Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Droid X - Cool Tech Toy
Droid X - It is a cool new toy. Kind of like an iPhone, better in many ways, not as good in some minor ways. Not to argue if you love your iPhone, don't switch. If you are trying to decide between the two well all I can say is that they are in the same category. If you are big on taking pictures of yourself, you will want the iPhone. Athough being able to actually use it as a phone as actually very useful ;P
As usual with smart phones don't get carried away with using it as a not-phone-internet-toy because the battery needs frequent refresh.
As usual with smart phones don't get carried away with using it as a not-phone-internet-toy because the battery needs frequent refresh.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Angelus Oaks to Clarks Summit.
Another one of those long bike rides. I was always wondering if those fire roads over there could get me to Big Bear instead of riding all the way around the road up highway 38. Turns out the road is probably easier. But I did it anyway just because it was there. I don't know if I want to do it again. Maybe if I can get some poor fool to suffer with me. Near the top it is loose and rocky in places with some small ring climbing. For some reason (now I know why) there were no other bikes on this trail even on this perfect weather early June Saturday. 3 or 4 jeeps and a half dozen motorcycles. According to my GPS I burned 3566 calories. Not bad since I did it on 1 power bar and two Power Gels. It did make me really hungry and I enjoyed a couple of nice Arrogant Bastard drafts along and an awesome Rare AHI sandwich as a reward.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
How to Create Google Earth Views with your Garmin Bike GPS
How did I make these cool bike ride pictures? Well here is how. You need a Garmin bike GPS. I have the Edge 205 (or newer and more expensive if you like). Garmin has two programs that you can use for mapping your tracks. One is Map Source, the other is Training Center. You can download both from the Garmin web site, and you need the more current versions. I have Map Source 6.13.7 and Training Center 2.4.3.
After plugging your GPS into your PC, installing all of the software and drivers etc.(I won't get into that here for obvious reasons) you can view the tracks in either program.
Training center allows you to graph speed and elevation, grade, pace, etc. Once the Training Center program has the graph I want, I use Alt-Print Screen to capture my desktop, the a graphics program (you could use paint if you have nothing else) to paste from the clipboard, then crop out the selected chart and save it as a .jpg.
Then download and install Google Earth. You should do this anyway. It is cool. Below I will refer to the Places navigation panel of Google Earth:
Map Source also has an option to download info from the GPS. After you do this, select the tracks tab so you will know what is going to be displayed in Google Earth, then select the View, View in Google Earth menu option. It takes a while and a fast PC that has decent memory. It loads a bunch of stuff into Google Earth in your Temporary Places folder, in a sub folder MapSource. You really don't want most of the stuff, it is confusing and excessive. Uncheck the Temporary Places folder so it all disappears, then expand the MapSource folder, then the Tracks folder (in the MapSource folder, then the Path folder (in the Tracks folder). Then click on the track number you want to map, and it will appear. You can then right click on it to change the properties of the line (which is a good idea to make it narrower and more precise). Also you can rename it and save to My Places (also right click).
UPDATE (Nov 2010). Google earth now has an option to show the elevation profile of a selected track:
Have Fun!
After plugging your GPS into your PC, installing all of the software and drivers etc.(I won't get into that here for obvious reasons) you can view the tracks in either program.
Training center allows you to graph speed and elevation, grade, pace, etc. Once the Training Center program has the graph I want, I use Alt-Print Screen to capture my desktop, the a graphics program (you could use paint if you have nothing else) to paste from the clipboard, then crop out the selected chart and save it as a .jpg.
Then download and install Google Earth. You should do this anyway. It is cool. Below I will refer to the Places navigation panel of Google Earth:
Map Source also has an option to download info from the GPS. After you do this, select the tracks tab so you will know what is going to be displayed in Google Earth, then select the View, View in Google Earth menu option. It takes a while and a fast PC that has decent memory. It loads a bunch of stuff into Google Earth in your Temporary Places folder, in a sub folder MapSource. You really don't want most of the stuff, it is confusing and excessive. Uncheck the Temporary Places folder so it all disappears, then expand the MapSource folder, then the Tracks folder (in the MapSource folder, then the Path folder (in the Tracks folder). Then click on the track number you want to map, and it will appear. You can then right click on it to change the properties of the line (which is a good idea to make it narrower and more precise). Also you can rename it and save to My Places (also right click).
