I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. What a beauty of a bird feeder it was, as I filled it lovingly with seed. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food.
But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue.
Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table... Everywhere!
Then some of the birds turned mean. They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket.
And others birds were boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food.
After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. So I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio.
Soon, the back yard was like it used to be... Quiet, serene... and no one demanding their rights to a free meal.
Now, let's see... Our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care and free education, and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen.
Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; your child's second grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English.
Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to 'press one' to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than 'Old Glory' are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties.
Just my opinion, but maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder.
If you agree, pass it on; if not, just continue cleaning up the poop...
--
Craig Bristow, GRI
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
It is truly one of my favorite holidays. It is nice to get together with friends and family with a focus only on enjoying one another and being reflective on the wonderful world we have to live in.
Hopefully you will be able to spend some time over this holiday weekend appreciating the world we live in, including your significant others of many different degrees of separation. According to some of the latest research for the social media, we are closer to anyone else in the world than 6 degrees of separation.
The world seems huge but it really isn't that large. Hopefully we will be mindful of that in every aspect of our lives and behave accordingly. It is truly best to think globally and act locally. All of us have a direct impact on our part of the world and our part of the world is a significant part of the entire planet.
My best to you and yours during this holiday weekend and always!
Hopefully you will be able to spend some time over this holiday weekend appreciating the world we live in, including your significant others of many different degrees of separation. According to some of the latest research for the social media, we are closer to anyone else in the world than 6 degrees of separation.
The world seems huge but it really isn't that large. Hopefully we will be mindful of that in every aspect of our lives and behave accordingly. It is truly best to think globally and act locally. All of us have a direct impact on our part of the world and our part of the world is a significant part of the entire planet.
My best to you and yours during this holiday weekend and always!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Rotary day yesterday. Presented with Blue Sky Taxi's chief pilot.
Wednesday morning started with a friend of mine and I presenting a paragliding program to the Aurora Sunrise Rotary Club. Scott Clark was with me and he is the chief pilot for Blue Sky Taxi service based in the Chicago area. It went well. There were about 25 Rotarians present.
I then went home to do some paperwork and phone calls for the office. There wasn't any notice about the Niles Township Clergy Forum Service on the major community calendars so I attempted to rectify this. I also sent out an email to all of my Dental Family about this wonderful community event. Hopefully, those of you in my geographic area, reading this will attend it also.
Here is the needed information:
When:
Wednesday, November 23rd, at 7:30pm
What:
"41st Annual Interfaith Service of Thanksgiving" sponsored by the Niles Township Clergy Forum
Where:
Assyrian National Council Building
9131 Niles Center Road, Skokie, IL
Please bring non-perishable food items for the Niles Township Food Pantry
I then did some paperwork at the office and had a Skokie Valley Rotary Board meeting at 5:30pm.
Hope all of you are well!
I then went home to do some paperwork and phone calls for the office. There wasn't any notice about the Niles Township Clergy Forum Service on the major community calendars so I attempted to rectify this. I also sent out an email to all of my Dental Family about this wonderful community event. Hopefully, those of you in my geographic area, reading this will attend it also.
Here is the needed information:
When:
Wednesday, November 23rd, at 7:30pm
What:
"41st Annual Interfaith Service of Thanksgiving" sponsored by the Niles Township Clergy Forum
Where:
Assyrian National Council Building
9131 Niles Center Road, Skokie, IL
Please bring non-perishable food items for the Niles Township Food Pantry
I then did some paperwork at the office and had a Skokie Valley Rotary Board meeting at 5:30pm.
Hope all of you are well!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Busy weekend.
I hope all of you are well and having a good Halloween weekend. My patients were checked on from last week and all of them are doing well. Supplies need to be collected and brought to the office for this week.
Frank, Jerry & I rode our bicycles this morning. It was cold but good. The wind picked up a bit in our faces on the way home. It was a good ride. Lights are badly needed this time of the year but ours are all very good.
We are hoping to ride tomorrow and the weather looks like it will probably cooperate. Tomorrow from the National Weather Service for Skokie:
>>>
This Afternoon: Occasional showers. High near 52. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52. West wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
<<<
I am planning on riding and meeting Michael unless I hear otherwise from him.
My track from this morning:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1385146
I flew last evening near the Kenosha outlet mall off of Interstate 94:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1384641
I did reading 2 for my church this morning and all of the readings were excellent. Some of my favorites!
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/103011.cfm
My best to all of you always!
Have a great day!
Frank, Jerry & I rode our bicycles this morning. It was cold but good. The wind picked up a bit in our faces on the way home. It was a good ride. Lights are badly needed this time of the year but ours are all very good.
We are hoping to ride tomorrow and the weather looks like it will probably cooperate. Tomorrow from the National Weather Service for Skokie:
>>>
This Afternoon: Occasional showers. High near 52. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52. West wind between 5 and 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.
<<<
I am planning on riding and meeting Michael unless I hear otherwise from him.
My track from this morning:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1385146
I flew last evening near the Kenosha outlet mall off of Interstate 94:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1384641
I did reading 2 for my church this morning and all of the readings were excellent. Some of my favorites!
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/103011.cfm
My best to all of you always!
Have a great day!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
"Fast and Furious" arms sales cover up.
My good friend Scott Clark sent me this:
>>>
The fact that the US conducted std experiments on blacks, in secret. The fast that the US conducted radioactive tests on US troops in the 50's. The fact that the US spys on its citizens; Then tell me why this is not a probable scenario. Given the currernt history of Holder and Obama.....
The government-sanctioned gunrunning operation Fast and Furious was a plot to undermine Second Amendment rights in the United States, National Rifle Association officerWayne LaPierre charged on Friday in an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV.
“It’s the only thing that makes any sense,” LaPierre said. “Over a period of two or three years they were running thousands and thousands of guns to the most evil people on earth. At the same time they were yelling ’90 per cent… of the guns the Mexican drug cartels are using come from the United States.’
That was a phony figure from the very start. Even the Wikileaks cables from our own State Department prove they are coming from Central America, they are not coming from the U.S. Every police officer will tell you that they’re coming from Russia, they’re coming from China, most of them are coming from Central America and a lot of them are coming from defections from the Mexican Army,” said LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president and CEO.
But LaPierre said that President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were determined to make it appear that most weapons used by the Mexicans came from north of the border, “so they could stick more gun legislation on honest American gun owners of the United States.”
LaPierre insisted that the whole Fast and Furious scandal, in which he said “thousands and thousands” of weapons were allowed to cross into Mexico, would never have come to light at all if it hadn’t been for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in Arizona in December.
“We wouldn’t know about this at all if [Terry] had not been killed and some of the good, honest, decent federal agents down the line had enough of the stench coming out of Washington and started to use the Whistleblower Act to go public and call the Justice Department out on this whole rotten, stinking scheme.
“Otherwise thousands of guns would still be going over the border into the Mexican drug cartels and the president and the attorney general and the secretary of state would all be running around going ’90 percent of the guns come from America’ in an attempt to seek political advantage and in an attempt to enact more gun control laws on honest American citizens and use this whole issue politically against the Second Amendment of the United States.”
Fast and Furious is the biggest cover-up since the Watergate scandal that brought down Richard Nixon in the early-1970s, LaPierre said.
