Not Firing On All Cylinders

Ugh.

2012-01-21T14:56:00.001-06:00

Apparently one of the few things my immediate family shares, besides our last name, is the bugs they bring home from work and school.

Thank you EVER so much, family...

Sun, Another Journey Around The

2011-12-27T00:30:00.002-06:00

Today I note the completion of another orbit of the Sun while upon the Earth.

One of these days I really need to figure out what to do when I grow up.

"No Coke! Pepsi!"

2011-11-12T02:53:00.002-06:00

I see that Coke has bought into the "polar bears are dying!" myth and is now fundraising for W0rld W!ldl!fe F0und@tion. Considering how they've used images of polar bears for ad campaigns for many years, I get the tie-in.

Doesn't mean I like it or have to support it.

Guess it's time to find something else with which to mix my cocktails.

I doubt they'll notice it when I stop buying their product.

Heart Stopping!

2011-11-04T06:57:00.000-05:00

I stopped at one of the local big-box home improvement stores yesterday to price materials for a home project.

I now understand why copper thieves are willing to risk electrocution for copper wire!

OWS - My US$0.02

2011-10-16T10:20:00.002-05:00

I grudgingly admit my respect for the OWS "protesters" for standing up for a cause, though I'm not sure how many actually BELIEVE in the cause, or how many actually understand the real issue.

Many portray capitalism as the problem. I think that's because the capitalism they know is not true capitalism, but a mutation perverted with government interference.

Big corporations like General Motors and General Electric have the ear of the President and key Congressional leaders. Laws are passed leading to regulations that in some cases directly favor the corporations and in other cases overwhelm small competitors with compliance burdens.

Sound familiar?

I'm not talking about the current administration, although it's strikingly familiar. Actually I was thinking about FDR.

Santayana was right..."Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Pot, meet Kettle.

2011-10-05T20:45:00.002-05:00

Maybe it's just me, but listening to Sen. Harry Reid (Stupid Party, NV) whine about "'the rich' not paying their fair share" makes about as much sense as listening to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (Stupid Party, MA) lecture about temperance and marital fidelity.

Not Firing On All Cylinders - Now with MORE Kilt!

2011-09-10T21:09:00.002-05:00

It is possible to ride while wearing a kilt. This is me on my old bike, an '81 GL1100 Gold Wing.

The Harley has hot parts in different locations than the Wing, so riding kilted requires a bit more care.

In any case, one tucks the front of the kilt (called the 'apron') under oneself and goes. The additional weight of a sporran helps to control the apron. Expect the rest to billow as the wind catches it. As long as one remains seated for the entire performance modesty should be maintained.

Mounting and dismounting while regimental requires some caution, as the act of throwing one's leg over the seat can give one more exposure than intended.

Vinyl seats left in the sun can lead to embarrassing burns, so consider covering the seat when not riding.

It goes without saying that practicing good hygiene is advised, however riding kilted almost guarantees no one who sees you will want to borrow your bike!

Riding kilted gives new meaning to 'getting your knees in the breeze'!

Don't forget to click the links in my earlier post to find out about (and donate to) Kilted To Kick Cancer!

Kilted To Kick Cancer

2011-09-08T06:11:00.006-05:00

I'm behind the curve on this, with the other participants in Kelly "Ambulance Driver" Grayson's "Kilted To Kick Cancer" fund raising challenge having put up their posts on September 1, but that's the way it goes.

KTKC is an campaign to call attention to two male-specific cancers: prostate cancer and testicular cancer. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month so for the month of September I'll be wearing one of my utility kilts whenever practical and using it as a conversation starter to talk about male specific cancers. Considering the burn on my right leg from a hot exhaust pipe I may have to reconsider whether riding the motorcycle while wearing a kilt is practical.

What can you do to help?

Learn about both cancers, your (or your male loved ones') risks, and how to detect each cancer. Resources include the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LiveStrong.

Make an appointment with your doctor (or encourage your male loved ones to make an appointment) to get checked.