UPDATE (Nov 2010). Google earth now has an option to show the elevation profile of a selected track:
Have Fun!
Laguna Beach MTB Bliss
Here is a great ride we have done in Laguna. It starts at El-Moro / Crystal Cove State Park parking lot on PCH. Then it goes up No Dogs by Ridge Park and eventually under the Toll Road 73 up the ridge to the left almost to the 405, down under the 133 briefly, back across the 133 and up a cool singletrack, up a brutal hill that includes a bit of walking, back through El Moro. Good workout. (click on the images to see enlarged detail)
Friday, June 19, 2009
Too Many Wabbits
By JOSEPH B. FRAZIER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Washington County's "Bunny Lady" is back in the hutch after violating a court order banning her from owning animals for five years.
Miriam Sakewitz, 47, was arrested Tuesday at a hotel in the Portland suburb of Tigard after an employee reported finding rabbits hopping around in her room.
Problems for Sakewitz started in October 2006 when police in Hillsboro, about 15 miles west of Portland, found and confiscated nearly 250 rabbits in her home, including about 100 dead ones in freezers and refrigerators.
Police said she broke into the facility where the survivors were being cared for in January 2007 and stole most of them back. Authorities found her a few days later in Chehalis, Wash., with eight live rabbits and two dead ones in her car. Another 130 rabbits were recovered at a nearby horse farm.
Sakewitz was sentenced in April 2007 to five years probation and was banned from owning or controlling animals. She also was told not to go within 100 yards of a rabbit.
That summer, Sakewitz was ordered to spend three days in jail for violating her probation by keeping a rabbit in her house. County probation officer Susan Ranger also said Sakewitz had canceled counseling sessions and refused to open the door for unannounced visits. Ranger said she found no rabbits when she finally got inside but did find a half-empty 10-pound bag of carrots.
Since then, Sakewitz has remained "pretty quiet" - until this week, said Washington County probation officer Bob Severe. "We hadn't heard much further from her," he said, adding she was thought to be living in Clackamas County.
On Tuesday, Washington County animal control officers removed eight adult rabbits, five young ones and a dead one from Sakewitz's hotel room, Tigard police spokesman Jim Wolf said.
Sakewitz was in custody Wednesday, and Wolf said he did not know if she had an attorney. She was to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon on animal neglect charges.
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Washington County's "Bunny Lady" is back in the hutch after violating a court order banning her from owning animals for five years.
Miriam Sakewitz, 47, was arrested Tuesday at a hotel in the Portland suburb of Tigard after an employee reported finding rabbits hopping around in her room.
Problems for Sakewitz started in October 2006 when police in Hillsboro, about 15 miles west of Portland, found and confiscated nearly 250 rabbits in her home, including about 100 dead ones in freezers and refrigerators.
Police said she broke into the facility where the survivors were being cared for in January 2007 and stole most of them back. Authorities found her a few days later in Chehalis, Wash., with eight live rabbits and two dead ones in her car. Another 130 rabbits were recovered at a nearby horse farm.
Sakewitz was sentenced in April 2007 to five years probation and was banned from owning or controlling animals. She also was told not to go within 100 yards of a rabbit.
That summer, Sakewitz was ordered to spend three days in jail for violating her probation by keeping a rabbit in her house. County probation officer Susan Ranger also said Sakewitz had canceled counseling sessions and refused to open the door for unannounced visits. Ranger said she found no rabbits when she finally got inside but did find a half-empty 10-pound bag of carrots.
Since then, Sakewitz has remained "pretty quiet" - until this week, said Washington County probation officer Bob Severe. "We hadn't heard much further from her," he said, adding she was thought to be living in Clackamas County.
On Tuesday, Washington County animal control officers removed eight adult rabbits, five young ones and a dead one from Sakewitz's hotel room, Tigard police spokesman Jim Wolf said.