“Look at what has happened,” he said. “We had our Department of Justice under the Obama administration running thousands and thousands of guns over the border and watching them go directly into the hands of some of the most evil people on earth, the Mexican drug cartels.
“At the same time they were letting the reputation of good, honest, decent Americans, law-abiding American gun dealers, be ruined.
“They ordered these sales to be made, they even overrode the InstaCheck system and ordered the dealers to make the sales. Then, when it all starts coming out, there’s a massive cover-up.”
He joined the chorus of Republican members of Congress calling for Holder to quit and for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate the entire scandal which has resulted in dozens of crimes committed both in the U.S. and in Mexico being committed with the smuggled weapons.
“My gosh, Valerie Plame gets a special prosecutor,” he said, referring to the CIA agent whose name was leaked during the George W. Bush presidency. “And all we get on Fast and Furious, where people are dead, a federal agent is dead, hundreds of crimes are being committed, is an Eric Holder cover-up.
“They crossed the line. They need to be held responsible. We need to get to the bottom of this and the only way we are going to get to the bottom of it is a special prosecutor.”
He rebutted Democratic claims that subpoenas issued this week by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa were nothing more than a politically motivated “fishing expedition.”
LaPierre said, “Do we really want our Department of Justice … running thousands of guns into the hands of the Mexican drug cartels? Running a massive campaign to manipulate public opinion? Ruining the lives of good, honest American citizens when they knew the truth, and then participating in a massive cover-up?
“Doesn’t that sound like something that would happen more from a South American dictatorship than what we expect in the Good Ol’ USA?
“This can’t be allowed to stand. What has happened in Fast and Furious is the equivalent of our Justice Department becoming willing co-conspirators with the Mexican drug cartels in their crimes. If any citizen in this country had sold a gun to the Mexican drug cartels and then those cartels had used those guns to kill good, honest, decent people, any U.S. Attorney worth his salt would indict that citizen for accessory to murder. That’s what’s happened here.”
LaPierre said that re-electing Obama to a second term would destroy Second Amendment rights, claiming that his Supreme Court appointees would “erase the Second Amendment from the Bill of Rights and exorcise it from the Constitution of the U.S.”
But he said the NRA had not and will not endorse any individual GOP candidate. “All those candidates have positive records on the Second Amendment issues. We are not going to get into the Republican primaries,” he said.
“Our job is to protect the Second Amendment and that means that every gun owner, every Second Amendment supporter needs to do everything they can to make sure that President Obama does not get a second term so that he can destroy the Second Amendment.
“This is the most dangerous election in our lifetime for the Second Amendment freedom that American citizens have. A second term by President Obama will break the back of that freedom in this country.”
<<<
What is happening to us?
I truly thank God that we have freedom of speech in our beloved United States of America. We, the people, need to wake up and use it. We need to take the power back from big government and big business. We need to have limits on campaign financing by corporations and non-USA interests. Everyone knows that, "money talks," and all of the money from corporations and special interest groups is drowning out the true voice of the people.
>>>
The fact that the US conducted std experiments on blacks, in secret. The fast that the US conducted radioactive tests on US troops in the 50's. The fact that the US spys on its citizens; Then tell me why this is not a probable scenario. Given the currernt history of Holder and Obama.....
The government-sanctioned gunrunning operation Fast and Furious was a plot to undermine Second Amendment rights in the United States, National Rifle Association officerWayne LaPierre charged on Friday in an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV.
“It’s the only thing that makes any sense,” LaPierre said. “Over a period of two or three years they were running thousands and thousands of guns to the most evil people on earth. At the same time they were yelling ’90 per cent… of the guns the Mexican drug cartels are using come from the United States.’
That was a phony figure from the very start. Even the Wikileaks cables from our own State Department prove they are coming from Central America, they are not coming from the U.S. Every police officer will tell you that they’re coming from Russia, they’re coming from China, most of them are coming from Central America and a lot of them are coming from defections from the Mexican Army,” said LaPierre, the NRA's executive vice president and CEO.
But LaPierre said that President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were determined to make it appear that most weapons used by the Mexicans came from north of the border, “so they could stick more gun legislation on honest American gun owners of the United States.”
LaPierre insisted that the whole Fast and Furious scandal, in which he said “thousands and thousands” of weapons were allowed to cross into Mexico, would never have come to light at all if it hadn’t been for the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in Arizona in December.
“We wouldn’t know about this at all if [Terry] had not been killed and some of the good, honest, decent federal agents down the line had enough of the stench coming out of Washington and started to use the Whistleblower Act to go public and call the Justice Department out on this whole rotten, stinking scheme.
“Otherwise thousands of guns would still be going over the border into the Mexican drug cartels and the president and the attorney general and the secretary of state would all be running around going ’90 percent of the guns come from America’ in an attempt to seek political advantage and in an attempt to enact more gun control laws on honest American citizens and use this whole issue politically against the Second Amendment of the United States.”
Fast and Furious is the biggest cover-up since the Watergate scandal that brought down Richard Nixon in the early-1970s, LaPierre said.
“Look at what has happened,” he said. “We had our Department of Justice under the Obama administration running thousands and thousands of guns over the border and watching them go directly into the hands of some of the most evil people on earth, the Mexican drug cartels.
“At the same time they were letting the reputation of good, honest, decent Americans, law-abiding American gun dealers, be ruined.
“They ordered these sales to be made, they even overrode the InstaCheck system and ordered the dealers to make the sales. Then, when it all starts coming out, there’s a massive cover-up.”
He joined the chorus of Republican members of Congress calling for Holder to quit and for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate the entire scandal which has resulted in dozens of crimes committed both in the U.S. and in Mexico being committed with the smuggled weapons.
“My gosh, Valerie Plame gets a special prosecutor,” he said, referring to the CIA agent whose name was leaked during the George W. Bush presidency. “And all we get on Fast and Furious, where people are dead, a federal agent is dead, hundreds of crimes are being committed, is an Eric Holder cover-up.
“They crossed the line. They need to be held responsible. We need to get to the bottom of this and the only way we are going to get to the bottom of it is a special prosecutor.”
He rebutted Democratic claims that subpoenas issued this week by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa were nothing more than a politically motivated “fishing expedition.”
LaPierre said, “Do we really want our Department of Justice … running thousands of guns into the hands of the Mexican drug cartels? Running a massive campaign to manipulate public opinion? Ruining the lives of good, honest American citizens when they knew the truth, and then participating in a massive cover-up?
“Doesn’t that sound like something that would happen more from a South American dictatorship than what we expect in the Good Ol’ USA?
“This can’t be allowed to stand. What has happened in Fast and Furious is the equivalent of our Justice Department becoming willing co-conspirators with the Mexican drug cartels in their crimes. If any citizen in this country had sold a gun to the Mexican drug cartels and then those cartels had used those guns to kill good, honest, decent people, any U.S. Attorney worth his salt would indict that citizen for accessory to murder. That’s what’s happened here.”
LaPierre said that re-electing Obama to a second term would destroy Second Amendment rights, claiming that his Supreme Court appointees would “erase the Second Amendment from the Bill of Rights and exorcise it from the Constitution of the U.S.”
