see if anything changed. I doubt it.

Exits

How many times have we gotten off at an exit on the interstate during a road trip? Plenty for me! You ever notice that the exit seems to be a place all by itself. It seems like the only thing off that exit is what you see. The few gas stations, the hotel, the truck stop and a few fast food restaurants. It seems that there is no other reason for that exit other than to service the interstate. That is until you get to your home town exit. It doesn’t seem like that because you KNOW there is more beyond the trees. It is a weird thing to explain but I tried.

We make brooms

We went to Old Tyme Pottery today. We saw some really nice artwork for the home. Vases, candle holders and bunch of statuettes. I was surprised at how many things I liked. I was also suprised that almost everything in the entire store was made in China. The only thing I could find that was made in USA and proudly labeled, was a Cinnamon holiday broom. Yep we can make the shit of out a Cinnamon broom but anything beyond that seems to need the technology and skill of a Chinese factory worker. Geesh! Why can’t I find decent American made products at reasonable prices?

I miss riding!

I sure miss the weekend rides. This cold and gloomy weather is bummin me out. I want to be out riding one of my motorcycles on a weekend ride. It’s gonna be a long winter. I will still ride to work when the weather isn’t freezing or wet but I probably won’t be on any recreation rides until the spring. YUK!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Google rocks

I have been predicting that Google would someday release an Operating System to compete with Windows and MacOS. I was close! Apparently Google has plans to release an OS for hand held devices. I am sure this will compete heavily and probably be better than the Apple iPhone. After all Google already has so many tools in place on the web. I personally use Google for this Blog, my email, my calendar, my spreadsheets and documents. I also use it for videos and maps, driving directions, satellite images and best of all PICASA. Picasa is a fantastic tool for downloading pictures off your camera, organizing them, editing them, archiving, sharing via web, email, blog, CDs, whatever! All these tools in a hand held PDA with internet access and wirless phone ability would be fantastic. iPhone has some of the features but Google is familiar to millions and I am sure it will cost less than the iPhone wit far fewer restrictions. I can’t wait to learn more about this! Glad I bought some Google stock when I did!

Studio

Cleaned up my home studio this weekend. Made some more room and got some new sounds ready. I have a nice pair of Drum mics coming in this week and with those and what I have, I will get back into recording this winter. Can’t ride the motorcycles as much so I will get creative again. This is one of my favorite places to be. My lil studio. I can make videos, record music, lounge, play TigerWood golf on PSP while laying on the floor. All with my little buddy Dew coming in and out in and out in and out of the room! LOL! He’s my buddy!

11/11/07

Well…Another 11/11 has gone by and no major, life changing events took place for me. Now that 11/11 is not so much in the foreground of my conscience or even my sub conscience, I do not seem to see it the way I had in the past. Now I see it only when I am specifically looking for it. Maybe I was right in the 1st place and that just merely focusing on a specific number makes it seem like it is everywhere. Just like when you buy a new car and then all of a sudden you see that same model on the road everywhere. It was there before you just weren’t tuned into it. Some friends still see it and comment on it when they do. So that is still fun!

CMA’s

We are going to the Country Music Awards (CMA) tonight! WOOOHOO!! Should be a blast. I am not one much for being star struck but this should be pretty cool. We have gone to a few tapings of “Cross Country” and “Cross Roads” for CMT and had a real good time. This is a million times bigger!

Evolution???

With the exception of Dwarfism and midgets (never thought I’d start a blog with that line) The Average American male is about 5’10″. This was not always the case. A mere 200 years ago the average male was 5’6″. Are we eating better? NO! In actually (sans disease) Colonial Americans ate healthier and were healthier on the whole. So why the change? Is God changing his mind about how he wants humans to look? Probably not. It’s called selective breeding. Women are generally attracted to taller, stronger men. Through history, taller and stronger meant a better provider. We as humans have the ability to slowly change the way we look. we do it all the time. This, to me, is strong evidence to support evolution. Think of the Giraffe for instance. The Giraffes with the taller necks were able to reach more food. Therefore, they were stronger and healthier and the one’s that were able to breed. They had taller Giraffes based on taller genes. This continued and still does in nature. Survival of the fittest! I believe we are changing our selves based more on aesthetics these days and less on survival ability. Look at the skin tones of people over the centuries. There was a time when fair skin was considered attractive and desirable. Fair skin showed that you were NOT a common person who worked in the sun. So in Europe especially, people tended to mate to people with fair skin more often and hence the dominance of fair skinned people in Europe. Historically anyway. These days darker skin is much more desirable socially. So, more and more people are mating with darker skin partners. Not so much on purpose as it is just a result of the social acceptance and desirability of darker skin. Remember people saying “Healthy tan!”? I know a tan is not natural skin pigmentation but it goes to show the trend.
For a huge example of selective breeding and evolution, look at the domestic animal world. We humans have the knowledge and ability to change the way animals look and act based on our desires. Seems pretty crazy when you 1st think of it. Humans have the power to evolve animals? We are not gods by any stretch but we have learned through studying evolution that we can drastically change animals to suit our needs and preferences. For instance, look at the English Bulldog. The dog cannot birth on it’s own. In nature the breed would die off in 1 single generation with the assistance of humans. This was not originally the case with the mastiff family of dogs. We humans continued to breed only those dogs that had large heads and flat faces. We continued pushing this trait to the point that the head of an unborn puppy will not fit through the birth canal of the mother and must be pulled via C section. We breed dogs with long ears. So long that they fall to the ground. We breed dogs with no hair, with coats that grow so long that if uncut by humans would tangle up and be so unruly that the dog would not be able to hunt for survival if left in nature. We breed huge flaws into animals for our own amusement. Flaws that would die off in a matter of a very few generations if left in nature. We do the same with cats, horses, sheep etc. We “evolve” them into what we want. Species self-evolve in nature to hone themselves to terrain and predators. It takes time but it happens. The fastest and strongest cats in the jungle eat the most and survive. The weak ones die off. Therefore that one generation weeded out the weak and the strong went on to compete for food and mating rights. Humans use drugs and surgery to survive. We are stopping and turning back our own evolution. We are weakening our own race by propagating weak and sickly people. No longer survival of the fittest. I am not saying that is wrong and that is also fodder for an entirely new blog or discussion.
OK for all the religious lemmings, I mean people. Let me add that I am not saying that there is no God or that God did not create the world etc. I am just saying that we should be open minded enough to think that there is room for both creationism AND evolution. Maybe, just maybe, God planted a seed like a farmer would and allowed it to grow on its own. Maybe once in a while he adds water or nutrition to help but mostly lets nature take its own course. Maybe God is allowing evolution to see where it goes on it’s own. I can swallow that one myself!

Goldwing stopped running…

I think I found the problem!

New Chrome Fender

I finally finished my front fender. I bought a fender from a bobber off eBay and then bent some steel stock to match the radius of the fender to make a bracket. I had a friend of mine tack weld the bracket onto the fender. Thanks Lee!! Then I sent it all off to get chromed. I got it back today and mounted it! WooHoo!! I love it. Total cost $185

15k

I just rolled 15,000 miles on my Harley!!!

Sheriff Joe???

I don’t know how factual this is but if it is, it is amazing and the rest of the country should look towards this man for leadership and as a role model.

SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!

Maricopa County, Arizona was spending approximately $18 million dollars
a year on stray animals, mostly cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to
take over the department, and the County Supervisors approved.

The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They
feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and
walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal
nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who’d like
to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street,
given them to the care of prisoners, and even has had them place in dog
shows.

The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3
million. I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County
shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in
great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him.
The dog cost us $78. The prisoners get the benefit of about $.28 an hour for
working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for
the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc.
He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.

I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at
the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a
huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and
they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the
work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which
provides meat and fertilizer. It fertilizes the gardens and a Christmas
tree
nursery, where prisoners also work, and you can buy a tree for $6 to $8
for the holidays, and plant it later. We have six trees in our yard from
the
prison.

Yep, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote. Now he’s in
trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with
a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where
you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and
Customs Enforcement wasn’t doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40
deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up
his hotline, and bought four new buses just for hauling folks back to
the border. He’s kind of a “Git-R-Dun” kind of Sheriff.

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO, HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA
COUNTY SHERIFF AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER AND THIS IS
WHY:
Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona) created the “Tent City Jail.”

He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for
them. He stopped all smoking and distribution of porno magazines in the
jails.
He took away their weights and cut off all but “G” movies.

He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and
city projects. Then he started chain gangs for women, so he wouldn’t be
sued for discrimination.

He took away cable TV, until he found out there was a Federal Court
order that required cable TV for jails. So he hooked up the cable TV
again, but only allowed prisoners to view the Disney and Weather
channels. When asked why the weather channel he replied, “So they will
know how hot it’s going to be while they are working on my chain gangs.”

He cut off coffee, since it has zero nutritional value. When the inmates
complained, he told them, “This isn’t the Ritz Carlton. If you don’t
like it, don’t come back.”

He bought Newt Gingrich’ s lecture series on videotape that he pipes
into the jails. When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by
a Democrat, he replied that a Democratic lecture series might explain
why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place.

With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix (116 degrees
just set a new record), the Associated Press Reports:

About 2,000 inmates living in a barbed-wire-surrounded tent encampment
at the Maricopa County Jail have been given permission to strip down to
their government-issued pink boxer shorts. On Wednesday, hundreds of men
wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in
the tents, which reached 138 degrees inside the week before. Many were
also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and
dripped down into their pink sox.

It feels like we are in a furnace,” said James Zanzot, an inmate who has
lived in the tents for a year. “It’s inhumane.”

Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago
started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is
not one bit sympathetic. He said he told all of the inmates, “It’s 120
degrees in Iraq, and our soldiers are living in tents, too, and they have
to wear full battle gear, but they didn’t commit any crimes, so shut
your damned mouths!”

Way To Go, Sheriff!

Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime
and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes,
not live in luxury until it’s time for their parole, only to go out and
commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money
and enjoy things taxpayers can’t afford to have for themselves.

1st project on "Goldie"

The old side stand on my Goldwing saw better days. When I went to park it the other day it collapsed and I had to save it from crashing to the ground! HEAVY BIKE!!! So I ordered a replacement sub-frame and it came today. Fun!!! My 1st project on “Goldie” (temp name). Got out my metric tools and dove right in! Jacked up the motor and started disassembling. 30 minutes later I had the replacement installed, the exhaust back on the bike resting on it’s new sturdy side stand. The old one posed for a few pix and then saw it’s last bit of daylight as I tossed it in the trash. So far I can say that working on a Honda is MUCH easier than working on a Harley. “So Far”.

Exhaust and Subframe off the bike

New Subframe in place…

Where the old side stand tore off the old subframe.

Chattanooga Ride

Sandy, Lee, Amanda and I rode to Chattanooga this Sunday! I had a great time! When Amanda and I left this morning at 7am it was 40 degrees! BRRRR!! We were frozen when we got to breakfast. The day warmed up nicley but the last 2 hours were very cold. Amanda and I hit the interstate for the last 62 miles. Amanda notched it up to 80mph!!! AT NIGHT!!! Wooohoo!! More pix at http://skramnor.com/.

Got Bikes???

My garage is like a motorcycle repair shop!!!
My 1977 Honda Goldwing GL1000
My 198? Honda Hurricane
My 2006 Harley Deuce
Amanda’s 2007 Harley Sportster
Joe’s 2004 Harley Road King?

Loud Pipes (cont.)

Motorcyclists, especially Harley riders have all seen or heard the statement “Loud Pipes Save Lives”. I have heard both sides of this argument. Personally, I used to love the sounds of loud roaring pipes on my Harley. Actually I still love a good rumble. However, as I ride each and everyday, the volume can get tiresome. Knowing that you are annoying people on foot and in their houses as you pass by can also be a bit embarrassing. I have since switched back to my quieter pipes. They still rumble nicely and give decent volume when I really get on the throttle but during normal daily riding they do not blast and annoy. This is nice. However… Loud Pipes DO SAVE LIVES!!! IMO. I ride everyday in rush hour traffic to and from work. Everyday, literally EVERYDAY, since putting the quiet pipes back on, someone blatantly cuts me off. As if I weren’t even there. That is the key. “AS IF I WEREN’T EVEN THERE”! This morning a man drifted right over in front of me and didn’t flinch an eye. No turn signal, not even a reaction to my insignificant motorcycle horn. Just didn’t see me, didn’t hear me and thought the road was his. This happens at LEAST once a day. People in their cages (cars) with cell phones, radios, breakfast, newspaper and whatever else they are doing besides driving, do not pay enough attention around them to know a relatively small motorcycle is next to them. Quiet pipe advocates say “That is why your bike has a horn”. I say that is “weekend warrior” nonsense. Yes my bike has a horn and I use it for it’s intended use. Emergency alert. It is for alerting someone to an emergency situation. I could not ride down the road blowing my horn to let everyone know I am coming on my bike. I need the cars to know I am there BEFORE an emergency situation. Who wants to constantly be reacting to emergencies on a motorcycle? Not me! I would rather be loud and annoying to drivers if I knew they would hear me long before they see me. Then there is no emergency situation to react to.
Notice to Cagers: Open your figgin eyes, put the GD cell phone down and pay the F%$& attention to driving!!!

"Black Bike Week"

Are you friggin kidding me? NOPE!! http://www.blackbikeweek.com/
I don’t even know where to begin with this rant! What if someone started a “White Bike Week” OMG!! We would have to deal with 2 months of Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton bitching about equality and racism! Why do so many black people cry for equality and then blatantly separate themselves by hosting Black only events? Is this a matter of Black pride? Can there be White pride? Wouldn’t White Pride be racism? Wouldn’t White Bike Week be wrong? Why the double standard? Not that I want a White or Black anything. I just wish people would stop drawing the line in the sand and then bitching about that very same line. Believe it or not I can still hear people say stuff about slavery in the arguments of race. WHAT? Wasn’t that abolished 142 years ago? Didn’t that happen to people that have long since passed away? I don’t mean to diminish the importance of the history. It was a terrible time but it was the past.
As far as Black Bike Week. I think it only server to separate. I would think that “Bike Week” pretty much covers and includes anyone with a BIKE. What would happen if a Black person rode a bike into a bike week? NOTHING!!! It happens all the time. Motorcycle events are welcome to all. Latinos, Blacks, Asian, Handicapped as well as anyone else who can ride or be ridden. What would happen if a White person rode into Black Bike Week? Think about that?
I believe that people give up the legitimacy of their racism bitching when they themselves live a racist life!

Starting to get a bit nippy

The rides in to work on my motorcycle are stating to get a bit nippy. I ride early in the am when the sun is not quite up yet. Right now it is in the high 50′s. That might not seem like much to a cager (person who drive a cage…a.k.a. a car) but on a bike it usually feels about 15 degrees colder. 50mph wind cuts through also! Looks like it’s time to gear up. This year I am opting for heated gloves and a full face helmet to help keep me warm. Last winter my hands froze daily and I had to wear a full face slip on ski mask. It kept me warm but it was a p.i.t.a. Besides keeping warm, this will give me an excuse to buy more motorcycle gear!

Clouds in the Nashville sky

On the way home from work, I had to stick my camera out the window of my car and snap some shots of the sky. I increased the contrast to help show the clouds. My pocket camera could not capture the amazing depth and clarity these clouds had!

Portobello Catasta!!!

My newest creation, “Portobello Catasta”!!
Sauteed Vadalia onions, yellow and red bell peppers, garlic and italian seasonings in olive oil with sliced chicken breast covered in pasta sauce, chopped tomato and provolone cheese all on top of a portobello mushroom cap. The taste testers gave me a thumbs up!!

Me lovin a veggie dish???

It took me 41 years. I have disliked veggies my whole life. Ever since I changed my eating style back in June, I have been looking for ways to enjoy veggies. Well, after much experimentation, I did it. I prepared a dish tonight that I enjoy as much as most any dish. Mushrooms, onions and bell peppers sauteed in Olive oil, garlic, italian seasonings and then sprinkled with shredded parmesan. OMG!!! This picture can’t show how delicious this really was!!
 

Too Early?

This rant covers two topics. 1. People can be plain stupid and 2. People can be plain stupid!
This morning I was in the lab, at work, taking pictures to document an issue. A woman walks by from another department, stops and asks, with a strong, inquisitive tone, “What are you doing?”. With camera poised in front of my face snapping pictures, I replied. “Fishing!”. She came back with her 2nd stupid utterance of the day…”It’s too early for that attitude”. What the hell does the time of day have to do with getting a sarcastic answer to a moronic question? “What am I doing???”…”What does it LOOK like I am friggin doing you IDIOT?”

Awesome Trials rider

"The Ride 2007"

We made it! We started off with 8 but only 5 of us made it to New Orleans. We rode 1400 miles round trip, in the rain, through lovebug mating season, traffic, interstates, the dark, deer, wild boar, squirrels, wild turkeys and miles of empty roads. We eventually rolled into and through the famous French Quarter in New Orleans. Nice to say that we were there but we had no desire to stay at all. We had an incredible week of riding, eating and bonding. We all learned tons more about riding and gained a welcome amount of new experience on our bikes. We missed the part of the group that had to turn back but they were with us in spirit. Check out the pix at http://skramnor.com

The Ride 2007

The day is finally here! We are hitting the road today for a week long journey on motorcycles!!!
My brother Anthony
My brother Greg
My brother in law Rich
My nephew Gregory
My girlfriend Amanda
My friend Chris
My friend Pete
and Me!!!
1 week on the road. 1st desitnation, New Orleans!! From there the wind leads!!

I made it!!! Under 200

I finally made it! I lost about 40 lbs and now weigh under 200 lbs for the 1st time in bout 20 years!!!
15 more to go to get to my goal of 185. Then the challenge will be to stay at 185 from then on out! I am so excited! Yeah Me!!!

Dasani Grape!!!

I do not prefer the mineral taste of most water, including Dasani. However, getting the grape flavored is delicious!!! Amanda also bought me some grape flavor packets that I can add to water. I love it! I can take themm to a resturant and actually have something decent to drink without caffeine and or tons of sugar.

Another health update

Got my Cholesterol info back… 146!!! Down from 212 just a mere 3 months ago!!! Woohoo!!!

Safety 1st!!!!

My friend Alan tells me “Safety 1st”. I try my best!!!

Health Update…

I went to the Doctor on June 1st. “Not Healthy!!!” Blood Pressure was 178/92, weight was 238, cholesterol was 212. Well, 2.5 months has passed with me following a new healthy lifestyle. I won’t get into all the details as there are MANY. I just got back from the doctor and here are my new stats. Blood Pressure is down to 124/72 and my weight is down to 203 (35 lbs!!!). I find out what my cholesterol is after my blood comes back. The Doctor said I can start exercising again. I think with that added to the other things I have been doing, I should be at my goal weight of 185 in no time! Only 18 lbs more to go!!!

107 in the shade

At 4:20 pm today, in the shade (no kidding) it was 107 degrees here in Nashville TN. Notice the clouds?

107!!!

OMG!!! We hit 107 at the Nashville Zoo today! Columbia TN hit 108! It is BAKING HOT!!! My trees have lost almost all their leaves. This is INSANE!!!

More of the same here in Nashville

Home made camera mount

I made a camera mount for my motorcycle. It cost me about $6 in parts at Home depot. I took a PVC “T”, cut the base section in half and screwed in a threaded “plug” into the top. In the plug I drilled a 1/4″ hole to slip a 1/4″x 1 1/4″ coarse thread bolt through (1″ would have been plenty but as usual Home Depot is always out of what you really need). On the bolt I put a short, plastic, tube as a spacer. Then I added a lock washer and 2 nuts. The whole piece sits on my handlebar and is clamped on with hose clamps. The hose clamps I bought were too big so for my test run, so I only used one. I have to go back and get narrower one to fit on my bike. It worked though. The camera was mounted solid and I was able to video record a ride I took. NOTE: I looped my camera’s lanyard around my bikes mirror 1st just in case the mount broke. Nothing broke but you can be too safe! now I have to find a way to stop the bugs from dirtying my lense!

103 don’t stop me!!

It may have slowed me down but 103 degrees wasn’t enough to stop me from enjoying a ride on my Harley!

New studio interface…new entusiasm!!!

I finally bought an upgrade to my studio interface. I had been using what were basically consumer interfaces for the past 12 years. Although I was able to achieve some pretty good results for my demos, I was still able to hear the limitations of the units. I decided to step up to a pro quality, entry level device. It is considered prosumer. It has the sonic capabilities of a professional studio device with limited connections. Plenty of connections for my recording techniques. It is a Mackie Onyx 400f. The increase in clarity was amazing! I was able to relieve my studio setup of a pile of no longer necessary patch cables, power cords and power strips. I am very happy and about to embark on an attempt to record a pro level, releasable album of my music. I have been wanting to do this for years but have never had the equipment and I lacked some skills in certain areas. I feel my drumming has come along far enough that I can play on my own album. As far as my singing goes, I am still not a great singer by any stretch but I feel if I stay in my zones of vocal comfort and not try to sing like other people, I should be able to do well enough. Plus there is always Antares Autotune!! Wish me luck!

Lets go!

I got to messing around with my pocket Fuji picture camera yesterday and came up with this. The camera has it’s limitations as does trying to make videos by yourself. However. This song way very enjoyable to play. Especially the drums!

Man’s best friend rides!

He stuffed the dog, wearing a little helmet) in his vest and rode off!!:)

August in Nashville!!!

Changing tastes.

This is my typical lunch these days! I actually look forward to this. Just a mere few months ago, I would have said “no way” to eating this for lunch. Now that I have been eating this way for the past 2 months. My tastes have changed. That perfect Eastern Peach that I had today for instance. It was sweet and juicy. I enjoyed it every bit as much as a great steak! No kidding! I wouldn’t have believed it myself. I wanted another and another! I am glad!! This should help me live quite a bit longer!

Made in U.S.A.

Whatever happened to Made in USA? I think those old fashioned labels on products will be collectors items if we don’t make a change. Most people who know me, know I loath “Made in China”. The repercussions of buying Chinese products in particular are becoming larger and larger. Not only is China extremely populated, we owe them billions if not more money. On top of out debt to them, we are buying all of their products and helping them to grow even more powerful. Mark my words. China will be powerful and someday they will use that power against us and anyone in their way. They will be more than Russia was as a foe to us back in the cold war. With this said. I try not to buy products made in China. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I forget to look. Like when I was so excited about buying my motorcycle helmet painted with America stars and stripes. I later found that it was made in China.

In an effort to buy more from USA, I found a couple web links that help you buy American!!!
http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/shoppingindex.html
http://www.madeinusa.com/

11111 Miles

I knew I was going to hit 11111 miles today and I was willing to pull off the road to get a picture. I didn’t have to. I pulled into the parking lot at my destination and “click” it turned 11111.

Loud is dead for me!!!

I got tired of my Harley being so very loud. There was no quiet times, it idled loud and it rode louder. I went on eBay and bought a stock set of pipes from a 2006 Night train. They just happen to fit my Deuce which come stock with a totally different exhaust set up. I won the auction and only had to give $25 plus shipping!! Harley exhausts cost from $200-800. However the stock pipes are VERY quiet. So I bought a 1-1/4″ hole bit and a 12″ extension. I drilled out the baffle plate that blocks airflow in the stock mufflers. This opened up the airway straight through. Now that the bike has equal length 40″ exhausts with a crossover tube (determined to be optimal for a twin cam stock motor), I get a nice mellow idle and a modest growl when I roll on. I can start the bike in the driveway in the morning now!!! I can also leave work without alerting EVERYONE!! now the sound won’t impress anyone at a Harley gathering by any means but conversely, it will not annoy everyone else in the world who doesn’t give a rats @$$ about a loud bike! Also, having extremely loud pipes was making me NOT get on the throttle as hard. It would get too loud so I would roll off and switch gears. Now I am pushing the motor and gear changes harder and at much higher RPM. I guess I am over the loud bike thing (for the most part). I still appreciate a good low rumble but when we go to the bike gatherings and people have to stop talking each time some guy (like me with my old pipes) rides in or out, it’s just too loud. I know, if it’s too loud, your too old. OK call me “The Old Man” then. It’s my online gaming name anyway!

Camera hog!

I went to take pix of my bike in the yard and “Dew” just HAD to be the center of attention! He walked right in front of me and squatted!!!LOL!!! He gets real jealous when my focus is not on him!

Drive in movies in TN

http://www.driveinmovie.com/TN.htm

At the time that America was entering the Second World War,there were barely 100 Drive-in movie theatres across the U.S.And within 10 years, Tennessee by itself would have that many!
As was true for most of the American states, the peak yearsfor outdoor theatres in Tennessee were 1957-1959, after whichtheir numbers declined .. although the descent (rate of attrition)was not as steep here as elsewhere. In comparison to the peak years,now 87% of Tennessee’s Drive-ins have gone dark or been demolished,although it remains one of the better Drive-in states, with 15 still open.

About to kick my own @$$

My new helmet!!!

I got a new Stars and stripes helmet today! I love it!

Car Cruise-In

We rode our motorcycles to the weekly (in summer) Classic Car Cruise-In last night. This one is held in Murfreesboro TN. We met our friends Sandy & Lee. Lee brings his classic Olds 442. It is one of the nicest I have ever seen. Back in the day he paid $500 for it. I can’t imagine how much it’s worth now. There were some Harley’s there as well. It makes for a nice relaxing evening strolling down the rows and seeing cars you forgot were even made! Fun Fun Fun!!!
PICTURES HERE

%$@^%$ Harley Service!!!

I broke down yesterday on the Harley! The friggin throttle cable broke and it was only 1 year old!! I was pissed! Thankfully, it broke right near the Harley dealer. I was able to feather the clutch at idle to make it to the dealer, into the parking lot and up the ramp to the service dept. Of course they didn’t have a cable for my Deuce in stock and they had no service dept openings for the standard BS “3 weeks“. After complaining that my bike is my transportation and not a hobby, he said he could squeeze it in tomorrow. What a load of crap. It’s a 5 minute job that they are going to charge me $100 I’m sure!! Harley sure uses a lot of cheap parts. I have had other issues too. Sheesh!! I bet they won’t even cover it under warranty. The Service manager whined about my cables being 3″ too long and that “We didn’t change your handle bar did we?” at that’s what “probably caused it to bind up and snap“. I told him that it was fine for a year and 3 separate service visits. 2 of which included cable inspection and lubrication from them. Today I find that they ordered the wrong cable! They are trying to tell me it is because they didn’t put my handle bar on and the cables are not right. They had to order another one. OMG!! I knew they were going to have to order a new one. Not because of the length but because they ordered the “idle” cable and not the “throttle” cable. I told him right there that it broke and wouldn’t let me “throttle up” not “throttle down”. I said “isn’t it the throttle cable?”. He said “nope. it’s the idle cable!” Hmm! Seems funny that when the idle cable came in, it was the WRONG CABLE!!! Boswells has the worst service dept this is about the 4th time they have given me grief. My fault for going back.

Real Seafood in Nashville???

You bet!!! http://www.neworleansmanor.com/
King Crab legs, Oysters Rockefellar, steam clams, broiled white fish, some of the best ribs ever, prime rib, pumpkin loaf, my god just a wonderful spread of food!

Ruger is back and sweet!

Last year my Ruger was stolen along with the rest of my guns. When I got it back from the police, it was trashed!!!
http://skramnor.blogspot.com/2007/05/trashed-ruger.html
Since then I sent it back to Ruger and they restored it to new condition and didn’t charge me a dime! Impressive customer service.

Selfish driver!

Some people think the rules don’t apply to them or maybe they just don’t care. Maybe they are lazy and can’t park 30 feet away where there are plenty of spaces. There were 3 cars parked over the curb in the grass and dirt, in between the obviously posted signs at my job.

Bushooto Day!

Today, the 4th of July, we celebrate the day we declared our independence from the rule of England. The founders of our country gave their lives for the cause that all men are created equal and that a free man should not be taxed and governed without a say. “No taxation without representation”. That is the basis for the revolution that followed. Here we are today 231 years after that declaration and we find ourselves in a similar situation to the one that was fought to be free from. A ruler, a leader, a dictator, a KING if you will that imposes his own will on his people without their say so or approval. We pay taxes to this government to act on our behalf and on OUR wishes. We are in a war that around 70% of this nation, people and politicians alike do not want to be in. Yet the “king” ignores our representation. He ignores, the people, he ignores, the congress and he is even now, ignoring the judicial branch our our government. Our “Checks and Balances” are useless at this point. Yes we are free from the rule of England but we are not free from the rule of the “King of the USA”. I will celebrate this day in honor of the real Americans who gave their lives for freedom. I will celebrate “freedom” and independence on the day out current dictator is Out of the Office and replaced with a President. One who listens to the will of the people. BushOOTO day!!!

Dig deeper

I just thought of a story that I was told when I was in my 6 Sigma training back in the day.

This is from memory and not verbatim.
There was a problem in a city with one of the city statues looked far worse shape than other statues in the area. A committee was formed to find a solution. They concluded that one was covered in bird poop and therefore looked worse. The solution was to hire a cleaning crew to erect scaffolding and power wash the monument. Problem solved? No. a couple months later the statue was covered in poop again. The committee reconvened and determined that they could erect a netting over the statues that would prevent the birds from landing and soiling the statue. They cleaned it again and then paid to have the netting put up. Problem solved? No. The bird pooped while in flight over the statue and continued to soil the monument. Other things were tried, such as fake Hawks placed around the statue to try and deter the pigeons, harsh sounds were played and a few other off the wall tactics. None of them worked. One of the committee members had learned about “drilling” in a 6 Sigma class and finally asked “Why do the birds like this statue more than the others?” After some investigation it was found that the birds were feeding on the moths and insects that were gathering around this one statue more than the others. One man suggested that they kill the moths and insects with chemicals. The 6 Sigma student interrupted and asked “WHY do the moths and insects gather here and not by the other statues?” It was then determined that the one statue had been illuminated with a different kind of light bulb than the other statues. The solution was to change the light bulbs to match. The problem was solved for very little expense.

This story, although I am sure fabricated, shows how digging deeper and deeper or “drilling” a problem until you cant ask “Why?” anymore, can take you to the root of the issue and not waste time and money fixing symptoms of a problem. I like this technique. It is logical!

800+ miles, many curves and too much rain!!!

Well, we did it! Amanda and I made our first big ride. We rode to Gatlinburg for my family reunion. We had a tough time but learned MANY new skills and lessons. 1 major lesson is to NOT listen to the weather man. We checked and saw no rain for the whole week. So we used the space in our saddlebags for clothes instead of rain gear. Bad idea! It rained and it rained and it poured each and every day of our trip. We got caught in the pouring rain with no where to find shelter. On our second day in Gatlinburg, we decided to cross the Smokies and head to Maggie Valley, NC to go to a motorcycle museum. Halfway down the mountain it started to rain. We pushed on even though we were freezing cold, soaking wet and a bit scared. It got so bad that we couldn’t even see the road under our wheels. We pulled off the road and stood there with the pouring rain pounding down on us. My Brother drove the car ahead and found a place for us to wait out the storm. We waited 2 hours!!! 2 Hours of shivering and our feet swelling from standing in soaking boots. My brother went and found a place to get us some dry clothes and a rain jacket. We then rode in the light rain to Cherokee NC and found a small hotel. We bought some temp clothes at a Family Dollar store and then washed our clothes at a laundromat. Even though it started off badly, we had a great time at the hotel, eating dinner out and then the next day at the museum. The museum was awesome!!! ( I will post pix to my skramnor.com pix link). Over the next few days we got wet each and every time we took our bikes out. We felt cursed. We gave up and didn’t ride until we had to go home. The ride home had it’s own trials. TN seems to not like to mark its roads with signs. We got sidetracked a couple times and it added too much time to our ride. We saw some beautiful landscapes though. Another thing was that we learned new skills and we are both better riders for the experience. Go to skramnor.com to check out some pix!

World Police???

I am not sure how I feel about the U.S. going around the world and trying to stop people from having Nuclear technology. On one hand I think that we should try to do something just in case some wacko ruler finds a way to launch nukes at us. On the other hand, it just seems wrong in a way for us to dictate how this planet is to be run. Do we have a moral obligation to live and let live or is our obligation one of protecting the world? I lean towards live and let live unless the world body as a whole were to ask us to protect them. Even in that case I would say only if we had more than enough protection for ourselves. I do not believe at this point we do. This is an odd subject for me because my feelings about it aren’t obvious to me. I can’t find enough “data” to form a belief about it. More thinking is required! I will continue AFTER vacation and my family reunion!

Lucky Man!!!

I am quite the lucky man indeed!

Reunion time!

I can’t believe it has been 2 years already since my last family reunion!!! I can’t wait to see the kids again. I see some of them from time to time but to see them all together again will be great! The reunion seems to have started out about my siblings and I keeping in touch and visiting as a group as the years go on. Now it seems to be as much about the kids seeing each other and us seeing them. I guess we are getting older. This is going to be the best reunion yet! The kids are all grown up, 4 of them already have cars! OMG!!! and for the 1st time since the 1st reunion when I was married, I am not showing up alone! Amanda is proudly joining us for this week of family. I think she is just as excited as I am. Weather permitting, she and I are riding our Harley’s to the reunion. We are bagging them down and heading off to Gatlingburg. How fun is that???

The iRack!! LOL

This is joke obviously but it really hits the mark!

http://emuse.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/23967/

Lemmings on Harleys!

When I first got into Harley motorcycles I was so excited to finally be part of that elite group of riders. I used to think that only cool people had Harley’s and the average rider would ride something else. There was a mystique about Harley’s. Like a Hollywood supermodel. Everyone wants to ride them but most will never get the chance. Well Those were my thoughts from the OUTSIDE. Now I am on the inside. I ride a Harley each an every day. I know 1st hand about the elite group. I am here to tell you that it is not elite after all. Maybe back in the day it was. Back in the day you were a rebel if you had a tattoo and rode a Harley. Mother’s feared you, daughters wanted you and father’s remember when they were young and wanted to ride a Harley. Now, EVERYONE RIDES A FRIGGIN HARLEY!!! People who don’t ride still get all excited when they see a Harley and say “Look, it’s a Harley!! but those people seem to be a dying breed. It seems more and more that when people see your Harley, they say “Cool bike” and then add comments about their Husband’s bike, their brother’s bike, their dad’s bike, their cousin’s bike, their sister’s bike or the lady who cleans their house bike. We rode 180 miles to Kentucky today and saw no less than about 1000+ bikes on the road and at the dealership party that we went to. I found myself being more and more lost in the crowd on my Harley as they were all on Harley’s too. They all had the same catalogue chrome parts bolted to their bikes. In a futile effort to be unique, we all conform and wind up looking so similar. Even down to the clothes. Everyone, including me had on a Harley T-Shirt, jeans and some kind of black boot. I looked around and started feeling stupid. I started thinking, “where am ‘I’ in all this? Am I just another Harley guy?”

I have always made an effort to NOT conform to find some place where I could stand out just a little and to be on the path less travled. In the 80′s when everyone was playing fancy hot rod guitars, I bought and played old $400 vintage guitars. (now those guitars are worth tens of thousands). I took ribbings from my peers but I knew that I was on my own path and it was clear from lemmings. I had earrings and tattoos when it wasn’t nearly as common as it is now where everyone seems to have them. I bought a Harley to fulfill a long standing dream on mine and a small attempt to be “different” again. It’s hard to be different at my age when you have a corporate job and a house just like all the other Lemmings! LOL! I am learning that the Lemmings all ride Harleys and I am just another M&M in the bag!

I have spoken!!!

I disassembled my Harley front wheel. I did this because I am having someone build me a new wheel that is smaller and wider so that I can put a spoke fat wheel and tire on. I run a fat tire on the front with a solid dish wheel now but the wind on the interstate blows me around too much. The spoke wheel allows the wind to pass through instead of pushing you like a kite. I am sending him the center hub and spool to build the new one from. This is going to save me about $150. I can’t wait to see it. For a spoke wheel, this is a very unusual size and why it has to be custom made. You will most likely never see it on another Harley anywhere! That’s me! Gotta be unique!

Tax Surplus

Nashville has a surplus of tax revenue this year. What are the chances of that! I hear them talking daily about how to spend it. They are talking about lowering food taxes for the holiday season and some are pushing to give district council people lump sums of money for their pet projects. You know it’s coming…Here is my opinion. I think we need to either give the money back to the people it came from. “US” or put the money into things that will have long term effects. Not just over 1 holiday season. For instance. How about updating the buses in Nashville to use clean burning propane? How about putting money into cleaning the lake? How about ANYTHING forward thinking???

Tour Bags

We have a couple big rides coming up this summer. The 1st is a ride to Gatlinburg for my family reunion. We will ride our bikes out there and stay for a week. So, some touring gear was in order. I bought a sport style set of bags from Cortech for my Deuce. The strap on or off in a minute! Simple and they have a decent amount of space for the essentials and the expand as needed by unzipping a side panel. we will be in shorts or swimwear most of the time anyway so we won’t need much. Amanda’s bike has 2 bags also so we should be “good to go” (as my buddy Dave used to say).

Backroad ride!

We love spending the afternoon toolin around the backroads of TN.

Renaissance Festival 07

Manders and I rode the Harleys to the renaissance festival today. He family followed along in her SUV. We had a real nice time!

Protect defensively not offensively.

Follow me on this one. You own a bank. A very large bank with lots of money. You know you need to protect the bank from people who might want to rob it. So what do you do? You invest in the best protection of the bank you can afford. Alarm systems, surveillance cameras and even armed guards! Yes Armed guards. At first you may think that legitimate people won’t want to do business with you if there are armed guards visible. Then you come to realize that people actually feel safer knowing they can bank with some security and protection. As a bank owner you are protecting “Your Bank” and the patrons who frequent it. What would be the stupidest thing you could do to protect your bank? Hire hundreds of men and women to go from town to town blowing houses up and killing people in hopes of finding and killing the few people that may or may not someday attempt to rob your bank or who claim to be associated with someone who robbed you in the past. Following me?

Even children at a very early age show signs of this technique. If they have toys and do not want others to have them what do they do? They gather the toys up very close to themselves and protect them. They say “MINE!” and with diligence, they keep their eye on all the nearby children so they can protect what is theirs. They don’t abandon the toys, leaving them basically unprotected and run around attacking the nearby children in an effort to stop anyone of them that may want to try to get the toys!

This seems to be basic common sense even for children. This is why it seems so frustrating to me that we are spending hundreds of billions of dollars running around in the middle east while our own borders are wide open to illegal immigration and worse yet, attack. Anyone could smuggle arms and weapons through our ports and our borders.

IMO, we should be spending money protecting the American homeland. If someone comes in meaning to do harm, we would have the resources to detect it early enough to stop it.

“W” seems to have the gang mentality of preventive attacking as apposed to defensive protection.

Trashed Ruger

I just got my Ruger .45 single action revolver back from the theft at my house last year. I was excited to hear that I was getting one of my favorite guns back. until I actually got it. I was sickened by the terrible condition the gun was in. How could anyone take such poor care of anything! The gun was in immaculate museum condition. It now looks like someone just left it in the bed of a pickup truck. Left to rust and get banged up. I called Ruger and they said that I can ship them the gun and they will completely refurbish it for me. I was hoping to have the collectible in factory condition from the 1st day I bought it but this is better than nothing. They said that depending on the level of work needed they may do it for free being that it was stolen. I can’t wait to get it back in shooting condition. I love this crazy gun!

Not fair!

I have been working hard for a long time without taking any days off. I hardly ever get sick. So I have a ton of sick days accrued at work. The part the sucks is that I got sick on the weekend, this weekend and had to spend most of my time in bed and missing the perfect 76 degree days! WAH!!

Exhausted!!

It was a loooong week at work. 26 Guests in the buidling ALL needing help with laptops! Then 5 days at the gym. I am DONE! Wiped out!!!!

Humbled

Sometimes I stop and realize that I just saved my company tens of thousands of dollars or helped avoid some huge catastrophy or solved a problem that no one else was able to solve. I feel great! I feel important! I feel needed! Then I am asked to clean the lint collection off someone’s desktop mouse’s rollers and I am brought way back down into reality. I am just the IT guy!

Apple taking the lead in a green way!

It’s nice to see a large company take the initiative to go beyond what is required and into the area of leadership. Not just in technology but in environmental responsibility. Apple is making a respectable “Green” effort!

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/agreenerapple/

Behind the cutting edge

People don’t realize that Microsoft is “behind” Apple not because they are a dumb company. It is because they have a HUGE user base. Making changes, at least in the OS has to be slow. Trillions upon Trillions of dollars worth of business is being conducted on MS computers and infrasturctures. Compatablitiy is of the utmost importance. Apple, with it’s relativley tiny market share can afford to cut users off in terms of compatability. They know that they can just buy a new Mac and it really won’t affect much other than their own personal productivity. Apple can be cutting edge because changes do not have the impact that changes to Microsoft products have. Think of the cutting edge advancements in alternative powered cars. Brilliant people coming up with brilliant ideas. Why do we still drive gas powered cars then? Because changes to such a huge, highly entrenched infrastructure could take 10 years! By then the technology that is proposed as a change is outdated and already on it’s 3rd or 4th reiteration or complete rebuild. Same with PCs. Large companies, for the most part, won’t change to a cutting edge company like Apple and with good reason. By the time the integration has completed, Apple has a new platform that is not 100% backward compatible. Then the company faces a choice. Upgrade everything again or stick with outdated. I have been through 2 OS upgrades so far in my career and 1 more is on the horizon. It takes literally YEARS to migrate a midsize company. There are so many issues to consider. Hardware compatability, applications, file formats, data management, data delivery, infrastructer cost, server compatibility, domain connectivity. Etc. So my point is that sometimes change for the sake of stability has to be slow and deliberate.

In regards to MP3 players and consumer products, yes Microsoft maybe behind the curve. Maybe they are trailing on purpose. Maybe MS is letting Apple foot the bill for R&D and consumer acceptance testing and then just reaping the benifits in huge profits on the devices they do sell. They can focus on R&D for the areas that they are leaders in. Infrastructure and data management/delivery.That’s smart business!

Damn I ramble on when I get a thought! Sorry!!!

G.W.H?

As governor of Texas in 1999, criticizing President Clinton for not setting a timetable for exiting Kosovo, George W. Bush said:

“Victory means exit strategy, and it’s important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is.” “I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.” 4/9/99 Houston Chronicle, and 6/5/99 Scripps Howard/Seattle Post-Intelligence.

In a writing about creation of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, Adolph Hitler said:

“An evil exists that threatens every man, woman and child of this great nation. We must take steps to ensure our domestic security and protect our homeland.”

Ubuntu update!

Linux, Ubuntu Linux, in particular has come a long long way! It seems there has always been something holding me back from utilizing a Linux based operating system on any of my home computers over Windows. It used to take pages of instructions to get certain things to work. Many times they still wouldn’t work after numerous attempts and hours of frustration. There was a time when getting full screen graphics or 3d acceleration for gaming was a voodoo ritual at best. Then there was no applications for this or for that and if there were something, it was in alpha stage and not even close to ready to use daily. There was a long period of time when you couldn’t easily view all formats of video and/or audio. Then when all things seem to be covered, some new technology comes along and it isn’t yet supported in Linux. Most recently I have had to kill my Ubuntu Linux install and go back to Windows because I could not get WPA2 security for my home wireless. There was again, pages of instructions to TRY to get some incomplete software to connect. Nothing was simple “point and shoot”.

