Michael's Rant

2009-06-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

Just a quick thought about our nations health care system. The current administration is wanting to nationalize our health care. Recently I talked to a person in this field that was an Obama supporter about the issue. This persons response was they wanted to model our system after the Canadian Health Care system.

I have a friend who is a medical researcher. For thier research they use Canada for their double blind because as he put it "for elderly patients, they have a placebo based system". In Canada, when you retire and become a non productive member of society, the waiting list for medical care can be years if you ever get it at all. Especially for orthopaedic proceedures.

Another fact I just discovered. There are more bone density testing machines in my little hometown of Gainesville, GA than in the entire country of Canada. Sad, just totally sad.

A wise economist once said, "there is no free lunch". There will be no free medical care either except for those indigant persons that already have it. For the rest of us we will just have our tax rate increased to pay for it and in the end get substandard health care which will be more expensive than if we had left it in private hands.

If you think the g-men can give you anything for FREE then you are plain ignorant. Everything has some form of cost. Some is just more obvious than others.
michael

2009-01-05T09:21:00.001-05:00

Folks,
I am ecstatic about the imminent changing of the guard in Washington. Now you stupid liberals that voted for "change" are going to see the empirical evidence that there is not going to be any change. Of course, it will get sugar coated by the press and ya'll will swallow the pill that says it is still GWB's fault.

Nobama said he was going to pull the troops out of Iraq. At this point, he has had most of his CIA and Joint Chief's briefings. And guess what? the military is not planning on any troop reductions in Iraq. If they thought that the president elect was going to pull the plug on the operation, they would not already have plans to redeploy a gazillion troops to Iraq.

So ya'll just keep thinking that he is the new Martin Luther King messiah. I like to keep reminding the folks who say that his presidency is historical that the man is half white... The truth of the matter is he didn't change Chicago politics when he was there and he won't change Washington politics as president. He will be ineffective, the press will blame the minority Republicans and ya'll will swallow it hook, line and sinker. Chumps.

Nobama says he will pull the plug in Iraq.

[url]http://goobamanation.com/tag/troop-deploymentsl[/url]

The Army's recent Iraq troop announcements.

[url]http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2008/09/30/12834-army-prepares-for-2009-rotations-in-operation-iraqi-freedom/[/url]

2008-11-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

Folks,
It seems the entire world is abuzz about the newly elected incoming administration. The liberal left is hailing it as the start of utopia while the conservative right is screaming the sky is falling. Which is the truth? As always, it will fall somewhere in the middle.

I believe the proponents of the President Elect's change platform are going to be let down but may not be capable of understanding the how or why. We are already getting a glimpse into how Obama is going to run the executive branch of the government. First is by his choice of a Vice president, Biden is an old school liberal and Democratic collaborator. Second are his early choices for cabinet members. The list is packed with former Bill Clinton advisers and other Democratic Party insiders. This is not what I call change... The same people filling the same positions, with the same beliefs and agendas.

Our second clue comes from him distancing himself from several of his campaign promises before the vote count was completed. He has already said he may have been to aggressive with his plan for change and some of his goals may have to be pushed into his second term. With that he can blame not having enough time to fulfill his promises to the people if he is not elected for a second term.

Will he see a second term in the White House? I believe he will. Just like with Bill Clinton, the same people that voted for him in the first term will return to the polls in four years. So be prepared to ride this administration for its full legally allotted time potential. But this is going to be o.k., our country survived Jimmy Carter and it will survive this administration. So much of his platform reeks of the initial Carter plan that I want to think all they did was make a few additions to a concept that failed ~30 years ago.

Is he going to bring change to Washington and America. Just look at the past and present to predict the future. Who raised so much of his campaign money? Raines and Johnson of Fannie Mae. They have proved that they are willing to stick their hands into the cookie jar. Greed is going to continue on capitol hill as it has for generations, thus the real power brokers are going to continue to be the lobbyists. The legislative branch will continue t do whatever the folks that take them on golf trips to Hawaii ask them to do.

It is going to be business as usual in Washington but with a new face to spin it as "change". There will be a lot of posturing and rhetoric. Proposed bills that will fail and be blamed on the Republican minority for undermining idealism. Thus, I am not that scared of our countries system being rebuilt in the name of socialism. With any luck, this administration will let down its constituents as badly as Carter did and usher in another 20 years of Republican control.

But if it does, we need a new Republican Party to emerge from the ashes. One similar to the ideals of Ronald Reagan but with even stronger party support. Not this purposeful shift toward the center that we have seen since Bush 1. We need to forget trying to emulate conservative or center Democrats and become true conservatives who are statesmen and not politicians. We need to abandon the "gool ol boy" network that has held American politics as a hostage.

So am I worried? Not really, but concerned none the less. For 36 hours after the November 4th election I was worried, appalled, and near despondent. Then when I realized that there was nothing else I could do so I knelt down and prayed. First I prayed for the outgoing administration, next I prayed for the incoming administration, then I received some insight from God. My wife and I have been studying from Samuel, Kings and Chronicles and the Lord reminded me of the teachings from these books.

The Israelites demanded a king from God. And God gave them a lineage of kings that the world has studied for thousands of years. According to the actions of the people they often received bad kings (actually more often than good kings) as their actions dictated. So now the people of America have the king they desire. Like most things, we soon find that they are not as nice as the television commercials depicted them. So as the saying from across the pond alludes, "the proof is in the pudding". What this new administration is made of will play out rather quickly as will be evidenced by the fruit of their actions. how the press spins it is all that will matter to the majority of the public.

What I do know is this. Whether you voted for the man or not. Whether you like his politics or not. He is now the commander and chief and some semblance of respect for the position is required. You don't have to agree with him but you do have to support our country by respecting its commander. I will probably disagree with many of his ideals, both privately and publicly. I will be more than willing to disagree with anything he does that I don't believe. But I am going to respect the office of the President of the United States, I am going to pray for him and for God to show him wisdom just as much as I have for G.W. Bush, Jr. The first Saturday after the election, my weekly prayer group spent a lot of time on our knees praying for Obama and his staff. We will continue to do this no matter who we may support in the next election. Hate will not change America or bring strength to our cause.
Michael V. Crowder

Remember this:
Luke 6:27-28
[27] "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, [28] bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Romans 12:20
"But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head"

2008-11-04T13:51:00.001-05:00

Folks,
Today I voted to keep the "change" in my pocket and out of Washington. Nuff said?!?!
michael

2008-10-13T10:17:00.002-04:00

Howdy folks,
Long time, no rant. I have been dealing with some problems with my back, thus I have not really been too interested in extracurricular blogging. I am going to try and get back to ranting because it seems as the world has gone totally loopy and griping to my friends and family just aggravates them and doesn't really help.

Friday I had to jump start a new Cadillac and decided that owning a jump start box as opposed to cables might be a good idea. This morning I went to purchase a jump start box to keep in my primary truck. I first tried Wall Mart and they all said "made in china" so I figured I would run over to Sears "where America shops" and look at the Die Hard and Craftsman labeled stuff. They had about five different models. One said "made in mexico" and the other four said "made in china". I was apalled. So I called a local industrial supply and a local hometown auto parts store. Both places only had "fine china" manufactured jump boxes.

I have given up on buying one now. I would rather do without and use my "made in America" jumper cables as opposed to purchasing a chinese made jump box. Last week I needed to purchase some more NiMH rechargeable batteries for my small electronic devices. I went to four stores looking for U.S.A. made batteries. Once again, no luck. I did eventually find some that were made in Japan so I settled for a few of those to get me by until I can find some U.S. sourced batteries.

We are in the middle of an economic down turn that folks all seem to be in a panic about. But these same folks continue to purchase chinese products instead of looking for home grown products. If you purchase products without regard to where it is made and only look at price then you deserve to lose your job. How is the guy that works at the battery plant going to afford your services if his job is outsourced to china?

Ya'll can blame the big corporations if you want, but you would be wrong. It is the consumers fault that our manufacturing base is falling away. If you don't specifically buy American products as much as you can then you are the problem with our economy. If the American public would vote for local jobs with their pocket books in the isles of Wall Mart and other stores by leaving chinese junk on the shelves then the distributors would pay attention.

In recent memory we have had chinese pet food suppliments killing pets all over the country, Thomas the Tank Engine toys have showed up with lead based paint for your kids to chew on and most recently melamine (a really nansty chemical) is showing up in baby formula and non dairy creamers. Lipton had to destroy an entire shipment of creamers and nobody is talking about how much may have gotten through to the market place.

We have just approved offshore oil drilling to the dismay of the hippy peace freak tree huggers. Many people are outraged that we would allow U.S. oil companies to drill offshore. But these same reserves have been being exploited by the chinese. Who would you rather have drilling for oil near our coast? U.S. Companies or the chinese? At least the U.S. oil companies will have to follow EPA guidelines. The chinese have proved they don't care about us with food and toys, do you think they care about spilling some oil off our coast?

The chinese are the worlds worst polluters at present. Just look at the amount of CFC 12 they are producing annually. Look at their electric power production and across the board at all their infrastructure. So your worried about the U.S. economy or the world environment? If you claim to care and at the same time you purchase chinese products without regard then you are a hipocrite and a lier. Strong Words? No, just the plain truth.
michael

2008-07-15T11:09:00.003-04:00

Folks,
Once again it has been a while since my last post. Over the past couple of months I have studied for and acquired my Technician, General and Extra Class Amateur Radio Licenses. It was an involved process that required a good deal of studying and even refiring all the math synapses in my brain that had gone dormant. But I made it through the tests and the FCC has seen fit to grant me all of my licenses.

As a result of my entering into the Ham Radio hobby the reasons that the Federal Government supports this endeavor have become very clear to me. In the event of any disaster a large burden of the emergency communications work is handled by hams in the civilian realm. Emergency communications are handled by several groups, two of which are ARES and RACES. These groups support local, state and federal government with coordination of key communications including the military.

Ya'll may have thought that the g-men had this covered but they don't. Almost every service uses different systems and frequencies the the ability to inter communicate in the event of a disaster is not there. The Amateur Radio Community pulls all of these government entities together along with private relief organizations such as the Red Cross and the North American Mission Board.

I have become involved in the RACES organization to help provide rescue communications and coordination. In the process of this I have had to take several FEMA courses to obtain my qualifications to help. These courses are available online to anyone who wishes to take them. I reccomend that everyone go through some of the information available at the FEMA website. Here is a direct link:

http://training.fema.gov/IS/crslist.asp

One of the things I already knew that has been reiterated time and time again is the the Federal Government is not legally responsible for your immediate safety or to rescue in times of disaster. Your first official line of defense is yourself. You are supposed to have enough emergency rations and equipment on hand to take care of yourself for at least 72 hours.

The second entity responsible for helping you is your local government then the third is the state. Federal assistance can not be provided until requested by your states governor. The Feds can't send anyone until that request is made. So if you think the G-men are going to be at your door in a few hours to rescue you in the event of a disaster you are dead wrong and may die while you wait. FEMA takes a minimum of 72 hours to start mobilization after the President declares a Federal Disaster. So you better be prepared to take care of yourself for quite a while. If you are not prepared to feed yourself, provide yourself with shelter and basic first aid then don't expect it from the government anytime soon.

In order to understand the process and better prepare yourself for an emergency I suggest that everyone take the FEMA IS-7 online course. Here is a direct link to the material:

http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is7.asp

If you don't take some steps to prepare yourself for an emergency and realize that you are on your on for at least three days according to how the system works then you may just find yourself going hungry for several days at best. At worst you could find yourself hungry, hurt and alone in the dark for quite some time and could die while waiting for help that you always assumed was just a phone call away. Prepare yourself for a potential disaster or be prepared to suffer the consequences.
michael

2008-06-03T15:34:00.002-04:00

Folks,
This article was just way too interesting not to pass along. It comes from the Examiner.com and here is the direct link. http://www.examiner.com/a-1419425~Peter_Schweizer__Conservatives_more_honest_than_liberals_.html I normally just post the link but this is too good not to quote:

Commentary

Peter Schweizer: Conservatives more honest than liberals?

Peter Schweizer
2008-06-02 07:00:00.0
Current rank: # 1 of 11,892
WASHINGTON -
The headline may seem like a trick question — even a dangerous one — to ask during an election year. And notice, please, that I didn’t ask whether certain politicians are more honest than others. (Politicians are a different species altogether.) Yet there is a striking gap between the manner in which liberals and conservatives address the issue of honesty.
Consider these results:
Is it OK to cheat on your taxes? A total of 57 percent of those who described themselves as “very liberal” said yes in response to the World Values Survey, compared with only 20 percent of those who are “very conservative.” When Pew Research asked whether it was “morally wrong” to cheat Uncle Sam, 86 percent of conservatives agreed, compared with only 68 percent of liberals.
Ponder this scenario, offered by the National Cultural Values Survey: “You lose your job. Your friend’s company is looking for someone to do temporary work. They are willing to pay the person in cash to avoid taxes and allow the person to still collect unemployment. What would you do?”
Almost half, or 49 percent, of self-described progressives would go along with the scheme, but only 21 percent of conservatives said they would.
When the World Values Survey asked a similar question, the results were largely the same: Those who were very liberal were much more likely to say it was all right to get welfare benefits you didn’t deserve.
The World Values Survey found that those on the left were also much more likely to say it is OK to buy goods that you know are stolen. Studies have also found that those on the left were more likely to say it was OK to drink a can of soda in a store without paying for it and to avoid the truth while negotiating the price of a car.
Another survey by Barna Research found that political liberals were two and a half times more likely to say that they illegally download or trade music for free on the Internet.
A study by professors published in the American Taxation Association’s Journal of Legal Tax Research found conservative students took the issue of accounting scandals and tax evasion more seriously than their fellow liberal students. Those with a “liberal outlook” who “reject the idea of absolute truth” were more accepting of cheating at school, according to another study, involving 291 students and published in the Journal of Education for Business.
A study in the Journal of Business Ethics involving 392 college students found that stronger beliefs toward “conservatism” translated into “higher levels of ethical values.” And academics concluded in the Journal of Psychology that there was a link between “political liberalism” and “lying in your own self-interest,” based on a study involving 156 adults.
Liberals were more willing to “let others take the blame” for their own ethical lapses, “copy a published article” and pass it off as their own, and were more accepting of “cheating on an exam,” according to still another study in the Journal of Business Ethics.
Now, I’m not suggesting that all conservatives are honest and all liberals are untrustworthy. But clearly a gap exists in the data. Why? The quick answer might be that liberals are simply being more honest about their dishonesty.
However attractive this explanation might be for some, there is simply no basis for accepting this explanation. Validation studies, which attempt to figure out who misreports on academic surveys and why, has found no evidence that conservatives are less honest. Indeed, validation research indicates that Democrats tend to be less forthcoming than other groups.
The honesty gap is also not a result of “bad people” becoming liberals and “good people” becoming conservatives. In my mind, a more likely explanation is bad ideas. Modern liberalism is infused with idea that truth is relative. Surveys consistently show this. And if truth is relative, it also must follow that honesty is subjective.
Sixties organizer Saul Alinsky, who both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton say inspired and influenced them, once said the effective political advocate “doesn’t have a fixed truth; truth to him is relative and changing, everything to him is relative and changing. He is a political relativist.”
During this political season, honesty is often in short supply. But at least we can improve things by accepting the idea that truth and honesty exist. As the late scholar Sidney Hook put it, “the easiest rationalization for the refusal to seek the truth is the denial that truth exists.”
Peter Schweizer is the author of “Makers and Takers: Why Conservatives Work Harder, Feel Happier, Have Closer Families, Take Fewer Drugs, Give More Generously, Value Honesty More, Are Less Materialistic and Envious, Whine Less ... And Even Hug Their Children More Than Liberals” (Doubleday).

Examiner

Hope ya'll enjoyed that as much as I did...
Michael

2008-03-31T14:16:00.002-04:00

Folks,
I was complaining about how hard it is to run a business under our countries current tax structure today and I was appalled by a response I got. someone actually said to me that if I am a S-corp then I don't pay taxes. I don't understand how such a large percentage of our population has no idea of how a business is run or how the tax structure actually works in the real world. I guess if all you do is pick up your check on Friday and pay the lease payments on your car and apartment you can't understand how things actually work.

Yes, my business is a s-corp. While a narrow and limited view may assume that i don't pay corporate taxes, that in reality is quite wrong. We file a corporate tax return with just a minimum filing fee. Then all the "profits" are rolled into my personal return. Any money in the corporate checking account on the last day of the year is considered profit and taxed at my personal federal tax rate of 28% and state rate of 6%. This means if I leave 10,000 dollars in the corporate account as of midnight on 31 December then the government is going to take 3,400 dollars of it away from me.

So to keep this from happening the natural tendency is to roll the money out of the corporate checking account. Some goes into the pension fund where it is gone until I am as old as Moses. Some I write to myself as a distribution, pay the 34% taxes on it and stick it in a savings account where it will probably sit until I die and do nothing for the countries economy. The rest I spend on equipment the we may or may not actually need. This is pretty much standard operating procedure for most small companies.

What I need, is to be able to leave a couple of dollars in the company account at the end of the year without penalty. I have to start each year dead broke or pay a severe penalty on the money that is sitting in the company account as of the last day of the calender year.

This year we are planning to do an addition to the building so that we can put more men in here working. This will give jobs to the local community through using several subcontractors to do the building and by hiring workers to fill the new addition. I had enough money to get started back at the end of the year but not the time. So instead of proceeding with the project when we had the cash a good deal of money got rolled into the pension plan and the rest into some equipment that we sorta kinda needed but not really. So now we are having to replenish funds before we can do the addition. My concrete subcontractor is really slow and really wants the work to begin but i am about 60 to 90 days from having enough cash in hand to start and finish the project. Oh yeah, we do things like this with cash and not by borrowing at the bank but that is a different rant... If i could have carried the funds for this project over into this fiscal year from last without penalty this project would be underway if not nearing completion at this point.