But he said the NRA had not and will not endorse any individual GOP candidate. “All those candidates have positive records on the Second Amendment issues. We are not going to get into the Republican primaries,” he said.
“Our job is to protect the Second Amendment and that means that every gun owner, every Second Amendment supporter needs to do everything they can to make sure that President Obama does not get a second term so that he can destroy the Second Amendment.
“This is the most dangerous election in our lifetime for the Second Amendment freedom that American citizens have. A second term by President Obama will break the back of that freedom in this country.”
<<<
What is happening to us?
I truly thank God that we have freedom of speech in our beloved United States of America. We, the people, need to wake up and use it. We need to take the power back from big government and big business. We need to have limits on campaign financing by corporations and non-USA interests. Everyone knows that, "money talks," and all of the money from corporations and special interest groups is drowning out the true voice of the people.
Yesterday. Rode & got things done.
It was a good day. I rode w/ 6 of my good friends up to and back from Once Upon a Bagel in Highland Park for a total of about 23 miles.
Then did a lot of paperwork and investigation of resources for replacing our home's windows. This is needed. We are cancelling a high pressure sale within the 3 days allowed by law and investigating other providers for these windows. It is a major expense.
Minda and I went to Mass at St. Mary's RC Church in Evanston and did some shopping. Minda worked yesterday. Then we went home, had dinner, I sorted through and deleted some of the junk email, took Erika to a friend's place, and finally we got to bed.
It was a good and productive day.
Then did a lot of paperwork and investigation of resources for replacing our home's windows. This is needed. We are cancelling a high pressure sale within the 3 days allowed by law and investigating other providers for these windows. It is a major expense.
Minda and I went to Mass at St. Mary's RC Church in Evanston and did some shopping. Minda worked yesterday. Then we went home, had dinner, I sorted through and deleted some of the junk email, took Erika to a friend's place, and finally we got to bed.
It was a good and productive day.
Friday, October 14, 2011
The Wisconsin Governor was right to hold his ground.
This is an email just received from a good friend:
>>>
Wisconsin Racket's Bluff Called
Remember the violent and disgusting demonstrations over Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker doing away with collective bargaining for teacher's unions? The results are in. Some school districts went from a $400,000 deficit to a $1,500,000 surplus as a result.
Why?
It seems that the insurance company that provided all the "so-called" benefits to the teachers was an insurance company owned and operated by the teacher's union. Since the outfit was guaranteed to get the insurance business from the teachers, and the State had to pay for it (not the teachers) the insurance company was increasing annual costs every single year to become the most expensive insurance company in the state.
Then the company was donating millions and millions of dollars to its favorite democrat politicians who, when they got elected, guaranteed to keep funding the union's outrageous costs. In other words, the insurance company was a "pass through" for Wisconsin taxpayer money directly to the democrat politicians.
Nice racket, and this is the racket that is going on in every single State that allows collective bargaining.
No wonder the States are taking it away. Now the State of Wisconsin is free to put the insurance contract out for bids and, lo and behold, they have saved so much money it has turned deficits into surplus amounts. As a result, none of the teachers had to be laid off, everyone got a raise, etc., etc., and the taxpayers of Wisconsin don't have to pay more taxes to fund the union's political ambitions.
If you weren't aware of the reasons Gov. Walker was fighting to take away collective bargaining, it gives you an idea of the problem the Republican Party has. Outside of one or two, none of them know how to speak up and explain properly what the problem was.. We could sure use a Ronald Reagan now, someone who could explain things for people to understand, since we know that people don't like to read anymore.
Here is the article:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/07/wisconsin-schools-buck-union-cut-health-costs
PLEASE BE SURE TO SEND THIS ONWARD! IT'S OUR ONLY CHANCE OF STOPPING THIS CORRUPTION!
<<<
Thoughts?
>>>
Wisconsin Racket's Bluff Called
Remember the violent and disgusting demonstrations over Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker doing away with collective bargaining for teacher's unions? The results are in. Some school districts went from a $400,000 deficit to a $1,500,000 surplus as a result.
Why?
It seems that the insurance company that provided all the "so-called" benefits to the teachers was an insurance company owned and operated by the teacher's union. Since the outfit was guaranteed to get the insurance business from the teachers, and the State had to pay for it (not the teachers) the insurance company was increasing annual costs every single year to become the most expensive insurance company in the state.
Then the company was donating millions and millions of dollars to its favorite democrat politicians who, when they got elected, guaranteed to keep funding the union's outrageous costs. In other words, the insurance company was a "pass through" for Wisconsin taxpayer money directly to the democrat politicians.
Nice racket, and this is the racket that is going on in every single State that allows collective bargaining.
No wonder the States are taking it away. Now the State of Wisconsin is free to put the insurance contract out for bids and, lo and behold, they have saved so much money it has turned deficits into surplus amounts. As a result, none of the teachers had to be laid off, everyone got a raise, etc., etc., and the taxpayers of Wisconsin don't have to pay more taxes to fund the union's political ambitions.
If you weren't aware of the reasons Gov. Walker was fighting to take away collective bargaining, it gives you an idea of the problem the Republican Party has. Outside of one or two, none of them know how to speak up and explain properly what the problem was.. We could sure use a Ronald Reagan now, someone who could explain things for people to understand, since we know that people don't like to read anymore.
Here is the article:
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2011/07/wisconsin-schools-buck-union-cut-health-costs
PLEASE BE SURE TO SEND THIS ONWARD! IT'S OUR ONLY CHANCE OF STOPPING THIS CORRUPTION!
<<<
Thoughts?
Monday, October 10, 2011
Biking, Flying and working around the house yesterday.
It was a good day. Biked about 50 miles following the Chicago Marathon until it crossed the Eisenhower Expressway, then went home to clean out the house and garage gutters as well as the leaves around the house, and run an errand with Minda. Then went up to Winfield Airport just across the Wisconsin border to fly my powered paraglider.
It was a GREAT day!
It was a GREAT day!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Flew the polo field in Batavia this morning.
Scott C and I went there for some very early morning flights. It was cold but great. The launches were difficult due to very wet grass and no wind. Forward launches with all of the layers of clothing were the only options.
We did a cross country flight to the west. I buzzed the property of an acquaintance from a couple of years ago. Fred was considering joining us in our rag wing lunacy but his wife Grace talked him out of it. His home's waypoint was still marked in my GPS and we were headed that way so I flew by the property fairly low. He has at least a couple of horses on the property so I didn't get too close but waved at whoever was in the barn at the time.
The air was very smooth early on and it was great to skim the ground in any direction. It was quite cold down low but there was a thermo-cline at about 250' to 300' AGL and the air higher was very much warmer.
Our motors both ran great. Thanks, Lance!
We did a cross country flight to the west. I buzzed the property of an acquaintance from a couple of years ago. Fred was considering joining us in our rag wing lunacy but his wife Grace talked him out of it. His home's waypoint was still marked in my GPS and we were headed that way so I flew by the property fairly low. He has at least a couple of horses on the property so I didn't get too close but waved at whoever was in the barn at the time.
The air was very smooth early on and it was great to skim the ground in any direction. It was quite cold down low but there was a thermo-cline at about 250' to 300' AGL and the air higher was very much warmer.
Our motors both ran great. Thanks, Lance!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Flying to the MAXIMUM yesterday!