Enter Ubuntu 7.04!!! Linux users have something major to cheer about. A simple distribution with, so far, full functionality for average users. I installed it on my Dell D600 laptop and the installation offered a great deal of automation. No tech knowledge required. After I booted up, I saw that there was a network manager in my task bar and it included WIRELESS!! I attempted to configure my secure connection and what do you know, they included support for WPA and WPA2 wireless right out of the box. I didn’t have to install and configure WPA supplicant nor jump through any technical hoops! I was on the Internet right away!

Another MAJOR improvement is the way Ubuntu tells you that you do not have something installed and guides you into getting/installing it. I tried to play a video encoded with Divx. Ubuntu’s Totem player told me I didn’t have the correct CODEC installed. This in itself is not new but the next part where it finds the CODEC online and assists you in installing it is a MAJOR help! WOW! 2 minutes and I was able to play a whole host of media files.

Next, I tried to share a folder and was kindly informed that I do not have SAMBA installed. The system then guided me to installing the service and BOOM, I was sharing files in minutes.

With Ubuntu Linux now supporting all that I use my laptop for including , media playback and creation, wifi connectivity, Picasa photo management, DVD playing and burning and image editing, I feel that for the 1st time, I will not be sacrificing anything using Linux over Windows. Instead I am gaining a nice change from the ordinary, some relief from virus worries and a cool factor 2nd to only a (way too expensive) Mac. Sweet!

More dogs?

Let me start off 1st by saying that I love dogs! I always have. I have 2 right now. What I can’t stand or even understand is why the frigging dumb ass people buy dogs and then chain them up in the back yard all day and all night. Dogs are social, pack animals and need attention. I have been complaining about this for years. A barking dog is a miserable dog. The owner should be ashamed to be so selfish that they want a dog and then just ignore it. The poor dog has to spend its life barking out for anyone to give it attention. It seems that everywhere I live there are people doing just this. Last night was one of the worst nights EVER! The two houses directly behind mine recently bought dogs. BOTH families chain their dogs out back. They bark and bark and bark. These dogs barking get the other dogs in the area that are chained outside but have given up on barking, barking in unison. Last night up until past midnight there were 5 dogs barking around my house. I knocked on doors but no one would come out. I called the police, they won’t come. I have called the police and complained about 6 or 7 times already recently and not once did they show up. It is against the law to “disturb the peace” and it is against the law to be cruel to animals. I called Animal Control and all they can do is send out a letter showing the owner the laws that they are breaking. If I want it to be a matter for a judge or court, I have to sign a complaint and take them to court. Geesh! I know if I went over and parked my Harley in my back yard at midnight and just let it idle, I would have the police here in minutes. Yet our dumb-ass red-neck, bull-shit, ignorant neighbors are fine with the orchestra of lonely dogs barking their throats raw every night. It is ridiculous and I am PISSED! I work hard to pay for my home, I should be able to expect peace and quite during the night hours at least. I don’t know what steps to take next! This is getting very OLD!

HTSLR: Bell Buckle

Here are a few pix from this past weekend’s HTSLR (Historic Town Square Lunch Run): For more go to http://picasaweb.google.com/skramnor/HTSLRBellBuckle5607

HTSLR

If you see a picture gallery link from here to my skramnor.com website with a title of HTSLR: it means that it is pictures of Amanda and I on one of our Historic Town Square Lunch Runs. We are picking old towns that have an old town square and riding our motorcycles there to find a small local place to have lunch (and look for a train/train station). This past weekend it was Bell Buckle. Last weekend it was Leipers fork. Who knows where the “Navigator” will lead me next weekend??? Friends with motorcycles are welcome to join us on our runs!

Nashville= The Old Wild West

More and more shootings in Nashville!!! Juveniles of course! These, in addition to the 3 shootings in the last 6months on 2nd ave at Club “Mystic” are going to drive away the tourists that the city depends on for revenue. These gang kids are running around Nashville like it is the lawless old west. No lawmen can stop it, no judge can lock enough of them up and the punk thugs know it. They actually refer to an area of town as “Dodge City” a notorious lawless haven for gunslingers in the historic old west. That is pathetic!!!

Teen With Rifle on Bus Surrenders To Authorities
May 3, 2007 04:12 PM CDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- The 15-year-old student spotted on an MTA bus Wednesday with a rifle surrendered to Metro police.
Benjamin Mitchell, 15, turned himself in to police Thursday morning.
He was charged with unlawful possession of a gun.
Officers said Mitchell and a friend were waiting to catch a bus Wednesday when a woman standing at a bus stop noticed a .22-caliber rifle in his pant leg.
Mitchell was booked into juvenile detention.
Metro police said Mitchell admitted to carrying an unloaded rifle from home onto the bus. “He said he was carrying the gun for protection because he was threatened during an after school argument Tuesday afternoon by another teenager near Pearl-Cohn High School,” according to a Metro police news release.


Downtown Shooting Leaves One Injured
May 5, 2007 08:47 AM CDT

One man was shot early Saturday morning after getting into an argument in downtown Nashville. Shortly after 5:45am, witnesses heard shots near 2nd Avenue and Broad in the parking lot of Joe’s Crab Shack restaurant.The shooting suspect fled the scene in a car along with two others. Police chased the car and caught up with it two blocks down at 4th Avenue South and Broad. Three suspects were arrested and one gun apprehended.
The victim was shot in the leg and taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries.
Police aren’t sure what led to the shooting, but they believe it was a random act.There were extra Metro Police patrols downtown on Friday night as a result of last weekend’s shooting at Club Mystic.

Andy Rooney??

I received an email stating some quotes from Andy Rooney. I have not researched whether or not he actually said these things but I agree with them and wanted to pass them along. I cut a few out and chose the ones I feel most strongly about:
—————————————————-
“…things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens… Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door. “

“Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.”

“I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason; that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?”

“I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.”

“I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry ass if you threaten them after they tell you to stop…”

“I don’t think just because you were NOT born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.”

“We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.”

“I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that’s better, and put your name on the building. “

“It doesn’t take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say ‘NO!’ “

“I am sick of “Political Correctness.” I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be “African-Americans”? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don’t go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else.”

Road Kingin!

I test rode a Harley Road King Custom this past weekend. I will be trading in my Harley Deuce on one similar to this one WITHOUT the tall “Ape Hanger” handle bar. I love the white color as well. My oldest brother is buying a new Harley as well so I am waiting a few more weeks so that we can buy them at the same time and hope for a decent discount. I need a bigger bike than my Deuce is. I love it and will miss it but I am looking forward to the comfort on the long rides that the “Touring” class bikes offer! I can also stuff those saddlebags with some clothes and tools etc. I am excited!

More shooting in good ol Nashville!!

Seems like there is an epidemic of shootings as of late. This morning another shooting occured in Nashville. Right down town. It was outside of a “Teen” event at a local club. Some people were thrown out because they were “throwing up gang signs”. I am specualting that this is related. Teens are way out of hand here in TN. 4 people were shot outside the club. Luckily no one was killed. Here is the story: http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=6445365&nav=menu374_2

I have had discussions recently regarding capitol punishment. I now see both sides of the issue and I have an alternative to suggest. Let’s bring back the penal colony. You commit murder, you go to “X” island. You are on your own with the “locals”. Let’s see how tough these punk kids who shoot at defenseless people are when they have no guns, no knives and no where to hide from the other punk kids who think they are so badass. 1 week and they will be crying to get out!

I still want to do some research into penal colonies though but the idea makes sense on the surface.

Thomas Dolby

Why did Thomas Dolby want the keys to her Ferrari???

Good-Guy only gun free zones…

I think Ted Nugent can be annoying at best but his view on gun control hits the nail on the head! Read his post on CNN.com. I 100% agree! Criminals are cowards and commit their crimes against people that are defenseless and afraid not against people that able to protect themselves.. If Virginia Tech was NOT a gun-free zone and people were known to be allowed to carry guns legally, this tragedy would not have occured in my opinion. I pondered this: How many women are raped in this country while carrying a gun? Compare that to the amount of women raped that were defenseless. “Defenseless” is the key word. Rapist prey on those that are defenseless not the trained, armed woman. Here is a link to Ted Nugent’s post and then the full post below it. Please read it so that the next time you have to vote on gun legislation, you will be a bit more informed.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/19/commentary.nugent/index.html
Nugent: Gun-free zones are recipe for disaster
POSTED: 9:51 p.m. EDT, April 20, 2007
By Ted NugentSpecial to CNN

WACO, Texas (CNN) — Zero tolerance, huh? Gun-free zones, huh? Try this on for size: Columbine gun-free zone, New York City pizza shop gun-free zone, Luby’s Cafeteria gun-free zone, Amish school in Pennsylvania gun-free zone and now Virginia Tech gun-free zone.
Anybody see what the evil Brady Campaign and other anti-gun cults have created? I personally have zero tolerance for evil and denial. And America had best wake up real fast that the brain-dead celebration of unarmed helplessness will get you killed every time, and I’ve about had enough of it.
Nearly a decade ago, a Springfield, Oregon, high schooler, a hunter familiar with firearms, was able to bring an unfolding rampage to an abrupt end when he identified a gunman attempting to reload his .22-caliber rifle, made the tactical decision to make a move and tackled the shooter.
A few years back, an assistant principal at Pearl High School in Mississippi, which was a gun-free zone, retrieved his legally owned Colt .45 from his car and stopped a Columbine wannabe from continuing his massacre at another school after he had killed two and wounded more at Pearl.
At an eighth-grade school dance in Pennsylvania, a boy fatally shot a teacher and wounded two students before the owner of the dance hall brought the killing to a halt with his own gun.
More recently, just a few miles up the road from Virginia Tech, two law school students ran to fetch their legally owned firearm to stop a madman from slaughtering anybody and everybody he pleased. These brave, average, armed citizens neutralized him pronto.
My hero, Dr. Suzanne Gratia Hupp, was not allowed by Texas law to carry her handgun into Luby’s Cafeteria that fateful day in 1991, when due to bureaucrat-forced unarmed helplessness she could do nothing to stop satanic George Hennard from killing 23 people and wounding more than 20 others before he shot himself. Hupp was unarmed for no other reason than denial-ridden “feel good” politics.
She has since led the charge for concealed weapon upgrade in Texas, where we can now stop evil. Yet, there are still the mindless puppets of the Brady Campaign and other anti-gun organizations insisting on continuing the gun-free zone insanity by which innocents are forced into unarmed helplessness. Shame on them. Shame on America. Shame on the anti-gunners all.
No one was foolish enough to debate Ryder truck regulations or ammonia nitrate restrictions or a “cult of agriculture fertilizer” following the unabashed evil of Timothy McVeigh’s heinous crime against America on that fateful day in Oklahoma City. No one faulted kitchen utensils or other hardware of choice after Jeffrey Dahmer was caught drugging, mutilating, raping, murdering and cannibalizing his victims. Nobody wanted “steak knife control” as they autopsied the dead nurses in Chicago, Illinois, as Richard Speck went on trial for mass murder.
Evil is as evil does, and laws disarming guaranteed victims make evil people very, very happy. Shame on us.
Already spineless gun control advocates are squawking like chickens with their tiny-brained heads chopped off, making political hay over this most recent, devastating Virginia Tech massacre, when in fact it is their own forced gun-free zone policy that enabled the unchallenged methodical murder of 32 people.
Thirty-two people dead on a U.S. college campus pursuing their American Dream, mowed-down over an extended period of time by a lone, non-American gunman in possession of a firearm on campus in defiance of a zero-tolerance gun ban. Feel better yet? Didn’t think so.
Who doesn’t get this? Who has the audacity to demand unarmed helplessness? Who likes dead good guys?
I’ll tell you who. People who tramp on the Second Amendment, that’s who. People who refuse to accept the self-evident truth that free people have the God-given right to keep and bear arms, to defend themselves and their loved ones. People who are so desperate in their drive to control others, so mindless in their denial that they pretend access to gas causes arson, Ryder trucks and fertilizer cause terrorism, water causes drowning, forks and spoons cause obesity, dialing 911 will somehow save your life, and that their greedy clamoring to “feel good” is more important than admitting that armed citizens are much better equipped to stop evil than unarmed, helpless ones.
Pray for the families of victims everywhere, America. Study the methodology of evil. It has a profile, a system, a preferred environment where victims cannot fight back. Embrace the facts, demand upgrade and be certain that your children’s school has a better plan than Virginia Tech or Columbine. Eliminate the insanity of gun-free zones, which will never, ever be gun-free zones. They will only be good guy gun-free zones, and that is a recipe for disaster written in blood on the altar of denial. I, for one, refuse to genuflect there.

Amanda’s 1st big ride!

We rode 113 miles today on some gorgeous back roads in middle TN. We met up with some Harley riding friends for some breakfast and then hit the road. What a great ride!!

Adventure Riding!!!

My friend Alan is big into Adventure Riding or “Dual-Sport” riding. Dual Sport comes from the fact that the bikes are designed to be at home on both pavement AND dirt roads. Some people take it to extremes and some just ride simple dirt roads. I am very excited to get into this style of riding. When I was a boy I rode my dirt bikes in the …well, the DIRT! I havent been in the dirt on a bike since I was in my early 20′s. I am really looking forward to getting a bike and hitting some mud, river crossings, gravel, dirt and anything else I can modestly jump over or through! Another exciting aspect of this is that compared to buying Harley Davidson motorcycles, dual sports are cheap!! Even top of the line BMW Dual Sports are $5000or so less than I spent on my Harley! You can get a really nice quality Dual Sport Brand new for $5000+ from Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki or a few other brands. These are some Dual Sport riding pix that are inspiring me!

A Harley shop in my garage! :)

Harleys abound!!!

Clean Deuce!

Ahhhh!!! Much better!

Dirty Deuce

I could barely sleep when my bike gets this dirty!! YUK!!! It was fun getting it dirty in the rain though!

Al Sharpton

Just once I would like to see Rev. Al Sharpton attack Black rap artists and comedians with the same passion and vigor that he attacks whites who make racist statements. I do not for one second agree with IMUS for adding “fuel” to the fire with his racist statements regarding the Rutger’s Women’s Basketball team. He said something stupid but I believe that too much is being made out of it. He is obviously a bigot, so just don’t listen! I think they should have left the situation to the FCC to fine him, IMUS’s advertisers to pull out if they so choose or the radio stations to cancel his show. When a Black comedian trashes white folks, I don’t get offended. They don’t lose their job or get fined. I know I am not a dumb cracker so I just turn the channel and let the loser comedian have one less person as an audience. I don’t make him apologize! Remember “Free Speech” and all! If Sharpton wants T.V. airtime and wants apologies, why doesn’t he attack the black rappers who degrade themselves by rapping about and portraying their own race as “pimps” and “ho’s” in music and in videos? The Rev. doesn’t need to look to an single white man making stupid statements when he could be focusing his energy and FREE AIRTIME on the culture that young Black rappers, comedians and athletes are perpetuating.

“Do not look for the twig in the eyes of other’s when there is a log in your own”.

Shortcut KEY???

OMG.. I can’t believe that after all these years of using and supporting MS Windows, I did not take advantage of the Shortcut Key field in the properties of a shortcut. I have seen it there for a million years! It always says NONE in it so I just assumed that it meant there was no pre-assigned key for the shortcut I am creating. Today I happened to be creating a new shortcut and I decided to try and assign one myself. I couldn’t delete the word NONE but I was able to put my cursor in the field and type the keystroke I wanted to try. Ctrl+F1. Apply, OK and BOOM!! I can now open my email from a keystroke instead of a menu navigation! WOW!! Since then I started experimenting with other shortcuts and keystrokes. I have an xxcopy bat file that I run to incrementally back a certain folder up to another location. I made a new shortcut, modified the key and again BOOM!! I can incrementally back up data via a simple keystroke. I will be using this at my job for users. I will create shortcuts to their most commonly used applications. To make it easier for them to remember, I will change the name of the shortcuts they use from “Shortcut to Outlook” to “Outlook Ctrl+F1“. This will remind remind them if they forget the specific keystroke. I could even make a small label strip for their keyboard to lay under the function keys to label all of the key to programs. I can’t believe I am just getting this now. I feel a bit silly but apparently not many people use this feature. I plan on changing that!

Another gun..Another juvie!

I got a letter from the Nashville Police. They have another one of my guns! It’s my Ruger .45 SA Revolver. They have to hold it for about 4-6 months though. The person arrested in possession was a juvenile (of freakin course) so they have to wait until his court case is closed. ARGG!!! Damn kids! Also, what kind of idiot kid totes a Western style, single action revolver that you can barley find ammo for? Kid should be in jail for being plain stupid let alone a punk criminal!

Just slow down and move aside…

This morning on the way to work and ambulance was coming the other way. The man 2 cars in front of me, in the left lane, tried to be courteous and let the ambulance have its way down the road. The bad part is that the guy 2 cars in front wasn’t in the way of the ambulance. There was not even any place for the ambulance to turn anywhere near us. Yet he chose to “aggressively” stop his car in the middle of a 45 mph zone and nearly causing a huge pileup with me in the middle!! A bunch of cars all slammed there brakes to avoid this collision. Luckily no one wrecked. Phew! In his effort to “try” and to the right thing, this driver put many people at risk. That is not the right way to handle an emergency vehicle. Slow down, pull over if you can and give the vehicle space to go by. Don’t cause a wreck in the process!!! Geesh!

Heels just work…sometimes!

I was standing in line at the Mapco/McDonalds this morning. I was looking down at the floor almost as I was very tired from a bad night sleep. Anyway, out of the corner of my eye I noticed some hot heels on a woman. Black 4″ peep-toe, slutty heels! The woman was wearing dark black hose as well. Looked great! I should have left it at that but I decided to look up and see who had on such hot whore heels at 6 am on a work day. You wouldn’t believe it! She was a old woman! I am guessing 70+ years old, way wrinkled, saggy 70 year old skin, hump back (no lie), disgusting attempt at makeup, dried out, broken and greasy short hair (probably not washed in months, literally) and a frumpy shapeless body. I mean no offense to the woman. I imagine I will look that bad at 70 as well but I cannot believe that those hot slutty heels on those toned legs belonged to her. Now I am going to have nightmares!!! I should have left well enough alone and glanced at the heels, appreciated that some women know that heels just work and walked away….but NOOOOO!!!!

Night riders?

Every weekend when the weather is nice, I see literally hundreds of motorcycles riding every-which-a-way! Yet at night I barely see any. I LOVE riding at night. Tonight I got on my bike and went for a nice night cruise. I saw ZERO bikes anywhere! NONE, NADA, ZIPPO!

SISSIES!!! LOL!!

The Squirrel Resistance

I have been fighting a losing war against squirrels in my attic for 5 years now! They just keep digging in and crapping the attic. This week a gutter finally gave way from their digging. I had someone come in to replace the facia board and resintall the gutter. They found piles of crap in one spot where they apparently made their toilet! YUK!! One cool thing is that they found a dead squirrel carcass! Woohoo! Chalk another up for the “home” team. So I have trapped 5 so far and 1 dead. 6 Squirrels gone! Haven’t seen any this week. Looks like I have won this battle but I am sure the war is not over.

Immigration debate

Today, I emailed back and forth with a couple of friends of mine about the immigration issue in the U.S. I am glad we did, as I was made aware of a couple different points of view and issues, I hadn’t considered. I think it is a good thing that we all discuss amongst ourselves and on a family/community level. That way when there does come a time to actually vote on this and other issues, we are all informed and can make wiser choices. We can even offer solutions, if we have any, by writing our politicians. Sitting back and just waiting for something to happen or basing our judgements solely on what the media feeds us won’t do. Talk, share & investigate. We are facing issues of great importance to our future direction in this country. Thanks Dave & Brent for the banter!

Drill to the core!

Some people fear that if we force illegal workers out of the US we woudl be looking at higher costs for the procucts and services they help bring to us everyday. Construction, farming, etc. I see their point but I do not know what would actually happen if we kicked them out. Maybe business owners who couldn’t afford to pay more, would help bring those same workers back into the country LEGALLY. The business owner may take a hit on $$$ but the infrastructure would benefit from increased tax revenue supplied by LEGAL immigrants paying taxes. I imagine that our police and fire departments could all benefit from higher tax revenue. As would hospitals that take care of hundreds of non-insured illegals every day. The roads, the traffic, the crime, the courts, the education system and other impacts on our society far outweigh (IMO) any benefits our society has from having all these illegals here. I am not advocating sending anyone out of our country. I believe that anyone who wants to become an American should be able to. I am just 100% against illegals not paying taxes but still taking advantage of all that OUR tax money pays for. .

“The burdens of a society should be shared as evenly as the rewards are received” R.Marks

I understand that appeal of hiring cheap illegals. A home builder for example, saves tons of money building the house with low paid illegal workers. Does his lower cost turn into a lower price for the house? Do we as consumers benefit? I do not believe so. He charges what the market will bear relative to existing construction especially in this slow, tight market. So he pockets the balance. If the home builder was forced to employ only documented, legal workers he may have to pay more for them and cut into his profits. If he raised the price of the house to compensate, he would not sell the houses nearly as fast or at all

I don’t know if this is a really good analogy but at one time, our country, mainly in the south, was built and maintained on the backs of slaves. Many people said “slavery is wrong” (I believe slavery was an immoral practice. For the purpose of this discussion, I will just focus on the financial impact of slavery) but just as many people said, “If I have to pay for workers, NON-slaves, to work my fields or my business, I will go bankrupt! “. If you couldn’t afford slaves, you couldn’t compete in the market as your cost to bring a product to market was higher. Therefore your price was higher and you lost out to the man selling cheaper. Many people made it rich by using slaves. In the end we made it through the abolishing of slavery and the country did fine until a other issues had to be tackled. Issues that were just as important with just as high of impact on our country . I feel that we should focus on the core of any problem first and not address issues from the end of the “possible repercussions”. Drill to the core of a problem and bypass the surface problems that will all be worked out of the CORE is addressed. The core of the problem with slavery was the immorality of forcing someone to work for you against their will. It was a problem of someone imposing there lifestyle and wishes onto another person and forcing that person to bear the load. The problem wasn’t how much more cotton would cost us if we didn’t use slaves. Drill to the core! Illegals in our country our imposing their lifestyles and desires of tax free income, higher quality of living over their own country and free medical care onto a a society that must bear the load. Seem like we are the slaves now!

Quote of the day 3-30-07

The burdens of a society should be shared as evenly as the rewards are received!
R.Marks

Answering machines?

Do they even still make answering machines? Does anyone NOT have a cell phone with voicemail? It seems odd to even imagine having a phone at home. I got rid of mine about 3 years ago but I hadn’t really even used it much the couple years before that. I have had a cell phone for about 7 years now. Everyone I know has a cell phone. Even my nephews and nieces have cell phones. Don’t have a need to call the house and ask “is your father home?” I just call my brother on his cell. Most people I know, don’t even leave messages on the cell phone either. You just check your missed calls and decide who you want to call back. You don’t say, “I got your message and I am calling you back“. You say “I missed your call. Wha’sup?” Seems only a short time ago, I was excited to come home and see my “messages waiting lamp” lit up on that crazy little answering machine that I never had a good place to put anyway!

Sweet lil Dew!

Freedom to ruin your life.

We have been seeing the stories of lottery winners in the media lately. It seems that quite a few of them actually turn out worse of than they were before winning. Some turn to drugs and excessive partying. Some spend it all and end up with nothing to show for it. Some wind up actually going into debt. Pro athletes can be lumped into the same group as lottery winners IMO. People who have never managed their limited funds well, will not manage their extreme funds well either. Some people that accumulate extreme wealth in a short period of time and have had limited experience or sucess in managing their money, have no checks and balances in place. Think of why you don’t go out and party every night and get drunk… You have a job to go to. If you don’t go, you will have no way to pay your rent or put food on the table or shoes on your kids feet. It’s called “having responsibilities“. Without them, many of us would act like foolish children. (I remember buying nothing but candy from the ice cream man with the $5 that was given to me on my birthday when I was like 6yrs old.) Without responsibilities, we would stay out late, drink, try things we may never have tried. Staying out in bars late can have no good end. The later you stay out, the worse things get. Look at all the pro athletes lately getting into trouble at strip bars and night clubs at 3 am or the Hollywood actors/actresses/performers and all their drama (Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, K-Fed, etc.) . No reason to go home to bed and be responsible!

So I don’t think it is the actual money that corrupts people. I think as humans we have a propensity to corrupt ourselves given the chance. We just keep it in check because of our responsibilities. When we have enough money that we are able to ignore our “checks”, we are free to ruin our lives at will!!!

I hope that all the lessons I have learned by working hard my whole life, will come in handy and keep my grounded when I win the lottery!

Why does Economy have to = Cheap???

We have all grown up to know that “Economy” means “cheap” or “bulk”. So in the world of cars, when you buy an economy car, we all expect to get a lower quality, no bells and whistles, spartan vehicle that barley gets buy. If you want luxury appointments you know you have to get a larger car. Yes there are some exceptions but for the most part this is the rule. I got to thinking that if cars that were small and got incredible gas mileage had more “comfort and style”, they would be more popular. I would personally LOVE to have a little 2-seater, zippy car that got 50 MPG, with a decent size trunk. I would buy one if I wouldn’t feel like I was driving a cheap P.O.S while everyone else had all the bells and whistles. I want a small car that is easy to park due to it’s tiny size yet still large enough inside for a 6′+ man to stretch out in comfort for long trips. I want the suspension and brakes to be of high specs so that I am not slamming through every pothole and jamming my feet to stop the car. I want it to be quiet and not a rattling little noise box. I want nice A/C and Heat and a thumping stereo. I want decent performance wheels and tires and not the skinny crappy stamped wheels you normally get with “economy cars”. All these features are available at a comparably modest price in larger cars so I know they can be included without going berserk on the price. So what I am asking is for someone to make a small car with a small, high MPG, performance motor that doesn’t cost and arm and a leg. If it were available and NOT labeled “Economy” but still offered high mileage, it would sell. I think people are turned off by “economy” car. They feel it is cheap and not representative of their hard work and financial achievements. People drive Mercedes and BMW as a testament to what they have accomplished. They do not want to drive an economy car that screams “I can’t afford anything nicer”. I agree that it is vanity but it is also a matter of pride and both are human traits that will always be here. So, car manufacturers, make a stylish, hot car that is roomy and gets great MPG but DO NOT label it that way. People will search out mileage info on their own, if it important enough to them. You never hear Mercedes owners say, I got a great deal on this $80,000 car and it gets great mileage. Even though they complain about the gas prices each time they have to dump $60 in to fill it!

I am hoping that this car will fit the bill for me.
http://www.smartusa.com/index.html

Keepin it basic!

This is about as basic a drumset as you can get!

Rude I.T Guy or Rude User??

This blog entry was inspired by 2 things that happened this morning. I gave a woman a new PC to replace her old one. I was very excited to see the look on her face when she saw her awesome new PC to replace her 9 year old P.O.S. No kidding 9 Years old! She let the air out of my balloon as when I saw that she wasn’t happy. She was instead frustrated and was verbal about it! She fussed that I took her post-it notes of her PC and put them on the desk (I even put them in order)! Can you believe that??? Then I got an IM from another tech out in California who just took a call from a woman who was loud, short and rude with him because she couldn’t print. I am sure she felt that the company would go belly up if she didn’t get that document printed! Geesh!

Movies, tv show, comic strips and comedians, among others, like to portray the I.T. guy as “rude”. As an I.T. guy myself I can shed a little light on this for ya’ll. We deal with needy, whiny people day in and day out. People that don’t often appreciate what you do. People that yell at you for things THEY did wrong. People that think they are the only person keeping the whole company running and without them getting their job done, the business would halt and go bankrupt! People who ignore the simple rules about downloading CRAP on their computer even though you tell them every single time you go to their PC. People who ask how to do something and when you tell them, don’t listen and then do it wrong over and over again afterward. Most I.T. guys I know are really nice guys. Some are not people I would be friends with but no more than in any other field. The Users are the ones that “push” the I.T. staff passed the ability to remain super nice and upbeat ALL the time.

Imagine going to your auto mechanic for a new transmission. He replaces the transmission and then, with a nice smile and full of understanding for how not having your car for 2 days has “ruined your week”, tells you not to put the transmission in park while doing 60 on the interstate. He shakes your hand, assuming you fully understand the consequences of doing the 60mph attempt to park as you were without a car for a couple days. He assumes the impact of your actions would stop you from making that same mistake again. 2 weeks later you go back to the shop with the VERY SAME PROBLEM!!! Imagine the surprise on the man’s face! This time his tone has changed a bit to one less understanding and more disbelief that you would do this again after the impact it had on your week last time. Again he fixes it. 1 week later you do it AGAIN!!! Get my point? Now imagine that you work for the very same company as the mechanic!!

I am going to take some flak for this one…

With juvenile crime up 320% in 1 year in Nashville, I got to thinking WHY? It didn’t take me long to come up with a hypothesis. (disclaimer: the following statements are not intended as racists but rather simple observations). A large percentage of juvenile crimes are being committed by young African-American teen males. At least in Nashville, more so than whites and Latinos. What is the cause? Where should the blame be placed? I believe the problem steps back to young African-American fathers. Many young African-American fathers seem to be bailing out on their kids and the mother’s of their kids. Why? Because it is social ta bu to be a good father. It is cooler to be a “pimp” or a “playa“. Where does this come from? TV! Music videos from rappers are glorifying the lifestyle of disrespecting your woman or your “ho”. Leaving her at home while they go and party with other ho’s. Also I blame some pro athletes. We are constantly being told of another NBA player beating someone, or an NFL player involved in shooting or drugs. These are the role models that these young fathers follow. There are many great African American role models that will never get a chance to inspire youth because they do not make it to the TV they watch. Many black men and women throughout history gave their lives for the cause of racial equality. It is sad to see how their work and the price they paid are being walked over and spat on by these irresponsible young men.

More on the Nashville BBQ shooting/killing

All of the “suspects” are now in custody for the recent East Nashville shooting of a man having a BBQ with his family in their back yard. The infuriating part about this is that the kids who committed this crime, all have criminal records but were still out on the streets. No room in the local jails for all these kids so they give them probation. Sad! Now a man is dead and his family left alone to mourn. Newschannel5 in Nashville reports that “Seems to be small clusters of teenage young men getting together randomly attacking targets of opportunity,”

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=6239907

OMG! Nothing better to do that to go and kill innocent people for no reason.

Try to think back to when you were 16…. What were you doing? What was important to you? Personally, the thought of shooting someone let alone even having a gun, was no where near where I was. My biggest concern at 16 was what song to learn next on my guitar or how I was going to pay for my 1st car so I could take a girl on a date.

I am disgusted by the state of things with kids and the way society deals with discipline and education.

Nashville Juvenile crime again…

I wrote the Nashville City Paper just least week about how sad it is to see how Nashville keeps turning out juvenile criminals from court with only a slap on the wrist. ( I have received many emails in agreement with what I wrote). Yesterday this came back to hurt Jose Flores and his family in East Nashville as he was shot and killed during a robbery at his East Nashville home. http://www.newschannel5.com/global/story.asp?s=6213018. I would bet that the “gang” members that shot and killed Jose and left his family husband and fatherless, were already in and out of the criminal system in Nashville for various other crimes. Only a desperate person or one without fear of consequences would shoot and kill a man even AFTER he gave them all that was asked of him!

What can we do to help? Where do we turn to start on a path of making Nashville safer? We need to make changes and make them faster. On a side note… I think we need to slow down on trying to grow and attract more people and businesses to Nashville and spend some of those resources on the people, businesses and neighborhoods we already have here. We are growing way to fast and our juvenile crime rate is growing along with it.

P time

LOL! Sometimes you just gotta pull off the road and GO!!

Sunday Ride

My buddy Alan and I hopped on our Harley’s and hit some back roads today and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. There was tons of other bikers out as well. What a treat!

Henry gone to.

Looks like it will be ANOTHER building year for the Titans! This will be our 6th re-building season in a row. Geesh! We just lost our best running back and our best receiver this off season already. It is official Travis Henry is GONE! So. We have an awesome young quarterback in Vince Young but we have no experienced players for him to throw to or for him to hand off to. Looks like he is going to have to run it by himself, which will last about 4 or 5 games until he is injured. We lose everyone yet we still have “Crack-man” Jones! Time for a new GM on TN!

Nashville Crime

Nashville crime overall is down this year. However! Juvenile crime, mostly theft, is up a whopping 320% over last year! I believe it! I have had the eye-opening experience of watching the TN judicial System in action twice recently. It is a sad revolving door for these kids. They get no discipline, so they continue. It’s a simple concept. Most of us learn it at a very young age. In the past, when children did something wrong and their parents punished them, they learned to not do it again. Now, when they are not punished or reprimanded, they assume its OK and continue to do that action. At a very young age, children have not yet developed a sense of right or wrong and need firm, consistent guidance from parents. With all the whistle blowers out there parents are becoming more afraid to “guide” their children in fear of a neighbor calling child services and then having to go through legal battles, embarrassment and costs. We are turning out undisciplined, sissy kids that have no clue about what is right or wrong. Even if they do know, they are young and defiant. Just like we all were. The difference is that in the past, kids tempered their defiance with fear of consequences. Whether it be Dad’s belt across our ass or even an evil ear pinching from a teacher. Now there are no checks in place for kids to use to contemplate “Should I rob this house or not“. There is no “Well if I get caught, I could go to jail“. There is only, “If I get caught, I would be out in 2 hours“. A small price to pay for the gamble. It’s plain sad and it will get worse and worse until we give parents the social OK to discipline, not abuse, but firm handed discipline and we as a society demand legal ramifications for juveniles that do commit crimes especially with guns involved.

@#$%&* CATS!!!

Domestic my ass!!! Like I said before.. Cats do what they want, when they want, WHERE they want! ARRRGH!!!

Sunday Cruise

I borrowed Chris’ riding jacket and went for a nice ride. It was only 45 degrees so I was a bit cold. However, it was bright and sunny and I couldn’t pass up the chance to cruise!

Titans have no clue!

The TN Titans have lost every key player we have had since we went to the super bowl back in 2000. This year is no different. We just lost our best receiver Drew Bennett. He signed with the Rams. Our best running back might be going to the Broncos. I think the Titans might not have a clue on how to fill a team. After all we used our number# 1 draft pick last year to get Pacman Jones who has since been in trouble with the law 7 times in 1 year. Most recently involved with a shooting that left 3 people shot. They don’t have a clue!

Old pix

I was cleaning up my home server and trimming down my picture directory. I had over 14,000 pictures that I have taken. There was a sad aspect to this. Seeing old friends that at one time were so close. Either I moved away or they moved away or the friendships just faded away. It’s amazing how many people have come and gone. Some pictures are of people that I can’t even remember their names. Weird feeling. I am glad that I had a camera with me so many times.

How did we wind up with GW?

Every time I see Bush do or say something so incredibly stupid, I stop and question: “How the hell did we wind up with this guy as president? TWICE!!!” Of all the brilliant, educated, forward thinking people we have in our country, somehow the majority of our country chose GW. That is beyond comprehension to me. How could this happen? American Idol has a better “election” process than we do for our leader and the face we show the world and it only takes about 12 weeks total. That is including the drama they add in for ratings. In the end they usually wind up with a talented, charming winner. That winner goes usually goes on to achieve some pretty respectable awards and accolades. With our presidential election process, we somehow wind up with a man with a 30% +/- approval rating, who goes on to force HIS will on the country and the world even when the people and congress themselves say “NO” to his choices, we wound up in a place that no one wants to be. In major debt and mourning the loss of our brave soldiers who gave their lives for us and the will of our president.

I know I come back to this all the time but our election process is flawed. MAJOR FLAWED. There should be more than 2 political party’s or better yet, NO party’s at all. Just Candidates. Maybe each state could hold elections and send the best man from each state to the final election. We as normal working people with full lives, don’t even find out who our presidential choices are until the choice has been narrowed to just 2 men. We would have to make a huge full time effort to keep up on it all. If each state had to choose a candidate and not focus on the rest of the candidates yet, we could find out more and make wiser choices just by watching the local news. Then when the final 50 were chosen, we could then focus on narrowing that lot down. There must be a way. Also, like I said earlier, eliminate political party’s. There are many more than 2 views on any given issue, we should not have our candidates or leaders be part of a mass opinion or plan. Let’s try it without. Let’s see when men and women think and elect them based on their views, morals, beliefs and ability to fight for what the people want not for the beliefs a party. Especially when there are only 2 that are allowed into the debates and national media. I know there are currently no less than 20 political party’s but they do not get invited to the national spotlight so average Americans do not even know they exist. Any way. I am rambling on and getting frustrated again! LOL.

So to recap. We need a new election process and we need to eliminate political parties. After that I believe we would end up with a president that the poeple wanted and that worked on behalf of the country and NOT a bafoon charging the American people to pay for his own personal and party agenda.

This one takes the cake!!!

Here at my job the HR department buys a big flat cake once a month to celebrate everyone’s birthday in that month. A nice, simple gesture from the company. Some people don’t even eat the cake but there are some people that feel they are owed this cake. Recently, we added a 3rd shift to our building. We have 4 people that work overnight. They actually made a fuss to HR that they were not getting cake. Our HR rep tried to be nice and said, “I will cut you 4 slices and put them in the fridge with your names on them, if you like”. They had the audacity to say that they wanted a cake for themselves!!! OMG!! Some people are just so dern selfish! They already make more money (shift differential) and work far less than there daytime counterparts. Greedy greedy greedy!!! I also must comment that I think they should choose their battles a bit better. You can’t make a fuss about EVERYTHING! Then when you have something worth fussing about, it won’t carry as much weight because of all the previous fusses watering down the impact. It’s like “Crying Wolf”. Dern!

Everyone wants to be a millionaire.

I understand aspiring to accumulate wealth. What I don’t like is how is has become such a huge part of our culture now. Wealth is overshadowing morals, values and a basic honest living. It seems that everyone wants to be a millionaire as easily and quickly as possible. Look at real estate for one example. Everyone wants to “flip this house”. Trends from TV are carrying over into life. People do not want to work for wealth. They want to buy a house, paint it and make a million off of it. I see this in the world of motorcycles too. Motorcycle technology hasn’t really changed too much in 80 years. At least in the area of American V-Twin bikes. They are 90% exactly like they were in the 30′s. With modern manufacturing you would think they would be cheaper. Being that they are on TV and part of mainstream culture now, people are charging ridiculous money for them. They want to make their millions before the trend is over. Some companies like Exile Cycles is charging up to $70,000 for a bike that is almost exactly like the Harley’s of the 30′s and 40′s. Think of the amazing Corvette or Mercedes you could get with that! A modern vehicle based on modern technology and safety. A Vette with 500 horsepower, anti-lock brakes, airbags, leather, CD players. Etc. Even in the food market. I can go to Longhorn Steakhouse and get a chicken sandwich and fries for lunch and it costs me $11. My friend’s baby sitter actually called at the last minute to ask for more money. She wanted $15 per kid/per hour. $45 an hour for a teenager to babysit???? Inflation is one thing but I think people are getting greedy these days. Anything to make a couple million and retire by 40. I ramble in my disgust.

Weather tease!

We had a few days of incredible weather for February! I was able to get my Harley out and ride. I gave it a nice bath (long overdue). It’s a great feeling cruising around on a shiney, loud Harley! now it’s cold again and the bike is back in the garage….for now!

You think gas prices are inflated???

My friend Brent pointed this out to me today….

I just did a little calculation. I’m buying a new red ink cartridge….. The cartridge contains glycerin, surfactant (reduces surface tension of liquid), dye and water. It’s$65 for 35 ml. Know how much that is per gallon?$7,030.03

Imagine going to the gas pump and taking a second mortgage out! LOL!!! Bring on the Hydrogen Cells please!!!

Clean jeans…

I rode my bike to work today. The weather is real nice this week for February. It was 54 degrees this morning and we will hit the high 60′s most of the week. I figured I would just deal with the wet roads by putting on my rain pants over my jeans. This, so that water splashing up off the road wouldn’t soak my pant legs. Well my pant legs were perfectly dry and clean when I got to work. However….

CMT Cross Country

Amanda, her niece & husband and I went to the taping of a CMT show called “Cross Country”. (not crossroads). It was a live show/taping of Big & Rich with John Anderson. WOW! What fun! We had to do applause for the cameras with no one on stage. LOL!! John Anderson was great! Everyone loved him and his songs. I have a new found respect for John Rich. He is a super skilled singer and performer. He busted out some unique songs by himself while he was waiting on the cameras or director. I was really impressed! Anyway! It was a great time!

Not just bitchin

If you read my blog often, you will know that I rant about alot of things. Let me say this. I do have many opinions and complaints about the way many things are but…BUT, I also have 3 times as many solutions to try to fix them! (and I vote even as futile as it seems)Maybe most woouldn’t work but some would and at least I try! Thanks for reading!

…keep going and going and…

In December I bought a new digital camera. It’s a Fuji. My 1st NON Sony since I started buying digital cameras back in 2000. (4 Sony’s ago). Well, Fuji says they have a long life battery. I have been hearing that forever. They never last like you think they do. Well let me tell you this. My new Fuji’s battery lasts so long that I haven’t charged it since Christmas. Almost 2 months and 400+ pictures. It still has plenty of battery left too! Simple amazing! I decided to dig out the charging cable and give it a fill up just because I’d hate to get caught with it low. Rock on Fuji!

What happened to the future?

Government regulation (interference) and bureaucracy have stifled invention, shelved innovation and slowed progress to a crawl. Especially in the area of transportation. This is 2007. We should be driving cars that are far different than the gas guzzling giant boxy SUV’s that we are. The basics of car design haven’t changed in decades. I used to watch a TV show called “Beyond 2000″. I used to get so excited at all the technology. Years later hardly any of the things I saw made it to the market place. Why? What or who is stopping these inventions and technologies from making it. Why are my choices in transportation are 40 versions of the same SUV, minivan, pickup truck or car. Next time you are on the road. Really take a look at all the SUV’s for instance. See how they are almost all the very same vehicle. A different curve here, a different badge and a different price tag but for the most part they are all some what the same. Some will say “Well..it’s what the people want!” or “The design works”. I am here to say we want unique, innovative vehicles that do not cost 1/3rd the cost of our homes. What ever happened to the promise of us driving flying cars?

Construction Grade

coEach time I work on repairing something in my house, or my previous two houses, I am reminded of how crappy people build houses. They are all just slammed together in a way to make the highest profit margin for the developer. Very rarely are “top of the line” materials used in home construction. Oh you may find somethings that are very expensive in some high end houses such as “Imported Italian tile” or “Exotic Hardwoods” but for the most part they still use cheap products on the majority of the house. They use “CONSTRUCTION GRADE”. Construction grade is another way of saying lower quality, bulk material. For the average home buyer, we don’t have much choice if you want to buy in the suburbs. The houses are all cookie cut and made with 2×4′s (sticks) and drywall. Nothing more than Chalk and Paper! No one seems to think there is anything behind the story of the 3 little pigs I guess. When the weather even sneezes, we have millions of dollars of repairing to do. What I don’t get is when I drive by a high end neighborhood and see people building a million dollar home using the same cheap crap as the low end stuff. It’s just bigger! They are still made with sticks, chalk, paper and press board. Then the slap some bricks on the outside and call it a “Brick House”. LOL!! It’s pretty to look at but it will fall apart just like the other houses. If I had a million dollars to build a home, you would be sure that I would sacrifice some of the square footage of an enormous house that people seem to use as “income advertisements” and build a solid house that is designed to last for at least a couple hundred years. There are so many options available to use. Block, stone, steel, logs etc. Maybe if people built homes to last we wouldn’t be moving out of the neighborhoods as they fall into disrepair and into the hands of people who don’t care and into new construction that takes up land that could be left alone otherwise! I am rambling on.

Sanding "schpackle"!