Sakewitz was in custody Wednesday, and Wolf said he did not know if she had an attorney. She was to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon on animal neglect charges.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Rant of the Day
Telemarketing SPAM. Two Robocalls in 30 minutes from DISH Network. Yes we are on the National Do Not Call List. Do NOT buy service from DISH Network.
If you are not on the Do Not Call list it is a good idea. Maybe the only way to stop these people is to complain to the FCC.
https://esupport.fcc.gov/form1088/1088bform.do
The only reason I post this is to encourage you to complain maybe they can get sued enough to stop annoying people.
If you are not on the Do Not Call list it is a good idea. Maybe the only way to stop these people is to complain to the FCC.
https://esupport.fcc.gov/form1088/1088bform.do
The only reason I post this is to encourage you to complain maybe they can get sued enough to stop annoying people.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Badass 7 String Guitar
I still am learning what to do with it. Its fun.
Also see it in detail:
http://www.zacharyguitars.com/210409pics.htm
Also see it in detail:
http://www.zacharyguitars.com/210409pics.htm
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Another Rant on our Economic State
Yes I enjoy messing around in the studio. My latest track is of course not entirely serious, as I don't even own a gun. But have a listen for fun. I put this one together very quickly, and slapped it up. It needs another day or two in the studio before I can put it on the upcoming CD. The video version has a better drum and guitar track. Such the state of evolving music. Oh, and play it as loud as possible. That is a significant point of music like this. Go ahead, bother your neighbors, I'd be happy to wake them for you.
Or just for the audio:
Play With My Gun
Or just for the audio:
Play With My Gun
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Bike Chain Lube
For where I ride, which is mostly in a dry and often dusty area this is my opinion on bike lubes. If I were to ride frequently in wet and muddy conditions, I might have a different opinion.
ProGold Pro Link Lubricant is the best stuff I have used. It is kind of hard to find but you can get it online and at some bike stores. It stays very clean. It takes several applications to clean the gunk off a chain, or better if you actually use a serious attack of cleaning with a brush and solvent first. ProGold starts to build up after several applications. It is noticeble that after the first ride it seems to wear off quickly, then up to about 5 or 6 rides it seems to be lasting a very long time. This tells me that there is some kind of bonding thing going on. It seems like magic.
Google ProGold Bicycle Lubricant
Boeshield T-9 Bicycle Lubricant is very good, but attracts more dirt (if you ride in the dirt) and makes the chain more difficult to clean. Still better than most anything else. Lasts a bit longer than the above. If your cleaning time is not so valuable, this is probably a more cost effective product than the ProGold, but not so satisfying.
Google Boeshield T-9 Bicycle Lubricant
Notice that the best time to lube your chain is AFTER a ride. Not before. Otherwise it is WET and will ATTRACT DIRT. BAD DIRTY CHAIN. Lube after. Dry the next time when you ride. OK?
Now if you are getting ready to ride and your chain is already squeaky, a dirty wet one might be better than a dry squeaky clean one, but save yourself the energy of thinking about it and get used to the routine. (I am glad sex isn't so complicated.)
For any chain lube the thing you need to do is 1) clean the chain first - 2) apply the lube until the chain is wet - 3) run the chain through a dry clean rag to pick up the excess - 4) let it dry overnight - 5) the next day run the chain through a dry clean rag to get as much off as you can.
If you are using the pro gold stuff after a few uses the chain starts to stay clean longer, but you still need to lube it.
You know your chain needs lube when it starts to make a bit of a rattle. How much of a rattle? Well you will figure it out as you hear the difference between a fresh lubed chain and one that needs lube. If it starts to squeak, you are wearing it out badly.
To clean your chain, you need a stiff brush with plastic bristles that scrape all of the crud off. If you are using a good lube, you might not need a solvent. If you DO use a solvent, I would suggest something like Simple Green. Make sure you get ALL of the solvent off and then use two or three applications of the lube to make sure you displace all of the solvent. This fancy chain lube is not much good if it is contaminated by solvent residue. The solvent breaks down the lube!!
