Well we went to Pocahontas Park today. The weather was very nice, about 70deg f with a little wind and some clouds. It was just a perfect day to ride. We went to the Blue trails and then Red. Once we were on the Red Trails, we went to the Double Red Diamonds!! That was the hardest trail that i have ever done. It is the hardest in the park for that matter!!
There would be rocks, trees, and stuff like that to go over. WE had some trails that went downhill and at the bottom would make a 90deg right turn in a bunch of trees and then straight back to the top with more obstacles and rock, roots and trees to go over. This weekend my friend Jeff is going to get the GPS data to me so I can overlay it on Google Earth. We did a total of 7.2 miles with 790 feet of Elevation Changes today. I am tired and my knees are very sore, but it was all worth it!!
Tell Me What You Think...
Friday, April 20, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
This week...
I am on my last day of shift rotation this week. I get 3 days off after today. We are supposed to go ridding tomorrow, weather permitting. It has been a blur here at work. So much goes on during the day it is incredible.
I wet to Chipotle to eat last night. I got my usual Barbacoa, rice, cheese, and sour cream. They ran out of the meat. The owner asked to me wait for about 5 minutes and she would give me extra. I did and in the end, she comped the whole meal!! I was really impressed!! That is the way to take care of customers!! I love their food as it is all natural, no steroids in the meat. Very Tasty!! If you have one near you go and try their food. You will not be disappointed!!
I wet to Chipotle to eat last night. I got my usual Barbacoa, rice, cheese, and sour cream. They ran out of the meat. The owner asked to me wait for about 5 minutes and she would give me extra. I did and in the end, she comped the whole meal!! I was really impressed!! That is the way to take care of customers!! I love their food as it is all natural, no steroids in the meat. Very Tasty!! If you have one near you go and try their food. You will not be disappointed!!
I just wanted to get out a quick post. everyone have a good day...
Tell Me What You Think...
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
This Blog...
For all who read this blog and for all who make comments on this blog know this. This is my BLOG and my personal thoughts. I know that some will not agree with them and that is your prerogative. IF you choose to attack about my comments, then do so via email. it is on the "badge" section on the left hand side of the blog.
The shooter was a "resident alien" Not a resident of america. He and his family do not have "citizen" status. They live here as guests so to speak and in my opinion, should not be allowed to purchase firearms.
Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Where does it say "resident alien" bare arms?? The "people" to me, refers to legal citizens of the USA whether they be nautral ot immigrants.
In U.S. law, an alien is a person who is owing political allegiance to another country or government and not a native or naturalized citizen of the land where they are found.[1] Types of "alien" persons are:
An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country (which is foreign to him/her) on specified terms may be called a "legal alien" of that country.
An alien who has temporary or permanent residence in a country (which is foreign to him/her) may be called a "resident alien" of that country.
A visitor with the legal right to visit a country (which is foreign to him/her) may be called a "nonresident alien" of that country.
The term illegal alien describes a foreign national who resides in another country unlawfully, either by entering that country at a place other than a designated port-of-entry or as result of the expiration of a non-immigrant visa. (See illegal immigration)
An enemy alien is an alien who is designated as an enemy.
I am entitled to my opinion because The Bill OF Rights grants me that privaldge.
Tell Me What You Think...
The shooter was a "resident alien" Not a resident of america. He and his family do not have "citizen" status. They live here as guests so to speak and in my opinion, should not be allowed to purchase firearms.
Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
Where does it say "resident alien" bare arms?? The "people" to me, refers to legal citizens of the USA whether they be nautral ot immigrants.
In U.S. law, an alien is a person who is owing political allegiance to another country or government and not a native or naturalized citizen of the land where they are found.[1] Types of "alien" persons are:
An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country (which is foreign to him/her) on specified terms may be called a "legal alien" of that country.
An alien who has temporary or permanent residence in a country (which is foreign to him/her) may be called a "resident alien" of that country.