If I could carry funds from one year into the next without penalty for making payroll I would have probably carried one more employee through the winter. It is hard to stare a new calender year in the face with zip in the checking account and payroll to make for four employees every Friday. At thanksgiving we had plenty of cash on the books and I had to make it all go away before Christmas or get hammered by the man. If i had been able to carry that over into the new year without paying a significant amount of taxes on it I could now be spending it now on infrastructure and creating new jobs.

Instead the company is now trying to recover enough cash reserve to build instead of having contractors running around here putting up walls. I am interviewing but dragging my feet on hiring a new man so that I can be sure and have enough reserve to make payroll EVERY Friday with five folks sticking out their hands. I also need the addition done so that the new employee has a place to work without bumping elbows with the folks already here.

Companies like mine need an account where we can carry over operating capital from year to year without penalty. I am happy to pay taxes on it when I take a check but as long as it sits in the corporate account to pay business expenses I need the g-men to leave it alone.

All the people that live at the whim of a payroll check on Friday or their entitlement check and don't run a business really get my goat. Statements like corporations don't pull their weight or s-corps don't have to pay taxes, or the rich don't pay enough taxes make me want to break out my aluminum baseball bat and start busting knee caps.

This little chart ought to be enough to shut those raise taxes on the rich up forever. If they still think that the rich are not paying their fair share then they need to be sterilized before they breed and perpetuate their particular brand of ignorance into the gene pool. (I am tongue in cheek with a few of these statements but almost serious)

This country is supported almost completely by the upper 50% of the income bracket. Until someone has had to keep a real live corporation on its feet for the first quarter of the year after the tax man has either forced them to divest themselves of all on-hand cash or raped them for keeping a few dollars on hand they need to keep their mouths shut and thank the American corporate world for keeping this country working.

I am not the most educated person around or even very smart but after 20 plus years of keeping a business afloat, while making sure that payroll is met every week, all the bills are paid on time and the tax man is satisfied I have learned a few things. 90% of the people out there are not qualified to render an opinion. They just don't have enough real world experience in the matter to say anything about it. That statement is not aimed at anyone in particular but if the shoe fits...

I think we ought to go back to the original concept of a voting public that our forefathers instituted. According to the original voting laws in this country each state set the rules for voter qualification in their jurisdiction. In most states you had to own a significant piece of property, be a business owner or have an set amount of wealth to qualify to vote. The folks that just picked up a paycheck and didn't at least own their home were not considered responsible enough to vote.

I am tired of having Representatives that were elected by freeloaders living in public housing and collecting an entitlement check that I earned for them telling me how to live and run my business. If we went back to a system where you had to show that you were at least capable of supporting yourself to qualify to vote this country would be much better off. Letting the thieves watch the store is not profitable. I say open the borders to anyone willing to work and send the ones that won't out to a deserted island and let them play survivor for real.
michael

2008-03-26T13:28:00.002-04:00

Folks,
I have heard a couple of public comments made from the liberal press today about global warming that actually have my blood warming. How is it that so many folks are buying into the idea that we are going to cause our own extinction in the next few years? If you just bother to research the facts without bias before forming an opinion you may just realize that the situation does not bode as bad as Al Gore would have you believe.

A couple of articles have crossed my desk of late that seem to have a lot of bearing on the subject. The first is from a source that I have always considered very liberal and to the left. NPR (national public radio) has released an article stating scientists have found that the planets ocean water temperatures have not risen at all in the past decade. Ocean temperatures are the real measure of the planets temperature. In fact the ocean temperatures have actually cooled off during the last decade. Follow the link for the entire article:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88520025

In another recent article from The Australian scientists are admitting that the problem may not be as bad as some folks have suggested. One quote says this:

Duffy: "The climate is actually, in one way anyway, more robust than was assumed in the climate models?"

Marohasy: "That's right ... These findings actually aren't being disputed by the meteorological community. They're having trouble digesting the findings, they're acknowledging the findings, they're acknowledging that the data from NASA's Aqua satellite is not how the models predict, and I think they're about to recognize that the models really do need to be overhauled and that when they are overhauled they will probably show greatly reduced future warming projected as a consequence of carbon dioxide."

Duffy: "From what you're saying, it sounds like the implications of this could beconsiderable ..."

Marohasy: "That's right, very much so. The policy implications are enormous. The meteorological community at the moment is really just coming to terms with the output from this NASA Aqua satellite and (climate scientist) Roy Spencer's interpretation of them. His work is published, his work is accepted, but I think people are still in shock at this point."

If Marohasy is anywhere near right about the impending collapse of the global warming paradigm, life will suddenly become a whole lot more interesting.

This complete article can be viewed by clicking on the following link:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23411799-7583,00.html

For years scientists and politicians have been at odds over the science behind the global warming ideals. Both sides have accused each other of "junk science". As more research is done and the facts become more refined, the more it seems that the evidence of impending doom is just not there. In fact many scientists claim that they feel that their opinions have been purposely suppressed and they have been pressured not to publicly suggest that global warming may not exist. Here is a link to a U.S. Senate report on the subject:

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=f80a6386

What many people fail to take into consideration is that the planet is still recovering from a mini ice age which climatologists agree ended in the mid 1800's. The following link goes to an article that suggests the possibility that we may actually be headed for another ice age.

http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=332289

So now lets consider that global warming could be real, and if so, what would the results of warming temperatures mean to the human race? Science and history actually show that the overall warming of the planet would result in a much smaller number of weather related deaths. Yes, global warming would actually save lives. I am reposting an article from Discover Magazine.

The heat wave in Europe in early August 2003 was a catastrophe of heartbreaking proportions. With more than 3,500 dead in Paris alone, France suffered nearly 15,000 fatalities from the heat wave. Another 7,000 died in Germany, 8,000 in Spain and Italy, and 2,000 in the United Kingdom: The total death toll ran to more than 35,000. Understandably, this event has become a psychologically powerful metaphor for the frightening vision of a warmer future and our immediate need to prevent it.

The green group Earth Policy Institute, which first totaled the deaths, tells us that as "awareness of the scale of this tragedy spreads, it is likely to generate pressure to reduce carbon emissions. For many of the millions who suffered through these record heat waves and the relatives of the tens of thousands who died, cutting carbon emissions is becoming a pressing personal issue."

While 35,000 dead is a terrifyingly large number, all deaths should in principle be treated with equal concern. Yet this is not happening. When 2,000 people died from heat in the United Kingdom, it produced a public outcry that is still heard. However, the BBC recently ran a very quiet story telling us that deaths caused by cold weather in England and Wales for the past years have hovered around 25,000 each winter, casually adding that the winters of 1998-2000 saw about 47,000 cold deaths each year. The story then goes on to discuss how the government should make the cost of winter fuel economically bearable and how the majority of deaths are caused by strokes and heart attacks.

It is remarkable that a single heat-death episode of 35,000 from many countries can get everyone up in arms, whereas cold deaths of 25,000 to 50,000 a year in just a single country pass almost unnoticed. Of course, we want to help avoid another 2,000 dying from heat in the United Kingdom. But presumably we also want to avoid many more dying from cold.

For Europe as a whole, about 200,000 people die from excess heat each year. However, about 1.5 million Europeans die annually from excess cold. That is more than seven times the total number of heat deaths. Just in the past decade, Europe has lost about 15 million people to the cold, more than 400 times the iconic heat deaths from 2003. That we so easily neglect these deaths and so easily embrace those caused by global warming tells us of a breakdown in our sense of proportion.

How will heat and cold deaths change over the coming century with global warming? Let us for the moment assume-very unrealistically-that we will not adapt at all to the future heat. Still, the biggest cross-European cold/heat study concludes that for an increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the average European temperatures, "our data suggest that any increases in mortality due to increased temperatures would be outweighed by much larger short-term declines in cold-related mortalities." For Britain, it is estimated a 3.6°F increase will mean 2,000 more heat deaths but 20,000 fewer cold deaths. Likewise, another paper incorporating all studies on this issue and applying them to a broad variety of settings in both developed and developing countries found that "global warming may cause a decrease in mortality rates, especially of cardiovascular diseases."

But of course, it seems very unrealistic and conservative to assume that we will not adapt to rising temperatures throughout the 21st century. Several recent studies have looked at adaptation in up to 28 of the biggest cities in the United States. Take Philadelphia. The optimal temperature seems to be about 80°F. In the 1960s, on days when it got significantly hotter than that (about 100°F), the death rate increased sharply. Likewise, when the temperature dropped below freezing, deaths increased sharply.

Yet something great happened in the decades following. Death rates in Philadelphia and around the country dropped in general because of better health care. But crucially, temperatures of 100°F today cause almost no excess deaths. However, people still die more because of cold weather. One of the main reasons for the lower heat susceptibility is most likely increased access to air-conditioning. Studies seem to indicate that over time and with sufficient resources, we actually learn to adapt to higher temperatures. Consequently we will experience fewer heat deaths even when temperatures rise.

Discover, Aug. 31 2007

If the idea of global warming is a myth then what could be the reason for all of the politicians and press running around screaming "the sky is falling."? Political agendas that depend on mass hysteria rather than the facts to garner support in the election process seems to be the key. Certain folks are getting a lot of press and political support from their "environmentally green" to the point of lying stances. Some people are actually suggesting that Al Gore be sued for his obvious politicalization of the global warming stance and vehement spreading of the idea.

http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080303175301.aspx

No matter what side of the global warming fence you may sit, be sure that you do some actual research to support your stance. Just parroting what you hear from a particular politician, party or organization is irresponsible. Look into the subject by reading from a variety of sources. I read articles from both sides of the issue and then try to use my limited ability of logical reasoning to decide which school of thought is most plausible.

At this point I don't see any definitive proof that global warming is an imminent disaster on the horizon. I will keep reading real research on the subject as it is released and reserve the right to change my opinion if the evidence convinces me otherwise. But for now I am going to spend my allocated "worry time" on more pressing issues.
Michael

2008-02-14T12:27:00.003-05:00

Folks,
A piece of news crossed my desk today that has me utterly stunned. The city council of Berkeley California has issued a letter to the United States Marine Corp that their local recruitment center is no longer welcome in their city.

Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, said "The Marines don't belong here, they shouldn't have come here, and they should leave" . I am appalled by such a statement coming from a branch of government who's very existence is allowed due to the protection of these brave men and women.

If the city of Berkeley does not want the protection provided by our military then they should also opt out any federal funding also. If they are unwilling to pay their own way and protect themselves then they owe the Marine Corps and the American people a great big apology.

A group of people operating under the name "code pink" are doing everything in their power to stop the Marines from operating their recruitment center. You want to see something appalling? Check out this video:

http://www.bayareanewsgroup.com/multimedia/iba/2008/player/?f=0131_codepink

My opinion is that the Marines need to send a detachment of Force Recon soldiers to protect the free ingress and regress from their offices. If the local police will not enforce the law and protect the rights of our armed forces then I believe the military has the right to take care of themselves. If I was trying to enter that building and some of those peace freaks tried to block my way they would learn the meaning of getting walked over.

For more on this story try these links:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330419,00.html

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8240354?source=most_viewed

Senators Isakson, Chambliss and Broun have sponsored a bill to take away federal funding from the City of Berkely. There is a petition sponsored by the American Center for Law and Justice that supports the Semper Fi Act of 2008. To add your name to this petition follow the link at the bottom of this article.

http://www.aclj.org/TrialNotebook/Read.aspx?id=588

This deal has my blood boiling. If this was happening in my town those "code pink" protestors would have to walk through a wall of my friends and I to get to the door of the Marine Corps recruitment center. If this upsets you just half as much as it does me then please join the ACLJ by signing onto the petition.
Michael

2008-02-08T08:14:00.000-05:00

Folks,
Every day I seem to encounter more and more people that don't understand the concept of cash. While I do have two corporate credit cards and two personal cards, I only use the personal cards every once and a while. If I buy myself a toy and place the order over the phone or via the internet the card gets used. I do use them on trips for motels and rental cars. Most of my business purchases get done on a Delta Skymiles card thus most of my plane tickets are compliments of the rewards card. Everything else is done with cash.
A while back I needed some real luggage for a trip. Since I almost always pack in backpacks I have never really needed luggage. This particular trip required that I have at least three business suits along with the standard fare of street cloths. No climbing gear, no backpacking gear and no bicycles.
I went to Wally World and all they had was cheap looking stuff that all said "made in China". I picked up the cell phone and called a friend that did a fair amount of retail shopping. He said he always saw a good selection of luggage at Target, so off I went to my first ever trip into that store.
I found what I needed, took it to the register and the young guy that was working the register rang it all up. I reached into my wallet and started skinning out hundred dollar bills. When I handed him the money he just looked at it like it was going to give him leprosy. He immediately got on the microphone and called for a manager.
While we waited for the manager he held each bill up to the light, examined it closely and then swiped each one with the counterfeit pen. When the manager arrived on the scene he started with the same routine. While the manager examined my money the clerk unzipped every zipper on the new luggage and examined every compartment to see if I was trying to hide other items in the luggage.
While the clerk was pilfering my bags the manager asked me if I had a debit card or something else I could use for my purchase. I said I don't use debit cards and my personal credit cards are just for emergencies and traveling. He expressed concern about taking several one hundred dollar bills for a single purchase. I replied that they either took them or I was walking out the door. At that point he decided to "allow" my bills to enter the register but didn't seem happy about it.
So the prevailing theme seemed to be to assume I was a criminal the moment I entered the store. I was watched on video cameras, followed at one point by what appeared to be store security, two people checked my money apparently assuming I was trying to pass counterfeit, and finally to add insult to injury they searched my purchases assuming I had hidden other items in the bags. That was my first and last trip to Target.
Recently I stopped for gas at a convenience store. This particular store didn't take American Express (AmEx has the best customer service by far) so I opted to pay with cash. This fuel stop didn't have a pay first policy so I filled the truck up. After pumping approximately 70 dollars worth of fuel I went in to pay.
I handed the clerk a 100 dollar bill. She said that company policy didn't allow hundred dollar bills. I said all I had was two twenties and the rest was c-notes. She said I needed to use a card then. I said all I have is American Express to which she replied they didn't accept. So I replied that she was just going to take the c-note to which she said she couldn't. Catch 22.
I then thanked her for the free tank of gas and said I would be leaving. She informed me that she was going to call the cops if I left without paying. I then said that I think it may be best for me to call them first and report her for violating Federal law. She said what law? I then read her the inscription on the front of the bill, "this note is legal tender for all debts public and private".
I said that her refusing to take it was a blatant violation of the law and that I was just going to go ahead and call the cops myself. She became livid and started cursing. Give me the "%#$&#^$(#" money, so I did and she gave me my change. I had to argue and threaten to give a retailer cash money. These are just two instances that I relayed but the same basic scenario has transpired many times to me.
My wife and I have a person that travels with us occasionally. This person never carries cash. Back before fast food joints started taking cards it was a real pain to travel with this person. We would be driving down the road and decide to stop for breakfast, she would say we needed to find an ATM so that she could pay for her biscuit. We would have to go to two or three before we found one that didn't charge her for the service.
When it came time for lunch we would have to go through the same routine. I always wanted to ask why didn't she get enough that morning for lunch but never did. If we went on a weekend jaunt with this person we would end up stopping at teller machines at least a half a dozen times. Why in the world she couldn't leave the house with enough cash to get through the weekend boggled my brain.
the sad thing is that I know lots of other people that operate the same way. Once on a trip with another couple we encountered a hotel whose credit card machine was not functioning. This was the only hotel for miles where we were and thus we had to stay. We skinned out some federal reserve notes and paid our bill without even really thinking about it.
The other couple looked at us like we had lobsters crawling out of our ears. They asked, 'Ya'll carry that much cash when you travel?", to which I replied that I don't leave the house without at least a few hundred bucks in my pocket. We loaned them enough money to pay their bill for the night. Next day they decided it would be much easier to pay our hotel bill that night than to get cash out of a machine to pay us back.
Folks, teller machines can run out of cash, credit card machines can malfunction, computers can crash, sometimes you encounter emergencies that can only be handled with cash. Quite often I find really good deals on stuff from individuals that don't have a credit card machine in their pocket, don't want a check and the deal can only be sealed with wallet sized photos of dead presidents. if you don't make a habit of carrying some cash you will end up in the lurch at some point. Besides, carrying cash helps you learn how to budget.
When you pay make a habit to pay in cash you won't find yourself like the average American household. 15,000 dollars in unpaid credit card debt. That number astounds me. I don't carry any credit card debt over into the next month. Most of my friends don't, my parents don't and so forth. So if the average American household figures in us then how deep in debt are these folks really? Carry cash, learn to live on the money that you actually have in your pocket and if you can't then I don't feel one bit sorry for you that the credit card company is eating your lunch with fees and interest.
michael

2008-01-22T08:35:00.000-05:00

some food for thought folks...
Of the estimated 130,000 united states troops directly involved in the Iraqi conflict an estimated 31,000 to 37,000 are not United States citizens. You may ask, who are these masked men? Well since you asked, they are the Mexicans that folks seem to gripe about. Mexicans? fighting an American sponsored war? Yes. A portion of the Hispanic total is comprised of a few Dominicans and Puerto Ricans.

Right now about 14% of the Marine Corps is comprised of amigos, 10% of the Army is Hispanic, 11% of the Navy, and 6% of the Air Force. Estimates say that as many as 20% of our front line forces are Hispanic. At present Hispanics are the fastest growing demographic group in our military and account for about 11% of our total enlisted forces.

This number is growing. While enlistments of blacks is declining sharply and whites is tapering off a little more moderately, the amigos are picking up the slack. So not only are they cutting our grass, washing our dishes, building our homes and about every other piece of manual labor, they are protecting our countries interests on the battle field.