Also, your cogs and chainrings need to be cleaned as well. Same routine.
Best trick to apply the lube is to shift into the smallest cog in the rear, and run the crank in reverse while dripping the lube across the chain right at the rear cog as it rotates around. It takes a bit of technique to get enough lube onto it. Or if you have nothing better to do, put a drop of lube on each pin/roller and see it penetrate. This takes a long time and seems kind of silly. At some point you will learn how to use plan A with the right amount of pressure to minimize waste and splatter and still get enough on the chain. Then wipe down all of the excess that goes into the pulleys. If you have an old school bike with rim brakes, you also should make sure you wipe off any lube that drips onto the rim. (Doh!) If you are finding the whole drive train dripping lube all over it would seem that you have overdone it. Not the worst problem assuming you are not in your living room on a white carpet. Oops. I suppose I should have started out telling you this to begin with. My bad.
Once you have a good clean routine going, you might not need solvent. A good brush should take care of things. Particularly with the ProGold. Boeshiled is a bit more gooey. I think the ProGold is like an every time you ride thing (assuming it is several hours), while the Boeshiled is more like every other.
Other lubes:
I have used other more heavy duty stuff like Pedros, but I find that a dirt magnet and a cleaning nightmare. It might be just the thing in the Northwest however. WD-40 is the ultimate mistake. Not much in the way of anything but a dirt magenet, only slightly better than nothing.
ProGold Pro Link Lubricant is the best stuff I have used. It is kind of hard to find but you can get it online and at some bike stores. It stays very clean. It takes several applications to clean the gunk off a chain, or better if you actually use a serious attack of cleaning with a brush and solvent first. ProGold starts to build up after several applications. It is noticeble that after the first ride it seems to wear off quickly, then up to about 5 or 6 rides it seems to be lasting a very long time. This tells me that there is some kind of bonding thing going on. It seems like magic.
Google ProGold Bicycle Lubricant
Boeshield T-9 Bicycle Lubricant is very good, but attracts more dirt (if you ride in the dirt) and makes the chain more difficult to clean. Still better than most anything else. Lasts a bit longer than the above. If your cleaning time is not so valuable, this is probably a more cost effective product than the ProGold, but not so satisfying.
Google Boeshield T-9 Bicycle Lubricant
Notice that the best time to lube your chain is AFTER a ride. Not before. Otherwise it is WET and will ATTRACT DIRT. BAD DIRTY CHAIN. Lube after. Dry the next time when you ride. OK?
Now if you are getting ready to ride and your chain is already squeaky, a dirty wet one might be better than a dry squeaky clean one, but save yourself the energy of thinking about it and get used to the routine. (I am glad sex isn't so complicated.)
For any chain lube the thing you need to do is 1) clean the chain first - 2) apply the lube until the chain is wet - 3) run the chain through a dry clean rag to pick up the excess - 4) let it dry overnight - 5) the next day run the chain through a dry clean rag to get as much off as you can.
If you are using the pro gold stuff after a few uses the chain starts to stay clean longer, but you still need to lube it.
You know your chain needs lube when it starts to make a bit of a rattle. How much of a rattle? Well you will figure it out as you hear the difference between a fresh lubed chain and one that needs lube. If it starts to squeak, you are wearing it out badly.
To clean your chain, you need a stiff brush with plastic bristles that scrape all of the crud off. If you are using a good lube, you might not need a solvent. If you DO use a solvent, I would suggest something like Simple Green. Make sure you get ALL of the solvent off and then use two or three applications of the lube to make sure you displace all of the solvent. This fancy chain lube is not much good if it is contaminated by solvent residue. The solvent breaks down the lube!!
Also, your cogs and chainrings need to be cleaned as well. Same routine.
