Bar Stools and Light Dohickeys

For years I have not had dining room table. I have a foosball table instead. Yeah, I know it's kind of like the whole "Friends" thing, but we really do use the table. That basically means that I haven't really had a place to sit down and eat. I have a bar in the kitchen, but never had stools.

Even prior to not having a table I could never find any stools that I really liked. They had to be comfy, they had to be sturdy, and they had to look "just right." Ever sit on a bar stool that your feet can't rest on the lower beam? I hate that.


So for years I had been looking, and of course I was also on the road for years. But I finally found some and had them custom ordered. Since some friends were asking about them, here is a picture. I had two maroon / wine colored ones and one navy blue one to add some color and break up the monotony. So far they are very comfy and I think they look good, too.... I may order another one if I need it, but they were pretty pricey.

As for the light dohickeys..... here is a picture of the light hanging over the foosball table:

It's about 9 years old. The little crystal looking things are fracturing from years of heat / cold. It's a halogen, so it burns a bit hot. Here is a closeup of the little crystal dohickey things:

One might ask why i am posting this. I am doing it because I have been unable to locate new crystal dohickey things for this light. It's discontinued and nobody seems to have anything like it. So if you know where I can get some, please write and let me know. It's either that or I'll have to have them made, or make something new to replace them.

Driver's License Renewal

I went down to the Texas DMV to get my driver's license renewed. It expires in March, but I was in the area and wanted to get it out of the way.

It now costs $32.00 to get it done. No credit cards, cash and check only, thank you very much. It wasn't very crowded but there was a small line at the information booth which you had to go through first. I was amazed that pretty much everyone in line in front of me was there to get something done that they either didn't qualify for, or didn't have their paperwork.

I told the lady that I needed to renew my license, she handed me a form, it took me all of two minutes to fill it out and then proceeded to the line. I was the only person in line, though all the people were busy with other customers. I had to wait a few minutes, but it wasn't bad.

I stepped up, told the lady I needed to renew my license. She was pleasant, we talked a bit, I showed her my social security card. Had my thumb-prints taken (new to me, but apparently it's been done for a while, now), took a picture, got my temporary card and walked out. I was there maybe 15 ~ 20 minutes and most of that was waiting in the first line.

I found it odd that when I stepped up to get everything done that they really didn't check much. I had filled in my TX DL# on the form, but I could have lied. I had a social security card. A social security card does not count as a legal form of ID. If you have ever seen the old ones, they are a joke. You can print them right on your printer there at home. They contain no watermarks, no holograms, no pictures, etc. I'm not sure what good it does having someone show them a SS card. It seems to me a US Passport would be better, but that's not valid for getting the renewal. She never asked for an ID. She didn't ask to see my old license, or anything. She also didn't appear to do any kind of a background check to see if I had a suspended license, warrants for arrest, etc.

My guess is that because I am white, clean shaven (though I sport a goatee), and polite, as opposed to the black "gangsta" that had to take off a ton of shit, that it had a lot to do with it. I found the thumb prints kind of odd, but wasn't that put off by it. I was also able to get my corrective vision restriction removed. I'm not sure cops check that, much, anyway.

All in all, I'd say it was a very pleasent experience and I was surprised that it was so easy. Congrats to the Texas DMV.

BTW - I have not heard anything about my speeding ticket. I don't know if that is good or bad. My guess I am going to get some huge fine in the mail and have to do probation for a few months. We'll see.......

More Peaceful Muslims

Here is an article that is currently available on ABC's web site.

Sydney conference speaker demands Islamic state

A speaker at a conference in Sydney's south-west says a revolution or a civil war may be necessary in order to create an Islamic state, or caliphate.

The meeting has been organised by the controversial Muslim group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in several countries overseas. A number of politicians have called for the group to be banned here.

One of today's speakers, Ashraf Doureihi, told the audience action needs to be taken to ensure an Islamic state is created. "It is important... [to move] collectively in the Muslim world to demand this change from such influential people in our lands, even if it means spilling onto the streets to create a revolution or staging a military coup," he said.

Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Wassim Doureihi has told the audience a number of speakers will address the meeting today and discuss ways of establishing an Islamic super-state. "As we were here today, what is at stake is not just the destiny of the Muslim world but indeed the whole of mankind," he said.

The conference runs all day.

Now can some liberal idealist, or a nice Muslim, please explain to me how this is not borderline treason or condoning an act of war? Clearly we see the Muslim political machine in action. These guys are advocating overthrowing the government, if necessary, in order to achieve an Islamic state. And, of course, it would be necessary as Australia is not going to allow this to happen.

I'm curious to know what the Aussie's reaction to this will be. These are the same people that said that if Muslims didn't like it in Australia, and wanted to live by their laws, then they should leave.

Time Keeps on Slippin....

Probably the most valuable commodity any of us have is time. Every moment that ticks by is lost or gone forever. You cannot get it back. You cannot make up time. Someone can pay you for your time, but you can't really give them that time. You cannot sell, nor buy, someone else's time. The time that we have is finite.

That being said, why do people continuously show disregard for everyone else's time and arrive late? It's one of the most disrespectful and selfish acts that one can exercise in every day life. I'm not referring to the people who are occasionally late. There are legitimate reasons for being late and sometimes, as the saying goes, shit happens. But what about those that are always late? Those people that just can't make it on time? What is that saying? Does it say that they don't respect me or my time? Why is my time not as important as their time?

Let me digress for a moment. I'm not referring to being a few minutes late to get to work. That is, unless you have people counting on you to be there on time for something. If you have a meeting, or a conference call, or are showing up to alleviate someone else of their shift then you have a responsibility to be on time. If, however you are a couple of minutes late to get to work and you constantly end up working OT anyway, then I don't see why people have a problem with it.

When I grew up, my mom was late to everything. That pretty much made me late to everything. It was not uncommon to be the last little kid picked up from school, or for me to have already walked 1/2-way home before I was picked up. She is not now, nor ever was, a drunk or someone that is irresponsible. She just can't be on time. (don't worry mom, I still love ya!).

As I got older and had the option of driving myself or making my own arrangements I always made a point to be on time, or even a little bit early. I didn't want anyone to have to be waiting on me like that. But it seems that is not the norm.

If you know it takes you two hours to get ready, and about a 1/2 hour to drive somewhere, start getting ready 3 hours before you have to get there! Or, is it that you just don't care about someone else's time?

Please think of someone else the next time you are running late. You'll appreciate it when the shoe is on the other foot.

PS - For those who need help, I found this nifty alarm clock. It's only $13.50 and sure to help you to make it on time.

More Political Correctness Run Amuck


A little town here in Texas is trying to pass a new ordinance which would prohibit the use of the "N"-word. Oh, sorry, that's "nigger" not "Nancy Pelosi" for some of you. Now before you go and get all bent out of shape and start calling me a racist and all that, I can assure you that I do not advocate the use of the word regardless of the race. Sometimes this is difficult because I do have friends that call black people niggers and it generally offends me.

But I digress. The point of the post is that a town if attempting to pass the ordinance which I think is a pretty clear violation of free speech. At best, it is dubious. There is a Texas statute which prohibits disorderly conduct, but that doesn't incorporate people being offended. The bottom line, to me, is that this is censorship plain and simple. You do NOT have the right to not be offended. It's not in the Constitution. It doesn't exist.

According to the ordinance it would be a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of up to $500.00. Here is the other kicker - it's subjective. If two people are having a conversation and use the word, but neither is offended by it then there is no infraction. However, if a third person overheard this and was offended by it you are now in violation.

I'm not a lawyer and certainly cannot comment on specifics of how all this breaks down, but I did hear at least one person indicate that they thought it likely would not pass. Yet, it is something you should be concerned about. Maybe you are black and you think this is a good thing. But what about when they start telling you that you can't say the word "God" because some people find it offensive? Don't be too surprised. There is a large contingent of people that find the word offensive and have been working dilligently to have it removed. It probably won't be too much longer before they try to pass laws to prevent you from saying it aloud.

These are censorship issues, folks! Freedom of speech is the very cornerstone of our country. Chipping away at it is still chipping away at it.