The Human Juggernaut!

Humans are like a locust Juggernaut when it comes to real estate. It seems that every year, no matter where I live, someone is building a new shopping center, a new apartment complex or a new housing development. The population of America isn’t growing as fast as the real estate market would lead you to believe. In Nashville for example, the city is proposing a new convention center downtown. It is a HUGE deal. Not enough! They just announced the proposal of an additional convention center. Driving down the road the other day we saw 2 signs. The first was showing a new 57 acre retail plaza being built and the second was something about 26 acre retail area. You would think with as popular as online shopping is, we wouldn’t need so much growth in the way of retail store fronts. The thing that is crazy about this is that there are miles and miles of abandoned store fronts in Nashville. Empty run down buildings in areas no one wants to live in. It seems we find empty land, someone sells it and make a billion dollars off of it. Then we BUILD, BUILD BUILD! We build enough to move an entire population in and support them. Where do these people that fill these new homes, apartments and retail shops come from? The areas in town that we already destroyed, ravaged and walked away from. These areas turn into slums. It’s sad. I fear the landscape will someday consist of new crappy construction, old abandoned crappy construction and the natural untouched landscape will be something only seen virtually on computers.

Frozen hands and the "kind glove man".

I couldn’t take it anymore! I HAD to ride yesterday! It was 35 when I left the house and about 32 near my job. The weather said it was supposed to go up to 54 by the afternoon. So I rode!! I knew if I went out for lunch and it was 54 degrees out, I would be bummed if I didn’t ride. So I paid the price and froze my fingers off!! FUN FUN FUN!

I was sitting at a light with my gloves on my lap. I was rubbing my frozen fingertips and holding my hands over the hot exhaust pipe trying to warm them up. A man pulled up in a big old contruction truck and saw me fussing with my cold hands. He open his door and held out a pair of leather construction gloves for me to have. I showed him my gloves in my lap and thanked him for the gesture. He smiled and closed his door. When the light changed and I rode past, he gave me a thumbs up and smiled. I simply love knowing that there are people like this out there in the world and very glad that I was blessed to have interacted with one of them. Thanks “Kind Glove Man”!

The Rat Pack cont…

WOW!!! That’s the first thing that comes to mind. The guy playing Frank Sinatra NAILED it! It was unbelievable from his singing, to his speaking, to his walk, to his mannerisms, he had it all down pat! Sammy Davis was full of energy. He even tap danced! Dean Martin’s voice wasn’t as FULL as the real Dean Martin and at times the guy sounded like Monte Hall (let’s make a deal host from the 70′s) In the second act though, he turned on a bit more of the drunk Deano and you can see why this guy got the role. He sang more like him and definitely acted more like him when he was “drunk”. All in all it was great show! Although Amanda was freezing, I enjoyed the walking we did down town, from the car to dinner, from dinner to the show and from the show back to the car. It was brisk to say the least!

2 thumbs up for the show!

The Rat Pack

Amanda and I are going to see the “Rat Pack: Live at the Sands” this Friday night! I can’t wait! I love seeing live shows now. I am glad we have the TPAC (Tennessee Performing Arts Center) here in Nashville. I have never been one much for going to these kind of events but since having gone to see the Nashville Symphony there with a good friend, I got the bug! Amanda and I recently saw the Lion King live on stage there and it was incredible! The Rat Pack is a recreation of the shows that Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. did back in the day in Vegas. I loved the snippets I saw on TV and my Mom, who saw it in Vegas recently, said it was “uncanny”!

Coupon Codes

Did you ever purchase something online and see a field on the purchase form for “Coupon Code“? I always see that but never have a code to put in. So I Googled “coupon code”. BOOM!! I found http://www.momsview.com I looked up a code for the store I was shopping at and they had a free shipping code. I put the code in, hit the apply code button and there it was. My shipping cost was removed and the order was processed with a “thank you”! I just saved $6.95 on a $40 order. How cool is that?

Cats are never happy!

Cats are the fussiest animals I have ever had to live with. They are never happy. Maybe they just don’t know what they want. You let them outside and 30 seconds later they are moaning to come back in the house, you let them in and they scratch at the door to get out. It’s a never ending vicious cycle that is shortening my life. Sometimes they just meow and whine just to keep you awake at night. I think they laugh at you when you get up in the middle of the night and stumble around trying to figure out what they are whining about and do something, anything to get back to sleep.

I think people are mistaken when they say that cats are a domestic animal. Wikipedia states:
To be considered domesticated, a population of animals must have their behavior, life cycle, or physiology systemically altered as a result of being under humans control for many generations.

I don’t see cats passing any of these criteria. Their behavior is whatever the hell they want, whenever the hell they want with no regard to their owners wishes or lifestyle. Their life cycle, is screw other cats whenever they get a chance, propagate as often as they can, sleep when they want and play when they want. All just like in the wild. The fact that they live inside our homes, only shows that they are “playing us” for a warm place to sleep and regular food so they don’t have to waste time hunting. As far as their physiology alter as a result of being under human control….I find issue with the part that says “under human control”. We have no control over cats that they do not wish us to have. Cats are self absorbed animals that make some people happy on the rare occasion that the cats cuddles and purrs on their lap. Which, IMO, is only when the CAT wants to.

Can you tell that I HATE CATS???

Same ol story.

I wonder how many times I will talk about this same subject. It never changes. I figured in this day and age, everyone in the workforce should know some basic computer skills. I am not saying people have to know how to format a drive or install a new hard drive. I do, however, think there is a basic skill set that should be required for people to obtain a job in an office environment. Today I dealt with a new employee that had “0″ computer knowledge, yet somehow got a job at a multi-million dollar laboratory. She did not know how to log into her computer even though the screen says “Enter CTRL+ALT+DEL”. Ok maybe she never had to log on to a computer at her last job. Or maybe they had no security or Macs or something. Fine. When she called and told “It won’t let me type numbers!!!” I went back to my thoughts of sending her crayons and sketch paper again. First off, it is a pet peeve of mine (I have many) when people say, “It won’t let me!!!” Like the computer is trying really hard to prevent you from doing something. At least say “I cannot seem to type numbers…when I hit the key, nothing appears”. Anything other than “IT WON’T LET ME!!!” In a panic. I told the woman to press her Num Lock key. She paused and said “huh?” like I was speaking German. Sprechen sie English? Can’t use the 10-key for numbers without the Num Lock key on!! It’s like trying to change the car radio station with the power off. “It won’t let me change the station!” Trying turning the radio on! Argggg!

I hate to sound like a condescending “I.T. guy” but come on people…have a little bit of computer knowledge before you leave the house. Actually I blame HR departments for not making basic computer skills a requirement for every job. If it was required, I am sure people would take the time to learn the basics and in the end be a much more valuable employee. Then I can get back to my real job of fixing things that are broken and not teaching people how to roll their windows down in their car!

Sleepy in the Dentist chair

Sometimes I can just fall asleep when I am at the Dentist….SOMETIMES!!!

Teach

Children are born with a mind that is a “clean slate”. They grow up basing their life and actions on what is taught to them. If you are blessed enough to be in a position to teach or lead by example, choose to not perpetuate, bigotry, racism, hatred and intolerance. Please!!!

Cursive is a dead art

I cannot think of one single thing that we need the ability to write cursive for. We use computers for most everything so I see typing is a necessity. The only handwriting we do these days is jotting notes down or an occasional signature. We barely use signatures anymore. I do all my banking online. So I do not need to sign checks. I use a debit card for most everything so a PIN is all I need there. Some companies including where I work are now only accepting digital applications. It has become so bad that I can barley write out a greeting card with out having to stop and remember how to print it let alone do it in cursive. I promise you that I couldn’t write this blog out in cursive. It would take me all day and a waste basket full of failures to complete it. Even then it would not be legible. Even in schools, many teachers are wanting reports to be done on a computer. If you do have to turn in a hand written essay for a test, they need to be printed, not in cursive. Although it is beautiful to see a well crafted letter in cursive, I think it is just a beautiful, albeit not as original, using a hand writing font on a PC. I would imagine that cursive will be an elective course someday soon, replaced by the mandatory typing class and will go by way of Calligraphy. A wonderful art form that has minimal, if any real need in modern society. Besides, how do you spellcheck a handwritten letter! LOL!!!

bikes and more bikes

My garage, home of the gutter-boyz (guttersociety.com) is now known as “The Compound” is turning into a real bike shop. Wrenches, bikes and beer!

Diversity and more mud!

I have been excited recently by the possibilities in front of us come next presidential election. After 8 years of CRAP in my opinion, we have a chance to change directions in this country. I think being that we are in some what of a pit of hell with the current administration, things can only go up and get better! For the 1st time in history, we have a female and a minority candidate running that BOTH have a realistic chance of winning. Notice how I stated minority instead of African-American? I don’t know that Barack Obama is of African ancestry anymore than I am Portuguese. I digress…

I have been hoping that these two candidates in particular will bring fresh perspectives to the election and ALSO, bring out voters in record breaking numbers! If every black woman voted alone, we could double the turn out from previous “I don’t make a difference anyway” elections!

My excitement was tempered a bit by a recent newscast where the topic of discussion was, where Barack Obama went to Grade school. It was apparently a school with a large Muslim attendance. Even though he is and has always been a practicing christian and also states his attendance to this school in BOTH of his autobiographies, the media and the politicians STILL tried to make issue of this “new found knowledge”. OMG grow up!!! The campaign hasn’t even started and the mud is slinging already! Worse yet is the accusation that the story was released by Hilary Clinton’s camp. How about y’all just SHUT UP!! We are at war, people are dying, people are poor, gas prices are still shit, crime is ridiculous and our youth are growing up in a crappy, toxic, poisoned environment. Children please! Can we leave the BS aside and focus on fixing things instead?

Anyway. As frustrating as it all seems, I still have hope. Hope that change for the better is on the horizon. Other perspectives brought to the table can only serve to enlighten us all and give us options we might not have already pursued. Bring on the diversity and leave the mud where it belongs…under our feet!!

Dern this cold

All I can think these days as our two new shiney black Harleys sit in the garage is “Dern this friggin cold weather!!!”

"I went to college…."

I was collecting old computers and monitors from various locations in my building today so that I can dispose of them correctly. I got to one man’s office and he said,
“I have this old laptop here to get rid of”.
When I looked at it, it was indeed old and not even in the company’s inventory. It was bought by the company that was bought out 7 years ago, that was bought out by the current company last year. So. With the notion to give him the laptop to take home, I asked him,
“Do you ever work in your garage? You know like car projects or shop or anything?”
He came back and literally laughed as he said
“I went to college…I don’t have to do any of that kinda stuff!”
OMG how friggin pompous is that??? Do I even have to explain it on this blog? I would hope not!!!

Pee for your welfare check?

Amanda passed this along to me. I think it is a GREAT idea. some may say that the cost of the testing may be too high. I say..let the people who need welfare at least pay for the simple $10 test. (Click on the picture for a larger, readable version)

Got a little in..

It’s January. Not usually a good time to ride a motorcycle. Usually too cold to ride without artic gear layer on. We have been lucky this weekend. 65 degree days!!! I had to get the Deuce out and cruise. I have been dying to hear my new pipe baffles. It sounds better than I hoped. It is very loud though. Well. My gift of a January ride is over. The rain came in today and this coming week is supposed to be cold. 32 Degrees for a daily high. Too cold to ride for me. So I guess I will be sitting on my bike in the garage dreaming of the rumble and the twisties!!!

Apple iPhone

A few months back, I had an idea for an Apple Phone. http://skramnor.blogspot.com/2006/11/apple-phone.html

Looks like someone was thinking the very same thing!!!
http://www.apple.com/iphone/

Gallatin Barn

We found a barn/house in Gallatin this weekend! WOW!!! how cool would it be to live in this???

A night at the museum

We saw Ben stiller in “A night at the museum” last night. This was one of the most entertaining movies I have seen in a long time! Ben is his usual character. Robin Williams (brilliant actor IMO) stepped out of his hyper self to play a great supporting role. Owen Wilson was in it and also played his signature character. Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke also made a great appearance. The other character’s I didn’t know the names. The movie is a bit like the old movie “Mannequin” but on a much huger scale. It’s a feel good movie with some nice adventure tossed in. Highly recommended.!!!

Another crappy day with the TN judicial system!

I received another subpeona to appear in court on behalf of the state of TN. I was hoping this time would be a bit better than the last time. I was also hoping to get another gun back from my home robbery last year. No dice on either. The case turned out to be the second defendant of the same arrest from 3 months ago. The 2 young punks were arrested on the same day but had court dates 3 months apart. More wasted time for me. The assistant D.A. made another deal with this kid and the judge gave him probation. Of course. The defendant had a loaded gun IN HAND during a traffic stop. I spoke with the arresting officer who conveyed his fear during the traffic stop where the punk, ganster, wanna-be thug, kid, held my .357 magnum in hand as the officer yelled for him to put his hands on the car and drop the LOADED gun. This scenarion could have turned out terrible. Luckily it didn’t. I griped to the officer in th courthouse hallway about the injustice and my disgust that the judge gave this punk kid PROBATION! He agreed in defeat and said “welcome to my world”. OMG!! I felt helpless. We have rooms full of punk kids, breaking the laws and a court system and/or prison system that has to turn them out on probation. I saw the defendant, wink at his buddies as he strutted out of the court room in his disrespectful, ghetto, thug clothing. I wanted to get up and beat the living shit out of him. My distain for this moment was only compounded by the previous cases. A docket full of assault, robbery, DUI’s and violence. ALL were dismissed due to no show’s of witnesses or assigned probation. Not one was sentenced to jail time!!! This is pathetic. These kids are geting away with actions that would have yielded red and maye even bloody asses when I was a kid!!! It’s a joke. The only thing worse is the Public Defenders who seem to try to grasp on the slightest insignificant part of a testimony to try and get a case tossed. A woman pressed charges against a man who came to her house with a shotgun and then actually shot at her house when she slammed the door. The public defender had the gaul to ask her if she actually saw HIM shoot the gun. She opened the door saw the defendant with the shotgun, slammed the door and called 911. 2 mintues later, with 911 still on the phone, she looked out the window and saw the man aim at her. She moved back and he shot the house. The lawyer asked if she was on drugs or drinking. Then asked if she was sure it was actually him. He attacked her on the stand like she was a criminal. She didn’t even know this man. for 15 minutes the lawyer badgered her. Asking the same question over and over with a slightly different angle. No objections. No nothing. I was pissed. The judge finally said…”I have had enough of this” and ended it all. I spent 4 hours in a court room that made Jerry Spring look normal. We need an overhaul in TN BADLY!!!

Changing weather preference

My whole life, it seems, I have thought about the weather. When I was younger I loved the fall and winter because I could wear jeans and a wind breaker and play outside. In the summer, at least all the years before we had a pool or A/C, I had to sweat. Sweat during the day and sweat during the night. I didn’t like that at all. Then, when I was an adult, I always wanted to live where there was a winter. I didn’t prefer 10 months of heat. I was living in florida and then texas. Both were too hot. I wanted to moved back up north where there is an actual change of seasons. now that I am older and I do not sweat nearly as much as before my hyperhydrosis caused me to excessively sweat 24 hours a day. I am also less tolerant of cold weather. The real change is that now, riding my Harley is a huge part of my life! I want to ride as often as I can. I want warm weather. I never thought I would feel this way but now I long to live where the spring and summer are as long as possible and the non-riding season as short as possible. Snow is great for 1 weekend, cold for a few (gotta have a few fires in the fireplace). The rest of the time, I want warm enough to ride!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Titans out

The TN Titans made a great run in the second half of the season. Made for some great Sundays. They just couldn’t hang against the N.E. Patriots today and lost any chance for the playoffs. Hopefully we can carry on where we left of next season.

George W was in "Deliverance"???

OMG George W. looks a hell of alot like Ned Beaty in Deliverance!!! LOL

Santa came…

…and now we have 2 Harleys!!!

Quantize to the whole note!

Music, especially drumming, is very mathmatical. Songs are divided into measures and beats. You can divide those measures down to 1/2, 1/4. 1/8th, 1/16 and even 1/32. You could go even further but in modern music we usually don’t. Many styles of music also divide into 1/3rds instead of 1/4′s. we are all so used to it that we don’t even really notice these divisions. This is how we can dance in time to music and not have to count. We just feel it. Through my years of programming electronic drum machines, I became very familiar with these divisions and how they work in music. I understand and learned that all beats have a fixed placed that they need to sit in music. So I spent much time becoming efficient at knowing where each beat needs to be to make a certain pattern or drum beat work. THEN I learned even MORE!! Humans aren’t perfect! It is that LACk of perfection that gives each musician their own “feel” or style. Som drummers play right where the beat should be. Some play “on top” of the beat or a little before where the beat “should” be. This give that drummer a “rushed” style of drummer. Some drummers play “behind the beat” which is actually reading from left to right, AFTER where the beat is supposed to be. This make s the drummer sound laid back. John Bonham was a master of this laid back playing style.
I was thinking about this on the way to work today. I was thinking that if a drummer played all beats “behind the beat” wouldn’t the beat actually be where he IS playing it and not behind at all. After all he IS the time keeper and he determines where the beat is in the first place. Then I got to thinking that maybe drummers keep certain aspects of a rhythm right on which dictates the time of the song and then they drag, move or the the other beats off of where they should be in relation to the time keeping beat. For instance, a drummer could keep the Kick drum beats exactly on the 1 and 3 of a 4 beat count and then drag the snare beats a little late to give a lazy feel. I got to wondering if some drummer quantize the 1st beat of a measure and then loosely play the rest of the beats, coming back to a solid “1″ beat or do they quantize the 1 and 3? I am sure some drummers even play a lazy hi-hat cymbal beat and keep the other parts tight. This is why it is so very difficult to make a drum machine sound completely human. I have studied my own sytle of drumming and have been able to emulate it to a certain extent with a drum machine but nothing beats the un-quantizable aspects of a human drummer that can flow and change, working in and out of the beats a million different, ever-so-subtle, ways even during the course of one song. Humans can take advantage of mood and changes in a song structure to influence how they approach each beat. did you ever notice how different people can play the exact same song on the same instrument and play it totally different. This is something a machine cannot yet do.

Dog jockey!

Jason Tribute show

We played at “Fuel” last night in memory of our dear friend Jason. Lots of friends showed up and we had a fantastic time. I posted a few pix on my picture page at skramnor.com.

Show tonight!!!

My old band Split11 is playing a show tonight in tribute to our recently deceased friend and singer, Jason Whitmoore. We are playing, along with a few other bands and musicians, at “FUEL” (used to be Bar Nashville) on 2nd ave in Nashville. Hope to see you all there!

Ninja…not the bike but the rider!!!

I was sitting at a light, on my Harley just a few minutes ago. I heard a car beep it’s horn so I turned to my light. Sitting in my blind spot, about 3 feet away, was an oriental guy on a Suzuki GSX-r 750! He HAD to be a Ninja! He was stealth like no other. He was even dressed in all black with a full face helmet (shield open). I know my bike is loud but I didn’t even see him in my mirrors. He kinda just appeared. Like the butler in Mr. Deeds. “Bedy, bedy sneaky!”

Riding in December!

We are having a crazy warm spell here in Nashvegas!! It will be in the mid 60′s all week. Today it is raining but the rest of the week I should be able to dust of my Harley and put some more miles on my new tires!

Happy Holidays!!!

Happy Holidays to all our family and friends, near and far!

Snowing in Nashville!

It is snowing in Nashville! The wind where I work is blowing the snow horizontal! It will be in the teens tonight and Friday night as well. So if it snows after that the ground may actually be cold enough for it to stick.

Trick bike rider

This guy rides a bike better than I can walk! Amazing!

Coke machine at work…

Do you think my company wants people caffeinated? They just installed a free fountain soda machine in the same area as the coffee machine.

"It’s too cold!!!" Did I say that???

I am hardly EVER too cold! I guess I am getting older. I used to never complain about the cold. I used to sweat constantly and the cold was a slight help. Now I do not sweat like I used to and I love the warmer weather. For 1, I love to ride my Harley and can’t do much of that when it is 20+ degrees like it is here in Nashville. Tomorrow night it will be in the mid teens. WAH!! I remember when I was younger, I would see older folks move to Florida because they didn’t want the cold anymore. I used to think they were just saying that they didn’t want to hassle with the high cost of heating and/or the snow. Now I know that it can be also a physical thing. It is still refreshing to go out into a nice, brisk, cold day. It is just that my idea of a brisk day is about 50 degrees whereas it used to be 30. I guess this is another part of getting on in years!

Carb vs EFI

This is one of those classic debates! Fuel injection vs Carb, Mac vs PC, Analog vs Digital, Ford VS Chevy etc. etc… I think each one has positives and negatives. In the case of a Harley fuel delivery system, the decision is simple based on what you want the bike for. If you want a bike that you can start right away and not have to warm up, get EFI. If you want simple, pre-programmed fuel maps to set your bike up for racing or street with any combination of pipes you can imagine, get EFI. However, if you want to tinker on your bike, get a carb. If you don’t mind the warm up period before you ride, a carb will do just fine. Here is the clincher: If you want you bike to idle low and rumble at a street light with a bang, bang, chug chug..get a CARB!!! EFI is fantastic for many things and it is and will probably continue to be what I ride on a daily basis. I can’t warm up my loud bike every morning at 6am. My neighbors would kill me! I need the Fuel Injection so that I can roll down my driveway and hit the start button at the bottom. Then I can zoom right off. EFI Harley’s need to idle at around 1000rpm. This can be adjusted down with software but from what I have read, this will most likely damage your engine (at the least, shorten it’s life). I do not wish to give up my fuel injection. I love it but I would love to build a bike with no computer, no electric starter, no turn signals, minimum weight and a carburetor to give me that true, barley running, slapping and sputtering bang chug you get from a vintage style Harley! Seems the more I learn about Harley’s the more choices there are and the harder it is to be content with just one bike!

Brrrrrr!!!

It was 16 degrees here in our area of Nashville, this morning! WOW!!! It is brisk to say the least!!!

The Lion King

Amanda and I went to TPAC (Tennessee Performing Arts Center)tonight. We saw The Lion King live. WOW! What an exciting artistic play! We had a wonderful time. Now I need a vacation from this weekend. Dinner and a movie on Friday night, drinking and a hockey game on Saturday night and a live play downtown on Sunday night. Time to recuperate at work! LOL!!!

Hockey Game

Amanda and I went to the “Flying Saucer” last night and then walked downtown in the exciting, crisp, cold night to the arena and watched a Predators (NHL) game. We had a fantastic time sampling new beers (one called “old scratch”..LOL) and watching the game. We were 40 seconds away from a win when the Chicago Blackhawks scored a goal to tie the game at 3-3. Then, 34 seconds into OT, the scored again and won the game. The arena went from screaming and yelling in anticipation of a win only 40 seconds away near silence as everyone funneled out to the exits. Still, we had a great time! Click on our picture for a short terrible vid from the game.

Tagworld

I hated myspace but I wanted to have my music up somewhere other than my own personal website. I remembered TAGWORLD and set up my stuff there. It’s a myspace alternative.
http://www.tagworld.com/skramnor

Fuel Economy Website

I found a really cool website with lots of info on Fuel Economy, Hybrids, prices, etc. you can even find the average expected fuel mileage for older vehicles.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

hybrid incentive?

How about some incentive to buy and drive a hybrid vehicles that can be felt where we feel it most? Our Wallet! I had an idea that might help. A discount on fuel! I don’t have an idea on how to stop it from being exploited but it would be great to find a way to charge less for gas to the people that buy and drive hybrid vehicles. They are already saving money by getting much better fuel economy but it doesn’t appear to be enough to offset the cost of buying the vehicle in the 1st place. There are tax incentives, which are great and help I am sure but how about a bit more. If hybrid drivers were getting fuel at say 20% off, maybe there would be more people interested in driving them. Just a thought!

Taxes…

My view is simple:

Tax me FAIRLY for the things we need government to do that we cannot do for ourselves.

Taxes for defense (our soil), infrastructure, law enforcement, etc.. I will gladly pay my fair share to help our country exist. I would even pay more if it were going to not be wasted. It’s the mis-use of our taxes that gets me! Constant wars, rebuilding other countries, foreign aid (while Americans suffer from hunger, unemployment, disasters, crime, immigration that eats away at our foundation), welfare (needs major reform), bloated government.

I say less government, less taxes, less interference, less international and more LOCAL. Not anarchy by any means! Only enough government to do FOR the people what they cannot do for themselves yet, still need. The people of this country, given the chance, can prosper and be successful in many ways. Give me back 1/2 of my $17k per year going to taxes and I can invest more in my own retirement. Maybe if people didn’t have welfare and social security as a crutch they would be forced to handle things on their own. I know this is a can of worms, but we as a society spend millions upon millions of dollars paying welfare for many people that do not really need it. Many do but many do not and abuse it. Welfare, can be a good idea! In practice, it is an abused program though. Maybe if we spent 1/2 as much on our own country and the needs of OUR citizens as we do attempting to “fix” the countries who supply us oil and our leaders huge profits, we would prosper like never before by.

I think we have given government a credit card and it was maxed out years ago. Yet they keep spending and spending and spending. It’s like the government as a whole has no concept of money. How hard it is to earn and how to spend it wisely. I think we need to look at this country as a business or a family. The people and the government need to manage our spending and take it personally as if the money was coming from our own wallets as opposed to a never ending pit of tax revenue.

The hard part is that my ideas and views are mine and apparently not that of enough people to actually make a difference. So we will continue on taxing and spending until there is a government agency for each and every taxpayer and it all falls apart.

One more thing…You know times are bad when we have to drink bottled water for $1 a pint and still a portion of that is tax!!!

Is Everybody Happy?

I was sent an article by Michael S. Rozeff. I think we should all take a minute to read what he has to say. I think he hits the nail right on the head with:
“Is Everybody Happy?” http://www.lewrockwell.com/rozeff/rozeff120.html

OMG!!

The Tn Titans came back in the 4th quarter down 21-0 against the NY Giants to WIN 24-21!! Unbelieveable. Pacman has 2 amazing interceptions and a fantastic punt return. Vince Young our quarterback did not give up. Instead of losing AGAIN, he picked the game up by running himself for multiple 1st downs. It was amazing! I am impressed. I have not seen such die hard football by the Titans in many years! WOW!!!

Quote..

“… Be careful who and what you listen to. Liars are often charming.” A quote from Pauley.P

Liars are indeed charming! The sad part is that they lie so often that they are used to it. They become really good at it and seem to not even think that they are lying. They convince themselves that what they say is not a lie. It becomes part of who they are at a subconcious level.

Trace again!

My buddy Joe and I rode a stretch of Nachez Trace again today. The weather was perfect! I love riding my Harley!

Giving thanks!

Amanda gave me a big suprise and invited my family up for Thanksgiving. Then she cooked up a feast fit for a king! We had so much food. I have no idea how she managed to make so much food and serve it all to 11 people without any help and everything was hot and delicious! On Friday we all went to Centennial park and played tennis, baseball and football. Dern I am sore oday. Today they and the 3 other dogs that were here are all gone. Me and Dew are home alone to hold down the fort! LOL. Actually it is gorgeous outside so I am meeting up with a riding buddy and are going to ride nachez trace on our harleys! I am such a lucky man! I have so much to be thankful for!

10,000 hits!

My little corner of the world, skramnor.com, is just about to roll to 10,000 hits!!! It’s not a commercial website, it’s just a simple page about me, my music, my friends and family. I can’t believe it has come this far. My blog, which has been up for about 1 1/2 years is already at 8500 hits and growing at a rate of about 100 hits a day lately. This all excites me no end. I love that friends, family and even strangers are taking the time to listen to my music, watch my silly videos, browse my pix and read my thoughts and rants on this blog. Thanks to all. I hope the person who hits the 10,000 mark will let me know!

On-Call @$%&*!!!

I am so glad this is my last on call rotation for a while. Last night was Monday night football and I stayed up to watch the game. MISTAKE! I went to bed around 11:30pm. I got a support call at 2:00 am from a guy in England. “I can’t get my email…Server not found”. I checked the server and it was running and accessable. This told me that his VPN connection wasn’t working. I told him to reconnect to VPN. He insisted that he just reconnected again. Of course I didn’t believe him but he insisted. So, I spent the next half hour trying to walk him through getting me his IP address so that I could remotely connect to his pc and see what was wrong. I could not connect to him in any way. I thought that maybe his home router was blocking me. I then tried talking him through reconfiguring his email . No luck. after 30 minutes of trying everything, I insisted her disconnect from VPN and reconnect. He did and all worked right away. He said “Next time I will try that 1st!” I felt like killing him!

I am now wide awake, so I turn the tv on to relax me. About 30 minutes of infommercial hell, I finally turned it off. I fell asleep at about 3pm. I started getting instant messages at 4am from downed servers in Austin TX. Then about a failed fax delivery system. I worked on these for about another 45 minutes and then went back to sleep and froze for an hour as Amanda, Dew and Muffin (yes I have a dog named Muffin…dont ask) had themselves all wrapped up in our blankets. My alarm went off at 5:45am. I am cold and VERY tired. It will be a LONG day today!!!

Another death! :(

Today it was brought to my attention that my longtime dentist and his wife were tragically killed in an auto accident. Many of my friends and co workers in this area all went to Dr. Graham. Our hearts go out to the family, friends and employees of this very well liked man.
http://www.thetennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061120/COUNTY090101/61120009

Juice update!!!

I finally finished finished my fat wheel Deuce project!!!

"Time"…

Time and life are passing by so very fast. I have so many things I want to accomplish and the longer I live, the list of things grows instead of being “checked off”. I am learning about many new things all the time but I cannot seem to make the time or energy to complete anything. I guess I am not a risk taker. Sometimes it is risk and sometimes it is a plain lack of time. To start a business, you have to risk failing and losing all the money you worked years to save. To build something substantial you have to have time. I (we all do) work many hours a week. Then we come home, to tired to do anything in the mere 4 hours we have left to eat supper, clean, shower and relax. So the project gets put off till the weekend. The weekend rolls around and there are always house chores to do. Laundry, vacuuming, dishes, yard work, shopping etc. Where do I find a block of time to do anything? A block that I actually have energy during. I want to build a home that I designed, I want to learn to fly, I want to ride a motorcycle cross country, I want to record a full album, I want to perform on stage live with my music, I want to have a real vacation, I want to make any one of the 10 movie ideas I have had over the past few years, I want to invent, I want to have my own business, I want to…I want to…I want to not have to work ALL WEEK LONG and have my entire life pass me by in the name of some corporation and have nothing of substance to leave behind me. I do not want to be 80 and wish I had something besides this blog to show for my time here. I need a plan…a really good plan!!!

Focus

We should focus on our own life more as opposed to being too conscious of the enormous amount of things going on around us everyday in the world and life. When you think about, diseases, politics, war, crime, injustice, the price of gas, the ridiculous prices of 1 bedroom lofts downtown, corruption in law enforcement, big business ruling the earth, pollution, global warming and a million other issues that need to be addressed and thought about, you limit the amount of time you have to focus on what matters to us as individuals. Health, family, religion, spirituality, philosophy, friendships, one’s own financial stability, growth and future are all very important. A balance must be maintained and it can be quite difficult. We must prioritize our focuses and then in turn allot only an appropriate amount of time to that. I do “think too much” and I find myself dwelling on an election or a war or the incompetence of some people. I have to remember that my main priorities should be my health, my family & my friends. My 3 primary colors. After that I can think about the rest.

Nasty Weather!

It’s COLD and WET today! We are so glad that we have a fireplace.

Brilliant Video Skills

Brilliant video skills by a guy on youtube. Lasse Gjertsen

2 into 1 vs Duals

I am reading about increasing power on my bike. I found that the pipes have alot to do with the power and where in the rpm range it comes in. I found that my short shot pipes, although they look and sound great are robbing my bike of low end torque. That is rpm range i prefer to ride in. 1500-4000rpm. Short dual pipes are better for high revving bikes. I have read that the most power is obtained by going to a 2 into 1 pipe. They give up to a 25% increase in HP and 20% increase in torque in the low revs over stock. SO I need to either go with longer pipes (with a crossover tube for even more power) or a 2 into 1. The bad news is that the 2into1 sounds weak compared to my current pipes. More research is required!

Amazed!

I am amazed by how many hits my blog gets daily. There were 68 hits this morning alone. A small amount compared to some blogs I am sure but I am just some guy who thinks too much and chose to share my thoughts. I have over 400 postings since I started and I continue to suprise myself whith how much BS I have to post! Let me say that I am honored and flattered that anyone would find anything that I have to say even remotley interesting enough to come back. My sincere thanks for reading!!!

11/11 gone

Another 11/11 has come and gone with nothing crazy (good or bad) happening. I had a really nice day though. Amanda and I went house shopping and then we came home and had friends over for pizza, beer, movies and a roaring fire. Life is good! VERY good!!!:)

Skinny models?

For years people have been arguing that the fashion industry is pushing “skinny models” on the the public and giving women complexes because of how unrealistic and difficult it would be to be THAT skinny. The fashion industry defends this by saying that people want skinny models. They say that society and our obsession with skinny, drives the designers and fashion industry. IMO the designers have no clue what the American society wants. They may design great clothes but I believe that American’s on the whole do not fancy the 95 lb 5’10″ model draped in the fashion of the week. Speaking as a man, we want full figured women! This is proven constantly by the women we actually pay to see in movies or on videos. Men want to see Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Brittany Spears, Carmen Electra, Pam Anderson and anyone of a whole slew of women with full figures and curves that a woman should have. I can only speculate that men don’t download pix of super skinny models to druel over. They go for the women with bodies that a man would actually want to love on! So when the fashion folks hire the women that look like they haven’t yet hit puberty, they are only appealing to themselves and not the majority of men or women (I can only speculate) in America. Maybe in Europe they prefer the “straightaways” but here in American we prefer the “curves”!!!

11/11/06

Tomorrow is 11/11. I am trying to decide if I should plan to do something very special on this crazy day to me or if I should let something happen!

Apple Phone???

I have yet another idea!!! Why doesn’t Apple Computers make a Smart phone? Apple does very well with the iPod so you know they have the ability to make small devices and software to run them. In shopping for a smart phone, my choices seem to be Windows mobile or Palm based products. BORING!!! How cool would it be to have an Apple OSX-Mobile OS on a smart phone??? Built in Bluetooth, built in wireless and Wi-Fi, media player (based on the iPod interface maybe), it could sync natively with iSync on your Mac computer. Geesh! This could propel Apple into the stratosphere! How about when you buy a new Apple laptop, you get an Apple Smart phone with it? The desktop OS’s have been named Jaquar, Panther, Tiger etc. They could name the Phone OS “Cub”! Tiger-Cub etc. Well there you have it Apple. Someone can read this, suggest it at then next Apple creative meeting and earn a huge promotion. If so, at least send me a phone!

Prepare for the tears…World’s best dad!

From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars–all in the same day. Dick’s also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right? And what has Rick done for his father? Not much–except save his life. This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

“He’ll be a vegetable the rest of his life;” Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an institution.”

But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,” Dick says he was told. “There’s nothing going on in his brain.”

“Tell him a joke,” Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? “Go Bruins!” And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, “Dad, I want To do that.”

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described “porker” who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. “Then it was me who was handicapped,” Dick says. “I was sore for two weeks.”

That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,” he typed, “when we were running, It felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”

And that sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

“No way,” Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren’t quite a single runner, and they weren’t quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, “Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?”

How’s a guy who never learned to swim and hadn’t ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they’ve done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don’t you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you’d do on your own? “No way,” he says. Dick does it purely for “the awesome feeling” he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992–only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don’t keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.

“No question about it,” Rick types. “My dad is the Father of the Century.”

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. “If you hadn’t been in such great shape,” One doctor told him, “you probably would’ve died 15 years ago.” So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other’s life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father’s Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

“The thing I’d most like,” Rick types, “is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.”

From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly

Now that you read that, click here.

Myspace..not for me!

I tried myspace again. The 1st time I had a profile was to find dates. Then I met Amanda and didn’t need dates anymore. I didn’t like myspace anyway so I cancelled. After a couple months passed, I decided that myspace MUSIC would be a great place to meet musicians and bands and also showcase my music. Then I remembered how it is way too easy to get drawn into the childish dramas that go on. Someone comments on your profile, so you follow the link to their profile, then you find yourself reading comments posted on their page and so on until you find yourself reading about people you don’t even know or have any real life interaction with. WTF??? How’d I get here? It’s like a soap opera and popularity contest all rolled into one site (kinda like….HIGH SCHOOL was). I even found myself questioning a real, in-person, friend’s choice of a “friend” on myspace. Like it’s any of my dern business!!! It’s none of my bees-wax!! It’s just not for me I guess. I have real friends, I have a blog…I have email…I have a place for my pictures and I have a place for my music. http://skramnor.com

“That’ll do Donkey…That’ll do!!!”

Jason and Me

Rest in peace my friend!

ADD Cure

Whose birthday was it?

I took Amanda out for her birthday last night and she looked incredible!!! You’d swear it was MY birthday! What a gift!!!

Kissing nun

A cabbie picks up a Nun. She gets into the cab, and the cab driver won’t stop staring at her. She asks him why is he staring.
He replies, “I have a question to ask you, but I don’t want to offend you.”

She answers, “My son, you cannot offend me. When you’re as old as I am and have been a Nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just about everything. I’m sure that there’s nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive.”

“Well, I’ve always had a fantasy to have a Nun kiss me.”

She responds, “Well, let’s see what we can do about that: #1, you have to be single and #2, you must be Catholic.”

The cab driver is very excited and says, “Yes, I am single and I’m Catholic!

“OK” the Nun says, “Pull into the next alley.” The Nun fulfils his fantasy with a kiss that would make a hooker blush. But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.

“My dear child”, said the nun, “why are you crying?”

“Forgive me but I’ve sinned. I lied. I must confess, I’m married and I’m Jewish.”

The nun says, “That’s OK, my name is Jeff and I’m going to a Halloween party!!

Finding my limit.

I rode my bike this morning! It was about 29 degrees out by my house this morning. I bundled up and braved the cold. Much more fun than driving in a monkey cage like everyone else. My feet were toasty in my military boots, I wore a thermal long sleeve, a sweat jacket and my denim army jacket over it all. No problem there! I tried my new gloves from Tractor Supply and they held up pretty good. Not as warm as my mittens but much better control. I may use a thinsulate glove under the new gloves to keep warm and in control. I wore my face mask and it kept my face real warm. Only 2 issues with it. 1: At stop lights, my breathing is forced up through the opening in the mask and into my goggles, fogging them up pretty quickly. I can’t see very well until after a couple hundred feet of riding again. 2: The little tiny space between the mask and my goggles is exposed. At 29 degrees in a 50 mph wind (riding speed) that little section of my nose FROZE!!! A full-face helmet may be neccesary. My legs were pretty cold but it didn’t hurt or bother me all that much. Unless I buy some more gear, I think my limit, for now, is 30 degrees in the AM.

NOW!!!

Life is so very precious!!! You only have one and it can end at any time. LIVE IT NOW and DON’T hold back. Tomorrow may never come! Really!!!

A sad loss for all of us!

Today, Jason Whitmore of the Dixiewrecks and our personal friend died. He was full of life and full of amazing skill as a singer, performer and writer. He will be missed by many including me and Amanda both!

Free makes happy

Today we had our annual Halloween, Chili cook-off! MMMMM!!!!! I am stuffed! It’s great when we have these events. All the people that never see eachother are all in the same room and catching up over good food. I love all the smiles and happy faces. Seems people are usually pretty happy with a plate full of free good food!

Opinions are like @$$holes…

Has anyone ever read the articles in American Iron (motorcycle magazine) by Genevieve Schmitt? I got tired of her feminist drivel and emailed the editor:

In the November issue of American Iron, an anonymous reader wrote in with his strong opinion of Ms. Schmitt and her articles. I would like to add my 2 cents worth if anyone cares to read or pass along. I am almost not sure where to start! I am a man. I ride a motorcycle. I love women (one in particular). I love motorcycles. Simple! I never have any conflict with any of that. My girlfriend rides. Her friends ride. We all ride. When we get off a ride, we talk about the whole thing. We talk about what we saw, what we liked and what we didn’t like. The mere fact that it IS my girlfriend telling me about the ride tells me that it was from a woman’s point of view. Duh! She IS a woman! She doesn’t have to remind me before we talk. She is intelligent and observant and has a wonderful personality. That of a woman. Great! She never once started a sentence “Well… From a woman’s point of view”. She knows that she is a woman and about to tell me her opinion. She knows I will know it’s a woman’s point of view. It works! Men aren’t as Ms. Schmitt portrays them. Intentional or not.

I read all of her articles and the rest as well. I keep waiting for one that doesn’t have the “I am a woman, I can do all that a man can do and do it with more feeling and understanding” vibe. One that doesn’t seem like Ms. Schmitt is climbing on her feminist soapbox to point out to all the readers that SHE understands the differences between men and woman and MEN just don’t get it. That is how it “appears”.

Be a woman. Be proud. Write great articles about RIDING. The feminist tone serves only to draw a line between men and women. On a motorcycle (even in a car) people tend to ride where they look. That’s not anything we all don’t already know. When you draw focus to the differences of men and women you take the focus, even if for just the time it takes to read your article, away from the reason we ALL buy the magazine. Motorcycles!!! The magazine is AMERICAN IRON “For people who love Harley-Davidsons”. It should be about the bikes. Leave the differences between men and women for Oprah to discuss at length! Tell me about how cool it was to ride that ride you last took and not how the man you rode with didn’t understand how you felt! Thanks for allowing me to voice my opinion.

Saturday in the fall!

Not as young as I once was!

We had wine. I had too much wine! LOL! I actually don’t remember going to bed. Made it to work on time but I am not my “chipper” self this morning. Feel like a truck ran over me in the rain. Had a fun evening and now I am paying for it. I must remember that I can’t drink like I did when I was younger.

drum mics and the room

I have been experimenting with mic placement while recording drums for about 8 years now. Maybe that’s not alot compared to some but if you know me, you would know that I dig in to learn something I need to know. I have tried many many different tried and true techniques. 1 thing I learned is that if you ask 1000 engineers how to mic a drums set, you are likely to get 1000 different answers!! most of them will be valid techniques and could yield incredible results if used in the correct scenario. Many people focus on 1 or 2 techniques that they “swear by”. I learned another thing in my quest for a great drum sound. Just stand back from the drums and listen. Close your eyes and listen. Seems simple enough right? Listen for the room, listen for the phase, listen for the mix. I prefer a somewhat minimalistic aproach to recording. I use 2 and sometimes 3 mics only. I think people lose track of the fact that you only have 2 ears. You should be able to get the sound of a drumset with 2 mics. If the drums sound good when you stand in front of them, they will sound good with just 2 mics. They key to this is that they MUST sound good standing in front of the drummer. The drummer should know how to “mix” all the drums just by playing. If he “WHACKS” the snare drum, he should be whacking all the drums and cymbals in relation. I have seen some drummers beat the piss out of the kick and snare only to “ding” the crash cymbal! Geesh! The engineer should only be required to capture a well played, appropriately tuned drums kit. The area that comes into concern next is the room. Record companies can afford to build a room or even multiple rooms to suit the producers vision. A big, open, wood floored room or maybe a dead carpeted, intimate room. Us as home studio engineers are more often than not forced to use the extra bedroom or section of the basement. Not always optimal for all the song styles one may wish to record. This is where mic placement plays the biggest role. A room with a lot of echo may sound great with a set of mics placed off in the distance to capture a big rock sound. What if the song requires intimacy? You will need to either dampen the room with a variety of wall coverings, sound difusing panels, or anything you can get your hands on OR you could spend some effort moving the mics in closer to get more of the drum sound and less of the room sound.