Best trick to apply the lube is to shift into the smallest cog in the rear, and run the crank in reverse while dripping the lube across the chain right at the rear cog as it rotates around. It takes a bit of technique to get enough lube onto it. Or if you have nothing better to do, put a drop of lube on each pin/roller and see it penetrate. This takes a long time and seems kind of silly. At some point you will learn how to use plan A with the right amount of pressure to minimize waste and splatter and still get enough on the chain. Then wipe down all of the excess that goes into the pulleys. If you have an old school bike with rim brakes, you also should make sure you wipe off any lube that drips onto the rim. (Doh!) If you are finding the whole drive train dripping lube all over it would seem that you have overdone it. Not the worst problem assuming you are not in your living room on a white carpet. Oops. I suppose I should have started out telling you this to begin with. My bad.
Once you have a good clean routine going, you might not need solvent. A good brush should take care of things. Particularly with the ProGold. Boeshiled is a bit more gooey. I think the ProGold is like an every time you ride thing (assuming it is several hours), while the Boeshiled is more like every other.
Other lubes:
I have used other more heavy duty stuff like Pedros, but I find that a dirt magnet and a cleaning nightmare. It might be just the thing in the Northwest however. WD-40 is the ultimate mistake. Not much in the way of anything but a dirt magenet, only slightly better than nothing.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Why do my brakes rub on my bike?
A friend of mine asked this question, then I found out my answer might be something worth sharing, as there is a lot of experience here:
I don't know how much you weigh. If you are over 185 you are heavy for the factory made typical sport class wheel which is made for riders with an ideal weight of about 150-170. The bike makers make lighter wheels because the market thinks lighter is always better. Bike buyers do not have enough experience to know this is not always true. The wheels do flex with torque and weight. Also as a wheel wears and is adjusted, sometimes the screws on the spokes and the nipples get looser and then does not stay true as long. Sometimes you can true it up then put a tiny bit of blue loctite in there and that keeps it set. Tighter tension is better, but that tends to pull the nipples through the light alloy rims when you hit stuff espcially if you are heavy and have a hard tail. I used crack rims at the nipple from hitting stuff, worse if tightly tensioned. If you are not hitting stuff because you are always on pavement it is less important, but I had the problems on road wheels too. A guy I know used to build wheels for me and then tension them on the tighter side to make them more true under torque. I think he had a tendancy to overdo it. But then he was in the business of selling replacement rims and wheels so there you go.
There is no way around the rim rub issue. It is just a compromise with design. Very much like a guitar with respect to action height, except you are not beating on the guitar (hopefully). My older bike has rim brakes and even with my weight (175) I get a bit of wheel rub when the wheels are not true and perfectly tensioned. So I just back the brakes off a bit. Of course at some point you back off too much and then you can't get enough pressure to brake as well as you would like, not to mention the brief delay. Another thing. Unless you have the CERAMIC surface rims (expensive enough to make you consider discs) with appropriate pads you will wear through the aluminum rim with the pads eating the rim. There is no way out of it unless you use softer pads then you are replacing them at least monthly which is a pain in the ass. Your wheels will need to be replaced after lots and lots serious riding. I went through a several wheelsets doing that until I got onto disks. One time I used some hard pads and ate a set of wheels in three months. OOPS. Very stupid. Every time I bought a ceramic rim it seems I would pull a nipple through it or dent it on a rock so it would have a bump in it while braking. I stopped doing that and then my wheels would always last until the rim got eaten by the pad, but before I pulled a nipple through it. I could not win. I still have one old ceramic front on my bike in the mountains. It is 7 years old. Pure luck. Of course front wheels have it easy if you ride right.
On my Laguna bike I have disks and they are now perfected. For a while they were unreliable but the technology developed. Still I would use nothing but Shimano (harder to adjust) or Avid hydraulic disks. The other brands are not as reliable. I use Avid Juicy 7s which are amazing. Needs pads maybe once a year, even with my level of riding. Even disks, the rotors can warp or get tweaked a bit from a stick or something and you need to mess with little bends on them to keep centered. Also occasionally align the calipers. But any rub is less inevitable, and the feel is far superior as is the power. I would never go back but its a huge price to upgrade from rim brakes unless you are already buying a new wheel set anyway. Also older bikes may not have the mounting points for disks.