It was great!
Scott C and I drove to Koerner's Airport in the morning. We flew our PPGs there.
Then we drove about 30 miles SW of there to just north of Cullom, IL. We flew PG by being towed up behind a vehicle on a little used country road.
Later I went back to Koerner's and did a long cross country flight to Enjoy Field with Lance and Wes.
What a day!
This will be modified with more details later.
Scott C and I drove to Koerner's Airport in the morning. We flew our PPGs there.
Then we drove about 30 miles SW of there to just north of Cullom, IL. We flew PG by being towed up behind a vehicle on a little used country road.
Later I went back to Koerner's and did a long cross country flight to Enjoy Field with Lance and Wes.
What a day!
This will be modified with more details later.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Great time flying last weekend
It was a Fly In and a barbeque dinner at Koerner's Airport in Kankakee.
The photos say it all:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109552267984315517268/110924PPGKoernerSPigRoastFlyIn
The photos say it all:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109552267984315517268/110924PPGKoernerSPigRoastFlyIn
Perioshield: new 'dental device' [rinse] for gum disease.
This appears to be a very significant breakthrough for those of us with gum disease. Perioshield is a new product which is classified by the FDA as a 'dental device' and it is a rinse. It is basically a mouth wash. It is to be used twice a day after flossing and brushing.
Perioshield has been shown to reduce dental plaque and bleeding by more than one third in clinical studies. This is not a systemic drug with systemic side effects but a locally acting 'device'. In my mind this is the best way to handle health problems. Too many 'drugs' have far too many side effects and we don't need to add to the number of drugs in use today.
Here is an online link to the manufacturer's information:
http://us-professional.gumbrand.com/departments/operatory-products/gum-perioshield-oral-health-rinse/products/new-perioshield/
All of us [with our own teeth] still need to floss and brush, carefully, at least once a day but those of us with tendencies to develop gum disease may greatly benefit from this product. Those of us with gum disease susceptibility should also be very careful with our diets and perhaps take nutritional supplements to help build up our own resistance and health to be at its best to fight off this tendency.
Please tell your friends and neighbors about this if they have ever mentionend having gum problems to you or if you have ever noticed significant mouth odor from them. Bad breath is a pretty reliable indicator of gum disease.
It is not available at local retailers in our area. I have ordered it for sale at my office. My patients will have preferential access to this new product through my office.
I wish all of you and all of yours the best always!
Perioshield has been shown to reduce dental plaque and bleeding by more than one third in clinical studies. This is not a systemic drug with systemic side effects but a locally acting 'device'. In my mind this is the best way to handle health problems. Too many 'drugs' have far too many side effects and we don't need to add to the number of drugs in use today.
Here is an online link to the manufacturer's information:
http://us-professional.gumbrand.com/departments/operatory-products/gum-perioshield-oral-health-rinse/products/new-perioshield/
All of us [with our own teeth] still need to floss and brush, carefully, at least once a day but those of us with tendencies to develop gum disease may greatly benefit from this product. Those of us with gum disease susceptibility should also be very careful with our diets and perhaps take nutritional supplements to help build up our own resistance and health to be at its best to fight off this tendency.
Please tell your friends and neighbors about this if they have ever mentionend having gum problems to you or if you have ever noticed significant mouth odor from them. Bad breath is a pretty reliable indicator of gum disease.
It is not available at local retailers in our area. I have ordered it for sale at my office. My patients will have preferential access to this new product through my office.
I wish all of you and all of yours the best always!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Jane Fonda is not worthy.
Subject: Fw: Barbara Walters comments on Jane Fonda:
Thank you all. Many died in Vietnam for our freedoms. I did not like Jane Fonda then and I don't like her now.
She can lead her present life the way she wants and perhaps SHE can forget the past, but we DO NOT have to stand by without comment and see her "honored" as a "Woman of the Century."
(I remember this well)
For those who served and/or died.. . .
NEVER FORGIVE A TRAITOR. SHE REALLY WAS A TRAITOR!!
and now President OBAMA wants to honor her......!!!!
In Memory of LT. C..Thomsen Wieland who spent 100 days at the Hanoi Hilton [Famous North Vietnam Prison]
IF YOU NEVER FORWARDED ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE FORWARD THIS SO THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW!!!!!!
A TRAITOR IS ABOUT TO BE HONORED. KEEP THIS MOVING ACROSS AMERICA
This is for all the kids born in the 70's and after who do not remember, and didn't have to bear the burden that our fathers, mothers and older brothers and sisters had to bear.
Jane Fonda is being honored as one of the '100 Women of the Century..'
BARBARA WALTERS WRITES:
Unfortunately, many have forgotten and still countless others have never known how Ms. Fonda betrayed not only the idea of our country, but specific men who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War.
The first part of this is from an F-4E pilot. The pilot's name is Jerry Driscoll, a River Rat. In 1968, the former Commandant of the USAF Survival School was a POW in Ho Lo Prison the ' Hanoi Hilton.'
Dragged from a stinking cesspit of a cell, cleaned, fed, and dressed in clean PJ's, he was ordered to describe for a visiting American 'Peace Activist' the 'lenient and humane treatment' he'd received.
He spat at Ms. Fonda, was clubbed, and was dragged away. During the subsequent beating, he fell forward on to the camp Commandant 's feet, which sent that officer berserk.
In 1978, the Air Force Colonel still suffered from double vision (which permanently ended his flying career) from the Commandant's frenzied application of a wooden baton.
From 1963-65, Col. Larry Carrigan was in the 47FW/DO (F-4E's). He spent 6 years in the ' Hanoi Hilton',,, the first three of which his family only knew he was 'missing in action'. His wife lived on faith that he was still alive. His group, too, got the cleaned-up, fed and clothed routine in preparation for a 'peace delegation' visit.
They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world that they were alive and still survived. Each man secreted a tiny piece of paper, with his Social Security Number on it, in the palm of his hand. When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a cameraman, she walked the line, shaking each man's hand and asking little encouraging snippets like: 'Aren't you sorry you bombed babies?' and 'Are you grateful for the humane treatment from your benevolent captors?' Believing this HAD to be an act, they each palmed her their sliver of paper.
She took them all without missing a beat.. At the end of the line and once the camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs, she turned to the officer in charge and handed him all the little pieces of paper...
Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Colonel Carrigan was almost number four but he survived, which is the only reason we know of her actions that day.
I was a civilian economic development advisor in Vietnam , and was captured by the North Vietnamese communists in South Vietnam in 1968, and held prisoner for over 5 years.
I spent 27 months in solitary confinement; one year in a cage in Cambodia ; and one year in a 'black box' in Hanoi . My North Vietnamese captors deliberately poisoned and murdered a female missionary, a nurse in a leprosarium in Banme Thuot , South Vietnam , whom I buried in the jungle near the Cambodian border. At one time, I weighed only about 90 lbs. (My normal weight is 170 lbs)
We were Jane Fonda's 'war criminals....'
When Jane Fonda was in Hanoi , I was asked by the camp communist political officer if I would be willing to meet with her. I said yes, for I wanted to tell her about the real
treatment we POWs received... and how different it was from the treatment purported by the North Vietnamese, and parroted by her as 'humane and lenient.'