It was estimated that in the battle for Falluja, the combat forces for that fight were an astounding 30% Hispanic. While these industrious immigrants mothers are cleaning your toilets, their sons may be defending your right to freedom.

Whats in it for them? After four years active service and 2 years in the reserve they get a green card. Yes, they get to trade risking their life for an opportunity to live in this great country. Many of them risked their life just getting her then signed up to do it again in our military. Think about that next time you think about griping about how tough times are for you. Interject these facts the next time the immigration question crops up in conversation.

The army has been trying to change the rules to allow any amigo with two years in a combat zone to be allowed to get his papers. I think that is more than fair. Next time you see an amigo that you don't like for some reason wonder if he got here by the way of the front lines of the field of battle. Wonder if he has served our country with more of a sacrifice than you have. Next time you decide to gripe about illegal immigrants think about the one on the front line of the battle taking your place.
michael

2007-11-23T13:28:00.000-05:00

Folks,
The five largest banks in America are in trouble. Bank of America, JP Morgan chase & Co, and Wachovia have predicted "heavy losses for the fourth quarter." Three smaller banks have filed bankruptcy this year and there are many regional banks that are in very serious trouble. we are going to see the g-men have to prop up the banking industry under FDIC like never before over the next year as all the tally sheets get posted for the fourth quarter of this year and first of next. There are many foreclosures and loan defaults that are still being juggled around out in lala land and have not been officially written off by the banks yet. As the truth filters out it is going to get bad.

The one bank that has done well is regions. Partly due to being smart and partly due to their current acquisitions program they have stayed out of the sub prime lending game. They have purchased or merged with over 30 other smaller local and regional banks in the past couple of years. All this was topped off with their acquisition/merger with union planters. They are now the 5th/6th largest bank in America and did not try to keep up with the joneses when it came to giving away risky loans. Yes, they have some bad debt, but nothing like the majority of other lenders.

Many of the smaller banks that have tried to play this game are now in deep trouble. Some are being sold to bigger banks at rock bottom prices and some are just going to fold their tents and leave it to the feds to pick up the pieces. Be sure to see how fiscally fit your bank is.

If you are living at the whim of an adjustable rate mortgage get it fixed now or you won't be able to afford your home a couple of years from now. If the democrats end up with control of both the legislative branch and the executive branch then we will be looking at interest rates rivaling the carter administration years. I was going through some of the company paperwork from that period a week or so ago. I found where we had secured two loans for the business during the carter period. One was for 21% and another was at 23% interest. Over thanksgiving dinner I asked my dad about them. He said those were good rates for the time and that getting any kind of loan at any rate during that time was a challenge.

Pay attention now. Prime is currently at 7.5%. It is down from 8.5% this time last year. But inflation is trying to go haywire and there is one sure way that the feds like to curb inflation. Raise interest rates. If you think the democrats won't do this then your nuts. A large portion of their constituents can't borrow money because they live off of entitlements. These people will notice the price of beer and smokes going up along with toilet paper but not interest rates. So look for interest rates to go down slowly until the election. Afterwards they are going to increase sharply. I have actually had a banker say that their analysts are privately predicting prime rate could go as high as 14 to 15 percent within the next 18 to 24 months.
michael

2007-11-10T10:03:00.000-05:00

foks,
the economy is much worse than is really being told. while the housing slump is being reported the real problems are much deeper than housing sales. we are almost a full year into democratic control of the house and the senate and already we are looking like the carter years. any of ya'll actually remember how bad the economy was when the dem's had the executive and legislative branch? gwb inherited an economy that was already sliding and then crashed in the aftermath of 911. he did a good job of bringing it back but i believe that uncertainty of investors in the current legislative branch fueled by the greed of the banking industry by embracing sub prime lending has put us in a crack that is just beginning to show its full depth.

the five largest banks in america are in trouble. bank of america, jp morgan chase & co, and wachovia have predicted "heavy losses for the fourth quarter." three smaller banks have filed bankruptcy this year and there are many regional banks that are in very serious trouble. we are going to see the g-men have to prop up the banking industry under fdic like never before over the next year as all the tally sheets get posted for the fourth quarter of this year and first of next. there are many foreclosures and loan defaults that are still being juggled around out in lala land and have not been officially written off by the banks yet. as the truth filters out it is going to get bad.

the one bank that has done well is regions. partly due to being smart and partly due to their current acquisitions program they have stayed out of the sub prime lending game. they have purchased or merged with over 30 other smaller local and regional banks in the past couple of years. all this was topped off with their acquisition/merger with union planters. they are now the 5th/6th largest bank in america and did not try to keep up with the joneses when it came to giving away risky loans. yes they have some bad debt, but nothing like the majority of other lenders.

many of the smaller banks that have tried to play this game are now in deep trouble. some are being sold to bigger banks at rock bottom prices and some are just going to fold their tents and leave it to the feds to pick up the pieces. be sure to see how fiscally fit your bank is. if you are living at the whim of an adjustable rate mortgage get it fixed now or you won't be able to afford your home a year from now.

much of what is rearing is what was swept under the rug by the previous administration and has not been fixed by the current administration due to bigger issues i am afraid. in 2004 we had an economic growth rate 0f 3.2%. in 2005 it was an incredible 4.4% and 2006 started off with a bang. but as the year is winding down the growth rate is dwindling significantly. nancy peloski said that when the dems regained control of the legislative branch they were going to jump start the economy. in this statement she was saying that the legislative branch can control the economy. what has happened in less than a year of their control? someone has hit the flush lever is what has happened.

look at the state of michigan. democratic governor, lt. governor and house of representatives. they have continued to jack up taxes and that state now has the worst economy in the nation. they are actually talking about having to close key elements of the government. 21 branches of the michigan secretary of states office are scheduled for closing. they have closed all 96 state parks and 118 state forests as of oct 1. no camping in any state park. they are all closed. they are even talking about having to shut down the entire state government due to a lack of cash. they have raised taxes to raise revenue but instead it has killed business or run them out of state and now they have no money to run the government.

wake up and smell the coffee. the days of raising taxes on those who are willing to work to pay for those that don't are going to end. i am in a unique position. i work because i want to now, not because i have to. my business pays about 100k in taxes every year even after the bush cuts. if the liberals repeal all of these and then add more taxes, i may just take my ball and go home. i know others that will. there are only so many taxes we can pay and still find working 60 hours a week profitable and enjoyable.

look at michigan as your example. in recent years under the dems control they have had the highest tax hikes in their history. they went from having the 14th highest state tax burden in the country to the 11th. in 2003 they were ranked 23rd in state GDP. this year they fell 12 places to 35th. they have a 1.75 billion dollar deficit for their state government. raising taxes does not work. if you vote for a candidate that supports raising taxes then you are sticking a knife in the backs of your selves and our local and national economies. if you want the carter economy back then put his liberal cohorts in complete control and you are going to get just that. chumps.
michael

2007-11-08T13:08:00.000-05:00

so ya'll think the news media is not biased or rigged. both sides know when to keep their mouths shut.

check cnn, msnbc, fox news, cbs, nbc or any of the major outlets about the gas pipeline explosion in hattiesburg mississipi. the local newspaper which is owned by gannett carried a short blurb but none of the other gannett outlets picked it up. ntsb and the dept of homeland defense are on the case and mums the word. you would think a lp gas pipeline that has blown up and killed four people would make the news. this pipeline feeds most of the lp gas to areas from texas to north carolina.

if you don't have your lp in the tanks now you better get it. this is being kept quiet to keep from sparking a panic of fuel hoarding. of course yours truly has already hoarded enough to get through the winter....

while you can find a little info on the recent israeli air strike on syria mum seems to be the word. from the best i can tell the jews blew a syrian nuclear enrichment facility to kingdom come. kudos to those israelis.

my reading between the lines has me asking a lot of questions. if the iranians have sworn to destroy israel and they claim to be working on nuclear weapons themselves; are they really as far along in the program as the rhetoric seems to suggest? i would think that them jews would blow any real threat to smithereens.

the world is a complicated place full of crazy events. if you think the news is going to actually tell you what is going on then you are as ignorant as pappy says you are. i say keep pouring the coals on iraq and the taliban. i say we go ahead and preempt those stinking iranians and syrians. but if you really dig the root of the problem are those saudi's and egyptians.

remember the good old days of cold war total annihilation. i say we issue an directive stating that is a dirty bomb or small nuclear device of any kind is detonated on american soil that the capital of every muslim nation gets a big fat nuclear bomb right down its throat. first to go needs to be mecca. i bet those radicals would calm right down with a direct threat to their holy ground. they have vowed to destroy israel so what is good for goose...
michael

2007-09-04T11:21:00.000-04:00

For those of ya’ll not in the know, there is a group of motorcycle nuts that call themselves the Iron Butt Association. These sadistic riders enjoy getting on their bikes and riding until their eyeballs pop out of their skulls. They poke them back in the sockets with a popsicle stick and then keep on going. They have several different levels of torture including an annual group ride where they get together and ride one thousand miles per day for eleven days straight. If you can’t addyplicate, that is 11,000 miles in eleven days.

Their entry level ride for us wannabees is fairly straight forward. Ride one thousand miles in 24 hours. If you don’t think about it long enough to do a little mental math it doesn’t sound like that big of a deal. They call this ride the “saddle sore” event and anyone that wants to give it a go is more than welcome. If you feel like this is too easy you can upgrade it to the “bun burner”. This entails adding a mere 500 miles to the ride and you get another 12 hours to complete this portion. That is 1,500 miles in 36 hours.

They have rides that go coast to coast, coast to coast and back again, from Key West to Alaska and many other variations. Each variation entails riding a motorcycle much farther than most people would consider sane. There are lots of rules pertaining to safety, record keeping, verification and award presentation. Collecting the proper chain of evidence to verify your ride is almost as challenging as the keeping the bike between the yellow and white line. The forms, witness statements, receipts, maps and so forth have to be gathered and filled out perfectly for the ride to be verified by an official judge.

I have been kicking the idea of doing an Iron Butt run since I heard about the Association but had not taken the initiative until recently. I read the rules, gathered the forms, planned my route and prepped the bike. The first thing I did was to calibrate the speedometer/odometer so that I could be relatively sure I was actually completing the required miles. Second thing I did was order a sheepskin seat pad with a gel liner to give my posterior a comfy surface to sit on for the day and a half in the saddle. I pulled some general maintenance and did a fairly intensive inspection of the bike. I had decided that if I was going to give this a run, I wasn’t going to take the easiest award available. I mapped out a 1,500 plus mile route and added just enough extra miles to make sure I didn’t come up short during the verification process.

Up until this attempt my actual longest day in the saddle was just over 500 miles. I usually try to stay off of the interstate so piling up big miles on two lane mountain roads is just not that realistic. In my initial planning I laid out two different potential routes to give myself some flexibility in the event of poor weather conditions in a particular region. I kept a close watch on the weather channel up until the night before I left and made my final decision.

Saturday morning I opted to attend my usual early morning prayer breakfast rather than trying to use every available minute of daylight for the ride. I got home and rolled the bike out of the door at about 8:15. I made a few last minute preparations while the bike warmed up and then pulled out of the driveway toward the Gainesville Police Department. I caught the 8:30 shift change and easily convinced a local peace officer to fill out a start of trip odometer statement. I then went around the corner and filled up with fuel and got my first dated and time stamped receipt of the trip.

I pointed the dreamsickle (a restomodded 1978 Harley-Davison FLH) south on I-985. Soon I merged onto I-85 south towards Hotlanta and enjoyed the ride in the relative comfort of the H.O.V. lane. I crossed under the engineering marvel called spaghetti junction and rolled through the metropolis of downtown Atlanta. My first change of direction was merging onto I-20 westbound toward Birmingham Alabama. Except for getting caught behind a funeral procession for about twenty minutes and then a long construction area this segment was uneventful.

In Birmingham I picked up Hwy 78 towards Tupelo Mississippi. This section of road starts out with a series of stop and go riding through heavy traffic and a series of traffic lights but soon opens up to controlled access four lane. After crossing into Mississippi the road number changes to Hwy 178 and the speed limit picks up to 70 mph. The ride from Tupelo to Memphis was highlighted by very sparse traffic and brand new pavement.

In Memphis I made the transition to I-55 and crossed in to Arkansas. Powering north, splitting a seemingly endless series of cotton fields, I was surprised to find the roads still relatively free of traffic on what was supposed to be one of the busiest travel days of the year. The terrain was flat, colored by a mixed pallet of green plants covered with fluffy white cotton, the sky was blue and the temperature was perfect. I continued riding north on I-55 until I crossed into the “show me” state of Missouri.

With the dreamsickles limited fuel capacity due to the 3.5 gallon tanks combined with a moderately hot-rodded evolution engine and fairly high interstate speeds I had to stop for fuel every 100 to 120 miles to avoid the risk of having to push the bike. Whenever I stopped I would top off the tanks, use the restroom, swallow a light snack and pour either a cup of coffee or some water down my neck. Each stop took about 15 minutes and was spaced at about two hour intervals. While some folks seem to like to go farther between stops I seem to get less fatigued when I am able to stand stretch my legs every couple of hours.

I eventually took the I-57 split and crossed into Illinois. The broken pavement and 65 mph speed limit combined to make this my least favorite stretch of road on the trip. Luckily this was a short leg on the journey and soon I was heading southeast on I-24 and into Kentucky. As I blasted through Kentucky the daylight faded into the darkness of night. With nightfall the highway patrols presence increased dramatically so the challenge of balancing between speeds that would pile up the miles efficiently without attracting the attention of a cop became more of a challenge.

In Nashville I merged left onto I-40 east toward Knoxville. My map work at the house had said it would be 1024 miles from my front door to downtown Knoxville and that is where I intended to stop for a shower and a nap. Unfortunately my odometer only showed 984 miles covered when I arrived in the center of the city. Since I couldn’t begin to guess if the error was in my odometer or my route planning I decided to push on. I merged onto I-81 at the split toward Bristol Tennessee. When the odometer showed I was well over a thousand miles on the day I decided it was time to bed down. I took the Hwy 25E exit and rode up to Morristown and checked into the Days Inn.

It was just before 2:00 am EST and the hotel clerk was kind enough to fill out my end of the day mileage statement. The odometer showed 1049 miles and the official time to travel that distance was 17 hours and 17 minutes. That figured up to an approximate trip average of 60.75 mph including stops. By the time I unloaded the bike and showered it was pushing 3:00 am. I watched the Weather Channel for a little while and set the alarm for 8:00 am.

I awoke after my five hours of sleep feeling very refreshed and ready to hit the road. I stepped through the shower again, loaded the bike and hit the free breakfast bar. I got the morning clerk at the hotel to fill out my mileage verification statement for the start of day two and was pulling out of the parking lot at 9:30 am EST. I made my way back to I-81 and headed toward Virginia.

Upon crossing the Virginia state line the speed limit dropped to 65 mph and I seemed to encounter a cop every few miles. Apparently Virginia may be for lovers but it definitely is not a state that loves speeders. In Wytheville I turned south on I-77 and headed for North Carolina. The section of I-77 from Wytheville down the hill towards Charlotte is drop dead gorgeous. You couldn’t ask for a more scenic stretch of interstate highway. My next change of direction was onto Hwy 52 towards Winston-Salem.

This was another really beautiful drive even though the pavement was a tad rough. I stopped for fuel near the intersection of hwy 52 and I-40 and then continued on Hwy 52 to finally turn south on I-85. Finally I was on the downwind homestretch run to the house. As I approached Charlotte I saw a sign for Raceway Harley-Davison and looked at the time. I was doing very well on my schedule so I decided I would stop for a trip t-shirt and to maybe eat something more than a cold snack. While I didn’t find anything hot to eat I did score shirts for the better half and myself.

I managed to get through the cluster of traffic surrounding the dealership and turned back south on I-85. At this particular point I couldn’t help but be surprised at just how well I felt. Soon I crossed into South Carolina and told myself that I had it made. I should have remembered the old adage about counting chickens…

Between Spartanburg and Greenville the traffic was getting thick so I resigned myself to being patient and trying to patiently play my least favorite game that I call “follow the retard.” I was in the left hand lane in a endless row of traffic traveling at a couple of miles per hour slower than the posted speed limit. I decided I needed to make an adjustment to my MP3 player and tightened the thumb wheel of the throttle lock.

I was fishing around in my pocket with my throttle hand when one of the retards a few cars in front of me decided they just had to two foot the brake pedal for no reason whatsoever. I instinctively grabbed a handful of brake lever with my left hand. Since the throttle was locked and the back end was pushing this threw the front end into the worst speed wobble I have ever experienced. I couldn’t get my right hand out of my pocket quick enough to help get the front end under control much less disengage the throttle lock. Traffic in both lanes quickly slowed way down and I was fighting a bike that was bucking like a bronco and the front end was acting like it was going to fold up at any second.

I didn’t have time to do much of anything including thinking. Luckily my years of riding trials bikes kicked in and I instinctively used some bodacious body english to motivate the bike to the right and split the lanes. Here I was fighting a carnival ride gone mad, while splitting the lanes between two rows of bumper to bumper traffic. I eventually got my right hand on the throttle, disengaged the lock, got the front end under control, and slowed the bike down to the same pace as traffic. I merged into the slow lane and contemplated how I had survived. The folks that I had blown by were looking at me like I was a space alien as they passed by. I imagine I was white as a ghost and contemplating how I had escaped going down.

The funny thing is that at that moment a song called “I believe in Miracles” started up on the MP3 player. Yeah, it was a combination of miracle, luck and a little experience riding trials courses. All of that riding, trying to be careful and I tried to kill myself less than one hundred miles from the house. The rest of the trip was uneventful and I pulled back into the Chicken City at 6:00 pm EST. I found someone to fill out my end of trip statement and sign it. I pulled into a local fuel station to get my final dated and time stamped fuel receipt and the pump wouldn’t accept my credit card. Apparently being used dozens of times in 11 states in less than 34 hours caused the American Express computers to shut it down. I pulled out another card, got my fuel and drove the last mile to the homestead.

