The World According to Pedro

Engineering Flowchart

2011-11-10T13:26:00.001-08:00

Maybe it's because I'm a guy and I like to tinker with things, but I found this simple description of what to do when you are faced with a problem in the shop, very funny.

TP Metalica

2011-10-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture I took at Speed Week last year. For those who don't know, Speed Week is the annual event held on the Bonneville Salt Flats where people try to go as fast as they can in all sorts of vehicles. This is the engine to one of the faster ones. It is essentially an engine encased in a kids swing set with a seat on it. It goes really fast but it is a bitch when you roll.

Food Tokyo Style

2011-10-22T00:53:00.000-07:00

On my recent trip to Thailand we had a layover in Tokyo - at the airport. I don't usually recommend food at the airport but I was in Tokyo and I do like Sushi. Here is what we were served. It was some of the best Sushi and airport food I've had.

Food Glorious Food

2011-10-20T04:08:00.000-07:00

So I have been following Max's Thematic Photography Week posts and thought I would join this week since the topic is food.

I am a fan of food. I like to cook, I like to eat and I like to drink. All good past times to keep oneself healthy and pass the time.

Here is some food from a recent trip to Thailand. The first is Dragon Fruit, the second is Pad Thai and the third si Green Curry with Chicken. All delicious.

Hell of a Question

2011-09-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

HELL EXPLAINED BY

A CHEMISTRY STUDENT

The following is an actual question given on University of Arizona chemistry mid term.

The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well:

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. There fore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct..... ...leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting

'Oh my God.'

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

Ikea's Manland

2011-09-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

It's true. Guys now have a place to go when our wives ask us to go shopping.

Typically when my wife asks me to go shopping I feign a burst appendix or try to think of something I have to do around the house.

My wife loves to shop. She is good at it. She will spend hours wandering and looking. She gets good deals.

I like to commando shop. No - that's not shopping without underpants. It is knowing what single item you want before you go into the store, heading right to it without distraction, taking less than a minute to grab it and heading directly to the check out. The mission is complete in 3 minutes and 15 seconds if the check out line is short. If I am in the store for more than 5 minutes I expect my unit to come in on a rescue mission.

Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant, has come up with a great idea. They have a room for guys to play foosball or watch football. Sort of like a daddy day care, only it is dad who is being watched.

I can't wait for this to come to the US. I will actually want to go to Ikea. My wife can browse to her heart's content while I catch up on ESPN. I wonder if I can show up in my pajamas?

Two dudes play a game of foosball in IKEA's Manland, an adult play area for those bored husbands and boyfriends. Photo: YouTube

Father of the Year

2011-08-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

Late one night a truck was pulled over on the interstate outside Baton Rouge, LA. The driver was 8 years old. His very intoxicated dad was in the passenger seat along with his 4 year old sister.

It seems dad had too much to drink and had instructed his 8 year old son to drive him home. After all, dad shouldn't be driving, for safety reasons as well as the possiblity of getting a DUI ticket.

My question is how does an 8 year old reach the pedals? Did he tie bricks to his feet?

You know, if you take the fact that the kid was 8 out of the equasion, the guy wasn't as dumb as you may think. He didn't get behind the wheel himself, and he did get a designated driver. I think kids should get special dispensation if they get caught driving underage when they are bringing their alcoholic parents home.

Happy Anniversary

2011-08-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

I was having a bad day. I had this tussle at work last night and woke up to a crappy email. I am still recovering from jet lag so I got up at 5:00 am this morning and I couldn't get back to sleep and I lost my prescription glasses.

I got to work and closed my door. Everyone knows this is code for leave me alone. I took my pharmacy reading glasses and began researching who I needed to go to for replacement glasses. The choices were meager and I had to make an appointment.

I decided to look at my brother's websiteand there was a banner announcement for my anniversary. I totally forgot it was today. I immediately called my wife and wished her a happy anniversary and luckly she had missed it too.

My wife and I have been married for 35 wonderful years. We have grown up together, raised 4 kids together and battled against the evil forces in the universe together. She truly is my soul mate. A few years ago we mutually agreed that we wouldn't make a big deal about our anniversary. We don't have big parties, we don't do lavish gifts or trips and we don't expect each other to do anything secret. It is just another reminder that we are both very lucky to have found each other so early in our lives.

So here is my best wishes to my other half - May you continue to enjoy my company as much as I do yours in the coming years, may you always feel safe in telling me anything and may you know that I am always thinking about you and your well being. This is my commitment to you. I love you.

Round and Round We Go

2011-07-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

I'm here in England and finally I have a few minutes to myself. I set off on Saturday to get to England on Sunday (they are 7 hours ahead of SLC time and it takes more than one day to get there for those who haven't done this). I wanted to be ready to go on Monday for our meetings.

I got on the plane from JFK to Manchester on Saturday night. About a half an hour into the flight there was this loud rushing noise. The pilot put down the landing gear. It turned out the landing gear wasn't going up properly and they had to return to JFK to fix it. We circled for 2 hours to lighten the load, they couldn't just dump fuel over Long Island - or could they?

We landed and they said they would book us into a hotel and get us on the next flight out. This was 10:30 in the evening.

That's when the fun started. They had one gate agent doing the rebooking for all 250 of us. We finally got through with the ticketing about 12:30 in the morning.

I went down to the taxi stand to get a taxi to the hotel. In most airports taxi stands are orderly and move along relatively quickly, time is money. Not at JFK. The airline had booked us with a certain car service so we couldn't give our vouchers to anyone else. There wasn't a line so every time a car arrived impatient passengers waiting for a ride jumped at the driver before he got out of the car. Rather than taking the first ones in line, since there was no line, the cabbies took the shortest routes, time is money. Of course I was at one of the farthest hotels. This was about 1:00 am.

I finally got a taxi by getting 4 other people who were going to the same hotel together and we attacked a cabbie in unison and brought him to his knees. We climbed into the cab before he could say no and we locked ourselves in. He had no choice. This was about 1:30 am.

As we were careening along the Long Island Expressway toward Brooklyn the cabbie missed a turn and tried to cut across the merge area, the right front tire blew. This was 2:00 am.

It was amazing how many people were up blasting along the L.I.E. at this time of night. I don't think we see that much traffic on Friday afternoon in Salt Lake.

The cabbie got the spare out and proceeded to demonstate why he was a cabbie. He knew nothing about changing the tire. After a half an hour of this I jumped in and essentially changed the tire. He cranked on the jack while I took the tire off and put the spare on (I know, there is a joke in there but I am trying to keep this clean). This was about 2:30 am.

We finally got to the hotel and I got checked in and to my room after 3:00 am. What a blast.

Down and Out

2011-07-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

Today I went out for a bike ride. I was coming along a street waiting for the red light to turn green. I wanted to go straight and there was a right turn lane. I was slowing to get behind the car in the straight lane when a tow truck driver came along side me to turn right.

The driver didn't see me and since I was between lanes he pulled up to the cross street and waited to turn left. The only trouble was I was attached to the side of his truck. Since he didn't see me when he pulled up, he took me with him. I couldn't get away so I fell against the truck and down to the ground. He was pulling a Subaru on a dolly so I fell between the truck and the car. The truck didn't stop - although it was going slow.

I was yelling to stop but he kept moving up to the cross street. I tried to push away from the car since the wheels of the dolly were coming up. I got away just in time but the dolly wheels ran over my bike seat and my back tire doing significant damage to the bike.

At this point my wife, who was behind me, was yelling also, so the truck driver stopped. The police came and interviewed us. The tow truck driver wasn't at fault since I was in-between lanes. I got a lecture from the cops about following the rules of the road. I should have been squarely in the straight lane and taking up a space like a car.

I am physically OK but I have my ego bruised. Yeah, I could have done things better but the driver of the tow truck could have cared less that he ran over a bicyclist. He yelled at me when I got up off the ground and he kept yelling at the cops about the accident until one cop had to tell him to shut up. I even went over after the accident to tell him I had no hard feelings but he continued to chastise me for being in the wrong place.

I feel run over, not physically, but like I was just in everyone's way. I know I need to take personal responsiblity for things and we are so litigious as a society that no one wants to say anything for fear of being sued later, but as soon as the cops and the guy saw that I wasn't bleeding internally, the whole experience was so blazee. Write up the report, file this, etc.

I feel like a big dork. If I had just followed the rules of the road and taken up a space in the line going straight this probably wouldn't have happened. My wife and I were both scraped up, she fell too. No one was injured, but I could have been killed.

My scrapes will heal and my bike can be fixed I think. I hope the frame is OK. Everyone else can feel good about not doing anything wrong. I guess the moral of this story for me is respect the car. I would also ask that drivers double and triple check when bikes are traffic.

Violent Video Games - I Can Die Now

2011-06-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

I appear to have committed the ultimate liberal sin. My brothers are going to disown me. I agree with something Gayle Ruzika said.

Gayle Ruzika is the neo-nazi, ultra right wing liberal bashing fundamentalist at the center of the Eagle Forum here in Utah. If it involves guns, freedom and liberty for all (those who are entitled to it) she is for it.

Given my natural tendancy toward a more liberal and/or moderate view of life it would seem that Ms. Ruzika and I would never see eye to eye on anything. It appears that I should never say never.

Yesterday the US Supreme Court struck down a California law prohibiting violent video game sales to minors. The Court said that this was an infringement of the rights of minors. Aside from the fact that minors really don't have rights, it would seem in contrast to their views on obscenity. You are a criminal if you sell a kid a nudie magazine (I'm not advocating this) but it is their constitutional right to buy a game that shows rape, torture and exploding body parts.

I usually side with the US Supreme Court and most of the time I can see their reasoning. I haven't read the decision but I would assume there is more to it than we are getting on Fox News.

Here is the part about Ms. Ruzika. She said that the US Supreme Court was wrong (no suprise) and that we needed to protect our children from these sorts of violent games. I couldn't believe that she was saying what I was thinking. I can die now!

Where is it?

2011-06-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

I guess I am starting my own theme of photos - where is it? This is in the United States and is from a city I visited a few weeks ago. It is a famous building of historical sigmificance. I guess a better question would be what is the historical significance?

If you zoom in on the wall sign it will give you a clue. The plaque below was on the house across the street. It also contains a clue.

They're Roos

2011-06-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

If anyone guessed Australia on the Hungry Jack photo you are right. To prove that I was there, here is a photo of Kangaroos on a golf course.

What is it?

2011-06-17T01:10:00.001-07:00

I'm going with the Thematic Photograpic theme this week of “signs that make us wonder”. . I took this on one of my travels last month. It is a real sign for a fast food place. If it looks familiar with another name that is because they are related but due to some long lost dispute this is how this brand appears. Can anyone tell me where?

Quote of the Day

2011-06-14T01:19:00.000-07:00

This morning I was watching TV and saw a story on the You Tube movie "A Life in a Day".

You Tube asked for submissions of video from all over the world from one day in March and then they compiled the best into a single 90 day movie. There are a lot of mundane scenes and some very clever and dramatic. One shows a lady skydiving. The cameraman goes out of the plane first and then catches up to her and films her as the camer passes her. It is beautiful film.

The producer said in summing up the experience "All around the world our differences are superficial, our similarities are more profound". I thought that was very moving.

Diversity in Utah

2011-05-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I opened the sports page of the Salt Lake Tribune and on the front was an article about a U of U women's basketball player. The article focuses on the fact that she is only the second African American to complete 4 years in the U of U basketball program. Do we really have to make this point?

I know my roots run deep into the progressive, hippie, liberal Northeast but I thought we left this sort of racism behind several decades ago. I also know that African Americans are not a large part of the cultural makeup here in Utah, but we do live in the 21st century at least 50 years removed from the days when that's all we saw of people, the color of their skin.

I would have hoped for better, even in Utah. I would have hoped that her individual accomplishments would have meant more than her ethnicity.

Racism comes in many forms, blatant and subtle. If we are to truly grow beyond our forefathers and not discriminate against someone because of their race, creed, color or religious, or other, preferences, we need to stop pointing these differences out. She is a star athlete and an academic success, nothing more, nothing less.

More Snow in Utah

2011-05-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

Its spring in Utah. This is April 30th in Utah. One minute it is snowing, the next it is 60 degrees. This is what we woke up to Saturday morning. This afternoon the high will top 60 degrees.

An Open Letter to Utah Drivers

2011-04-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is a letter I wrote to the UHP:

Dear Utah Highway Patrol,

I am writing to express my displeasure with the drivers in Utah. I know this is a generalization and not all Utah drivers are like this but I have spent 30+ years driving in Utah and I have detected a pattern.

This morning two incidences on my 5 mile trip to work again reminded me of this pattern. The first involves getting on the freeway. I was behind several cars entering the freeway at 40 mph. I signed left to enter and sped up. The middle lane was clear for a while and no one was in the left lane. The driver in the right lane sped up to try and prevent me from entering (he or she was at least 3 car lengths away from me). When they got up to me they hit their horn. They could have easily moved left to avoid the whole mess.

The second incident involved merging from one freeway to another. The car ahead of me was in the far left lane. He or she was travelling in the left lane for about a mile. I was behind them in order to pass another car in the middle lane. I had to merge right after I passed the car ahead to get to the other freeway on ramp. I signaled. As I entered the center lane the car in front of me put on their signal and tried to merge right. I was less than a car length from them. They kept coming until they realized I wasn’t going to let them in and after I passed them they got behind me and put on their high beams.

Both of these incidences should not have happened if the other drivers were used to driving in traffic and could anticipate other car’s movements.

I call this “self-involved” driving. I believe the driver is only thinking about their needs on the road and either doesn’t see the other drivers, doesn’t consider them when moving from lane to lane or doesn’t care. They are where they are and they have a right to be there.

It is just common courtesy to try and make the flow of traffic as reasonable as possible for as many people as possible. We all have to share the road and we can do a lot to improve safety if we would just think about someone other than ourselves. With increased traffic in our area this will only get worse.

I find myself so frustrated by this “self-involved” driving that I take on the same attitude just so I can get where I am going. This is counter-productive and sometimes dangerous. I am also concerned it will be seen as “aggressive” driving, the target of a recent UHP campaign, when I am just trying to get away from poor driving habits.

I encourage UHP to put more emphasis into your “share the road” campaign with respect to other drivers. Train people to look out for others, anticipate their moves and work with them rather than against them. UHP should also have an enforcement campaign to ticket those drivers who make unsafe maneuvers in order to maintain their place or not yield the road. I think UHP was successful with this in part with the “move left” campaign for stopped patrol cars on the right side of the road.