All of the factory wheels are not as good as the best hand built wheels. The last wheel set I bought I got smart. I got tired of those wheel issues. I told the guy to build the lightest training (not racing) wheel he could. He used Hope (UK) hubs, DT (swiss) rims and spokes. They were hand built by a pro and cost me $500 for the set. They have been perfect in three years of heavy riding and I have only needed to have them tesioned twice, and this was just for maintenance purposes, not because they seemed uneven. They are on the heavier side (but NOT a downhill wheel) because I like strong more than I like light. A good wheel set is made by a pro with your weight and riding style as consideration. I have never pulled a nipple through the DT rims. I had that problem with Mavic rims, I think the alloy is softer.
Its also hard to know who is really good at it, like you know just because its handmade does not mean the guy who did it is better than a machine. In that way it is exactly like guitars.
I don't like the brain shocks. They get stiff when they feel no bumps. Then the first bump just kicks your ass. Then it gets soft like a stupid shock again until it goes smooth for a while. I am happy with my stupid shock where my ass does not get kicked at all. It might be ever so slightly less efficient but as I am not racing I don't care. It has a lockout so I can lock it out when I am climbing but actually I don't give a shit and don't bother because I am not racing. You can forget and then start going downhill, hit a rut and crash.
I rode today. My bike shifts crappy too. Time to replace the cables. You have got me thinking about it. Also I need a new rear tire, but they are like $40 and I am cheap so I think I will push it a bit more. Last year I would have thrown that tire out by now.
I don't know how much you weigh. If you are over 185 you are heavy for the factory made typical sport class wheel which is made for riders with an ideal weight of about 150-170. The bike makers make lighter wheels because the market thinks lighter is always better. Bike buyers do not have enough experience to know this is not always true. The wheels do flex with torque and weight. Also as a wheel wears and is adjusted, sometimes the screws on the spokes and the nipples get looser and then does not stay true as long. Sometimes you can true it up then put a tiny bit of blue loctite in there and that keeps it set. Tighter tension is better, but that tends to pull the nipples through the light alloy rims when you hit stuff espcially if you are heavy and have a hard tail. I used crack rims at the nipple from hitting stuff, worse if tightly tensioned. If you are not hitting stuff because you are always on pavement it is less important, but I had the problems on road wheels too. A guy I know used to build wheels for me and then tension them on the tighter side to make them more true under torque. I think he had a tendancy to overdo it. But then he was in the business of selling replacement rims and wheels so there you go.
There is no way around the rim rub issue. It is just a compromise with design. Very much like a guitar with respect to action height, except you are not beating on the guitar (hopefully). My older bike has rim brakes and even with my weight (175) I get a bit of wheel rub when the wheels are not true and perfectly tensioned. So I just back the brakes off a bit. Of course at some point you back off too much and then you can't get enough pressure to brake as well as you would like, not to mention the brief delay. Another thing. Unless you have the CERAMIC surface rims (expensive enough to make you consider discs) with appropriate pads you will wear through the aluminum rim with the pads eating the rim. There is no way out of it unless you use softer pads then you are replacing them at least monthly which is a pain in the ass. Your wheels will need to be replaced after lots and lots serious riding. I went through a several wheelsets doing that until I got onto disks. One time I used some hard pads and ate a set of wheels in three months. OOPS. Very stupid. Every time I bought a ceramic rim it seems I would pull a nipple through it or dent it on a rock so it would have a bump in it while braking. I stopped doing that and then my wheels would always last until the rim got eaten by the pad, but before I pulled a nipple through it. I could not win. I still have one old ceramic front on my bike in the mountains. It is 7 years old. Pure luck. Of course front wheels have it easy if you ride right.
On my Laguna bike I have disks and they are now perfected. For a while they were unreliable but the technology developed. Still I would use nothing but Shimano (harder to adjust) or Avid hydraulic disks. The other brands are not as reliable. I use Avid Juicy 7s which are amazing. Needs pads maybe once a year, even with my level of riding. Even disks, the rotors can warp or get tweaked a bit from a stick or something and you need to mess with little bends on them to keep centered. Also occasionally align the calipers. But any rub is less inevitable, and the feel is far superior as is the power. I would never go back but its a huge price to upgrade from rim brakes unless you are already buying a new wheel set anyway. Also older bikes may not have the mounting points for disks.