Because of this, I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees, with my arms outstretched with a large steel weight placed on my hands, and beaten with a bamboo cane.
I had the opportunity to meet with Jane Fonda soon after I was released.. I asked her if she would be willing to debate me on TV. She never did answer me.
These first-hand experiences do not exemplify someone who should be honored as part of '100 Years of Great Women.' Lest we forget....' 100 Years of Great Women' should never include a traitor whose hands are covered with the blood of so many patriots.
There are few things I have strong visceral reactions to, but Hanoi Jane's participation in blatant treason, is one of them. Please take the time to forward to as many people as you possibly can.. It will eventually end up on her computer and she needs to know that we will never forget.
RONALD D. SAMPSON, CMSgt,
USAF 716 Maintenance Squadron,
Chief of Maintenance DSN: 875-6431 COMM: 883-6343
PLEASE HELP BY SENDING THIS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.
IF ENOUGH PEOPLE SEE THIS MAYBE HER STATUS WILL CHANGE.
Thank you all. Many died in Vietnam for our freedoms. I did not like Jane Fonda then and I don't like her now.
She can lead her present life the way she wants and perhaps SHE can forget the past, but we DO NOT have to stand by without comment and see her "honored" as a "Woman of the Century."
(I remember this well)
For those who served and/or died.. . .
NEVER FORGIVE A TRAITOR. SHE REALLY WAS A TRAITOR!!
and now President OBAMA wants to honor her......!!!!
In Memory of LT. C..Thomsen Wieland who spent 100 days at the Hanoi Hilton [Famous North Vietnam Prison]
IF YOU NEVER FORWARDED ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE FORWARD THIS SO THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW!!!!!!
A TRAITOR IS ABOUT TO BE HONORED. KEEP THIS MOVING ACROSS AMERICA
This is for all the kids born in the 70's and after who do not remember, and didn't have to bear the burden that our fathers, mothers and older brothers and sisters had to bear.
Jane Fonda is being honored as one of the '100 Women of the Century..'
BARBARA WALTERS WRITES:
Unfortunately, many have forgotten and still countless others have never known how Ms. Fonda betrayed not only the idea of our country, but specific men who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War.
The first part of this is from an F-4E pilot. The pilot's name is Jerry Driscoll, a River Rat. In 1968, the former Commandant of the USAF Survival School was a POW in Ho Lo Prison the ' Hanoi Hilton.'
Dragged from a stinking cesspit of a cell, cleaned, fed, and dressed in clean PJ's, he was ordered to describe for a visiting American 'Peace Activist' the 'lenient and humane treatment' he'd received.
He spat at Ms. Fonda, was clubbed, and was dragged away. During the subsequent beating, he fell forward on to the camp Commandant 's feet, which sent that officer berserk.
In 1978, the Air Force Colonel still suffered from double vision (which permanently ended his flying career) from the Commandant's frenzied application of a wooden baton.
From 1963-65, Col. Larry Carrigan was in the 47FW/DO (F-4E's). He spent 6 years in the ' Hanoi Hilton',,, the first three of which his family only knew he was 'missing in action'. His wife lived on faith that he was still alive. His group, too, got the cleaned-up, fed and clothed routine in preparation for a 'peace delegation' visit.
They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world that they were alive and still survived. Each man secreted a tiny piece of paper, with his Social Security Number on it, in the palm of his hand. When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a cameraman, she walked the line, shaking each man's hand and asking little encouraging snippets like: 'Aren't you sorry you bombed babies?' and 'Are you grateful for the humane treatment from your benevolent captors?' Believing this HAD to be an act, they each palmed her their sliver of paper.
She took them all without missing a beat.. At the end of the line and once the camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs, she turned to the officer in charge and handed him all the little pieces of paper...
Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Colonel Carrigan was almost number four but he survived, which is the only reason we know of her actions that day.
I was a civilian economic development advisor in Vietnam , and was captured by the North Vietnamese communists in South Vietnam in 1968, and held prisoner for over 5 years.
I spent 27 months in solitary confinement; one year in a cage in Cambodia ; and one year in a 'black box' in Hanoi . My North Vietnamese captors deliberately poisoned and murdered a female missionary, a nurse in a leprosarium in Banme Thuot , South Vietnam , whom I buried in the jungle near the Cambodian border. At one time, I weighed only about 90 lbs. (My normal weight is 170 lbs)
We were Jane Fonda's 'war criminals....'
When Jane Fonda was in Hanoi , I was asked by the camp communist political officer if I would be willing to meet with her. I said yes, for I wanted to tell her about the real
treatment we POWs received... and how different it was from the treatment purported by the North Vietnamese, and parroted by her as 'humane and lenient.'
Because of this, I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees, with my arms outstretched with a large steel weight placed on my hands, and beaten with a bamboo cane.
I had the opportunity to meet with Jane Fonda soon after I was released.. I asked her if she would be willing to debate me on TV. She never did answer me.
These first-hand experiences do not exemplify someone who should be honored as part of '100 Years of Great Women.' Lest we forget....' 100 Years of Great Women' should never include a traitor whose hands are covered with the blood of so many patriots.
There are few things I have strong visceral reactions to, but Hanoi Jane's participation in blatant treason, is one of them. Please take the time to forward to as many people as you possibly can.. It will eventually end up on her computer and she needs to know that we will never forget.
RONALD D. SAMPSON, CMSgt,
USAF 716 Maintenance Squadron,
Chief of Maintenance DSN: 875-6431 COMM: 883-6343
PLEASE HELP BY SENDING THIS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK.
IF ENOUGH PEOPLE SEE THIS MAYBE HER STATUS WILL CHANGE.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Independence Day weekend was good.
Saturday I rode my bike to Kenosha with a friend. We left early [5:15am for me], stopped at Once Upon a Bagel in Highland Park and then rode straight up to Kenosha. A couple of friends rode to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago and then turned around. George & I rode the entire trip together.
We stayed fairly close to Lake Michigan due to the cooling effect of the lake and the hot, humid weather on Saturday. There were strong storms and winds that came through the area from about Waukegan up to Kenosha which did a lot of damage. I took a picture of George with my iPhone 4 in front of a house with a huge tree laying on the roof and front of it.
We kept the pace up and were riding at just under 20mph most of the way. I was home before 10:30am which is the earliest I have gotten home from a ride to Kenosha I believe. My mileage total was just under 80 miles for this ride.
Sunday morning I rode again but only did a ride up to Once Upon a Bagel with Jerry and a small group. We rode pretty slowly. It was a good recovery ride.
Sunday evening my daughter and I went to my cousin's home in Downers Grove. Linda [my cousin] and her husband Hans have a very nice home and Linda is quite a hostess. Her brothers are scattered across the country to the west of Chicago. Gary lives in the St. Louis area, Greg lives in the Reno area and Rick lives in Hawaii on Maui. It was great to see all of them. It has been 2 1/2 years since their mother died and I believe that was the last time we were all together.
Monday Scott [my flying friend], Guinness [my dog], a I went down to the Kankakee area. We went to Enjoy Field and from there to the Cullom area. We met a group who were towing paragliders aloft via a hydraulic winch and then releasing to try to stay aloft on rising air or thermal lift. One of the group, Jaro Krupa, was able to find enough lift to stay up and fly away. The rest of us didn't find adequate lift and couldn't stay up very long. It was a nice afternoon but the lift could have been better. Scott and I both did one tow. We then went to Koerner's Airport just outside of Kankakee.