UHP officers have a very dangerous and thankless job. I appreciate your work every day. I offer this insight to help, not to complain.

Mineral Bottom Road Revisited

2011-04-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

On our trip to save a German (see my last post) we rode down the Mineral Bottom Road. It is completely repaired and as good as it was before the washout, if not better.

Grand County has done a wonderful job of getting this road back up and operational in time for the spring tourist season. They have also put in diversion canals at the top of the canyon and cement pads along the road where they believe water could run in heavy rains.

It is possible to get a 2 wheel drive car down the road but I wouldn't advise it. You can't go any further than the bottom of the switchbacks in a 2WD and in anything but ideal conditions this road will still provide challenges to the un-initiated.

Saving a German

2011-04-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were in Canyonlands. We had a permit to camp at one of the campsites along the White Rim trail. The White Rim is a 100 mile long 4x4 road isloated from civilization that is popular with mountain bikers. Once in you are on your own.

We camped at Murphy Hogback. That is 50 miles in, just halfway. At 8:00 pm, just as we are about to retire, we hear a voice. "Can you help me?".

Usually this area has some traffic at this time of year. The weather is typically spectacular, not to hot, not too cold and usually sunny. This weekend it was forcast for a rainy, dreary onslaught of several storms. In addition the US government threatened to close the Park on Friday night - budget cuts.

Friday's weather turned out a lot better than we expected. The storms went north and we didn't get much rain, just a sprinkle or so. On our way in on the White Rim we commented on how few people we saw. At our camp area there were 3 other sites, all empty. There was no one else around for at least 20 or 30 miles, most likely 50 or so.

The voice belonged to a German tourist who rented a mountain bike in Moab and wanted to bike the White Rim. He was alone, out of water and very lightly clothed. The temperature was predicted to be 27 degrees F that night. He wanted to know the fastest way to get out of the White Rim. We told him it was the way he came in, 50 miles of rough road.

You know that look you see in people's eyes when they realize they are in much deeper than they expected? He had that exact look. We didn't have spare sleeping provisions but we did have some food, water and a blanket we shared with him. He slept in the outhouse - his name was Klaus so we called it the Klaus house. It wasn't very pleasent but it kept him warm. In the morning we fed him a hot breakfast and sent him back on his way. He was very greatful to find us.

The trouble with the vast country that is Canyonlands National Park is that first time visitors can't appreciate it's enormity. It is the wild. It will swallow you up if you aren't prepared. I guess that is part of the reason I like going there.

Unlimited Runs Update

2011-04-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

My Dad had a great response to the "unlimited runs" comments last weekend.

We were coaching kids baseball (7 and 8 year olds) and the other coaches were assertive. The league rule is each team can score only 5 runs each inning even if the other team doesn't have 3 runs. This team was up 20 to nothing. Before the last inning the other coach announces "remember, we get unlimited runs in the last inning".

Dad said I should have responded "How about I give you 100 runs now and we go home?". No wonder I have such a sarcastic sense of humor.

Snow in April

2011-04-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

It snowed yesterday. We got about 6 inches.

The strange thing was that the power was out for more than 12 hours. At first it was cool. I liked the quiet without the heater blasting. We snuggled under the covers and didn't get up until about 11 am.

Then it got weird. We didn't know what to do. I kept looking for things to do without power. I finally ended up reading the whole Sunday paper.

We kept calling RMP. They kept saying, in a recorded message, that they knew about the outage and we would have our power on in a couple of hours. Finally I went through to the complaint voice message and inserted our address. They recorded it and said they were working on it. I was uncharacteristically patient with the person less voice on the other end. After all, it was Sunday and we had nowhere we needed to be.

Just as we decided to leave for dinner out, after I had struggled getting the garage door open and closed manually, we noticed the outside lights were on. The power had finally been restored. Of course I attribute the ultimate power restoration to my persistent phone calls.

Unlimited Runs

2011-04-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

I help my son coach my grandson's baseball team. These kids are 7-8 years old and they are just learning the game of baseball. This is the first year they are hitting a ball pitched to them and they are still figuring out what to do once they hit the ball. Its a lot of fun to coach them and watch them learn baseball.

Yesterday we had our second game. The first game was an exercise in learning the rules and having fun. The kids cheered each other on and there was a lot of forgiveness when the kids on either team didn't know the rules.

The second game was totally different. The coach on the opposing team was yelling at the kids. He was a stickler for the rules (only three strikes and you are out - most of our kids went out on strikes) and he played a very aggressive brand of baseball, teaching his kids to run until they either reached home plate or had to stop because our kids had run in the ball.

One of the rules is that the inning ends if one team scores 5 runs in that inning. This is to prevent a coach running up the score on kids who are just learning.

We were behind about 20 to nothing as the last inning approached. Their kids hit well and took advantage of every opportunity to score. Our kids hung in there as Jeff and I kept encouraging them to have fun and not worry about the score.

As the other team got ready to bat for the last inning their coach announced "remember, we get unlimited runs in the last inning". Like they needed it. What a tool.

We found out that the other team was made up of 10 all-stars from last year. I guess they needed to play some beginners to get their confidence up before they faced someone who would not be so easy on them. The players weren't mean spirited, they were just 8 year olds having fun. It was the Douche Lord (that's Maddy's word) coaches who took the game way too seriously.

After the game Jeff went to put the equipment back and he talked to the opposing team's coach. Jeff was being positive and said something like "it's all in fun". The coach shot back "you need to push them, they like it". It's tough when your ego is wrapped up in an event so much that you loose sight of the real purpose - the kids.

I want to take on the saying "remember we get unlimited runs in the last inning" as my mantra. Not in the way their coach meant it, but as a reminder that we shouldn't take life too seriously and that we should focus on what matters.

Back to Normal - Almost

2011-03-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

I am back from the UK. I am almost recovered from jet lag and I am mostly sleeping through the night.

I still get the sweats and that ringing in my ears and I am tired by 3 pm. They say it takes a day for every hour time change you go through. The UK is 7 hours ahead of Utah so I should be coming around about Saturday.

Last Saturday we rode motorcycles in the UK. It was a grueling day of pounding up and down a closed course. The track was slippery and I kept loosing control until I figured out that my tires (tyers in the UK) were inflated too much. I lowered the air pressure and it was much better.

Due to the punishment I suffered on Saturday, Sunday was a bit rough sitting for up to 8 hours in a cramped plane. I'm not complaining. I was on my way home and the ride was a blast. Just informing.

Nice Sleep

2011-03-22T02:42:00.000-07:00

I arrived here in England on Monday morning. I was shuttled to my friend's house where he went off to work and I was given a nice cushy oversized couch on which to take a nap. It was a great hour of sleep.

I then checked into my hotel room and we went to the office. I worked for a few hours and then we went to dinner. I was in bed by 9:00 pm and slept through the night. I woke up at 8:00 am feeling a bit groggy but rested.

Tonight is the rough night usually. I get good sleep the first night because I am so exhausted. The second night I wake up at about 3 or 4 and can't get back to sleep. I wonder around the next day in a zombie state.

Wish me luck.

Nice Upgrade

2011-03-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

I was set to go to England on Saturday. I got to the gate in SLC and waited. The flight was oversold so they asked for volunteers who might want to go later.

I really didn't need to be there on Sunday, but I wanted to get there to rest up for work on Monday. Usually the flight is such a pig. Crowded, uncomfortable, like steerage on a turn of the century steamship, only without the discentary. I usually don't get much sleep. This makes for a bad first day on the ground.

I told the gate agent I had some flexibility. She offered me a voucher for travel later and an upgrade to first class. She said she could only give me first class on the US leg of the flight. After some proper schmoozing she agreed to see if a seat was available in first class from Atlanta to Manchester. It was.

I am now in the Delta Crown Room on Sunday waiting for my first class flight to Manchester. Guess what else you get with a first class ticket? I trip to the Crown Room. I could get used to this.

The cool thing about a first class seat to Europe is that you can sleep. The seats are twice as wide as the coach seats and they recline most of the way. There are more flight attendants and fewer screaming kids.

I may actually get to England feeling the same as I would have if I had arrived on Sunday having suffered through coach.

Ah, to sleep, perchance to dream.

Rainbow of Colors

2011-03-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

I was riding home from work today, it was misting and as I approached the exit this huge rainbow popped out of the clouds. It was a lot more impressive than the picture shows.

Charlie Sheen is the New Gary Bussey

2011-03-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

I watched Charlie Sheen on a 20/20 interview earlier this week. He wasn't even listening to the interviewer's questions. He was asked a direct question, in plain English, about his past sex life, drug use or allegations of spousal abuse and Charlie would ramble incoherently about how he was a nice guy. I know this can be a tactic, but he seemed to genuinely consider the question and then set off on another trajectory with words that sounded like English but didn't string together like they were even in the same room as the question.

I like the sitcom Two and a Half Men. I think the character Charlie Harper is funny, as a character. Charlie Sheen is the real thing. It just looks pathetic without a laugh track and a dopey sidekick.

He reminds me of another soul lost to drugs and fame - Gary Busey. Gary would also ramble into the camera when approached. It got so unintelligible that the only thing that separated him from the homeless guy we see on our walk downtown is that Gary sort of reminded us of someone who played an actor in a few films.

Imagine a conversation between Charlie Sheen and Gary Busey. One would ramble nonsense and the other would respond, with similar but creepily disjointed nonsense of his own. This would go on for a while until one got angry, fell asleep or fell down. Sort of like two blindfolded boxers - funny for about 30 seconds.

The real drawback to fame and fortune, aside from the hordes of hangers on who take advantage of you and the stalkers, is that it gives you permission to do what you want, without consequences. Charlie will have to learn, or is learning, the hard way, that life is about choices. May God bless him with the ability to pull himself out of the morass he finds himself in before it is too late.

Today's Beefs

2011-03-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

I have two beefs.

The first is the Utah legislature. Not their total lack of reasonableness in wasting most of the 45 day session promoting "message bills" leaving themselves precious little time to deal with real issues like the budget or education. Not that they are wasting my time and yours promoting a bill to remove the 100 foot no gun safety zone around schools so unsuspecting "carriers" don't get unwittingly trapped into breaking the law.

My beef with the legislature is their total hypocrisy in ethics reform. Last year they were all up in arms that they needed to control influence pedaling so they passed an "ethics in the legislature" bill. The problem is that the bill has a whole big enough to drive a catering truck through.

Lobbyists are required to report gifts over $10 per legislator with the exception of food and beverage. This year with 33 days in the session so far lobbyists have provided 112 separate meals. And that is for all the legislators since under the sweeping ethics reform the lobbyists have to invite everyone.

That's more than three meals a day. In fact that includes 15 breakfasts, 12 dinners, 27 snacks and 15 receptions among the 112 events sponsored. I'm glad to see they took ethics reform so seriously.

The second beef is the raves at the Salt Palace. The news reported for a second time this year (I'm not sure if that is calendar year or in the last 365 days) drugs have been confiscated and people arrested at raves at the Salt Palace Convention Center.

Why are my tax dollars subsidizing a venue for raves? Can't the promoters at the Salt Palace get some legitimate gigs? Maybe they should ask the legislators who they can get for conventions? Maybe the same people who are catering to their every wishes. At least then their bribe food will have done some good.

Mineral Bottom Road Open This Season

2011-03-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have been following the dialogue about the Mineral Bottom Road, it was announced Friday that the road construction will be completed Monday, March 28, 2011 with the road being open to the public on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. This is great news.

The Mineral Bottom Road was washed out in a horrific rain storm in August, 2010. This is a major tourist back way that cut off access to a large portion of Canyonlands National Park.

The road was supposed to take 12 weeks to repair, once Grand County, the overseeing state entity, received funds. It looked like this would take away most of the travel season in 2011.

This is what the road looked like in August 2010 just after the washout.

This is what the damage looked like close up when we went down in October 2010.

Congratulations to the crew who put this road back in service in such a short time. This truly was a gigantic task that was done very quickly so we could enjoy the backcountry. Thanks.

Hippie Happening

2011-02-28T10:31:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much to talk about lately, but last night was an experience.

Tim DeChristopher is going to be tried in Federal Court for disrupting a Federal bid auction for oil & gas leases. He bid on leases he didn't intend on paying for, to demonstrate that leases should not be granted close to a National Park (Arches in Southern Utah) and that the continual pursuit and use of petrochemicals is killing our planet. Tim's trial started today in Salt Lake City.

Last night the Unitarian Church in Salt Lake City held a solidarity meeting in support of Tim DeChristopher's actions. A few hundred people showed up; mostly older, long graying hair, jeans and tie-dye shirts. They had made banners with the number 70 on it, Tim's bid number.

There was one speaker who was particularly powerful. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame. Sorry if you're too young to really appreciate the significance of this. Peter Yarrow marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, he was at the Chicago National Convention when all hell broke out in 1968. Peter, Paul and Mary are famous for singing such protest anthems as Blowin in the Wind and If I Had a Hammer. They also popularized such folk songs as Puff the Magic Dragon and Leaving on a Jet Plane. They embodied the hope and optimism of the 60's. They were an anchor where all seemed unhitched.

Last night's event was a throwback to those days, a true peace rally. We sung We Shall Overcome and This Land is Your Land and of course Blowin in the Wind. We sang one song that was really reminiscent of the 60s. It's title is Have You Been to Jail for Justice. The chorus goes: Have you been to jail for justice? I want to shake your hand; Cause sitting in and lyin' down are ways to take a stand; Have you sung a song for freedom? or marched that picket line? Have you been to jail for justice? Then you're a friend of mine. Peter Yarrow gave a rousing speech about why we need to question our leaders and why we are being very American for doing so.

Maybe it is the lack of sleep but I want to march on the capital and participate in a sit in. The 60s were a time of profound change that affect us all in a good way now because a few had the courage to stand up to the status quo. All those feelings came back. I was really young in the 60s so I was an outside observer, not a participant. This brought back all those desires to be involved and be part of something big. It was history in the making and I'm glad I was there.

All is Well

2011-02-18T17:01:00.000-08:00

I've been sucked in. My new employer is having a convention in Las Vegas. We have spent the past 10 days working to put it together, strategize and handle all the challenges of getting 150 people from around the world into one place, motivated and come together.

There always those who want just a few minutes of your time. You try to squeeze a few meetings into the tight schedule I set. I wake up tired and go to bed exhausted. I will need a few days to recover and then I can plow through the month's worth of work I need to get done next week.