I had covered 11 states, 1575 miles, and wasted 34 hours of my life for a meaningless piece of paper that does nothing but confirm the fact that I may be insane. Lots of good riding, one close call, and I was really hungry. I parked the bike and got in the truck to go get some dinner. I felt way too tired to risk riding the bike even a couple of miles to eat. All in all it was a blast and I am already plotting my next Iron Butt/No brain event.

2007-08-20T09:59:00.001-04:00

folks,
i have been out of the posting loop for a while due to having a life, or lack thereof. work is keeping us hopping. but even with this we spent the morning taking stock. the hurricane season looks like it is beginning to run, albeit a little late this year.

are ya'll ready? especially you folks in the coastal areas? i recently had every pine tree left removed from around the house so that should help if a storm runs as far north as hillbilly georgia. we just checked fuel supplies and ordered another 400 gallons of premium unleaded and enough diesel to top off that tank also. all three generators were checked for proper function, all the guns are loaded and there is enough emergency food to last longer than i could expect to need it. all the gutters have been cleaned out and the grass is cut.

two standard chain saws are sharp and tuned. one stihl demolition saw with the rollermatic chain designed for cutting through construction debris is also ready to go. one at work, one at home and one in the truck.

all this and no storm even on the horizon for my neck of the woods. i have been watching fema and all of the other disaster relief organizations posturing just in case "dean the destroyer" (what a stupid tag line the news media has come up with) takes a northerly turn. if folks would take any responsibility for their own well being the g-men would not have to be spending so much of our tax money stockpiling beanie-weenies and band-aids.

if any of ya'll folks that live down in florida, alabama, mississippi, louisiana, or texas don't have a generator, extra fuel, food and a small window air conditioner to keep cool with you should. if a storm does hit you and you are not prepared i may have a little sympathy for you but not much. more than likely your going to get nothing but a big "i told ya so" from me. yeah, maybe a storm won't hit this year but eventually another katrina class storm is going to wipe the coast clean. do the boy scout thing so i don't have to trash talk you while your suffering.

i am not totally unsympathetic though. my prayers are with those that are in the direct path of this storm and know that if your home gets leveled then a little extra gas and a generator is not a lot of help. i am sending prayers up for those that are less fortunate than us gringos in the land of opportunity. i'll be donating my cash for relief through the N.A.M.B. again. unlike the red cross and others 100% of the money they collect actually goes to helping victims.
michael

2007-08-09T13:18:00.000-04:00

After a stressful month the better half and I decided it was time to decompress, so we packed up the baggers for a little trip. Our plan was to cruise up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for the weekend and look for some cooler temperatures. I had told the hired help that we may ride into Monday so we had the option for an extra day if needed.

We called our buddy Patrick over in South Carolina to see if he wanted to go for a putt. To our surprise, he had just added a fifth bike to his collection and needed to put some break-in miles on it. The Parkway was just the ticket for the first trip on his new BMW RT1200RT.

Carol was on her '07 Road King (Pearl) and I was on a custom '78 FLH (Dreamsickle) as we bailed out of the Chicken City Saturday morning. We soon put the Georgia state line behind us crossing into Westminster, SC. A left turn put us on track to pick up the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Parkway.

Scenic 11 is always a nice ride and the miles fell behind us. At the intersection of Hwy 178 we met up with Patrick and pointed the bikes toward North Carolina. Soon we were on Hwy 215 climbing toward the Parkway. As we gained altitude the temperature continued to drop and we left the summer temperatures of the low country in our rearview mirrors.

At the top of the hill we turned north on the Parkway and stopped at the first pull off for a nice picnic lunch. Carol always packs a saddlebag full of tasty treats so that we don't have to kill time looking for chow.

As she prepared lunch my curiosity had me breaking out my non contact thermometer. Since there was a new bike in the crowd I felt the need to start gathering data. I took temperature readings on all three bikes. Heads, cylinders, engine cases, exhaust pipes, etc. Being an information junkie is a tedious job but somebody has to do it.

Lunch was ready quickly and after we broke bread it was time to continue the adventure. We rode north past Black Balsam, Graveyard Fields, Craggy Gardens and then hung a left to take a side trip to the top of Mt Mitchell.

As the elevation changed the seasons changed with them. When we left home it was full summer, on most of the parkway it was late spring conditions but at the higher elevations early spring was in bloom. Being able to experience these different conditions at the twist of a throttle is a joy that rewards those having a mountain range close to home.

At the top of Mt Mitchell, the Park Services snack concession's hot coffee was a nice warm up as we enjoyed the view. Carol pulled some more snacks out of her grocery stash in an effort to keep Patrick and I well fed for the rest of the days ride.

We finished our little sightseeing break and pointed the bikes back down the mountain. At the main road we turned north again, enjoying the endless sweeping curves and stunning views that define the Blue Ridge Parkway. The weather was perfect, the traffic was light and the riding was peeling layers of stress off of us measurably as each mile passed under our wheels.

As the afternoon slipped into evening we found ourselves coming into one of our favorite overnight stops. The town of Little Switzerland, North Carolina is located right on the Parkway and boasts a few quaint hotels and some spectacular views of the valley below.

We stopped at the Little Switzerland Motorcycle Lodge but they were booked and we didn't have reservations. They called the Skyline Motel and snagged the last two rooms available for us. Dead stinking perfect.

At the Skyline we found the rooms to be economical, clean and the hosts friendly. An Elvis impersonator was belting out familiar tunes on the outdoor patio as we unpacked the bikes and discussed dinner plans.

The idea of Mexican food seemed appealing so we fired up the bikes and headed into Spruce Pine. When we turned onto the main drag we encountered a sign informing us that the road was closed for a classic car show. I gave the cop a shout out informing him that my bike was a classic and asked if we could pass through. He gave us a big thumbs up and we drove around the barricades into the midst of the hotrods and antique cars.

We found parking spots directly in front of our intended eatery andbacked up to the curb. Dinner was outstanding and watching the crowd admiring our bikes as they wandered by was entertaining. We finished our meal and left for the hotel, "full as peach orchard ticks" as the old saying goes.

Our rooms at the Skyline had a private balcony overlooking the valley and we enjoyed the night sky view as we gabbed into the wee hours. Even though it had originally been planned as a weekend trip Carol and I decided to blow off work on Monday and get an extra day on the road.

The next morning Patrick had to get back home so after breakfast at the Little Switzerland Inn's buffet we parted ways. Carol and I had decided to push on to the Virginia state line before we turned back toward the homestead. The morning was crisp and cool and the traffic was again very light.

As the road wound north there were many sights to stop and see such as Linville Falls, Grandfather Mountain, a multitude of scenic overlooks and the Cumberland Knob Visitors Center. When we arrived at the Virginia state line we stopped for photos and to discuss what to do next.

We were really having fun and decided it would be a shame not to ride a while longer. Of course this was going to cost us another day of work but what the heck; it will still be there when we get back.

As we pedaled the putts north through the rolling foothills of Virginia the weather remained outstanding and the temperatures cool. At some point we fell in with a group of riders on a BMW K1200 and a GS1200 who were pulling up the pavement like it was free. These anonymous brothers of the road were not afraid to twist the throttle and with a couple of rabbits ahead of us to set the pace we got lost in the zone of chasing them through a seemingly endless number of left-hand and right-hand curves.

With darkness approaching we dropped off of the relentless pace of the German power riders and discussed our options. The closest town that our map showed with probable accommodations was Buena Vista. We figured to find a hotel and then jump on I-81 the next morning and see how fast we could get home. The only motel we passed in Buena Vista was full so we pushed on. Carol had left her throttle rocker on the '73 FLH at the house and we noticed that there was a Harley-Davidson dealer located just north of us, so we jumped on the interstate northbound toward Staunton.

We found perfect lodging just a matter of blocks from the dealership and collapsed in the sheets of a really comfortable bed. The next morning we scored us each a throttle rocker and a couple of t-shirts. Somehow as we shopped, we decided that we were so close to the end of the Parkway we had to get back on and finish the northern leg. Another day of work would have
to be sacrificed to make it happen so I dropped a dime and informed the hired help that the boss was shirking his duties yet another day.

We retraced our steps of the evening before and reentered the Parkway where we had left it. Once again there was so much to stop and see that the miles did not go as quickly as planned. Even with our progress being impeded by the scenery we eventually came to the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The excitement of finally making it to the end was soon tempered by the sobering thought that it was time to turn towards home. At that moment an idea fired among the aging synapses of my addled brain. SKYLINE DRIVE! Let's ride it too! Carol asked if I could afford to miss yet another day of work and my response was "my name is on the front of the building, they can't fire me."

With the decision to continue made, we pulled up to the gate for the Shenandoah National Park with smirks reminiscent of kids playing hooky from school plastered across our faces. We paid our fee, got our complimentary map and started our first trip up Skyline Drive.

The afternoon faded into evening quickly and we stopped at a scenic overlook to check the map and decide what to do about a place to sleep. There are three Park Service operated Lodges in the Park and we were deciding which one to stay in when another of those BMW motorcycles came wheeling up next to us.

The industrial looking GS1200 was dragging a rubber chicken tied to a string behind it and a giant of a man crawled off and said hello. We struck up a conversation and he asked us what was up. When we told him we were trying to decide which Lodge we were going to stay in he said "none of them, you're staying at my cabin tonight."

While we were impressed at his hospitality we needed to think about it for a moment. I had to ask, "You're not an axe murderer or anything like that, are you?" As he broke out into an infectious laugh I noticed the Free Masons emblem on his jacket. As far as I know, Charlie Manson types are not allowed in the Masons so I told Carol that I thought he was safe but that I
would sleep with one eye open just in case.

Loftus told us to follow him to the cabin and he would fix dinner when we arrived. It turned out that his "cabin" is not what I would call a cabin. It is a two bedroom log home with a full basement, five car garage and sitson a 4 acre lot fronting the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. This was a first class crib.

After a stunning meal we crawled into bed and slept like babies. It is a good thing our host was not a serial killer because I would not have awaken even if someone had come in the bedroom with a chainsaw. The next morning we were treated to a home cooked breakfast and Loftus asked if we wanted some company for the day's ride, which of course we always do.

We backed our bikes out of the garage and like all good scooter folks our host pulled the cover off of another bike and changed steeds for the day. His choice for the day was yet another BMW. Being limited to only one bike causes one to wear them out too quickly. Spread the load is what I have always thought.

It was just a 12 mile jaunt through Elkton Virginia back to the National Park and Skyline Drive. Being a part time local Loftus made an excellent tour guide. As we continued on our journey he would stop and tell us stuff like "be on the watch, this is a good place to see bear." As
punctual as a Swiss train, a bear or three would promptly appear. At another stop he would tell us to look in a particular direction when we started rolling again if we wanted to see some grouse and again they would be sitting right where he said they would.

That day we saw bear, deer, turkeys, grouse and other indigenous species of wildlife. It was like riding our motorcycles through a zoo with no cages. As the day progressed the sky started to darken and storm clouds began to gather. With just a handful of miles left before the end of the road we picked up the pace in an attempt to race the approaching storm.

We pulled off at the final overlook on Skyline Drive and swapped a few words with a weather watcher and his cameras about the ominous looking clouds. At this point rain and lighting were going to envelop us; it was just a matter of time.

We put the bikes into high gear and pointed them toward the northern end of Skyline Drive. We raced the impending rain, holding on to the lead just until we crossed the exit gate. As we rolled through the last gate and "please return" sign the Heavens opened up and the deluge began.

We turned left and headed southwest in an attempt to out flank the storm. We were so close to the cusp of the rain event that stopping to pull on raingear was going to guarantee that we would get wet. We were keeping just ahead of the rain most of the time. When we slowed it would start catching us but when we had clear road and speed we could put the wet weather in our mirrors.

We made our final turn into the yard and managed to get the bikes in the garage just minutes before the bottom fell out of the sky and the rain was unleashed. As the storm raged Loftus prepared another exquisite meal for us. While we ate the discussed centered around our plans for the next day. Our host for the moment was going to have to leave out early to go
back to the daily grind. Carol and I figured it was time to start back south toward the homestead.

The next morning we left Loftus at the first fuel stop we passed while Carol and I started looking for a place to eat some breakfast in Elkton. We turned down the main drag and noticed a little diner flying the Stars and Stripes. There was also an Evo bagger with Canadian license plate parked out front.

As we waited for our meal we struck up a conversation with the rider from the great white north. It turns out that Vic had gotten separated from his buddy the previous evening due to a bad run of luck with some traffic signals. Once they got split up the local cell phone system, or lack there of, was not giving them any help.

As we ate our breakfast and chatted, we discussed the ugly weather system that seemed to be parked atop the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Soon we were joined by Don the Canadian cop. The Canadians had planned on picking up Skyline Drive and then ride on down across the Parkway and on to the southern end at Pigeon Forge Tennessee.

Carol and my original plan had been to hop on I-81 and power trip it back to the house but the idea of super-slabbing was not that appealing even if it cost us another day getting home. The weather was weighing heavily on all of us and we told them our new plan was to head west then south in an effort to do an end run around the rain. It took about half an arm twist and the Canadians decided to roll along with us for a while.

The newly formed international group of Cannucks and Crackers picked up Hwy 33 west and crossed over Shenandoah Mountain into West Virginia. This was the first of countless crossings of the line of demarcation that separates the two states of Virginia. This section of road over the mountains was a scenic as a person could ask for.

Before long we turned south on Hwy 220 which took us through the historic townships of Monterey, Warm Springs and Healing Springs. All the way down this stretch of road we were constantly watching the threatening weather off to the east. We were right on the edge of the weather front. To our left were clouds and lightning and to our right was sunshine.

By the time we reached Covington Virginia the rain had caught us. We donned our rain gear and decided to head farther west on I-84 for a few miles to see if we could get ahead of the weather system. Just after we crossed into West Virginia again we got hit hard. First it was rain, then lightning and finally it began to hail so hard that we couldn't see more than a few feet.

It was as bad as I have even seen. Since there was not any decent place to stop we pushed on to try and break through. Carol was in the lead, all I could see was her tail light so I stuck my front tire on her rear fender and did what it took to keep her in sight. Behind me Vic was glued to my rear fender and Don was bringing up the rear.

When we finally broke through the storm Don was not attached to the train. We waited for a while and he didn't show so I went back looking to make sure he hadn't gotten schmucked. When I didn't find him in any ditches I checked the last exit. That is when I discovered there was not a return ramp to the interstate. I figured out pretty quickly that Don must have
gotten off the interstate in the storm and was probably ahead of us due to where we stopped to wait for him.

I made my way back to Carol and Vic and we decided to push on to the next town and wait for a phone call. We waited for over two hours and were starting to worry when we finally got the call. Once again the lack of communication of the Canadian cell phones with the local system had us mucked up.

Don had spent the last two hours headed south to try and catch up and we had been sitting still. He parked himself in Wytheville and got a room while we put it in the wind to reunite the group. We fractured a few speed laws and were able to find Don waiting for us all fed and showered.

The following morning we wandered across two lane roads and through better weather to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We picked it up just north of the Virginia/North Carolina line and headed on south. The Cannucks were finally on track and we were just rolling with the punches.

By evening we found ourselves in Little Switzerland North Carolina. This was where the better half and I had spent the first night of this adventure and for some reason we didn't want it to be our last night. The only problem was that we had been gone six days and had only planned on being gone for three.

So now it was time to make some arrangements\ so that we could stay on the road. I got the crew settled into the Little Switzerland Motorcycle Lodge and I struck out for home. Leaving at dusk for most of a days ride sounded like work but the pets needed checking on and I had to deliver the payroll to work or the help would have organized a mutiny.

I got home after midnight, put out more food for the pets, washed cloths and delivered the pay checks to work. The next morning I got up early and blasted toward Cherokee North Carolina to cut off the crew at the pass. In Cherokee I rang them up on the cell and found out they were still sitting at the hotel. I got onto the parkway and started hammering north to meet them.

It was still early, it was a weekday and the traffic was light. I took a chance and unleashed the hidden beast in Dreamsickle and only came down to the speed limit a couple of times. I managed to catch the crowd on the north side of Ashville and flipped to latch back onto the crowd. The groupwas now reunited and life was good.

Due to everyone's time constraints and needing to get home eventually we
kept the bikes rolling steadily. At the highest point on the Parkway we
stopped for a photo opportunity. Since this overlook was just about 35
miles from the end of the road we decided to say our goodbyes. Don and Vic
were going to turn north to get on the super slab to Canada and we needed to
go south on 441 towards the house.

After the Cannucks headed off, Carol and I ate a sandwich and discussed
alternate plans. We decided to turn back north at the end of the Parkway
and head over Newfound Gap towards Gatlinburg Tennessee. As we came down
the back side of the gap my brakes started squeaking. At our next fuel stop
I investigated the noise and realized it was time to reline the binders.

Our map showed the closest H-D dealership in Knoxville so the decision
where to go next was made. We arrived in town late and secured a room for
the night and had one of the best Mexican meals I have ever eaten.

The next morning I headed off to the dealership while Carol lounged at
hotel and caught up on some phone calls. At the dealership I bought some
pads and asked if it was o.k. to wrench on the bike in the parking lot.
They had a customer checking into the service department for a brake job at
the same time I was scoring parts. It took about ten minutes to get my
brake pads swapped out and almost as long to get my tools shoehorned back
into the teardrop toolbox.