Farmers Branch Fights Illegal Aliens

Close to where I live is a town called Farmers Branch. The city council has recently voted in new laws that:
1 - made English the official city language
2 - force landlords to verify that the tenant is in the U.S. legally
3 - fine the landlords that do not do this
4 - train police officers to check for immigration status of those that they arrest.

Prior to the laws going into effect I saw a Hispanic lady on the news say that this was racist and a direct attack on minorities.

First off, I doubt minorities see this as a direct threat. Why is that? Maybe because in Dallas county Caucasians are the minority!! BING! First incorrect political statement.

Now secondly, the whole argument is flawed. This is not an attack on minorities OR immigrants. It is, however, an attack on felons. People that enter the United States illegally are committing a felony. They are criminals and should be treated as such. They are, in other words, illegal immigrants and regardless of the color of their skin, or what language they speak, they are going to have a much harder time living in Farmers Branch.

Now the laws have been passed. From the NBC5I article:
"It's a total un-American, un-Christian, un-Texan for the Farmers Branch City Council to do. We're not going to stand for it. We are going to take them to court," Domingo Garcia said.

I would like to personally address Mr. Garcia's statement.

un-American - really? It's un-American to enforce our laws, protect our borders and try to establish loyalty to the United States? How about it's un-American to try to flood into the country illegally and claim that your race of people is going to "take back" the land? That sounds an awful lot like treason and likens itself to an act of war against the U.S.

un-Christian - where, in the Bible or any other works does it say that enforcement of federal law is un-Christian? If anything, when someone gets arrested they are going to get 3-hots and a cot. Besides, this is not about religion. It's about enforcement of immigration laws that people have been breaking for years and nobody has done anything about it.

un-Texan - now I really disagree. Texas won it's independence from Mexico. I believe the Mexicans had to leave. Now all that is asked is that they be here legally. Make no mistake, Mr. Garcia, I will not buy into the acceptance factor that it is ok for illegal immigrants to flood across the border by the millions into Texas just because "that's the way it is."

According to NBC5I there are over 50 municipalities that are looking to enact similar laws. I applaud all of them. The sad thing is that our liberal court system is so messed up that the political activist groups in favor of illegal aliens will probably win their day in court.

Gene Simmons Politics....

I was surfing the web over the weekend looking for some information on something when I came across an interesting article about Gene Simmons pissing off a bunch of Muslims. Now before I put the article up here are a few things about Gene Simmons that you may not be aware of:

• Front man for Kiss, one of the most successful rock bands of all time, for over 30 years.
• Immigrated from Israel - he's Jewish.
• He has a degree in English.
• He was an English teacher.
• He is fluent in over five languages.
• He is also fairly opinionated and outspoken (maybe why I like him?).

Follow the LINK for the article.

It doesn't surprise me that all the Muslims were pissed off. They don't like anyone saying anything negative about their religious political system. I don't expect him to have much appreciation for Muslims considering they have been trying to wipe out Jews since their existence, but I ask you this, is what he said really false? Let's examine some of his statements.

"Extremism believes that it's okay to strap bombs on to your children and send them to paradise and whatever else and to behead people," he said yesterday.

I'd say this is true. Muslims have been doing this for years. They teach it to their children. Their culture encourages it. If you think otherwise you have been hiding your head in the sand of liberalism for far too long. This is well documented. It's documented from Muslims. They don't generally hide this as it's part of their culture.

He says that women are treated worse than dogs.

Muslim women had to walk behind their men and were not allowed to be educated or own houses, he said.

Some lady called into the show to rebuke him. Ms Carland said she had two degrees, was doing her honours and "certainly do not walk behind my husband".

This is an exception to the rule, not the norm. In fact, by most standards this person would be considered a radical Muslim!!! Can we call her a leftist Muslim? This lady probably lives in Australia where the broadcast was heard. A modern country. USA is also a modern country as well as several in Europe. But in the middle east you better believe that Gene Simmons is spot-on. They still have to wear burkas, walk behind their husbands, are not allowed to own property, or be educated.

Even modern countries such as Australia, and the United States are having difficulty with Muslims trying to practice their laws and beliefs....such as raping women because they weren't wearing a burka. She was asking for it, don't you know? This is acceptable by Muslim standards. How do YOU feel about it?