I love it. I am demented. I need therapy.

Car Surfing

2011-02-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

I saw this story on the news yesterday about teens "car surfing". That's when a kid climbs up on the roof of a car going 30-50 mph piloted by a buddy. If the driver were a professional and you had worked out a plan beforehand of signals and what would happen if the unexpected were to happen and if you were wearing protective gear, this might be fun.

In most cases the kids are high and there is no plan. They aren't wearing safety gear and things happen. Some kids get killed. Kids - don't try this at home.

Things are made worse by "ghost riding". This is where the driver puts the car on cruise control and climbs up on the roof himself or herself. This won't end badly, will it?

The article said this concerning trend was probably started with the movie Jackass (2002). I don't think so. Not that I would admit this to my kids, but I have been known to use a car as a vehicle for stupid stunts. That was in the 70s. There was a movie in the 80s called Teen Wolf (1985) where Michael J. Fox climbs up on a really nice van and surfs into the school parking lot. In Footloose (1984) Kevin Bacon is fooling around in pick up truck beds driving side by side on dirt roads.

This has been going on for a lot longer than they think.

Epic Day

2011-02-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night, 11 inches at Solitude with a 98 inch base. 2-3 inches of the lightest, fluffiest, greatest snow on earth on my driveway. The sun is out, the wind is non-existant and it is a weekday.

Unfortunately I have a meeting planned for 10:00 so I am having as much fun as you are. Working for a living sucks!

The trip into work was made even less enjoyable by the drivers around me. The roads were just wet but they were going slow. This was compounded by some who had snow on their cars.

To the snow covered morons - take a minute before you leave to wipe off your car. Your blocked vision and attention to getting your windshield clear while driving diminishes your otherwise pathetic driving skills to the point where you are, more than usual, a danger to all around you.

I could be cutting turns in the powder right now.

The Anarchists Came Over Last Night

2011-02-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

We had our kids over last night. All 7 grandkids were in attendence. It was great. It is wonderful to see them growning and interacting. They really do like each other. They also seem very comfortable at our house.

There are two in particular that are especially comfortable with each other and everyone else. They are cousins. They are two of the triplets. Not real triplets, they were all born in the same year, in fact in the same quarter, to each of our kids (or their spouse in the case of our son). They have grown up together and get along well.

These two I refer to are particularly close. They go to the same preschool. Their mothers are sisters and get along well. They live within a mile of each other.

They also are full of personality. They are not shy and they both have a flair for the comedic. When they get together they are a hand full. I don't know how their preschool does it but when I go to pick them up, everyone knows them.

When they arrive they always ask for the other. If they are alone they are ok. They respond to direction and appear to play well with the others.

When the other shows up, all bets are off. They blast from room to room finding as many toys as possible and dragging them out in to the living room. Scattering the legos all over the place. Asking us to read a book and then getting another and then getting another until we have a stack on the coffee table, which eventually gets shoved off for a game or a stuffed animal.

I don't mean this in a negative way. I really love them and they are a blast to watch. I enjoy their energy and I try to keep up with them for a bit. I fade quickly and they are off to terrorize another room.

European Terrorist Alerts

2011-02-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

I pulled this off an email. All credit goes to John Cleese of "Monty Python" fame.

ALERTS TO TERROR THREATS IN 2011 EUROPE
By John Cleese

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out.

Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbor" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is canceled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Anti Democracy

2011-02-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

What the h--- happened in District 57? Sould we really stand by and watch this happen to our fundamental way of governing?

Craig Frank has been serving the constituants of District 57 in Orem for the Utah Legislature for 8 years. Last year, while the Utah Legislature was out of session, it was discovered he didn't live in the district he represents. This is against the Utah Constitution.

I understand and support the Utah Constitution. I agree a representative at the State level should live in his or her district to be a representative.

The problem is that Rep. Frank, all his constituants and the State Office of Voter Registration thought he did live in his district. Only after many years of this misconception was it discovered, by comparing a State legislative district boundary map with the official map was this error found. At least one election had been fully competed under the eroneous map description. So, but for a map error by the keeper of the map, he did appear to live in his district, people in that district thought he lived in that district and in fact he was elected to that district because he supposedly lived in that district.

Now the Utah Legislature got involved. Instead of accepting responsibility and rewriting the boundaries, they declared him ineligable as a Representative. Rep. Frank was pressured to resign so his position could be filled by the Legislature with someone who did live in the area. It turns out the Legislature can call together a committee of deligates and appoint someone for that seat. 64 people appointed another person for that seat.
A lawsuit was filed by the 1500 or so people who live in the affected part of the district, who now don't have a voice in who their representative is. The lawsuit was obviously a tactic to get the Legislature to consider them in their decision, because the lawsuit will be decided long after this process has moved on.

This is reminescent of the abuse Senator Robert Bennett suffered at the hands of the delegates last election. Other candidates were chosen instead of the veteran Senator Bennett to represent the Utah Republican party in the last election, without the public vote. The republican deligates appointed two candidates and Bennett wasn't one of them. It turns out a majority of voters would have voted for Senator Bennett to be in the primary, but they never got a chance to say this.

I know I am probably making this too simple, but I think the Utah Legislature took the easy (chicken) way out with Representative Frank. It makes you wonder if there was an ulterior motive behind all this. This appears all too clean, to easy.

Our democratic process, the foundation of our country, was established to give us all a vote. It is the most unpatriotic thing to prevent votes from being heard. People in other countries die trying to vote because they believe so strongly in this premise.

We should not stand for this. We should not tolerate the ignoring of one vote. We should not allow the democratic process to be hijacked like this.

You have a voice. You can let your representative know how you feel and how you would cast your vote for any of the bills being considered and any of the issues before them. Go to http://le.utah.gov/. This is the website for the Utah legislature. You can look up your legislators, current bills being considered by number and key word search and you can listen to the current debates and follow the ones you want with a daily agenda.

I am a strong proponant of personal involvement. I have written my representative many times and sometimes I get a response. I feel like I am part of the democratic process.

New Job

2011-02-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

I started a new job today. I haven't had an employer for almost ten years and I am working to adjust to it.

I have been an independent contractor for a while, enjoying the benefits/drawbacks of that business model for a while. I could go skiing or travel when I wanted but if I didn't work I wouldn't get paid.

I also felt like I was static. I wasn't moving forward. I wasn't part of something bigger with goals, dreams or aspirations. I didn't dream of growing my firm to be sold to a larger firm. I just provided services to a few clients and kept my head above water. I did ski a lot.

One of my clients grew to the point that they needed full time help. They made me an offer last month, and after some back and forth, I took it.

I now have someplace to go each day. I have goals and objectives. I am not just a hired gun, but part of the team. I can see my future with this company and I hope to be here a while.

I will miss the ability to come and go as I please. I already turned down a ski day on Friday. I didn't think it was a good idea to take a vacation day during my first full week of employment.

Sad Loss

2011-01-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

I lost a close friend this weekend. He was 45 and he took his own life. The senselessness of that act is just sinking in.

We hadn't seen much of him and his family in recent years. A few years ago we reconnected for a moment and we had them over for dinner. We then went to a play he was in to see his performance. I often remember fondly the times when we were working together and spent a lot of time on vacation and in other parts of the country for our company.

He was funny, really funny, comedian funny. He was always thinking of ways to express his artistic nature. Once we were in a company meeting. A retirement plan was being proposed and the speaker was telling us how we could manage our contribution from the company to maximize our return. He blurted out "Put mine all on black 17". We couldn't stop laughing and the presenter seemed a little sheepish.

He once played a practical joke on me by sending me a letter saying I was being sued. His timing was perfect. I was having a bad day and he slipped the letter into my box at work. Just as I was reading it he knocked on my door. That was it. I blew and he just laughed. It was perfect. I had been had in a major way and I knew it.

More than being funny he cared about his job. He worked very hard and was always thinking of ways to creatively solve challenges. He was a real asset to the company and often they just looked at his antics and not his accomplishments. I'm sure that is how it was for other areas of his life.

Its really sad when someone takes their own life. I feel like there is something I could have done. Maybe I could have told him I appreciated his work more. Maybe I could have stood up for him more often in meetings. I will never know.

We all have dark thoughts but what keeps us from following thru? Maybe if we were slower to judge and quicker to be empathetic someone we know would stop short. This is the 6th time I know of where a friend or aquaintence has taken his or her life in the past 4 years. I wish there was something I could do to let them know someone cared.

Snow More

2011-01-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

Its snowing again! I don't mean to be ungrateful, we do need the water, but this has been a very prolific year for snow.

In past years when we have had a dearth of snow we all prayed we would get more. I was disappointed that I couldn't go skiing as often as I liked. We worried about the water for the summer and generally a year doesn't feel like a full year if you don't have snow season.

This year has been unusual even for a good snow year. In a typical abundant snow year we have the stuff piled up everywhere and it gets in our way. This year the snow comes in small bunches and we can handle that. The white stuff is piling up in the mountains but so far we haven't had that epic snow storm in the valley that takes out power lines and prevents clean up on side streets for a few days. To date the only ill effect has been a really cold snap about New Year's.

The weather guys (and gals) didn't predict any snow for SLC today so that's why I thought it was weird when it started snowing this morning (the weather professionals wrong? no way). I thought it would just brush by and sprinkle a little. No real accumulation but just enough to powder the driveway.

It kept coming. On my way to work the snow whitened the roads. Cars left those tracks where the rest of the road is white. I got to work and had to go back out to my car and the snow had piled up about 2 inches. As I gaze out my window trying to avoid work the snow is continuing to fall at a steady rate, covering everything. We have about three inches here in Sandy and it doesn't appear to be letting up.

The skiers are going to love this. It will add to our water for the summer and it really is better than being in Florida for the winter, I think so anyway. The really funny thing is all this talk does nothing to change the amount, variety and frequency of the snow, rain, sun or clouds. They were here long before us and will continue, unfazed, after we are gone.

Mineral Bottom Road Update II

2011-01-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

I heard from my contact at the Grand County Commission that the Mineral Bottom Road has received funding for it to be fixed and the work has begun.

The first of at least two blasting events has taken place. This blast was done to clear the debris from the road. The second, which may have already taken place or will in the near future, is to create the topography necessary to put the road back in place.

There is no time frame set for completion of the project. As I am sure you can imagine rain, snow and unforseen consequences will most likely dictate the completion time frame.

I also called the National Park Service's office for backcountry permits and they said they didn't know when the road would be finished. They were still going on the assumption that if you wanted to camp on the White Rim you had to go in and come back the same way.

Both entities appear to be doing all they can to get this recreational treasure opened and functional for visitors. I'll keep you posted.

Cultural Void

2011-01-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

I have been listening to the debate over the prosecution of "pot hunters" in the Utah desert Southeast.

This post isn't about whether the gatherers (modern day "pot hunters" - not the hunter-gatherers of ancient civilizations) deserved their prison sentences. My interest here is in why the pots were left and why we have the notion that we can take anything laying around.

The pot hunters say they are entitled to the pots because they found them. Isn't that like saying "I found this money in this bag so I can keep it?". The law requires you to surrender any unattended property for a reasonable amount of time to give the rightful owner the opportunity to claim it.

I know the Anasazi aren't coming back for their pots, but the gathering of ancient artifacts from federal lands is strictly prohibited. In addition the "pot hunters" destroy valuable information when they take their finds.

As part of the background for the article on the "pot hunters" the journalist interviewed an archaeologist who speculated the pots were left because the ancient people had to leave quickly.

Doesn't this assume a lot? Doesn't this assume that if the ancient people could have, they would have taken all their possessions when they left this area? Doesn't this also assume that if someone isn't holding onto something tightly there is an overriding reason they left it behind, meaning that people wouldn't just leave things behind?

What I mean is that the settlers of the US who pushed west during the 18th and 19th centuries thought of the land as free and available to them. As long as someone hadn't come along earlier and claimed it, they could have it.

As I understand it, the Native Americans believed, and still believe, the land was to be used by all and they were only stewards, charged with keeping it in good shape for the next group to come along and use it.

What if the Anasazi left those pots, assuming someone would inhabit this area later, and could use them? I know this goes against centuries of manifest destiny thinking but wouldn't it be better to think of our natural resources as shared rather than owned?

I know some of this comes from my hippie upbringing but in my opinion there is a respect for nature that is lost in this conquering mind set. Part of getting along with others is trying to understand where they come from rather than trying to subjugate them.

In light of the recent events in Tucson, maybe if we tried to see where others are coming from and understand their motivation we could find some common ground, rather than point out, in hurtful and inflammatory language, our differences.

I guess Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's words have again impacted me this day that we celebrate his birth and influence on our society. If you have a chance read his "I have a dream" speech. It will send chills up your spine.

Goin to the Land

2011-01-17T10:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday we took my snowmobile to the land. Our objective was to get to the cabin. There was a lot of snow but I made it.

What I mean by I made it was that we tried to get the trucks up the unplowed road and we couldn't go more than a few feet. I then got the snowmobile (or is that snowmachine as per our Alaskan political hottie Sarah Palin?) and followed a track up the main unplowed road that led past our gate. I figured I could go up alone (lighter) and blaze the trail so the trucks could follow.

The track continued up past our gate and the entrance to our land was unplowed, untracked and snow drifted. I charged ahead and promptly got the machine stuck in the deep snow. I got off the machine and sunk down to my knees. I struggled to get the machine out and finally got it to the gate.

I did get the machine up to the cabin, not without burying it two more times in deep drifts. There were several broken limbs across the road. This is unusual for our land; broken limbs. The first picture is of a particularly large limb down across our road by the cabin. The snow must have been heavy when falling and come down really fast.

When I returned to the trucks I was exhausted from pulling the machine out of the drifts. My brothers had been trying to get the truck up the now machine blazed trail but without any success. The guys did manage to get their truck stuck in the snowbank while I was gone. The second picture is of the impression the front bumper made in the snowbank.

My wife and I had visions of getting up to the cabin alone with the snowmobile but I guess we will have to wait until the snow melts a bit or I track it up a lot more.

Any way it was fun riding up to the cabin. The air was fresh and clean. my lungs appreciated that.

The Shoe Tree is Gone

2011-01-10T07:49:00.000-08:00

Last week I read a small article in the Salt Lake Tribune saying the Shoe Tree along Highway 50 in Nevada was cut down. What a tragedy.

Last March a few friends and I rode motorcycles from Salt Lake to Death Valley, CA and back. On our way back we stopped at the Shoe Tree to pay homage. Its located on a very desolate stretch of one lane highway litterally in the middle of nowhere. Surely it was safe from vandalism.