We arrived at Koerner's to find Steve and his son, Alex, working on a 1940's vintage Luscombe C restoration project. It is a beautiful, shiny, 2 seat, tail dragger aircraft. Alex has polished it to a mirror finish and they were working on aligning some masking tape for painting some striping and insignia on it. They were hoping to finish it for Oshkosh this year but they aren't going to make it apparently. They are both certified A&P [Air-frame & Power-plant] aircraft mechanics.
Lance met Scott and I there after a little while. Guinness just hung out with us. Lance helped Scott with a motor mount issue on his Skybolt RDM. My Skybolt RDM had the starter partially disintegrate in Florida a couple of months ago and it still needs a belt for its cooling fan. We thought the old cooling fan belt would hold but it didn't. I have a Top 80 which is in need of propeller repair but I also have some spare props. Lance and I found a prop which worked.
Wes arrived while all of this was going on. He and Scott were kiting their paragliders in the field and were just about ready to fly when the Top 80 was ready to be flown. I launched first and they followed. We had great flights. Fred Beagle of EAA Oshkosh fame was there flying his ultralight too. It was great to meet a legend, have the pleasure of flying with him, and shake his hand.
Wes, Scott & I landed for a bit, refueled and then relaunched again to fly until dark. We then went out for dinner and home to sleep very soundly.
It was a great weekend!
We stayed fairly close to Lake Michigan due to the cooling effect of the lake and the hot, humid weather on Saturday. There were strong storms and winds that came through the area from about Waukegan up to Kenosha which did a lot of damage. I took a picture of George with my iPhone 4 in front of a house with a huge tree laying on the roof and front of it.
We kept the pace up and were riding at just under 20mph most of the way. I was home before 10:30am which is the earliest I have gotten home from a ride to Kenosha I believe. My mileage total was just under 80 miles for this ride.
Sunday morning I rode again but only did a ride up to Once Upon a Bagel with Jerry and a small group. We rode pretty slowly. It was a good recovery ride.
Sunday evening my daughter and I went to my cousin's home in Downers Grove. Linda [my cousin] and her husband Hans have a very nice home and Linda is quite a hostess. Her brothers are scattered across the country to the west of Chicago. Gary lives in the St. Louis area, Greg lives in the Reno area and Rick lives in Hawaii on Maui. It was great to see all of them. It has been 2 1/2 years since their mother died and I believe that was the last time we were all together.
Monday Scott [my flying friend], Guinness [my dog], a I went down to the Kankakee area. We went to Enjoy Field and from there to the Cullom area. We met a group who were towing paragliders aloft via a hydraulic winch and then releasing to try to stay aloft on rising air or thermal lift. One of the group, Jaro Krupa, was able to find enough lift to stay up and fly away. The rest of us didn't find adequate lift and couldn't stay up very long. It was a nice afternoon but the lift could have been better. Scott and I both did one tow. We then went to Koerner's Airport just outside of Kankakee.
We arrived at Koerner's to find Steve and his son, Alex, working on a 1940's vintage Luscombe C restoration project. It is a beautiful, shiny, 2 seat, tail dragger aircraft. Alex has polished it to a mirror finish and they were working on aligning some masking tape for painting some striping and insignia on it. They were hoping to finish it for Oshkosh this year but they aren't going to make it apparently. They are both certified A&P [Air-frame & Power-plant] aircraft mechanics.
Lance met Scott and I there after a little while. Guinness just hung out with us. Lance helped Scott with a motor mount issue on his Skybolt RDM. My Skybolt RDM had the starter partially disintegrate in Florida a couple of months ago and it still needs a belt for its cooling fan. We thought the old cooling fan belt would hold but it didn't. I have a Top 80 which is in need of propeller repair but I also have some spare props. Lance and I found a prop which worked.
Wes arrived while all of this was going on. He and Scott were kiting their paragliders in the field and were just about ready to fly when the Top 80 was ready to be flown. I launched first and they followed. We had great flights. Fred Beagle of EAA Oshkosh fame was there flying his ultralight too. It was great to meet a legend, have the pleasure of flying with him, and shake his hand.
Wes, Scott & I landed for a bit, refueled and then relaunched again to fly until dark. We then went out for dinner and home to sleep very soundly.
It was a great weekend!
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Reality of life in America thanks to our politician's greed & mismanagement.
I just received this from a good friend.
You are welcome to do your own research but from what I know the basic facts here are irrefutable.
>>>
This says it all, no matter your politics.
Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming, Co-Chair of Obama's deficit
commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he
compared "Social Security" to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.
August, 2010.
Here's a response in a letter from a unknown farmer in Montana....
I think he is a little ticked off! He also tells it like it is !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight..
1. As a career politician, you have been on the public tit for FIFTY YEARS.
2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15
years old. I am now 63).
3 My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other
Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for
decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give
OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus
bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme
that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.
4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the
proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing
retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to
age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission are proposing to move the
goalposts YET AGAIN.
5 I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare
from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the
game. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy
to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay
the bills.
6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our
entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why?
Because you incompetent bast**** spent our money so profligately that
you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come
to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bull****" on
your incompetence. Well, Captain Bull****, I have a few questions for
YOU.
1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during
your pathetic 50-year political career?
2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and
how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the
American taxpayers?
3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?
4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you
proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual,
have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?
It is you, Captain Bulls***, and your political co-conspirators called
Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases
who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from
millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That's right,
sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of
advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and
you know that we know it.
And you can take that to the bank, you miserable A__. If you like the way things are in America, delete this. If you agree with
what a fellow citizen says, PASS IT ON!!!!
<<<
This is well said and blunt. I wish I didn't agree with it but the facts are what they are and this tells it like it is.
Consider this, "Passing it on."
You are welcome to do your own research but from what I know the basic facts here are irrefutable.
>>>
This says it all, no matter your politics.
Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming, Co-Chair of Obama's deficit
commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he
compared "Social Security" to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.
August, 2010.
Here's a response in a letter from a unknown farmer in Montana....
I think he is a little ticked off! He also tells it like it is !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight..
1. As a career politician, you have been on the public tit for FIFTY YEARS.
2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15
years old. I am now 63).
3 My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other
Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for
decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give
OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus
bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme
that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.
4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the
proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing
retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to
age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission are proposing to move the
goalposts YET AGAIN.
5 I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare
from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the
game. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy
to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay
the bills.
6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our
entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why?
Because you incompetent bast**** spent our money so profligately that
you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come
to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bull****" on
your incompetence. Well, Captain Bull****, I have a few questions for
YOU.
1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during
your pathetic 50-year political career?
2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and
how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the
American taxpayers?
3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?
4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you
proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual,
have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?
It is you, Captain Bulls***, and your political co-conspirators called
Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases
who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from
millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That's right,
sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of
advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and
you know that we know it.
And you can take that to the bank, you miserable A__. If you like the way things are in America, delete this. If you agree with
what a fellow citizen says, PASS IT ON!!!!