Go HERE to make a donation to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, or HERE to make a donation to the LiveStrong Foundation to support Testicular Cancer research.

For the record, nothing is worn under my kilt - it's all in proper working order!

I Am TJIC

2011-01-22T02:51:00.003-06:00

Many others in the blogosphere have written much more eloquently about this matter, so I won't try to say the same things in a new way.

Click on the image to read about the injustice being done to an American citizen for the simple act of exercising his First Amendment right to speak without fear of government reprisal.

This isn't about defacing religious icons as art, or what is considered pornography...this is about protecting unpopular political speech.

A Rant

2010-10-08T22:56:00.002-05:00

Ya know what burns my ass? An open flame about 2 feet high.

Ya know what else burns my ass? When others make a determined effort to kill your joy.

The best example of what I'm talking about is familiar to most parents - as soon as a woman finds out she's pregnant for the first time, people come out of the woodwork with unsolicited but well-intentioned advice and commentary. There's always one woman (at least) who has to tell the new mother-to-be about how HER pregnancy was the worst in recorded medical history, with labor pains beginning shortly after the moment of conception, 18 years of morning sickness, 21 years of breast-feeding, and now, 35 years later, cutting the umbilical cord.

So now the new mother-to-be is thinking "What the F**k have I gotten myself into?" Moments ago, she was glowing, now she's envisioning "ALIEN"!

With guys, it's usually related to the acquisition of a mechanical device - a car, a firearm, a power tool, or in my case, a motorcycle.

I've almost always ridden Hondas. Until recently I've only owned Honda motorcycles.

The first ride on a motorcycle I can recall is behind my Dad on an old 305 Honda, later rides were on the back of the '71 750 and the '75 750. Eventually I rode the '75 myself, both without a license and later with. Then Dad's '80 GL1100I, my '81 GL1100I, and Maria's GL1100.

As far back as I can remember I've wanted a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I don't know what first attracted me to the brand, although my Grandfather probably played a role in it - he never rode as far as I know, and rarely said anything complementary about motorcycles in general, but had a strong affinity for American brands. Who knows - maybe since he and the Motor Company were about the same age maybe he figured that any brand that went thru two world wars, the Depression and the Nixon administration deserved his respect. I don't know, but he was the one who let me stop at a Harley dealer while on a road trip one time.

Anyway...fast forward to 2003 and a trip to the Bay Area for a friend's wedding. Kids are back home, just me and Maria, and an ad for Harley rentals at Bob Dron HD in Oakland. We rented a 2003 Electra Glide Classic, and the die was cast. I knew that some day I'd own some sort of Harley, probably an Electra Glide.

Life happened while I was making this plan. I had my '81 Gold Wing, it was paid off, it was dependable, it was mostly comfortable. With four kids and a mortgage it never seemed like the responsible thing to do to finance a motorcycle.

Early in September this year a friend offered to sell me his '90 Ultra Classic. I knew what he paid for it, so the price he offered it to me wasn't out of line. Things fell into place - financing was secured, my Gold Wing was sold, and the Ultra was mine. Long time dream realized and all that.

The bike is not without flaws, and I know that, even expect that. I've been a mechanic of some sort for all of my adult(?) life and recognize that even with the best care and maintenance machines age. Besides, part of the fun of owning a motorcycle (for me, at least) is learning how it works, how it breaks, how to fix it, and how to make it better.

So, getting back to Mr. Killjoy.

Everyone I've talked to since buying the Ultra, even the brand-loyal Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki guys, has, at least to my face, been complimentary, acknowledging my history with the Wing, wishing me good fortune with the Ultra, offering unsolicited but helpful tips and advice.

Except for one guy.

He had a Harley at one time. Rode it a lot, worked on it (apparently) a lot more. Did this and that to the engine trying for more power. One thing after another went wrong with it. Spent lots of money on it and (apparently) was never happy with it. Ultimately ended up selling it, no doubt losing money in the deal.