"They want to come and live right where you live and they think that you're evil."

Absolutely true..... you are either Muslim, or you are not Muslim and therefore an enemy or slave.

Towards the end of the article you can see that various people are trying to apologize or make excuses for what he said. The problem is not what he said. It's that it's happening and he decided to speak the truth about it. Fortunately for him, because of his position of being a celebrity and being extremely rich, he can't get fired for it. In his case, the left can't silence his freedom of speech.

Proper Hockey Drinking Etiquette

My friend, Ron (aka Weasel) and I have developed a theory on how to assist our favorite hockey team, The Dallas Stars, win more games. This theory has been a work in progress since approximately 2000 when the Stars went to work trying to win Lord Stanley’s Cup again.

The theory is relatively simple, though you must follow the rules closely or it can skew the end-results. The basic premise of the theory is that beer has energy. Now, I know what you are already thinking…..here we go with some crazy beer theory. But think about this – beer is made from the fermentation of various products such as wheat, barely, hops, etc. This fermentation indeed puts off heat and as most of us learned in basic chemistry the heat is energy. Therefore, we can conclusively say that beer has energy.

We also learned in basic chemistry that there are positive electrons and negative electrons. If this exists, isn’t it also possible that there is positive energy and negative energy stored in the beer? We believe that there is.

You have negative-energy beers. These are losing beers. These beers contain negative energy and actually hurt the team while the puck is in play. You can’t test for it, and you can’t see the negative energy. The only way you know if it’s there is if the opposing team scores a goal against the Stars. Because the beer still contains this negative energy, and we don’t want the Stars to get scored on again, we must get rid of the beer. The proper way to dispose of beer is to drink it until it is all gone.

There are also positive-energy beers. These are winning beers. These beers contain positive energy and help the team while the puck is in play. Again, there is no way of knowing if you have a winning beer or not. However, should the Stars score while drinking the beer we can conclude that it was, indeed, a winning beer and not a losing beer. The problem is that winning beers lose their energy rapidly after a goal is scored. It is therefore necessary to get rid of the beer and find another winning beer.

Now after all this beer consumption it will eventually be necessary to relieve one’s self as we all know that we don’t really buy beer, we just rent it for a while. Due to some unexplained phenomenon that we are still researching it appears to assist the Stars if you use the restroom while they are on the power play. As much as we like to watch the Stars while on the power play we have documented multiple instances where someone was in the bathroom and the team scored. We aren’t sure why this happens, but it does. It may have something to do with a temporal time vortex and the rapid collapse and expansion of the known universe and the fabric of space that exists between puck and the back of the net – but it’s just a theory at this point. We can’t actually observe this as we are in the bathroom when it happens.

And finally, a new variable has been discovered in the last year that is requiring further scientific research. This variable is based on the number of shots that are consumed before the game actually starts. There appears to be a direct correlation between how many goals the Stars score and how many shots were consumed prior to the game starting. Documented evidence and dramatic recreation has shown that if you consume three to four shots, the Stars will also score three to four shots. At this time, it is unknown exactly how this works, or how the energy of the beer is also affected. Further research is required.

So how can you help the Stars win?
1 - Drink shots before the game
2 - Consume the losing beers as fast as possible in an effort to get a winning beer.
3 - Consume the winning beers after they have used up their energy so that the Stars score
4 - And last, but not least, use the bathroom during a power play.

Follow these simple steps and the Stars may yet again win another Stanley cup.

BTW – I divulged these secrets to a friend of mine who is a Colorado Avalanche fan. Last year, during the playoffs, we had the Avs down and were looking to win the game. My friend quickly orderd a shot of Jagermeister from the bartender who had to go hunt for another bottle. The clock was ticking and my friend was getting frantic. The bartender found the bottle, poured the shot and my friend quickly consumed it. Two seconds later the Avs scored to tie up the game and then beat the Stars. I did not shoot Jager at the same time and can only apologize to everyone for the loss.

Some Blog Updates.....