<<<
This is well said and blunt. I wish I didn't agree with it but the facts are what they are and this tells it like it is.
Consider this, "Passing it on."
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Too windy to fly!
It has been too much recently. With the wind and rain last weekend [Memorial Day] it wasn't safely doable.
Today it is beautiful but too windy again!
Today it is beautiful but too windy again!
Memorial Day weekend: 2 bike rides to Kenosha.
They were great! I need good exercise regularly to maintain my physical health and mental attitude.
This morning I went out for a ride too:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1141476
If interested, you can find other links to my other rides from there if you would like.
This morning I went out for a ride too:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1141476
If interested, you can find other links to my other rides from there if you would like.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Great trip to Florida for some powered paragliding!
Here is a link to my photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/davidmcw3/2011May57BeachBlastPanamaCityBeachFlorida?authkey=Gv1sRgCKyH296NrKWNzwE#
https://picasaweb.google.com/davidmcw3/2011May57BeachBlastPanamaCityBeachFlorida?authkey=Gv1sRgCKyH296NrKWNzwE#
Monday, April 4, 2011
Spring is springing.
It is so nice to be able to get out and have some warmer weather. My dog, Guinness, is just loving giving his nose a good workout. Apparently for him everything is smelling so good now that the growing season is starting.
I have been getting out a bit too. My bike has seen some action but last Wednesday morning I was scanning the woods along the roadside and failed to see a pothole in the road. A spoke on my rear wheel broke. The wheel is now in the repair shop.
Flying hasn't been bad either. Mundelein was flown a couple of weeks ago and after my broken spoke, a trip was made to Kankakee by yours truly and Guinness. It was a bit windy but I got in a short flight and consulted with one of my buddies on motor repair. Lance is the paramotor wizard in our area.
Happy spring season to all of you!
More later.
I have been getting out a bit too. My bike has seen some action but last Wednesday morning I was scanning the woods along the roadside and failed to see a pothole in the road. A spoke on my rear wheel broke. The wheel is now in the repair shop.
Flying hasn't been bad either. Mundelein was flown a couple of weeks ago and after my broken spoke, a trip was made to Kankakee by yours truly and Guinness. It was a bit windy but I got in a short flight and consulted with one of my buddies on motor repair. Lance is the paramotor wizard in our area.
Happy spring season to all of you!
More later.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
A great trip to Colorado a month ago.
Guinness [my dog] and I made a long drive to Colorado about a month ago. We left on the 25th of January [Tuesday] and returned on the first of February [Monday]. It was great to get out to visit with my two sons and daughter in law. It is a shame we live so far apart.
My friend couldn't join us as he had planned to do. He had done the contact work for a part of this trip which was paragliding at Beaver Creek Resort with the Vail Valley Paragliding Club. Unfortunately health issues prevented him from joining us. He is much better now, thankfully.
We left my office in Skokie at 11:11am and drove straight through with the exception of three stops to fuel up, eat and stay comfortable. Podcasts were very helpful to relieve the boredom of that long of a drive. The speed limits are 70mph in Iowa and 75 in Nebraska and eastern Colorado which helps a lot. My Saab did very well. Cruise control is pretty essential on this long of a trip as the solo driver too. I left later than planned in order to be well rested.
We arrived at Jason's place at about 12:30 their time. Jason and his friend Terry share a townhouse in Denver which is quite large. We slept well. Jason was working the next day. Terry is student on the GI bill so he & I went out to breakfast Wednesday morning. They had friends coming from around the country for a bachelor party in Breckenridge including skiing for that weekend. We picked up a pizza for dinner Wednesday night after a friend arrived and had a very nice evening. The following day others began arriving but the groom-to-be was stuck in a snow storm in Washington, DC. He finally made it late on Thursday which delayed departure and cut a day off of the skiing for them.
Thursday, Guinness and I went to Patrick & Susie's place a few miles away in Denver after Patrick and I had lunch. Patrick showed me around his offices at Agilutions in downtown. Guinness was there a little less than 2 years prior to this trip and knew exactly where he was when we pulled up to Patrick's house. He and took me directly up to the front door. Pat & Suz had a black Labrador dog named Max who unfortunately had graduated from this life more than a year ago. Guinness seemed to be looking for Max too. I ran to the local Ace Hardware and after 3 trips there and back finally had 3 sets of new keys for their doors which were all working.
We had a great time with Suz & Pat. Suz taught me to play Cribbage which I had never done before. Guinness just observed and kept watch over us. Patrick is doing quite well it seems in every way. Suz is a great lady.
On Friday, Guinness & I met up with David Champagne of Vail Valley Paragliding at Beaver Creek. David was kind enough to help me with a flight briefing and ferry me around the resort so I could fly my paraglider for the first time in Colorado. It was free flying without the motor. I am a P3, intermediate rated pilot. There were 6 of us flying that day.
We went up a couple of high speed chair lifts [starting at the Centennial Lift & then to the Cinch Lift] to the paragliding launch area near the top of the mountain. The launch was from the start of the 'Golden Eagle' run appropriately enough. The launch was steep which is good. This means that you have almost instant altitude which is a safety factor. The flight to the golf course takes the pilot near the mid-mountain restaurant [Spruce Saddle Lodge], then near the Beaver Creek Village and finally out to the golf course for a landing about 4.5 miles from launch according to David. The landing is in a valley and somewhat restricted. The most significant lift was as I came in for my landings which made me a little longer on both of them than I had anticipated. David Champagne was a great host.
Friday night was a wonderful evening with Patrick and Susie. Susie cooked a wonderful pasta dinner and John Anderson joined us for some Cribbage. His wife had a night out with the girls on Friday.
On Saturday Susie, Patrick and I went skiing at Arapaho Basin. We joined Michelle and her husband a little later. I skiied on my own for a bit but they showed me around and took me down a few black diamond runs for a good part of the day. They are all skiing regularly and are better skiers than I am. It was a great day of skiing. We then went out to dinner afterward.
Sunday I went to Mass at a local church just north of the NW edge of Sloan's Lake at a very nice, modern church. Susie went for a six mile run. The pastor and sermon were quite good at the local church. We went out for brunch at a local spot and I did some work for the office. When I checked the weather after brunch I decided the best plan would be to leave early on Monday due to a blizzard approaching Chicago.
We went out to eat at the Highland Burger & Tap where Ed Herbold a former patient of mine was working as a chef. We had some excellent pub food. Jason, Zosia [Jason' girl friend], and Terry were able to join us too which was great. After eating we went back to Pat's place for a game of Cribbage which was quite competitive. Zosia is quite good at Cribbage and was my partner. She almost carried me but Susie & Pat ended up winning the game.
Guinness, Susie & I were up early on Monday. Susie was heading off to school and Guinness & I were getting ready for the long trip back to Chicago. It was to be a tough drive but doable. There was already a coating of ice on the car as I went out in the predawn dark to finish loading the car. Patrick got up to see us off. We left about 6:35am local time.