OK this is a can of worms and surely no one soultion will suit all tastes. I do suggest however the following guidelines:

1. Listen! Listen to everything. Record and listen again and again. Record the guitars and bass lines also then go back and listen how the room and drum mix fits in. Move the mics and listen again.

2. Be open minded. No one is forcing you to mic using one of the predefined techniques. Try whatever you think might work. Of course..LISTEN for phase isssues.

3. Invest in good sound proof headphones. The hours you may spend trying to get the best sound will take it’s toll on your ability to hear accurately and you may be making things worse.

4. Play the drums like you are playing the song not a sound check. I have seen many drummers play a beat to get the sound check and then when the song kicks in and the record button is pressed, they hit twice as hard and play a different beat than that which was soundchecked. If you are the engineer, play back the song the drummer will be recording. If you are the drummer, ask to soundcheck to the scratch tracks of the song. We have all heard, practice like you play! This is especially true when engineering a drum mix.

5. Write down your settings, take pictures of the setup, tape the floor and keep track of the drummer and style when you get it right. Then you can go back and re-create the sound that you liked for another session at a later date.

6. Use less low frequencies than you might think at 1st. The kick drum shouldn’t be all low-end (unless you are trying for an effect). The kick drum, together with the bass guitar will combine to make the lowend sound. If one or the other is too full on its own, you will get MUD and way too much boom. Try dialing in your kick tuning AND you bass guitar tone, together. You would be suprised how many people track a KILLER bass guitar sound only to find that they can’t hear it in the mix. The engineer has to bring the kick and bass down in the mix to minimize the BOOM. In the proces, they minimize the tone.

OK OK…enough!!!

By Johnny Crap (artist)

Habeas Corpus and Geneva Convention are gone!!!

On October 17, 2006 President Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 into law.

“Except as provided in section 1005 of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, no court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider an application for a writ of habeas corpus filed by or on behalf of an alien detained by the United States who has been determined by the United States to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant or is awaiting such determination.”

…However, the rights guaranteed by the Third Geneva Convention to lawful military combatants, are expressly denied to unlawful military combatants for the purposes of this Act by Section 948b: No alien unlawful enemy combatant subject to trial by military commission under this chapter may invoke the Geneva Conventions as a source of rights.

My Opinion:
This means that anyone that the military deems an unlawful enemy can be detained indefinitely, with no help from a judge or lawyer and be tortured in the process.
No Habeas Corpus…no Geneva Convention!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!
For example….This gives him the power to detain up a bunch of mexican-americans and put them in jail stating that they “MAY” be helping terrorists across our border. Those mexicans, even if legal citizens of America can be held indefinitely with no call to a lawyer or judge until a determination by the military has been made.In my opinion, this sounds alot like the mentality behind the Japanese internment back during WWII. What has our country come to? How many bad decisions will be allowed to be made before Americans speak up in disapproval? President Bush is on his very own reign of terror and I personally believe he is worse than the enemies he claims to be fighting because he does it with the American flag behind him. I read all this information and then went to bed to watch the news. 93 American Soldiers died this month bringing the total to 2805. With an estimated 44,000 Iraq civilians. I keep saying that President bush only has 1 more year to go and then we can get a new President to clean all his messes up and put our country back on track. Then I watch the news and see that he dug the trench a little deeper. It is going to take years to undo all that he has ruined in our country and in the minds of the entire world. Each day that passes, I feel like I am in a foreign country. Not the safe America I once knew.

…and then there was me!

Each day that passes and the temperature drops, I see fewer and fewer motorcycles on the road to and from work. To me, even in the cold I would rather ride my bike than drive in a car. There will probably be a point where spending hundreds of dollars trying to keep warm will just be plain silly. Let’s see how long I can hold out though!

The gift of nap!

I must have done something right to deserve this peaceful gift!:)

Cart before the old man!

Today I realized that I am 40 years old and still like to ride the full grocery cart across the parking lot, down to the car!!!

Merry-go-round

Have you ever played on a merry-go-round in the park? You see this simple little structure across the field and you walk over to it. You are by yourself. You get on and start pushing. It’s fun! You push faster and harder, trying new things like hanging off or going upside down and it’s more fun. Other people see the fun and want to join you. Some of those people push and help. Some people ride along and weigh you down. No matter how much help you get from some of the people, it’s not enough to make up for the people that are riding for free and weighing you down. You get tired. The fun is now gone and it is work. The people who helped in the beginning are tired of helping you so they leave. You try to walk away too but the “riders” talk you into staying and working harder to give them more fun. Then you are fatigued and cannot push anymore. You fall to the ground and get hurt. The people wanting a free ride, do not want to bear some of the work and push so they leave to find other people to push them. Now you are alone, warn out and hurt. You rest. You heal. Then one day you remember how much fun it was to play on the merry-go-round so you go back to the park and start to push and laugh and have fun. The scenario replays itself. You are a bit wiser though, a bit more cynical and you can only play through the game for a short while. You also start to see the very same “riders” coming back time and time again for another free ride. This is life!!! If ever you find yourself on someone else’s merry-go-round, push and help or get off!!

Smith rocks!

I got one of my revolvers back from the recent theft but it was missing two small parts. I called Smith & Wesson to buy the parts. They said “they are on the way Mr. Marks. No charge!”. It is very rare these days to see any business give you free parts. The parts and shipping were only $20 but it is still a nice treat. I know now that my business with them means something too them. I have purchased 4 from them so far but I will indeed purchase another S&W handgun. Thanks Smith & Wesson, you rock!!!

Probation!….Next!…Probation!…Next!…

I went to the Criminal Court today in Nashville, TN. I was called to be a witness for the state in the case of a person who was caught with the illegal possession of a loaded .357 magnum. MY .357 magnum. It was stolen from my house along with 6 other guns 2 months ago. So here I am happy that I am going to do my part to enforce justice by helping put a criminal in jail and get my gun back. The harsh, sad reality of today was that I spent 5 hours getting my gun back from a criminal who spent 5 minutes in the courtroom just to walk with probation. I almost stood up and yelled “PROBATION???” This punk kid is a felon and he walked! There was about 30+ cases on the docket in this criminal court today. Most were drug offenses, some were violence and some where theft. All but 2 walked with probation! One guy got 6 months and one guy got 30 days. I was pissed.

Now to the logical analytical side of this. You have to ask yourself this. If the offense was not bad enough to warrant jail time, why did we bother to make the arrest in the first place? It seems we spend tons of money, arresting and prosecuting people for breaking laws that we spend tons of money to put in place only to spend 5 minutes to let them free! Many if not all of these people today were repeat offenders. So when does jail time actually enter this picture? I have no proof of this but I believe we put criminals in jail that commit crimes that make the news and upset people. A man beats his wife…It’s all over the news. That man spends many months in jail. A punk kid steals some guns or gets caught with drugs….NOT on the news. Send them home with a slap on the wrist. I say we should be generous with 1st time offenders. Give people a break when they make a simple mistake. If they get in trouble again, even if for some thing simple like a drug trafficking offense or theft, put them in jail! If they get out and do it again, PUT THEM IN JAIL LONGER!!! If we don’t punish the little offenders, they will continue until they find a limit to what we will let them get away with. Just like a 2 year old testing the boundaries!

I am angry at our system but most of all I am disappointed!!!

PLEASE vote!!

November 7th is right around the corner! What a treat! We get to cast our vote on multiple elections and also some very important referendums and amendments to our individual state constitutions. You can learn about these issues by reading the sample ballot sent to you in the mail or you can grab a local paper and read up on what’s going on. The votes you cast can play a role in defining the direction your state goes. Please don’t think your vote doesn’t count because if all the people who feel the same way about not voting, decide to vote, they can easily change the outcome of any election. Also remember that the election is NOT only about Democrats and Republicans. There are independents running for almost every seat! Independents lack the big party money to be in the spotlight everyday but, in my opinion, are bold enough to try on their own to make a difference without being burdened by having to conform to the wishes of a bloated political party. Instead they can focus on carrying out the wishes of the people! Don’t waste this opportunity to make a difference. Even if only to earn the right to bitch about how everything sucks! LOL!!! See you at the polls!

…with a side-car???

Amanda and I saw a person riding a Vespa scooter in traffic AND the rain this morning. The Vespa had a SIDE-CAR!!! Woohoo! What a treat to see! The engine sounded like little bitty firecrackers going off as it labored down the road. How cool is this huh? I wish I had my digital camera. All I had with me was my cell phone.

Valkyrie shot the food!

Ok, I am obsessive about my hobbies. 1 gun isn’t enough, 1 guitar isn’t enough and 1 motorcycle isn’t enough. So I have been kicking around the idea of buying a 2nd bike come next spring instead of dumping a bunch of money into my Deuce engine. One for the long rides like the Nachez Trace ride etc… My brother turned me on to Honda’s discontinued Valkyrie. It’s a friggin 6 cyl! Same motor as the Gold Wing of the same years but without all the baggage. I rode by a guy the other day on one and when he cracked his throttle, the bike BLASTED and the tire smoked! I want one now too!

Me on You tube

Am I in America?

Almost everyday I find myself in line at some store, resturant or somewhere, where I pause and realize that I am the only white, tax-paying, English speaking person in the room. I feel like a foreigner in my own country or even that I am in another country. Like I should be paying for my burrito with pesos instead of dollars. The influx of illegal immigrants over the past few years has been enormous. Think of how much better the economy and infrastructure management would be if everyone who worked, actually paid income tax!

The initial intent…

“We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

So these goals are what our founding fathers wanted to accomplish:

1. form a more perfect union
2. establish justice
3. insure domestic tranquility
4. provide for the common defense
5. promote the general welfare
6. secure the blessings of liberty

The sad part is that many politicians running the country these days are taking their personal or party motives of greed and power and sliding them into action under the guise of one or more of these original goals to “justify” their actions.

• A perfect union divided between extreme opposing political parties?
• Establish justice for celebrities and wealthy?
• Secure liberty in the middle east?
• Domestic tranquility? Where?
• General welfare for the wealthy only?
• Blessings of liberty for illegal immigrants?

Sickens me and I am sure the founding father’s would say. “No no no…that’s not what we are trying to do here”! I am blowing this up a bit and haven’t completely focused my thoughts on it all I am sure but it still irks me the way things are becoming. We need change. We need to put into office politicians who are regular, intelligent American citizens. Not people who have made millions by beating the system and then want to continue beating the system on behalf of their politcal party in office. I want people that will focus on the spirit of the founding fathers and the ideals that this country was originally built upon. I am not a religious person at all but even in the bible (good lessons to be learned in there) Jesus speaks many different times about how the wealthy people will not make it to Heaven. The simple reason I see behind that is that there is rarely, if any way to be a good christian and still amass extreme wealth. There has to be a time when you comprimise your beliefs for the money. Politicians do the same in business. They comprimise their values for money. Then it becomes easy for them and when they get into office they comprimise their values for money, votes, law etc. I am running away with these thoughts. I better stop now and put more thought into this whole thing!

I sissied out! :)

As much as I LOVE riding my Harley everyday, when it comes to cold rain pouring down on me (while riding 50mph) and soaking/freezing me to the bone, I drawn the line! Today I wimped out and drove my comfy, warm, dry, car to work! I guess I pay for it, I might as well get a little use out of it now and again!

Makers meet! LOL

The inventor of the Harley Davidson Motorcycle Corporation, Arthur Davidson died & went to heaven. At the gates, St. Peter told Arthur, “Since you’ve been such a good man & your motorcycles have changed the world, your reward is that you can hang out with anyone you want in Heaven.” Arthur thought about it for a minute and then said, “I want to hang out with God.” St. Peter took Arthur to the Throne Room, and introduced him to God. Arthur then asked God, “Hey, aren’t you the inventor of woman?” God said, “Ah, yes.” “Well,” said Arthur, “professional to professional, you have some major design flaws in your invention:

1. There’s too much inconsistency in the front-ends.
2. It chatters constantly at high speeds.
3. Most of the rear ends are too soft and wobble too much.
4. The intake is placed way too close to the exhaust.
5. And the maintenance costs are outrageous.”

“Hmmmm, you may have some good points there,” replied God, “hold on.” God went to his Celestial super computer, typed in a few words and waited for the results. The computer printed out a slip of paper and God read it. “Well, it may be true that my invention is flawed,” God said to Arthur, “but according to these numbers………….more men are riding my invention than yours.”:)

These boots are made for…

I have been shopping for boots lately. I have been discouraged in my choices of all the Harley branded boots that cost $150-$200. I won’t get into my view on wearing EVERYTHING Harley. I was at the gun show today and snagged a pair of Pre-issued, Army Surplus Gortex boots for $30. They fit great, they are already broken in, they will keep my feet warm and dry in the upcoming cold days, they look great and did I mention that they were $30? Sweet! If you don’t mind that they don’t say Harley Davidson on them, grab a pair, they are well worth it!

The Gutter-Boyz!!!

Sometime during our 1st annual motorcycle birthday “ride”, I came up with the name of the “gutter boys” for our little group of 5 riders. We all seemed to like it fine. One of my brothers then added “…and what happens in the gutter, stays in the gutter!!” We accepted it as our name and motto. Since my 1st email to my brothers about this innagural ride, this group and our interest in it has been growing. It is growing with us and also growing to friends and other family members. We have already planned our next annual ride for Sept ’07 and by the looks of things it will be huge! We already have about 30 riders wanting to participate!!! To help keep it all organized, I created a website: http://guttersociety.com There we can plan future rides, dicuss past rides, share tips and knowledge, ask questions, post pictures and basically have a web place for us to meet. This will be our home base. It is still in it’s infancy but I am sure the content will grow quickly.

Out on the town!

Digital video cams go USB2

Looks like the Video camera manufactures are listening!! For years now, digital video cameras used “firewire” for the transfer to a computer for backup and editing. It is fantastic but not many computers come standard with a firewire port. Only Apple and Sony make this the norm. USB2 has been out for years now and it is plenty fast for the transfer. 90% of all computers come with a USB2 port and no firewire port. Now, most, if not all, of the consumer and prosumer digital cameras that I have researched in my search for a new one, are USB2 based and not firewire. To me this is a fantastic move. To be able to tell most all users/consumers that this new High definition camera will work with your existing PC with no need for upgrade cards is a HUGE deal to me. I know the Mac and Sony both have firewire but they do not make up enough of the market to warrant 1394 over usb2 as a standard for a consumer market. Maybe the pro level stuff will continue to use firewire as many of the video houses are outfitted with firewire based legacy systems. I am excited personally because I know that I can now transfer video and edit on my laptop or any of my family or friends laptop without having to install a card and software. Moviemaker2, the camera and a cable. LOVE IT!!! Now I just have to hope that my computers have enough juice to comfortably edit HD.

Pesky Mosquitos!!!

Recently, I was called to investigate a “screeching, high-pitched” sound coming out of a computer. When I got to the computer, I heard nothing. The young lady in the room was freaking out about how loud it was. Thinking that maybe I was just losing my hearing from playing in a band for so long, I brought in others. Only 2 people heard this magical sound. I was stumped. How could I fix a problem on a PC, if I can’t heard a problem. I gambled and replaced the power supply thinking that it was the only component that could generate such a sound. I was correct. She was happy and I left it at that. I took the old power supply and put it into the donor pc that I took her new one from. Then I shelved it. Today, I got a call stating that a users PC died. I investigated and found that it was a bad power supply. I remembered that I had a similar pc in my office (forgot about the sound issue) and installed it into her pc. It worked! 15 minutes later I received a phone call from the user. She was highly irritated and told me about this evil sound coming from her pc. I instantly remembered the previous user’s complaints and said that I would come down after lunch and fix it for her. I didn’t know to the extent this sound was annoying her. She was complaining to her peers in the office and it was freaking her out. She finally got up and went home as it was making her ill. The others in the room though she was just over reacting or crazy. The very same response I gave the first time I saw this.

I decided to do some research and quickly found that she was indeed hearing a noise and that I was just too old to hear it. I found that as we age we lose the high end frequencies from our range. This is something that is being exploited now in 2 areas. 1 to the advantage of teens and the other against them. In their favor is the fact that kids are now using a mobile phone ringtone that is at about 17k frequency range. A sound that is audible almost exlusively by teens. It’s known as the “Mosquito” tone. Some people in their 20′s can hear it and relatively few above 30 can hear that high. So they set their mobile phone ringer to it and teachers cannot hear it!! WOW!! I was blown away and immediately felt much older than I have ever felt! Next, is the scenario against them. Retail stores in malls are pumping this sound out in front of their store fronts and in areas where kids are loitering as those kids often drive away paying adults. This sound can be so irritating that the kids just leave. They cannot stand it. Just like the girl at my job. The sound was so bad she had to leave.

The NY Times published a story on just this. You can actually download the file and see if you can even hear it!

Hot Harley!

I simply LOVE this bike!

"Bless her heart"!

People in TN often say “Bless her heart” when speaking of someone in a sympathetic tone. Today I found myself saying just that! A woman called me in my office and said she was having trouble with a program. I told her that I need her to send a screenshot of the error so I can pass it off to the developer. I fully understand that not everyone knows how to do a screenshot. I was happy to explain it to her. Here is the conversation from that point on:

user: “I don’t know how to do a screenshot”.
me: “It’s ok, I will help you. With the error showing on your screen, press the ‘print screen’ key on your keyboard”.
user: “ok, I did it”
me: “Now open up your ‘Word’ program and select the ‘EDIT’ menu. Then choose ‘PASTE’. This will put the picture of your screen into a Word document that you can then email to me”.
user: “You lost me”.
me: “Which part didn’t you get?”
user: “What is WORD”.

It got worse from there but you get the idea. A woman that has been using Microsoft Office, Excel, Word and Outlook for YEARS, didn’t know that the “W” icon on her desk opens “WORD”. OMG!!! “Bless her heart!!!”

Road rage

I am in control. Years ago, I would have followed the guy, yanked him out of his car and beat the shit out of him. That was who I “was”. Today, although just as angry, I chose to let it go and let my retaliation be through a call to the police and an entry in my blog. Today, on the way to work a young man cut me off within a mere foot of my motorcycle. That surprised me more than made me angry. I tried to say to myself that maybe he just didn’t see me or wasn’t paying attention. Then I watched him from a couple car lengths back. He proceeded to tailgate the car in front of him, now 2 cars in front of me. He was weaving around as if he had his liver in his hand and just HAD to make it to the hospital (but the hospital was in the other direction). He was obviously frustrated by the car in front of him and weaved back into the right lane to pass him only to find that EVERYONE was going slow. There was a red light up ahead during rush hour traffic. We were doing about 15mph at this point and now there was a big gap where he was in front of me and my exit lane was about 50feet ahead. I pulled up into this space and when I got there, my lane started to move faster than his. This is where my surprise turned into complete rage! He cut into my lane right into my space. He saw I was there. I was right in his window. I was blasting my horn and was only 6 inches from his face. HE KEPT COMING!!! He forced me and my bike into the median!! I am glad I was only going about 15. It happened so fast. He just didn’t care for a human life. He was trying to ram me out of HIS way with a 3000 lb car. Getting to work for him was more important than a human life…MY human life!!! He wasn’t pushing against another car. He was pushing against a human being exposed on a motorcycle. You can imagine the thoughts that were now running through my mind. If you knew me 15 years ago, you would know that far less has prompted me to bust someone’s face up. I was at such odds with myself. On one hand I could “get even” inflicting massive pain and a couple weeks worth of discomfort to this well-deserved low-life. OR…I could swallow my pride and ride on. I chose the latter. With age comes wisdom and temperament. Don’t get me wrong here. It is a fine line I am teetering on. I wasn’t and am still not sure that a good beating would help me resolve this issue to my satisfaction. I know this will eat away at me for weeks. A beating would have ended this issue in minutes. I will deal! I called the police and they will probably not do a thing. Oh well such is life!!!
Here are some links on the matter.
http://www.ehow.com/how_10524_deal-with-road.html
http://www.danesheriff.com/roadrage.htm

Embrace the vertical!!!

In my job as the “IT guy”, I often deal with people rearranging their office or moving into a new office. They often seem to have more stuff then they have space. They measure and measure again, trying to cram every last book shelf (full of books they never read) and PC peripheral stand into whatever space they can grab. It’s all about the square feet! People refer to it all the time in regards to house space too. “How many square feet is it”? “Did you see that huge house? It must be X square feet!!” We are programmed to look at things in terms of 2-D. I find that when I bring up that good old forgotten 3rd dimension, people return a blank stare as if to say “huh?”. I say “VER-TI-CLE!!!” If you can’t go across or around, go up! Seems so simple and obvious yet forgotten more often than not. Stack that printer on a small shelf above the fax machine. Stack those little 2 drawer filing cabinets up to make 4 drawer cabinets. Put your PC “under” your monitor and toss the $3 monitor stand in the trash. These are just a few examples off the top of my head but I know that if we remind each other to embrace the vertical..The sky is the limit! or the ceiling if indoors!

Big & Beefy!

Here is the stock skinny front wheel and tire on my Harley. I am a big guy and wanted a big front wheel and tire. The second pic is my new setup!! Big and Beefy!!:)

Glad I practiced those fish tails!!!

The other day, Joe, my riding buddy, and I were goofin around on our Harleys and locking up our rear wheels at different speeds. We were doing it for fun more so than any kind of practice. It came in handy 2 days in a row!

Incident #1. I was riding home last night down Bell Road in Nashville. The stretch I was on was 5 lanes wide. 2 in each direction and a full lane in the middle for turning. I was in the right lane. A woman was in a parking lot 5 lanes over. She pulled out directly across all the lanes to make it to the other side of the street into another parking lot. What do you think she did when she finally looked to the right and saw me coming? Yep! You guessed it! She slammed on her brakes and sat smack dab in the middle of my lane. She was looking at me with a “I am a stupid friggin’ idiot” look on her face. I slammed both bakes and locked my back up. My back wheel started to come around on me. When I slowed enough, I let go of the brakes and swerved around her. I was tempted to go and try to beat living stupid out of her but decided that no good would come of it.

Incident #2. Today on the way to work (same road, different area) a man comin at me in from the opposite direction, fell asleep behind the wheel and drifted across the middle, across 2 lanes on my side and was about to run off the road. My plan was to go left around him and let him just crash off into the trees! No skin off my back. However! At the very last possible second, he woke up and what do you think he did as he awakened from his slumber to find that he was about to die but lethal tree injection? He whipped his wheel back to his right to get all the way back across all the traffic to the correct side of the road! Which means that now he was aiming directly at me avoid his initial path of death. Once again my practice paid off as I slammed my brakes and skidded out of the way!

Let me clarify one thing. Motorcycles are not dangerous! Trust me! Relatively few motorcyclists ever kill themselves on a bike. It is the stupid asshole in the car that is dangerous. They are the ones that kill people! If you are so tired that you can’t stay awake. Call in late and nap on the side of the road. If you are so stupid that you would cross 5 lanes of traffic during rush hour without looking, stay home permanently. We don’t want either of you killing everyone!

New Seat

I finally received my new seat for my Harley! It is a Lepera King Cobra and it sits about 1.5″ lower than stock.

I am still full!

Last night Amanda took me out for my birthday dinner. We went to Macaroni Grill. It is one of my favorites! She suprised me by contacting many of my friends and having them there when we walked in. I was truely suprised. The waiter even sang “Happy Birthday” to me in Italian. That was a huge treat. Much better than the annoying “clapping” song they sing at O’Charley’s and places like that. We ate and ate and then ate some more. I also enjoy some wonderful Coppola Cabernet. I will be buying a bottle or two of this for the house real soon. Anyway…I had an incredible time and my belly is still in full from the meal and the chocolate cake afterwards. I will need to do 7 more hours on our eliptical trainer to burn 1/2 of it off! I am so blessed to not only have a great family but some awesome friends too! Thanks Amanda for making my birthday perfect!

Lots of $$$ just sitting there!!!

Here’s a thought for ya. At my company’s parking lot alone, there are about 160 cars. After looking them all over, I estimate the total worth is about 6 MILLION dollars. That is just my one little tiny nook of the world. A miniscule representation of what is out there. After calculating this, I thought further and realized that this is an enourmous amount of each owners income and it just SITS THERE DAY IN AND DAY OUT!!! $20,ooo to $100,000 each and they sit in the sun and rain for 8 to 9 hours a day. Then after a 45 minute drive home, they sit all night in a driveway or a garage with a weekly trip to church and grocery store. WOW!! What a waste of money! I know some may feel that the 90 minutes a day the average person spends in a car each day should be spent in comfort, reliability safety and style. I am not offering a solution or saying it is wrong to want a nice car. I do too! I only want to bring to light this amazing observation. We spend 1/4 the cost of our homes on vehicles that sit in two spots most of their life. Then a few years later we go into more debt to buy another one!

International Talk like a Pirate day!!

Avast, me hearties! Tis Sept 19th, my birthday, tis also International Talk like a Pirate day!! So whilst I’ll be all tied up with pillagin’, plunderin’ and consumin’ o’ the rum, you gits yer ta swabin tha deck an don’t forgets ta feed yar parrot. Aye aye aye yeee!
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

The Big 4 0!!!

Today marks my completion of 40 years of life and the start of my 41st year. I have lived a great life thus far. I have had my share of pitfalls but for most of my life I have been blessed. I have made great friends and shared wonderful times with my family. Life keeps getting better and better. I look forward to my next 40 years. If I am so lucky to have 40 more. I only have 1 nagging question that I can never seem to answer or figure out. “When do I start feeling like an adult?” Maybe having children forces you into the role and mindset of adult. I have not be so blessed in that area. So I guess I will live on as a kid! That’s not necessarily a bad thing!

Video from the ride

I brought my lil pocket camera with me on the ride last week. I captured some video and added a version of me performing Born to be wild in my home studio. It’s rough as it was done quickly. I am too lazy to work on it and make it better. LOL! It’s on the video page as it is. Enjoy. http://skramnor.com/videos

Is electronic voting safe???

(brought to my attention by my friend Brent)
Electronic voting is, in theory, a great way to hold elections. The votes can be tallied more rapidly over manually counting paper ballots. However, we appear to not be completely ready to rely on this technology. It appears that the security needed is not yet in place. Princeton University demonstrates how easy it is to hack a voting machine and change the results. Watch the video in this just released report: http://itpolicy.princeton.edu/voting/

Something similar happened to the Diebold machines that were caught swapping votes in Volusia County Florida. Had the theft not been so blatant in that precinct, it may never have been caught:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volusia_error

I could start down a path of speculating what world and American events might be different if certain elections turned out differently. I won’t. I will let your own imagination work on this one.

It’s called RUSH hour for a reason.

I think rush hour needs to be a team event. We need to start thinking like “we all have to get to work” not “I need to get to work“. When the light changes, we all need to move forward in unison. When someone needs to merge into traffic, we need to lighten up and make a little space. At the same time, when someone does make some space, we need to move into it and not be so hesitant or not wait until they slow to a crawl and make a 5 car legnth area for you to move into. This slows the whole team down! Traffic is like the proverbial chain. It’s only as fast as the slowest car or weakest link. So If you feel like driving slow, realize that you are making people late for work. I have heard people say “if you are in such a rush, leave early”. Not a 100% reasonable view. Most people find the time that best allows them to get to work under normal circumstances. I personally leave home at 6:45 and get to work at 7:25. I have 5 minutes to spare so that I do not need to rush. However, when 1 slow car drives next to another slow car for 5 miles or so, the line of cars behind them piles up and the traffic becomes rediculous. We get caught light after light after light. I should be able to make at least 1/2 of those lights. So for each light I get stuck behind, it’s another minute on the road. If the line builds up enough, we can get stuck at each light for 2 cycles. Now we are looking at 10 to 15 minutes late. If we were to leave 15 minutes early everyday just to make time for the slow, selfish drivers doing 10mph under the speed limit on the cell phone, I would be sitting at work 15 minutes early everyday that I don’t happen to meet with that driver. That adds up to a few weeks of work time with no pay for it every year. So…I have rambled on as usual. To sum it all up…If you want to drive slow, that’s perfectly ok…just MOVE OVER AND LET THE REST OF THE WORLD PASS!!!!

1 Hitch…0 Guns!!!

The weekend was fantastic but did not go off without a hitch. My entire handgun collection was stolen from my house. So we werent able to shoot as planned. I called the police and my insurance company. Now our fingers are crossed that they are found somewhere. I am devistated over this loss.

The Gutterboys!!!

We had a fantastic, unbelievable weekend of riding. We have now formed an informal family and friends riding group. The “Gutterboys”!!! We realized that most of the time our minds were in the gutter. LOL!!! The quote from biggest brother was “What happens in the gutter, stays in the gutter!” We plan on making this an annual event. Well, what started out with 1..me…in my garage with my lone bike, quickly grew into 2 and then 5 and then 7 and then 9. We rode until our butts were sore, stopped for beer and food and then rode some more. I can’t even stick on one thought long enough to write this blog entry! Here are a couple pictures from the ride for those of you who have been wondering how it all turned out. I am in the process of making a 4 minute video that will hopefully capture what we did this weekend. This weekend reminded me how lucky I am to have the best brothers a man could hope for and a family that makes me proud to be a part of it. more to come soon.

It’s here, it’s here!!!

I can’t believe it’s here! Today is the day my brothers fly to Nashville to join me on a weekend of Harley riding to celebrate my 40th Birthday! Actually we are celebrating all 3 of our birthdays but I arranged this to give me something special for my 40th. I am so excited. More excited than Christmas! Much fun and many pictures to follow!

Making too big a stink out of this?

This post will most likely only be understood by men. Women might not have the same issue. Sometimes you have to use the mens room during work hours. A row of urinals is fine as long as they have the little divider between them. That is just enough privacy to let you do your thing. However. The thin, raised wall between the #2 stalls is just not enough privacy to release the Jalepeno, chili dog you just had for lunch when you see the shoes of a co-worker about 1 foot away! You would think most guys know this and go to another bathroom or at least a couple stalls away when they see, and here someone already in a stll. Maybe some just don’t care. Maybe I am just picky about making noises that could scare a rhino while trying to hold back the “grunt” as your co-worker talks to his wife on the cell phone. “LEAVE ME ALONE!!! CAN’T YOU SEE I AM BUSY???” Ok ok. I think if there is going to be multiple stalls in a work bathroom, have some musak playing or separate them a bit. I don’t want to drop a bomb and then have a co-worker go and tell everyone “Dern, you would not believe what just happened!“. Maybe I am making too big a stink out of this!!!

…for pizza???

What is going on these days? We have all been paying out the @$$ for gasoline and even a gallon of milk is at ridiculous in price. I know we have all heard older folks say…”I can remember when a movie cost a nickel…and you got a coke and candy for that nickel!” I understand the sentiment behind those statements. I remember when gasoline was $.50 cents a gallon and milk was $.99 cents a gallon. I also remember movies going up to the then outrageous price of $2. TWO DOLLARS??? ARE YOU CRAZY??? So I do understand times changing. However!!! It does not seem all that long ago when you could get a slice of pizza for a buck. That’s not all that crazy. I mean a pizza costs about $10 or so now and you get 8 -12 slices. I think even $1.50 or $1.75 would still be fair. Today I went out for lunch and figured I would get a cheap lunch and just grab 2 slices and a coke. I went to a place nearby, Joey’s Pizza in Brentwood TN. The line was long as the food there is pretty good. I went up and ordered my 2 slices. 1 With pepperoni and one meat lovers. I looked all over the menu and could not find the price. Didn’t think it would matter much. So they got the food ready and then I made my way to the register. “That will be $9.05 please!” WTF???? $2.55 for a pepperoni slice and $5.25 for a meatlovers SLICE!!! Holy rats-@$$!!! $1.25 for a coke was normal and expected. The $.0 25 cents per refill was NOT!!! Now I feel like an old man saying “I remember when….”

Wine Season, Beer Season, Wine Season, FIRE!!!

For me there are two seasons. Wine Season in the fall and winter and Beer season in the Spring and Summer. This not a hard and fast rule but rather a guideline for me. When it’s warm or hot I like a nice beer to keep me cool and in the mood. When it gets cooler out, wine temps are more appropriate for my preferences. I don’t like being hot and having wine. I will enjoy many of my favorite standards but the adventure of trying new and exciting wines, is something I look forward to. So many to choose from. I can’t wait!

This week

This is the week my brothers and I ride! I can’t believe it’s so close. Months of planning are only a few days away. Some final cleaning and shopping and we are ready. It even looks like we are going to have clear skies and low 80s for Thursday- Sun. So far everything is working out great! I am soooo excited!!

US Redneck Special Forces!! (fake)

The Pentagon announced TODAY the formation of a new 500-man elite fighting unit called the United States Redneck Special Forces (USRSF).
These Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, West Virginia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas boys will be dropped off into Iraq and have been given only the following facts about terrorists:
1. The season opened today.
2. There is no limit.
3. They taste just like chicken.
4. They don’t like beer, women, pickups, country music or Jesus.
The Pentagon expects the problem in Iraq to be over by Monday.

Forts and impulses

Funny how after all these years of being an “adult”, I still like to play on the floor like a kid. Amanda and I built a new oak platform bed last weekend. It sits about 16″ off the floor. PLENTY of room for a fort. LOL! I got home from work yesterday and a had an urge to grab my laptop, my pillow and my dog and “hide” under the bed like a kid. I am glad that I am not so old and stoggy that I actually did it. It was fun! I don’t know why but it was fun. I love to do things like that. I keep saying that one of these days I am going to sleep in my garage for no real reason. I guess cause I can. Gotta remember to do the silly impulsive things in life before the time comes when you can’t anymore!

Hog Heaven!!!

Maybe it’s a guy thing. Maybe I am just weird but I like to just hang out in my garage with my bike!! Notice the radio in the corner? My Mom bought that for me 27 years ago and it still works! Thanks Mom!

Gorgeous Amanda!!!

Words are insufficient!

Butt..

Another thing I noticed recently that I noticed before but no to the extent I see it now that I ride a motorcycle everyday. People like to throw cigarette butts out of their car window. I don’t know if they think someone will clean it up or that they are biodegradable or maybe that “it’s so small” it won’t matter. Well IT DOES!!! Take 4 cigarette butts ( 2 for the ride to work and 2 for the ride home) and put them in a pile. Do this everyday for a year and you will accumulate 1460 butts in just one year! Do that year after year after year and then mutiply that number by the amount of smokers in each town and city who have the selfish disregard for their surroundings, nature and the other people who have to see this crap everywhere and you have a FRIGGIN HUGE ASS PILE OF BUTTS EVERYWHERE! On a motorcycle you can really see the collection of butts at each an every stop light and intersection. Tired of these rude-ass, selfish smokers! Not all smokers, mind you but all the one’s who litter (obviously alot of them do). At my last job, the company banned indoor smoking and made people use a designated area outside. There were containers placed out there for the butts to be put in but they were barley used. The parking lot became littered with hundreds and hundreds of cigarette butts. It was sad to think that the company was being run by people so petty as to litter as a protest or were that plain lazy.

NOTES:
Check out this link for more info http://www.longwood.edu/CLEANVA/cigarettelitterhome.html

2 more weeks…

I can’t believe it’s only 2 weeks away. I started planning my 40th birthday Harley ride with my brothers months ago! They are flying to Nashville and renting Harleys. We are going to ride all weekend. Hitting the Flying Saucer, Bikini Beach, Jonathans as well as a slew of places to eat. We are also going to the range to shoot my collection of firearms. I can hear my mom now…”Boys and their toys!” LOL! Mom and her Husband are going to come and visit as well. I am going to take my mother on her very first motorcycle ride ever. That will be one of the highlights of my weekend! Of course there will be pictures and videos on my site after the weekend is over. This is also the weekend that most of my family meets Amanda for the 1st time!

Bar rolled back.

I took the drag bar off the Harley and put the stock bar back on. I had to take off the turn signals so that I could roll the bar back as far as I did. I rolled it back about 90 degrees! HUGE difference. I love it! Can’t tell much in this cell phone pic so I will take some pix this weekend and post them on my pictures page at skramnor.com

The most important person!

So many people act as if they are the most important person in a company. How many times will I have to hear someone say “If I don’t get this file working, the company is in deep $hiT!!”. You can see it in their face and hear it in their voice when they stop you in the hall and ask you to come fix their pc. I try to politely tell them that I will get to them as soon as a I can. They then get a flabbergassed look on their face like…”WHAT? You are goin to help someone else with their little piddly problem before my immense, company bankrupting, problem?” Uh…yes! I have to prioritze. Sometimes the person who called last with a billing application crash has to come before the person who called at 7:30 in the am and needs me to turn up their speakers so they can hear the latest email joke video. Everyone should remember this:
“We are all important but we can all be replaced”.

Meat-n-tree! (spoken with a NJ accent)

Got on the Harley for a nice lunch ride. The weather is fantastic this afternoon. I happened by a small lil Meat and 3 (TN style cafe where they give you a choice of a meat and 3 different sides. A little lame but charming none the less! LOL). This particular place is called the “Copper Kettle”. It is right across from David Lipscom University so you can imagine that it is full of college kids. I did, however see Kathy Mattea there. Anywho… I ate lunch there, it was very tasty and I had a Birch Beer. I haven’t had one in many years. All in all it was a nice ride and lunch!

Soooo out of shape!

Amand and I bought an eliptical trainer for home. The model we got is suprisingly sturdy. Feels like one you would use at a gym. Heavy duty and solid. Anyway, after about 45 minutes we had it assembled and I took my first spin on it. Soo sad! I was good for about 1 minute. My heart was pounding and my legs were burning. I can’t believe how out of shape I am. We are going to make a strong effort to use this for 10 minutes in the am and 20 in the PM. Obviously it may take us a while to get up to that speed but we are going to give it a whirl!

A/C Update

Seems that everytime my old heatpump dies, the 1st repairman that comes out tells me that its not fixable and that I need to buy a new system. Then they immediately grab their brochure and try to sell me a new system. The 1st time it happened I was so scared. I couldn’t afford to put out $6000. I thought about it and then decided to ask around. A friend recommended a guy who came out and looked at it. Said, “your coil’s dirty and you have a freon leak….I can fix both!” I said ok much better than $6000. After about 1 hour, he had the coil cleaned (he showed me and it was disgusting and filled with mold) and also had the freon leak found and soldered it up tight! He recharged the system and gave me the bill. $75 labor and $25 for freon. WHAT??? I thought I needed a new system! This guy not only did a fantastic professional job, he explained alot to me and charged me a fair price. So this week when my a/c died again, I tried to call him. He is now working for a major company and has a new baby at home. So he no longer does side work. He did recommend of friend of his. I call him and left a message. I couldn’t wait any longer as living with no AC in August is painful! I had to call someone else. This other guy came out and looked at the system. He told me it was the “Reversing Valve”. I was pretty sure that’s what it was anyway as I did some research on heat pumps and through the past few years of keeping my 26 year old heat pump working, I have learned a bit a bout it. The man told me it would be $1000 to replace the valve. “I have to unweld the fittings and rebuild the connections and then reweld them..It will take a good part of the day.” He tried to make it sound harder by calling “SOLDERING”..”WELDING”. OMG! I told him that I would get back to him. Luckily the guy who was recommended to me called back and after I told him what was up, he gave me a few options! I was so happy! He couldn’t make it out to the house until the next morning. I literally had to sleep in my car that night. I just couldn’t handle it. Anyway. The man came out to the house and looked at the valve and then told me. “Didn’t need a new valve…just a new solenoid for the valve. It was an EASY fix and your all set! WOW!! COLD air again and it only took the man 1 hour. It really pays to get 2nd or even 3rd opinions. It would be like someone telling you that your brakes are bad and that you need to buy a new car!!!

A/C died

The A/C died in my house. It didn’t die during the mild season. Of course not! It had to die in the middle of the hottest part of the summer. It has been in the mid 90′s and humid lately. We have been having to go out for LOOOONG dinners and drinks the past 2 nights. Sleeping has been a challenge as well. All the windows are open to allow for a slight breeze. The temp isn’t so bad at night. It’s all the stinking NOISE that makes it hard ot sleep. Dogs barking, cars driving down the road, airplanes over head and all the crickets. Things I am not used to hearing. We have a guy comin out today to look at the system. Our fingers are crossed hoping it won’t break the bank to fix whatever is wrong.

Another lesson learned.

This weekend I decided to work a little on my Harley. all I really wanted to do was change out my handlebar and remove my front turnsignals. The turnsignals are not required in 20 states, 1 being TN. I wanted to leave the back ones on and just remove the fronts to clean things up a bit. OK, I figured the bar would take me a bout 20 minutes and 20 for the turn signals. Boy was I wrong! The handle bar came off quite easily as did all the wiring, controls and grips. The new bar went on without a hitch until it was time to tighten the screw for the controls. STRIPPED!! DERN!! I was barely turning the allen wrench when it gave way and starting free turning. So off to the Harley dealer I went for a new cover. $35 for one cover! WAH!! I didn’t buy it. I went back home and thought about it some more and realized that the cover had much more thread depth than the screw needed. So I went to home depot and bought a longer screw. VIOLA! It worked!! WOOHOO!! a $.79 screw and $15 in gas for the car.
OK now to the turn signals. The come right off with no problem. Now to the wiring for it. I followed the wiring for the signals under the gas tank and couldn’t see where it went from there. I wanted to unplug them instead of cutting the wire so I could put it back together if ever I needed to. I decide to take off the gas tank to get to the wire. I unbolted the tank and started to move it up and out of the way. I only needed a few inches. No big deal right? WRONG. I immediately started to feel the cool sensation of gasoline running down my leg! I quickly grabbed a bucket and let the now disconnected fuel line drip into the bucket. I found out that there is a “quick release” plug on the hose that goes from the fuel tank to the fuel injection. BROKEN. WAH yet again!. Another trip to Harely. “Can’t be too much…it’s onbly a little piece of plastic. Wrong yet again! $45. Screw that! I decided to not reinstall the quick release and just use the hose with the clamps. So I rebuild the bike back up only to find that when the quick release broke a leak was created in the hose as well. So off to the auto parts store for some hose. Well after 3 trips to the Auto store and some reasearch, I finally found the correct 5/16″ “Fuel-injection” hose. No just “fuel line” but “Fuel-injection”. There is a difference and I am glad I took the time to investigate. Anyway. All in all it was about 6 hours and $35 in parts and another $30 in gas for the car just to take off my turn signals! Next time, I will get a service manual. LESSON LEARNED!!!
NOTE: The bike is running great and looks awesome with the lower bar and no turn signals!

New bar

I installed my new handle bar on my Harley! SWEET!!! I am going to cut them down a few inches. I think it is a bit wide.

How big is big enough?