Of course, I heard this tale of woe AFTER purchasing the Ultra, and without ever asking for his experiences or opinion. So now the seeds of negativity are planted, sown in the field of doubt and indecision that I thought I'd effectively fenced off, isolated and inoculated. So now, like that new mother-to-be, I catch myself wondering what I've done, second-guessing my decision, listening to every clank, rattle, clunk, whistle and whine, wondering if this is when it lays down and dies.

I know I shouldn't let one person get me down. I know that just because HE had a bad experience with the brand it doesn't mean that I will have a bad experience too. I know all this.

And yet, there it is.

One guy and his comments takes part of my fun away.

And that burns my ass just like a two foot high open flame.

Thanks, dude.

Labor Day Weekend 2010

2010-09-05T10:32:00.002-05:00

Yeah, I'm still around...more fun to read others' blog posts than write my own, though.

As I write this it's Sunday of the 2010 Labor Day weekend. The weather has moderated a bit so the house is open and the AC is off...for now.

I'm using vacation instead of going to work tonight.

I spent yesterday afternoon working on the yard - between the rain and the heat the last couple of weeks I haven't been able (or wanted) to mow - tough when you work nights...neighbors aren't happy with mowing at 6 AM at the same time they're unhappy about the height of the grass in our yard. Can't win.

Sitting here thinking of things I should be doing, things I need to do, and things I'd like to do, and trying to find something that overlaps all 3 categories. Might have to settle for 2 out of 3.

Time to post this and get on with the day.

Be safe...come back and see me again.

Buy A Gun Day 2010

2010-04-15T15:47:00.004-05:00

The Big Brown Truck of Happiness just dropped off the last major part of my first AR-15 build.

Note that I opted for the BUIS cat instead of standard sights.

The neat thing I'm finding out about AR accessories is that they are multi-functional. In this case, the cat is being used as an angled forward grip.

I have the foundation...now for the second most fun thing to do with a new firearm: Time to ACCESSORIZE!

An American Tradition

2010-04-03T11:12:00.005-05:00

The Felps Phreaks* have crawled out from under their rock again, this time getting gratuitous news coverage over an Appeals Court decision in their favor. With their reappearance in the public eye comes the renewed calls for bans on protests at funerals.

Look, I probably agree with your assessment of them. I think they're scum. I think they give religious fundamentalism a bad name. I find their protests at funerals to be among the most un-Christian of activities possible, short of murder. As a means of encouraging change it ranks up there with flag burning. The group's actions diminish the message of its protests.

But here's the rub: Political protest is one of the fundamental elements of the American way of life. The heroes at whose funerals these inbred wastes of oxygen protest pledged to defend that way of life. Thousands of men, women and children died to bring forth that way of life, and to continue its existence.

Political protest is firmly ensconced in our Constitution in the First Amendment. Remember...the Bill of Rights doesn't give us rights - it specifies rights that the Federal government is not allowed to take away from citizens.

Political protest done correctly is always going to be ugly to someone. You may think this form of protest is over the line and should be banned, but odds are pretty good that some form of protest YOU find acceptable is over the line to someone else and THEY think it should be banned! (Hint: Tea Parties!)

Think about how a protest ban could be used against an issue you are passionate about. A law against protests written too specifically will be easy to challenge in court and/or get around, a law written broad enough to resist challenge will be easy to use against other forms of protest!

Political protest, though protected, isn't unlimited. It's quite common for 'protest zones' to be established at political conventions and international conferences. Often times these zones are well away from the venue. This may be a better solution to the funeral protests than trying to ban them altogether.

These idiots feed on press coverage. Deny them the publicity and they'll either become more and more outrageous in their attempts to capture the spotlight, thereby exposing themselves to more legal scrutiny and/or public ridcule, or they'll run out of money and go away. Paying attention to them just fuels their cause.

* Yeah, I know it's spelled the other way around, but why feed them search engine hits?

Same Shirt, Different Day

2010-02-05T19:54:00.002-06:00

I've often said that I disliked living in the San Diego area because the weather didn't have variety.

I'm pretty well at that state with western Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

If there's a bright spot in our recent weather it's that at least we are nearer to normal on temperatures.