After I finished the brakes there was still some time to kill before
Carol was to arrive to meet me. So I went back in and bought some shiny
stuff and a new set of spark plugs. While I was wandering the store the guy
that was waiting on the technician to come get his bike for his brakes asked
me how long it would take me to put mine on. When I told him the job was
already done I could hear the gears in his head start to slip.

I checked out again and installed some functional chrome along with my
new plugs. I noticed that the lower fuel tank bolt was completely missing
so I went back in and picked up a new bolt to finish the parking lot service
job.

By then Carol had arrived and I asked her what route she wanted to take
back to the house. She pulled out a Kentucky map and started pointing. I
never knew you had to go through Kentucky to get to Georgia from Tennessee
but you learn something new every day.

We struck back out north and found ourselves wandering the Daniel Boone
National Forest. We had also found the hot sun the south is famous for.
Whew! The day was spent exploring and working our way west. I had no idea
where we were going but as long as the ol lady was happy, I was happy.

Late that evening I saw brake lights and Carol whipped her bike off the
road into a church parking lot. Like Forest Gump on the banks of that river
in Vietnam, or after three years of running she said "I wanna go home." Not
later this evening, not tomorrow or the next day. Right now!

I pulled out the maps and noticed that there was a scenic road that
headed south through Tennessee just a few miles from our current location.
We ate a quick snack and remounted the steeds. We turned south on Hwy 127
and soon found ourselves in the Volunteer State. We had to bed down for the
night again but arose early the next morning to continue south along the
Sequatchie River.

Finally we blasted through the Choo-Choo town and into to the Peach
State. The sign said welcome to Georgia and we were happy to be so close to
home. We made a left turn onto SR 136 which brought us across the Cohutta
Mountains and back to the Chicken City. So six states, nine days and 2,500
miles later our little weekend jaunt on the putts came to a safe end back at
the house.

2007-06-04T10:51:00.000-04:00

folks,
i was recently asked this question in relation to my stance on gun control:

MC, lets consider for a minute that America was overthrown by a greater power. Let's say the Chinese. A new government, contrary to democracy, was installed. An occupying force was attempting to subdue the social unrest of Americans.

They get wind of this rebellious Crowderite faction forming in the South East.

Is it fair to assume that you'd dig deep into your gun cabinet to resist these foreign invaders when they came to town to disarm you give you a new social security number?

my response:

i really doubt the chinese are going to invade in our lifetime. they will take our place on the top of the podium of economic power but i'll discuss that a little later. (don't buy discount, buy american) lets start with the 2nd amendment.

Quote:

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

the real invasion is going to happen from within and be spearheaded by the liberal left. first they are going to see that the word militia is defined in a way that ordinary folks shouldn't own guns. it will start with the banning, then confiscation of assault rifles. next will be handguns to be followed by all weapons. in england they have now banned pocket knives...

because some folks are going to nut up, your local cops are not going to be willing to participate in this program. the constitution forbids using troops so they will either redefine that portion of the constitution or use private contractors such as blackwater. the private contractor is how i see it happening. to go against these guys will be suicide. after we lose our guns you will see the entire government switch to a totalitarian socialist model and we will lose all of our rights.

but if it goes the way of a communist invasion, my neck of the woods is going to be reminiscent of the movie red dawn.

the important theme to remember is that our country is losing its economic edge to the chinese and our political fortitude the the liberal left very rapidly. the combination of workers "rights" that have been forced on employers by the government and unions has put our country at a competitive disadvantage. this is where the real war is fought. economics. the germans lost two world wars but now they own half of the british companies that built the infrastructure that defeated them. the japanese were defeated in ww2 but now are buying up american corporations and property like it is free.

a quick aside to ponder. just before ww2 we were selling the majority of our scrap metal to the japanese. at present most of our scrap metal is going to the chinese. i find this interesting.

also consider that the vast majority of counterfeit drugs being sold in our country come from china. we recently had the pet food scare from the tainted protein manufactured by a chinese company. any of the other counterfeit products and trade mark infringing products found here come from china. by placing our country in such a position of need for chinese manufacturing we are weakening our country severely.
michael

2007-05-24T09:42:00.000-04:00

follow the link and read the story. my subsequent rantings will then make more sense.

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9722006-7.html

down the street from my shop is a cafe with a big sign tht says "free wifi". i does not qualify that by saying "for paying customers only", or "inside the restaurant" or any other type warnings or instructions. all it says is free wifi. i try to be an honest person but i take that sign at its face value. if they call it free wifi then it is. if they add a line that says i gotta come inside then i'll play by those rules.

as an aside here i really enjoy war driving. i have a 9db gain omni directional wifi attenna mounted to my truck. the cable is attached to *high power* pcmcia wifi card. in addition to this there is a gps hooked into a serial port and all of this runs through a piece of software called network stumbler. as i drive my hardware/software combo records every wifi signal it recieves and logs its location and status. i can at a keystroke tell you how far it is to the next wifi location, whether it is secured or not and what security protocol it uses.

i do not packet sniff or try to break anyones encryption. although i have that knowledge. i accept that trying to gain access to a secured system is blatant trespass and theft. i do not access "open" wifi networks that belong to private individuals or to average businesses. but the places that advertise "free wifi" and don't print any type of disclaimer saying it is for a certain type of person or customer i have no qualms about borrowing a cup of bandwidth every once in a while. quite often when i am out working i need to get some information off of the web for the job and i ask network stumbler to direct me to the closest "free" wifi network and i get the info i need. i do not lurk outside someones home downloading terrabites worth of data. i go to a business that has a sign posted saying their wifi is free and don't feel like i have violated any laws or ethical issues. i even go in these establishments and top off my coffee cup and grab a snack occassionally. even when i do this, i go in and buy my coffee then go back outside and surf from my truck. i don't like sitting in public places that much.

i have a wifi system at my shop. it is based around a "high power" router. it is also attached to a very expensive 11 db gain attenna mounted to a telephone pole beside the building. i have a simple password encryption enabled, but i have given the password to several of my friends and even some of my neighbors. i don't want to look out and see a dozen folks in the parking lot soaking up bandwidth but i don't mind the odd lurker borrowing a cup.

a year or so ago i had to go to my doctor for a regular checkup. as i wheeled into his parking lot network stumbler alerted me with a tone that it had just located an unsecured wireless network named drsoandsonetwork. it was wide open. when the doc came in for my checkup i asked him if he knew all of his data was completly compromised and he said no. i asked for his permission to show him something and pulled out my pda. (my pda is cool: wifi, bluetooth, and other connectivity toys) i gained access to his wifi, ran a little routine and mapped all of the network drives attached to that system. (they had file sharing turned on) in just a minute i had gone into his patient files, bookkeeping files and even his personal laptop. he was *apalled*. he wanted to know if i could fix that. i said yes and asked where his router was. i got my laptop from my truck, hooked into his router and locked up the system to interlopers. i turned off file sharing on his personal lap top and any other cmputer in the building that didn't need it on. 45 minutes later he was locked up fairly tight. he hasn't charged me for a visit since then.

even with encryption any war driver worth his salt can bust into most systems. a little packet sniffing goes long way. the question i ask is your data worth stealing. most of it ain't. most hackers don't need the pictures from your last family reunion. if you are storing your credit card info on your system or not clearing your browser after buying something on the internet you better have your wifi locked up.

the way i define *stealing* bandwidth is anytime you take it from someone that does not advertise that they offer it. if i see a sign that says "free wifi" and there is no disclaimer saying "for our customers only" or other such verbage the wifi is free and i will borrow some if i need it. i actually have a map in my computer that shows hundreds of these locations in north georgia. i thik the cop in this situation was a little over aggressive. the man should have been warned that it was for customers only and if he persisted then arrest him. also the "victim" should have had to sign a complaint. the way i read the story the cafe owner didn't seem to realize that a crime had been committed either.

if you have a swimming pool without a fence and locked gate and somebody falls in and drowns then you are liable and will get your pants sued off. if you have it surrounded by a fence with a locked gate then they violated your space and thus you are not at fault. i think that the laws should be amended to reflect that spirit of american law. if you are broadcasting wifi signal beyond your property line, the guy in queston here was parked on the street, without encryption then it should be fair game. if you beam you cable model wifi router signal into my living room without locking it up then i ought to be able to access the signal that is flying around my home.

michael

2007-05-10T20:58:00.000-04:00

in the light of the recent tragedy at virginia tech the proponents of the anti gun movement have been having a field day. they don't seem to be making any headway at the legislative level which is surprising. i have heard every kind of whining about guns and rhetoric about their intrinsic propensity toward evil that can be conjured.

many of the naysayers keep going back to the one and only word in the second amendment that they can be twisted to subvert and confuse the american public. MILITIA. what our founding fathers intended was for the citizens of this great country to be able to defend themselves from any kind of tyranny. whether from abroad or domestically. if you read anything that they wrote outside of the constitution and bill of rights pertaining to this issue it is quite clear that they intended for the average citizen to be armed.

in fact, the second amendment is the only guarantee that the people have to uphold all of the others. without our ability to defend ourselves from even our own government the bill of rights would not be worth the piece of paper its printed on. the first set of quotes below are from the framers of the constitution.

Quote:

A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks.
—- Thomas Jefferson to Peter Carr, 1785.

Quote:

One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them.
—- Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1796.

Quote:

We established however some, although not all its [self-government] important principles . The constitutions of most of our States assert, that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves, in all cases to which they think themselves competent, (as in electing their functionaries executive and legislative, and deciding by a jury of themselves, in all judiciary cases in which any fact is involved,) or they may act by representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed;
—-Thomas Jefferson to John Cartwright, 1824.

Quote:

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
—-Benjamin Franklin

Quote:

[The Constitution preserves] the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation…(where) the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.
—-James Madison,The Federalist Papers, No. 46.

Quote:

Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom in Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States. A military force, at the command of Congress, can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power, and jealousy will instantly inspire the inclination, to resist the execution of a law which appears to them unjust and oppressive.
—-Noah Webster

Quote:

Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man gainst his own bosom. Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American…[T]he unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.
—-Tenche Coxe, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788.

Quote:

The whole of that Bill [of Rights] is a declaration of the right of the people at large or considered as individuals…[I]t establishes some rights of the individual as unalienable and which consequently, no majority has a right to deprive them of.
—-Albert Gallatin to Alexander Addison, Oct 7, 1789

here are some quotes from more current legislatures on the subject of the second amendment. i believe these are very clear interpretations of the founding fathers intent.

Quote:

"What the Subcommittee on the Constitution uncovered was clear--and long-lost--proof that the second amendment to our Constitution was intended as an individual right of the American citizen to keep and carry arms in a peaceful manner, for protection of himself, his family, and his freedoms." Senator Orrin Hatch, Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution, 97th Cong., 2d Sess.

Quote:

"The conclusion is thus inescapable that the history, concept, and wording of the second amendment to the Constitution of the United States, as well as its interpretation by every major commentator and court in the first half-century after its ratification, indicates that what is protected is an individual right of a private citizen to own and carry firearms in a peaceful manner." - United States Senate, Report of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution, 97th Cong., 2d Sess.

Quote:

"Certainly one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. This is not to say that firearms should not be very carefully used, and that definite safety rules of precaution should not be taught and enforced. But the right of citizens to bear arms is just one more guarantee against arbitrary government, and one more safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible." Sen. Hubert Humphrey

many people blame our rampant crime problem on the proliferation of guns in our society. if guns caused crime then i don't think senator hatch would have said this for the record.

Quote:

"If gun laws in fact worked, the sponsors of this type of legislation should have no difficulty drawing upon long lists of examples of crime rates reduced by such legislation. That they cannot do so after a century and a half of trying--that they must sweep under the rug the southern attempts at gun control in the 1870-1910 period, the northeastern attempts in the 1920-1939 period, the attempts at both Federal and State levels in 1965-1976--establishes the repeated, complete and inevitable failure of gun laws to control serious crime." Senator Orrin Hatch

some of you probably think that the writers of the constitution have it wrong and our current legislatures don't have the sense to change an antiquated law. some say that in todays realm of american military might, police presence, etc, that we don't need an armed citizenry. here are some quotes from non politicians on how important the right to self defense of the citizens, not only from each other, but the government is.

now this is one of my favorites. i wanna see the liberals chew on this for a moment. it should give them a stroke and put them out of my misery.

Quote:

"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their 'constitutional' right of amending it or their 'revolutionary' right to dismember or overthrow it." Abraham Lincoln

how about a quote from gandhi... this should completely melt down the peace freaks.

Quote:

"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest. If we want the Arms Act to be repealed, if we want to learn the use of arms, here is a golden opportunity. If the middle classes render voluntary help to Government in the hour of its trial, distrust will disappear, and the ban on possessing arms will be withdrawn." Mohandas K. Gandhi

if gandhi doesn't do it for the liberals lets move on to mlk, jr and his quotes about self defense.

Quote:

"Finally, I contended that the debate over the question of self-defense was unnecessary since few people suggested that Negroes should not defend themselves as individuals when attacked. The question was not whether one should use his gun when his home was attacked, but whether it was tactically wise to use a gun while participating in an organized demonstration." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote:

"As we have seen, the first public expression of disenchantment with nonviolence arose around the question of "self-defense." In a sense this is a false issue, for the right to defend one's home and one's person when attacked has been guaranteed through the ages by common law." Martin Luther King, Jr.

these should satisfy those with any religious qualms over the use of a gun for self defense. whether of life or liberty...

Quote:

"Moreover, "legitimate defence can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another's life, the common good of the family or of the State".[44] Unfortunately it happens that the need to render the aggressor incapable of causing harm sometimes involves taking his life. In this case, the fatal outcome is attributable to the aggressor whose action brought it about, even though he may not be morally responsible because of a lack of the use of reason.[45]" His Holiness Pope John Paul II

Quote:

"When Hitler attacked the Jews I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists, I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned. Then Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church — and there was nobody left to be concerned." - Pastor Martin Niemöller, Congressional Record, 14, October 1968, page 31636.

now i have quoted our founding fathers, congress, the supreme court, abe lincoln, martin luther, the pope and others about this subject. if you feel that you are more qualified to render an opinion on the subject than these people i must contend that you are a moron and your opinion does not count.

our founding fathers intended for every man to be armed. if you spend any time researching the subject it is very clear. if more good guys toted guns, the bad guys would be approaching extinction by now. killing people has been against the law since day one in this country and it hasn't stopped anyone from killing, whether with a gun, knife, poison or other method. our countries drug laws are a shinning example of how well legislation works. all narcotics are illegal but if i wanted, i could score almost any illicit substance in less than an hour and i have been out of that scene for many years. just look what prohibition did to this country. everybody kept drinking and organized crime became rampant. to even hope that morality can be legislated is showing extreme ignorance.

the essence of the true problem at v.t. was not one particular lunatics possession of a gun with intent towards malice. the real issue is the fact that the cops nor any of the victims were armed. if just one of the students, professors or cops had been packing the outcome could have been much different.

taking away the right to own guns is not going to stop a true lunatic from killing innocent people. with a 10 minute trip into the local ace hardware stop and a 100 dollar bill a person could make what the v.t. killer did look like child's play. take away a nut cases gun and he may show up next time with a 5 pound bad of flour. you don't want to know what can be done with 5 pounds of flour, except that i'll say that nobody in that building at v.t. would have survived. nut cases are just that. they will go for the easiest tool to cause destruction. don't force them to actually think about ingenious ways to do it. just keep hoping that all they show up with nothing but a couple of guns. it limits the casualties. there are only so many bullets a person can carry.
michael

2007-05-03T08:55:00.000-04:00

folks,
all of the anti gun debate and rhetoric that is surrounding the recent shootings at virginia tech and others places is driving me nuts. we seem to be missing the point. the specific tool used in something like this is not the cause. we need to look at our society and how we treat people that have psychological problems. the shooter at v.t. had exhibited signs that he was a danger to his fellow man but nothing was done to follow up on the reports made. the campus police were not even armed and able to defend the people they are charged with helping. that is absurd.
what our founding fathers intended was for the citizens of this great country to be able to defend themselves from any kind of tyranny. whether from abroad or domestically.

Quote:

One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them.
—- Thomas Jefferson to George Washington, 1796.