Long time no post!
I have been working on a project for my company that has been taking up a lot of my time. Not only has it been taking up a lot of my time, but it's courseware development. I'm co-writing a course with some colleagues of mine. I can't say that I like it much as most of the course focuses on sales, and I'm not a sales person nor am I trained in sales techniques. I've been researching and writing a lot for the last week. As you can imagine, the last thing I really want to do is get back on the computer and write some more. That's why I haven't updated anything in a while.

North Texas is Closed.
For the last week we've had sub-freezing temperatures along with rain and ice-storms. Now, before you Yankees go and criticize people for not knowing how to drive in this stuff let's get something straight. We don't get snow and we don't get snow that packs down into ice. Both of which you can get some traction on. We get nice coatings of ice that are smooth as glass.

A four-wheel drive vehicle just means that all four wheels are spinning. We also don't get stuff like this very often so we aren't really equipped to deal with it. They make an effort to sand the overpasses and bridges, but let's face it.....there are 6.2 million people covering about 100 square miles. You can't possibly get it all.

And of course you get the idiots that don't know how to drive in drizzle, much less a sheet of ice. Of course there are going to be accidents. This is where working from home is both a positive and a negative. I don't have to drive in this crap, but I also can't call in and say I'm not going to make it because it's too dangerous out there.

Tales of the 'Priller
I spoke to several lawyers about my ticket. Most of them all agreed that I was screwed. The City of Fort Worth does not allow drivers ed, or MSF, to take care of a ticket if it's more than 25mph over the speed limit (mine was 29). They also don't allow deferred adjudication. But one lawyer said he could probably get it so I took a chance and mailed them my stuff along with $40.00. I'll post more information as I find out what is going to happen.

I also took my bike to get it inspected and they said "no way" because my front tire was practically bald in some spots. At least they didn't charge me, but I had to get new rubber spooned onto the rim. This, of course, gave me a great excuse to work on the bike during a rainy and cold Saturday afternoon. Now that the tire is on there I still can't ride it because of the weather. Once it clears up I should be good to go!

Interesting Thought
What if people were telepathic. Some people believe that it exists, but I've never experienced it that I am aware of. Unless someone really is controlling my mind and I just am not aware of it. In any case, let's say that telepathy not only existed but that we used it as a primary means of communication.

Would humans experience flocking behavior similar to other animals or would we still tend to primarily act as individuals? And what if we could stream our conscious mind to others? Would there still be a need for creative artistic expression such as paintings and music? If you can visualize it, or "hear" it in your head and then stream it, why paint it or play it? Of course, then it would only be a fleeting moment in time. Isn't everything really a fleeting moment in time anyway?

Light Switches, Alcohol, and Women
What is it with women and turning mean when they drink anyway? I know some guys that get mean, but it's a progressive behavior. They get mean over time as they get more drunk. But women are like a light switch. One minute they are fine and then BAM! they are mean, vicious people that become verbally and physically abusive. I'm not talking about just getting mad, I'm talking about getting unreasonably mad, and then there is nothing you can do to squelch it....except maybe get ran over by a steamroller. They'd probably be pissed off at you for that as you wouldn't' be able to drive them home or something.

Of the guys that I have spoken with about this, they have ALL experienced it. I've never met a guy that did this. Oh sure, been out drinking and one guy gets pissed over something but he doesn't turn into a raging, psychotic, lunatic....and you can usually talk them down somehow or another. But with women, once the switch is hot you are fooked. End of story.

My First Speeding Ticket

On the bike that is. I've never gotten a ticket on my bike before. Lord knows I have certainly deserved them, but this one really pissed me off. Let me first of state that I absolutely deserved a ticket because I was speeding, but here is how it went down.

Grasshopper and I are coming out of downtown Fort Worth and are coming through all of the ON RAMPS to get onto the highway. I see officer friendly sitting all blacked out in his patrol car (against the law - cops must be visible from a distance and if it's at night they must have their running lights on). As I pass him I think "He either got me or he didn't" so I didn't get on the brakes much or anything. In fact, as I passed him I also passed a sign that read 55mph.