If you have read my blog for a while you might get the impression that I don’t like big business and corporate this or that. Well, you’d be right. I just started thinking about this recently. It seems that people that start businesses, even if small and start with the mind set of “growth”. That is not a bad premise. Growth can be good. The company grows and it can afford to take better care of it’s customer’s needs and even offer a better life for it’s employees. To an extent only I feel. It seems that there should be a goal in mind alongside just growth. Like growth to certain point. Big enough to make enough money to be happy, keep a good solid workforce happy and to continue to serve customers in a way that they will return for your product or service. I appears that many executives get “growth” ingrained into their business style or plan and never plateau or even slow down. Growth at any cost!!! They buy out companies for their revenue and milk them to fund more growth. It never seems to end until either you are lucky to be a Microsoft, or Exxon etc. Many aren’t that lucky and grow to failure, bankruptcy, layoffs or closures. Isn’t there or shouldn’t there be a point when you don’t have to grow anymore? Or at least not at the same pace. I feel that once a company has reached a certain level, they can cut back on new sales and focus on product or service delivery. I see companies put so much emphasis on NEW SALES that they forget they already have wonderful customers willing to continue a relationship. That is until products start to suffer often due to lack of resources or man power. A large portion of a company’s budget often goes to sales. Sales in my experience has little to do with current customer base and much more to do with new customers. The existing customers suffer and eventually go to another company. I wonder if making sales not a percentage of new sales based pay but rather a percentage of retention would slow growth but still keep a company profitable. Sales could work closer with customer service and marketing to find ways of keeping the good customers they already have. Then more money could be invested in the current customers. Seems that many salesmen get paid FAT cash, never make the mark that is set out for them and then get fired to bring in other salesmen to try to do it. Sales isn’t the point of this blog entry as much as is growth. Growth beyond “steady” hurts customers, employees and families. The premises and foundations of good company seem to get over powered by the aspirations of greedy executives who need to buy bigger and better houses, cars and vacations but what do I know about nuttin’ anyway???

Not normal but very welcome!

It is such a great feeling seeing your girlfriend walk into a room looking hot and sexy and all the guys turn and gawk (myself included). A better feeling than that is knowing with no doubt that the only one’s attention she wants is MINE! I haven’t had that security since my divorce many years ago. You might think that such a level of security is normal in a relationship. I am here to say it is not!!

Messy Folders

OK here is a rant that most of you won’t get to much out of but I need to say it anyway! It is bad enough when people keep their pc’s desktop littered with a hundred usless icons that they never use and probably don’t even know what half of them are for. That is a big peave for me being that I am the person that has to fix their pc when it’s not working correctly. I tolerate it though as it is “their” desktop. what I can’t otlerate is people using my servers for a dumping ground for folders and files. The users have to have read/write access to the shares as it is part of their job though. I have 3 servers dedicated to just hosting files. 1 is for all the users to put whatever they want on their own personal share. They cna litter it as they see fit and I back it up for them, no questions asked. The 2nd is for archives and no one has write access. So this leave the main production server where everyone does their job. I spent months building this folder structure and migrating all the data from all the old servers into department specific folders. I even made a public folder that people all have access to so that they may share across departments. This is apparently not good enough for the lazy @$$ slobs who still litter the directories with folders and files with names so ambigous, I cannot even find where they belong. Names such as “JP So July” or “files” or even better “new folder” and “new folder2“. OMG!!!

Other: I won’t even get into the issue where people put spaces in the folder names and then use a “mapped drive” to email a link to someone in a different state with there own mappings to different servers. Like…The file you want is here: O:\files for johnny\spreadsheet.xls. THAT WON”T WORK!!!! ARGGG!!!

Got fish!

I have had a fish tank for about 3 years but had no fish! LOL! Amanda and I cleaned it up and bought a couple plants for it. Then coincidentaly my friend Connie was giving away some fish so I got them and we put them in the tank today. What a difference. Having something to actually look at in there makes it much more fun!

Good for Exxon bad for average Joe

Today, News Channel 5 in Nashville TN reported that Exxon/Mobile posted earnings today for this past quarter. They “PROFITED” 92 billion dollars. The 1st time in history that an American company has earned more that 1 Billion Dollars per day PROFIT!!! Something is wrong when the American people are struggling with high gas prices when obviously there is not a real cause other than greed. The sad part is that I would have a hard time signing off on some kind of government regulation. You know you have give them props in a way. If they can make that money, more power to them. Kinda like people bashing Bill Gates for years. He was making money and we were giving it to him. He never twisted our arms and say BUY MICROSOFT OR ELSE. Now maybe he made it tough for Computer manufactures and Developers but thats another story. We put ourselves in this position by allowing ourselves to be so dependant on a specific products. Maybe we could all eventually get off this dependence on oil but maybe we would then be dependent on the companies that make batteries or solar panels!

Oh what a feeling!!!

I cannot begin to explain the amazing feeling I get from riding my Harley!!! I went riding around with a buddy of mine tonight. Cruising a couple bars and enjoying the night. We ended up at Hooters of all places! LOL! Amanda met us there and we had a great time. The best part was the ride home. It was dark and cool out and my bike was rumbling. I love riding at night!! So peaceful. I am so looking forward to my brothers coming in Sept for “The Ride ’06″. My bike might just be the best purchase I have ever made!

Solar Power

EVERY minute the sun pounds the earth’s surface with more energy than the world consumes yearly. Daily, the sun drops enough to supply electricity to the whole world for 27 years.

"Wife 1.0"

Dear Tech Support:
Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend version 7.0 to Wife version 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0 , Hunting and Fishing 7.5 , and Racing 3.6 I can’t seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I’m thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn’t work on Wife 1.0. Please help!
Thanks,
A Troubled User

REPLY:
Dear Troubled User:
This is a very common problem that men complain about. Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM. You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife1.0 and work on improving the situation. I suggest installing the background application “Yes Dear” to alleviate software augmentation. The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway. Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0, Cook It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2. However, be very careful how you use these programs . Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag Nag 9.5 Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0! WARNING!!! DO NOT, under any circumstances, install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of luck,
Tech Support

"Not so much the heat…" my eye!! :)

We have all heard people say “it’s not so much the heat, as it is the humidity”. Well here in TN and much of the country in fact, it is all of the above. It is a scorcher out there this week. Reminds me of why I left Texas. It hit 100 by my house yesterday and the heat index is flirting with 105!!! Today is supposed to be even hotter. It sure feels like it. I went for my daily lunch ride on my Harley and WOW! Normally, when I ride, the breeze is enough to keep me comfortable on a warm day. Today the breeze felt like the blast of hot air you feel when you open your oven door and stick your head in to check the turkey! BAM!! It tightens your skin and wears you out. My poor Air-Cooled Harley must have been crying each time we got caught at a traffic light amongst the 20 or so giant SUVs blocking what little breeze there was from cooling my cylinders. I parked her in the shade and will let her rest until we fight the highest temps of the day on the way home in traffic! I am ready for it too cool down a bit now.

Another show!

I am playing with the Dixiewrecks again this Saturday night (7/22/06) at the Church Street Pub in Brentwood TN 8 pm to 12. Should be a bucket of fun at a tiny lil beer joint! Come on down and get your drink on with the band!

People get hurt!

People have the evil ability to say whatever is neccesary to get what they want. Whether it be a new job, attention or worse yet sexual “rewards”. We see it everyday. We all do it or have done it in our past on some level and it’s just plain bad. People get hurt. Not a happy blog post. Sorry.

Blame.

We all blame people for something or another. We say, “My job sucks because of so and so” or “All the people I have dated were jerks” or “my life sucks because this person does this”. I do it myself from time to time. It’s EASY! It’s a quick way to explain the things that we don’t like. Blame it on someone else. Then we can go quickly back to feeling ok about ourselves. “Well, it aint my fault!” Here is the problem as I see it. If you blame someone else for something, you are giving the responsibility of making it better to that person. They will NEVER make it better. They are busy blaming you and everyone else for their woes. They don’t have time to focus on your perception of them doing wrong. Here is the fix! Blame yourself!! Even if you really aren’t sure it’s your fault. Who cares at this point. Nothing is getting better on it’s own. Take the blame. With the blame comes the responsibility to fix the issue. Ok that was easy. Now what? You are now in control of the problem. Take time to analyze it’s root cause and fix it. No more blame is necessary. You can blame the city for not fixing a pot hole that you slam into everyday. They aren’t going to fix it because you blame them. Blame yourself and fix the problem. “Maybe it’s my fault for riding down the same road each and everyday when I know perfectly well there is a huge pot hole that drive me mad! How about I drive a different way home and avoid the pothole”. Problem solved! I know this is a simple analogy but the point is the same. Take responsibility for a problem, blame yourself, own the problem and you can fix it. Leave it someone else’s hands and it won’t get done. I may not have worded this exactly the way I needed to in order to get my point across. I am a bit busy but wanted to get this thought out while it is fresh.

The truth about bikers…

As sent to me in an email from Amanda…

I saw you, hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line.
But, you didn’t see me, put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday.
I saw you, pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk.
But, you didn’t see me, playing Santa at the local mall.
I saw you, change your mind about going into the restaurant.
But, you didn’t see me, attending a meeting to raise more money for the hurricane relief.
I saw you, roll up your window and shake your head when I drove by.
But, you didn’t see me, driving behind you when you flicked your cigarette butt out the car window.
I saw you, frown at me when I smiled at your children.
But, you didn’t see me, when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless.
I saw you, stare at my long hair.
But, you didn’t see me, and my friends cut ten inches off for Locks of Love.
I saw you, roll your eyes at our leather coats and gloves.
But, you didn’t see me, and my brothers donate our old coats and gloves to those that had none.
I saw you, look in fright at my tattoos.
But, you didn’t see me, cry as my children where born and have their name written over and in my heart.
I saw you, change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere.
But, you didn’t see me, going home to be with my family.
I heard you, complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be.
But, you didn’t hear me, when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.
I saw you, yelling at your kids in the car.
But, you didn’t see me, pat my child’s hands, knowing he was safe behind me.
I saw you, reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road.
But, you didn’t see me, squeeze my wife’s leg when she told me to take the next turn.
I saw you, race down the road in the rain.
But, you didn’t see me, get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.
I saw you, run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time.
But, you didn’t see me, trying to turn right.
I saw you, cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in.
But, you didn’t see me, leave the road.
I saw you, waiting impatiently for my friends to pass.
But, you didn’t see me. I wasn’t there.
I saw you, go home to your family.
But, you didn’t see me
Because, I died that day you cut me off.
I was just a biker,…..
A person with friends and a family.
But, you didn’t see me.

OSx86

Operating Systems or OSs are FUN!!! Most people don’t really care. Some are finatics and some just get a kick out of them. I was once a finatic, now I am what I would refer to as an “enthusiast”. You can easily equate this to the world of cars. Which is an analogy I often use. Some people buy whatever reliable car they can get inexpensively. There are others who ONLY buy one brand no matter what. You might remember my rant about brand loyalty a few months ago. Anywho…I find myself in the middle somewhere when it comes to computers these days. I like the fun of trying new OSs and making them work to do the tasks I want them to do. However, I won’t stick to one think for the sake of sticking with it, even if it is inferior for my needs or costs too much for my needs. This has precluded me from utilizing Apple’s OSX for quite some time. I feel the cost of the hardware required to run the OS far exceeded the benifits that could be acheived by using it. In other words you could get just as much work or play done for far less money with another OS and computer such as WindowsXP on a Dell for instance. That is UNTIL NOW!!! Enter OSx86!!! Ever since Apple migrated their hardware architecture to utilize more of the very same components found in all of the “PC” systems available from Dell, Sony, HP and others, hackers have been trying to find ways of running the Mac OSx on their similarly architectured PC’s. Apple had been secretly co-developing it’s OS on it’s old platform as well as the new Intel based platform. Apple made available to developers a special DVD that was intended to give software developers a head start on creating or tweaking their applications for the yet unreleased OSx for Intel Macs. It was “leaked” to the public!!! Many people believe it was done on purpose but unofficially to get a buzz going, to get people excited at the possibilities and in my opinion to allow hackers to do some of the work for free. Who knows? Not me. All I know is that I am typing this blog entry on a (developers) Dell GX260 running OSx for x86 hardware. There is no Windows install, no emulation. Being that I am an enthusiast at best these days, I am not sure if I would want to deal with the lack of support for my ATI9700 pro 3d video card or my M-Audio studio card or the lack of any software to make videos, edit pictures or record my music. It is very exciting to be poking around a “Mac” again. I spent many years learning the ins and outs of the older Mac versions in the past. If Apple decides to sell this product for use in non-Apple prodcuts, I will buy it the day it comes out (Highly doubtful IMO). In conclusion let me say….”FUN FUN FUN!!!”.

Say it out loud!!!

I guess buying a Mac laptop is like buying a motorcycle or a car. The Apple laptop is no better that the Dell laptop on the whole. It has some cool features not found on PCs but some PCs have some cool features of their own. They both work super fast and super easy. Some people are happy to spend the extra money to be part of something cool such as Apple. I firmly believe most (read: not all) Mac owners buy Apple for the name and the culture as opposed to it being a superior product. Trying to discuss $$$ value on technical terms with someone into Apple products is hard due to the fact that subconsciously or even conciseness we are comin at the issue from different angles. PC angle is a tool with a base value. Apple angle is cool and culture. Its all based on the very same reason we buy Harley’s. Harley Davidson is not better than the Yamaha, Honda or Kawasaki cruisers that are out now. In fact there and many areas that the Harley is lacking. Yet I will gladly pay the 2x in $$$ to have the Harley. I freely admit that it is not a wise purchase financially and that I would be better off saving my money by buying a Metric motorcycle and putting the rest into retirement. I choose to be part of a culture. It so happens to cost more but I get an enjoyment out of it that is priceless. My point here is that I do understand why people buy Macs over PCs. It’s just plain cool! I just wish more people would just say out loud. “I bought it because it’s cool!!!” and not try to justify the higher price by saying that it is a better product.

We are lazy with a capitol "L"!!!

We, as Americans are getting more and more lazy each passing year. We eat in our cars on the way to and from work. Everything is done via remote control. We look for pills to lose fat. Seems like if anything takes any effort at all, we try to figure a way to make it so that we can do it on our collectively growing fat asses. I just heard one that is taking the cake though. This year the 4th of July falls on a Tuesday. So some people are celebrating the holiday by having some fireworks displays on Saturday to make it easier for the folks who are too lazy to go downtown on a worknight to watch the city display. Does anyone else see this as an issue? Imagine if the people that founded this country said “Let’s not fight for independence during the week. I have to work tomorrow and I don’t want to fight the traffic downtown on a worknight!” I don’t know maybe I am making too much of this one but I think we are just so dern lazy and we should celebrate the 4th on the 4th, Christmas on Christmas, New Years on New Years etc etc!!!

My bike is female!

I was riding home today in the rain and I found myself talking to my bike. As we rode into the “Belly of the beast”, I said. “OK Juice, let’s get through this storm!” Then as I made it through a particularly slippery section I said outloud “That’s my girl!!!” It just felt right!

Recycling for felons?

We all know the importance of recycling. The reality of it is that we are a lazy society. Maybe 10% of people at the most, recycle everything. It can be quite time consuming and dirty. Enter my idea! How about we have recycling facilities that are staffed by felons that are not compensated with pay at all. Garbage is brought into the facility by the truck load. Felons, instead of sitting with all too often comforts of life will manually sort all the garbage. Metal, plastic, paper, food, etc.. All can be used for something and it would save communities from having to have enormous and exponentially growing landfill. Seems like it would be better than us spending $20,000 a year per prisoner and not getting anything back from that. This all seem logical to me. How to get it started? Maybe I need to write more to politicians and newspapers and less on my blog!

4?

I grew up thinking there was only 1 sylable in the word “FOUR”. The kind people here in TN have shown me that it is correctly pronounced with 2 sylables!!! Phonetically spelled: “FOH-ER”.
Who knew? I stand corrected!!!

July 1st 2006

I am playing a show with the Dixiewrecks this Saturday. July 1st 2006. Ruben is also playing so the old “split11″ gang will be together again, on stage, for the 1st time in years. We won’t be playing any Split11 songs I imagine. We are just backing up Jason Alan Whitmoore, the singer. It will still be a ton of fun. So come on out to the Bluesboro in Murfreesboro, TN at 11pm and watch us get drunk and loud!

1st at bat!

I went to Amand’a family reunion with her this weekend. I had a great time! I played in my 1st softball game ever. I have been wanting to play for years and never have had a chance. I have played catch a million times and even hit the ball at the park with friends but have never played in a game. It was only friends and family but I was still a bit nervous. I was thinking OMG I am soo going to wiff in front of everyone! Nope!! I crushed the ball into the outfield a 3 times at bat!!! A double, a single and a triple! I scored each time too. Wow! I had a blast. Amanda said that she could see how much fun I was having. More reunion pix will be on the skramnor.com website soon.

P

“P” for those who know!!!

2 more soldiers! :(

I cannot believe this is still happening!!! I cannot believe that we are the most powerful country in the world with technology and money beyond anyone’s comprehension. Yet somehow 2 more American soldiers were captured and brutally tortured and murdered!!! OMG!!! WHY??? What did their death accomplish? I can not see. No one is making it clear why we are there still. All bogus reasons for going there have been brought to light and we are still there. Now all I hear from the Bush administration is “stay the course”! BULL SHIT!!! YOU GO STAY THE FUCKIN COURSE!!! Let our boys come home. Give Bush a rifle and let him go help them. I don’t want him ruining our country anymore than he has! This is MADNESS!!! We tried to impeach President Clinton for getting a blow job but Bush is destroying our economy, our standing in the eyes of the world, running a deficit the likes I don’t we have seen ever (relatively none being spent here for our own needs)and worst of all forcing our brave soldiers to patrol a pit of hell for no reason! He can color it anyway he wants. WE DO NOT BELONG OVER THERE!!! Let them kill eachother all they want. PLEASE END THIS MADNESS!!!

Death and religion.

This is a quote emailed to me. I like it!

Ray Kurzweil: The major religions emerged in prescientific times. There is still wisdom there but we need to consider that a major motivation was rationalizing death as a good thing. After all, we had no alternative. But death is a tragedy. That is our nstinctive reaction and that reaction is correct. In my view it is not death that gives life meaning. Life gives life meaning. The creation of knowledge in all its forms (art, music, science, etc.) and relationships gives life meaning. And death is disruptive of that.

Once again for my new readers.

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !!

Mac PC commercial…

MAC: Hi, I’, “Mac”
PC: Hi, I’m “PC”
MAC: What are you doing today?
PC: I am going help my owner make a home movie out of all the pictures and video they took on their last vacation. I can do this right out of the box!!!
MAC: I can too but being that my owner spent all his video camera, digital camera and vacation money getting “me”, we are just going to spend time emailing all his PC friends about how cool it is to have a Mac! They probably won’t respond right away as they are usually playing the latest, hottest games or working with the latest versions of a million titles already available for PC.
PC: I’ll make sure my owner responds!

Old Murf’s Pet Monkey

Old Murf staggers into a bar with his pet monkey He orders a drink and while he’s drinking, the monkey jumps all around the place. The monkey grabs some olives off the bar and eats them, then grabs some sliced limes and eats them, then jumps onto the pool table, grabs one of the billiard balls, sticks it in his mouth, and to everyone’s amazement, manages to swallows it whole.

The bartender shouts at Murf, “Did you see what your pet monkey just did?” Murf says “No, what?” “He just ate the a billiard ball off my pool table – whole!” “Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me,” replied Murf , “the little pig eats everything in sight. Sorry. I’ll settle up for the cue ball and stuff” Murf finishes his usual 6 or 8 rounds, pays his bill, pays for the stuff the monkey ate, then leaves.

Next time Old Murf gets his Social Security check he’s in the bar again and has his monkey with him. He orders his first Glenfiddich and the monkey starts running around the bar again. While Murf is suckin’ on his brew, the monkey finds a maraschino cherry on the bar. He grabs it, sticks it up his ass, pulls it out, and eats it. Then the monkey finds a peanut, and again sticks it up his ass, pulls it out, and eats it. The bartender is both astonished and disgusted. He screams to Murf, “Did you see what your “f__ckin’ monkey did now?” “No, what! ?” replies Murf. “Well, he stuck a maraschino cherry and a peanut up his ass, pulled them out, and ate them!” said the Bartender.
“Well, Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me,” Old Murf replies “He still eats everything in sight, but ever since he had to pass that billiard ball, he measures everything first.”

Maybe..

Maybe it’s the chrome or the spoke wheels rolling down the road or the rumble of the big V Twin motor. Or maybe it’s the looks you get from people as you drive by or pull up next to them at a light. Some smile and give you a thumbs up and some roll their eyes and then roll up there window as they bitch to the person on the othe end of the cell phone about the asshole on the motorcycle with the loud pipes. Maybe it’s the comments people make about how nice it is or how they take the time to ask, “did you ride today?”. Maybe it’s the lean of a long turn rolling into the throttle. Maybe it’s the incredible acceleration from a stop light. Maybe it’s the feeling of being part of a family. The wave other bikers give you and you know the car drivers don’t even notice. Like a secret handshake. Maybe it’s doing something that I have always wanted to do and never did because of one of any number of excuses. Maybe it’s being able to drift and weave. Maybe it’s the wind against my body on the interstate. Maybe its the rhythm of my engine, bang-bangin under me at a light. I am sure it is these and many other things that make me literally smile and laugh out loud while I am riding my motorcycle! It feels like playing guitar at your best, on stage with a great band and a great crowd! I simply love riding my motorcycle!!!

Empty seats…

Enormous SUVs, not so mini mini-vans, quad-cab monster trucks and a few normal cars in the mix for miles and miles. Everywhere you look there is a line of vehicles bumper to bumper, parked at red lights, trying to merge and trying to funnel into and onto a road system designed for 1/4 the amount of vehicles. Amazing that alomost everyone of the vehicles has only 1 person it it. Sadly I see no busses, no trolleys, no trains and no car pools. No wonder it took me 1 hour to travel 12 miles home from work today! Is anyone actually addressing this issue or do we wait until the traffic is so bad that it is backed up to our driveways?

The freakin UPDATE!!!

PHEW!!! Today I found out that the maintenance man at my job moved my bike because he was power washing the parking platform under the overhang. He said he didnt want to get the bike all full of road crud. He left his access badge at home and couldn’t come up to my office to tell me. He waited as long as he could but had to get working. I am glad I didn’t say or do anything to the person in the van who only parked in the spot because it was available! I still feel weird but being that I know the guy and his intentions were good, I can let this go and sleep fine! PHEW!! We all had a laugh about it today at work. Chapter closed!

The freakin NERVE!!!

OMG!!! I was pissed beyond belief today! I went to work this morning on my bike. It was Sunday and there was noone at my job but me. I pulled up and got the very 1st spot under the overhang in the shade. Sweet!!! I never get this spot. I worked for 3 hours and then came out to leave and my bike was GONE!!! I say “NO WAY!!!” I was twisting inside! FURIOUS and about to call the police. There was a van where I parked my bike! I paced a little and looked around. Someone had moved my bike down the parking lot to the end of the row of cars that had since shown up and parked in my place!! I had no way of knowing who it was. I took a picture of the van and will report it to the buidling management. I don’t know if it is against the law to do that or not. Can you imagine going to the mall and getting the 1st parking space. Then to come out later to find that someone put your car in neutral and pushed it out of the way so they could have the 1st spot??? What would you do??? I do not like being taken advantage of and not having a path to and justice or satifsaction!!! ARGGGGG!!! I am still upset HOURs later!

All kinds ride

I have been riding for just about 1 month now. I have learned a few major things. At 1st, everyone I ran into was really cool. Great mood, excited to share info about their bike and their last or current ride, an all around great community vibe. I started thinking that everyone who rides must be way cool or riding itself puts them in a state of mellow-nice! The past two day have shown me that it is not always the case. All kinds of people ride bike. Rude people, nice people, assholes and friendlies alike. Yesterday I ran into a man at a Waffle House. He gave me the obligitory “nice bike dude” and I reciprocated in kind. We got to chatting about our last ride and what “parts” we want to add to our bike. He then started a “bitching session” and proceeded to complain about all the assholes an incompetent people he has to deal with while customizing his bikes. His face was literally red and shaking as hey grunted out the name of one particular vendor who he had a run in with. I nodded and slowly started to put on my helmet. Continuing my nodding in “understanding”, I say “wow that sux….hey dude, I gotta run. Nice meeting you! Click, Click VROOOOM!!!
Today, I saw a guy at the corner store getting gas. I didn’t need gas but it was right in my neighborhood and I thought it would be nice to meet a local rider. Maybe make friends etc.. So I pulled over and got a coke and some peanuts as a snack. We woud up outside looking at eachothers bikes. We made small talk about the bikes and gave the standard compliments. Then he asked. “Where’d you get it?” I told him “Boswell’s”. He said “I’m sorry!” I asked him why and he started on about how they are assholes and don’t give a shit about people buying bikes because they have the city policebike sales and service contract. Wow the guy was getting downright ugly! I explained that I shopped all 4 Harley dealers in the middle TN area and they not only treated me the best but gave me a $1000 better price than the other places offered. I didn’t want to get into it with him as I saw no benifit. I just said that Jim from Boswell’s took care of me to my comeplete satisfaction. I had a great buying experience and the help after the sale was second to none. I said “have a safe ride” and went home. Like I said, I guess “all kinds ride”.

Drippin’ on me ‘ands!

Chris and I got on our motorcycles and cruised out to try this little side of the road, walk up, burger/icecream place. It’s called Karin’s Kustard. We have seen this place a million times but never stopped. We decided to give it a whirl mostly because we have been looking for such a place to go on our bikes. It was so very charming. We got a couple cheeseburgers, cokes and fries. It was only like $3 each! After we decided to get a cone. I haven’t had an ice cream cone in a million years! I got a chocolate cone with chocolate hard shell dip! Woohooo!! It was delicious. I felt like a little kid. It was so cold. LOL!! I couldn’t eat it fast enough to stopp it from drippin all over my hand. What a great time we had. We will be going there again. I hope soon!
Here are a few cell phone pix…

Change of weather

I have been frustrated and therefore complaining about the weather in Nashville since I bought my motorcycle. Well things have change dramatically for the better and now I want to NOT complain but rather share my happy feelings. The weather has been incredible since Saturday. Super low humidity, no rain, low to mid 80′s for the high temp. It has been PERFECT and I have been riding my bike everyday. So peaceful!!!

Crap diggity dog!!!

I can be a bit zealous abotu things I like (slight understatment???). I like hotdogs! Not just any Oscar Mayer generic hotdog but a real flavorful dog. One that doesn’t taste like bologna. I like Natural cased Sabretts and Nathan’s especially. I like them grilled, steamed and especially deep fried. I have been tossing around the idea of opening a small hotdog hut. Not a cart but a small hut to pull your car or motorcycle over to on the way home from work or in the middle of crusing around on your motorcycle or even packing the kids into the minivan and heading off for a hotdog and a rootbeer! We had a place like that as kids. Now they have McDonalds but that has no charm and can not possibly have the same impact on a childhood memory. Uh…time to digress! Anyway! I started looking around to see if anyone in Nashville was doing the same idea. I have seen them around the country but not here. I found one. It actually has the same name I wanted to use. “Hot diggity dogs”! I know it is obvious so I kinda expected someone would have it. I kinda wrote off the idea of making my own place as someone has already done it in this town. I wanted to be unique. Besides they were right down town and it would be hard to compete with that. WRONG!!! I went today for lunch and was completely disappointed. The place had no charm and no real “motif”. Just a small cramped old building with barley enough room to place an order. I asked for a Sabrett. After all they have “NY” as well as Chicago hot dogs on their menu. She didn’t even know what a Sabrett was. Most people don’t but she is the owner of a hot dog joint!! ???? I told her it was a natural cased hot dog popular in NY. She said “no…we only have ‘Vienna Beef’ here “. I was suprised but ordered a “Texas” dog and a plain dog. Texas dog came with chili and cheese and the plain was not realy plain as it came with ketchup and mustard. Plain to me is NOTHING but the dog and the bun. That’s how I usually eat them. A good dog stands on its own and doesnt need to be slathered in masking liquids. It’s like smothering a Filet Mignon in A-1 sauce. Don’t get me started on that! LOL!!! Anyway the chili, as well as the cheese was from a can and there were no chopped onions! $8 and I get canned food??? Sup wit dat??? So I am completely inspired and am revisiting my thought of opening my own place. If I build it, they will come!!! I am excited about this!

Hot or Cold?

I was riding my motorcycle on the way to work this morning. Is was a brisk ride. It was about 64 or 65 degrees but on a bike in the wind it feels about 15 degrees or so colder. So it felt like 50 with a 45 mile an hour wind. I only wore a t shirt. I knew it would be about 85 today and the short ride to work would be bearable. It was but only slightly. I had some goose bumps and chills and should have actually gone home to toss a overshirt on but I was already on my way. Anywho! I got to thinking about being uncomfortable in a temperature and then finding relief. Like being really cold and then being warmed or being really hot and being cooled down. I pondered which one I would enjoy more. I thought of mowing the yard back in Florida where the humidity would be killing me and I would be drenched in sweat then jumping in the pool. AHHHH!! What a great feeling! That HAS to be it! Then I thought of being a kid and playing in the snow all day, getting soaked and frozen to the bone for hours. Eventually the enjoyment of being out of school and playing with friend all day turned into “holy shit I am friggin freezing!” Then I would go into the house in the mud room, strip off all the wet clothes and run upstairs in my undies. Then I would slide into a warm, dry, snuggy bed. Now that was awesome! I will remember that feeling forever. What a treat that was!!!

666???

Well, it is 6/6/06 (666) and contrary to many people’s (enter religious nuts) fears, it is NOT the end of the world! Go figure!!!

40 comin quick

The big 4 0 will be here in just a couple more months for me. I have never been one for parties or hooplah especially for my birthday. I have only had a couple birthday celebrations since I can remember. It’s always been dinner and cake and thats about it. This year I decided I should do something memorable. So here it is: I am trying to organize a Harley Ride. My 3 brothers and me are hoping to ride some Harleys for a weekend. We will also head to the range and shoot my guns. My Mom and Stepdad are going to be here as well. I am so excited!!! I hope it can come together. It will be a memory for a lifetime!

"Juice" video

I had my lil pocket camera with me today so I took a couple short video clips with it and compiled it into this simple lil video. This bike is sooo much fun!

New pipes!!!

I bought and installed new Vance & Hines “Shortshots” on my Harley last night. Took me about 1 hour to do. I rode it in to work today despite the 70% chance of rain. I couldn’t help it! They sound incredible and look even better! Here is a pic I just took from my cell phone.

Mean weather!

OK. It has been raining, at least some, everyday since I bought my motorcycle 3 weeks ago. I have ridden in the rain, the puddles, the sauna of humidity after the rains and have been as understanding as I can be. This takes the cake though: This Saturday and Sunday are supposed to both be “Low humidity”, low to mid 80′s and NO RAIN!!
They are looking like they might just be the best weather days we have had in a very very long time. Here’s the kicker…. I AM ON CALL THIS WEEK!!!! I have to stay near my house and be able to offer support to people at my job! This is just plain evil!! WAH!!!!

Memories

People come and people go but memories last forever! Make as many memories as you can, while you can and then someday, when the people are gone (and they will be gone), you will still be able to cherish the memories!!! NOTE: Do not however, let old memories get in the way of making new memories in the present. This is KEY!!!

Rain Magnet!

Nashvilleappears to be a rain magnet. While many of my family and friends from different staes are all wishing they had some rain, Nashville is still in the middle of a freaky isolated rain system. It rains here much of the year and the surrounded states are dry and many times much in need of rain!

Takin "Juice" out for a ride!

Hungry Dew!!!

He may be small but the boy can sure pack away some food!!!

Banana split and a ride!

Last night when I came home from work, Amanda was waiting for me. We hopped on the Harley and went for an evening cruise. We zipped around the area looking for backroads and new ways to get around. We stopped and looked at some pretty horses along the way as well. The best part, next to “Mike and Ike” up against my back, was that we stopped for a Banana Split!!! It was a warm ride and the Ice cream really made the evening complete! I forgot to bring my camera. Too bad we could have gotten some really nice pix! Next time!!!

:(

It is so very disappointing how hurtful and malicious some people can be. If they can’t be happy they want everyone else to be miserable as well. It’s a shame!

Reminder (I just had to pass this on)

One person that wasn’t supposed to ever let you down probably will.
You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it’s harder every time.
You’ll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.
You’ll fight with your best friend.
You’ll blame a new love for things an old one did.
You’ll cry because time is passing too fast, and you’ll ventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you’ve never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you ‘ ll never get back.

Dern Squirrels!

The squirrels are driving me to the ammo store! I bought 2 squirrel traps and set them up in the yard to catch some of the 20 or so squirrels partying in my attic! The 1st couple days we caught 2! They must have been the dumb ones because in the last 2 weeks we haven’t caught ANY!!! Amanda and I have been loading the traps with peanuts, or corn meal and even peanut butter coated bagels. They seem to love the bagels because they are managing to get them out without getting caught! They can actually get the food out before the trap snaps shut on them! I don’t know how! They are also smart enough to turn the trap on its side so that when it springs shut, the ground and grass stop it from closing. They take the food and I am sure laugh all the way up the trees back into my nice dry attic! ARRGGG!! We are both getting PISSED!! They are so bold and fearless that they seem to taunt us from the yard. We see them and they look right at us. I went around front and there were 8 right there in the yard diggin up the nuts they buried in the grass! I am going to now resort to buying a strong pellet gun and start eliminating them. I tried to be nice and just trap them We then would drive far away and release then. They crossed the line now and will all be dead soon enough! (imagine the red in my eyes from anger when I look at yet another &^$*^%@’in hole in my roof!!!

Skramnor the Squirrel Hunter!

Only in Middle TN!!!

Look at the current radar image. This stream of storms has been developing and coming through middle TN for weeks. For the most part ignoring all the nearby states and even leaving the other parts of TN dry. Some bikers blammed ME. They said it’s a curse. When you buy a new motorcycle, it rains for an annoyingly long time. Like paying your dues! YUK!!! I wanna ride! UPDATE: I promise I DID NOT plan the time of this posting. It just happend!

Tough state to ride a motorcycle in..

Nashville averages 119 days a year with precipitation.
Nashville averages 102 days with clear skys a year.
Nashville averages 262 cloudy or partly cloudy days a year.
Nashville has an annual average humidity of 74% with a monthly variation of only around 14%

It has rained literally everyday since I bought my motorcycle and the 7 day forecast shows rain all next week as well!

Just in time…

I gambled on the weather today in Nashville. It has been raining here for like 3 years straight! (slight exaggeration). The weatherman said it wouldn’t rain until around 6pm so I rode the bike to work. No rain on the way in and only a little rain during my lunch ride. At about 4pm, I looked out the window and I saw overcast in the distance. I decided I had better leave a bit early. I rode home stuck in traffic at every light. I watched the lightning off in the distance. I saw the clouds getting closer and closer. I was getting a bit nervous! I made it home, pulled into the garage and turned off my bike. When I turned around the downpour hit. WOW!! I made it just in time!:)

Sorry and Thanks!!!

Those who know me, know that I can be quite hyper. Especially when I am describing something of interest to me. This has a good side but it also has a bad side. One major downside is that people often have a hard time getting words in “edgewise”! I am simply not the best at “balanced” conversation! I was thinking about this again as I often do and came to the realization as to why. For much of my life, with few exceptions, I spend most of my time alone with my thoughts. When I was younger, I didn’t hang out with people as I spent most of my time learning how to play musical instruments. Then I went on to play in bands for most of my adult life. During which I would either be on long drives to shows by myself (except the year Brent and I drove together and had some incredible conversations) or on stage playing guitar. (you don’t really talk that much while on stage). When I was married, my wife was out of town 3 days a week. Now I find myself in a job that has me in my office all day by myself. I have no peers to work with. I am the sole member of my department at my location. When I go home from a long day at work, I go to a home to only my dog, who unfortunately is not the best conversationalist either. So, what is happening is that ALL day long and even much of my sleeptime is spent thinking, pondering, creating, analyzing and just spinning my cogs! So when I see someone and a conversation sticks it’s head out the door, my motor starts running and the word come rushing out of the basket and they knock down the door and VROOOM VROOOM!! Off to the races to get as much of it out as I can!!! YUK!! This blog has helped a bit. Being conscious of this flaw of mine has helped a bit also but I still have a long way to go to be right! So let me say “Sorry” to anyone who has had to endure another of my soapbox speeches or a rant about something or one of my winded descriptions of another of my “IDEAS”! Also, I gotta say “Thanks” for still being my friends even after it all! You very few know who you are!!

Ride to work!

Today, I rode my new motorcycle to work for the 1st time. It was exhilarating to say the least! I thoroughly enjoyed almost every aspect of the ride. The cold morning air, being in the middle of all the cars, watching everyone in their cars oblivious to the world around them. People turning to look at my shiny new bike. It was all quite fun! I must say though that I am surprised that 1/2 of these people are still alive though!!! When you are on a bike you have to raise your awareness and be very alert. You start to notice EVERYTHING! When in a car, I am in my little cocoon just like everyone else and you kind turn off the world around you. Windows up, radio on..Who wants to hear all that noise outside? Trucks, police sirens, engines, car stereos way too loud. It’s all so much so we just roll up the windows, crank the radio and tune out the world. Unfortunately that appears to be the very reason we get into accidents. We tune everything out and do not see all the potential hazards. This morning I was behind a woman who had the world turned off. She was driving down the road and flipped her visor down to reveal her CD collection. While doing this she basically stopped driving and started playing DJ. She subconsciously started applying her brakes and slowing down right in the middle of a 45mph speed zone. I slowed down as well but the oblivious guy behind me didn’t pay any attention until I started waving my arm and tapping my brake light!!! That was a bit nerve wracking!! Anyway. I am going to assume that NO ONE sees me on the road and no one cares. That way I will be as prepared as possible for the car drivers not paying any attention to anything but there cell phone, newspaper, stereo, makeup or the inside of their eyelids!

Where are the wings???

I watch the very hyped release of the 911 surveillance video of flight 77 impacting the Pentagon. Everyone is stating that this video will put to rest the conspiracy theories that a missile hit the pentagon and not a plane. They were wrong. I watched each frame and still saw nothing that comes close to resembling a plane. I saw no tail wing or wings at all for that matter! Just a “pipe” flying into the building. There are more questions than answers. Why did the explosion happen at the FRONT of the “plane”? You can still see the object in the second frame and the explosion is 40 feet in the air. The area that would have wings and fuel in it is not even at the building at this point yet. The nose cone of a jet has no fuel (to my knowledge) or any other accelerant that could create such a huge explosion. Where did the plane go? The explosion and large flames lasted only 3 frames. This is about 1.5 seconds. I am not a physicist but I don not believe it is possible for a 1.5 second flame to completely incinerate a jet airplane. The flames were obviously not that hot as they were able to recover most of the bodies and actually identify them. They recovered no parts of the jet (many parts made of Titanium which needs to be subject to around 2000 degress for 15-20 minutes before it would melt…Jet fuel burns at 1700 degrees). Where are the rest of the videos? Where are the hotel and gas station surveillance tapes? In NY on 911 there were literally dozens and dozens of video. Passers by, surveillance cameras, news etc. I do not believe that in Washington which is full of tourists, news crews and super security surveillance that there is only 2 frames of an object hitting the pentagon of all places! The plane didn’t just appear! It had to come in at an angle. SOMEONE or something must have the plane on tape within the mile long approach. At the speed the object flew in, it would have had to have come in at a low angle which would make the approach obvious to people for at least a mile. NOTHING!! No tapes no pictures nothing! Also, why was this tape of 2 frames held back for almost 5 years. It only has 2 frames. I do not believe that this would have “inflamed” the jury in the Moussaoui trial. It’s all too bogus and secretive for my taste. I don’t want to speculate as to what really happened. I just want the truth and not spoon fed lies and secrecy. This is MY country too!

Not typical but funny none the less…

I was on a 17″ Mac laptop today. We had some vendors in the building today for a meeting/presentation. They brought 2- 17″ Mac laptops and an older IBM. They were in a hurry and needed a file from one of the guy’s webmail. One guy said…”Use my Mac….it just works!” He was smiling ear to ear as if to finally show how cool his Mac was. So we plugged in the LAN cable and went into Safari to set the proxy settings. “No network connection found” or something to that effect. We didn’t have time to futz around so another guy scooted his XP IBM laptop over and said “try mine”. While he was pluggin in the LAN cable I adjusted the proxy settings just like the on the Mac. BINGO! Google was up in 2 seconds. The guys laughed at their buddy with the Mac (even the other Mac guy thought it was ironic and chuckled) and referred to the commercials that were out right now on TV. I know this is not a typical scenario. I just thought it was funny that 2 guys had super Mac laptops and the other guy had a 3 year old IBM and he was the one that they all had to resort to, to get the work done.

Immigration solution!

Give Americans a section of land to live on and defend along the Mexican border. We post signs saying: “All trespassers will be shot on sight!” in Spanish and English. They would stop within 1 week of dragging the dead bodies back to Mexico. Legitimate immigrants will apply for legal forms and follow the correct procedures.

(OK..this is way extreme and not very moral but I think we need to be way more agressive than we have been.)

Like a little boy!!! :)

More than 2 roads..

Riding my bike has sparked a thought and an analogy. The 2 party system. The Republicans and Democrats would have you believe that there are only 2 roads to take. Both appear to be big interstates. One across the mountains and one across the plains. Americans seem to have a choice of only one or the other. Each path has positives and negatives but if forced to ride only on those 2 roads we miss out on the chance to ride on the road that goes through the valley with a portion that goes near the coast and maybe even through the cities. My point is: there are more than 2 roads to take and the view is MUCH better than to 2 major Lemming-Paths!!!

He rides a Harley!

I did it!!! I bought my 1st Harley. I picked up my new 2006 Harley Davidson Deuce today! I rode for about 3 hours today until it started getting dark. I am loving this!

Reminder of the .44 Magnum power!

What a day!

Today was a very tough day! I took off from work to try and get some things done that I cannot do afterwork as most things in Nashville seem to close at 5 pm! Anyway. I went to the DMV and to make a long and painful story short, they had 3 people and 200 people in line. They were processing 4 to 5 people per hour. After 3 hours I gave up and decided to drive all the way across town to another DMW. The good news is that I walked in the door, was given a number and there was only 1 person in front of me. Before my seat even got warm, I was given an eye exam and had my picture taken. I was fully processed and out the door with license in hand in less than 20 minutes! I inquired about the “other dmv”. The man shook his head and said something about them ALWAYS having trouble and how bad they are up there. It was pathetic to say the least. Needless to say this put me in a foul mood! Then….I was driving downtown Nashville and approached a traffic light at an intersection. There was not enough room accross the intersection for me to go across, so I stayed back at the line. I believe this is what we are supposed to do. The lady behind me with her 3rd grade education layed into her horn and held it for what seem like a whole minute. All the while flipping me the bird with a twisted angry face on. Then when the light changed, she was right up on my bumper still mouthing obscenities in my rear view mirror. I had to give her a brake check and get her attention. As we approached the next light, she jammed her foot to the floor and raced around me and the 2 cars in front of me as we sat at the already red light. How can people be soooo angry??? OMG!!!
The day did get a bunch better when I went and shopped for my new motorcycle. I found 2 that I really like and will be on one or the other by this Friday!

DMV 11:11

Today I went for my motorcycle license. I went to the DMV in Nashville and the line was out the door into the parking lot. I finally made it up the line and to the Information desk where I was handed a number. I went and took a seat. Then, I looked down at my number slip and was blown away yet again! Look at the time stamp on this ticket!!!

VRod 1111

I was looking at VRODs and came across a pretty good deal. Then I looked at the VIN. Remember that this is a factory generated VIN and is vehicle specific.
LINK to C&S Harley Davidson in Nashville TN.

111.1

I reset my tripometer in my car to see how many miles it was for my to go to my motorcycle classes and tests. I stopped in my driveway after the last day and look at my tripometer!!!

Motorcycle cert.

I took a motorcycle safety course this weekend. Then I took my written and rode test for my TN Motorcycle license! I was nervous but I scored a 100 on my written test and a 95 on my rode test. 1 little mistake for 5 points! Not too bad! I got my certificate and get my license tomorrow! Then I get a bike asap! Pix to follow! BTW My buddy Chris took the same class and scored the exact same as me! We are planning plenty of rides!!!