I guess some people can leave well enough alone. The Shoe Tree was not hurting anyone, it wasn't blocking anyone's view or disrupting traffic or encroaching onto the highway. It was one of those weird bits of Americana that made the trip all that more interesting.

Heil Fido

2011-01-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

There was a really funny article in the paper yesterday. It seems the Nazis were angered by a dog in Finland that raised his left paw in a mock Nazi salute as a trick. The headline to the article read "Hitler-mocking dog in Finland infuriated Nazis".

"The Foreign Office in Berlin commanded its diplomats in the Nazi-friendly Nordic country to gather evidence on the dog and even came up with plans to destroy" its owner's business (By Kristen Greishaber, Associated Press, Saturday, January 8, 2011, page A8 of the Salt Lake Tribune). The article goes on to say They "were looking for ways to bring [the dog's owner] to trial for insulting Hitler, but in the end, none of the potential witnesses were willing to repeat their accusations in front of a judge.".

Can you imagine the trial? The owner is asked to demonstrate the trick and he says "He vont do zee trick mine furher, unless General Goebels commands him." They should have been concentrating on the Battle of the Buldge or the Normandy Invasion rather than a Furher mocking dog.

My Top Eight Stories of 2010

2010-12-31T14:54:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post this a week ago but I couldn't get to it until today. Maybe I should resolve not to do things at the last minute in 2011. Anyhow, here are my personal best stories from 2011.

Number 8 - Our Last Daughter in the House Started Driving - This is cool because it signals the beginning of the end. We are unchained from the responsibility of being personal chauffeurs, meaning she can drive herself to school, work or the mall. Lots more time for me and Mom.

Number 7 - The Release of the 33 Chilean Miners - That was cool to see those men extracted in a pod from half a mile in the earth after 70 days underground.

Number 6 - Rappelling in Southern Utah - We went camping this summer and my nephew brought rappelling gear. We saddled up some ropes on top of a fin and I put on all the gear. I was a little nervous, I had trouble completing the rock climbing wall at REI one year. I pushed off backwards and slowly made my way down the slope, about 60 feet to the ground. It was so fun I did it again.

Number 5 - Elk Hunt - This year I went Elk Hunting and shot an Elk. I cleaned it. This was a far more spiritual experience than I was expecting. I had a moment of connection to the animal, the land and some longing for a lost art; that of providing your own food. I felt grounded and connected to the earth that day.

Number 4 - Volunteering at the TOU - We volunteered for the Tour of Utah this year, as we did last year. We helped at three events and for one we got to follow the day's winner to the doping trailer. We were in the thick of it, much more than a spectator. I have found that volunteering for events like this make a much more satisfying experience than paying for a ticket. It also helps others.

Number 3 - Any of My Motorcycle Trips - This year I spent a lot of time on a motorcycle. I rode to Death Valley and back in March along the "Loneliest Highway in America", we spent a week in Canyon Country exploring the area just north of Canyonlands National Park in April, I rode along the old Pony Express trail into Western Nevada along mostly dirt trails in May,and in September I spent a week riding trails from Barcelona Spain into the Pyrenees and to the Mediterranean Sea. All in all a motorcycle has afforded me much more an intimate look at our world than I could have gotten by being a tourist.

Number 2 - My Colonoscopy - I am over 50 and this year I vowed to do it. I put it off until the end of the year. I kept seeing those commericals about Doug Miller and I finally broke down and made the appointment. The procedure was a relative breeze and I am free for 10 years. That gave me a lot of piece of mind.

The Number 1 Event for Me of 2010 - The Birth of My 7th Grandchild - I know this is an easy one and when most people ask for top events they exclude children or grandchildren as too easy, but this is my blog so I am using it. Our seventh gift from God is a wonderful, sweet boy. He is just like all the others, perfect in every way. If I had known grandkids would be this great, I would have skipped the kids and gone right to the grandkids.

Well, I hope your year was as full with blessings as mine was. I wish you continued love, sensory satisfaction and prosperity for 2011.

True Grit

2010-12-27T21:15:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of the Coen Brothers but even if you aren't, their latest offering, True Grit, is a great movie.

My wife and I wanted to see a movie. We heard the Coen Brothers remake of John Wayne's 1969 movie True Grit was good. That 's a huge underestatement.

The Coen Brothers are true to their reputations as the best film makers around. This is much more than a western. The cinematography is phenominal, the acting is superb and the music, as usual, makes the movie.

Jeff Bridges is not the Dude from the Big Lebowski in this film. He is rough, crude, solvenly and thinking about himself first. OK that also describes the Dude, but you have to see his performance to see what I mean. He brings something extra to a part that John Wayne won an Oscar for. Like Wayne's character, you both loath and like him all at once.

The newcomer who plays Mattie Ross, the 14 year old who hires Rooster Cogburn to avenge the death of her father, is perfect. She is tough but still 14. Her command of the fine art of haggling when selling back the horses her father bought before his untimely death, made me laugh.

The cast is rounded out by Matt Damon and Josh Brolin. Both provide substantial support to the lead actors and make the movie fun to watch.

Like most Coen Brothers movies the dialogue is key to the success of the movie. It's rich without being confusing. It is believeable but at the same time it seems period correct. Some of the idioms sound out of place in the 21st century, but they seem right at home in the late 1800s.

The other thing the Coen Brothers do so well, and it is perfect in this movie, is the setting for the scenes. You feel like you are there more than other movies. The visual pleasure of this movie really lends a lot to the story. The characters are dirty but not clownish, the inside of the dugout they bust into is rough but you believe someone in the 1800s would live there. It doesn't look made up, it looks real, and so does the rest of the movie.

The Coen Brothers have also managed to bring something new to this classic. Their interpretation of True Grit is much fuller than the original but there are a few nods to the original that bring a familiarity to their movie. There is the scene where Rooster Cogburn falls off his horse, Rooster and Mattie lay in wait for the bad guys outside the dugout and the famous scene where Rooster Cogburn rides toward 4 bad guys with both guns blazing. All these scenes are both familiar and yet have somthing new. In each there is a new twist that makes the scene.

This is one of the best westerns I have seen. I highly recommend it to everyone over the age of 16. There isn't any cussing, no nudity and the bloodshed isn't excessive, but when it is there it is real. You feel like this could have happened a few years ago.

Renovation Realities

2010-12-20T15:36:00.000-08:00

My wife got a wild hair this past month and decided we needed to update the rooms on the main floor before Christmas.

We put on a second story to our house about 5 years ago. Since then the old part of the house has looked a bit dull next to the new part of the house. We matched the common areas because of a 2 story great room, but the inside each of the rooms was still without much character.

The door and base trim was vintage, the windows had tile for sills and there was no crown. The lights had been removed from the center ceiling and the switch was re-routed to a plug for a floor lamp in each of the rooms, very 60s. No matter how updated we made the paint scheme, the rooms still looked out dated.

Enter supermom. She hired an electrician who put center lights and updated all the plugs. Then our son-in-law who is terrific at home renovations put on sills, base, moundling and crown. She did all the painting. I tried to keep out of the way. I did some of the mechanical things but I hate to paint.

Its not all finished yet but already it looks great.

Ever Wonder

2010-12-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why advertisers use people with English accents to represent their product? I don't have a definitive answer just observations.

Maybe it is because we as Americans think the British are smarter?

Maybe we think it's more exotic than when an American tells you to buy the product. Remember when manufacturers used (or maybe they still do) say that something is European or sold all over Europe, now available in the first time in the US?

Any other suggestions?

All I Hear is Blah, Blah, Blah

2010-12-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

Congress voted on extending the tax reforms providing tax relief to the wealthiest Americans. This will cost billions of dollars. The theory is that wealthy people will create jobs.

I am not referring to the extension of the unemployment benefits. That is a whole different discussion and benefits Joe Worker not the wealthy.

There was a lot of posturing by members of Congress after the mid-term defeat of the Democrats that it was time to stop the outlandish spending spree. They said we needed to get fiscally responsible and if elected they would (Mr. or Ms. Congress Person Elect) to get things done. They would save the economy from the spend thrifts.

Apparently it was just a bunch of hot air. The Senate passed the tax relief extension bill 81 to 19 and it is expected to pass through the House but not after a vote. This gives the do-nothings more time to complain but won't change the outcome.

When I hear a Congress Person talking now all I hear is Blah, Blah, Blah (I want to save my high paying, benefit filled job).

Elk Hunting

2010-12-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

I went Elk hunting with my friends last weekend. I had a tag for a cow Elk and I borrowed all the gear necessary for a successful hunt.

While I was eating Elk steak last summer at my friend's house he casually mentioned we would have a better chance at success this hunting season if he put me in for a tag. I agreed and in November I received a notice from the Utah Division of Wildlife Management announcing that I had been successful in securing a tag to harvest a cow Elk for the 2010 season. We had from December 1 to 15 to fulfill the permit.

I haven't been Elk hunting ever and the last time I went deer hunting was about 30 years ago. I figured if nothing else I would get a good winter camp experience and we might see some wildlife.

I started telling people I had this permit and brothers in hunting started coming out of the woodwork. They offered to lend me all sorts of gear (rifle, stand, camo backpack, range finder, binocs, cow caller) and give me all sorts of tips.

We went into the wilderness two weekends ago and had a nice winter camp. One of my friends has a really nice camper so we didn't have to tent it. We hiked all day and then enjoyed dinner and our beverages in a very warm camper along with movie night (Yes Man, Wild Hogs, The Shootist - John Wayne's last movie and Easy Rider). We saw a lot of Elk and shot at them but I am rusty after so long and we didn't hit anything.

Last weekend we were determined not to come home empty handed. We devised a plan to find the Elk herd and have one of us push them toward the others who would have walked up to the ridge in the foot deep snow so we would be in position. As things often happen we were distracted by our intense planning when I looked out the window and saw a herd about 300 years to our left on the hillside.

We took our positions and I placed the rifle on the hood of the truck. The Elk moved off a little but then they stopped. Majestically posing broadside to get a better listen to us. I pointed the gun and slightly squeezed the trigger. The animal I was aiming for stumbled, walked about 10 yards and fell. It was over in an instant. I used the range finder to lock the distance from the truck to the cow at 367 yards.

The wounded cow then tried to get up. She stumbled and rolled down the slope toward us. She ended up in a tree about 100 yards from the truck. All in all it was a lot easier than the stories I heard of having to butcher the animal on the mountain in the dark and then take the meat out by sled.

Since I shot it, it was my duty to clean it. I had done it a long time before when I shot a deer. There is something primal about cleaning an animal you've shot. You can identify all the organs. You feel the animals body heat and you get "up close and personal" as my friend says when you disembowel the animal.

I left that experience with a renewed respect for animals and the sustenance they provide us. In our regular life we are so removed from that connection to securing food that we don't even think about where the meat under plastic wrap in the super market came from.

I fear we will loose some part of our humanity if we don't have this connection, as we do when we remove ourselves from interpersonal relationships with others or the land. This is an integral part of who we are and we can't replace it with virtual images.

I didn't eat part of the liver or smear my face with the blood but I did see and smell things that I don't usually get a chance to experience. I feel bad for the fear and pain the animal had to go through. I will use the meat and be reverent about the animal that gave its life so I could have this experience.

Instant Karma

2010-12-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

Today is the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. On this date in 1980 John Lennon was shot to death by a durranged fan outside his home in New York City. We lost a musical genius, and a cultural icon who was truly ahead of his time. For those of us who remember his influence on the world first hand we long for a simpler time when "All we are saying is give peace a chance".

I guess in honor of this austire day a bit of good karma came my way. It started when I went to lunch and pulled my computer bag out of the back seat of the car.

In the winter I carry a few things in the car just in case; a blanket, a shovel and a hat and gloves. The hat I have in my car is one I picked up in Scotland a few years ago. Besides being part of my winter kit, it is a treasured piece of memoribilia for me.

When I came out of the resturant, about an hour and a half later, I put my computer in the back seat and got into the driver's side seat. On my windshield was my Scottish hat and gloves. I had dropped them when I went in and someone was kind enough to pick them up and put them on my windshield. For that I am gratetful.

In John Lennon's world that is the way it should have been. In my cynical way of thinking I was very lucky the kind sumaritan didn't need a really nice hat and gloves.

I'm sure God and John Lennon are having a laugh over this.

Investment Bankers - The New Lawyers

2010-11-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

I was at a conference last week and the topic of lawyer bashing came up. The speaker said, probably because it was a conference of lawyers, that because of the recent financial meltdown, Investment Bankers have leaped over lawyers as the most despised group of professionals.

Here were a few of the jokes about investment bankers:

Because of the financial meltdown they had to redefine a few terms - CEO now means Chief Embezzelment Officer, Broker is what your investment counselor has made you and the new theory of economics being taught is no longer buy low/sell high, it is buy low/sell lower.

If you bought $1000 of stock in Delta Airlines before the economic meltdown, it is worth $49 today, $1000 of AIG is now worth $39 and $1000 of Leaman Brothers is worth nothing. If you bought $1000 worth of beer and drank it instead of investing in these companies you would have $214 worth of aluminium. The moral of the story is drink beer and recycle.

McDonalds and their Lawyers

2010-11-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

Last week I was at a legal conference. The topic of lawyers and their public perception came up. It was interesting to hear from an insider that things are not always what they seem.

Everyone has heard of the lady who was burned by coffee at a McDonalds drive thru. We know she settled for over $1M and the public sentiment seems to be that she was taking McDonalds for a ride.

It turns out:
1. McDonalds knew, and admitted, that coffee served at the temperature they served it was not fit for human consumption. The coffee was served at 190 degrees, which will cause third degree burns within 7 seconds of contact with the skin.
2. Over 700 people had been burned by McDonalds coffee before this lady sued.
3. She offered to settle with McDonalds for her medical bills, they refused.

It has been my experience when we hear of a verdict or settlement that is too good or bad to be true, usually we are not getting the whole story. Whether it was McDonalds management or their lawyers, they shouldn't have allowed their egos to get them beyond the point of no return.

The TSA Isn't Doing Its Job

2010-11-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

The TSA Isn't Doing Its Job

I don't mean the TSA isn't protecting us from the next terrorist threat. I fly a lot and, like everyone else, I'm inconvienced by the gauntlet of procedures we have to go through, but the alternative is much worse. I don't know enough to know whether the TSA is effective or not in stopping terrorist threats.