Quote:

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
—-Benjamin Franklin

Quote:

our founding fathers intended for every man to be armed. if you spend any time researching the subject it is very clear. if more good guys toted guns, the bad guys would be approaching extinction by now.

the essence of the true problem at v.t. was not one lunatics possession of a gun with intent towards malice. the real issue is the fact that the cops nor any of the victims were armed. if just one of the students, professors or cops had been packing the outcome could have been much different.

like i have said before taking away the right to own guns is not going to stop a true lunatic from killing innocent people. with a 10 minute trip into the local ace hardware stop and a 100 dollar bill a dedicated lunatic could make what the v.t. killer did look like child's play.
michael

2007-05-02T14:55:00.000-04:00

folks,
this past friday afternoon i decided to trash work for saturday. i told the help to go home and we would try again on monday. saturday morning my feet hit the floor at 6:15 am. i headed off to my 7am prayer breakfast and carol went toward to the atlanta drag strip up in commerce to visit a friend who was in town to race. after my prayer breakfast i headed over to office depot to exchange a point and shoot digital i had bought for the windshield bag on the putt. it had been on sale, so i thought what the heck. the crappy cannon turned out like the last couple of cannons i bought. died in a matter of weeks. traded it for a lumix cause i always wanted to try one of
those.

got back to the house about 9:30am and carol already had two days worth of sandwiches made up and was packing her saddlebags on the twinkie. i snapped the tour pak on the flh and started packing my saddle bags. the '73 flh got a sad look in its eyes when it realized it wasn't getting to go but we reassured it that we would take it out for a ride this week. all the stuff i needed fit in my saddle bags except for the rain gear so carol added some fluff to the tour pak just in case we needed to change into clean cloths or it turned cold on us.

at this point the '07 bagger had just over 6k miles on it and my '78 flh had 2k miles after finishing the build new years eve. i had just done the 2nd oil change so we felt ready to twist on both of them a little harder than we had been doing. i asked the ol lady where to? she said to the coast so toward the low country of s.c. we headed. commerce, comer, elberton, abbeville and greenwood fell behind us. we hit the saluda traffic circle and stopped to figure out how we were going to circumnavigate around columbia and head on toward the ocean.

then carol said she had lost her desire for the coast and sure would like to take a run across the blue ridge parkway. we back tracked to the savanah river basin so we wouldn't have to go through greenville or anderson. besides; running up by strom thurmond lake, lake russel,
hartwell, keowee and all of those other lakes is pretty scenic. we finally hit s.c. 11 and made a quick right to a left on 276 and went up the hill past caesars head (nice set of curves) and into brevard n.c.. we checked into the hampton inn and parked the bikes for the evening. we had almost 300 miles on the day and were ready for dinner.

sunday morning we slept in a little and hit the complimentary breakfast. went back to the room and caught the first baptist of atlanta feed on cbs with dr. charles stanley. with church covered at that point, we got on the bikes and started back north on 276 past looking glass and to the blue ridge parkway. when we hit the parkway we headed west toward cherokee. the
parkway was not very crowded so we got to run it at our pace without getting stuck behind many cars and only a couple of crotch rockets had to break their pace for us.

the ride was very nice as we kept changing seasons according to elevation. down in the low country it was almost full on summer. 80 degrees and full folliage. by the time we hit brevard it was early spring and the azeleas were just beginning to bloom along with about half the trees. on the parkway it was still late winter with only the evergreens and rhodos bearing any leaves. all the trees were still waiting to bud out.

we covered about 70 miles on the parkway and took the cherokee exit. luckily the big bike event of the weekend had wound down and we were able to blow right through the reservation. we hit 441 south and it was a pretty ride to franklin except for seeing a dude off the side of the road covered in blood and his bike just thrashed and covered in mud. rescue was already on the scene so we said a little prayer as we rode on by.

when we hit franklin, 441 was getting busier so we headed west on 64 acrosswinding stair gap. we then turned south on s.r.175/75 and into hiwassee. we then crossed unicoi gap into helen. this was fun. with this being the third full day of riding the flh in the twisties since finishing it i
finally have the correct riding style for this bike dialed in. since i lowered it two inches the floorboards like to scrub in the turns. this bike likes for you to dive into the turn and as soon as the sparks start to fly off the floorboards apply just a touch more countersteer and twist the
throttle and it comes up just enough to clear the pavement and tracks right on through the curve like it is on rails. lots of fun and i was showering the road with sparks in every turn and laughing like charlie manson at an all night slaughter house.

coming through cleveland we had our one close call for the weekend. two teenage girls backed out of the dairy queen right in front of the ol lady. she had to dive into the center turn lane to keep from getting hit by a jeep cherokee that was backing up. as she went to swing back into the proper lane the little girl driving the jeep got it into forward and stabbed thethrottle almost t-boning my wife. by this time i was more than a little aggro, i dropped a couple of gears and twisted on it hard. i ran them down by the time they got to the square and tried giving them a small slice of my mind. they not only ignored me, but they tried to push me around with their
cage. now i was livid so i stopped in the middle of the road, grabbed the cell phone and dropped the dime on them. no sense is getting charged with road rage when i could let the man do his job.

we finished up the ride to the house with no more events and it was very pleasant. after sweeping out the garage since it was 1/2 empty, we parked the bikes and unpacked. i then did the math on our fuel mileage. i very seldom worry about fuel consumption but since folks always seem to ask i kept up with miles and fuel burnt. the '07 bagger with the 96" engine and a stage 1 kit averaged 44 mpg. not bad. the real surprise was the '78 flh. the combo of the evo and revtech 6 speed averaged *54 mpg* . the tank of fuel that got me from brevard to hiawasse over the blue ridge parkway got 51.718 mpg. not only did it get good fuel mileage the home rebuilt cv carb didn't sputter a single time. whether running 80 mph at almost sea level or
getting gouged in third going uphill at 6,000 feet of altitude the bike just ran fantastic.

michael

2007-04-04T12:31:00.000-04:00

o.k. folks,
lets see if we can knock the dust off of this and see what the actual score is this week. for the past year it has been pretty much status quo in the middle east. iran, while flexing their muscles, have not made any real overt moves. they have been feeding the terrorist network in iraq but have not been waiving a flag about anything in particular.

the same ol, same ol has been going on in pakistan. so now that the liberals have captured public opinion, the media (which they have always had), and both sides of congress. they have passed an ultimatum for the removal of our troops. how has the middle east reacted?

first iran goes public with the admission of having over 1,000 centrifuges in operation and that they should have 3,000 on line in the coming months. according to the experts i have heard, that puts them less than two years away from having a nuclear bomb. they have also stepped up, taking british prisoners, and holding them illegally. this mexican standoff is going to end up reminiscent of the american hostage crisis under carter. remember how that played out. if you go back and study foreign policy carter is a big reason we are in the predicament we now find ourselves.

yesterday the pakistanians signed a treaty with the taliban. they have basically granted them amnesty to do as they please and rule the territory that borders afganistan. this is a major capitulation. the taliban now rules a significant amount of territory with no fear of military interference. in fact, bin laden now has a free meal ticket. check out this quote:

Quote:

In his blog for ABC News, Brian Ross reports that Pakistani Major General Shaukat Sultan said in an interview that bin Laden "would not be taken into custody, as long as [he] is being like a peaceful citizen."

the pakis have just given the most wanted terrorist in the word a free ride!!! if ya'll don't think all of these things are taking place because of our apparent loss of will then you are nuts. the middle eastern rulers and terrorist have seen we don't have a stomach for a fight and they are turning up the heat.

it is only a matter of time before our current political climate comes back to bite us on the rear. these middle eastern militants only understand two things. weakness and power. you are either the big dog or they eat you alive. i want you peaceniks to realize that lots more civilians are going to die because ya'll don't have the stomach to keep up an honorable fight. when the troops come home, the middle east is going to go off like a bomb and the terrorists are going to follow our military here to continue the fight on our soil.

at this point i am disgusted. just stick your heads in the sand and wait for someone to come shoot your @ss off. i just hate that some good americans are going to be killed in the crossfire. instead of protesting and dissenting why don't ya'll just move to canada or france where you belong.

the liberal press is giving more coverage to anna nicole smith than they are giving this. i heard recently that the major news networks are dedicating 18% of their total news time to the anna nicole trash. from a month to bury the tramp and now at least a month trying to figure out who the father of her child is the ignorant american public is more interested in this w$#%@'s (did i actually type that word? well i guess sometimes you have to call a spade a spade) life and death of debauchery than real issues that affect their life.

we live in an entertainment society. just look at who the highest paid people in america are. athletes and actors. our culture places more value on being entertained than informed. we are going to get roasted because of this at some point. we have ignorant folks who would rather spend 20 hours a week watching somebody else play with a ball or watch the hollywood paparazzi than take an interest in the stuff that really matters.

bring the troops home, put another ball game on the t.v. or lets watch entertainment tonight. if we ignore those folks on the other side of the planet they will leave us alone. right?
michael

p.s. can you tell i am a little aggro with the peace freaks today?

2007-02-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

here i am back at the blog thing. so much is happening of late that i just can't resist. the first item of the day is the utah mall shooting. a bosnian muslem has shot and killed a handful of people and the liberal national news seems to be staying away from the story. actually i am surprised how little press this story is getting. the main stream press is more worried about anna nicole smiths body than a lunatic muslem shooting a bunch of mormans. what a crock.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660195489,00.html

in england pocket knives have had to be completely outlawed because of muslems cutting each other and the indigenous population at every chance. now our own american government is trying to help these poor misunderstood people. we need to be worried about protecting our interests not those of european muslems. check out this link...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20070212-115059-2054r.htm

the next subject on my radar is the excavation of king david's palace in israel. for centuries the muslem claim on israel's land is based on their idea that king david was nothing but a minor warlord with a small territory near bethlehem. at this very moment, within sight of the temple mount in jerusalem archiologists are working on a dig to be reputed as the lost palace of king david. if this is verified then the basis for the muslem's claim on this city and region will be snatched out from under their feet. i don't think this is going to be taken lightly by the radical muslem sects. this may even be the spark that ignites world war 3. this bit of archeology is another confirmation of the facts of the Bible and is going to be very important in Judeo/Christian/muslem relations. i believe that this site is going to see repeated attempts by radicals to attack and destroy it before it can be fully studied.

http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/jerusalem/Reclaiming_Biblical_Jerusalem.asp

last subject for the day. two men that were handing out Bibles on a public sidewalk in florida were arrested and jailed at the request of the local school administration. this is atrocious. the school can hand out condoms in the classroom but our first amendment guarantee to free discussion of religious subjects on public sidewalks is now in jeopardy. now the local school officials are not satisfied with banning Christianity from the campus but also to public property that is even close to schools. our founding fathers are rolling over in their graves. here are a couple of links to the story...

http://ogresview.mu.nu/archives/214953.php
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1781197/posts

i need to get back to work for the moment and will try to gather my thoughts and maybe calm down in the process, but with the state of the world and the liberal ideals that are permeating our country at this time i think i am going to just keep approaching the boiling point.

2007-02-08T22:14:00.000-05:00

any of ya'll that know me have heard this rant before. i a person can actually hate another person then i hate jane fonda. yes this idea goes against my Christian principles and teachings but i still hate the witch.

in my house any movie with her is not allowed. i came home one day a few years ago and my wife was watching a movie with the hag in it. i walked over and turned the channel. she complained and i told her that hanoi jane was not going to be watched in my house. she apologized because she had not even realized that the person she was watching was the traitor. there was no more complaining cause lots of her friends are vets. she really didn't know what hanoi jane looked like.

if ever anyone needed to be tried and hung for treason, she is the one. now for a new chapter in the saga. anyone with any red american blood left in them needs to flip out over this...
michael

here is the body of an email i received:

IF YOU NEVER FORWARDED ANYTHING IN YOU LIFE FORWARD THIS SO THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW!!!!!!.......

She really was a traitor

A TRAITOR IS ABOUT TO BE HONORED. KEEP THIS MOVING ACROSS AMERICA

This is for all the kids born in the 70's who do not remember, and didn't have to bear the burden that our fathers, mothers and older brothers and sisters had to bear.

Jane Fonda is being honored as one of the "100 Women of the Century." BY BARBRA WALTERS.

Unfortunately, many have forgotten and still countless others have never known how Ms Fonda betrayed not only the idea of our country, but specific men who served and sacrificed during Vietnam .

The first part of this is from an F-4E pilot The pilot's name is Jerry Driscoll, a River Rat.

In 1968, the former Commandant of the USAF Survival School was a POW in Ho Lo Prison the "Hanoi Hilton." Dragged from a stinking cesspit of a cell, cleaned, fed, and dressed in clean PJ's, he was ordered to describe for a visiting American "Peace Activist" the "lenient and humane treatment" he'd received.

He spat at Ms. Fonda, was clubbed, and was dragged away. During the subsequent beating, he fell forward on to the camp Commandant's feet, which sent that officer berserk.

In 1978, the Air Force Colonel still suffered from double vision (which permanently ended his flying career) from the Commandant's frenzied application of a wooden baton.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From 1963-65, Col. Larry Carrigan was in the 47FW/DO (F-4E's). He spent 6 years in the "Hanoi Hilton",,, the first three of which his family only knew he was "missing in action". His wife lived on faith that he was still alive. His group, too, got the cleaned-up, fed and clothed routine in preparation for a "peace delegation" visit. They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world that they were alive and still survived. Each man secreted a tiny piece of paper, with his Social Security Number on it, in the palm of his hand.

When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a cameraman, she walked the line, shaking each man's hand and asking little encouraging snippets like: "Aren't you sorry you bombed babies?" and "Are you grateful for the humane treatment from your benevolent captors?" Believing this HAD to be an act, they each palmed her their sliver of paper. She took them all without missing a beat. At the end of the line and once the camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs, she turned to the officer in charge and handed him all the little pieces of paper.

Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Colonel Carrigan was almost number four but he survived, which is the only reason we know of her actions that day.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was a civilian economic development advisor in Vietnam, and was captured by the North Vietnamese communists in South Vietnam in 1968, and held prisoner for over 5 years. I spent 27 months in solitary confinement; on year in a cage in Cambodia; and one year in a "black box" in Hanoi. My North Vietnamese captors deliberately poisoned and murdered a female missionary, a nurse in a leprosarium in Ban me Thuot, South Vietnam, whom I buried in the jungle near the Cambodian border. At one time, I weighed only about 90 lbs. (My normal weight is 170 lbs.)

We were Jane Fonda's "war criminals."

When Jane Fonda was in Hanoi, I was asked by the camp communist political officer if I would be willing to meet with her. I said yes, for I wanted to tell her about the real treatment we POWs received... and how different it was from the treatment purported by the North Vietnamese, and parroted by her as "humane and lenient."

Because of this, I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees, with my arms outstretched with a large steel weights placed on my hands, and beaten with a bamboo cane.

I had the opportunity to meet with Jane Fonda soon after I was released. I asked her if she would be willing to debate me on TV. She never did answer me.

These first-hand experiences do not exemplify someone who should be honored as part of "100 Years of Great Women." Lest we forget..." 100 Years of Great Women" should never include a traitor whose hands are covered with the blood of so many patriots.

There are few things I have strong visceral reactions to, but Hanoi Jane's participation in blatant treason, is one of them. Please take the time to forward to as many people as you possibly can. It will eventually end up on her computer and she needs to know that we will never forget.

RONALD D. SAMPSON, CMSgt, USAF
716 Maintenance Squadron, Chief of Maintenance
DSN: 875-6431
COMM: 883-6343

PLEASE HELP BY SENDING THIS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. IF ENOUGH PEOPLE SEE THIS MAYBE HER STATUS WILL CHANGE

'73 Dennis N6NG

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/n6ng/index.html

2007-01-24T08:33:00.000-05:00

folks,
somehow my blogger account got scrambled and i have just been to busy (or lazy) to get it straightened out. i have finally dealt with it and am back. i finally have a decent start at my motorcycle section so give it a look if you get a chance. hope all ya'll have been well.

lately i have been amazed at the ignorance of the American people. either the majority are against the war on terrorism or the news media is skewing the polls. of course most of my friends are backing the president and none of them have been polled. i can't help but believe that the poll folks know what areas of the country to call to get the results that they desire.

if you are confused on what side of the fence to stand then consider a few quotes from bin laden:

"Hostility toward America is a religious duty, and we hope to be rewarded for it by God."

"We--with God's help--call on every Muslim who believes in God and wishes to be rewarded to comply with God's order to kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it. We also call on Muslim ulema, leaders, youths, and soldiers to launch the raid on Satan's U.S. troops and the devil's supporters allying with them, and to displace those who are behind them so that they may learn a lesson."

"The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy mosque [Mecca] from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim."

"Death is better than living on this Earth with the unbelievers among us."

these statements should alarm each and every member of western society. if this mindset of the enemy does not scare you then you may be to stupid to make rational decisions. (oops, not maybe too stupid but are too stupid) these sentiments mimick those of most muslems in the middle east. folks need to come to the realization that these people want to kill each and every one of us. leaving iraq is not going to stop these sentiments either. remember that the bombings on the u.s.s. cole, twice on world trade, our embassies and more all happened before the current war in iraq.

so how does a smaller, inferior force defeat the mighty Americans? read this:

"In the end, I advise myself and you to fear God covertly and openly and to be patient in the jihad. Victory will be achieved with patience."

bin laden knows the hearts of most Americans. as a people we have become weak. where are the people that fought WW1 and WW2? if that generation had been like the current citizens of our country we would all be speaking german and goose stepping. (actually those folks are sitting around waiting for the goverment to send their social security check and pay for their prescription drugs. even the older generation has become weak and only care about receiving a few entitlements.)

the peace freaks that have come out of the 60's have paralyzed our country and our enemy knows it. all they have to do is keep fighting and wait and our citizens will lose interest and leave them to their own desires. the enemy see's our weakness and smells our fear. they are using this against us. wake up folks and smell the coffee. man up and realize that the only way for our society to survive is to engage the enemy and crush their will to fight.
michael

2006-06-26T17:45:00.000-04:00

Well its been almost a year since my last blog post. I had originally intended this to be a daily update but it seems to be averaging just a few posts per year. Time really gets away from us doesn't it. I am going to try to post up something a little more often but there are no promises.

I have decided not to cover any bicycle racing this year. Bike race organizers just seem a little too squirrely for me. I was going to continue this season but the first big race of my coverage season was a total loss. I tried to download the press forms from the Tour de Georgia site at least a dozen times with no luck. I emailed the press folks about half a dozen times trying to get help to no avail. They didn't even respond to my questions until the day before the race. By then it was too late to schedule time off from work, hotel rooms and someone to help with the photos. I guess they were working about as well as their sponsors vehicles do. Ford does stand for Fixed Or Repaired Daily doesn't it??

I am dedicating this year to working more on coolautomobiles.com than coolbicycling.com. If anyone wants to cover some bike races and send in photos and reports I'll be happy to post them up and give you credit for your work but we have a financial budget of zero. This is all for fun and not for profit. I have also launched coolhawgs.com to cover my interest in motorcycles but it is off to a slow start. I have been working an average of 80 plus hours per week so not a lot of extracurricular activities are happening other than my church responsibilities.