Goings on!

WOW!! Lots going on! The house is up for sale and I have to deal with that. I have to have a HUGE garage sale. I still have to do some painting around the house. I am start my motorcycle safety training classes tonight. That will consume 17 hours this weekend. I have to research apartments. During all this I still have to work and eat. I haven’t gone shooting in weeks. Things will be hectic for a while but afterwards I will go for a relaxing cruise on my not yet purchased motorcycle!!! I can abrely sleep from all this nervous excitement!

4 sale!!!

After 4 years in this house, I am ready to move on. I put it up for sale. The sign will be in the yard in the AM. I am scared and a bit nervous but very excited at the possibilities before me!!!

Ah…Gotta love Scooter Trash!! :)

T.V. and "Conflict"

Why does it seem that MOST TV shows are “conflict” based? This has been like this as long as I can remember! Even back to Gilligan’s Island and the Brady’ bunch. These are wholesome family shows yet are still deeply entrenched in the “conflict/resolution” style. Nowadays we have all sorts of competition “reality” shows that are based in conflict. One person, team or family against another at a level of stress that almost always leads to anger and frustration. Then there are all the police and csi type shows. Murder, conflict, hatred, evil and full of anger. There are the comedies like Seinfeld where George is always yelling and then “Everyone Loves Raymond”! OMG!!! Does EVERYONE HATE eachother on that show or what? Even Deborah, the wife, is always at odds with Raymond. My family yells alot but the level of conflict, anger and hatred in that show puts it in the class of psychotic dramas and not comedy. I have watched it about 10 times total and di not even smile, let alone laugh at the show not even once. During the daytime there are no less than 3 or 4 “judge” shows that are all about conflict. Sadly, even the “Christian” based shows are all about conflict. 7th Heaven is an example of one. I won’t even get into the infidelity present in so many shows such as “Desparate Houswives” as that is another rant altogether! It is sad that when I bring this topic up to people, they have to sit and think really hard to find a show that is not conflict based. HGTV, PBS, and stations like it are great in that they offer quite a bit of entertainment without making you stressed but they are not the norm. I can’t help but wonder what this lifelong bombardment of conflict, negativity and the obvious social acceptance or lack of debate regarding the topic has done to the character and mental attitude of people over the past 50 years!

A fresh start!!!

After 4 years in this house, I am ready for a change. I have an agent coming this week to assess my house for sale. I don’t know if I will stay in TN or go back to Florida but the selling of the house will make whatever decision I make way easier to do. I am getting excited about it all! A fresh start is just around the bend!

1 down, many more to go!!!

The squirrels have been digging holes to get into my attic. I have had it repaired three times. I thought about shooting them but decided on a more humane solution. “TRAPPING”!!! Got the 1st one today! We drove it about 12 miles away and let it go. It shot out of that cage and down the road like a bolt of lightning! The traps have been reset!

Step1

The first step is to buy the helmet!!! Next weekend I am scheduled for a safety course!

Amazon Tribe without numbers

Brent sent me a link to an article about a tribe in the Amazon that has no concept of numbers or counting. They have no words for this either. They also cannot draw and have no thoughts about the future. They have no written language, and no collective memory going back more than two generations. They some how have survived hundreds of years and even interact with other Brazilian tribes regularly. They have just not assimilated in anyway. It’s worth a quick read just to remind us that there are other cultures that work other than our own!

Exxon

Exxon posted the highest 1st quarter profit of any public held company EVER yesterday!!! According the News2 in Nashville this morning, Exxon made 8.4 BILLION dollars in PROFIT!!! Excuse my French but “WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT ABOUT????”

Balance

I may still have a society of squirrels in my attic but I can at least see my bedroom floor now! LOL!!

2 wheels instead of 4

Well, I am finally doing it! My buddy Chris and I signed up for a Motorcycle safety and training course. We go May 5th, 6th and 7th. At the end we get a certificate for our licenses. He has already put a deposit on a bike. I am waiting till i get my license and can test ride some bikes. I have a few things I would love to have and am looking forward to it all. Pix will follow immediately after!

A letter forwarded to me..

A letter forwarded to me..

Despite vows of “never again” to let mass murder or genocide threaten a people, it is happening as this letter is read. Three million African farmers and their families displaced from their homes, tortured, raped, or murdered. Villages are burned, and family members witness the cruel death of one another. It is sickening just to read about, but it is reality for those in the Darfur region of Sudan.
An Arab-backed Sudanese government, seated in Khartoum, suppresses any opposition to the regime. Their militia, known as the Janjaweed, commits vicious acts upon anyone in their path to quell the rebellion. The African Union, a force of 7000, provides the only available protection. They work under a mandate that carries little power and a budget that renders them nearly ineffective. The AU, along with the government, has resisted U.N. troops in their country as interference.
Why do we hear so little about this crisis? Perhaps it is unbearable to see such suffering. Certainly it is easier to be silent amid the cries of someone else’s children. Do we lack initiative because this country poses no political or economic threat to the industrialized world?
I do not want to look back at the history of this atrocity and wonder why I didn’t add the cries of my own voice to theirs – for mercy and action. Some things can be done. Internet search “Darfur” for the latest news. E-mail TV stations and newspapers urging greater coverage. Ask Congressmen to push for placement of U.N. troops immediately and funding for the AU. Urge support for the “Darfur Peace and Accountability Act” which imposes sanctions against individuals responsible for crimes against humanity and supports measures to protect citizens. The House bill passed with one Tennessean as co-sponsor – Bart Gordon. The Senate version currently lacks co-sponsorship from either Tennessee Senator. Communicating with officials belies the reason for a democracy – the power of one voice to make a difference.
Let’s don’t wonder how we could have impacted this crisis – Raise a Voice!

Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Becki Wilson
Franklin, Tn

The "Bus Stop"!

What a cool place this would be to hang out. Have it way off in the back of the property, not seen by the house. Put a couple loungers, a widescreen HDTV and a cooler in it! A great place to get away and relace with the guys!

When I was "Scratch"!

http://skramnor.com/Scratch

Reality Stickers!

OK. Reality check!! Everyone needs to step back from the keyboard and remind themselves that life is NOT text on the internet. Not on a blog, not on a log, not in a chat, not on a hat, not in an email nor on a boat sail, not in a forum post, not on a slice of toast! Text is text, life is what happens when you are NOT typing. Remember to put far less weight into the things people say online than the things they do in real life. Text is a great tool but nothing compares to a real smile, a warm hug or a firm handshake even. So read on but be cautious as to where you place your “reality” stickers!

Custom Triumph!

WOW!!

LOL!!!

Studio

I am quite a minimalist when it comes to performing and recording music. I have alway thought less was enough. Here is the studio that I record all my songs in. Notice that the drumset is super basic but it still allows me to record lots of music and also makes it easier to get a good drums sound and mix when recording. Only 3 mics needed!

My brother the Black Belt

My brother Greg just passed his grueling Black Belt test in Karate. He only started 3 & 1/2 years ago! He is 2nd from the left.

Empty nest!

Well! My little child has left home and move out with his girlfriend. The house is big, quite and empty. Time to CLEAN!!!

Sonic 1111

Ate at Sonic the other day…The amount due was $11.11
Coincidence??? Hmmm!

The new Mexican Peso! LOL!!!

Empty coffee pot!

How can someone be so rude as to pour the last cup of coffee from the office coffee maker and NOT start a new pot??? OMG!!!

PC Repair story

A PC tech friend of mine told me that his father is having PC troubles. My friend suggested that his father pack up and send him the PC and all the CD he has for it. This would allow him to reinstall all of the software and eliminate the need for his father to have to fuss with any of it. a couple days later he gets the pc all nicely wrapped up in padding. He then found all the CDs that his father had for the PC just like he asked for. The problem was that they were all BLANK CD-R’s! LOL!!!

1 YEAR!!!

Well, I have been at this for 1 whole year! I wasn’t sure I would continue this long in the beginning but I have gotten an amazing amount of feedback and response from friends, family and the occasional stranger passing by my site. So as long as people care to read my random and sometimes useless babbling, I will continue writing! Thanks!

123456

On Wednesday, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning, the time and date will be 01:02:03 04/05/06.….That won’t ever happen again!
(sent to me by Michelle)

Phone priorities have changed.

It seems to me the people have bumped up the priroty of the “phone ringing” to a higher level than most everything else thats going on. Have you been in a store lately and the phone rings? The clerk will put up their index finger to indicate “one minute while I ansewer the phone“. Most of the time it is a customer calling to find out if they have something in stock or what the hours are. I think the priority should be given to the person who made the trek all the way out to the store to buy something in person. In this day and age with the ease of point and click, internet purchasing, stores should be grateful and cater to each and every person that they are lucky enough to have in their store. Have you ever been on the phone with someone and their call waiting rings in? More times than not they tell you to “hang on” while they click over. I am I that unimportant or boring? Let them go to voicemail or call me later. How about while at the movies? People will put the phone on vibrate but when it goes off, they will stop watching the movie they just paid way too much to see, just to go out and talk with someone on the phone. Emergencies I understand though. Last night I was at O Charleys having a beer and some wings and the guy next to me was on the cell phone the ENTIRE time. The person he was with sat there for no less that 20 minutes and watched. How rude to that person. Is the person on the other end of a phone sooooo much more interesting than the person right in front of you? To me, it’s obvious! The person you want to be or who wants to be with you is right next to you. I know people will come up with a hundred scenarios that show how important it is to have a cell phone and I will agree with most. I just think we all need to take a look at phone and people prorities.

The Bronco!

I miss my old Bronco! I had some great times with that truck!

So sad!!!

One of my teachers from high school Walt Stasiak died! He was a powerful presence of a man with a rich commanding voice and intimidation. He cared though and tought and coached at the same school for 26 years! All my friends had him for one sport or another. I feel teary and so sad to my core. This is impacting me because it is from a time when I had a real home. A place that I have not been since 1986 when I left NJ. That place is my true home and to find out that someone from that place has died is reminding me that my memories of how wonderful NJ was are just that memories. Reality changes and it will never be the same. I have know this but it’s nice to think about back home exactly like it was. Finding this out is changing the only solid memory I have…HOME!!! If I wasn’t at work tears would fill my eyes!!!

Bang, Bang, Bang!

A 90-year old man said to his doctor, “I’ve never felt better… I have an 18-year old bride who is pregnant with my child. What do you think of that?”

The doctor replied, “I have an elderly friend who is a hunter and never misses a season. One day he was in a hurry and picked up his umbrella instead of his gun by mistake. When he got to the creek, he saw a beaver. He raised his umbrella and went “bang, bang, bang”, and the beaver fell dead. What do you think of that?”

The 90-year old said, “I’d say somebody else shot the beaver.”

The doctor said, “My point exactly!!!”

Get it right the first time please!

So far this year I have had to deal with about 4 mistakes that if I didn’t deal with them would all cost me money!!!. My power company charged me $400 more than they should have and I had to go back and deal with them on it. They read the power meter wrong. Then I get a letter from the IRS stating that I made an “ADDITIONAL” $22,000 back in 2004 that I didn’t report and that I owe $6000 in taxes on. I had to go and get all my paperwork out and write a letter with copies of everything to show where the error was. Then today I get home and my water company tripled my water bill. I have no running toilets or garden hoses on. So I had t go and deal with them regarding this. A few months ago I had to take my last car back to the dealer 4 times to get the alignment right. This meant renting a car while they had it overnight. It seems that people do not do their jobs right the first time anymore. These mistakes cost me money. They never ever err in my favor. Go figure!!! I wonder how many people don’t bother fighting the mistakes and just pay. How much money is made by people by these “mistakes”? How much time is wasted dealing with these mistakes? Geesh! Just get it right the first time and let me have the few hours a day I have NOT working, to myself! Please!

Acquisitions!

Small company starts up.
Small company works hard.
Small company grows.
Small company is succesful.
Small company develops loyal customer base.
Large company sees small company.
Large company sees the success of small company.
Large company desires the small companies, profit margin.
Large company buys small company.
Large company appoints integration teams.
Large company hires executives to oversee process.
Large company forces small company to work on large company’s policies and standards.
Small company customer base leaves.
Large company is loosing money again.
Large company makes huge cutbacks.
Large company fires small company’s management.
Small company management starts a new company.
Small company works hard.
Small company grows.
Small company is succesful.
Small company develops loyal customer base.
Large company sees small company.
Large company sees the success of small company.
Large company desires the small companies, profit margin.
Large company buys small company.
Large company appoints integration teams.
Large company hires executives to oversee process.
Large company forces small company to work on large company’s policies and standards.
Small company customer base leaves.
Large company is loosing money again.
Large company makes huge cutbacks.
Large company fires small company’s management.
and so on and so on……

Dogs vs. Cats

As seen in a dog’s diary :

7 am – Oh boy! A walk! My favorite!
8 am – Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9 am – Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!
Noon – Oh boy! The yard! My favorite!
2 pm – Oh boy! A car ride! My favorite!
3 pm – Oh boy! The kids! My favorite!
4 pm – Oh boy! Playing ball! My favorite!
6 pm – Oh boy! Welcome home Mom! My favorite!
7 pm – Oh boy! Welcome home Dad! My favorite!
8 pm – Oh boy! Dog food! My favorite!
9 pm – Oh boy! Tummy rubs on the couch! My favorite!
11 pm – Oh boy! Sleeping in my people’s bed! My favorite!

As seen in a cat’s diary:
Day 183 of my captivity… My captors continued to taunt me with
bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry
cereal The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape,
and the mild satisfaction that I get from clawing their furniture.

Tomorrow I will eat another houseplant.

Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet
while they were walking almost succeeded – must try this at the
top of the stairs.

In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I
once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair. I must
remember to try this on their bed.

Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an
attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to
strike fear in their hearts. They only cooed and condescended
about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, that did not work
according to plan .

There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was
placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the
noise and smell the food. More important, I overheard that my
confinement was due to my powers of inducing “allergies.” I must
learn what this is and how I may use it to my advantage.

I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe
snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy
to return. He is obviously a half-wit.

The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant and
speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move.
Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is
assured. But I have patience, I can wait, it is only a matter of
time

Getting used to them…

I went to the range today and shot my 2 newest revolvers. I am handling the 500 Magnum ‘s 2500 ft lbs of energy and recoil easily and really enjoying it! I need to start reloading though, so that I can cut my ammo cost and be able to shoot more. I shot only 30 rounds today and they cost me $60. So practicing with it is kinda tough and limited to only about 20-30 shots a week. Hard to get good with so few shots. Of the 30 rounds I shot here are a couple targets that I did well on. I mostly shot the Ruger .45 Colt today. That is WAY fun!!! On its target I dropped one but the rest were pretty tight. It is so smooth to shoot!

Guitar or Bass???

I have been playing Bass guitar and guitar for 26 years. 20 of those years were as a professional. I think I have a pretty good grasp on the two instruments. I have learned one major thing about the two. Many people have a view that Bass is easier than guitar. I would like to take a second to address that viewpoint. Bass may have 2 fewer strings (normally) than guitar and may not be as easily recognized to a layman in the song but it is by far NOT easier to be good at it. Bass may be easy for someone to pick up and plunk around on because you only need to play one note at a time to play a basic song. Whereas guitar you need to learn chords (multi-note). I can see how this would lead someone to draw the conclusion that bass is easier. Let’s take this to a professional level now. It takes just as long, if not LONGER, to become an accomplished bass player than it does guitar. In fact it has been known, many times in music history to be a “sloppy” guitar player and still be considered great! I have never heard of anyone “appreciating” a sloppy bass player. Bass player must be “in the pocket”, “tight” and “rock solid” no matter what the style of music. They may only need to play a few notes here and there but it must be done with precision and done in a way that ties together what the guitarist AND the drummer are doing. It also has to be done in a manner that doesnt STEP on anyones toes or become to ovbious. It is a task that can take many years to master. Some of the best bass players (drummers fit in this category to) are never noticed! They paint an audio picture that is so pleasing, you dont focus on it. You just enjoy it. If you were to notice it, most of the time it meant that he wasn’t doing his job as well as he could have. Playing bass can be a simple job but it takes lots of time and practice to do it right!

LOL!!!

A Nun was taking a bath when there came a knock at the door.
The Nun said, “Who is it?“
A man answered, “It’s the blind man.”
The Nun though for a moment and then answered, “Come in!“
The man came into the bathroom and said…
“Nice Tits!!! Where should I hang these blinds?“

Simple pleasures…

The building I work in is a medical lab. So it is usually cold in here. I don’t mind the cold at all but it is sometimes so cold that it is hard to type. Anyway, when you go to the bathroom and wash your hands, the cold water doesn’t feel all that great on your hands. Sometimes however, you get lucky!! The guy before you washed his hands and got the warm water up through the pipes! What a treat to turn on that hot water and warm up your hands while washing!!! AHHHHH!!! THAT is one of life’s simpler pleasures! You would think, I would be too busy to think about that let alone type a blog entry about it. Nope!! My hands are warm and I am taking advantage of it!!!

The "little blinking lights"!

Even though I sometimes bitch about how stupid PC users can be, I would MUCH rather deal with them over the people that either fancy themselve “computer savvy” or who know just enough to be dangerous! OMG! we have a temp in the office this week. I was setting her up a few days ago on the pc and giving her access to what she needed. She started spewing off about how she used to be in I.T. but it was “too easy”. She apparently was a “system administrator”, “data base admin” a “helpdesk advisor” AND a “programmer”!! I thought to myself…”hmmmm all that experience and you are here as a temp typing letters for someone?” LOL. So today she comes to my office mumbling something about how she was syncing the MS Word with the server and she lost her auto log. I was like… “what the hell is this woman trying to say??” I sit behind her computer and ask. “OK what were you doing when the error occured?”….. “NOTHING!!!” (how many times do I have to hear that?). After a minute or two of she and I verbally dancing around what I knew was an USER-RELATED ISSUE, she says, “It was working fine a minute ago!” I tried to do what she was doing and found that she had no network connectivity. I looked around and found that she had disabled the Local Area Connection! When I asked her why, she said “I didn’t like the blinking lights on the icon by the clock!”. I enabled it and told her that she couldn’t be on the network while it was disabled. She pouted…”OK, I guess I will have to live with the little blinking lights!” ARGGGGG!!!!!

Western Revolvers

Well. I have a few double-Action and now 1 single action cartridge revolver. I love them all. Revolvers are sweet. My 1st gun was a revolver. so I have been looking at what to get next. I have decided to go Black Powder!!! Yep, messy, smokey low power BlackPowder!! I love the idea of pouring my own powder into the chambers and ramming the ball in after. So historic. I did tons of research and found that there were two main cap and ball or percussion revolvers during the civil war period. The north used mostly the Colt Army with a .44 ball 20+ grains of powder and the south favored the Colt Navy with a .36 ball and about 15 grains of powder. There were others like that made by Remington but the 2 colts were the norm. I’d love to get a Navy replica. Many companies make one. Navy Arms, Cimarron, EMF, Uberti etc. I also read that after the war Sam Walker from the TX rangers Went to Sam Colt and asked if he could take the already powerful “Dragoon” version of the colt and UP it in power. He did and came up with the Colt “Walker”. It shot a .44 ball with up to 60grains of powder. Unheard of in a revolver! The TX rangers bought 1000 and used them in the Mexican war in 1865. So one of those might be in order as well. The coolest part is that they only cost about $250 BRAND NEW!!! The Walker is about $350 but the Army and Navy are pretty cheap. AND you do NOT need a license to buy one.

After doing a bunch of research, I watched “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”. That was set in the Civil War era as you know. The guns were WRONG!! LOL. Tuco goes into the store to build a revolver and winds up getting a Colt Navy. Then he asked for a “Cartridge”. The man hands him a hand full of cartridges and Tuco “acts” like he is loading them into the gun. Later when he is in the saloon, he hold the gun up to a mans face where you can clearly see it is a cap and ball revolver and not a cartridge revolver. Which by the way, cartridge revolvers didnt come out until 1873 with the Colt Single Action Army (peacemaker) The Civil war ended in 1865. So they messed up the whole gun thing pretty bad. There was also a gun belt on the table in the gun store that was full of cartidges. WRONG ERA!!! Later you see “Angel Eyes” in the hotel cleaning his gun that was a Colt Navy with a Cartridge Conversion install. The conversion wasnt available until AFTER 1873. I think they did it just for the scene. How stupid would it look if he was trying to load a black powder gun while the mexcians were about to come in and kill him. Cartridges looked much better and fit the scene better. Anyway. It’s fun to go and watch the old westerns now and see what was real and not.

The big 500

OK.. I am officially addicted to revolvers!! I bought another one this weekend along with the Ruger .45Colt. I bought a Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum! This particular ammo didn’t flame up all that much but what a wallop!

Revolvers!!!

Here are just the revolvers from my collection of firearms.
500 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt and .357 Magnum!

My new Ruger Birdshead Vaquero .45

I told you I was buying a gun today!!! I got a great deal on a brand new Ruger Birdshead Vaquero in .45 Colt. It is a single action cowboy style revolver and I can’t wait to shoot it!!!:)

It’s like christmas!

Today I feel like christmas as a boy. I am going gun shopping today at the 2 guns shows in town. I could barely sleep this morning. I was tossing and turning thinking about what I might find a great deal on! I sure do like collecting and shooting guns! This will be fun!!!

Camping!

It has been a while since I have been camping! I love camping! Amanda and I bought some new equipment and packed it all up this week. Bass Pro Shop is AMAZING!! They have soooo much fun stuff! Anyway, we found a couple nice camp grounds and are planning a weekend trip with some friends! We thought about this weekend but it’s going to be pretty cold AND I will be buying my new gun this weekend! Hope we go soon. A friend of ours, Olivia wants to join us in a western adventure. We are looking into a horseback camping weekend out west! Now how cool would that be? Sleeping under the stars, cooking over an open fire, not bathing for days (LOL), horseback riding, no internet, cell phones turned off…wow! I would love that peace and quiet!

Gun, guns and more guns!!

As if I didn’t already have enough guns!! LOL!!! There are 2 gun shows in Nashville this weekend. OMG!! We will be going from one show to the next and probably back to the other looking for a great deal on a revolver or two. I am hoping to find a S&W 500 Magnum at a great price. I am also very interested in finding a Single Action Revolver. A cowboy style handgun. They are very popular these days and relativley inexpensive new. I can only imagine that one could be found used at a decent price. It’s the kid in me but I want to learn how to draw a gun from the hip and shoot without aiming. Like a gunfighter of the old west. Not for any reason other than to know how and maybe video record me doing it! Of course I will have pix posted here Saturday night or Sunday.

Mmm mmm Mandi!!!

I just love this picture of Amanda!!!

5-10 minutes..a big deal?

Did you ever notice that some people come to work 5-10 minutes late everyday without fail? They complain about how hard their life is and how hard it is to get to work on time. The rest of us seem to plan and manage just fine. (hint: LEAVE 5-10 MINUTES EARLIER!!!) Those same people clock-in to work and then sit at their pc eating breakfast that they should have eaten at home then the surf the net and read news and look for stupid things to email all their friends so that they all have something in their email box to talk about all day. Then, they take many more smoke breaks than are supposed to be had by anyone. Who do you blame? The worker for being a slack-off and getting paid the very same as the hard worker? Do you blame the management for not noticing the difference between workers? Maybe the worker that gets away with slacking off learned that hard work often doesn’t really matter as they get paid the very same if they don’t work hard. Maybe I am thinking too much again!

Life is hard enough.

Life can be hard enough without having people you know add their drama, issues and petty jealousy into your life. I choose to avoid those people like the plague! I must say that Amanda is drama free and that is a breath of fresh air!

Out on the town!

Amanda and I hit the town on Friday. Got some fun pix posted on my pix page. http://skramnor.com

Play it Steve!

I went to 3rd & Linsdley with Amanda last night and saw “The Wooten Bros.” (family of famous bass player Victor Wooten). We had a great time. I saw a guy walk by and I said that guy looks just like Steve Cropper! Not 20 seconds later, the singer calls this guy up to the stage to play guitar. IT WAS STEVE CROPPER!!!! For those who don’t know. Steve Cropper played guitar on Sam & Dave’s “Soulman” later he also played the same song in the “The Blues Brothers”. Ya’ll remember the line….. “I’m a soul-man..(do do do da do do do), I’m a soul-man (wa wa wa wa wa wah) ‘PLAY IT STEVE!!’..I’m a soulman…” Besides getting to hang out with two sexy women last night, I got to see a legend play guitar! Fun times!!

I have had time to think about the video…

I have had time to think about the video from my last post. I have a hard time believing that any government or private American agency would deliberately blow up the WTC or the Pent. The financial gain is just not enough to do that. Some say it was done to get the American public outraged enough to go after SH in Ir aq. I would think all that would have to be done would be to show some of the things that were going on over in Iraq on national public Prime-Time news. NOT attack our own citizens. The risk would be too great for any sane person to justify let alone the THOUSANDS of people it would take to pull something of this magnitude off. 4 buildings and planes in one day. The logistics of that kind of operation seem monumental at the least. We obviously do not have that kind of ability. Look at the poor way we are handling the middle east in general over the past 5 years. Pitiful. I do however believe that we have the ability to COVER UP such a catastrophe as 9 11. At this point I believe it could have been an outside ter rorist attack. One that MAYBE we knew more about than we led on. Maybe even closed a blind eye to. Then when it all happened, we had to cover up anything that looked suspicious or that would raise too many immediate questions. I don’t know. I do know that the video raised my awareness and even more questions in my mind but it wasn’t enough to sway me into a firm belief of any one version of the events that took place on 9-11. I will investigate more and hope that the truth comes out soon and NOT in history books that our grandchildren will read in school.

1 hour & 21 eye opening minutes!! OMG!!!

Find some time to sit back in front of your PC and watch this eye opening video! Make your own conclusions.

Mistakes?

Is puking a sign that you made a mistake? Does your stomach go in knots when you do the right thing or only when you make a mistake?

Messes!!!!

We spend hundreds of billions of dollars and WAY too many US soldiers lives to bring democracy to Iraq. Just a few short months after their elections, they are on the brink of civil war!! A mosque bombed today 137 dead including 7 AMERICANS!!! There were protests in the streets, anger and threats. It is volitile and unpredictable. Why do we have to pay for their childish arguing and fighting, with Amercian lives and money! We are looking at sending MORE troops over there! I am soooo angry!!! I can barely get a straight thought out! We have been there for years dumping lives and money into a cause that most Americans seem to know is a futile cause. Yet 10s of thousands are suffering in New Orleans and Mississippi and we have relatively little money or government action going down there. I will clear my thoughts and post again. Too bad so many people didn’t see Bush’s inability to run a country and voted him in again! He is also apparently considering giving control over 6 major US shipping ports to a foreign ARAB country. I can’t wait till its over! I feel sorry for the next president that has to clean up Bush’s messes!!!

Big show!!!

Tonight, my band, The Dixie Wrecks, is playing a “college night” at The Bluesboro, a club in Murfreesboro TN. You pay like $10 to get in and a “penny” per beer! OMG!!! I shutter when I imagine all those sloppy drunk college kids drinking 100 beers each all for $11. ARRGGGG!!! This is goin to be MAYHEM!! ARMAGEDDON I TELL YOU!!! LOL!!!
I will post videos on the Dixie Wrecks webpage soon.

Lottery relief

Maybe I am just a jealous person by nature but I think I would have been somehow upset if ONE person won the entire $365 million Powerball Lottery. One of my many flaws I am sure! Anyway, its a moot point now as the winner was actually a group of people from Lincoln Nebraska. They all split it and are getting $22 million each. Phew!! This sits much better in my tummy than one person winning would have. I guess this is something else I need to work on!

Another car???

Well, I have had a few sports cars, 4 pickup trucks, a couple vans, an 4×4 SUV, a few economy hatchbacks and even a pair of VW Beetles. I have finally decided to get a Luxury sedan. I bought a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis today. Leather interior, power everything, smooth V8 motor. It is sooooo quiet and comfortable to drive. It is big and it is the last America car made with a chassis on frame. No unibody. Rear wheel drive V8 luxury!!! I love it. More pix soon!

A bridge please!

A biker was riding along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said, “Because you have TRIED to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish.” The biker pulled over and said, “Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want.” The Lord said, “Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that would honor and glorify me.” The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally he said, “Lord, I wish that I could understand my wife. I want to know how she feels inside, what she ‘s thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says nothing’s wrong, and how I can make a woman truly happy.”

The Lord replied, “You want two lanes or four on that bridge???”

Lottery Bloat!

The multi-state Powerball lottery is now at a record breaking $365 MILLION dollars. Over 1/3rd of a BILLION!!! That is amazing and for some reason it seems wrong. I understand we are all playing it and all hope to win and never have to work again but cant that be done with $100 million? It seems to me that this is a bit extreme and frivolous as a society. We are as a whole deciding that the money we CAN’T AFFORD to give to cancer research or aids or teacher’s pay raises, nurses (who are underpaid as well), education in general, highways, firefighters, police (non corrupt agencies anyway) or any one of many needy organizations, is ok to give to an 70 year old man in the middle of bum-fuk just because he gave 1 dollar! That seems to be wasteful. Maybe a limit of $100 million to the winner and the balance going to a recognized charity of the winner’s choice (in the same state), IN THE WINNERS name might be a better use of the money. That way they win big, use the balance as a tax write off and a charity gets more money than they would in years of fund rasiers. I know that the winner has the option of doing just that but I know that if someone told me I won $365 million, I doubt I would have the strength to give $265 million of it away. Human greed and I am guilty of it as well! Oh well. I am still going to buy another handful of numbers!!! If I win, then we will see how I do on the moral test of greed!

Solo…

Here is a short snippet of me playing a solo in “The Dixie Wrecks” in Nashville TN. Click on the picture to see the short video clip.

To the kids born in the 1930s -70′s !!

(sent to me in an email)
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored Lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took Hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren’t overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the sreetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms……….WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

It’s a southern thing…

I find it odd how many times since I have been in TN (6 years) that I have heard someone say. “It’s a southern thing!”. Seems I only hear the women say it as well. I am trying but I don’t think I have ever heard a man say that! Also…Women seem to adopt and exaggerated accent when saying it. Like the entire sentence is in a normal accent and then when the get to the “suthun” part, the soul of Dixie consumes them and like the holy ghost speaking through someone in “tongues” and for a brief second they are an 1800′s southern bell!! Only to have “Dixie” relinquish control IMMEDIATELY after that phrase! LOL. It happens so fast they don’t even know it!! OK in all seriousness now. I have the impression that they use the phrase as a crutch. A way of explaining things that they subconsciously know to be outdated, ignorant or just plain silly. Just like in my last posting about people using “baby” to refer to anyone in earshot regardless of the relationship, or lack thereof, to the person. “It’s just a suthun thang!” The sad part is that they use it in a context that is not flattering to themselves and don’t even realize it. I once had a conversation with a woman I worked with that turned into one of my “in TN infidelity is the norm” rants and this woman who had added that her father cheated on her mother for 20 years and that it was ok cause the mother cheated back for 20 years…said “It’s just a suthun thang!”. I stood there… and with all the thoughts that normally run through my over active melon and couldn’t think of one good response. I walked away.

Baby…Sweetie

I grew up knowing that calling someone “sweetie” was reserved for something your mother or aunt would call you when you were little. “Oh come give auntie a hug little sweetie!”. “Baby” was reserved for when your girlfriend or wife was whispering in your ear. “Oh baby, this feels great!”. Even casually with a couple “baby can you pass the salt?”. Here in TN people use that word so much that it loses its impact. It even diminishes its value to someone in a relationship. I have heard a girlfriend say “oh baby, I would love to have dinner with you tonight!”. Then seconds later use the term to a person she barely knows in passing. “Thank you baby! Can you just put it there on my desk?”. It sure makes you feel like asking her to NOT use that term with you. Think of something else that actually MEANS something and can carry some weight or impact on your significant other. TN waitresses are notorious for this. “Is there anything else I can get you baby?” “Thank you sweetie!”. OMG I try to imagine my sister or my mother or sisters in law saying that to ANYONE other then their spouse. It would never happen and it would sound plain stupid if they did! I guess I can chalk it up to another thing this northern raised boy doesn’t get about “it’s southern thing“! (tired of hearing that lame excuse as well)!!!

Prices!!! ARGGG!!!

OK… The following numbers are rough and collected from various sources on the internet and are only being used here as “rough” to illustrate my point. Let me jump right in and explain the burr in my saddle! Prices of homes and cars especially have gone through the roof! They have gone up relative to average income at a rediculous rate. For example: In 1966 the average person earned roughly $7,500 per year and could buy a new house for about 3x that at $23,000. They could buy a new car for $1,800. Thats 24% of their annual income. TODAY…. The average person makes $56,000 per year and has to spend 4x their salary to afford the average home of $230,000 and 50% of their salary to afford an average car at $28,000. So homes went from 3x to 4x and cars went from 24% to 50%. This is rediculous IMO!! I don’t think you can blame it on technology. About 10 years ago I went and bought a brand new Macintosh computer. Top of the line! It cost me $3000. Today if you went out to by a top of the line Macintosh computer with all the latest and greatest technology and advancements it would cost you about $3000. Why hasn’t that changed? $3000 is less of a percentage of my income than it was 10 years ago. It is actually easier to buy a computer today than it was 10 years ago. Why is it HARDER to buy a home or a new car? Manufacturing of homes is far easier today with mass produced parts, assembly line style construction of neighborhoods and even the use of neumatic tools. Homes should be relatively CHEAPER to make!!! Of all the expenses I face monthly my home and my car consumes over 75% of my net income and I live in a modest home with an average salary. I do understand that I am a single person and not a dual income family but something has gotten out of hand and I see no end in sight!!

Friday night jamming!

The Blonde and Her Bargain with God…

A blonde was hurriedly and nervously driving through the parking lot because she had an important meeting and couldn’t find a parking place. Finally, in desperation she looked up toward heaven and said, “Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life, no more tequila and even give up dating married men.”
Instantly, and miraculously, a parking place appeared.
She looked up again and said, “Never mind, I found one!”

Getting old and looking back.

I look back at some simple things in my life from my past and compare them to today. I used to drink tons of beer, play guitar in a bar every night, stay up late, play racquetball, mountain bike, swim, ride jetskis, play 1st person shooter computer games for hours on end DAILY, and spend a lot of time outside. These days, I drink wine more than beer, I only play music once or twice a month on stage, 10:30 is WAY late for me to get to bed, I haven’t had time to play any sports or be active at all in quite a long time, playing a 1st person game online can only keep my attention for about 20 minutes once every week or two, the only time I really get outside is to walk from my car to work or the grocery store or mow my yard. My life has changed so very much. I believe as I am getting older, I am focusing on retirement, benefits, health insurance and security far more than I ever have in the past. Maybe it is a logical progression in growing up. Maybe I am just getting lazy. I miss being really active and free at the level I once was. I think it came at a price though. That price was lack of security and financial growth. That is a price I am too afraid to pay at this stage in my life. So, I do the same thing everyone else does… Grind through another day at a corporate job!! LOL

Letter to Dr Ruth….:)

Come 1, Come ALL!! :)

Laughing

Just because my cell phone cost me more than my lil Datsun, people shouldn’t laugh!!

Weekends of wine and wheels

How awesome, romantic, fun, relaxing and adventurous would it be to take a weekend motorcylce ride with a few couples? Take a ride to some small treasure of a wine bar. Enjoy a different varietals from various vinyards, taking notes and discussing. Then walk across the street to a small hotel or bed and breakfast for the evening. After seeing the movies “sideways”, “El Postino” and “Motorcycle diaries” makes you want to go to Europe and spend a year on a motorcycle drinking magnificant wines in locations even more breathtaking! What a fantasy!! If I ever win the lottery (how many people start thoughts the very same way? LOL!!) I will buy motorcycles for any family and/or friends that want to join me for just such a ride through Europe! The pictures and jouranals from each rider’s perspective would make for an incredible book!!! One I would gladly write!

Split11 at the Pickin Parlour 2002?

Good, Better, Best!! LOL!

GOOD
In Richardson, Texas State Trooper was running radar. He had a perfect spot to watch for speeders, but wasn’t getting any. Then he discovered the problem. A 12 year old boy was standing up the road with a hand painted sign which read “RADAR TRAP AHEAD!”
The officer later found a young accomplice down the road with a sign reading, “TIPS” and a bucket full of money. (And we used to just sell lemonade!)
BETTER
A motorist was mailed a picture of his car speeding through an automated radar post in Plano, Texas. A $40 speeding ticket was included. Being cute, he sent the police department a picture of $40. The police responded with another mailed photo of handcuffs.
BEST
A young woman was pulled over in Austin, Texas for speeding. As the TX State Trooper walked to her car window, flipping open his ticket book, she said, “I bet you are going to sell me a ticket to the Texas State Police Ball.” He replied, “Texas State Troopers don’t have balls.” There was a moment of silence while she smiled and he realized what he’d just said. He then closed his book, got back in his patrol car and left. She was laughing too hard to start her car.

Ron’s Wine Cellar

I have started another blog. This one is my amateur reviews on the wines I drink. I have only a few reviews so far but will be updating as I drink new ones. I will also be adding to reviews for bottles I have had already as I drink a new bottle of the same. This will be a good way to see how my tastes change and grow. http://skramnor.com/wine
I hope you enjoy it! Cheers!!!

No kidding!

OK. We have all heard the stories of how some person calls some helpdesk person and say really stupid things. Well from time to time, I get such a call. Today a woman called me and said that she is trying to work in a specific program and it is not working. I asked her “what is the problem?”. She said “I don’t know the screen is just blank!”. I was thinking on too high of a level at first and looked into weather or not we were having any global trouble with the network application she was using. While I was looking she said that her optical mouse is not working either. She said “there is no red light”. I was stopped in my tracks!!! I asked her to press the power button on the face of the PC. Seconds later she exclaimed “the light is on the mouse now……and now the screen is working!!” She asked me “What was wrong with the system?”… Wanting to keep my job, I decided to pass up the great opportunity to tell her that the user behind it is an idiot! OMG!! Some people need crayons and construction paper!!

"Wild Thang!"

An old friend of mine from when I lived back in Florida just reminded me of something so funny! I was playing in a band called “Feed Me” in the early 90′s back in Florida with Danny C. and Ron S. We used to play at a place called The Reef on Ft. Myers Beach. Sometimes, someone would get drunk and pass out in their chair. Ron would stop the show and get everyone to gather round this person real quiet. We would then turn up real loud and start playing and screaming the song “Wild Thing” at this person. I don’t remember why we picked that song. Maybe because the crowd could sing along easily. The person would wake up and be surrounded by everyone laughing and singing!! These poor souls only fall asleep ONCE!!! Then they know better!! We were a silly and fun band! I had some great times back then! Thanks Jessica for reminding me!!!

Car dilemma

I sold my Corvette and now have no bills other than my house and some remaining holiday debts. I am driving my old Datsun but I believe it is on it’s last legs. I think I might be able to get a couple more weeks out of it before something breaks! I am hearing more and more noises. Granted I am extremely sensitive to noises and rattles in a car (read: anal about it) but the Datsun is starting to make noises that friends even hear. Grinding, thumps, whistles etc. So.. enter dilemma. Do I buy a brand new car with full warranty and not hear anymore noises. One with good gas mileage and reliability such as a Honda or Acura and start another 5 years of payments? OR do I find a lo mileage late model used car for lower cost but with less warranty? OR find a older car to buy with cash and not worry about payments but suffer in the noises and reliability factors. GEESH!! Being a Virgo sure creates hassles when trying to decide. New and reliable car or more money into retirement??? I am sure I will procrastinate until the Datsun dies and then make a quick last minute decision! LOL!

Superbowl XL

Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Feb 5th. We are having a party at my house!!! Beer, wings, chili, dip, fireplace and FOOTBALL!!! FUN FUN FUN!!! I can’t wait~!

Why I work..

Today I went shooting at the range with Amanda, Chris and Eric. After, we went to buffulo wild wings and ate too much and drank too much! LOL So much fun. When I got home, I was wiped out. I crashed on my bed and took an incredible nap with Dew. I never forget that the reason I work so hard is to afford to be able to relax on the weekend in my nice home and nap when I want. So relaxed…so happy!!!:)

B

Too much info…

I have always been someone who doesn’t like things drawn out beyond what is neccesary to make a point. Even though sometimes I will repeat myself more than neccesary to make a point! LOL. Books? If they have hundreds and hundreds of pages, I lose interest. It alwsys seems to me that the author could get the point across in far fewer words. I guess if it were condensed too much it might be material for Reader’s Digest as opposed to a novel. Movies? I often find myself wishing the movie would move along because it doesn’t really take 2 hours to tell a story. I have seen very few movies that I wish didnt end or felt that the movie wasn’t long enough to answer all my questions or to address all the points. Now, I am finding this frame of mind that I have always had and this feeling, when I listen to music. It seems that I can get all I need from a song in far less than 3 minutes. Maybe I have been listening to the wrong music but after a minute or 2 of a song or a live band for that matter, I want to move to the next one. Maybe it is because I haven’t heard anything in years that I haven’t heard a million times in a slightly different way. Same with movies, news and stories. It all seems to be the same thing I have seen and heard my whole life. nothing is really new and fresh. Maybe this is why I prefer to read about or watch History. It contains things I have never personally experienced or have gotten tired of due to a life long repetition of it. Most of the time I don’t listen to anything anymore. Music, movies, news or anything. I drive with no radio most of the time and I barely watch TV. I like to think alot more these days. Maybe because I am in control of the content that way. I can have new and refreshing thoughts anytime I want. I can get through the thought as slow or as fast as I need and not have to wade through authors taking full advantage of their liberty to create long drawn out content for the masses. Is it all too much information or am I just plain lazy???

SNOW in Nashvegas!!!

It snowed in Nashville last night. Dew didn’t seem to mind!

Split11

Here was my 1st gig with Split11 back in 2001. At “Springwater” (dive bar) in Nashville TN. We rocked good and made some friends that night! Fun times!

Hello!

I just wanted to say hello…”HELLO!!!

Brand loyalty.

Funny how people remain loyal to a team or a product even though no one on the original team even plays any more or the current line of products suck! LOL. People are “Life-Long (insert sports team) fans”! How can someone remain a fan of a team when all the people have changed? The only thing the same is the city the team is from! To each his own. I equate that to people liking Fords over Chevy’s or vice versa. Even if one company happens to make a crappy car for a year or two, people will “swear by” their favorite brand. “I only drive a Ford”!! “Chevy Sucks!” Etc.. Oh well. Maybe people do that to convince themselves they made the right choice when they bought that Ford Pickup or touted out loud at the bar in front of everyone, I have “always been a Lions fan”. I guess you gotta stick with your choice to feel credible somehow. I don’t get it. If the Giants are playing great one year and I like the way they play..I am a Giants fan. If next year another team is playing fantastic, doesnt it make sense to be a fan. Its not about being on the bandwagon. It’s about realizing that somethings are just better at a given time. Enjoy them and be a fan! If Sony changed management and production facilities and started making crappy TVs, would you still buy one because at one time they made great stuff? Are people ever fans of bands that suck just because they are from the same home town or had a hit song even though all the songs, after that 1st hit, suck?? Am I rambling about nothing at this point? LOL

letting go

When past memories cause pain and heartache, they must be let go. So to start getting rid of the past I went through and cleaned out all old letters and pix. I watched them burn, taking with them a bit of the past. Now I am one step closer to embracing the present and future. I feel purged and optimistic!

Dont know how long I can make it!