All of the factory wheels are not as good as the best hand built wheels. The last wheel set I bought I got smart. I got tired of those wheel issues. I told the guy to build the lightest training (not racing) wheel he could. He used Hope (UK) hubs, DT (swiss) rims and spokes. They were hand built by a pro and cost me $500 for the set. They have been perfect in three years of heavy riding and I have only needed to have them tesioned twice, and this was just for maintenance purposes, not because they seemed uneven. They are on the heavier side (but NOT a downhill wheel) because I like strong more than I like light. A good wheel set is made by a pro with your weight and riding style as consideration. I have never pulled a nipple through the DT rims. I had that problem with Mavic rims, I think the alloy is softer.
Its also hard to know who is really good at it, like you know just because its handmade does not mean the guy who did it is better than a machine. In that way it is exactly like guitars.
I don't like the brain shocks. They get stiff when they feel no bumps. Then the first bump just kicks your ass. Then it gets soft like a stupid shock again until it goes smooth for a while. I am happy with my stupid shock where my ass does not get kicked at all. It might be ever so slightly less efficient but as I am not racing I don't care. It has a lockout so I can lock it out when I am climbing but actually I don't give a shit and don't bother because I am not racing. You can forget and then start going downhill, hit a rut and crash.
I rode today. My bike shifts crappy too. Time to replace the cables. You have got me thinking about it. Also I need a new rear tire, but they are like $40 and I am cheap so I think I will push it a bit more. Last year I would have thrown that tire out by now.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Ryan's Laguna Beach Haunted House
My next door neighbor goes all out on Halloween. Way too cool. Background music by me of course.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Bailout? Bail Out Who?
So you don't think the government should spend your tax money on a bailout?
Actually, if you look at the details, it is not a giveaway. Of course Joe Public is not interested in the fine print when it comes to politics. That is why we are in this mess today. We all bitch about government but most common opinion is based on a very superficial version of what actually happens. What happens is a shell game where the rich and powerful make you think something so they can manipulate the rules. This has already happened. It is too late. It will never change. Next year it will be something else. Perhaps a different scam. Likely a bailout will be a scam for some of them too.
Bush, other than the fact that he thinks the government should DO SOMETHING is not going to be the instrument of this, it will be congress who seals the fate. Much of what is in negotiation now covers what penalties and rules there will be regarding the bailout funds. To attempt some measure of accountability. What a novel concept.
All the "wall streeters" have pocketed their money. They have nothing to lose either way. It is only about saving the portfolios and 401ks of Joe Retiree, who was led down the path by the evil finance crooks (who successfully lobbied both parties - and stripped finance regulations). If we were not trying to "extend home ownership to the less fortunate" this would not have happened. Of course the wall streeters made money on every transaction then sold the paper in deregulated funds to retirees. Screw them I suppose. Oh well. Mr. Wall Street is not holding the bag, no, its Joe Average stockholder. Not Mr. Smart Finance guru. He has already shifted into commodities and foreign currency.
Actually, if you look at the details, it is not a giveaway. Of course Joe Public is not interested in the fine print when it comes to politics. That is why we are in this mess today. We all bitch about government but most common opinion is based on a very superficial version of what actually happens. What happens is a shell game where the rich and powerful make you think something so they can manipulate the rules. This has already happened. It is too late. It will never change. Next year it will be something else. Perhaps a different scam. Likely a bailout will be a scam for some of them too.
Bush, other than the fact that he thinks the government should DO SOMETHING is not going to be the instrument of this, it will be congress who seals the fate. Much of what is in negotiation now covers what penalties and rules there will be regarding the bailout funds. To attempt some measure of accountability. What a novel concept.