I did make it to the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction this spring and hope to make a few of the Year One events but that will probably be about it. If I get any time off from work I am going to try and actually ride my bike, climb and maybe do a mission trip. I hope this message finds all of ya'll doing well.
God Bless,
Michael

2005-05-30T09:10:00.000-04:00

folks,

below you will see an email i had to send out to my photographers that were going to cover the wachovia por series races for our website. apparently a site that is run by cylists for cyclists is not high enough on the food chain for press credintials any more. what is funny is that they told me we were approved then changed their minds at the last moment. when an american is no longer winning le tour de france and the armchair riders and couch surfers no longer care about cycling then they will be wishing they could get some coverage. take a little time a read the below emails.

michael

From me to my staff:

After waiting for a full month for a response to our applications I talked personally to the organizers of the Wachovia series on Tuesday of last week and they said that we were approved for press credintials. When I checked my email last Friday I received a message that we have been declined. I have tried calling the folks at PR sports and emailing them for an explanation but have not gotten a response. I have had this happen before. The press applications were due in by April 28 so that means they should have a clear response soon after. What happens is that they approve folks, then as the event gets closer they get a rash of late applicants who look like bigger fish and they cull the small ones.

At this years Tour de Georgia this happened to me in the strangest way. I was approved for my press credintials and photo vest. To get a photographers vest issued you had to apply a month in advance in addition to your application for press credintials. You also had to list which stages you wanted it for. I only asked for stage 5 and 6 and was approved. With 20 minutes left before the end of the final stage the press officials came and took my vest and gave it to a Sports Illustrated photographer who showed up with less than a half hour left in the race. We took a full week following every stage of the race, posted over 60 pages of coverage on the website and then got our ticket pulled with 20 minutes left in the race. My personal thoughts are that if the Sports Illustrated person was serious about his job they would have shown up before the last few minutes of the race. Also, out of the 25 photo vests issued, two of the other people with them had misprepresented themselves. The funny thing is that one local newspaper had three photo vests for this same stage. These race organizers seem very disorganized.

These organizers seem to act like greedy business people rather than cyclists. The fact that our site gets around 3,000 hits per day on the cycling section does not seem to impress these people. I would almost bet we got bumped because some local newspaper that is going to give them a paragraph and on photo in the sports section decided to send someone. This is the second season for covering bicycle racing for our website and I have had this happen at almost every event. I now know why bicycle racing has never been as popular in the U.S. The race organizers are quite often amatuers or at least act like it.

Thanx,

Michael

From the event organizers:

Dear Media Contact:

Your credential for the Wachovia Cycling Series has been denied. Please accept our sincerest apology as the event media center has received more credential requests than ever in the 21-year history of the race.

Please know that there are plenty of great locations to see and photograph the course that are open to the public. We thank you for your interest in the Wachovia Cycling Series.

Sincerely,

Ed Donovan
Threshold Sports LLC
2650 Eisenhower Ave.
Norristown, PA 19403
610.676.0390 x104
610.676.0391 fax
www.procyclingtour.com

2005-04-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

i said i was going to attempt posting more to the blog but it ain't happening. i guess a four month lapse between post is better than a year. work has been so busy of late that i haven't had much time for anything other than church. i had to cancel my annual febuary trip to new hampshire and the vacation i had planned for next week. instead of spring skiing i am going to be toiling away at the daily grind. i guess it is better to have too much work than not enough.
i am still planning on tking off the week of the tour de georgia and will definetly be in france for all of the mountain stages of le tour de france. with lance going for win number 7 this is another "can't miss" opportunity.
we did make to switzerland over the holidays and had lots of fun in the alps again. we spent most of our time skiing but i did get a few days of ice climbing in. i managed to climb in grindelwald, kandersteg and even went to swendi which may be the best ice in the swiss alps. lots of stuff there to keep a person busy.
at church, my mes group has had the nursery for the past month and that has been a trip. the kids are lots of fun and lots of work to keep up with. having a room full of kids with 3 minute attention spans, infants and trying to teach a lesson is challenging. the other two guys in our group both have newborns so they at least knew how to change the diapers. since i don't have any kids and have never changed a diaper i skated on that chore and am still ignorant of the subject. lets hope my luck hold out.
the land trust we formed at the southeastern climbers coalition has just purchased its third climbing area. we just added the cliffline at jamestown alabama to our holdings at boat rock in atlanta and kings bluff in tennessee. not bad for a regional climbing club that has only been in the landtrust business for three years. if we keep this up we will own many climbing areas within the next decade. check out www.seclimbers.org to find out more about our organization and events.
i have been sporadic at updatine the site but i have added a few pages to the travel section and the antique car pages. well its saturday and since i am here at work i amy as well get back to it. i don't really enjoy working on weekends but it has been necessary of late. i hope all ya'll are having fun today instead of working. i'll try to post more soon, meantime may God bless you and enjoy the website.
michael

2004-12-04T09:03:00.000-05:00

whew,
i just noticed how much time has passed since my last post to the blog. almost a year, boy a lot can happen in a year. since my last post i have been on a lot of trips. an ice climbing trip to new hampsire, a month of mountaineering in peru, a trip to france for the tour de france and i am now preparing to leave for switzerland. Christmas in the alps is always a good thing. we will be in grindelwald first then wengen. if you haven'tchecked out the website in a while i have added close to 100 pages in the past year. i am now over 300 pages of content and working on more. i am a little over half way through my tour de france pages and am starting my tour de georgia pages this weekend. my ice climbing guidebook went to the printers in janruary of last year and has been selling well. i am almost at the break even point and have sold close to 1,000 copies. not bad for an ice climbing guide to the deep south.
life has been especially sweet this year as God finally hunted me back down and got me on the right track. i have rededicated my life to Him and found a wonderful church to atend. follow the church button on the website to find out more about the church. with my new attitude work, life and climbing have been better. i pray that God continues to work in my life and ya'lls too. i am going to attempt to get better at this blogging thing but there are no promises. hope ya'll all have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
michael

2004-01-09T09:27:00.000-05:00

hay folks,
i just got back from a 17 day trip to kolo"rad"o. didn't have a live phone line in the cabin we rented so i kinda lost touch. the ice is growing in the mountains and i am getting excited. after all the ice climbing i did early season and then in kolo"rad"o has me feeling strong. i finally picked up the ice climbing guidebook from the printer yesterday. the first lot is shipped and will be hitting select dealer shelves today. they are still going to be available here directly on the web site. they look pretty good and after sitting down and reading it last night i decided it was worth the money. i'd pay 28.95 and be happy about it. that is going rate for a guidebook these days and the information is more complete than anything ever compiled on the region.
work is brisk but i won't let it interfere with ice climbing. i have now organized an everest south col expedition for spring 2005. we have 9 climbers committed and about half a dozen trekkers. i have three climbing permits and trips left at 36,000 each. this is the full deal including meals, oxygen, internet and sherpas. the trips are priced at about 60% or current market price. the trekking slots are 3,000 for all in country costs and we have no limit on folks that can go. we also have a few client slots left open for the june trip to the andes of peru. if you wanna climb some big mountains drop me a line.
christmas was good again this year as it was spent in ouray and tellurid kolo"rad"o. the skiing was outstanding this year. ridgeway had a record month for snow in december and telluride was close to record. we drove in the first night during a winter storm that dumped over a foot of fresh. while we were there they had four major snow events. one storm even dropped over 2 feet in 24 hours. got to do lots of soloing in the ice park and even some roped climbs scattered from ouray to ames. with a good ice forecast for n.c. over the next couple of weeks and a feb trip to new hampshire and a march trip back to kolo"rad"o i am stoked for ice. please buy my guidebook so that i can aford all the travel i have planned. happy new year to all ya'll.
michael

2003-12-11T09:17:00.000-05:00

oh well,
the blog was started with good intent but i haven't posted to the darn thing in a month of sundays. work has been very swift for the past 12 months and with the climbing guide project there has not been a moment to spare. i haven't even done an update to the site in months until last week after i sent the finished book to the printer. with that project over i can now get back to working on this d@rn website and try to keep the blog a little more current. i have been doing updates on the climbing conditions page since the ice came in so at least i have not been completly useless to society.
as i mentioned the book is at the printer and i am supposed to get my blueline proof tomorrow for approval. if all is o.k. (i already have some corrections and additions, but they have to wait now) then we will be 10 to 14 days away from shipping the books. as ya'll find mistakes drop me a line and i'll post them.
i am trying to wrap up work so that i can get on out to ouray for the holidays. nothing like a colorado christmas. unless it is a swiss christmas, or a montanna christmas, or a utah christmas...... i have managed to get 9 days of southern ice climbing in thus far this season and am staring a 17 day trip to ouray in the face. looks like the start of another good ice year. lots of trips planned and lots of time off from work. i may go broke but i'm going to have fun.
michael

2003-05-11T10:38:00.000-04:00

darn it,
i have been unable to post to my blog for a while. i have been so busy that i did not take time to trouble shoot the problem. turned out to be a glitch in my browser and no amount of updates or changing settings seemed to help. another of those microsoft improved features i downloaded at some point. oh well. now i am using mozilla as a browser and am very happy with it you can check them out at www.mozilla.org. i like this browser a lot and it seems to have less security issues than internet explorer. it's even free.
it seems a war has come and gone since the last post to my blog. i was amazed as i saw folks protest around the world and in the u.s. people actually laid down in the street and blocked emergency vehicles in protest. they should have been run over and backed back over if they lived through the first impact. i can't believe these folks. i think they saw an opportunity to be on t.v. and took it. do any of ya'll that were opposed to the war in iraq remember sept. 11th? where were these people when the f.b.i. murdered 62 women and children in waco, texas. our government declared war on a CHURCH and killed entire families with the permission of clinton and his hag janet reno. people were shot in the back by snipers. they were fired upon from helicopters and tanks were used against them. both of which are illegal in this country. in our country military troops cannot be used against it's own citizens. that is the law. bush acted within the law to help make our country safer from terrorists and all he has caught is grief from the left but when the clinton administration allowed the massacre at waco and killed a randy weaver's wife while holding her baby where were these folks? see more about this at http://www.serendipity.li/waco.html and http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-lynch082102.asp. i bet they were sitting in a coffee house singing kum by ya and discussing literature. freakin fools.
if you wonder how we got to this point you can blame yourselves if you voted for clinton. anyone who voted for him twice is so ignorant that debate would be impossible. lets run down a few of his issues. while he was in office there were many terrorist acts against the u.s. we had the first world trade center bombing that killed lots of folks, there was the attack on the u.s.s. cole that killed i believe 17 soldiers and wounded more, we had the marine barracks attack the killed more than we lost in the entire iraqi war, and a couple of embassy bombings all traced to the same group. what di he do? after all this he sent a couple of missles to blow up a tent somewhere in the desert. he allowed the terrorist to thrive and did not discourage them from continuing. i bet your average terrorist at least fears us now even if they may not respect us. folks like this olnly understand one thing and that is resolve. if they know we are going to chase them down and kill them at every opportunity then they will have a hard time getting new recruits and the old guard will be so busy trying to cover their butts that they won't have much time left to plot against us.
if you need to be reminded then we can continue to let terrorist have a free ride like clinton did and see where it ends up. i would rather them be on the defensive for a change. we need to take some lessons from isreal and kill anyone that is a threat to our way of life. God bless the U.S.A.
now i'll get off my soap box for a while. ice season is long over and it is time to start preparing for the annual mountaineering trip. looks like it's canada this year even though several of their key political figures really made me mad during the iraqi war. i was going to change my plans and go to alaska instead but through the course of researching and talking to many folks from canada i find that very few of them agree with their public officials on this subject. i think bush needs to pass a couple of trade restricions on canadian wood products just to make them pay for being so insulent.
lately work is so busy that i don't have much spare time. what is left at the end of the day is getting spent on the back of the bike or working on an old tractor. i have been working on the tractor section again so be sure to check it out. gotta go do the mothers day thing so i'll talk to ya later.
michael

2003-02-24T13:56:00.000-05:00

well it looks like ice season is winding down here in the south. i have not found any decent scratching or swinging the past two weekends. it looks like the spring rains are moving in early so it is time to start planning a april trip to colorado to keep from going into withdrawl symptoms. i cannot believe how busy work is so i guess it is for the best that the ice has melted. if anyone knows of any decent ice in the n.c., ky., or w.v. areas please let me know. i would love to do a weekend trip or two before the entire southeastern season ends.
i have added some n.c. skiing to the website and done a little more work in the ice section. looks like we will be switching to rock climbing and cycling before long.
michael

2003-02-06T09:42:00.000-05:00

time does pass quickly...
it doesn't seem like two weeks since i last posted but the server time stamps seldom lie. life has been super busy still. work has picked up tremendously of late. after having a poor year in 2002 i believe some of the new administration's policies are starting to take hold. december through february is usually my slow business season. that is why it is always so easy to take time off for ice climbing. this december was actually quite busy and we just closed the books on a very good january. all this while still getting 22 days of ice climbing and 7 days of skiing thus far this season. we now have more work piled to do than we can probably get out in the month of february and more coming in regularly. if this keeps up i'll have to re-evaluate the length of this years mountaineering trip. i really hate it when work interferes with climbing but a living has to be made.
the ice climbing down south has been outstanding this year. there have been climbable routes in condition for the past 5 to 6 weeks. with what has hung on through this last warm spell and the predicted weather pattern it should stay around for another week or two at least, if not longer. this may be one of the more consistent years in recent memory. i have climbed a lot of ice that i had never climbed before this season including three new routes on whitesides, a couple of new things at grave yard and two new routes here in hall county georgia less than 10 miles from the gainesville city limits. it was two routes of about 100 ft. with the harder being grade 2- and the easier being grade 1. the temps were below 10 degress and the ice on both was no more than an inch or two thick. not very hard but not very safe. i have been watching these falls for 15 years and never seen them frozen in any form. i was so excited that when i grabbed my boots and tools out of the truck i forgot my new helmet and by the time i realized it i couldn't spare the time to go back to the truck. the "crux" of the harder route fell off after i climbed it while i was climbing the easier route. when we managed to climb blue falls earlier in the season the crux fell off before the second could follow it. i watched a good deal of it fall off just below my feet leaving me on wet rock. lots of fun.
i have done a fair amount of work on the website of late. most of it has been in the ice climbing section. i have added to the whitesides section. added a graveyard page. started my gear section and worked on my technique page. i am still in the middle of major construction here so keep checking back. the ski and snowboard sections both have seen some work. i have also worked a little on my reloading section and several other sections. i have lots of new material to post just need enough time to get it all put together. hope everyone is doing well and remember the troops that are currently defending our way of life and the ones soon to be committed to an even bigger front. have faith that waht we are doing is for the greater good and support the president in his decisions. off soapbox.
michael

2003-01-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

hay folks,
well i finally have most of my yonah mountain access info dusted off and posted to the site. i still have some fluff to add but the basics are there. i really miss my afternoon sessions on the mountain. with a three mile approach through privatre property it is just not feasable to go unless a person can take a full day. that really bites when you live ony 30 minutes away. i still want to add some photos to the access section so people can obviously see what they are trying to save if they don't know. for the meantime ya'll will have to pilfer through my rock and ice sections to see photos of the mountain.
the ice is really coming in good so in addition to work i have been trying to work in a full ice climbing schedule. very tiring. well i gotta get back to work so i can have time to climb along with trying to save the planet.
peace of mind,
joy of heart,
love of god,
michael

2003-01-07T16:27:00.000-05:00

howdy,
i am getting back in the swing of things. i have updated the ice conditions page and have worked on my ski pages some. i have a lot more photos from the last trip to add to the ski, snow boarding and ice climbing pages. keep checking in for the latest updates. work is really picking up which is good since i have about run through my travelling money and need to bank some cash for the next trip. hope all ya'll are having a happy new year.
michael

2003-01-06T12:20:00.000-05:00

darnit,
one of my biggest complaints about blogs has been how infrequently some folks post to their page. now i find myself falling in the same trap. i have been swamped of late. i just got back from a couple of weeks in colorado and between getting work caught up to leave and being gone i have not posted anything here in a month. the skiing at breckenridge was great and all the summit county ice was fat. now that i am back i am calling around and seeing what is in so i can plan my swinging for the weekend. should be some southern ice to climb somewhere. i'll start working on some updates on the site tonight. it is getting kinda stale.
michael

2002-12-05T16:33:00.000-05:00

hay ya'll,
i have been super busy of late. the ice climbing down south has been so good that between climbing and working i haven't had a spare moment. n.e. ga and n.c. are enjoying stellar early season ice climbing conditions. check out the conditions page for more info. i have been re-working the ice climbing section and have more to do. am also steadily adding to the tractor section and currently working on the steam traction engine section. i witnessed a plane crash day before yesterday which was pretty cool. this dude crash landed on church street here in gainesville. i watched him go down until he hit two sets of power lines and poles. he slid down the sidewalk while clipping a couple of parked cars with his wing. both he and the passenger escaped with only minor injuries. pretty darn cool. got some photos and am going to use them to kick off a new section. it will be the mahem and madness section. so if you have shots of crazy stuff send them along. i gotta get back to n.c. and swing tools until my arms fall off. keep looking for current local conditions.
michael

2002-11-18T14:05:00.000-05:00

hay folks,
well it is finally here. the first climable ice has been found and is getting fatter by the minute. i managed to get up three of the boulder problems at hogpen gap this morning. by tomorrow a couple of the taller lines should be in. yea ha!. this means that i cn start back to updating my conditions page and srpening tools in my spare time. may even go home and work on some more ice climbing pages in celebration tonight. you can see some of todays events by following the news flash link on the contents page of www.coolclimbing.com.
i have been working dilligently on the tractor page and have some more updates to post tonight when i have the time. the entire tractor section will become much more polished and have a fair number of new pages. right now i have updated the john deere sections the most and will be posting mostly steam traction engines with tonights upload. hope all ya'll are doing well.
michael