A visitor with the legal right to visit a country (which is foreign to him/her) may be called a "nonresident alien" of that country.
The term illegal alien describes a foreign national who resides in another country unlawfully, either by entering that country at a place other than a designated port-of-entry or as result of the expiration of a non-immigrant visa. (See illegal immigration)
An enemy alien is an alien who is designated as an enemy.
I am entitled to my opinion because The Bill OF Rights grants me that privaldge.
Tell Me What You Think...
Welcome to Innsbrook After Hours 2007
It looks like another good season at Innsbrook After Hours. The 2007 season has some good acts comming and most tickets are very reasonable. We saw some good shows there last Spring and Summer.
Featured Upcoming Concerts
->
Wed May 2nd: "Weird Al" Yankovic
->
Wed May 9th: The Derek Trucks and the Aquarium Rescue Unit
->
Wed May 16th: Elliott Yamin
->
Wed May 23rd: Dark Star Orchestra
->
Wed May 30th: Huey Lewis and The News
->
Wed June 6th: LIVE
->
Wed June 13th: Gin Blossoms
->
Wed June 20th: Doobie Brothers and Little Feat
Tell Me What You Think...
Featured Upcoming Concerts
->
Wed May 2nd: "Weird Al" Yankovic
->
Wed May 9th: The Derek Trucks and the Aquarium Rescue Unit
->
Wed May 16th: Elliott Yamin
->
Wed May 23rd: Dark Star Orchestra
->
Wed May 30th: Huey Lewis and The News
->
Wed June 6th: LIVE
->
Wed June 13th: Gin Blossoms
->
Wed June 20th: Doobie Brothers and Little Feat
Tell Me What You Think...
Virginia Tech...
I normally try to stay away from current topics like this, but this hits very close to home as it is. We in America have been too lax in our immigration policy for too many years!! Bush says that he is trying to protect America by fighting a way on foreign lands all the while leaving our borders, Canada and Mexico, OPEN to both of those countries. WE do not know who or what is crossing these borders.
We need to close the border for good and then deport all foreign nationals that are in here without passports. The ones that have the proper papers will have to be subjected to a RIGOROUS background check. They need to be sent home and then they will have to reapply for a new visa status. Any mark on their records and they would not be admitted to the USA. I am all for people wanting to better themselves and come here legally. All of the crossing the borders illegally has GOT TO STOP!! All foreign persons that live here shall go through the proper channels to stay here and if they get in trouble, DEPORT THEIR ASSES!! 1 STRIKE AND OUR ARE OUT!! NO EXCEPTIONS!! NO IMMUNITY!!
Sure, this might piss off a few countries for a while, but we get no such treatment like we give people here and look what has happened. A Korean National on a Student Visa has killed 32 people for WHAT?? To prove a point that he was pissed at a teacher or a girlfriend?? What a WASTE OF LIFE! This would have never happened if more stringent immigration policies were in place! Their needs to be beater back ground checks on people coming into our country, much like other countries do to us.
What the most sick part of this whole situation is that the killer is applauded in other countries for killing Americans. Other places do not value life as we do. I am beginning to wonder how much value we place on it with the body count adding up in the War??
MSN.com =
Thirty-three people were confirmed dead after the bloodbath Monday, including the gunman, whom police identified as Cho Seung-Hui (pronounced Choh Suhng-whee), of Centreville, Va., a senior in the English Department. Cho was a resident alien who immigrated to the United States from South Korea in 1992.
This just PISSES me OFF to no END!! WHAT A TOTALLY WASTE OF LIFE!
Tell Me What You Think...
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Step 3, Its is a very hard one: My story Part 3
Part 3…
So where was I? I had to believe in a power that was bigger than my self. Ok, I decided to believe that God was my power and that he could help me and heal me. It took faith. That was the hard part because that lead to Step 3 – Made a decision to turn our will and out lives over to the care God as WE understood him. This also took a leap of faith. I mean, we had to believe that someone, not us, could help us and then we had to turn our Will over to him. That would mean that we were not in control anymore. That was very scary!! Much of the addicted person’s attitude stems from FEAR!