So he starts his car up and pulls out onto....get this...the highway! And I immediately start slowing down and signaling to get over. Could I have ran? Oh you bet. For those that aren't familiar with this area it's about four or five on-ramps all coming together to get out of downtown Fort Worth and just ahead was not one, not two, but THREE freeway exits. I'm on a bike. All I had to do was gas it and I'd have been gone before he could get his engine started.....but that's a felony so I pulled over.

This prick walks up to me and doesn't say hello, hi, good evening, nothing. Just "License and insurance." So I get off the bike and pull it all out and give it to him. He then asks if my D/L is accurate and I said "yes." Finally, he said "I'm giving you a ticket for 69 in a 40." WHAT? I said, "Ummm....I thought this is an on-ramp for the highway?" He said "it is, but it's posted 40." Now, I've already pointed out that I passed a sign that said 55mph before he could even get his car started and I'm practically parked under one that says 60. Again, yes I was speeding, but there are major differences in penalties and infractions for say 15mph over the speed limit vs. 29 mph over the speed limit. He doesn't say jack shit, writes my ticket and brings it back to me. In the meantime Grasshopper rode by waving at me. Thanks.

Again, nothing. Not a word. Hands me my ticket and the pen to sign it. Then he tears it off and says "have a nice day." Fucking dick.

Later on I am checking out the ticket. He marked it:

• posted - this is B.S. It's a FREAKING ON RAMP
• sign - don't know what the difference is between this and the previous one.
• night - duh!
• urban - Ummm...do you see any freaking houses on the highway? Are there any kiddies with their bikes riding up and down the gutters? Are you out of your freaking mind? It's a merger of four different highways. Nobody is watering their patch of grass along the on-ramp to I-35.

Because of all of this, and the mph thing, I can't take a MSF or defensive driving to wipe the ticket. I'm going to go see a lawyer and try to get deferred adjudication. That's basicaly probation and if you don't get any tickets over the next 90 days they expunge it. You still have to pay the fine, though, and this one is definitely going to sting. So much for buying that iPod.

I'd much rather get a ticket for something like 100mph in a 70. It's much cooler and it least you can have some pride in it. This makes it sound like i was speeding through a residential neighborhood (which I never do). My only saving grace? Office dickhead didn't notice my inspection was out.

Clean and Legal....

Well after about $160 later my truck is once again clean and legal to drive. I had to get new tags, an inspection, an oil change and a car wash. Man, it's expensive having toys!!

Now I just have to get the bike up to date.

Pulling on the Vine....

...or vines as the case may be. I have a retaining wall in the backyard that is covered in various vines. Mostly trumpet vines, honeysuckle, a clematis, and some other wild weed-like vines. I also have an oak tree that is in close proximity to this wall and over the years it has gotten big enough so that the branches are very close to this wall.

The other night, I was kickin' it in the hot tub and I noticed that the vines had climbed into the oak tree. I couldn't see it very well at night, but just figured I'd cut them out when I had a moment. Today, I had a spare moment and I get around to looking at it and they have just about taken over my tree. This isn't a huge tree, but it is definitely not small either.

First, I cut the vines back to the fence to break them free of the tree and their roots. Then I start pulling them out of the tree. Fortunately, for the most part, they pulled out with some effort and didn't damage the tree. Not that it didn't take some effort. I could literally hang by some of these vines they were wrapped up in the tree so well. Some of them went all the way to the top of the tree, but I'd get a hold of one and start yanking it out. Literally, 40+ feet at a time. I figure I pulled close to 200 feet of vines out of my tree!!!

That's about 2+ years of growth, but I am really glad I got them out. That couldn't be good for the poor tree come springtime when it wants to bud out and start growing. I was just surprised there was that much up in there.

....and I bet you thought this was going to be a dirty post.

Movie Review - Long Way Round

I don't normally write up reviews on the movies that I watch, but I thought this one was worth while. If you haven't figured it out by now, I ride motorcycles and this is a movie about an epic adventure on a motorcycle.

It's actually more like a documentary or miniseries. It chronicles Ewan McGregor and his friend (and fellow actor) Charlie Boorman as they plan and then circumnavigate the globe on a pair of BMW motorcycles. The ride was from London to NYC the "Long Way Round" via Russia, Mongolia, etc.