2002-11-01T22:50:00.000-05:00

for those that need something to do tomorrow we will be having a trail maintenance day at currahee mountain. we start at 9:00 am and bring something to throw on the grill for lunch. we will be fixing the main trail and establishing a more concise trail to the brick wall. directions can be found under the directions page from the rock climbing section of my site.
the most recent updates to the site have been to the links page and the snowboard page. lots of really cool boarding shots starting to appear. the tractor restoration project is eating into my film scanning time so the updates are not coming as quickly as usuall. i do have a few things almost ready to post so check back soon.
michael

2002-10-10T09:31:00.000-04:00

hey ya'll,
the newest addition to the website is a section on the asheboro boulders in n.c. pretty cool stuff, check it out. as to the climbing scene we have a trail work day scheduled for tallulah gorge on november 2nd and a boudering competition at boat rock on dec. 7th. check out www.seclimbers.org for more details and events around the southeast. i will be taking my boy scouts out for two days of climbing this weekend so i guess there is no rest for the weary.
my latest project, rebuilding a 1949 john deere crawler, is coming along but the more work i do the more i find that needs attention. it is a cool little tractor but needs alot of work. as to general life... work bites, life is good and i'll catch ya'll next time.
michael

2002-10-01T16:16:00.000-04:00

to those who suffered,
i have most of my photos from the six gap century posted in the road section of my bicycle pages. if you see one that you want a higher resolution version of just e-mail me and let me know which one. the ride was great as usual an i am starting to walk properly again. hope everybody made it home safe. got a lot of work to do so i better hop to it.
michael

2002-09-26T14:35:00.000-04:00

hay folks,
i have been stressing over insurance lately. as an officer in the southeastern climbers coalition land trust i have many duties. one of which is finding insurance for our oraganization and the lands we manage. it has been really tough. after month of searching one of our other members found a liability policy that is costing us 350 dollars per acre per year. that is almost as expensive as buying new land. we cannot afford to buy much land at that insurance rate. we have been turned down on several inexpensive land trust policies due to our organization being oriented toward rock climbing. this difficulty in obtaining insurance is heavily influenced by the events of 9/11 and the stock market crash.
apparently a lot of insurance companies took big hits over the 9/11 claims. then the stock market crashed and many of them were making much of their revenue from stock investments. now they are in the double back slide. making big payouts while taking substantial decreases in revenue. to combat this the insurance business has become much more conservative. they are not writing moderate or high risk loans or they are charging astronomical rates when they do. if anyone can help us with these issues please e-mail me at michael@crowderinc.com.
the most recent big updates to the web site have been in the tractor and travel sections. all have seen some work though and i am presently working on the launch of a motorcycle page. my number of hits had been averaging around 20 to 30 per day but has slipped of late. this morning i posted update notices to 10 news groups and have had over 100 today. i hope most of the new visitors have been pleased. although this is just a non paying hobby i hope that other folks find the visit worthwhile. for all you new folks i update the site frequently and try to post the larger updates to the blog. everybody have a double sweet day.
michael

2002-09-17T10:17:00.000-04:00

why cant i insert links. i thought i was doing it correctly. well here is the address missing from the last post. http://grc.com/xpdite/xpdite.htm
michael

2002-09-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

a quick amendment to the last post. the best and quickest fix for the new xp security vulnerablity is at . the new microsoft service pack one has some issues of its own so use steve's patch until microsoft comes up with a patch for the service pack. seems a lot like a dog chasing its tail dealing with xp. microsoft needs to introduce some more oversight and testing into their work. on a fun note i went to the 1st annual all harley dirt drags this weekend. what a blast. watching top fuel motorcyle drags on a wet dirt track was more than exciting. them boys are crazy.
michael

2002-09-12T11:42:00.000-04:00

to all you paranoia freaks,
i am sure you have heard of the f.b.i.'s carnivore program. it is designed to monitor a suspects e-mail and web habits at the i.s.p. level. the problem is that while they are watching that i.s.p. they have access to all the traffic going over the system. they claim they ignore traffic other than what they have a warrant to look at but it is still right there in front of them to see. so if they are investigating some nut that happens to use the same i.s.p. as you they see your traffic even without you being named on a legal warrant. every major i.s.p. except earthlink/mindspring has let the feds install carnivore on their systems. if they get a warrant on a earthlink/mindspring client then they must present it to earthlink and they monitor the person and hand the records over to the feds thus avoiding the chance that one of their other customers privacy gets compromised unduely.
enter majic lantern. this is the codename for the f.b.i.'s new program. it is based on the hacker program called back orofice which was released at the 2000 defcon convention. the newer majic lantern allows the feds to actually walk past your firewall and software security and read all of the contents of your drives. remember that even files encrypted with p.g.p. are not secure right now. keep watch on the international pgp site for an upcoming update which will fix a major security problem. there are defesenses for this but you will have to research it yourselves.
also microsoft released a major service pack on monday that fixes the biggest security violation to date. if you are running xp you must download this immediately or you will be hacked soon. it takes about an hour at 28.8 so do it at night if you don't have much bandwidth. meantime surf no suspect websites until you have done the fix. this is a must do. also there is currently a major security breach of apples os10. do not use the web based update feature until this is fixed. the new os10 is more vulnerable to virus attack than past apple operating systems and there are currently 3 viruses out for the mac now. apple folks, welcome to virus land.

i think i see somebody watching me... over there... behind that bush... paranoya may destroy ya...
michael

2002-09-10T16:49:00.000-04:00

well crag day was successful again. while i had an unusually low turn out at tallulah and currahee most of the other locations had lots of workers. we built a set of steps on the new slab side trail at currahee and put in several new water bars at tallulah. there is more work that needs to be done at both areas and sooner rather than later. look for another event in the next month or two.
i spent most of my spare time last week and all day on sunday figuring out my new video capture box. i can now hook my computer, v.c.r., digital camera and t.v. all together and spin the signals anyway i want. i have learned the basics of my video editing software and put together my first video project. i will be adding video clips to the site for those with lots of bandwidth in the near future. no updates over the last few days as learning digital video editing scarfed all my spare time. gotta go ride...
michael

2002-09-06T10:44:00.000-04:00

tomorrow is adopt a crag. check out the message board at www.seclimbers.org to find an event near you. i will be running between currahhee mountain and tallulah gorge. hope to see lots of ya'll out there.
michael

2002-09-05T10:04:00.000-04:00

last night i was watching t.v. while i worked on the website. i noticed that motorola was advertising their new cell phone. i forget the model number but it is the little shiney silver latest and greatest. i also noticed that actors were using the same phone on a couple of the major network shows. don't you just love product placement. what is funny is that they are acting like this phone is brand new and it is better than any other. well i have had one for six months and it is not much better than the star tac that it replaced. if you are still using a star tac then i think there is a class action suit against motorola for how crappily they worked. the only thing though was they were the only handheld cell phones on the market that passed the f.c.c. radiation regulations. you have to pay something for safety and sometimes its performance.
the new phone has a better menu and easier to use memory funtions but some of the buttons are ridicuosly small and hard to find, especially when driving. it is still a 3/10 watt handheld and limited by f.c.c. regulations to being a stepchild. next time i get by cingular i am going to buy the car kit that upgrades the phone to an external antenna and a full 3 watts when parked in its cradle. even with the newest handheld and using the provider with the most local and national coverage and not worrying about roaming i still spend a good deal of my time saying "can you hear me now... can you here me now."
michael

2002-09-03T09:49:00.000-04:00

aw heck,
i was trying to put active links in that last post but it didn't work. i'll try again next time...
michael

2002-09-03T09:47:00.000-04:00

test, test, test...

2002-09-03T09:38:00.000-04:00

i actually got to go climbing this weekend. what a novel concept. went to looking glass and hung out on the glass menagerie and had a blast. i may have to sacrifice a few cycling days to get in some more climbing. time sure is in short supply when you have to go to work and make a living. i have updated my peru page with the start of my inti raymi film. i have also worked on the knife pages http://www.coolclimbing.com/knives1.htm and the tractor pages. http://www.coolclimbing.com/tractors.htm
as always have a lot to spew about but work is calling my name and i must bolt. remember that this saturday is adopt a crag day so go to to find an event near you. i could really use help at my curahee and talullah gorge events if any n.e. georgia folks are looking for something to do this weekend. we will meet at 8:30 to 9:30 at the curahee parking lot and then i will bolt to talullah about 10:00-10:30 to meet anyone there. we will be doing trail work and trash detail. bring picks, shovels, and other landscaping tools if you have them. after we work for several hours then we will have a hot meal and some prizes for the workers and there is always a little time left for climbing at the end of the day.
michael

2002-08-22T13:04:00.000-04:00

well i thought i was catching up,
i don't know what has happened but suddenly the flood gates have opened up at work. i have had to work the past two weekends so there has been no climbing. boo... hiss... at least i have managed to get on the bike almost every day though. i took a rest/work day yesterday and stayed at the shop until dark but i will be quitting early today and pedaling hard very soon.
over the past couple of weeks i have noticed that the friendliness bug that america had caught after 9/11 has started to fade. instead of waves, i am back to getting the bird finger from many of the folks in their metal coffins they call cars. last week i even had two punks in a red and black s-10 pickup throw a bottle at me before they flipped me off. i found them parked in the next town about an hour later and confronted the teenage punks. they claimed i had the wrong truck but i know better. if they had been over the age of 18 i believe i would have gotten into a fist fight for the first time in 20 years. i am sick of being a target for bottles when i ride my bike. don't these people understand i carry a magnum. if i was as crazy as everyone thinks i am i would have capped one of these fools a long time ago. someday i will probably snap and pull someone out of their car like an old roommate of mine did once. it was pretty funny to watch to punks get ridden down by a nerd on a bicycle then the passenger plucked from the convertable mustang long enough to get stroked in the head by a geeky engineer. i think that was the only fight he had been in in his entire life. folks get mad when you try to kill them. of course i called the sheriff's department about the bottle incident from my cell phone less than 30 seconds after it happened but i never saw a cop car come up the road. i bet if they had trown a bottle at a cop the entire force would have been mobilized. well that covers my ranting for the day.
check out the bicycle section of my site. i have tweaked it some more along with adding a section about my personal bikes. i have also done some recent updates on peru in the travel section. the projects, electronics, and pet sections are still under heavy construction but should be updated soon. a little mountainnering has been added along with some more n.c. ice. hope everybody out there has a nice day and remember it is time to ride after work with these long days.
michael

2002-07-26T09:40:00.000-04:00

let see it's fridayyyy...
the busiest work day of the week for me but i get to take the weekend off for the second week in a row. i guess i am finally catching up from the onslaught that was waiting when i returned from peru. the folks at the shop did a good job in my absence but there was still a lot that needed my personal attention. i have posted a fair amount of new stuff to the switzerland section of the site and am working on a couple of new sections that should be up in the next few days. also working on more for the rock climbing and peru sections. keep an eye out for the new stuff.
i may even get to go rock climbing on sunday even with my bad thumb. i'm keeping my fingers crossed. there is a lot happening with access here in the south. check out the s.c.c. website for details. we may soon have official access to high point here in georgia. of course we are still raising money for boat rock
michael

2002-07-11T12:44:00.000-04:00

well we're alive.
i have been so busy i haven't even posted to the blog until today and it is just to remind ya'll that the boat rock benefit is being held in atlanta tonight. if you want something cool to do then check out www.seclimbers.org for details. i need to get back to work so i'll have to catch up on what all has happened since my last post some time later. i have updated the site some so follow the travel button to see. will be updateing the site regularly now.
michael

2002-06-23T19:29:00.000-04:00

hay folks,
it´s been a long time since my last post and a lot has happened. skip, chris and i got our deal together and went into the santa cruz valley headed toward alpamayo and quitraju. the two day trek that started at 9,000 ft and went to 14,150 to base camp was uneventful. the third day was a sceduled rest day which was good for me since i was feeling poorly with the symptoms of what i thought was a cold. one night at base camp and i was feeeling worse but felt i would still make it. the third night skip came down with what we believe to be food poisioning and spent most of the night puking and spewing.
the morning of the fourth day was to be the day we left for high camp at the col but since skip was trying to recover from his bad night we left him to rest and chris and i hiked up to the moraine camp for more acclimitization. by the time i got above 16,000 ft i knew something was wrong. i had a terrible headache and a lot of gurgleing noises coming from the lower section of my left lung. i was in misery. by the time i got down to base camp i knew i would be no good for climbing the next day and told the crowd. allejandro and jorge already had most of our gear cashed high on the glacier and all iwould have to carry would be my sleeping bag and personal stuff but i was worried about doing permanent damage to my lung. after my insistence that the group go on, they agreed to a early start the next morning.
that night chris came down with syptoms similar to skip's, but much worse. the morning of the fifth day chris rawled out of his tent because he did not want to die inside. that is how bad he felt. we hit him with every drug in the kit and managed to keep him from getting worse. the sixth day i was finally feeling better but it was evident that chris was not going to recover at this altitude. the decision was made to get him down as fast as we could. we found an arryaro to handle the gear and then started the march. chris held up well and we managed to cover the 16 miles in one shot. i managed to do something to my foot on the retreat which really has been a pain ever since.
we got back to huaraz to find out that a transportation strike was starting in two days and we better be where we want to be or get stuck. since we were beat up beyond wanting to climb soon we took the last bus before the strike started and beat feet for lima. there the strikes were not supposed to be as bad as in the smaller towns and we had a secure place to stay. while the strikes did affect smaller towns lima stayed calm and we managed to visit several museums. we are now in cusco for the inti rami summer soltice festival with the incas. after the solstice we are going to machu pichu and into the amazon. skip has left for the u.s. and it is just chris and i now. chris is still having to take cipro for whatever parasite he has and my foot still hurts when i walk on it alot. my cough is still with me but it is getting better.
michael

2002-06-10T20:59:00.000-04:00

hay folks,
we have made it back to huaraz alive. we spent our first day travelling from huaraz to collon then hiking into the ishinka valley. Upon our arrival in the valley the weather was looking good and we were feeling good. we established base camp and spent the afternoon discussing route options while scoping the mountain from the valley floor. we watched one decent sized avalanche fall late in the evening. this has been a dry year in peru so there is not a lot of snow but what is here is not consolodated very well yet.
we enjoyed an excellent dinner prepared by the "miestro" allejandro. he is more than the team cook. at 62 years of age he has summited almost every major peak in south america. when his son asked him what he wanted for his fiftieth birthday he responded by saying he wanted to climb the huscuaran. were talking about a 22,00 ft. mountain. his son damian is the one of the most prolific climbers in south america. he has already summeted aconcogua eleven times this year. this family loves the mountains.
allejandro has intoduced us to a peruvian porter named jorge. this man is the strongest person i have ever met. on a recent trip to the 26,000 ft. shisha panga in china he summited nine times in three months with no supplemental oxygen along with carrying more high camp loads than anyone else on the mountain. he earned the nickname "the man who makes the sherpas cry". that is the most impressive thing i have ever heard.
the following day we hauled ourselves and our gear to high camp. with four gringo´s going up the hill allejandro and jorge still carried the majority of the gear. at 62 allejandro is stronger than i have ever been and may ever be, it astounds me to see this man strap two packs together then take off up the hill like a wind up toy going full speed. jorge had over 100 pounds and carried it like it was nothing. high camp was established at 17,200 ft. and allejandro returned to base camp while jorge stayed with the team.
now here is the interesting part. the rule for acclimatization is you gain no more than 3,000 ft. per day for the first 10,000 ft. and no more than 1,000 ft. per day above that. you push harder and you are asking for trouble. chris and i had been at sea level just 5 days before. we should have taken eleven to gt to this altitude. after a beautiful sunset and thai dinner that night we got almost no sleep. above 17,000 sleep is hard to get. chris actually woke up screaming at one point due to nightmares. it is funny what the brain does when there is no oxygen. at this altitude the body start shutting down what it considers non vital systems. the first to go is the digestive system, the body pulls the blood from this system and sends it to more important areas. this is the start of an ugly cycle that can wreck you physically.
we got up the third morning to no breakfast and an early start. we broke into two rope teams. chris and i were tied into jorge´s rope and were going to come up at our on pace and set the other rope team free to move quickly. as the day progessed chris and i moved slowly. jorge was patient and the othe team was climbing fast. even though chris and i were fading the others got stuck at 18.300 ft. because the old snow bridge had collapsed and the only other way was deemed to risky. better to live to climb another day than to push a dangerous position. chris and i were feeling so bad by the time we got above 18,000 ft. we elected to go back down.
the others beat us down to high camp and started breking it down immediatly. chris and i staggered in and layed down for ten minutes before we stuffed what we could in our packs and headed down as quickly as possible leaving the brunt of the work and load for the others. we had no choice. i could not breathe and chris was having dry heaves. what fun. when we got back to base camp allejandro started putting soup and fruits into us and soon the 4,000 ft. loss of altitude and calories had us feeling better. we spent the rest of the day watching another team from chile spend an 17 hour epic day on the same route. while we were in the valley they were the only ones to reach the summit and admitted to pushing their luck big time and having a total epic. they may go to alpamayo with us. we always take the opportunity to meet new folks and strengthen the team.
on sunday we broke down base camp and returned to huaraz for some well needed rest. we leave wednesday for alpamayo and quitaraju which will be an eight day trip. tomorrow is another rest day so i will be able to post again before i leave and fill in some of the gaps. there is so much to tell but my fingers and mind are tired for the moment.
michael

2002-06-05T21:36:00.000-04:00

hay folks,
after two days of travelling we arrived in huaraz, peru. two days of acclimitization and hiking up to 12,000 ft. we are feeling good and will leave tomorrow for our first climb. the objective is the 19,750 ft. nevado toqlaraju. this will be a five day trip until our return to huaraz and our preperation for the next peak alpamayo. talk to you in a few days.
michael

2002-05-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

hay folks,
this is a test to see if my bolg is working. i am trying to get it up and working so i can update my friends on how my trips are going and have no access to my web development tools. i hope this works without too much trouble.
michael