This sounded like what we should have been doing all of our lives. But it was the other way around. I did not do what God wanted; I did what I wanted to do. I was afraid to succeed in life and I was content with where I was at. Like my old Sponsor says, It is a “Self Will Run Riot” I did what I wanted to do with no regard to who I hurt in the process and to how many times I did it to them. SO in order to be able to do this, I had to shut the little voice down inside of me and try to pray and listen to what someone else, God, wanted me to do. This was and is still very hard to do.
So a prayer would be like if it is Your will, let it be done, not what I want but what you want for me because everything I wanted got me to rehab and miserable. I was trying to control everything around me and I could not control anything. I was totally powerless and no matter how hard I tried to be in control, I was not. So I had to let someone else be in control. But Free Will is a Bitch and I can and do take back control of my life. It is a constant struggle with this step. I want things my way NOW! Most addicts are very self centered individuals and want instant gratification, drugs do that…
I had to remember that I was going to try a different way and let someone else take care of me. The faith thing comes in here. I have to believe that God had a plane for me and that things will unfold as they should. That whenever I take control back, that plane gets messed up.
This step is very hard to put down on paper. It is a very faith based step and it is not a hard fact concept, it is very ethereal. Because you have to believe in a higher power and also that he/she/it is concerned for your well being. I said He/She/It because remember, the “Higher Power” aspect is as you understand, not what I think it should be. This is a key aspect to this whole “recovery” program. If you can’t say God, it can be tree, doorknob, floor mat, ANTYHING, as long as you believe.
SO I guess that in this portion of the program, God was taking care of me at LAHA. By 2.5 weeks, my cravings were gone, I guess because I had a grain of faith and I wanted to get my life better. I saw some pitiful sights that and also some true miracles being preformed. We learned that every day was a miracle because we were not dead or in jail and that we were or at least had the opportunity to “recover” At LAHA, you could feel the energy, and it is a very spiritual place. There was lots of healing that occurred. There were lots of other places that I could have gone; I am eternally grateful that was able to go there and to get my life in order. I would have been dead or in jail at the rate I was going…
So where was I? I had to believe in a power that was bigger than my self. Ok, I decided to believe that God was my power and that he could help me and heal me. It took faith. That was the hard part because that lead to Step 3 – Made a decision to turn our will and out lives over to the care God as WE understood him. This also took a leap of faith. I mean, we had to believe that someone, not us, could help us and then we had to turn our Will over to him. That would mean that we were not in control anymore. That was very scary!! Much of the addicted person’s attitude stems from FEAR!
This sounded like what we should have been doing all of our lives. But it was the other way around. I did not do what God wanted; I did what I wanted to do. I was afraid to succeed in life and I was content with where I was at. Like my old Sponsor says, It is a “Self Will Run Riot” I did what I wanted to do with no regard to who I hurt in the process and to how many times I did it to them. SO in order to be able to do this, I had to shut the little voice down inside of me and try to pray and listen to what someone else, God, wanted me to do. This was and is still very hard to do.
So a prayer would be like if it is Your will, let it be done, not what I want but what you want for me because everything I wanted got me to rehab and miserable. I was trying to control everything around me and I could not control anything. I was totally powerless and no matter how hard I tried to be in control, I was not. So I had to let someone else be in control. But Free Will is a Bitch and I can and do take back control of my life. It is a constant struggle with this step. I want things my way NOW! Most addicts are very self centered individuals and want instant gratification, drugs do that…
I had to remember that I was going to try a different way and let someone else take care of me. The faith thing comes in here. I have to believe that God had a plane for me and that things will unfold as they should. That whenever I take control back, that plane gets messed up.