Well… I did it! I decided to sell the Corvette and be a bit more practical financially. For now, I am driving my old 1982 Datsun 200sx. It is on its last legs but it gets me back and forth to work and it only cost me $250. In the spring I will be buying something. Maybe a motorcycle to save money on payments, gas and insurance. Besides, it would be way cool to be riding a bike around! I have time to decide though. So until then, I will drive the “Datsonian”!

Dixie Wrecks pix

Angie took some pix and made some slide show videos of my band from last sat night. Check it out!! We had a BLAST!!!
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos.php?user=princessang

FAKE: Speech from the President

I did not write this fake speech. However, I would LOVE to hear it for real!!

My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed. Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete. This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now to begin the reckoning. Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there. The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world’s nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening. Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war. The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption. Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France. In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.
Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or maybe China. I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Bon chance, mes amis. I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don’t care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put em? Yep, border security. So start doing something with your oil. Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty – starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we’ll be drilling for oil in Alaska, which will take care of this country’s oil needs for decades to come. If you’re an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. They care. It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, “darn tootin.” Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from America. To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thanks guys. We owe you and we won’t forget.
To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic. God bless America. Thank you and good night.

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier!

Apple’s Marketing

I don’t like Apple’s marketing mentality! They seem to rarely market on their own merit. They rather compare to others in a “we are better than…” fashion. I noticed one of Apple’s new marketing lines. “What’s an Intel chip doing inside a Mac? More than it ever did in a PC!” How “rediculous” is that??? They bash Intel for years, now they are using Intel Chips so they say Intel is the best. It’s the same technology that has been availble in PCs for many months now . They don’t stop there. They have to bash on and imply that only Apple can utilize the full power of the Intel chips. I wish they would just offer the good product and have a shred of humility about it!

Holy catfish batman!!

My Step-Dad caught a 30.3lb catfish!!!

1st Massage

OK. My back has been so jacked up lately that I havent been able to move sometimes. I get spasms that drop me to my knees. I finally went to my 1st massage. A DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE!! Holy SHIT! This guy has power in his hands. He worked my back from my shoulders down to my hips and I thought I was going to cry from the pain. He commented on how very bad my back was. He said it was extremely tight and knotted. I feel like I just got my ass kicked in a fight. I am wore out!! He has me doing some stretches and drinking lots of water and I will have to go once a week for about 4 weeks to get this feeling better. Tonight was a great start!!!

"Shit"

Shit may just be the most functional word in the English language.
Consider:
You can get shit-faced, Be shit-out-of-luck, Or have shit for brains. With a little effort, you can get your shit together, find a place for your shit, or be asked to shit or get off the pot. You can smoke shit, buy shit, sell shit, lose shit, find shit, forget shit, and tell others to eat shit. Some people know their shit, while others can’t tell the difference between shit and shineola. There are lucky shits, dumb shits, and crazy shits. There is bull shit, horse shit, and chicken shit. You can throw shit, sling shit, catch shit, shoot the shit, or duck when the shit hits the fan. You can give a shit or serve shit on a shingle. You can find yourself in deep shit or be happier than a pig in shit. Some days are colder than shit, some days are hotter than shit, and some days are just plain shitty. Some music sounds like shit, things can look like shit, and there are times when you feel like shit. You can have too much shit, not enough shit, the right shit, the wrong shit or a lot of weird shit. You can carry shit, have a mountain of shit, or find yourself up shit creek without a paddle. Sometimes everything you touch turns to shit and other times you fall in a bucket of shit and come out smelling like a rose. When you stop to consider all the facts, it’s the basic building block of the English language. And remember, once you know your shit, you don’t need to know anything else!! Well, Shit, it’s time for me to go. Just wanted you to know that I do give a shit and hope you had a nice day, without a bunch of shit. But, if you happened to catch a load of shit from some shit-head…… Shit Happens!!!

untitled entry

which one are you?

I was forwarded a joke today in the form of a question:
You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you. You are carrying a Glock caliber 40, and you are an expert shot? You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do? The answers are supposed to be funny and indicate if you are a republican or democrat:

Democrat’s Answer:
Well, that’s not enough information to answer the question! Does the man look poor! Or oppressed? Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
Could we run away? What does my wife think? What about the kids? Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand? What does the law say about this situation? Does the Glock have appropriate safety built into it? Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children? Is it possible he’d be happy with just killing me? Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me? If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me? Should I call 9-1-1?
Why is this street so deserted? We need to raise taxes, have a paint and weed ! day and make this happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior. This is all so confusing! I need to debate this with some friends for few days and try to come to a consensus.

Republican’s Answer:
BANG!

My reply:

I would shoot him but I am in no way afilliating myself with the republican party. The notion that all republicans are pro gun and all democrats anti gun is plain ignorant, a classic case of stereotyping and an insult to the many intelligent people with different views from either party. Grouping all people into one or the other political party rattles my cage and gets me frustatred. I am neither! I will never be either. I do not follow the masses in my beliefs or my voting. The whole idea of there being only 2 views to everything is so very small minded and is the main reason our country is at such odds. People actually believe that they have to support one view or the other. So they fit into the one that is closest to their religious beliefs, moral values or financial status even if one set of values has to suffer. I believe in things that are accepted and things that are not from both parties and the many other parties out there that never get airtime. I know this was only a joke but it sure goes to show how people think. One way or the other. People are forced to believe there are only 2 answers to every problem and it has become our culture and the norm. I have literally been yelled at by people when I say that I dont like the policy we have of war but I still have a gun and like to use it. They are conflicting ideas in the political party arena. “How can you have a gun and not believe in war?”. It’s really really easy if you don’t get trapped into the republican vs democrat trap! PHEW!!! I do tend to get on a soapbox about things like this but it is very important to me. I will step down now!

Then and Now!

I am tired…

For a couple years I’ve been blaming it on lack of sleep, not enough sunshine, too much pressure from my job, earwax build-up, poor blood or anything else I could think of. But now I found out the real reason: I’m tired because I’m overworked.
Here’s why:
The population of this country is 273 million. 140 million are retired. That leaves 133 million to do the work. There are 85 million in school. Which leaves 48 million to do the work. Of this there are 29 million employed by the federal government, leaving 19 million to do the work. 2.8 million are in the armed forces preoccupied with killing Osama Bin-Laden, which leaves 16.2 million to do the work. Take from that total the 14.8 million people who work for state and city governments, and that leaves 1.4 million to do the work. At any given time there are 188,000 people in hospitals, leaving 1,212,000 to do the work. Now, there are 1,211,998 people in prisons. That leaves just two people to do the work. You and me! And there you are sitting on your ass, at your computer, reading this. Nice! Real nice!

The Dixie Wrecks

This in not really a BLOG entry. It’s more of a buletin. The band I am playing with has 2 places to get info:
http://myspace.com/thedixiewrecks
and
http://www.thedixiewrecks.com

Check them out and come see us play! We are playing Friday 1/6/06 at the Bluseboro in TN 11:30pm.

What a day!

The weather was PERFECT!! It was 75 degrees in Nashville on Jan 2nd 2006! What a way to start the year. I went into my garage and gave it for a beatin! I cleaned and threw away junk and moved stuff to the attic. Then I built some shelves from some scrap wood that now hold all the stuff that was all over the place. I washed the car as well. In all honesty I wash my car alot anyway but I really enjoy it when the weather is like it was on Monday! It amazing how the weather can make you productive. When it is raining out, all I want to do is sleep and watch tv. When it is hot out all I want to do is find cool water to lay in! when it is mild I want to go go go!! Fixing things or even just playing outside with my dog. I wish it were 30-35 every night and 75-80 every day! All my chores/projects would already be done!

Happy New Year!!!

Remember….“Every morning is actually a new beginning! Start each day as a fresh new start with happiness and resolve and don’t forget to smile!!”–Ron E. Marks

My Christmas!!

This was the best Christmas I have had in many many years!! I spent it with my loving wonderful family. No drama, no stress anywhere to be found! Not that I was looking! LOL! We laughed, played games, ate great food, drank and we were very, very, merry!!!! I will have my Christmas with my family from now on. It is the ONLY way! I am very happy right now. Thanks to my wonderful family!!:)

Santa in Atlanta!!!

This year, I am going to Atlanta to spend Christmas with my family!!! I am so excited. This will be the 1st Christmas we have spent together since around 1988. My sister is hosting at her. Lots of kids, lots of Adults and lots of dogs!!:) I am stuffing my gifts, my clothes and “Dew” into the Vette and making the trek. I know I will have the 1st merry Christmas in more years than I care to count. I am going end this posting with my wishes for all people, naughty and nice, to have a wonderful, peaceful, loving holiday!! Share your hearts and be good! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD LIFE!!!:)

Drama!

I just realized that all of the drama that I have experienced since living in Nashville (6 years) , has been centered around one single person. No matter where I go or what I do, this drama lingers and resurfaces. There is no drama with anyone else I know. Yet month after month and year after year, something happens and this person’s name comes up. Divorces, multiple cheatings and affairs, job issues, arguments, lies, negativity have surrounded this person for years and years and years, leaving a wake of hurt ex spouses, ex-lovers that cheated on the spouses, hurt friends, hurt colleagues and confused children. When will the drama end??? Why do I let it bother me?

You’re getting sleepy!!!

Pulling out!

For his birthday, little Patrick asked for a 10-speed bicycle. His father said, “Son, we’d give you one, but the mortgage on this house is $80,000 and your mother just lost her job. There’s no way we can afford it.” The next day the father saw little Patrick heading out the front door with a suitcase. So he asked, “Son, where are you going?” Little Patrick told him, “I was walking past your room last night and I heard you telling mom you were pulling out. Then I heard her tell you to wait because she was coming too. And I’ll be damned if I’m staying here by myself with an $80,000 mortgage & no bicycle!”

Too little, WAY to late!!!

It has been brought to my attention that the results from the Florida presedential elections that were a big mess during the last election were more “off” than initial thought.
ARTICLE. Here is a discussion of the memory card hack that was at issue!

The "glass slipper" if you will!

My Cinderella wears these!!

The real you? The real me?

Do we ever really know people in our lives? Do they only show us what they want us to see and believe in? I know I catch myself “editing” what I share with people sometime because I know they won’t understand or might not be my friend anymore. I do try very hard to say how I feel and to be open with who I am but I know sometimes I just can’t. Do other people censor themselves as well, just for the sake of a friendship or a relationship? I want to live completely uncensored and to have the people in my life uncesored. Not to the point of hurting someone. I am not talking about insulting someone. We all know we are overweight or losing our hair or stink sometimes. That’s not what I am talking about. I am talking about the people that say one thing about themselves when the truth is very different. Maybe we say what we want to believe about ourselves. If you have cheated on every relationship you have ever been in, say so. I guess we wouldn’t get many 2nd or 3rd dates if we did though. “Hi my name is ron and I have had sex with X amount of women in my life!” or “Hello, my name is Betty and I have cheated on my husband 5 times in the past few years but I don’t do that anymore!” I think that would be a welcome openess. I doubt it will ever happen. We will still have to take what people say at face value until we spend years in the relationship and are lucky enough to never find out the bad past and it never repeat or find out that there has been no change and deal with the pain and hurt of it all. Sounds like a depressing post from me but it is something I am wondering about. So…I wrote it. Take it or leave it. Have a nice day and be truthful to YOU so you can be truthful to others!!!

Illusions of wealth

It is sad how people treat you differently based soley on their perception of your wealth or status. A perfect example is the cars I drive. I drive a nice shiney Corvette and a faded, rusty old Datsun. When I drive the Datsun, people will cut me off in traffic, look at me with annoyed looks like “Get that piece of shit out of my way!!!”. They won’t give me a break into traffic and the girls literally turn their heads away from me as I pass by. On the other side of this story is me driving my Corvette to work. I am amazed at how people with slow down to allow me to get in front of them. I can actually pull out of McDonald’s in the morning by Nippers Corner without a hassle at all!! People smile at me as they drive by and the girls go out of their way to see who is driving that Vette!! It is amazing!!! I am the same person, wearing the same clothing, driving the very same road and the very same time to the very same job yet the experience is COMPLETELY different between the two! I am sure I am guilty of this behavior as well. We are human after all. I will make a conscious effort to NOT be that way from now on!!

The power of the mind.

Here is an excerpt from “How to stop worrying and start living” by Dale Carnegie.

Our mental attitude has an almost unbelieveable effect even on our physical powers. The famous British psychiatrist, J.A. Hadfield gives a striking illustration of that fact in his splendid 54 page booklet: The Psychology or Power. “ I asked 3 men,” he writes, “to submit themselves to test the effect of mental suggestion on their strength, which was measured byt gripping a dynamometer.” He told them to grip the dynamometer with all their might. He had them do this under 3 different sets of conditions. The average was 101 pounds. When he tested them after he had hypnotized them and told them that they were very weak, they could grip only 29 lbs-less than a third their regular strength. (one of these men was a prize fighter and when he was told under hypnosis that he was weak, he remarked that his arm felt “tiny, just like a baby’s.”) When Dr. Hadfield then tested these me a third timie, telling them under hypnosis that they were very strong. they were able to grip an average of 142 pounds. When their minds were filled with positive thoughts of strength, they increased their actuall physical powere almost 50 percent!”

A Mouse?

Click on picture for funny lil video!

Wronged?

“…Very few of us are cruelly and greatly wronged. It is the small blows to our self-esteem, the indignities, the litle jolts to our vanity, which cause half the heartaches in the world.”–Frank S. Hogan

Steak is Steak, Asparagus is Asparagus!

Relationships can be steak or asparagus. No matter how they are prepared or dressed up they are still one or the other. Think of it like food when you are hungry. If she is like asparagus (which I can barely eat), you wait until you are starving to eat it. Then when you are done, you just go about your business having satisfied the starving feeling. With steak, you dont wait until you are starving because you can eat steak anytime and not get tired of it. When you are completely full, you still consider another bite because you know it tastes so good. When you eat a big juicy steak, you sit at the table after and just enjoy it. Rubbing your full belly and sighing because you are happy. Some relationships are like asparagus. You just have it, satisfy the craving and leave. With the right person, you want to be with them all the time and do many things. When you are done, you want to sit back with her and enjoy it. I will never grow into liking asparagus no matter how you cook it or dress it up. With steak, you can always take the effort to learn how to cook it a fresh new way so that it tastes good again. Steak will always be steak! Asparagus will always be just asparagus. Gimme steak now, forever and until I die! When I do die, I hope it is enjoying the perfect steak!:)

???

I honestly have no clue as to what I am doing or where I am going. Simply no idea!!

Knowledge and the known path..

I have been down the wrong path many times in my life. Music. relationships, jobs, finances etc… I am not saying that I have all the answers to how things should be done right. I don’t know if I will ever have the answers. However, I know what DOESN’T work. Don’t ask me to go down the paths I know do not work again. Take me places I have never been. Show me what I do not already know. Then we are livin and the answers do not actually matter all that much!!!

Choosing a cologne or perfume

I have always purchased my cologne in a somewhat random manner. I would look at the cool bottles and then decide which one of those I like the scent of best. Kind of like my beginner technique in picking a wine out. LOL. I have since moved on to ASKING for help in choosing wine as opposed to the “nicest bottle and label” technique! With Cologne I will credit a lil old lady at the cologne counter at Hechts. She explained that I shoould choose a cologne by what I am intending to wear if for first. Something light and fresh for daily wear or maybe something rich for a hot date? Being that I only like to wear ONE cologne I chose the “lighter” category. I like to have an indentifiable scent. I want women to smell this scent and be reminded of me. I will always remember “Beautiful” perfume for women. It immediatley turns me on. It no longer reminds me of a single person but yet the level of passion that I shared with one person. So…. I chose about 5 different colognes that this salesperson told me might be “light”. She sprayed them all onto little cardboard sampler sticks. I liked a few of them. This seemed very complicated to settle on one. She gave me a minute or two and then suggested that I go back and smell them again. I noticed that one in particular had no scent. I thought maybe my nose was overloaded with scent and I couldnt smell it anymore. She said “THATS THE ONE FOR YOU!”. I was puzzled. She explained that if you can no longer smell the scent, then it is nicely blending with your natural scent. One that you cannot smell. The others are contrasting your scent and therefore you can still smell them. I took her advice as it made perfect scents to me (pun intended LOL). She was right on the money. So now I know not to buy a scnet just because I like the bottle or because I think it smells good. I know this scent is not a magical scent and is not so much better than all the rest out there, but it combines well with my scent and therefore is much better for me. I have been wearing it for over 2 years now and I am amazed that women STILL approach me almost daily, in passing and comment on how nice I smell!!!

Tough Choice

Well…I made a tough choice to sell my Corvette. As I sated in an earlier post, it seems silly for me to be spending all that I am for that car in payments, insurance, gas, and repairs just to get back and forth to work. I put it up in the wheels and deals paper and online. After it sells, I will drive my lil old Datsun for the rest of the winter (at least I will try). During that time, I plan on paying off some bills (mostly from the Vette). Come spring, I hope to buy a motorcycle for my back and forth to work transportation. With motorcycles being so much cheaper than cars, I would be free to get the best bike I want. I could get a new Harley or a new Ducati or maybe a restored Norton. Lots of choices! I will miss the vette and when I am ready to buy another car, it might even be a vette!!

Useless info…

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A “jiffy” is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capone’s business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don’t appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds.
Dogs only have about 10.
“Dreamt” is the only English word that ends in the letters “mt”.
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in a single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
The average American, will spend an average of 6 months waiting at red lights in their lifetime.
It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament building is an American flag.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
“Stewardesses” is the longest word typed with only the left hand and “lollipop” with your right.
The average person’s left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” uses every letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.
The words ‘racecar,’ ‘kayak’ and ‘level’ are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in “dous”: tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: “abstemious” and “facetious.”
There’s no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies’ room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks; otherwise it will digest itself.
Now you know everything!

To auto or not to auto?

I find it ironic that with my love for vehicles I still have a desire to live life without them. I daydream of living in a town where people ride horses and in wagons like the old west but in modern times. Why not right? I even would like to live in a small town square where all I would need would be a bicycle. The car not only is bad for the environment, it costs such a huge portion of our annual income. Car payments, insurance, repairs, maintenance, fuel etc.. My car costs me $800 a month own and drive not including repairs and maint. That money would be a huge contribution to my retirement or even paying off a house 15 years earlier and saving for more in interest payments. This has been weighing on my mind for years. More thinking necessary!! LOL

The Mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.” The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.”Now,”said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things– your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there i is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. “Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first—the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Me likey this too!

Denver or BUST!!!

DENVER, COLORADO—In a vote expected to reverberate nationwide, Denver today became the second major U.S. city in less than a year to pass a measure aimed at replacing marijuana prohibition with policies designed to treat marijuana in a manner comparable to alcohol, passing I-100 by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent, with 83 percent of precincts reporting. A similar measure won by a wide margin in Oakland, California, in November 2004.

I-100 makes possession of less than one ounce of marijuana non-punishable under Denver city ordinances. The I-100 campaign, organized by Safer Alternatives For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), built its effort around the large volume of scientific evidence indicating that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol, America’s most commonly used recreational drug. The initiative’s language puts the city on record in support of treating private, adult use and possession of marijuana “in the same manner as the private use and possession of alcohol.

“A few years from now, this vote may well be seen as the proverbial ‘tipping point,’ the beginning of the end of marijuana prohibition in the U.S.,” said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, D.C. “Replacing the failed policy of prohibition with common-sense taxation and regulation of marijuana has become a thoroughly mainstream issue, with the voters of two major U.S. cities endorsing such an approach within one year. Even the Denver Post, which opposed I-100, said in its editorial, ‘We think it probably would be preferable for the state and federal governments to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana use.’

“Last year, there were more than three-quarters of a million marijuana arrests, an all-time record,” Kampia added. “That’s equivalent to arresting every man, woman, and child in the state of Wyoming plus every man, woman, and child in St. Paul, Minnesota. The public understands that this simply makes no sense. Regulating marijuana will take money out of the pockets of criminals and free police to go after violent crime, and the voters of Denver took their first step in that direction today.”

With more than 18,000 members and 120,000 e-mail subscribers nationwide, the Marijuana Policy Project is the largest marijuana policy reform organization in the United States. MPP works to minimize the harm associated with marijuana—both the consumption of marijuana and the laws that are intended to prohibit such use. MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is imprisonment. For more information, please visit www.MarijuanaPolicy.org.

Veterans Day 11/11

WWI ended and peace was declared on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, 1918.

Blaupunkt Ad… LOL!!!

Click this image below for a hilarious TV ad from Blaupunkt!

November 11th

Well…Tomorrow is another 11/11. November 11th. I will wait again and hope that some amazing life changing event will happen on my special 11/11 day. A phone call, an old friend contacing me with good new, a promotion, a lottery win, someone wants to record one of my songs, anything! LOL!!! I will of course post right here if something does actually happen!

Email me…

If you happen to read this blog, feel free to leave comments or email me. I am finding that people that I don’t know are reading my blog. I would love to know everyone. Send me an email and introduce yourself. skramnor@yahoo.com

YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2005 when…

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
2. You haven’t played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don’t have e-mail addresses.
6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn’t have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile.
12. You’re reading this and nodding and laughing.
13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn’t a #9 on this list.

AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Raining?

When it rains, it pours and it is freakin a flood right now!!!

Another Crazy 1111

Ok..when the power goes out in your house, we all know that the clocks flash 12:00 until you reset them. NOT FOR ME!!! Mine was flashing 11:11. CRAZY!!! Click on the picture to see the video!!!

Words I live by….

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter won’t mind.”
–Dr. Suess

Sometimes I am happy enough to dance!!!

Think about this…

“You can’t coast on a unicycle!!”- Ron E. Marks

Been a long time..

It has been a long time since I did this but I would love to get back into this as well! So many hobbies…not nearly enough money or time!

The Correct Way To Come Home Drunk…

Two married buddies are out drinking one night, when one turns to the other and says, “You know, I don’t know what else to do. Whenever I go home after we’ve been out drinking, I turn the headlights off before I get to the driveway. I shut off the engine and coast into the garage. Take my shoes off before I go into the house, I sneak up the stairs, get undressed in the bathroom, stick my foot in the toilet and pee down my leg to prevent splashing sounds. I ease into bed and my wife STILL Wakes Up, and Yells at me for staying out so late!

“His buddy looks at him and says “Well, you’re obviously taking the wrong approach. I screech into the driveway, slam the door, storm up the steps, pee hard into the toilet water, then use the full flush, throw my shoes in the closet, undress in the bedroom, then jump into bed, slap her on the arse and say!, WHO’S HORNY????!!!” and she acts like she’s sound asleep.
It Works Every Time!!

The Happy Woman…LOL!!!

A woman, in her fifties, is at home happily jumping unclothed, on her
bed and squealing with delight.
Her husband watches her for a while and asks,
“Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look? What’s the matter with you?”
The woman continues to bounce on the bed and says,
“I don’t care , what you think. I just came from having a mammogram, and the doctor says
that not only am I healthy, but I have the breasts of an 18 year-old.
The husband replies,
“What did he say about your 55-year old ass?”
“Your name never came up,” she replied.

11:11 Irony

OK…To state a little backround on my 11:11 deal. It all started when a friend of mine told me that he saw 519 all the time. I told him that it was all in his head. I added that he sees hundreds of numbers everyday and only the 519 becomes apparent because he is aware of that number in particular. So to prove it too him I decided to pick a number myself and then let him know each time I saw the number. Ironically, I picked my number by the time on a nearby clock which just happened to be 11:11. I wonder if I picked the number or the number picked me!!!

Winter project…Norton???

I have been looking around for a winter project for my garage. Something that I would drive next spring and summer. I considered working on the Datsun and turning it into a nice ride for next spring but it is a 1982 Datsun. There won’t be much excitement in that! LOL. I am now considering and looking for a mototcycle. I gave it some thought. If you know me, you know I prefer to NOT follow the pack. I like to be somewhat unique. This immediately takes Harley’s and Japanese Race bikes out of contention. EVERYONE seems to have them and although they look fantastic, there is not much unique about them anymore. I decided to look into Vintage bikes. Not vintage Harley’s but bikes from around the world made in the 70′s. They are much more affordable and they have a cool look about them. Very simple in looks and in design. I would actually be able to work on the motor myself. I found a bike that I really like, a Norton Commando. Now I just have to find one. Here are some cool looking ones:

Shows

I will be posting up coming shows here:
The next show is at The BluesBoro Cafe on the Square in Murfreesboro Sunday Oct 9th at around 10pm.

Changes are good!

A couple years ago I had a life that was quite a bit different than it is today. I had a job I didnt like, not enough pay, wasn’t playing in a band, had no guns, drove some nice cars and some not so nice ones (good ol BLUE!!) and I won’t even go into the 2 relationships I had. OMG!!! I thought at the time that everything was good. Now I look at my life and I see: A really good job, good pay, playing in band, a collection of guns, a Corvette, a wonderful dog and the knowledge that there are wonderful women everywhere that are happy with themselves and the attention of one man. Women that can be trusted. I have a wonderful family. 3 siblings that all are impressive people raising even more impressive moral children and a mother who tops ALL mothers! I have some really good friends. (you know who you are) Friends that are there no matter what. Good people! I am happier now than I have been since I moved to TN. Seems I got caught up in a downward spiral of infidelity, bad values and bad decisions. I have since found light in what was a dark place before and now it doesn’t seem so bad. I still see things here that I don’t like such as the morals and values of this TN society as a whole. I think it is just something the locals grow up with. The acceptance of infidelity is amazing here. OK. I will get off that now. This is about positivity. I still don’t know if Nashville will ever be my true home but I am enjoying it more than I did when I was surrounded by negativity all the time. I am much happier now and I feel excited about things more often. I didnt even care to play music here for a long time but now I do. Thanks to Danny for still believing that I have some music to contribute to the crowds. I heard him tell someone “wait till you see him play..he is so aggressive!”. Thanks Dan!! So anyway all this comes down to I am the happiest I have been in a long time and I wanted to share it with anyone who cares!!!

Coolin’ down!

WEEEEEE!!! The fall is finally here! This is my favorite season. I love the cool breeze the blows the colorful leaves off the trees and swirls them around my yard. I love the clothing. The sweat shirts, the flannels, wearing jeans without sweating and boots. I will miss the summer fashions on all the women but fall has some great styles too. The fireplace is ready to go so I say bring on the cold evenings. I still want to enjoy the fall days though. I would love to go camping too but the vette couldn’t even hold a tent! LOL! Time to throw a football in the yard as well. I hope to get some real nice new colorful fall pictures this season. I have missed the last few as I was caught up in 2 evil relationships! I will post the pictures to my pictures page here on skramnor.com. Happy fall to all and a smile for any woman with enough moxie to wear black nail polish this halloween season!! Woohoo and BOOO!!!!

Another 1111

I was driving down the highway the other day with a friend and noticed a sign that said 111 miles to Chattanooga. I thought “wow another instance of 1′s” but wrote it off because it was only 111 and not 11:11. We laughed and the I looked down at the clock and it was 11:11am!!! The laughter immediately stopped!!! :O

Back on Stage! :)

I got back on stage this weekend. This was my first performance in quite a while. I had a fantastic time. I am wiped out though. Not as young as I used to be! I played with “The Dixie Wrecks”. We played at the Blues Boro Cafe in Murfreesboro this past Sat night. I will be doing some more shows there with them in the near future.

Ficus OUT!

OK the Ficus trees in the living room have been dead for long enough!!! A couple years ago a found a cutoff branch from a tree in the trash at work. I stuck it in a glass of water and it grew roots. Then I stuck it in soil and it has been growing and thriving for the last couple years! I found some trees that are the same thing. A Madagascar ???? Plant. I replaced the Ficus with them and here is what they look like. Apparently they will be much easier to maintain.

Thats the Brakes!!!

The front end on my Corvette was rattling something fierce. After a couple weeks of trying to figure it out, I came across something on the internet that mentioned something about the “anti-rattle clips” on a C4 Corvette. I looked and mine didnt have any clips on them! I bought a new set of pads and what do you know? They came with these little clips. I couldn’t find any pix of where they were supposed to go so I just sat there and played with them like a puzzle. I finally found where they simply “HAD” to go. No other logial place for them. So today I dug in and got greasy. I changed out my pads and put the clips in and WOW!!! What a difference. The car makes NO rattles now! What a relief! That with the brand new tires, the car is riding very smooth!

Back in the early band days!

Here are 2 flyers from the Ft Myers Fl “Nightlife News” back in 1988. LOL!! We were a bunch of punks!

1988 LOL!!

A dear friend of mine, Kim, sent me a picture of us from back in Dec 1988! I look like a lil greek boy with a mullet!!! LOL!!

11:11 again!

Most of you already know about my 11:11 deal….
I have been working on creating a Windows for Workgroups CD. It is bootable and gives the option to fully install this ancient OS from a CD. To do so I needed to modify certain files on an old Win95 boot floppy. After a while of editing I noticed the date/timestamp on the Original Win95b boot floppy files. 8/24/96 11:11 am. How about that for CRAZY!!!

Kitty with a FULL-AUTO!!! LOL

Vette $$$

The down side to a Corvette is the cost of parts!!! I ordered a set of tires for it and they costs $650 and that is not even installed!!! The brake pads for the Datsun were $4.99 for the front pair. The Vette pads cost $90. The airfilter for the Datsun was $3.98 and the filter for the Vette was $69.99 WOW!! What a difference!! I have to do some work on the vette this week. Replacing brake pads, front tierod ends, the tires and the airfilter is what I has slated. Soon this car will be in almost NEW condition! I am excited to get started on the customizing of the engine and drivetrain!

Datsun :)

The Datsun passed emmissions inspection today!!! Chris, Danny and I gave her a nice simple tune-up and it is running like a champ! I need to get some OUST or Febreeze in it though. Still has a bit of a musty smell!

Wheel Spacers

I got wheel spacers for the Vette today. Sets the wheels and tires 1 1/4″ further out! Looks great! New tires will be later this week.

Gas is $3.50 a gallon in Nashville!!!

Being that gas is now $3.50 a gallon and still going up rapidly, I bought an old Datsun 200sx for $250. I am going to clean it up and use it as an extra commuter car to keep my fuel costs down!!
Laugh if you will! I am still laughing myself!

My new Corvette!!!

Traded my wonderful HEMI Dodge Ram and it’s 10/16 MPG for this awesome 1996 Collector Edition LT4 Corvette with 6spd, leather int, removable top and PLENTY of power and 18/28 MPG! This is one of only 4031 collector edition coupes ever made! It has a GrandSport LT4 motor with an underated 330HP! It flies!! Here are a couple pix. This weekend I am going to take off the top and take some nice pix in the sun! I will post them to my pictures page! Me likey!

Nashville Storm

WOW!!! It is scarey outside right now!

Shooting the K31

Went to the range this week and shot my 1938 Swiss K31. It is the smoothest rifle I have shot. The action is tight and precise and the trigger is modern and light. It was a real treat to shoot. Click the picture below for a short video.

Sleep Clinic

I went and did my sleep clinic last night! So weird to be wired up and in front of cameras. Also, knowing that there were 8 people, 7 of which were young women, watching my every move, made me a little uncomfortable. I was snoring one time and woke myself up. Immediately, from the intercom, “are you ok mr. marks?”. I said “yes, i just woke myself from my own snoring”. I asked if they were laughing at my silly snore that I was making. The voice chuckled “yes!” another joined in and said “you sound like a cowboy”. This on top of the fact that one of the woman had voiced her’s and another woman’s interest in me made me feel feel vunerable in my sleep! What if I got an erection in my sleep? What if I touched it? How embarrassing! I felt like they were watching me and laughing at me. Weird feelings. Well it’s over and my apnea doesnt appear to be as bad as 1st thought. No Mask as of yet for me. In 2 weeks I go for a follow up consultation.

The collection!

Rifles top to bottom:
1935 Russian Mosin Nagant 91/30 (7.62x54r)
1943 Russian Mosin Nagant M38 (7.62x54r)
1938 Swiss K31 (7.5×55)
???? Yugoslavian SKS (no date) (7.62×39)
Handguns left to right:
2005 Glock G35 (.40s&w)
1953 Czechoslovakian CZ52 (7.62×25)
1953 Czechoslovakian CZ52 (7.62×25)
1991 Smith & Wesson 29 (.44 Magnum)
2004 Sig Sauer P220 (.45acp)
???? Smith & Wesson 686 (.357 Magnum)

Schfifty-Five!!! LOL!!!

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/schfiftyfive.php

Target shopping with the classes.

I went to Target during lunch today. This is the new one in Brentwood. What an obvious difference in the people shopping there. The one in Antioch has a cross mix of middle class folks shopping for nice clothing at discounted prices. Seems normal to me. Brentwood, not the case! most all of the people there were young/middle-aged Brentwood wives. The hair and makeup done perfect, bronze tan, fresh manicures, (is it getting hot in here?) designer sunglass, jewelry, stilettos and an HUGE SUV. I know it sounds cliche and like I am stereotyping but OMG they all look like they got out of school, hooked up with a rich older businessman and then had a couple kids. I have been working in BWD for 5 years. It’s almost always the same here. Husband makes lots of money, wife spends it looking great, invites the pool-boy or computer repair guy over to give her the attention her husband, who works 90 hours a week, can’t give her. CRAZY!!! Rock on PoolBoys and Techs!

Marc Broussard

My friend Tracy and I went to see Marc Broussard at the Mercy Lounge/Cannery Row Series. It was an outdoor show. The 3 opening acts were extrememly difficult to stay awake for but Marc Broussard came out and kicked our asses! He is such a great artist! Incredible singer, great entertainer and he even writes fantastic songs! It was areal treat!!!

Man hunt!!

Late last night, or maybe it was early this morning, police were on a man hunt in my neigborhood. There were patrol cars, dogs, men on foot and eaven a helicopter circling over my house. I was a bit “concerned” about coming into my empty house in this situation. When I opened up, Dew was fine so I went up stairs and looked around. This was the 1st time I really felt the need for a carry gun. I did go up and unlock one of my handguns and get myself prepared just in case. Crazy things can happen these days!!!

Apnea UPDATE!!

I go to Vanderbilt University Neurology Clinic on August 19th to get fitted for and try out my new CPAP mask! This “Constant Positive Air Pressure” mask will force air into my airway at night when I sleep. This will help me to breath. Currently, I stop breathing at night anywhere from 20-30 times each an every hour!!! I may only notice this happening once or twice which is why this mask is so important! I am looking forward to having a good night sleep for the 1st time in years!! No more snoring, no more waking up all night and no more talking in my sleep. If I do talk in my sleep I might sound like Darth Vader though!!! LOL!!!

My disgusting A/C unit

I called in a repair man to look into why my home A/C wasn’t working very well. He found this disgusting mess!!!

"You Never Even Called Me by my Name"

The final verse of “You Never Even Called Me by my Name” performed by David Allen Coe, Charlie Pride and Merle Haggard (Steve Goodman) qualifies it as the “perfect country and western song.” Here’s the story:

At the end of the song as originally written, David Allen Coe says, “Well, a friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that song, and he told me it was the perfect country and western song…. I told him it was NOT the perfect country and western song, ‘cause he hadn’t said anything at all about mama, or trains, or trucks, or prison, or gettin’ drunk. Well, he sat down and wrote another verse…. After reading it I realized my friend had written the perfect country and western song. … the last verse goes like this here.”

“Well, I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison,
And I went to pick her up in the rain,
But before I could get to the station in my pick-up truck,
She got run over by a damned old train.

And I’ll hang around as long as you will let me,
And I never minding standin’ in the rain,
You don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’
You never even called me by my name.”

Barking Dogs!!! Arrggh!!

Anyone who has lived with me for any period of time knows 4 things about my sleeping. I fall asleep really, real fast, I snore, I talk in my sleep and I wake at the slightest noise!!! I live alone now so the 1st 3 don’t bother me at all!! LOL. The last one though has been a huge thorn in my side for years!. All 3 of my homes and even one duplex rental, I have had to deal with people who buy a dog and dump it in their yard and never pay attention to it. Dogs in situations like that BARK!!!! 1st in Austin TX, I had a neighbor who used to get up to go to work and would leave the dog outside for the day. The dog would bark at and chase ANYTHING it would see. Squirrels, birds, butterflies and eve leaves falling from the trees! My bedroom window just happened to be in the back of the house and 20 feet from this noise. I played in a band for those years so I didnt get to sleep until about 1 hour before the neighbor left for work. OMG!! Then we moved to Nashville and rented a duplex. The neighbors did the very same thing with their Bassett hounds. TWO OF THEM!!! They not only barked, they HOWLED!! No sleep there either. Finally went and bought a house in Nashville. Went so far as to ask the owner if there were any barking dogs nearby. “NOPE!!!” Awesome! I drove by a few times early in the morning and heard nothing. This was perfect…UNTIL…the first night! This neighbor was a musician as well. He put his dogs out at night and brought them inside 1st thing in the morning. Unfortunatley for me…at this time I was no longer a musician and was working 8-5 business hours. ALL NIGHT LONG his 2 dogs would bark. FOR HOURS ON END. I tried everything. I used to feed them peanut butter filled dog bones just to get 1 or 2 hours of sleep. I called the police and they showed up and I found out that he had been receiving complaints for years but anytime someone came by the dogs would stop because they were interested in what was going on and no longer barked out of boredum. I finally video taped the dogs barking for 2 SOLID HOURS. That is all the video tape my camera would hold. They normally barked for 5 to 6 hours. I think they actually took turns, giving each other a rest. I took it to the Animal Services. I forgot what the org was called. He was actually breaking the law. 1. Disturbing the peace and 2. Cruelty to animals. He was cited and served with papers to appear in court. I went to him and asked if we could settle this as neighbors and not go to court. He agreed and bought a “barking” collar for his dogs. 2 days of peaceful sleep!! I though it was over. NOPE…He said his dogs didnt like the collars and he took it off. Barking resumed. At this point I was finalizing my divorce and moved. On to my new house in Nashville. No barking dogs!!! Ahhhhh!!! Sometimes my neighbor forgets and leaves his little yappy dog outside the fence and it barks to come back in. They usually hear it and bring him in. Not that big of a deal. 3 years into owning this house in relative peace
, My other neighbor decides to buy a dog and build a cage for it all the way away from their house and on my fenceline. This is a hound and has been barking with a loud, full bark that carries all over the entire area. I went over the very 1st day and asked nicely if he would leave the dog inside during sleeping hours. This was at 5:45 a.m by the time I was fed up. It woke me at 4:30am. He said yes and brought hte dog in. The very next day the same thing BARK BARK BARK!!! I got up and was getting ready to go over yet again. When I looked out the window, 2 neighbors were in their robes telling the home owner/renter to stop the dogs from barking. The young man in the house went to the dog and brought him in. I am sooo glad other neighbors are complaining.
I just don’t understand what would possess someone to buy a dog, lock him in a cage and ignore him day in day out. Why bother getting a dog? I would be mortified if a neighbor came over and complained about my noise. I would do what I could to make it better immediatley!!!

Just two good ‘ol boys…

“Making their way, the only way they know how…..”

Baggy clothes in schools

Click on this picture to see why schools don’t want kids wearing baggy clothes!!!

Mini Machine Gun!!! :)

Check out this awesome .17 Mach2 mini machine gun! I want one for each hand. Click on the picture for a video.

Triple Taps on a .44 Magnum!

I had a BLAST shooting my .44 Magnum today!! Check out these crazy pix I got off the video of me shooting it. Click on either one to see the video of my triple-taps!

World’s ugliest dog-WARNING!!!

The owners of the other contestants in this year’s World’s Ugliest Dog Contest may have thought their pooches had a chance until they saw Sam. The 14-year-old pedigreed Chinese crested recently won the Sonoma-Marin Fair contest for the third consecutive time. “He’s so ugly even the judges recoiled when he was placed on the judging table”, said his proud owner, Susie Lockheed, of Santa Barbara

No sweat…no stinky! :)

For those of you who have known me longer the 4 years, you might remember that I used to sweat like a P.I.G. hog!! I was fortunate enough, albeit after 20 years of annoying sweat, to be introduced to a product called Drysol by my doctor. This changed my life IMMENSELY!! I can still remember the incredible feeling I had the very 1st day I was able to go to work with only the one, single shirt on my back and not have to have 4 or 5 others in my vehicle! I feel like a normal human being now! (no comments from the peanut gallery please!) Well. Shortly after startying this incredible medicine and enjoying my new found freedom, I realized that it came at a cost. Irritation. I found that the medicine was irritating my skin no end. So much so as to form a heavy red rash. My enthusiam diminished! I speculated that ther must be a reason why I was getting irritted sometimes and not others. I remembered my sister in law once talking about an all natural crystal deodorant that was irritation free. So I started looking around. I found one and tried it. Eureaka!!! Enthusiam back on track!!! No irritation when using my Drysol! I have been using it ever since. There are more benifits than just the lack of irritation. 1. According to my readings, normal deodorant contains Aluminium Chlorohydrate which gets asorbed into your blood stream and creates “free radicals”. Apparently there are other down sides that absorption as well. 2. There are no more deodorant stains on any of my clothing. The crystal only applies a thin layer or mineral salts. No glop, no bulk, no clogged pores. 3. The cost. I buy one new crystal each YEAR for about $4. That’s all! 4. There is no perfume smell so there is no conflict with my cologne. 5. There is no drying time. I can put on a dress shirt immediately after and not get ANYTHING on my shirt.
I get my Crystal at Eckerd but I found that you can get anyone of 8 or 9 differetn brands either on the internet or at health food stores (and pay more). Just wanted to share something so small that has changed my life so very much!

Satellite pix

Go here: http://maps.google.com/ then type in a street address. When it comes up, click on the “satellite” button on the top right and you can navigate around with a close up satellite real image! It is amazing how much of the world is mapped and viewable right at our finger tips! This in conjunction with stationary, world webcams, is an amazing way to see parts of the world you would other wise not see. I tried NY City, London, my old home in Florida, the Rocky Mountains and a few coastlines already! While I was poking around my area in Nashville, I found an airplane that was flying overhead as the satellite took the picture!!! WOW!!! FUN!!

…in sox no less!!!

Check out this idiot shooting a gun he obviously has no business shooting…in SOX no less!!!

bumper sticker

I saw a funny bumper sticker today:
“So many cats…so few recipes!” LOL!!!

Magnums abound!!!

I just realized that in addition to my 2 Magnum revolvers, my truck has a HEMI “Magnum” engine!!

.44 Magum Video

I shot my new 44 magnum today! Here is a short video…

The Collection

Clockwise from top…

SKS-Yugoslavian 7.62×39
1943 Russian Mosin-Nagant 7.62x54r
1991-94 Smith & Wesson Model 29-5 .44 Magnum
Glock G35 .40S&W
Sig Sauer P220 .45acp
Sig Sauer P226 9mm
2- CZ52′s 7.62×25

Go ahead…make my day!!!

Here is my new Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum. Enough said!!!

Revolvers

My 1st gun was a revolver. To me a pistol was always the revolver and not the semi-automatic. I loved the classic, powerful look. I had a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum. I loved it but sold it to fund one of my Sig Sauer handguns. I love the Sig’s but lately I have been missing the feel and look of the revolvers. While on vacation, my brothers and I shot a 500 Magnum and it brought back a feeling I love. I remember the raw power of my .357 magunm with a full house round in it. The muzzle flash was huge. It packed alot of power. So much so that most of my shooting buddies didn’t bother shooting it hardly at all. I loved it and have shot 400 rounds through it many-a-day at the range. I decided to collect a few to expand my gun collection. I am looking for a Colt Pyhton .357 Magnum in 6″, a Smith & Wesson model 629 8″ in .44 Magnum and a Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum in 4″. I like a few others as well and will only be buying one gun at a time. So, I have plenty of time to change my mind or narrow my choices. The Ruger Super Redhawk in 7″ .44 Magnum is appealing as is the Ruger GP161 .357 Magnum in 6″. I started shopping for one today. The shop I went to have a 1950′s Colt Python in 6″ for $699. That price seems a bit steep but considering, 1. it’s a Colt and 2. Colt no longer produces their revolvers. I think the price will go even higher in a short time. I wish my hobbies were cheaper!!! Maybe I should collect and play with matchbox cars instead!

i agree

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20050708/cm_huffpost/003815

China…a threat??