The TSA is charged with conducting security screenings at America's airports. Recently they instituted a full body pat down program. As I understand it you get a full body pat down if you refuse the full body imaging test or you continue to set off the metal detector even after a few tries.

The full body pat down has raised a lot of concern and generated several U-Tube videos because they seem invasive and unnecessary. I saw a young guy's phone video of him telling the agent "If you touch my junk I'll have you arrested" and another video of a 7-10 year old boy with his shirt off and a TSA agent patting him down.

I don't believe the TSA is overstepping their authority, I think they aren't adequately addressing these situations.

I would feel my privacy was compromised with these tests, but that is the price we pay for the world we live in. If the TSA could do it another way they would. We know the terrorists will take advantage of our conventions and will go to all lengths to find our weaknesses and exploit them. Airplane travel is annoying, this isn't the TSA's fault.

What the TSA should do is 1) train their people to handle irate passengers better. This would probably mean paying them more which isn't going to happen with teachers so why would I expect it to happen here. The TSA should also 2) remind the public that these incidences are isolated and are sometimes the fault of the passenger.

In the case of the guy with the touchy junk he had refused a body scan. Maybe he didn't want certain anatomical revelations. In the case of the kid, it was his dad behind him that yanked off the kid's shirt because he was irate.

Travel by air is not as fun and exciting as it used to be. If you are the type that gets irate easily maybe you should consider driving or taking the train. Both can be relaxing and don't require security checks. For those of us who have to travel by air, if you don't have anything to hide, the best thing we can do is be cooperative, come to the airport prepared and expect these sort of delays until we competely stop terrorist threats.

Anal Cinema

2010-11-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

Not what you think it is.

I finally went and got a colonoscopy. I have been pestered by my wife and doctor for two years to get one. What really did it for me was the television ads with a television reporter who died at 58 from colon cancer because he didn't get a colonoscopy. That really got to me.

The worst part was the 24 hours before. I couldn't eat anything, which for me is impossible. If I don't have something to eat every two hours I go crazy, really. I'm hypoglycemic and I get light headed and grumpy - more grumpy than usual some would say. I keep a protein bar in my brief case so if I'm at work and can't get to lunch for a while I won't go crazy.

If that weren't bad enough, about 6 hours before the procedure I have to take a stool softener and about 4 times the normal amount of laxative. It was a good thing I didn't go to work that day. When they say everything comes out, everything comes out.

When I got there they gave me the sedative and literally the next thing I knew the nurse was putting my glasses on. I didn't feel any discomfort and I wasn't washed out like I have been with other procedures. I highly recommend it to everyone who is of age or has a history. The alternative is much, much, much worse.

I got my results back a few days later, with pictures, and all is well. I don't have to go back for 10 years. Now I can watch those public service announcements without puckering.

Is Anyone Awake in Congress?

2010-11-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

I think our esteemed Congressional representatives continue to demonstrate that they are so far removed from the people they represent that they are on another planet.

I was listening to NPR this morning. Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi was the guest. She was saying that the Democrats and Republicans were continuing to butt heads on tax relief. The Republicans are still holding onto making the Bush Era temporary tax cuts for the top wage earners (the wealthy) permanent. She went on to say that the Democrats would consider making these tax cuts permanent only if there were also tax cuts for all. As a side note she said the Bush Era tax cuts did not create jobs as expected.

Are you kidding? We have spent ourselves into future bankruptcy and now you want more tax cuts? I like to get things for free but we need to be responsible. We can't just keep getting the best of government services and cut taxes. Do they really think this is the solution?

This is short-sighted thinking and is the type of thinking that got us into this mess in the beginning. Is this the "less government" route the Tea Party people are calling for? The American people have spoken and this is not what they have said.

I believe the American people want government to get their house in order. I believe the American people want some fiscal responsiblity. They know it will hurt, but again they have put their trust in Congress and this trust is being violated.

The program also went on to attack the mortgage interest deduction as a possible place to cut back. Ms. Pelosi said this is huge program so it is a place to make a huge impact, and therefore is a natural target. After hearing the discussion I believe we (our government) should not promote everyone getting a mortgage but this seems to be a simplistic way to get at the problem.

Rather than do a precision cut of wasteful tax and spending programs piece by piece, they would rather take a machete to one program, hack out a large chunk and then be done with it. It didn't take one reform to get us into this mess and it will take more than one reform to get us out.

When will our candidates quit telling us they are going to Congress to do what is right, and do it.

Free Speech and How To Make Everyone I Know Mad

2010-11-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

My brother says that if I weren't an asshole I would have no personality at all. I don't try to be one but I seem to step in it more often than others. I guess it is because I went to law school and have been in the profession for a number of years. I'm not using that as an excuse, just an explanation.

A few days ago one of my Republican friends sent me another hate filled diatribe about how Democrats are going to hell because they are directed by lawyers and the Republicans are the good guys because they are lawyer-free.

At first I just shrugged it off as another "Democrats Suck" jab. Then I thought about it some more. I thought it was childish of the author and forwarder to throw jabs without solutions. Sort of the - if you don't vote you can't complain - logic.

My purpose in providing this witty retort is not to show how blindly some people will vomit what others say, but to point out that you can't sit on the sidelines and get mad at the other team unless you are playing.

Here it is - straight from the asshole lawyer's mouth:

Free speech is a wonderful thing, even when it is full of lies, half-truths and distortions.

There are 81 Republican lawyers and 123 Democrat lawyers in Congress (I found this in the Internet - it probably isn't updated for the changes of last Tuesday). Not the huge disparity the author pretends.

Lawyers are taught to think critically and to put their client's best interest first. The majority of lawyers do this within the bounds of the law. Lawyers are also taught to be fearless and speak their minds. The fact that Barack Obama was a lawyer and the editor of the law review at Harvard (this position goes to the valedictorian of the class - the person who will graduate number one in their class) was a positive in my mind when I voted for him. I thought he could reason through the issues and attack them with clarity and without emotion.

The one thing that has become clear to me is that people are mad. They are mad at the government for not preventing the economic melt down in 2008 and not getting things back on track once it happened. Whether either of these is or was possible will be the subject of debate for many years in barrooms and civic centers, classrooms, living rooms and the halls of Congress.

Apparently the Democrats couldn't get things done fast enough. Now the Republicans have their chance. The worst thing they can do is react emotionally and make bad legislation and cut necessary government programs for the sake of their appearance. Even worse is remaining divisive and the party of "No", stalling critical advances and wasting precious time.

The Republicans need to rely on their critical thinkers to come up with real solutions that help all of us, not just the upper 5% of wage earners. They need to get rid of selfish wasteful spending for a small minority and make government cuts that will serve everyone well. They also need to find ways to serve our nation without pandering to special interests. We are all in this and we all should be considered when making changes.

The Republicans need lawyers to hash out the critical issues and to agree to dialogue. The Republicans need lawyers who can compromise and who are willing to fight for their clients (the public) but who are willing to be realistic and come to a good solution rather than hold out for a great solution which may never come.

The democratic process (notice I used the little "d") was created by lawyers and in my opinion is the best means of government on earth. It has withstood the test of time and is still serving us all very well long after other options have come to an end. It may be messy and take time, but it is better than the alternatives.

The best thing we can do is to be involved, not as Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Socialists, Constitution Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, Tea Party Coffee Party members, but as US citizens. Call your congressman or congresswoman and tell them what you want.

If you are angry and don't know what you want, listen to others, for and against your position, and form your own opinion. Hear competing opinions, debate the issues with your friends, write about it, and you will really get a feel for the heart of the issue. Regurgitating what you hear on MSNBC does no one any good. Know what it is you believe and specifically what you want done about it and the labels will take care of themselves. We can't waste any more time yelling across the table.

It is time to sit down and get a few things accomplished or we will be living in a post apocalyptic waste land protecting what little resources we have with fear and anger.

Now is the time to get involved. With enough thoughtful consideration and debate on the issues, who knows, you may decide you want to go to law school.

I Hate Banks

2010-11-05T20:40:00.000-07:00

I hate banks. I mean I hate those banks that made loans they couldn't live with. I mean the banks that turned to the American public when these loans started to go south and asked for money to help them survive. I mean the banks that took the money and then gave the government the bad loans. I mean the banks that used the money to boost their own bottom line, not improve the economy.

The latest selfish activity of the banks is that they refused to help those who filed bankruptcy because they couldn't pay their loans. In bankruptcy loans on your primary residence are not negotiable. I thought that was the point of bankruptcy, that you could negotiate more favorable terms to debts.

It appears that loans on the home that you are able to keep are not able to be renegotiated in bankruptcy. In 2008 Congress attempted to get this changed because so many people with loans they couldn't afford were filing bankruptcy. The financial institution industry lobbied very hard against this and this reform didn't pass.

I heard on NPR that if this change to the bankruptcy laws had passed we would not have needed the Federal Government's loan modification program. I hate banks.

Political Fall Out

2010-11-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

The elections are over and the populace has spoken, at least 34% of them have (the percentage of voters in Utah who voted on Tuesday - 45th in the nation).

In my own political analysis, which is the result of listening to CNN, MSNBC and FOX for as long as I could take it, I believe the public are angry that things aren't turning around quickly. Other than that I believe it is the political pundits that are spinning that into a condemnation of specific Democratic programs.

The trouble is now the Republicans can't just be angry, you red guys (and girls) have to do something. If we voted we have the right to complain, now we all have the obligation to get involved. Write your congressman (or woman), voice your opinion and tell them what you want. Go to local political meetings where your representatives will hear you and tell them what you want. I'm not talking about the vitriolic rantings the Tea Partiers call rallies.
If you are angry about something specific, write it down and give it to someone in charge. If you are angry and don't know quite what it is that is angering you, put in the time to find out. We have the greatest political system in the world and the ability to effect it. Exercise your Constitutional rights. Get out and make a difference. The voice our elected officials hear should truly be the voice of the people, not what they want to hear.

Humorous Headstone

2010-11-02T09:08:00.000-07:00

I was watching a documentary on Halloween about graveyards. This headstone hit my funnybone. It's in a cemetary in Key West, FL.

Let it Snow

2010-10-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. You would think I would be used to going from the 60s and sunny to the 30s and snowy in an instant after living here for 30 years. But, like driving in the snow, I have to learn it all over each year.

Yesterday we had our first snow storm in the valley. I had about 3 inches at my house, the airport got about 1 inch. Earlier this week it was in the 60s for a high and this weekend it will again be in the 60s. Many trees still have their leaves and suffered under the weight of the snow.

Although we will suffer through the back and forth of Autumn for a month or so before actual winter sets in, I love this time of year. It is great to see the trees turning. You can finally turn off the air conditioner and winter brings snow which brings ski season. I like bundling up and putting up wood for a fire, I like the holidays, I like putting away the lawn mower and getting the snow blower out and ready for action.

I heard this year, due to the La Nina pattern of weather we can expect a very snowy winter. This pattern brings 600-700 inches of snow in the mountains in a season as opposed to the usual 500 inches in an off year. I can't wait to get my snowmobile fired up and run it up to our cabin. Have I told you I love this time of year?

Mineral Bottom Road Update I

2010-10-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my brothers and I went down to Moab and we visited the Mineral Bottom Road. This road is the westerly access to the White Rim Trail, a very popular mountain biking and 4x4 trail in Canyonlands National Park. This road was washed out on August 19 by heavy rains and has been inaccessable ever since.

I blogged about it and was contacted by the Grand County Council to, in part, represent the casual tourist usage of this road in their assessment of the impact on the economy and tourist trade in Grand County.

They must have been persuasive in their appeal for repair funds because last week Rep. Jim Matheson announced this road (or what is left of it) will qualify for emergency disaster relief and Grand County will recieve funds to repair the damage (see the article in the Moab Times October 21, 2010). They were also able to get the attention of someone here in SLC. There was an article about the road washout and the economic impact in the Salt Lake Tribune on October 20, 2010.

Rep. Matheson said the repairs would be completed sometime during the summer 2011. The exact date would depend on an engineering assesment that was scheduled to be completed this week.

My personal assessment of the damage is that it is a lot worse when you see it in person. A lot of material was washed down the canyon. We walked a way down the switchbacks and continually marveled at the power of the water to completely obliterate whole sections of the road. In some places the bedrock was exposed. I have attached some pictures.

Good luck to the Grand County Council and the engineers. I hope they get it done sooner rather than later.

Annex Mexico

2010-10-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

I thought of the solution to the drug trade and the attendant violence along our border with Mexico. We should annex Mexico (and all of Central America down to Colombia) as the 51st state of the United States.

Before you start trying me for treason listen to my reasoning:

1. This would cut out the violence along the US-Mexico border because now there would be no border. All those people trying to get into the US would already be here.

2. As a US State we would have the ability to send in the national guard to take out the drug cartels and we would settle this area in 6 months.

3. The US border would now be with Colombia. Five Marines with machine guns could guard this border.

4. All the money we save guarding the border could go to upgrading the infrastructure in this new state. The Mexicans could have luxuries like running water and a sewer system. Under my plan they would be seperate functions, not the same thing as they are now.

5. You wouldn't need a passport to visit Mexico or anywhere in Central America.

6. With increased tourism the drug cartels could turn their hideouts and battle grounds into tourist attractions. Like Disney World only with machine guns.

7. Tequila wouldn't have to be imported.
8. We would get the Panama Canal back.

9. Mexicans could get free health care and education for their children. Oh yea, they already have that in California.

I think we should start a petition to annex Mexico. It's just what we need to kick start the economy. It would allow families torn apart by a border to be reunited and it would give us another war to take our minds off the problems we are facing at home. I think this idea has real merit.

Worst Camp Host Ever

2010-10-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Arches National Park. We had reservations for three camp sites since March. The problem is that this was a long weekend for public schools and typically the last camping weekend for families.

We got to the campsites and set up two trailers in one site (we had three sites and three trailers, just two in one site). We abided by the rules by having only 9 people at the site and both trailers fit in the site without going outside the lines.

The host came along and asked us to move the trailer to the other site. There is a rule we were told that only one trailer per site. The trouble was that the trailer in front was incapacitated and would be a lot of trouble to move.

We asked the hosts to reconsider because of the trouble and the potential of danger for little kids if we moved the trailer to another site. The other site was at the top of the hill and the site dropped off precipitously. Kids could get hurt if they ran around too much. The husband host told us this wasn't his problem, we made the reservations. I should have seen our eventual run-in coming from this comment.