A few quick negatives. The format of the DVD itself was lacking a bit. The menu system was very basic. You could access major titles, but none of the chapters of those titles from the menu system. I felt this was important as the major titles might have had four or more chapters each. The other thing I didn't like about it is that any time you loaded up a title it played the whole intro and then synopses of what the trip was about. Ok, great the first time but I'd been watching this for days. I didn't' need to see it every single time. It's a minor complaint but it was annoying when I'd pop in one of the 2 DVDs and try to get to a scene quickly.

My last negative, and this was a biggie for me that I had some trouble with throughout the entire journey, but especially at the beginning. There is a fair chance that you know who Ewan McGregor is. Anyone that saw any of the first three episodes of Star Wars knows he played Obi-Wan. He's also been in a slew of other very good films. His friend Charlie is lessor known in the States, but is also a fluent actor in Europe. My point is that they are both successful and far better off than most of us. So why did they feel the need to get everything sponsored and given to them for free? At one point they were evaluating KTM bikes, and KTM denied them the motorcycles and they got pissed about it. That made me mad. For any of us "normal" folk it would cost a fortune to do what they did, not to mention taking four months off from work. I felt it was very selfish of them. BMW ended up giving them some bikes, but I'll say this - during Ewan's personal camera diary he does address this issue and admits they are being greedy. Nice to know he recognized it.

But seriously, the movie / documentary is excellent. It's all about adventure and learning to cope with struggles and challenges that most of us will never face. What they had to get their bikes through in Mongolia and Russia is unbelievable.....but also unbelievably beautiful. The people they met, the places they saw were all incredible. It was definitely a man vs. machine, man vs. nature, and man vs. man as they struggle to ride across the world. Emotional highs and lows were to be seen on a nearly daily basis (or at least what you could see in the movie). And I was right there with them....

Towards the end of the journey they said it best. It was about getting out of your backyard and having a real adventure. About all the wonderful and friendly people they met along the way. About defeating the "what if" scenario that prevents so many of us from seeing the world. It was truly epic.

I was Censored!!!


Man, I really hate that. Check out the post below (prior to the one with the cigarettes). You can see the nice picture telling me that I violated the terms of service. Nice. If you didn't see it, it was a picture of a chastity belt on a chick. It's the same picture they use in Wikipedia. Nothing was showing. I've seen more skin at a public beach or swiming pool. How rediculous.

I don't like to link the pictures directly to other sites in case they move or change the picture IDs. So I use Photobucket for all my pics. While I don't typically post porn on the blog, I was really surprised this was blocked. Owell.....

Arlington Smoking Ban is In Effect!!

The city of Arlington, TX (where I live) passed a new law last year that prohibits smoking within 50 feet of a doorway in almost all "public" establishments. The reason I say "public" with quotes is because these are really private enterprise establishments that are open to the public as opposed to a city library.

I'm a non-smoker. Sometimes I don't even like to go out because of the smoke I have to put up with in going places. To a large degree this is great news for me and a lot of other non-smokers.

But what are the consequences? Think about what we have allowed to happen. We have said that the government possesses the right to tell a private enterprise what they can and cannot do. What has happened to the rights of the business owner? Note: I am not advocating the right of the smoker, here. I do not think smokers have the "right" to dirty the air that I breather anymore than I have the right to tell them not to smoke. But, I do think a business owner should have the right to do business in a manner that he or she sees fit provided that it is not a determinant to the health and safety of the general public.

Now that could be taken a lot of ways. But examples that I would throw out are factories that spew forth toxins into the rivers, streams, or air. I, as Joe-public, wouldn't have a choice when I drink the water that has the four legged, glowing, froggie swimming in it. On the other hand, Joe public should be able to go into a bar, throw back a coldie and smoke his freaking lungs out.

At what point do we say "stop?" I have been in many an argument with fellow bikers about being thrown out of establishments because we ride bikes or are wearing biker apparel. They argue that the business should be forced to serve us. I disagree. I say the business owner gets to make that choice. We have a choice as patrons to not go back....ever. But if they get their way then we are further reducing the rights of the business owner.