It seems to me that China’s growth in this world is something we should be concerned with. From what I am reading, they are a very wealthy country with the means to BUY!!! They are trying to buy American companies such as Maytag and Unocal Oil company. I think if China winds up buying Unocal (an American oil company), we are allowing another shot to be fired into our own foot! Our dependence on foreign oil will be even greater. The ironic parts is that we will be dependent on foreign oil from our own soil! It’s not unfathomable to imagine gas prices rounding the $3 mark in no time at all.

I am all for the growth of countries and a global market place but China seems to be poising themselves to become a Super-Power. One with nuclear capabilities and communist ways. I don’t know enough of the details about all of this yet but after I started reading about it, I started to notice that most of the simple products I see daily, are “Made in China”! This can’t be good. I must investigate further!!!

Convertables and motorcycles…

What man, in his right mind, would want a woman who only dates them because of what they drive? What woman, in her right mind, would only date a man because of what he drives? I couldn’t believe my ears the 1st time I heard a woman say that it makes a difference. I thought it was a one time thing. Yet, I heard another woman recently ask me if I drove a Harley. I said “no”. She said, “Too bad! If you did, I would ride you and the Harley at the same time”. I walked away slowly just incase her medicine wore off!!! LOL

Solstice!! Wooohooo!!!

The Benz SLK Compressor is hot but it is too much money, the Honda S2000 is fast but it is too much money, the Miata is reasonably priced but it is tiny……The new Pontiac Solstice might be JUST RIGHT!!! MSRP is only $19,995. If it comes with a Black and Red interior I will go nuts!!! Convertables and motorcycles always get the women…at least for the summertime anyway! LOL

At home?

The last time I felt really at home, other than when I was with my family, was a couple years ago. I woke up in the middle of the night while staying at a hotel in St Augustine Fl. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of comfort and of being truely at home. I haven’t had that feeling since then. I wish I could feel that again and again and again. For the rest of my life.

Dew knows nose!

I am back!

Well. I am back from my family reunion. To be honest, I didn’t want to come back at all. I felt more at “home” in the strange house in Alabama with my family than I do in my own house. The whole trip home I missed my family. I thought to myself, the feeling will go away when I get back to Nashville. I was wrong. It was worse. The 1st night in my house here, I felt like I was staying in a strange place. It felt weird. That feeling is still here. It makes me a bit sad and definitely lonely. It was nice to come home and see my friend Tracy. She makes having no family here tolerable. If it wasn’t for my job and my friendship with here, I would have absolutely no reason to be here in Nashvegas.

Well, the reunion. It was fun!!! I spent almost all my time with my Neices and Nephews. I love that they include me in the “kids” and not the “adults” group. I am 38 and still feel happier playing with the kids over sitting at a table with the adults drinking coffee and talking. ZZZZZzzzzz…..

I am surprised that no one asked me about friends from my recent past. Either they were told not to bring it up or they just didnt care. Either way, it was a relief not to have to talk about it all.

My sister, Chrissy, made up a game that was like “the amazing race”. We grouped up by family (I played with my mom and her husband). We all had to read clues, play short games, solve riddles and search for objects all to move on to the next clue. It was so much fun. I usually don’t like those kind of games but thihs was a blast. In the end my team made a big comeback to win!!! However, being that the winning team doesn’t all live together, there would be no way to take home the prize. So we had a tie-breaker. I got to choose a partner. I chose well!!! I chose my Brother-in-law Rich. Then Chrisy told us the final game…..an EGG TOSS!!! We won! I got to brirng home the prize. A piggy bank with money from the lossing teams in it. I named the award “the stinky award” and it sits on my mantle and will until the next reunion. When my future wife (I hope) and I will defend the title!

I will post pictures on my site as soon as Ii get out of this “not my home” funk.

Family reunion

It’s finally here!! I am heading off to my family reunion today! I will be gone for a week. I probably won’t blog much, if at all. I am looking forward to a nice week with my family. No non family members, no drama, no stress. Just a private week with my loving family. Time to forget about the past and all the bad people I have met and their issues. Time to remember what trust and love really feels like!

Still a nOOb!!!

I started shooting about 9 months ago. I realized right away that shooting well takes practice. I feel I have been moving along at a nice pace. Tuesday I realized that practicing the same thing every time I shoot wont do me much good unless everything I ever had to shoot stood still at 7 yards and waited patiently for me to sight and shoot. LOL. Not going to happen. That would be like practicing free-throws in basketball but not practicing lay-ups, 3-pointers or dribbling. So Tuesday I figured we should give a try to shooting at 3 yards. After all the line is painted on the floor for a reason! So to make it interesting, I made up a little game. Not unlike a “stage” in a competition. Gun is on the bench, 2 magazines are on the bench with 3 cartridges in each one. When the shooter is ready, he/she picks up the gun, loads a mag, shoots 3 fast into the target, changes mags and shoots 3 more….

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!
3 of us shot and one of us missed the entire target with all but 1 shot!! I only hit 4 of 6 on my 1st run and they were all over the place!!! WOW!! We practiced some more and all 3 of us were able to hit the target with 6 shots by the end. Just goes to show you that we need to practice all sorts of shooting styles if we expect to be a well rounded, proficiant shooter. I realized I have even farther to go that I though I did. Over 11,000 rounds shot in 9 months and I am still a nOOb!!!

GO PISTONS!!!

NBA Finals are now tied 3 games a piece!! Detroit went to San Antonio and stole game 6. It was an action packed game and I can’t wait to see game 7 Thursday!!!

Dew!

Isn’t he the most handsome lil boy???

Ghetto punk!

I took this picture this morning. This kid’s seat is leaned back so far that he is smoking a cigarette out of the BACK window! How Ghetto!!!!

SKS almost done!!!

Dragunov stock installed.
Millett scout scope mount installed.
NStar scope mounted (temp only).
Hand grip not installed yet.

Pix to make you smile

A woman…

This is written in the Hebrew Talmud, the book where all of the sayings and preaching of Rabbis are conserved over time. It says:

“Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears. The woman came out of a man’s rib, not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be equal. Under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved.”

SKS project!

I recently bought a Yugoslovian SKS rifle. They are supposed to be the closest thing to the original Russian made ones. The SKS was a short lived (2 years)Russian Semi Auto rifle that was replaced by the infamous AK-47. Some say that Russia made it only to sell the design and license to other countries while they developed and then used the AK-47. The Yugoslavian version is a high quailty milled version wheras the Chinese and other versions are stamped metal and and hastily made. These rifles are now being imported into America as surplus and can be had for $99 to $169. They are fun and very inexpensive to shoot and many of them can be quite accurate. Of course not like a brand new AR-15 but for the money, close enough! You can but 5 SKS and customize them all different for the price of 1 basic AR-15. Mine: I ordered a Sysnthetic stock for mine which will replace all the wood with a lighter, stronger frame in Olive Drab color which is popular now due to the war in Iraq. I also ordered a scout scope mount for it that will allow me to mount my scope from my Mosin Nagant on it. I will post pictures of the gun and the assembly on my pictures page soon. This is what has me excited these days!!:)

Amazing human mind…

Can you raed tihs? Olny srmat poelpe can.I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !!

Sleep study

I went to my Dr. today and he is sending me to Vanderbilt for a Sleep Clinic. I get to sleep in a room with wires attached to me and a video camera watchin me. They want to find out how many times a night I actually STOP breathing. It appears I have “Sleep Apnea”. This can be dangerous. Everytime I stop breathing at night (which appears to be quite often), my blood becomes filled with Carbon Dioxide and not Oxygen. As a result my blood pressure goes up, I do not get to deep sleep and I run the risk of Heart Attack or Stroke in my sleep. My father died from a heart attack in his sleep at 51 Years old. He snored like a machine!!! I wonder if he had Apnea as well. I plan on living well past 51. I want to be here to raise my children someday. Besides who wants to sleep next to a snoring diesel engine???

SKS update

WOW….I had a ton of fun shooting my new SKS rifle! It was real accurate and easy to shoot. I barely kicks at all. The down side was that as much as I cleaned the cosmoline out of it, it still sweat more out after the gun heated up. It was saoking wet with it dripping out of the pores of the wood stock. I am going tot order a new snythetic stock for it along with a scope mount. Then I will try to choose a red dot or tactical hologram sight. This along with my Glock G35 are my two best gun purchases and will be the only 2 I will be bringing to the range from now on….until I buy something else as fun!!

The Dream Police

Went downtown tonight and hung out with a couple friends at the outdoor Cheap Trick Concert! The band was ok. We drank we looked at way too many hot women and met some new friends. All in all it was a great time! I miss the stage life!!!

Cosmoline…YUK!!!

Cos´mo`line (k?z´m?-l?n)(Chem.) A substance obtained from the residues of the distillation of petroleum, essentially the same as vaseline, but of somewhat stiffer consistency, and consisting of a mixture of the higher paraffines; a kind of petroleum jelly.

OMG!!! This stuff is insane!! When countries remove rifles and pistols from service, they cake the weapon in Cosmoline to prevent rust while in storage. They get this stuff into every nook and cranny and even the wood stock itself. Over the years of storage the Cosmoline soaks into the wood also.. . Well I bought a Mosin Nagant Russian rifle from 1943 a few months ago and I was able to clean it with orange degreaser only and it came out real nice. My newest purchase was a Yugoslavian SKS 59 and it was a completely different story. I guess the Yugoslavians think more is better of this yellow brown crap! Orange degreaser was not even close to enough. I search around the internet and read countless stories of people using everything from Easy-Off oven cleaner to Kerosine. None of those ideas seemed safe. I did find one guy who said that the best way to clean this stuff is with a power steamer. Cosmoline melts at 150 degrees.

I went to WalMart and bought a $50 mini hand-held power steamer. Scunci Steamer. WOW!!! This thing is amazing. I blasted this goo out of every part of the rifle. It was dripping out. I am glad I listened to the guys suggestion of using a Rubbermaid storage tub to clean it in! My friend Danny and I jumped in and disassembled the rifle down to a pile of parts. Then we used “Simple Green” to remove the globs of Cosmoline prior to steaming. It helped a bunch. I also took some parts like the trigger group, which has too many parts to diassemble, put it on a pan in the oven for 30 minutes at 170 degree (lowest my oven will go). When I took the parts out most of the cosmoline had melted out and dripped on the pan. This really helped!!

The gun is reassembled and a light coat of gun oil has been applied. The action of the gun now SNAPS instead of oozing and squishing as it did when full of Cosmoline. I cant wait to shoot it this weekend. I bought 400 rounds of ammo! I will post pictures as soon as I can!

Family

Life sure is full of uncertainty and change. Friends come and go. People love you and then they don’t. You change jobs. You change where you live. You change your style of dress. You grow older and start to change shape. You change attitude. You change views. You change cars. You change taste in music. Seems almost everything changes and/or comes and goes. Through it all one thing remains most constant. Family!!! They are there from the very beggining all the way through the very end. Let’s all make a point to remember that as often as we can!

Family Reunion!!!

I am looking forward my family reunion in 2 weeks!!! We meet every 2 years and stay in one big house! There is a slight change in attendance this year though. My oldest nephew has been accepted to a CSI school in NY city and orientation is the very week of the reunion. We are proud and excited for him but will miss his presence in the house! Nicky will now be the oldest of the kids (next to me . My new Step-Father will be joining us for the 1st reunion since his marraige to my mom. We are all VERY excited to have him along. He is a wonderful man and we all like him very much! I am really hoping that I can bring a wife and family of my own to one of the reunions before the kids all grow up. I have my fingers crossed!!!

Glockin again!

Good but not good enough to win the competition today!

Just woke up from a dream:

(as told to me by Brutus B.)

It’s Night time and you and I pull into a gravel parking lot on the outskirts of town for something. The area is lit by one stark pale street light. There’s some other cars and looks like a light industrial park area. Some man, a small boy and an older boy shuffle past us quickly towards the front of this metal shed/warehouse building. They seem excited and we hear some distant but obviously very loud rock guitars playing. We follow to check it out. You are ahead of me and as a door opens you slip in. I kind of hesitate and stand around for a few moments with my hands in my pockets. Finally I decide to open the door and I enter into a little industrial hallway. The flourescent tube light above reveals some duct work, no drywall, a simple wooden staircase, and about 4 metal doors. 2 of the doors are upstairs so I start up the stairs and lean on some box of some sort which gives way. It was only held up beside the staircase by staples and only one remains. I try to put it back the way it was when I hear you coming on the lower level talking with someone. I shuffle back down as you come through a door. Your having a friendly conversation with a man with a slightly gravely english accent. He’s shorter than me, with light peppery grey hair of standard length, and is built like a healthy 60 year old Ronnie James Dio. As we come face to face he kind of smiles at me and I say “How you doin’?” He says, “not bad if you can avoid the mobs.” I look at you and you have a wooden door under your arm. I look at you and say, “I see you found an opening with the band.”

Brutus B.

The 8th day

and on the 8th day, God created the “T-Button” and it was PERFECT!!!:)

window to the world

I seem to spend most of my waking time looking at a computer screen. I use it for work all day, for communication with this blog, email and chat, for entertainment by playing games and even for creativity in creation of video, music and art. I sleep for 8 hours, I spend about 2 hours a day driving my truck and most of the balance is spent looking at this or some other computer screen! The more I think about it that sadder it appears! I do other things though. I do shoot my guns and mow my yard. I eat out now and again. I have even been known to take in a movie now and again. Somehow it all comes back to being in front of this little window to the world. I think I am going to make a concious effort to spend more time away from this computer and more time actually IN the real world! There won’t be rocket launchers or hundreds of naked women but I am sure I can find something interesting!! LOL

SKS on the way!

I ordered another rifle today!!! An SKS 59. It shoots a 7.62×39 cartridge. That is the same as the AK47. This is my 7th gun. Time to buy a gun safe!

OMG!!! What a moron!!!

This guy comes in to rob the place and drops his gun!!! LOL
Check out the video here.

Mistakes…

I am so glad to see that I am not the only one who makes mistakes and sometimes the same mistake more than once!! LOL I see people I know make choices that appear to be just as bad as the one’s I make . Seems we are ALL human after all! PHEW!!! I was starting to develop a complex!!!

Sour grapes?

I know a good handful of people in my life that I can honestly say work very hard. I believe I am one of those people. I conciously make every effort I can to do a good job, to get ahead in life and to live a decent lifestyle. It seems that everyone I know that really truely works hard, makes enough money to get by comfortably but never really gets WAY ahead to a life of real comfort. If hard work was the only key, my brother Anthony would be a millionare! Yet for all his hard work, he lives a modest comfortable life. It seems to me that it might not be all about hard work. I have seen plenty of people who by my standards do not work hard at all yet seem to have all the comforts that I do and have it with far less effort. Is it just smarter working? Is it knowing how to take advantage of people and the situations that cross your path? Is it taking bigger risks than I would be willing to take? Is it just a case of “the grass is always greener”? I wonder what it really takes. I know it is not just soley hard work or I would be taking vacations more often or would be buying that 2nd house or maybe the Harley that I want. It’s not about education. We all know plenty of people with degrees in this or that and they don’t necessarily make the big $$$$. Maybe it comes down to having a partner to do it with. Splitting the financial burden between 2 people seems like it would make things a hell of a lot easier. Maybe it takes being more selfish and greedy. Maybe I am not cut-throat enough in my mentality of earning money. Maybe I focus on other things over being wealthy. Maybe it’s just sour grapes. Maybe I just plain “think too much”. Oh well back to work. Maybe I will hit the lottery and it wont matter if I figure it out or not!

Now THIS is a carry weapon!!!!

This is the “Thunder5“. It is a revolver that shoots 410 ga. shotgun shells. It also shoots .45 Colt but that doesn’t seem 1/2 as much fun as a hand held shotgun revolver!!! I imagine this would be a perfect handgun for Concealed Carry and for self defense! They run about $475 and it comes with a matching holster. This MUST be acquired!

8 with the .40

8 Shots each, 25 feet, Glock 35 in .40

the past

It is amazing how the past, no matter how long ago or what has transpired since, can still evoke intense feelings.

3 thoughts to consider

A friend of mine emailed me these today…I thought I would share.

(1) Zero Gravity
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside-down, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300 C. The Russians used a pencil. Your taxes are due again–enjoy paying them.

(2) Our Constitution
“They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don’t we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it’s worked for over 200 years and hell, we’re not using it anymore.”

(3) Ten Commandments
The real reason that we can’t have the Ten Commandments in a Courthouse is that you cannot post “Thou Shalt Not Steal,” “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” and “Thou Shall Not Lie” in a building full of lawyers (no offense to Tracy , judges and politicians! It creates a hostile work environment.

Virgo

VIRGO MALE

You have a great curiosity about women. These fine creatures are something for you to experiment with, examine and cater to. As for sex you feel that it is an experience that should not be overlooked, providing you have the time and the desire. You are interested in anything that will further your career. You are always interested in how much money your partner can make and in turn what they do with it as you find waste to be sinful. You can come across as a father figure if your mate lets you become over protective. You will only propose or get into a committed partnership after a respectable length of time and only when you are one hundred percent sure that the relationship will be lasting. You need to feel that your mate will enhance and support your career and make your home a clean place of comfort. You offer security, reliability and faithfulness.

VIRGO MATE

Zodiacal match-ups for you are not the easiest due to your critical analytical nature.

VIRGO & ARIES: The volatile Aries will upset your nervous nature, the conclusion being ill-fated and certainly not lasting. The Ram just won’t put up with your put-downs.

VIRGO & TAURUS: You both share the same high standards and, needless to say, are not the most exciting couple on earth. This is a much better connection during the last half of life.

VIRGO & GEMINI: Not a chance. The risky, carefree fickle Gemini sees you as a drag. Truly a miracle if the two of you do interact for any length of time. This union is best left alone unless other factors prevail in both charts.

VIRGO & CANCER: Somewhat dull. You both tend to avoid getting involved in activities outside your own environment. Neither of you bother to end the relationship even if it isn’t working. This union is a critical and nagging match that results in lowered self-esteem for both of you.

VIRGO & LEO: You will have continuous arguments concerning finances and sex. Your critical tongue will make the Lion wander, seeking the ego-boosting that is necessary for the proud Leo’s existence.

VIRGO & VIRGO: You are quite likely to agree on most subjects. Virgo’s are work, security and cleanliness oriented. When two of you get together in this capacity, unusual sexual pleasures can unfold.

VIRGO & LIBRA: Libra’s extravagant, indecisive nature bothers you, however Libra’s charm can normally melt your critical tongue. Not likely to be lasting but it can be passionate while it lasts.

VIRGO & SCORPIO: This is an interesting match. If the scorpion can tempt you into sexual encounters that are exotic, the end result will end in fireworks.

VIRGO & SAGITTARIUS: This is sexually not bad. The Archer’s non-committal approach to life however, drives you up a wall. This combo works better as a passing affair.

VIRGO & CAPRICORN: This is an excellent union. Practicality and neatness go hand in hand for the Goat as well as for you. Fear of material loss locks you in tight for a long term union.

VIRGO & AQUARIUS: This is a far more mental then physical connection. You rule the lower mind and the Water-bearer the higher mind. This is an intellectual union that is likely to be lasting.

VIRGO & PISCES: This is a polarity attraction. You are enamored by the Pisces empathetic ways and in turn the Fish needs your practical direction. Pisces’ sexuality can bring out the erotic side in you.

My New Glock G35

I bought a new Glock G35 in .40S&W today. I got a rediculous deal at the Gunshow in Nashville. This gun is about $700 including tax at aretail store. I got it for $465 OUT THE DOOR!!! WOW!! I took it directly to the range and LOVED it!!! The long sight radius of the 7+ inch slide and the 5.5 inch barrel make it a dream to shoot.

MacOS vs the world…

People can get so caught up in MacOS that they actually say things like Steve Jack did:
“…..people who weren’t smart enough to buy a Mac”.
http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments_opinion/5644/

I was one of those people in the past. I had MacOS so far up my butt that I actually insulted peoples intelligence for making a bad choice with anything “less” than a Mac. I was wrong then. Now I realize that all the time I might have been saving working on a Mac with it’s “superior interface” and “time saving doo-hickies” was spent reading about the Mac or advocating it. Not really a savings in time for me. I understand no one was forcing me to be a Mac Zealot. I could have just used it in silence. That is not what the Mac community is all about. “Scream it from the rooftops!” was my motto and is that of every Mac user I have known. I look back and I don’t like who I was then. I am embarrassed now by some of the “discussions” I had with people in the past. Discussions where I just couldn’t understand why people didn’t get it. Why they couldn’t see how much better MacOS was than anything else. They seemed so stupid too me. Now I see “I” was the stupid one.

I support computers, servers, networks and users for a living. I have for almost 5 years now. The longer I do it, the wider my eyes open to it all. They are all just computers, just tools. There are a million different ways to use them for a million different people. Use whatever you want and then go outside and throw a football with a friend!

With all that having been said:
I sure wouldn’t mind having one of those new G5′s

Someone put alot of work into this…

http://www.bobscube.com/

This is hilarious!!!

http://www.putfile.com/media.php?n=catdrum

Band Update…

I posted an ad in the local music paper and I have gotten a nice repsonse! I am meeting some players this weekend at my home to play and see how things go. I am very excited about this. We will be playing my music. All the years of playing in bands and literally thousands of shows, I have never played my own music. Always either cover music or someone elses dream. This time I am pursuing MY dream and MY music. I am sure the other players will influence the direction of the band and the overall sound but the initial foundation is what has been in my mind and on my hard-drive for many years. The mere thought of this happening is very, very exciting to me!!!

Fingers are crossed!!!

blank

It would seem that I have almost nothing to say these past couple days. I am just thinking alot about life in general and the path I am on. I am missing certain person in particular and hoping everything works out for the best for everyone.

Band..one more go

I am working with Danny again from my Old Split11 band. We are writing and recording a slew of new tunes. These, with some of our old ones will make for a great show and hopefully a great album. We have been getting real good feedback from people so far. I hope we can give this one more go. Having Ruben and Ricky in the band would be great but I think that they are in different places in their lives now. Ricky has been in numerous succesful bands and I am sure is involved in some major label deal as we speak! Ruben has been focusing on his little son and that cosumes not only his time but his passion and thoughts as well. I am goin to give them one last shout out and see if we can’t all get together and make a great record. Something to pass down to our kids!

Hopefully some shows are in our near future. We are pumped and ready to start sweating on stage again.

“Someone get me 6 beers from the bar please!!” LOL (you would have had to see our shows to get that one!)

yard is mowed..

The yard is mowed and now I am going to have a beer and miss my Button!

:(

Leo was the man!

Quickly name 3 of the most popular electric basses in music history….. If you are a musician you might agree that they are:

The Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Jazz Bass and
The Musicman Stingray

All 3 were designed by Leo Fender who happens to have designed

The Fender Stratocaster and
The Fender Telecaster

2 of the most influences guitars in electric music history. This man was an amazing creator!!

Right through me like….WATER!!!

I drank 60 ounces of water yesterday after noon. I spent a good portion of my time running to the bathroom! I couldn’t even make the drive home! This is crazy! I drank 1/2 gallon so far today. I think I need a bathroom in my office now! DANG!

Too much info??? LOL!!!

Water

I have been reading quite abit about some things that have been ailing me lately (snoring, overweight, tight, painful calf muscles, excessive fatigue etc…). All the things I have read seem to have one common thread. DRINK MORE WATER!!! 2 people in particular have been telling me this for the past year. I have tried but I just can’t stand the miserable taste of the water I have had so far. I guess I really need to try and find water that I can tolerate. I found some great facts about water here and a pretty neat water calculator here.

Here are some water/Hydration facts:

* 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
* In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
* Even mild dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
* One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
* Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
* Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
*A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
*Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%. It can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79% and reduce the risk of developing bladder cancer by 50%.

Diet Coke. Now with Splenda

The title of this post almost says it all. It is pretty good!

Gonna be a hot one!

Today it is expected to be 90 degrees in Nashville! For this time of year, it should be about 77. So said the weatherman this morning. Summer’s a-comin!!

Steaks and an old friend

Last night, one of my oldest friends, Danny, stopped by my house. We wound up grilling a couple Ribeyes on the grill (well, HE grilled them, I ATE them!!!). It was nice to sit back and eat some delicious food and just talk. We hadn’t really “talked” in a while. Afterwards, we went to my small home studio and did something we hadn’t done in years. We played music for no reason! In the past years, everytime we would play music, it was to rehearse for a show or practice for upcoming studio sessions. This time we just played for no reason at all. We laughed, we made mistakes, we stopped right in the middle of playing to talk about something unrelated, then we would start playing again. We wound up recording a new song! It was a ton of fun. This is the kind of playing I enjoyed as a kid when I first got into music. Playing, just to play! I look forward to more times like that.

Now we’re cookin!

Cooked my ‘ol standby healthy supper tonight!!!

Nashvegas Weather…

If this upcoming week is to be as nice as it was this past Sunday (it is supposed to be), I may have to call in sick one day!! “cough cough!!” LOL

Perfect weather for a convertable drive or a motorcycle ride in the country!

Hitchhikers guide to sleeping well.

This was easily one of the worst movies I have ever seen! Sorry Tracy! She was a real trooper in trying to stay away during this snooze of a movie. I don’t think I was helping much as I noticed a few times when my own eyes were so heavy that turning off the DVD and going to bed was all I was thinking about. Too bad we were in the theater. I found myself asking “how much longer can this crapy film be?”. Nothing in the film is even worth mentioning. 2 thumbs down!

The evening wasn’t a complete bomb. We had an incredible dinner at the Green Hills Grille! It was perfect!

Between the belly full of deliciousness and the Sleeping Pill of a movie I was ready for sleep in less than my standard 6 breaths!

ZZZZZzzzzz….

Dell…on hold!

I have been on hold for 23:15 minutes with Dell. The waiting is bad enough but I have to listen to the CRAP “on-hold” music! YUK!!!

Hot Ducati

This would save me enough in gas money, over driving my truck, every month to actually pay for itself! Hmmm Decisions!

Beck 550 Spyder

This is one of my favorite cars of all time! Its a Beck Spyder. It is modeled after the 1955 Porsche Spyder that James Dean died in. It weighs so little so it is FAST and has incredible handling (according to reviews). No A/C, no radio, no nothing. Just a fast open top racer.
Me likey!

Ariel Atom

WOW!!! This might just be the most awesome car I have even seen! It’s and Ariel Atom. A street legal race car running on a Supercharged Honda Civic motor. Click on this link to see the Atom in action. 0-60 in 2.9 seconds!

Heat Pump…Shmump!!

Yesterday I found out that I need a new Heat Pump for my house….$6000 !!!
Sometimes, it seems that the very minute you figure out your finances and come up with a solid plan, something has to come in and wreck it. I usually plan for small emergencies like a car repair or a flat tire etc. A new heat pump was not something I was ready to pay for. So I told the AC guy to refill it with Freon to get me through the next couple months and then Tracy (who looked beautiful last night) and I went out and ate/drank away my heat pump concerns. Heat pump..SHMUMP, pour me another draft beer!

Thanks to Karen, Laura, Krista & Jose for the O’Charley’s gift card from my Birthday. It came in handy last night!

Lazy day…

Well, I am on call this week and weekend. I am here, at home, bored to death and nary a thought in my head! YAAWWWNNN!!!! ZZZZZzzzz…..

S2000 or SLK?

I am considering the sale of my truck and the purchase of a convertable sports car. I have narrowed it down to the following 2 cars. The Honda S2000 (lots of horsepower, little torque) & the Mercedes SLK Kompressor (low Horsepower but lots of torque). Both are very hot looking cars. The Benz getting the edge in class appeal and the Honda getting the edge in power appeal. I am looking to test drive them both soon.

Honda:

SLK Benz:

"yes indeed I’m walkin!"

I walk an average of 10,000 steps a day at work.
@ 2 feet per step & 5,280 feet in a mile…

3.78 miles per day
18.9 miles a week
982.8 miles a year (less vacation and holidays.)

Mosquito update…

I spoke of a SigSauer Mosquito in a recent post. I received a call from Sean at my range. No SigSauer Mosquito until the end of the year.

Maybe I will give it to myself as a Christmas gift!

Don’t Panic!

A long time ago my best friend Brent gave me a book to read. It was “The Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy”. What a crazy, witty book. It was one of the few books that I have ever read that was able to keep my attention long enough to finish it. After we read the book, we played an ancient text-based game entitled the same on our old Atari 1040st computers. Well, years later it is a movie and I can’t wait to see it!!! I would really love to see it with Brent but that won’t be possible. Instead I am going to drag Tracy with me and hope she will enjoy it!

Not enuff gunz!

As if the 5 guns I already have aren’t enough! LOL. I just found out that SigSauer is making a new gun for 2005. It is a .22lr pistol that looks just like my SigSauer P220 and P226. It is called a “Mosquito“.

I have been wanting a .22lr pistol ever since I rented a Buck Mark at the range last month. They are a ton of fun to shoot, accurate as all get-out and VERY inexpensive to shoot. I think you can get 500 rounds for about $15.00 That’s aweseome!

This Mosquito is expected to MSRP at around $350. Which is great but I am hoping that they still offer a bit of a discount. I doubt it as the interest I have seen on the internet indicates that they will sell a butt load of them immediately!

I already have a call in to Sean at my range to get one. I cant wait!! Another Sig Sauer!!! They are incredible guns!

Airshow!!!

Wooohooo…I am so excited! There is an airshow in Smyrna on May 7th. I can’t wait to go! I will be there with camera in hand. I will post pix on my site when I am finished. WEEEEEE! I am just like a big kid!

I want….

It seems that I find myself saying “I want” more than I should. I am going to add one more before I make a conscious effort to be happy with what I have instead of wanting more…

I want a son or a daughter!

I will just leave this posting at that!

Truck Owner= Moving Company

I think I need to get rid of my truck. not only for the reason of gas prices being high but because too many people think that because you own a truck, you MUST be a moving company as well. I get asked FAR too often… “can you help me move this or pickup that?” “I am moving this Saturday, can you help me with your truck? I’ll buy you dinner!” I feel like saying “how bout I give you the $20 it would cost you for dinner towards renting a UHaul so I don’t have to?”

I hate to seem grumpy about it. For close friends and family, I am glad to help. It’s the people you barely know that need to find a UHaul dealer and toss my phone number in the trash!

Another 1111

I stopped at the gas station this morning. I slide my card into pump and waited for authorization. It paused and got stuck. I went inside the building and told the lady behind the counter. She said “you have to hit cancel and do it again”. So I went back out with card in hand and hit cancel. The meter reset it self to all 1111111111 then back to zeros. Nothing too amazing but in light of the 1111 phenomenon I have been experiencing, I thought I would document this occurrence.

Dream on Ronnie!

What good are having dreams if we think there is no chance of ever fulfilling them? I believe that if I can dream it, I can live it, if I so choose. Some dreams may take more work than I want to put into them at a particular time and thats fine. I keep those dreams as just that dreams. That way I always have something to look forward to. If I accomplish all that I set out to do, I still have a nice reserve of available dreams to pull out and work on and I do have many. Sounds kinda silly but remember the name of this blog is “I think too much”!

Happy Birthday KDM!

Beautiful fretless PBass

I would love to have this!

No good deed

My friend Tracy and I rented quite possibly the worst movie of all time last night. “NO GOOD DEED” starring Samuel Jackson and Mila Jovovich. I won’t get into the details because it was so bad but there was one scene where Samuel Jackson’s character is tied up in a chair and Mila’s character who is holding him at gun point most of this time, actually gets in the car and races to his house to get his Insulin. She brings it back so that he won’t die. While she did, she took the time to drag his giant Cello and flight case back to where she was holding him and made him play at gun point. During this time she was becoming orgasmic. They then played music together and had a “moment”. All this came out of nowhere. It was a stupid movie that was not thought out in the slightest bit. The only reason I was remotely interested was because of the gratuitous scenes of Mia in sexy heels and nipple exposing dresses and the, totally unnecessary to the plot, shower scene, where Mila shows off her body. Other than that I could bare watch the painfully bad movie!

Bugs Bunny

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t reference or quote a line from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. I have always known this as it was a big part of my childhood and even on into the early years of my music carrer. Those were the times that Danny, a bandmate of mine, and I would come home from our shows every night and wind down with a Bugs or Daffy cartoon or 10. I recently got out my collection and started watching them again and was suprised how many phrases from the cartoons I use in daily life. I have always been aware of this but I didnt realize to what extent. I guess it could be worse. I could be quoting lines from the Godfather or Scareface!

Lynx Fufus Floridanus

They were on the porch when a rabbit came racing through
the yard. Not far behind was a pursuing bobcat! She gasped or
something and the Lynx Fufus Floridanus stopped to stare back at them.
It opened it’s mouth to make a sound then sniffed for the trail of it’s
prey. She called me outside and I got to watch it for some seconds as
it meandered back into the brush.
A wonderful site!!!

–Brutus B.

Mistakes

Life if full of mistakes. Some can be fixed and some can’t. Learning from ones that can’t be fixed is easy. The hard part is to find the ones that can be fixed and fix them!

Music…

I just heard a great quote…

“Good music makes you think about the musician and what he is doing…Great music makes you think about yourself!”

AWESOME!!!

Andy Griffith show

I know it is only a TV show but the values and lessons shared in the show are wonderful! I think we should as a society should be creating and watching more shows like the Andy Griffith Show instead of “Cheaters”, “marry a Millionare”, the “Bachelor” and all the other shows that make mockery of family, love and marraige. Andy Griffth WAS more reality than these new “reality” shows. A single, working, father raising a young boy with morals and values the like we haven’t seen on TV since!

I recently saw an episode where Opie and his little group of 8 year-old friends hooked up with a new boy in town. This new boy was into causing trouble. This led to the new boy breaking a street light. Andy didn’t chase them down when they ran. He told Opie to round them up and bring them to the Sheriff’s office. Then when the boys arrived. Andy voiced his displeasure in their actions and stated that if they did’t stop this foolish behavior immediately, he was going to inform the boys parents and they could expect a “tanning”.

1. Opie repsected his father enough to bring the boys to the office like he was told.
2. Andy knows the boys parents personally.
3. It was perfectly acceptable for the boys to get “tanned” if need be.

I am not a father as of yet (fingers still crossed) but if I am so lucky to be I hope that I would be like Andy Taylor. Fictional or not. The values he portrays are completely real.

Long live the Andy Griffith Show!

Magical force?

There is some kind of magical force that multiplies the energy in an object that falls from my desk. No matter what it is or what kind of floor it is, any object that I accidentally drop from the desk I am working at, magically quadruples it’s energy and ricochets or bounces a minimum of 10 feet away!! This morning, for example, I dropped a small screw off of my desk onto my carpet. Mind you this was a 3 foot drop at best. I am not a physics major but I would imagine that without the possibility of rolling, the object cannot travel more than the distance it fell from its impact spot. WRONG!!!! Somehow the magical force kicks in and blasts the object far, far away from where I would think it should be. Sometimes never to be found. Because of this crazy phenomenon, I often opt to work on the floor to minimize the impact this magical force can play on my object when I drop them!

note: this is of course an exaggeration.

Illegal immigrants

We have a HUGE problem down in the SouthWest United States. Illegal immigrants. I know there are arguments for both sides of this issue. Some say “they work the jobs that no Americans want and they do it for $5 an hour”. The other side is that the impact our nation’s infrastructure at a cost. A cost of police, fire departments, hospital etc. They do not pay taxes yet use many of the same resources we use as tax payers. Give those jobs back to people who will pay taxes and help the economy grow. This growth, in turn, will make it possible to pay the workers more than $5 per hour. Another aspect is that those borders are WIDE OPEN to terrorist. They could literally walk right into America and into any one of our SouthWest cities. I won’t get too deep into this but I do have a solution…..

Much of the border between US and Mexico is undeveloped and not populated. What if the government would give land in these areas to people for free and at a very low property tax rate. I speculate that communities would start to develop, followed by small economies. These growing communities would then be able to create borders consisting of more than the current barbed wire fences.

I would seriously consider a move to a border town, given the land to build on and to protect.

Honda S2000 1111

I have been considering getting a new vehicle as of late. My 345HP Hemi Dodge is costing a bit too much at the pump these days! I have been looking at the Honda S2000 sport convertable. Today looking at the specifications I noticed the engine’s compression ratio.

Compression Ratio 11.1:1

Go figure!!!

Another 1111 story.

Today I was setting up a new PC that just arrived for a new employee. This new PC was to replace the temp, older pc I set up for her until her new one arrived. When I got to her desk, I noticed that she had a 6 month old PC! I set her up with a 3 year old temp. I didn’t know what happened and she was not in the office to answer questions. I couldn’t for the life of me figure where this PC came from. I vividly remember setting her up with a GX110 Dell. I decided to look at the NTUSER files to check the date stamp. This would tell me when the last time I logged into this particular PC. She has only been here for less than 2 months so if I had indeed logged in around the time I set her up, that would mean that I was just mistaken about the GX110. Notice the modified date on the NTUSER files. They indicate my last time working on that PC.

Gorgeous day!!!

This is one of the reasons I work. Today is a gorgeous day and I am just enjoying it without having to do a thing! Wonderful!

3B Drumsticks!!!

For the incredibly RUDE, punk-kid salesman at Guitar Center in Nashville (Charlie) who was compelled to tell me that “No one makes a 3B drumstick, you mean 3A or 2B!!!” and then proceed to tell me that this brand “X” is the way to go and say “These are perfectly balanced!” as he played his standard “show off to the customer” rudiments on a nearby practice pad: This is for you

Now I remember why I prefer to buy music gear online! LOL!!

Kid beggars!

I am all for students having a Saturday afternoon carwash to raise some money for a trip or for a class event. They are earning it! What get’s me disgusted is when I see students on the street at a busy intersection, BEGGING for money. What kind of teachers are leading these children? They are learning, at an early age, that if you want something, BEG FOR IT and get it for free. OMG!!! That is a miserable lession that no one should ever pass on the our community children. Teach them to work hard for something and they will appreciate what they have. Give someone something for free and they will not respect themselves, you or what they have obtained. I will rather give my money to some kids who are out there mowing yards or washing cars. They will know that when they finally EARN enough to pay for that trip, it is because they sweat for it. Those are the children I want growing up to lead my community!!!

"Crayons for you!!!"

Now I fully understand it is not everyone’s place to understand computers. If they did, I wouldn’t have a job. I do, however, believe there should be a base minimum of knowledge in a user before they are given a computer with access to the internet. Especially in a corporate environment! Over the past few years, I have gotten calls on things that are just like the stories I used to read about on the internet before it became my job. For example: I got a call the other day from a woman who said:

” I can’t hear my voice mail!! It’s been 2 days and I haven’t been able to get my messages!!!”

Well, as it turns out….her speaker volume was all the way down!!! I was left speechless! When she then said,

“I am sorry, you must think I am dumb!”

I honestly didn’t know what to say.

I am working on a basic computer skills and knowledge training class for the employees where I work. I think everyone would benefit from knowing a few keyboard shortcuts or how to add a networked printer and especially how to back up their files. Until then, whenever I find someone who shouldn’t be using a computer let alone a Pen and notepad, I should hand them a box of Crayons and some construction paper and say “Here ya go…your computer problems are over!!!”

I need a time machine please!

So I had a rough day! I decided to stop at a local bar and grab a nice juicy burger and a couple beers. Seeing a sexy bartender for 30 minutes or so would have really helped my mood as well! I went to Jonathan’s in Nashville. 1st off the bartender was a young girl, looked about 19, who even if she had the slightest interest in flirting with me (she didn’t), I think I would have felt like a dirty old man anyway! Oh well. I can still enjoy my beer and my juicy burger! Well….Redneck dude from hell decides that of all the bar stools in this place, the one right next me was the one he wanted. “OK” I say to my self. I am friendly and would be happy to strike up a conversation about something. Maybe even the Tiger Woods “Masters” win this past Sunday being shown on a sports channel on the TV. No such luck. Dude had one of those new cell phones that doubles as a C.B. Radio! He made call after call from his bullhorn that he held 3 feet away from his mouth. “HEY MAN, SUP? I’M JUST CHILLIN!” If that wasn’t bad enough, he had a COUGH. One that obviousley showed his advanced stages of lung cancer. He “HACKED AND HACKED” then made another call. He only paused long enough to suck on his 13 cigarettes that he smoked during my 30 minute visit to hell. I made it through. The burger was actually pretty tasty. The beer s were just right. As my luck usually goes, as I paid the 12 year old bartender my bill and then 2, not 1 but 2, incredbily gorgeous WOMEN not girls, took over behind the bar. One asked me if there was anything I could get her. I thought to myself “a time machine” so I could go back about 30 minutes, work a bit longer and then have my beer and burger in the company of her and her just as sexy barmate instead of Billy Bob Lung Cancer and the 9 year old who served me!

I am still alive and the previous rant isn’t actually that big of a deal. Just thought I’d share!

Pencil Pushers?

I have been a professional musician most of my adult life. I got burned out on the club and college scene and had to make a change. The fact that I got divorced also placed a part in me needing to have health insurance. So I got into I.T. I have been into computer for quite some time so it seemed logical to get into it as a fulltime thing. Over the past couple years I have learned tons about computers, networks and the whole I.T. field. The other thing I learned is that the farther you get in an I.T. career, the more time you spend with paper work and corporate bureaucracy. It seems now that I spend about 2 hours of my day doing paper work. Those two hours could be much better spent fixing things or implimenting new processes. In this world of C.Y.A. (cover your ass), I guess everyone wants everything documented in triplicate!!! I had my complaints about the music industry as well but there was definitely less bureaucracy at similar income levels.

11:11

OK..Is it a coincidence or is it some freak of nature? I see 11:11 ALL THE TIME!!! Just to give you an idea, my dog kicked me in bed the other night and when I woke to look at the clock it was 11:11 AGAIN!!! No matter what time I go to bed or how tired I may be, it seems that I wake to see 11:11.

Recently, I stopped at a gas station to grab a coke, 2 hot dogs and some lottery tickets. I get the same thing every time I go there. They had a price change and my total was now $11:11

Last week I received a generous email from someone who I helped with a website. He was kind and generous and prayed for me to receive a blessing. His email was time stamped 11:11pm.

This has been going on for almost 3 years now. Not just here and there and not always at 11:11am when I am about to go to lunch. ALL THE TIME!!!

I just started reading on the internet that this phenomenon is shared by many others. I am a very analytical person and I don’t go much on faith regarding anything. I believe in cold hard facts and things I can reason and understand. This 11:11 thing is something that I would have been able to explain away as mere coincidence or my subconscious taking over. That is until I experienced it in so many many different ways! The ones that get me most are the ones when I am sleeping. Getting a wrong number from someone at 11:11pm while I had been asleep for 2 hours makes you wonder.

I am still going to try and find a logical explination for it!

1st post!!

Hello All!! This is my 1st posting. I am going to start using this blog to vent, praise, discuss and share all my thoughts and the events that surround my life. I hope it entertains or even at the least frustrates you enough to come back and read more.

Ron