And, of course, it could always be worse...I could be living on the eastern seaboard waiting for a storm that's forecast to drop 24 inches of snow...that's as much snow in one storm as we've received since Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T10:53:00.003-06:00

Christmas Blizzard of 2009 Edition!

The kids generously allowed us to sleep in until 8:02 AM. Thanks kids!

The 3-way simultaneous paper-shredding orgasm lasted about 30 minutes including the time spend getting a contractor-sized trash bag and a relatively sharp knife (well, sharper than most of my relatives).

I ducked out most of the way thru the frenzy and started a pound of ground sausage browning in my big cast iron skillet. I love biscuits & gravy and thought I'd share my passion with my family.

I hold great respect for tradition, however the brood would have to settle for refrigerator biscuits. At least I sprang for genuine name brand, not generic store brand, so I'm not a TOTAL heretic! (I'm also not a Southerner, so y'all can just say whatever bad things you want about me, as long as you finish with 'Bless his heart'. I know the code!)

Anyway...sausage browned, a measure of drippings reserved, remainder drained, biscuits into the oven. Drippings back into the skillet with the sausage, an equal measure of flour and a little heat to cook the roux. Rotate the biscuit pans in the oven. Stir the roux and cook a bit longer. Add milk and start stirring. A few grinds of black pepper. Stir. Pull the biscuits out of the oven, depan, back to the gravy and stir. Suddenly the gravy began to thicken. A little more stirring, a yell to the kids to get the table ready and it's breakfast time.

The kids have had creamed beef on toast (SOS) so this isn't a totally new experience for them but they're used to sausage in links and patties - ground sausage is new. We ended up with biscuits left over. Just about the time I was thinking about grabbing a biscuit and mopping up the gravy left in the skillet the wife reached over and did it. Sometimes we think so much alike it's SCARY!

She thinks this would make a fine new Christmas tradition. I don't know...it's a lot of work to accomplish after being kept awake by the fat guy in the red suit rustling around out in the living room in the wee hours...

The kids are happily entertaining themselves with the new loot. The wife is cocooned in front of the TV waiting for football, and I'm trying to get up the motivation to dig out vehicles and sidewalks.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Isn't It Amazing...

2009-11-21T09:03:00.003-06:00

...what you find when you are not looking for it?

Case in point: Some time back another blogger and I had a short email exchange regarding author Dean Ing and one of his books, Single Combat.

Suddenly, I had a desire to re-read the book, but I couldn't find my copy. Considering the number of moves we've made in 20 years, it's not surprising that it got misplaced. My worst fears were that it had been sold at a garage/tag/rummage sale for next to nothing, that it was in one of the boxes still in storage at the folks' place or that it was in one of the boxes that got tossed when the basement flooded a few years ago.

A quick search online showed that while not made of unobtanium, it did tend to be a bit tough to find, so my urge to read it was offset by immediate unavailability.

Fast forward to today. I'm moving stuff in the storage shed to put the window AC unit away for the winter. I open up a storage tote to see what's in it, and lo and behold, here are several books I thought I'd lost, including my copy of Single Combat.

Now I gotta put more effort into finishing the "Honey Do" list so I can sit down and enjoy a good book!

Ammo Day

2009-11-19T16:16:00.002-06:00

Today is National Ammo Day.

Pick up 100 rounds of your favorite boomstick fodder - it's just after 4 PM here so there's still a few hours to get in on the fun!

Details here.

Out of STEAM

2009-11-15T17:40:00.003-06:00

Just returned from a weekend in Marshalltown IA at ABATE of Iowa's annual training gathering, Iowa STEAM (Seminar To Educate And Motivate).

It was a great weekend of learning and socializing, biker style.

After a 3 hour drive home, a quick trip to the grocery store, and dealing with a dead router on the home network, now it's almost time to get ready to go to work.

At least I got a good night's sleep Saturday night...instead of enjoying mass quantities of adult beverages around the hotel pool. Sometimes it sucks to be a responsible adult.