The highway was bad heading out of Denver. The temperature had dropped to about 15 degrees and there was freezing rain. It was hard to keep the windshield free of ice. There were a number of vehicles spun off of the road to the side and median. At one point there was an SUV being towed out of the median and the traffic was stopped by a trooper about 6 cars ahead of us for about 15 minutes with other traffic backing up behind us. The roads were snow & ice packed until we got to Nebraska about 170 miles from Denver. Through Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa it was a freezing rain which caked up ice on the car. The temperature was in the mid-teens. There was at least a hundred pounds of ice on the car by the time I reached home.
Then the weather improved as we entered Nebraska after leaving the state of Colorado. It was good until about 75 miles west of Lincoln, Nebraska, and then it was strong winds, ice and snow until we got into Iowa. The roads and weather were then good until about 60 miles west of DesMoines after which the snow, ice and wind were bad again. Finally, the icing conditions lessened as we entered Illinois but the roads were still snow packed, the snow was falling and the wind was howling all of the rest of the way to home.
It was a long drive. Guinness and I arrived home about 1:20am on Tuesday morning local time. The weather was better in the morning on Tuesday but early in the afternoon the blizzard of 2011 hit Chicago with its full force.
The rest is now history for all of us in the Chicago area.
My friend couldn't join us as he had planned to do. He had done the contact work for a part of this trip which was paragliding at Beaver Creek Resort with the Vail Valley Paragliding Club. Unfortunately health issues prevented him from joining us. He is much better now, thankfully.
We left my office in Skokie at 11:11am and drove straight through with the exception of three stops to fuel up, eat and stay comfortable. Podcasts were very helpful to relieve the boredom of that long of a drive. The speed limits are 70mph in Iowa and 75 in Nebraska and eastern Colorado which helps a lot. My Saab did very well. Cruise control is pretty essential on this long of a trip as the solo driver too. I left later than planned in order to be well rested.
We arrived at Jason's place at about 12:30 their time. Jason and his friend Terry share a townhouse in Denver which is quite large. We slept well. Jason was working the next day. Terry is student on the GI bill so he & I went out to breakfast Wednesday morning. They had friends coming from around the country for a bachelor party in Breckenridge including skiing for that weekend. We picked up a pizza for dinner Wednesday night after a friend arrived and had a very nice evening. The following day others began arriving but the groom-to-be was stuck in a snow storm in Washington, DC. He finally made it late on Thursday which delayed departure and cut a day off of the skiing for them.
Thursday, Guinness and I went to Patrick & Susie's place a few miles away in Denver after Patrick and I had lunch. Patrick showed me around his offices at Agilutions in downtown. Guinness was there a little less than 2 years prior to this trip and knew exactly where he was when we pulled up to Patrick's house. He and took me directly up to the front door. Pat & Suz had a black Labrador dog named Max who unfortunately had graduated from this life more than a year ago. Guinness seemed to be looking for Max too. I ran to the local Ace Hardware and after 3 trips there and back finally had 3 sets of new keys for their doors which were all working.
We had a great time with Suz & Pat. Suz taught me to play Cribbage which I had never done before. Guinness just observed and kept watch over us. Patrick is doing quite well it seems in every way. Suz is a great lady.
On Friday, Guinness & I met up with David Champagne of Vail Valley Paragliding at Beaver Creek. David was kind enough to help me with a flight briefing and ferry me around the resort so I could fly my paraglider for the first time in Colorado. It was free flying without the motor. I am a P3, intermediate rated pilot. There were 6 of us flying that day.
We went up a couple of high speed chair lifts [starting at the Centennial Lift & then to the Cinch Lift] to the paragliding launch area near the top of the mountain. The launch was from the start of the 'Golden Eagle' run appropriately enough. The launch was steep which is good. This means that you have almost instant altitude which is a safety factor. The flight to the golf course takes the pilot near the mid-mountain restaurant [Spruce Saddle Lodge], then near the Beaver Creek Village and finally out to the golf course for a landing about 4.5 miles from launch according to David. The landing is in a valley and somewhat restricted. The most significant lift was as I came in for my landings which made me a little longer on both of them than I had anticipated. David Champagne was a great host.
Friday night was a wonderful evening with Patrick and Susie. Susie cooked a wonderful pasta dinner and John Anderson joined us for some Cribbage. His wife had a night out with the girls on Friday.
On Saturday Susie, Patrick and I went skiing at Arapaho Basin. We joined Michelle and her husband a little later. I skiied on my own for a bit but they showed me around and took me down a few black diamond runs for a good part of the day. They are all skiing regularly and are better skiers than I am. It was a great day of skiing. We then went out to dinner afterward.
Sunday I went to Mass at a local church just north of the NW edge of Sloan's Lake at a very nice, modern church. Susie went for a six mile run. The pastor and sermon were quite good at the local church. We went out for brunch at a local spot and I did some work for the office. When I checked the weather after brunch I decided the best plan would be to leave early on Monday due to a blizzard approaching Chicago.
We went out to eat at the Highland Burger & Tap where Ed Herbold a former patient of mine was working as a chef. We had some excellent pub food. Jason, Zosia [Jason' girl friend], and Terry were able to join us too which was great. After eating we went back to Pat's place for a game of Cribbage which was quite competitive. Zosia is quite good at Cribbage and was my partner. She almost carried me but Susie & Pat ended up winning the game.
Guinness, Susie & I were up early on Monday. Susie was heading off to school and Guinness & I were getting ready for the long trip back to Chicago. It was to be a tough drive but doable. There was already a coating of ice on the car as I went out in the predawn dark to finish loading the car. Patrick got up to see us off. We left about 6:35am local time.
The highway was bad heading out of Denver. The temperature had dropped to about 15 degrees and there was freezing rain. It was hard to keep the windshield free of ice. There were a number of vehicles spun off of the road to the side and median. At one point there was an SUV being towed out of the median and the traffic was stopped by a trooper about 6 cars ahead of us for about 15 minutes with other traffic backing up behind us. The roads were snow & ice packed until we got to Nebraska about 170 miles from Denver. Through Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa it was a freezing rain which caked up ice on the car. The temperature was in the mid-teens. There was at least a hundred pounds of ice on the car by the time I reached home.
Then the weather improved as we entered Nebraska after leaving the state of Colorado. It was good until about 75 miles west of Lincoln, Nebraska, and then it was strong winds, ice and snow until we got into Iowa. The roads and weather were then good until about 60 miles west of DesMoines after which the snow, ice and wind were bad again. Finally, the icing conditions lessened as we entered Illinois but the roads were still snow packed, the snow was falling and the wind was howling all of the rest of the way to home.
It was a long drive. Guinness and I arrived home about 1:20am on Tuesday morning local time. The weather was better in the morning on Tuesday but early in the afternoon the blizzard of 2011 hit Chicago with its full force.
The rest is now history for all of us in the Chicago area.
Tandem paragliding with a furry best friend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgv_2U6WYQc&feature=player_embedded
This is a great video of an Australian with a wonderful flight companion. It amazes me how Monty seems to really enjoy the view. Guinness would do well with this too I would imagine. Guinness is about 65 pounds though. He is a great 'ground crew' member when I fly though.
Please watch and enjoy.
Let me know what you think.
This is a great video of an Australian with a wonderful flight companion. It amazes me how Monty seems to really enjoy the view. Guinness would do well with this too I would imagine. Guinness is about 65 pounds though. He is a great 'ground crew' member when I fly though.
Please watch and enjoy.
Let me know what you think.
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