All the "wall streeters" have pocketed their money. They have nothing to lose either way. It is only about saving the portfolios and 401ks of Joe Retiree, who was led down the path by the evil finance crooks (who successfully lobbied both parties - and stripped finance regulations). If we were not trying to "extend home ownership to the less fortunate" this would not have happened. Of course the wall streeters made money on every transaction then sold the paper in deregulated funds to retirees. Screw them I suppose. Oh well. Mr. Wall Street is not holding the bag, no, its Joe Average stockholder. Not Mr. Smart Finance guru. He has already shifted into commodities and foreign currency.
All of the cheap credit is no different than kids running up their credit card bills before they have any hope of employment to pay them off. This is a disease too many Americans have, and we have been teaching our children the same thing.
If this country does not do anything regarding a bailout, the "evil wall streeters" will simply make even more money. All of those bailout assets will be picked up for pennies off the backs of the 401k and retirement people. There will be a massive credit crunch and many more business failures.
Of course the people losing their homes deserve that. Likely they should not have gotten any kind of loan to begin with. Probably they don't give shit because it is worth less than they owe. Hopefully their credit is trashed enough so they can't do it again. But even then they are no worse than they were for the most part. Or how about all of those real estate speculators?
Do you like this idea of no bailout? It is not bad. It certainly seems fair. Just keep in mind that you too are going to go for a ride down the tubes. I don't know what you do for work, but if its not something really important and critical you might be looking for a new job. Or if you actually have been responsible for planning for your retirement. Well, probably you are really the loser here. You should have just spent the money. Now its gone. You are going to be either working or poor in your old age. Some moderately wealthy people can still retire and perhaps live a more frugal life on a lot less. They will have less money to put into the economy and will depend more on government services from your tax contributions. They will not be buying stuff from people to make jobs for them either.
Meanwhile, the "evil wall streeters" will watch everything ride down the slope and they will pick it up at the bottom. You will watch them cash in when it makes a recovery and they will smile when you will buy in at the top. Perhaps when you finally catch on (perhaps when your disposable income some day makes it possible to invest). If you are lucky you will have mediocre returns while they sell high and set up a repeat performance.
Just be careful what you wish for. It is WAY more complicated than you know. No bailout? You either have no financial assets or you may have really deep pockets.
I am not saying this bailout thing is good either. It would probably be a better lesson for people to learn the hard way. I am just saying it is not that simple.
Either way you are going to hurt. Hard to tell which punch to take.
If this country does not do anything regarding a bailout, the "evil wall streeters" will simply make even more money. All of those bailout assets will be picked up for pennies off the backs of the 401k and retirement people. There will be a massive credit crunch and many more business failures.
Of course the people losing their homes deserve that. Likely they should not have gotten any kind of loan to begin with. Probably they don't give shit because it is worth less than they owe. Hopefully their credit is trashed enough so they can't do it again. But even then they are no worse than they were for the most part. Or how about all of those real estate speculators?
Do you like this idea of no bailout? It is not bad. It certainly seems fair. Just keep in mind that you too are going to go for a ride down the tubes. I don't know what you do for work, but if its not something really important and critical you might be looking for a new job. Or if you actually have been responsible for planning for your retirement. Well, probably you are really the loser here. You should have just spent the money. Now its gone. You are going to be either working or poor in your old age. Some moderately wealthy people can still retire and perhaps live a more frugal life on a lot less. They will have less money to put into the economy and will depend more on government services from your tax contributions. They will not be buying stuff from people to make jobs for them either.
Meanwhile, the "evil wall streeters" will watch everything ride down the slope and they will pick it up at the bottom. You will watch them cash in when it makes a recovery and they will smile when you will buy in at the top. Perhaps when you finally catch on (perhaps when your disposable income some day makes it possible to invest). If you are lucky you will have mediocre returns while they sell high and set up a repeat performance.
Just be careful what you wish for. It is WAY more complicated than you know. No bailout? You either have no financial assets or you may have really deep pockets.
I am not saying this bailout thing is good either. It would probably be a better lesson for people to learn the hard way. I am just saying it is not that simple.
Either way you are going to hurt. Hard to tell which punch to take.
I can support the argument that every 20 or 50 years people need a hard lesson on how to not spend money they don't have.
I just wish we could teach people to run the government that way.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
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