The hosts said it was a rule and if they let us stay then they would be overrun by rule breakers the next year. We told them we wouldn't do it again and besides we have been coming to this campground for many years, often putting two trailers in one site and had not heard of this rule.

We looked on our reservation, the posted rules at the campsite and online. We found rules about quiet time, number of people in the site and parking cars but nothing about the number of trailers in the site.

The next day we (my youngest of the oldest daughters - a real spitfire and a great kid - I am really proud of her for sticking to her guns) went to the camp hosts to ask to see the rule about one trailer per site. This is when it got fun.

They said the rule about one trailer per camp site wasn't written but they make the rules and they said so. While the wife camp host was calling the ranger for verification her husband gets up from his seat and starts telling us that if we don't like it "there are lots of great hotels in Moab".

After some discussion with the Ranger we were allowed to keep both trailers where they were. All it would have taken was a little diplomacy on the part of the camp hosts to get us to see the dangers (I can't for the life of me see the security or hazard concern) of two trailers in one site and we would have been more willing to move. Instead they chose the "my way or the highway" attitude and we had a battle of wills on our hands.

Camp hosts are supposed to help make your visit to our national parks more enjoyable. They are usually laid back retired couples that are just happy to be there. Maybe because it was the weekend I described above, they were on edge. I can only say that our experience was less than pleasent.

I will still go back to Arches and I will probably try to put two trailers in one site and see if they make a fuss (sorry Mom, I just can't help it). I just won't go back during this particular weekend, not just because of this experience with the camp hosts, but also because of the traffic, the inconsiderate slob who washed her hair in the sink clearly marked "Dish Washing Only" (I actually saw a woman do this) and because of the guy who continued to run his Blazer up and down the road all day at 30 mph (the speed limit is 15) after being told to slow down and watch out for kids.

Oh the Humanity

2010-10-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

The coverage of the sucide of a college student humiliated by classmates brought up a base theme I have been concerned with for awhile. When and why did we loose our humanity toward others?

There used to be a moral code. People used to treat each other with some basic respect. There were fights and disagreements but people seemed to respect a certain line. Over that line and you were not part of regular society.

That moral code protected most people from public humuliation. Most people would not do things that would bring shame on themselves or others in public.

Of course I am not so naive to think that this isn't a huge generalization. There were exceptions, but they were few and far between. You didn't regularly see a person strike another in public. You didn't regularly see someone's intimate details broadcast for all to view and judge.

But it isn't the exposure that concerns me, it is the willingness to commit the act without thought to how what is done will hurt the person who is the recipient of the act.

When did we give ourselves permission to treat others like they didn't matter. Like we were the only thing that mattered and it was OK to blow up at someone because we were mad or humuliate someone for our entertainment. People are our brothers and sisters, no matter where they come from or what they believe, and they deserve our respect.

It starts with intentionally interrupting someone speaking, or cutting across traffic or in line. After all I have been waiting and I deserve to go next. The one thing that really gets to me is when I'm at a counter in a store and the clerk, who is supposed to help me, is talking to a friend. The conversation continues even though I am standing there with the item I want to purchase dangling from my hand, addressing the counter. Why do you continue to talk to your friend about your day off and let me stand there?

The internet has hastened this age of vanquished morality. What used to be an act by a crazy guy in your home town that only you and your friends witnessed, is now available for all to see. But is isn't just the internet.

We have been given permission to do these things to each other. We think it is funny to see someone punk someone else. We think it is entertainment when a husband sends in his video of his wife with her hair stuck in the dishwasher.

Our acts in public are now potentially videotaped and available for playback by any authority to review in the event a crime was committed. Even this blog entry would have been relegated to my deepest thoughts or revealed to a close friend rather than laid out for the whole world, a potential employer, or my friends, to see.

I don't know where I'm going with this. I don't think I can reverse the tide that is moving in that direction. I guess I am just asking each of us to consider what we do before we do it. Consider how it will feel to the person on the receiving end. We owe it to each other to treat our fellow humans with respect and to expect the same from others. We should follow a moral code of kindness and respect even when the majority won't.

Being Heard - Mineral Bottom Road

2010-10-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

My blog report on the Mineral Bottom Road caught the attention of someone in Grand County. They are working hard to put together the funding to get the road repaired but they need our help. They have made an assessment of the commercial use in the area but not of the casual visitor, the weekend traveler who goes into this country without a guide or organized commercial group.

They need us to let our local representatives know that this is important to us. They need to know how we use the Mineral Bottom Road, what our financial impact on the Moab area is when we go down there and how this road being unusable will impact our future plans. You can put together a short, personal email with details about your experiences.

Please write to your state representative and the Governor and tell them you want the road fixed so you can visit Moab and Grand County. Contact Governor Gary R. Herbert (Utah) at gherbert@utah.gov, Senator Orrin Hatch at ron_dean@hatch.senate.gov and Senator Robert Bennett at Donna_Sackett@bennett.senate.gov. I believe there is an underscore between the first and last names of each contact for the senators. Please pass this plea onto anyone you know who visits Moab and Grand County.

Mineral Bottom Road Closed Indefinately

2010-09-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things I really look forward to each spring is riding the White Rim Trail in Moab. I have done it several times on a bicycle and a few times on a motorcycle. This year it appears it is not to be.

Each July I submit my request to the National Park Service for a permit for the following March. Usually my request is answered by mid August. This year it hadn't come by mid September.

As it turns out one of the major access roads to the White Rim Trail was washed out in an August downpour. If you look closely at the picture you can see two rangers, this will give you a sense of the scale of the washout.

The National Park Service has suspended all travel to this area and has stopped issuing permits, mine being one of them. They say the road won't be repaired until sometime in 2011, they don't know when. They don't have the funding and it will take 12 weeks to repair when they do.

If you want more information type in "Mineral Bottom Road Closure" into Google and go to the websites.

Oh well, there is always next year.

My Mind is Catching Up With My Body

2010-09-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am finally feeling like my mind is in the same place as my body.

I came from Spain on Saturday, 8 time zones ahead of SLC. I did all the things they tell you to do; drink water, don't drink alcohol, set your watch to the new place as soon as you lift off, get a light nap and don't eat unless you have to.

Until today I still felt like I was on another planet. This weekend I was constantly tired, woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep and I said and did things as if I were drugged.

They say it takes a day for each time zone to feel right. I have been doing this for a number of years so I feel I am ahead of the curve. I can get back in about 3 days from a trip from Europe. If I have to I can function in those three days (like when I went to Spain I attended business meetings the day after I arrived) but I won't be happy and I wasn't up for drinking after the meetings. I just went to bed and crashed.

I really think your mind has to catch up with your body. With modern transportation you can get to Europe in less than a day. This trip used to take weeks, your mind had time to adjust. Now you don't get this luxury so your mind doesn't quite know where it is until you can get your rhythms back in sync. This is hard to do when you are awake in their middle of the night.

My best remedy is not to do too much in the first few days and let yourself recuperate; let your mind catch up with your body.

Spain Motorcycle Trip

2010-09-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today I'm back in my own home and seem to be adjusting well. I slept through the night last night and am not falling asleep today, yet.

I do have a few lingering effects from the bike ride. My hands are swollen, my butt hurts and I feel weird not wearing layers of plastic motorcycle gear.

Here are a few pictures from the trip. Basically we rode 100 to 150 miles a day across mostly dirt roads with a few trails thrown in. The trails consisted of single track paths through the woods or up a mountainside. It provided a lot of fun and challenge but was separated with some long stretches of relaxing riding.

Every 20 miles or so we would come down into a small village and ride through the narrow streets. The houses and the towns are all ancient relics of a past age when they needed to be close for defense. The streets are coblestone and there always was a tower at the center of the town. I never got tired of the beauty of the country side and these villages.

I really enjoyed the trip. I wished we had stopped more often but I feel like I got a realistic look at the countryside and the people. We rode through a lot of fields on the way up the mountains so I saw and smelled a lot of farm animals. There also was a lot of forest and logging operations. I wouldn't thought of Spain as a wood producing country but I guess it is.

One of the neatest things was when we came on a goat hearder and his charges. We stopped and tried to converse with him. We communicated through lots of hand jestures and attempts at single words in Spanish. We talked for about an half hour. He was very pleasant. It doesn't get much more local than that.

I can't wait for next year.

Northeastern Spain by Motorcycle

2010-09-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

I have been somewhat remiss in my posting because this week I have been on another motorcycle trip.

Two weeks ago I went for a week across northern Nevada on our annual fall motorcycle tour. This one took off west from SLC and we moved relatively even with the Pony Express trail through western Utah and Eastern Nevada. It was a week of camping, trail riding with a heavly loaded KLR 650 and some light duty days of circuit riding. All in all it was an easy trip from the standpoint of technical off road motorcycling.

Last week I was in Barcelona Spain on business. This week my business partners organized a week long motorcycle trip. Unlike the previous motorcycle trip this one was fully supported by a van that met us during the day with lunch and got to the hotel every night to set up our accomodations.

This isn't a package trip, it is set up by one of the guys on the ride. Sort of the manifestation of having taken many of those organized trips and saying "I can do a better job on a lot less money".

We have two young guys riding with us and all the other older guys have a lot more experience riding than I do. This means we ride hard and fast most of the day. We are riding KTM 450s. A lot lighter and higher performance bike than my KLR.

Here are the bikes before we began. They are nowhere near as clean now since we have had four days of riding and two of them were in the rain. We do about 70% of the ride off road, about 10% is classified as difficult or very difficult. The van on the right is our support vehicle.

We started from Barcelona and went north. We do about 100 to 150 miles a day. Tonight we are in Andorra, the country. The terrain is very hilly and beautiful. I wish I could paste a few more pictures but I broke my Blackberry phone which I was using as a camera. The data on the phone appears intact but I won't be able to get to it until I get back home.

Anyway tomorrow we ride east through the Pyrenees strattling France and Spain. I have a great life and a great wife don't I?

Dinner in Barcelona

2010-09-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

I am traveling for work and have been in Barcelona Spain for the past few days. Last night a few of my colleagues went out for dinner and I stayed back to finish up some work.

I went to the local supermercado to get some dinner. I find it a lot easier to go to a supermarket and pick up some bread, cheese, meat and an apple than sit in a restaurant and look like I am not alone.

Here is what I picked out. I ate almost everything. The flan cups were a real treat and the salad was surprisingly fresh. Buenos noches.

Into The Wilds of Nevada

2010-09-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent a few days riding my motorcycle across the desert. We went west from SLC across what we in Utah call the "West Desert", into eastern Nevada and then turned north to the Idaho border. Along the way we saw a lot of country. I had no idea there was so much unspoiled landscape out there.

We usually think of this area as a wasteland. I'm sure the people who live out there are glad this is the common misconception. We ran into a few and they were nice but guarded. You could tell they were apprehensive. Whether we were seen as a symbol of the water robbing Las Vegas council woman who wants to stick a large straw in the ground and suck it dry, or just a momentary intrusion on their way of life, you got the feeling you were an outsider.

This land is very primative. There isn't much out here and aside from taking enough water, you need to plan your gas stops. You also have to be able to be self-sufficient. If things fall off out here you had better be able to put them back on or you will be out there for a while.

All in all it was a very enjoyable few days away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Here are a few shots of us on our trip.

9/11/10

2010-09-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all remember that on 9/11/01 a horrific event befell the American people. We watched as commercial airliners, commandeered by terrorists, plunged into the Twin Towers in NYC, symbols of the heart of capitalism. It was a life changing moment for all.

America no longer appeared invisible. We had again been goaded into war as we did in 1941 by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. At the time it seemed to shake our base beliefs.

In the following days, weeks and months, NYC, and the country, banded together and helped each other. Like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the attack on the Twin Towers came to symbolize the best in people in this country as they rallied around their beliefs and fought to protect their way of life.

In observing this horrible event, we should honor those who lost their lives both at the time and in the ensuing conflicts brought on by this attack. We should remember and be thankful for our freedoms and liberties and never take them for granted. We should work to protect those less fortunate than us and we should work to encourage cooperation and understanding.

This is what I believe the remembrance events this weekend should be about.

Holladay Blvd ReSurfaced

2010-09-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

I got out this morning onto Holladay Blvd to go to work and ran smack dab into a line up of heavy equipment. They are resurfacing the road and it doesn't look pretty.

Aside from the momentary inconvenience of the actual work it looks like they are doing the gravel and tar thing rather than actual asphalt. That is cheesy.

The gravel and tar method is a lot messier than asphalt. With asphalt trucks dump the material on the road and a huge machine manicures the surface and steamrollers smooth it out. It is ready for full use in about an hour.

With gravel they dump a lot of tar on the road and then spread out gravel. The cars running over it mash the gravel into the tar and eventually it becomes a solid surface. In the mean time you have the potential of tar covered cars and broken windshields from wayward gravel.

I know we are in an economic ice box and everyone wants to save money but Holladay Blvd is a major thoroughfare through the Salt Lake valley. Save money on the side streets and use the good stuff on a road that will see a lot of traffic.

Also there are other users besides the cars. Holladay Blvd is a major corridor for biking and running. With the gravel method this surface is unuseable for at least a week and rough thereafter. The gravel doesn't get squashed into the tar on the margins so it has to naturally settle, as slow as molasses running up hill in the winter.

This is dangerous for runners and for bikers. Holladay took the cheap way out rather than thinking about its exercise conscious citizens.

My Point Exactly

2010-08-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

I read this in the City Weekly and thought it summed up what I was trying to say a few days ago.

Big Box Blight or the Costco Quandry

2010-08-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

OK, so I probably read too much of the SL Trib this week. I seem to be on the cheesy headline express here. My point is that it is a blight on society to buy perishable goods in bulk if you are just going to throw most of it away.

You go to Costco, you see 50 lbs of lettuce for $3.99. Now you know one head of lettuce at the "neighborhood grocery" costs double that. You get the 50 lbs and only eat 1 pound before it goes bad.

You think "what a waste" but the next time you are in the Fresh Market you look at lettuce and it is now $6.99 a pound. You wait until your next Costco run and then pick up the 50 lbs bag. You ask yourself how can they do that?

The truth is someone is being asked to farm 8 billion acres of lettuce and make only $.01 a head but they will sell Costco a trillion heads of lettuce. All that plowing, all that fertilizer, all that harvesting equipment, all that packaging, transportation and refrigeration (the average meal travels 1500 miles to your plate) just so you can eat only a portion of it to throw the rest away.

Seems like a huge waste of time, materials, money and energy.