Why?

2009-09-08T15:08:00.004-05:00

Why is it that even though I objected, we still got a dog?

Why is it that she's supposed to be the kids' dog but I ended up feeding and caring for her the most?

Why is it that it's my job to take her to the vet now that her hips are shot and she's having bladder and bowel issues?

Why is it that I feel like crap having her put down even though I don't particularly like the damn dog?

2009-08-21T19:31:00.002-05:00

BTW...using a Linux desktop blog editor called 'Drivel' now - it's a lot more convenient than the web interface.

Also noticed that I've almost tripled my output from last year...one more post this month and I'll match last year's TOTAL!

I'll try to make it a worthwhile post, not just 'here it is, my 4th post this month'.

2009-08-21T19:16:00.001-05:00

Kinda got derailed on reporting on Freedom Rally 25, and since no one actually reads this stuff I'm not sure it's worth continuing the story.

Attendance has been reported as just shy of 8100 - it sure seems like there were a lot more than that in the park, but since I never made it beyond the vendor area after Wednesday afternoon I can't say for sure.

The rain Friday night put a damper on activities, but they still lit the fireworks around 12:30 AM, making it the first fireworks display of July 4, 2009 in the Kossuth County area.All I can say is that it SOUNDED impressive...I'd given up and gone to bed by then.

Other than the leaking shock seal the ride was great - even got shot on Shooters Images as we were leaving for home Sunday morning.As much grief as I've given others for pulling trailers I'm beginning to think there's some merit to it. I probably carry too much crap as it is but I'm reaching the limit for strapping it on to the bike I think.

Guess this'll wrap up the Freedom Rally 25 thread...next up is Loess Hills Rally X, followed by Meeting of the Minds in Bloomington MN. There are some rides and events scheduled for the first weekend in October...experience tells me that may be optimistic for motorcycle events, but maybe Global Climate Change (TM) may have a good side after all.

2009-08-21T19:02:00.000-05:00

Middle Child has decided to play viola this year instead of clarinet. I'm thinking of taking up the bagpipes in retaliation.

Freedom Rally 25 continued...

2009-07-25T03:35:00.005-05:00

Tuesday I went to town for breakfast at Mickey D's and for wi-fi. The local cellular provider was going to have wi-fi available on the portable cell site they set up in the park but (AFAIK) never got it working during the rally. In any case, that was the extent of my email and web surfing for the rest of the week.

Tuesday was another busy day with flag details and newspaper stuffing. There are 3 big flags next to the Freedom Rally stage. This year Rambo and I got to put them up. I learned a couple of things: 1. Big flags in the air are much bigger on the ground, and 2. Big flags and wind do not go well together. The nylon rope used for halyards didn't help - it reminded me of the lariat ropes my Dad carried in his vet truck - they had such a tendency to twist that it was really tough to straighten out the halyards and we had to work together to keep things under control. I guess we messed up on the order though...we switched the POW/MIA flag and the Iowa state flag. At least we got Old Glory on the right flagpole! Regardless, it's still a great sight to see those flags flying free on a beautiful Iowa morning!

Next we got a group together and placed the flags on the Avenue of Flags on the main road into the park. 50 state flags, a POW/MIA flag and flags from 5 service branches. The poles are two piece steel pipe that slip together. We had so much help we were almost in each others' ways - one had to be careful to avoid a steel enema!

The awnings at the main gate went up next. The canopy frame was mostly assembled, so we hung the lights (even checked to make sure they worked too!) and started stretching the roof tarp. Of course, it didn't fit correctly and we had to take it off and reseat all of the poles in the sockets, but then it was an easy up and quickly staked down.

About that time the newspapers showed up. One of the local papers puts together a special edition for the Freedom Rally. It usually contains articles by state officers and park staff as well as ads from local businesses and organizations - the stores often run specials during Rally Week and groups like the Lions and KCs have breakfasts, etc. Anyway...each attendee is supposed to get a paper when he/she registers. Somewhere back in the past someone got the idea to put a folded trash bag in each newspaper to encourage people to pick up around their campsites...or to use as emergency wet weather gear. In fact, most folks call them "Rally raincoats".