How would you like to be a business owner and told you HAVE to do business with certain people? Maybe it's a nice restaurant and a guy walks in with flip-flops and a thong on. That's it. Not very pleasant, but not in violation of a health code. Sorry, you have to serve him. If your other customers walk because of it, tough.

There are already all kinds of restrictive laws on businesses. I was surprised to learn that in some areas a business owner is NOT allowed to sell a product at a loss. What? Let me get this straight. I buy the product, and decide to sell it at a loss - it's MY money, but I can't do it. It's against the law.

And here we are back to the smoking ban. Fortunately this does not apply to standalone bars, sexually oriented businesses, pool halls, etc. But what about all the restaurants that spent thousands of dollars to accommodate the split-smoking-ban that happened years ago? This was a "compromise" ban than forced restaurants to have separate ventilation systems for smokers and non-smokers. It was a fairly expensive endeavour, but they did it to keep the business. Now that money is down the drain.

If we continue to allow the govt. to tell us what we can and cannot do in the privacy of our own business, it won't be long until they are telling us what we can and cannot do in the privacy of our own automobile or home. It's already happening. Be careful what you ask for....

Happy New Year - The Aftermath

Actually, it wasn't that bad. Most of my friends couldn't figure out what they wanted to do so I think most of them didn't do anything. A few of us decided that we wanted to have fun, but didn't want to be on the roads getting arrested. I had some over here and then we went to my sisters to briefly say hello to everyone. Then it was back here where we had a good time. We drank champagne at midnight (and a lot of other stuff the rest of the time), fired up the chimnea, fired off some cork-popper-thingies, played 3-man, and in general had fun but stayed safe.

I can't say the same for the house, though. It was trashed. It's not bad enough that I am trashing it after coming home and trying to get things reorganized everyone else decided to help out (trashing it, that is). So, waking up slightly hung over and having to clean the whole house was not very fun. But it's still better than waking up in Jail with Bubba (320 lbs of love) as your bed buddy.

Dr. 90210

So last night I am tired and flipping channels a bit. This is not something I do often, but I couldn't motivate myself to do anything else and I figured I would crash soon. I see a show like this and I just can't believe how many people are so vein and materialistic about themselves. There was a chick on there who was having liposuction for the THIRD time. Hello? Get your twinkie eating ass off the couch and go to the freaking gym.

And the things that these people are in there for... I just don't get it. Out of the eight or so people they showed only one had a legitimate reason for surgery. The rest of them were your typical plastic people found in Beverly Hills. How anyone can stand it I do not know.

Online Dating

Prior to coming back to TX I thought I would check a few of these things out. It saves me time from having to go to the bars to meet the wrong person..... not that I am opposed to going out, but I figured I would increase my odds prior to even getting home. Besides, unlike a lot of people I am not looking to find my ultimate match online. I am only looking to meet people. Should something happen beyond that then so be it.

I think that many people on there are looking for their ultimate match. I see this more-so in women than in men, and this applies to the non-cyber world as well. Women tend to have this idealistic vision of a relationship. They want to be in one. I don't know many men that are this way. I am not looking for a relationship, but I am not opposed to one, either. As I like to ask people - You don't leave your house looking for $20.00 bills on the sidewalk do you? But would you pick one up if given the chance? That's my philosophy.

But, for you women out there, don't think you don't have your demands. They all want tall-dark-and-handsome. Most women are looking for men that are over 5'10" tall (even if they are only 5'2"). They also want someone that is financially well to do, a great sense of humor, confident, self assured, romantic, honest and good looking. Mr. Perfect in other words. However, flip that around and I see the women get bent. All you men do is stereotype. Oh really? LOL

But there are a few things that get me about all of this:

#1 - being 50 lbs or more overweight is NOT an average or athletic body type. And I don't really care if you are 50lbs overweight as long as you aren't expecting a romantic involvement from me.

#2 - if you have kids, that is fine. I don't need to re-read an aggressive dissertation that you have kids, that they are your life and that you want someone to be a step-father to your kids. That's kind of a given. I don't mind if you have kids provided that you understand that I want to do things without the kids. I didn't get married and have kids so that I could do things without the kids....that was my choice, you made yours.