Time for a Tire Change on My Motorcycle

2010-08-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I put new tires on my KLR. Both front and rear. Both are Dunlop 606 full dirt tires. I have run only the 606 on the rear in the past but this last time I tried a 50/50 tire, a Kenda. I didn't like it. It was fine in the pavement but when I got on the dirt, particularly with a load, it seemed to have a tendency to break out in front of me, as if I was going to go down. Not a good feeling.

Here are some pics of the dirty deed. The front came off and went on well. Its a 21 inch tire on a skinny wheel. The rear objected more. Its a fat wheel that is only 17 inches. I also have a bead lock on the rear. I fought with it and with a little help from the shop forman (Bob) I was able to wrestle it into submission.

Did I mention that Bob has a really awesome shop with lots of tools, like the lift the bike is on and the tire changer. He also has a welder a metal chop saw, lots of grinders, drills and hand tools. He also offers great 60s blues music and libations. What more could you want from a man cave? Oh yea, did I mention the two vintage Harleys he is always tinkering with and the 3 vintage British bikes (2 Triumphs and a Norton - the yellow bike in the first picture. The MG in the second pic is another project Bob works on inbetween bikes). My lowly KLR looks like a cast off next to these
Bob and I went on a ride afterwards and all was well. The new tires felt really good. Nothing like new rubber under you.

Go Lynx Baseball

2010-08-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, things seem to be going wrong all over so I thought I would share this story I read recently about a local sports team.

The Salt Lake Lutheran Lynx baseball team almost had to cancel their season because they had less than 9 players signed up to play. The coach asked the student body, all 55 of them, if someone would join the team to make up a squad.

They got enough responses so that they could field a full team with 3 subs (12 players in all). Some had never played baseball or softball before. The pitcher hadn't pitched, ever, until the day before their first game. One kid had never been to a baseball game.

The coach didn't hold tryouts, he just played catch with them. If they could catch the ball they played infield, if not, outfield.

This would be disheartening for most. Especially since they lost their first game 39 - 2 and their second game 24 -2. But these kids say they're having fun. They enjoy learning the game and look forward to the next contest.

They didn't appear to have any dreams of playing pro ball, they weren't looking for scouts in the stands, they just wanted to play baseball. I thought those days were gone, when guys played because it was fun.

Although the Lynx are from Salt Lake Lutheran High (4020 South 900 East) they are practicing at Lindsay Gardens (8th Avenue and M Street), upper field, and will have their games there most likely. If you want to make sure call the school before a game and ask where they will be playing. I talked to Patty, she was very helpful. Their phone number is (801) 266-6676.

The Lynx's next 4 games are all at Lindsey Gardens (8th Ave and M St.), upper field on Wednesday, Sept 8 at 4:00 pm vs. St. Joseph, Wednesday, Sept 15 at 4:00 pm vs. Intermountain Christian, Friday, Sept 17 at 4:00 pm vs West Ridge Academy and Friday, Sept 24 at 4:00 pm vs. Christian Heritage.

"Well, beat the drum and hold the phone - the sun came out today!

We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field.
A-roundin’ third, and headed for home, it’s a brown-eyed handsome man;
Anyone can understand the way I feel.

Chorus:
Oh, put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Put me in, coach - I’m ready to play today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

Well, I spent some time in the mudville nine, watchin’ it from the bench;
You know I took some lumps when the mighty casey struck out.
So say hey willie, tell ty cobb and joe dimaggio;
Don’t say "it ain’t so", you know the time is now.

Got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat, and brand-new pair of shoes
You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride.
Just to hit the ball and touch ’em all - a moment in the sun;
(pop) it’s gone and you can tell that one goodbye!"

Lyrics to song "Centerfield" by John Fogarty

A Day in the Sunset

2010-08-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

Nothing much going on. I am burried in this project I am doing for my client, my wife is busy with work and between these things and harrassing our senior to get to school on time so she can graduate, we barely had enough time to steal a bit of yesterday afternoon for ourselves.

We had ambitions of getting in a long bike ride or a hike. Both things we like to do but the day dragged us both down enought that that sounded like too much work.

We ended up going to our favorite shake shack and ordering two shakes to go. I had peach and my wife had mocha with butterfinger crunch and hot fudge. She has always been like that. She is Dutch so all things chocolate are always good.

Like Emeril said about garlic; someone asked him about what to do if he put too much garlic in a recipe. He said he didn't know because he had never been there. I figure my wife would never say there was too much chocolate.

We took our shakes up to a spot on the bench and watched the sun set. It was a very relaxing half hour. A much needed break from our day.

Its a Dad's Life

2010-08-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is way to close to home. I'm the guy on the rider mower. Enjoy

It's A Dad's Life - Watch more Funny Videos

Mosque in Manhattan

2010-08-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

I get why people are angry about a mosque going up near the site of the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

The problem is that we are a culture based on equality for all. Our country was founded on the principal of religous freedom and if we forget this we are likely to forget other fundamental principals of life.

It is easy to get angry at something that sounds wrong but we need to let all people in the US practice their religious beliefs wherever they desire. If we chip away at this right, we all suffer.

We can't make exceptions. We can rationalize away a right this fundamental.

Personal Responsibility 101

2010-08-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

8 people were killed this weekend in Southern California when a desert rally truck left the course and plowed into the crowd. The people killed were at the edge of the course, within 4 feet of the trucks competing and there were no barriers.

I have watched with horror for many years the Baja 1000 where the exact same thing occurs. Not that people get killed all the time, but some do, but that spectators stand so close to the trucks traveling over uneven ground at 70 miles an hour.

The talk in the press is that the driver of the truck should be proscecuted for manslaughter. That is rediculous. If you tried to cross the freeway and a truck couldn't stop and hit you, should the driver be proscecuted?

People need to take personal responsibility. They need to know the dangers and take reasonable precautions. This is the same attitude that allowed a couple from the east (the guy was from the UK) to rent a jeep in March in Las Vegas and ride into the Grand Escalante Staircase National Monument with a leather jacket, dress shoes and no concern about the weather.

Help Pakistan Flood Victims

2010-08-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

I get why people are angry at Pakistan. We are spending tons of money, lives and political clout to bringdemocracy to a part of the world that many there see the US as the enemy and who want to kill us.

The floods have taken many lives and the aftermath threatens to take more from disease and hunger. We should help those in need. Many innocent people are dying. We should not let politics prevent us from helping our fellow men, women and children.

Others have said Pakistan is corrupt and any aid we send will just be diverted and not get to those who need it. This is a cop-out. Relief organizations know how to get around this.

If for no other reason but to show the Pakistani people we care we need to help. Please consider making a donation to the Pakistani relief effort.

Cornholein'

2010-08-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

I was reading a blog from a friend of my brother's who lives in Indiana and he said he was going to a cornhole party. I've been accused of having a dirty mind but I am not the only one who thought this meant something perverse.

I asked a friend from Nebraska what was meant by a "Corn Hole Party". He looked a me sheepishly and said it was a derogatory term for something not spoken of in mixed company. My suspiscions were confirmed.

I still couldn't believe this seemingly updtanding citizen would be so brazen about his perversions. I wracked my brain to think of another explanation but couldn't come up with one. It appears I was stuck in the mud.

I shut my door in my office and hesitantly typed "Corn Hole" into a search engine. I was afraid I would be scarred for life by what would come up. I was supprised and relieved.

The first entry directed me to the American Cornhole Association's website (http://www.playcornhole.org/) and no, you aren't going to go blind if you go to the site. It turns out Cornhole is a bean bag toss game like horseshoes. It's also called Corn Toss or Soft Horseshoes.

I guess I should get my mind out of the gutter.

Lame Discipline

2010-08-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Did you know that in Utah it is OK to stay in the left lane of a multi-lane road and let others pass you on the right? I had no idea.

About 10 years ago I learned to drive in the United Kingdom. I had been driving in the US for over 20 years. I had to learn a lot of things besides just driving on the other side of the road. In the UK it is illegal to pass on the left (the equivalent of our right) on a multi-lane road. The British are very committed to their lane discipline. You are to stay to the left unless you are passing and then you are to return to the left immediately.

I thought the same thing was required here in Utah and that Utah drivers are just without "Lane Discipline". Not so. Here in Utah you can coast along in the the left lane to your heart's content on a multi-lane road unless you see one of those pesky signs saying "Stay Right Except to Pass".

I looked at the Utah Drivers Handbook (you can get it online by going to public safety.utah.gov). There is nothing in the handbook saying you have to stay to the left on a multi-lane road except to pass.

There is one interesting thing in the UDH that seems to encourage this lack of lane discipline. On page 12 it says you can pass on the right on a multi-lane road. "Are you kidding me?" I thought, but, there it is in pictures for all to see. (I can't figure out how to copy the image and put it here or I would).

Doesn't that seem a bit weird? Why should it be OK to stay in the left lane? Shouldn't we have a single direction code of conduct so we all know to stay on the left until passing on the right rather than encourage multi directional passing so we don't know where someone will come from?

How often has someone just put on their blinker and leaped out in front of you without really knowing you were there? I believe not having a standard code about staying left leads to a lax attitude toward driving that leads to people doing what they want without looking in their mirrors first. I know it sounds like a stretch but if we don't teach a strict code in driver's education class we won't have disciplined drivers.

The drivers in the UK have to go through a lot more than we do to get a license. As a consequence they are, on the whole, better drivers. They have a sense of duty and obligation to the road, almost a professionalism, that doesn't exist here, especially in Utah.

As roads get more crowded we will need to adopt this attitude or a lot more people will die. We all are trying to get somewhere and to think you are the only one on the road is ludicrous. Please slow down, look in your mirrors and be courteous. I know that goes for me as well. I promise to try.

The Fastest Thing on Earth

2010-08-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I went to the Southern California Timing Association's annual National event at the Bonneville Salt Flats known as Speedweek.

I've lived in Utah for almost 40 years and have never been out to Bonneville Speedweek. I guess it's like living in New York and never going to the Empire State Building. Lots of people aren't tourists in their hometown.

The cool thing about this event is that it isn't one event, it is hundreds of events. Each minute detail for a vehicle can garner its own land speed record. There are classifications for production cars, motorcycles, trucks and other vehicles. Within each vehicle classification there is a motor designation and production designation. You can challenge the world speed record in any of these categories or sub categories, such as a vintage (1949 to 1981) American made production car with a 300 to 350 c.i. engine without modifications or something as obscure as a pre 1960s 175 cc motorcycle of Japanese origin.

Each vehicle has to go through the tech people. They are very thorough and are looking for safety issues as well as differences that would give one racer an unfair advantage over another. We were there for only about an hour all together and we saw a discussion over whether it is safe for a 230 lb guy who just barely fit into a dragster, to a guy who's motorcycle was disqualified because he build an oil cooler with fins and his classification didn't allow any alterations that would provide him this aerodynamic advantage.

It was tech overload. We walked up and down the pits and were able to stand right next to cars that went 400 mph. We also saw lots of 1930s roadsters cut down to resemble (or actually were) 1950s hot rods. Everybody was riding everything. It was a sensual trip to wander and take in the sites.

The people who built these machines were very approachable. They wanted to talk about their vehicles and each time we stopped we spent a half an hour talking about their classification, how they did and what they wanted to achieve this year. Everything from getting into the 200 mph club (going at least 250 mph or breaking a 200 mph+ record) to breaking the record for a pre-WWII motorbike of 66 mph.

We then wandered to the start line. Where else in a major sport could you stand 5 feet from a competitor as they started off without knowing the President? It was exhilarating, scary and interesting to watch them prepare and go through their routine. Another sensory assault that made this a wonderful experience.

All in all I don't know why I didn't do this before. I like cars, trucks and motorcycles and this is a world class event in my own back yard. All I can say is it was way too long a wait for this. I was like a kid in a candy store. So much to see so little time to see it all. Next year I'm going out for the weekend.

A New Car

2010-08-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

I borrowed my son's new Mercedes today. Actually he wanted to borrow my Durango to haul some things and he left me the Merc. It is a wonderful car, but I didn't realize there were so many perks to borrowing a Mercedes.

First of all people don't expect you to drive considerately in a Mercedes. All those selfish things I used to do in my Durango that I rationalizd as "its a big truck they'll get out of my way" come a lot easier in a Mercedes. I don't even flinch when I switch lanes without signaling and I believe I am expected to cut across three lanes of traffic without looking. After all, I have to get into that lane.

I can talk on my cell all the time, people expect it. They think I am doing some big deal. I don't want to let them down.

Also I can park wherever I want. It is expected that I would take up a reserved space or park on a red curb, and if the car gets a ticket - I don't have to pay.

If my son comes to return my Durango he will be out of luck, I am on a road trip to Vegas. He can pick the car up at the Lucky Lady Tow Service on Tropicana Blvd sometime this weekend.

Stats are Cool

2010-08-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Max's suggestion I found out I have an international audience. My blog has been viewed more than once from Canada, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Brazil and a smattering of other single entries from around the globe. Thanks to everyone for taking an interest in my blog.

What is Facebook?

2010-08-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

I don't get Facebook. I know I'm closer to being able to collect social security (If there is any left, but that's another blog topic) than most Facebook participants are to turning 30, but I can't seem to get into the groove (as we older folks say) of the whole Facebook thing.

I signed up. I don't have that many interesting photos of me and I don't really want to reveal a lot of personal information so my Facebook page is rather bland. I use email, texting and this blog for cyber communication so I don't get to my Facebook page that often.

I get on Facebook mostly to see what my kids are doing; sorry kids. I like the pictures they put up and the comments from some of their friends I know. I guess it's like hanging out with them without having to start turning off lights at 9:30 so I can go to bed.

Is that it? Is Facebook like cyber hanging out? Is it a way to talk casually with others, tell them about your life and share pictures and stories without traveling or making something for potluck?

I would appreciate it if someone would ping me and let me know, or better yet tell me how to update my Facebook status (if that is even the correct terminology). I'm tired, I think I'll turn out the lights and watch Perry Mason before I go to bed.

Pat's BBQ - A Review

2010-08-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

We went to Pats BBQ just south of 21st South and west of West Temple yesterday for an early lunch. I've heard lots of good things about this place and wanted to try it. I was disappointed. I know it had a lot to live up to but I thought it could have been better.

Maybe it was that I have created a lot of good BBQ myself. I know it takes a lot of time and effort and I haven't made it for commercial production, but from Pat's reputation, I expected more than what I got.