Well...the trashbags have to get into the papers somehow. I've done this the last couple of years and it usually ends up being a pretty fun time, with folks chatting and getting to know each other. Like most everything else at the rally it's all volunteer labor, so everyone's there 'cause they want to be there. We set up on a couple of rows of folding tables, some people unroll the bags and fold them, others open the bundles of papers and insert the bags, still others carry, tie, and stack the finished bundles. It looks daunting when you see the stacks of bundles before we start, but goes quickly. The conversations and joking keep things moving, and soda, water, and sandwiches for lunch are provided.

One of the guys helping on newspapers had a Cushman golf cart he was using to get around the park and it wouldn't start, so I gave him a hand with it. Turned out the motor generator bracket was loose, and the battery wasn't charging. Got the M-G tightened up, and a little juice into the battery, but still no go. Back to basics time...check for spark - yes! Check for fuel (electric pump) - yes! Check for compression - yes, plus an additional confirmation of spark using me as the load - YES! Finally, I pulled the air cleaner to see if the choke and throttle were working, and lo and behold, the choke was stuck closed. Open the choke, hit the switch and it fires to life! Put it all together and Bulldog took off to ride around the camp a bit and build up the battery. Later he told me he lost the M-G belt again - one of the bolts on the bracket was broken off and allowed the M-G to shift enough to throw the belt. He was able to extract the broken bolt and replace it and all was well with the world.

That was about the extent of the day as best as I can recall. Pretty much just went back to camp and chilled with the neighbors and some cold beers. Still pretty quiet in the camp, and beautiful sleeping weather.

More to come...

Freedom Rally 25 is in the books!

2009-07-06T13:23:00.005-05:00

The 25th Annual ABATE of Iowa Freedom Rally is all over except for the clean up and tear down. My part of it isn't over yet as I still need to retrieve the camping gear a friend hauled home for me.

This was my 5th Freedom Rally, and the best so far. This was the 3rd year in a row that I went early and helped around the park. I worked as hard or harder than I would have worked at home and had fun doing it!

I got there Sunday afternoon, set up camp, visited with friends camped at Smith Lake north of Algona, stopped for supplies on the way back to camp, then relaxed and went to sleep.

Monday started with campstove bacon and eggs. The cast iron skillet worked much better this year than the aluminum skillet last year, but the stove still sucks. Not fine enough flame control. I think it would work better with about a third less holes in the burner. I'm thinking of getting a Coleman gas stove for next year.

I spent Monday running a string trimmer. Went thru 2 spools of string, and several tanks of fuel. Managed to finish frying the top of my head, even though it was covered. Guess I sunburned thru the do-rag. The big rip in the top didn't help.

While I was weed-whacking some of the guys running chainsaws cut some firewood for me and dropped it at my camp. I didn't actually get around to lighting a fire until Friday night but it was great to have some firewood available. Thanks Duffy, Rambo, and whoever else helped!

A District 2 member (Jimmy) and the friend he brought along to drive him home after the rally (Tree) showed up Monday afternoon. They had a little cold McDonalds left over, which I think was the extent of supper for Monday night.

Some friends from District 3 (Wayne and Cathy) showed up a little later with news of a bike breakdown (Cathy's trike). After some discussion Tree and I took Jimmy's pickup and trailer to retrieve Cathy's trike, and Wayne rode his bike to retrieve the motorcycle trailer he left at the farm where they left Cathy's trike. (You might need to draw a map to follow the story...)

More to come...

How about smart HUMANS?

2009-06-26T19:40:00.003-05:00

OK...I'm over the whole "Smart (noun)" thing.

Smart cars, smart guns, smart power meters, smart traffic system...you get the picture.

Instead of pouring time and money into making inanimate objects smart, how about we work on upgrading the software between the ears of the population?

There's a commercial I hear frequently on the radio that boasts of a certain Three Letter Corporation's efforts at saving fuel and lost time by using technology to cut down on traffic jams. Of course, the example they site - some sort of Scandanavian system - seems more to concentrate on taxing people rather than improving traffic flow, but since most of the folks hearing the commercial know more about 'American Idol' than socialism it slides by.

Do we really need SKYNET? Haven't we learned from 4 "Terminator" movies that letting computers run our lives doesn't turn out well?

2009-06-01T07:27:00.001-05:00

Mobile blogging test

Can It Be? Iowa Presidential Campaigning Returns - Political News - FOXNews.com

2009-06-01T07:06:00.003-05:00

Can It Be? Iowa Presidential Campaigning Returns - Political News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

I was joking back on October 28...guess someone took me seriously!

Hey...I resemble that remark!

2009-05-25T12:43:00.002-05:00

Baby Blues, May 23, 2009
(Click)

So many projects...So little motivation!

2009-05-23T08:49:00.002-05:00

So it's Memorial Day weekend.

Let me join the chorus of voices reminding you to remember those who paid the price for our nation, and for those paying it now. Hopefully they still have a country to come home to!

I'm enjoying the weekend but I'm feeling a bit guilty about not accomplishing much. I've got vehicle maintenance to do (too much like work), house maintenance (too much to do), a new rifle to sight in and shoot, and absolutely no motivation to do any of it.

I'm hard pressed to sit down and type this entry. Maybe I should shower, dress, and go take in a movie. Haven't had any cinematic therapy in a while...perhaps the air conditioning and overpriced popcorn will do something for me.

Yippee! 2009!

2009-01-03T20:36:00.002-06:00

Well, it's 2009.

Hope y'all made the most of the additional time added to 2008 - that leap second sure seemed to pass quickly...of course, it hit here at about 5:59 PM on the evening of the 31st, and I was outside changing IFTA stickers on company trucks. I imagine the windchill had my thoughts elsewhere!

Celebrated my 43rd birthday with the purchase of a new Ruger Mk. III 22/45 pistol - only the 3rd new firearm I've purchased in my life - all the others have been off the used racks and shelves. I was going to go to the indoor range today and start breaking it in but Mother Nature decided to throw a wrench into the plans...unfortunately I have to consider going to the range 'non-essential travel', especially when work calls and requests my presence to put chains on the cargo tugs. As much as I know I'd enjoy an hour or two on the range, 4 hours of overtime means more right now.

I see I made 4 posts in 2008. One of my goals this year is to beat that mark.

TTYL.

The campaign is dead! Long live the campaign!

2008-10-28T09:02:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, November 4, 2008: The last day of the 2008 presidential campaign.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008: The first day of the 2012 presidential campaign.

Oh, joy!

Celebrate Diversity!

2008-08-19T07:27:00.003-05:00

Why does all of the talk about energy seem to focus on one single source?

Haven't these people ever heard the expression "Don't put all of your eggs in one basket"?

There isn't enough money in the WORLD, let alone the United States, to completely overhaul our way of life to operate on a non-petroleum energy source.

Instead, we should be tapping into ALL of the various sources, and utilizing each where it makes the most sense - i.e. gasoline and Diesel for transportation; coal, hydro, nuclear, solar and wind for electrical generation WHERE IT MAKES SENSE.

Above all, innovation needs to be permitted and encouraged, not mandated by government!

What does it mean...

2008-06-24T06:24:00.000-05:00

...when you get the eerie feeling that you are the most normal person in the Wal-Mart?

I think I know where they got the inspiration for some of the aliens in Men In Black.

Time for another post

2008-02-19T16:27:00.000-06:00

Guess I should post again...once a year seems like an acceptable average. About as often as I update my personal website.

First Post

2007-01-05T17:17:00.000-06:00

I'm not a Luddite, but I am sometimes on the dull backside of the bleeding edge. Since it seems pretty likely that AlGore's Internet is likely to succeed, I figured I'd start a blog and be unique and individual, just like every one else.

We'll just have to see to where this leads.

John