The food was good, it wasn't great. It was like chain restaurant food. High quality chain restaurant food. It compared to Good Wood in Draper (a project from the local Chilli's Restaurants). The BBQ was done well but with a factory or institutional quality. I had both the ribs and chicken so I wouldn't base my opinion on just one dish. The ribs didn't have any bark, you know, that black crispy outside that says it has touched flames for a long time. Both the ribs and chicken had a standard sort of flavor. The rub was good but not distinctive. The cole slaw was standard without any flair. The corn bread was dry although my wife liked it.

It was as if a little white boy took out a sheet that told him exactly what to do and he followed it to the letter. I will bet my culinary expertise these was no brother drinking whiskey into the wee hours of the morning tending the fire and mopping the ribs as a true pit master would.

The atmosphere was funky and lived up to its reputation but the food was just good. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Hospital Jeopardy

2010-08-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

We went to the emergency room last night, it turns out nothing serious and all is better today.

While we were there we had a long time to wait. As each new case presented itself we tried to determine their ailment. They were far enough away that we couldn't hear but we could see their gestures and sense their pain.

One guy showed up with his right fist blown up to the size of softball. We assumed that wall wouldn't do whatever it did, ever again.

A girl showed up looking very faint and had to sit in a wheelchair. My wife thought dehydration, I thought drug complication. Another two girls showed up, apparently without ailments and not obviously intoxicated, but they had two Murray police in tow. That was interesting.

The rest were common run of the mill stomach aches, babies won't stop crying and the typical large cut. No GSWs (gun shot wounds) I asked.

At least the time went by faster.

Hollywood as Subversives or What's All the Fuss

2010-08-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

I followed the Federal District Court ruling striking down Proposition 8 last week with interest but was not suprised.

Judge Vaughn Walker in Perry v. Schwarzenegger held that California's denial of same-sex marriages was irrational and that gay and lesbian couples have a constitutional right to marry. Justice has this thing where they have to consider constitutionally based principals like equality and protection for all rather than devisive fear mongering.

Politics aside, why was everyone aghast at this ruling? We have been getting alternative relationship role models for a while. Hollywood TV has many examples over the years of plot lines that showcase equal opportunity relationships.

I was watching Perry Mason (1958) a few days ago. Perry was on a cruise with his able personal secretary Della Street and asked myself, where is Perry's wife? Apparently Perry didn't have one or she left, died or he is just "comfortable being a bachelor". Paul Drake of the Drake Detective Agency was also on the cruise, as he often accompanies Perry on out of town assignments.

What about Andy Griffith (widowed - hangs out with Barney, Floyd, Goober and the guys), I Dream of Jeannie (married to NASA and his goofy friend), My Three Sons (a bunch of guys in the house with an ex-Navy cook?), Beverly Hillbillies (granny, Jed and cousins Jethro and Elly Mae), Mary Tyler Moore (single girl with close neighbor Rhoda), McHale's Navy (again guys in the Navy), Hogan's Hero's (and guys in the Army)? Not a hetrosexual couple in sight. They tried to cover it up with girlfriends but ultimately the characters went back to their "friends".

Even a show like Bewitched seems normal on the surface but they changed Darins in the middle without an explanation. And what about Batman - two rich guys out at night in costumes? Tell me that would pass Proposition 8 scrutiny.

Hollywood was way ahead of its time.

Putting the Economy in Drive

2010-08-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

President Obama was delivering a speach in Detroit last week and he used a car analogy for the economy that I thought was pretty clever.

He said "If you want to move forward you put the car in D (the insinuation was to Democrats), if you want to go backwards, you put the car in R (Republicans).

Its geeky but funny.

Salt Lake - My Kind of Place

2010-08-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake is a really great city. I am writing this here, in my blog, because this secret won't get around and we won't be innundated by outsiders.

I came to Salt Lake in the early 70s as a teenager. I have lived in many other parts of the US and the world and I always come back to Salt Lake.

It is a quirky place sometimes, with an omnipresent dominant culture that I often find myself at odds with. I am a Blue in a sea of Red and I really don't like to even ride through Utah County.

But all in all there isn't any other place on earth I would like to be. My family is here. I went to school here, and I have found a career here. I can be in the wilderness in a half an hour from my front door. We have world class skiing, mountain climbing, desert camping, lakes, open spaces, motorcycling, rafting, hang gliding, rock climbing, mountain biking and most other things outdoors. In the spring I can get in 10 runs on the slopes in the morning and 9 holes of golf in the afternoon.

The business climate is better than most and is geared toward the small business owner. We like to promote buying local and our cost of living is low compared to most. We have access to an international airport and our workforce is honest, well educated and motivated.

We do a good job of educating our kids, even though our teachers are paid dirt (I hear they actually receive a cup of dirt a week). Our air and water are clean and for the most part (you wouldn't think this from some of my previous postings) our government does a good job protecting us and planning for the future. We have a world renowned Medical Center in the University of Utah and some part of Utah consistently ranks among the best places in America to live/bring up kids/work.

For those of you who think I haven't tackled the elephant in the room, not being Mormon hasn't created much strife for me. I don't buck against the tide, I go with the flow. I don't bristle every time someone asks "what neighborhood do you live in" meaning what ward do I go to. I don't throw my non-Mormonism back at them so I get along with most people I work with. So what if they think I am Mormon.

Most Mormons I know are wonderful people. They are kind and giving, believe in hard work and helping others. They try to work things out and they are not mean or disrespectful. Of course there are exceptions everywhere, but on the whole, I like Mormons. Some of my best friends, and loved ones, are Mormons.

Salt Lake is the kind of place you want to tell everyone about but not have them come here. You want to keep it the way it is. In fact I would like to go back to the days when I arrived in 1974. We weren't ever mentioned in the outside world for our natural treasures.

We also didn't have a complete freeway to Las Vegas, we had to fly to Denver to get anywhere and we felt like the red-headed step child. OK maybe not that far back, but it would be nice to see Salt Lake retain some of its small town charm and not grow into just another big city.

Wallace Stegnar - A Conservationist

2010-08-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

I saw this special on Wallace Stegner on PBS last night and it really hit home with me.

Wallace Stegner was a wonderful writer and proponant of protecting wild places for all to enjoy. Back in the 60s, when he was active, he was called a conservationist.

Now he would be called an environmentalist. The problem with being an environmentalist today is that it has such a political connetation to it. It means you are a wildly left wing, communist, tree hugging, live in the woods off the grid, kind of person. In the 60s a conservationist just wanted to protect the great outdoors.

Wallace Stegner was a great champion of keeping the West as a wild place. He was instrumental in elevating Canyonlands and Arches National Monuments to National Parks, he was a friend of Ansel Adams (those neat pictures of Yosemite), Edward Abbey (Monkey Wrench Gang) and Morris Udal (Secretary of State in the 60s who fought to protect the West from over commercialization).

Wallace Stegner was a very prolific writer of all things Western. He was described as having written about the day-to day West; the life of a cowboy, the changing seasons, the life on a ranch in Montana. I believe he was a great influence on Edward Abby's writing, they have similar styles. If you want to read any of his books just look him up on the web. I have read "A Gathering in Zion" about the Mormon migration and "Beyond the 100th Meridian" about John Wesley Powell's trip down the Colorado River. Both worthy reading.

In December 1960 Wallace Stegner wrote what is now called the "Wilderness Letter". Here is a passage from that letter:

Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed; if we permit the last virgin forests to be turned into comic books and plastic cigarette cases; if we drive the few remaining members of the wild species into zoos or to extinction; if we polute the last clear air and dirty the last clean streams and push our paved roads through the last of the silence, so that never again will Americans be free in their own country from the noise, the exhausts, the stinks of human and automotive waste. And so that never again can we have the chance to see ourselves single, separate, vertical and individual in the world, part of the environment of trees and rocks and soil, brother to the animals, part of the natural world and competent to belong in it. Without any remaining wilderness we are committed wholly, without chance for even momentary reflection and rest, to a headlong drive into our technological termite-life, the Brave New World of a completely man-controlled environment. We need wilderness preserves--as much of it as is still left, and as many kinds--because it was the challenge against which our character as a people was formed. The reminder and reassurance that it is still there is good for our spiritual health even if we never once in ten years set foot in it. It is good for us when we are young, because of the incomparable sanity it can bring briefly, as vacation and rest, into our insane lives. It is important to us when we are old simply because it is there--important, that is, simply as an idea.

You can read the complete letter by going to the internet and simply typing in "Wallace Stegnar Wilderness Letter". The letter is a fantastic tribute to the benefit of having wild places just for the sake of having them. He refers to a lot of places in Utah in the letter. It is about 5 pages long but it is well worth reading. He uses the phrase "the geography of hope". Isn't that a great way to sum up why we need wild places? This letter is a tribute to what I believe is a necessary part of life. Protecting our sanity has no political agenda.

Pay to be Special

2010-08-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Utah Department of Transportation is allowing people to pay to use the HOV lane. This isn't an HOV lane, it's a toll lane.

These HOV lanes were originally built to ease conjestion. They were intended to reward people who had more than themselves in the car or truck with their own lane. When traffic backed up they could cruise by, feeling environmentally smug.

Now UDOT will let you buy a pass that allows a single occupant to pay a toll (up to $1.00 depending on how busy the other lanes are) to use this lane.

This defeats the whole purpose of the HOV lane and it is a bait and switch use of taxpayers money.

It defeats the purpose of the HOV lane because now anyone who has the cash and wants to feel special can pay their way into this lane. This will result in this lane being just another lane clogged with single occupant vehicles and the only one who will benefit is UDOT by its revenue. We should change the name to SOL (Special Occupancy Lane - not the other version of SOL).

It's a bait and switch because the public was told this HOV lane would be used to cut down on pollution and give those who have more than one occupant in their vehicle an easier ride. Now it is just a toll lane.

Shame on you UDOT. You are sending the wrong message with the toll lane. You're saying that it's OK to continue to ride alone in a vehicle and pollute the air as long as you can pay for it.

Today was a yellow air quality day. I remember when we didn't have "air quality days". Maybe we should work to reduce our impact on the air rather than try to pay our way out of the inconvience of being stuck in traffic with all the other single occupancy vehicles.

If this were really "The World According to Pedro" we would be able to mount grenade launchers on our cars and fire at will at those with no consideration for others while driving. This would free up the freeways, reduce polution and make my commute a whole lot more fun.

Just a Thought.

Bear Scare

2010-08-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

We went camping last weekend and had an unannounced visitor in camp. We didn't see him (most likely her) but we heard her (or him) and we were told he/her was there.

First let me show you the pictures of the night before. We were at a small lake just below the Skyline Drive, east of Ephriam, Utah. It had just rained and at this altitude (over 9000 feet) the rain created a lot of mud. We decided not to make camp and sleep in the truck. When we got up the next morning everything was covered in mud.

That was Thursday night/Friday morning. We got out of there and found a much dryer place and camped Friday and Saturday night.

Saturday night I went outside in the middle of the night and heard something crunching around in the bushes about 10 feet away. I was going to get my light but I was tired so I just went back to sleep, in our tent trailer (translation - no hard sided camper to protect us). In the morning my wife said she heard some grunting in the night but didn't want to wake me.

After breakfast a dog came through camp with a radio collar. When his owner came by in a truck he said they were tracking a bear that had been around our camp since sun up.

It was a good thing we were leaving that morning.

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

2010-07-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Two wolves were killed in Utah this week. Both were considered "legal" kills by ranchers after the wolves harrassed or killed livestock.

Aren't wolves endangered? Should we be allowed to kill an animal when it is doing what it is genetically engineered to do and not threatening humans? Should we really protect a single industry over a species?

These are the first reports of wolves killed in Utah since 1930 (the implication is that there were very few wolves in Utah in the past 80 years because there certainly weren't a lack of cattle or sheep). The justification was to protect the sheep, a $17 million dollar industry annually in Utah. That is a lot of money to me but as far as industries go it seems very small.

The rancher's advocate (I don't know what organization he was from) said "if we want to see a wolf, go to Montana". That approach is short sighted and dismissive of a natural balance and all to prevelent in the west.

This weekend I rode through farm country along my trip to Capitol Reef National Park. The valleys are lush with green crops in a desert because of the water drawn from local streams and rivers. The irrigation pumps were going full blast during the hottest time of the day. Lots of water wasted.

I also saw the coal mines in the central Utah mountains. This industry takes the coal out of the mountain without regard to human safety and environmental effect. This is not entirely true but it is more true than not.

When are we going to start seeing the impact we are having on our environment and doing something about it. We need to eat and be warm and illuminated but there is a better way.

We need to see these resources as finite and not for profit of just a few. We need to see ourselves as custodians and use best practices to get the most out of our resources. In my opinion this goes for logging and mineral extraction as well.

This brings me back to the wolf. In the west they are seen as menaces because they kill a few head of cattle or sheep a year. This should be a cost of doing business, not a reason to shoot them. We should see them as a necessary part of the environment and use best practices to allow them to co-exist with the ranchers and farmers.

I think I'll put on my hemp sandals, take a cup of herb tea and walk to the fair trade farmer's market.

2010 Tour de France

2010-07-27T10:49:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean to leave you hanging, but I was out of town over the weekend and I didn't see the alst few stages of the Tour.

It wasn't much of a loss. Stage 18 (Friday July 23) is a flat uninteresting ride where the sprinters showed their stuff but as long as Alberto Contador stayed with Andy Schleck nothing would change - and it didn't. Andy Schleck remained 8 seconds behind Contador in the overall standings. Mark Cavandish won the stage, his third this year.

Stage 19 (Saturday July 24) was an individual time trial. Alberto Contador is very good at this event and Andy Schleck figured he needed 1:30 on Alberto to be in contention to win. He didn't get it. Andy did manage to loose only 31 seconds to Contador on this stage for a total deficit of 39 seconds at the end of this stage.

The last stage is mostly a show stage. Under the "gentlemen's agreement" the leader at the last stage shouldn't be shown up in the last run along the Champs Elysees so they let him win at this point. Alberto Contador won by 39 seconds over Andy Schleck, Dennis Menchov of Russia came in third. Team Radioshack won the team honors. Their rider Chris Horner came in 10th as the highest placing American.

The other jerseys are up for grabs on this last stage and Mark Cavendish showed his prowess in the sprint by winning this last stage for his 4th stage win this year. Alassendro Petacchi (an Italian - go red, white and green) won the overall points championship and Andy Schleck won the white jersey signifying the best rider under 25 years old.

All in all it was a very interesting Tour. If you want to look up any of the stats or see the stages go to www. letour.fr.