This step is very hard to put down on paper. It is a very faith based step and it is not a hard fact concept, it is very ethereal. Because you have to believe in a higher power and also that he/she/it is concerned for your well being. I said He/She/It because remember, the “Higher Power” aspect is as you understand, not what I think it should be. This is a key aspect to this whole “recovery” program. If you can’t say God, it can be tree, doorknob, floor mat, ANTYHING, as long as you believe.
SO I guess that in this portion of the program, God was taking care of me at LAHA. By 2.5 weeks, my cravings were gone, I guess because I had a grain of faith and I wanted to get my life better. I saw some pitiful sights that and also some true miracles being preformed. We learned that every day was a miracle because we were not dead or in jail and that we were or at least had the opportunity to “recover” At LAHA, you could feel the energy, and it is a very spiritual place. There was lots of healing that occurred. There were lots of other places that I could have gone; I am eternally grateful that was able to go there and to get my life in order. I would have been dead or in jail at the rate I was going…
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrenderbe on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career,
Keep interested in your own career,
however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantmentit is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.Beyond a wholesome discipline,be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
This poem is a good set of principals to live by, very spiritual based as well. When you let some one else take control, wonderful things start to occur. You will and have started the process to “recover” But there are many other steps that need to happen and even if you “recover” they should be practiced in you life. I am sorry that I can’t put down more thoughts on this, but we will go to Step 4 – Made a Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory of Ourselves. This one is a doosey!!! Very hard and very emotional, you get to the core of your bull that you have carried and spewed for all those years. You will have to look at yourself and be very critical and analyze your very core. It sounds daunting and it was and is… SO more on this at another time.
Tell Me What You Think...
Saturday, April 14, 2007
The Death of Windows XP :-(
Well, we all knew that this was going to happen. Microsoft announced that as of January 31, 2008 No more copies of Windows Xp Pro or Home edition will be sold in any store.
According to an article that I read:
"Microsoft has confirmed that from 31 January 2008 large PC makers, such as Dell, HP and Toshiba, will no longer be able to buy licenses for the software so they can install it on new machines.
However, a poll released in early April suggests that Vista has yet to win over significant numbers of potential customers. The study of 2,223 web-using Americans found that although 87% had heard of the operating system only 12% of those who knew of it were planning to install it.
Microsoft is keen for consumers to start using Vista While the survey did find that some people waited for Vista before buying a PC, 60% said its appearance had no effect on their spending plans. It also found that 79% of those questioned were using Windows XP on their home PC."
According the article, Microsoft will support XP for several years longer. This comes as no surprise to me. Microsoft is trying to force the consumer and Industry to migrate to the new Vista Operating system. The main problem is that many will not want to have to upgrade their hardware to meet Vista’s minimum requirements that are much higher that those of Xp’s.
To compare the system requirements:
XP Professional:
PC with 300 megahertz or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233 MHz minimum required (single or dual processor system);* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, or AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended
128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space*
Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor
CD-ROM or DVD drive
Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
Vista Requirements:
Home Premium / Business / Ultimate
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of system memory
40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
WDDM Driver
128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)
Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
32 bits per pixel
DVD-ROM drive
Audio Output
Internet access (fees may apply)
Additional Requirements
Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features and edition of Windows Vista will run on your computer.
While all editions of Windows Vista can support multiple core CPUs, only Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise can support dual processors.
Home Premium / Ultimate
TV tuner card required for TV functionality (compatible remote control optional).
Home Premium / Business / Ultimate
Windows Tablet and Touch Technology requires a Tablet PC or a touch screen.
Ultimate
Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption requires a USB Flash Drive and a system with a TPM 1.2 chip.
As you can see, it takes much more of a base computer to run the Vista package as compared to the XP Pro computer.
Tell Me What You Think...
According to an article that I read:
"Microsoft has confirmed that from 31 January 2008 large PC makers, such as Dell, HP and Toshiba, will no longer be able to buy licenses for the software so they can install it on new machines.
However, a poll released in early April suggests that Vista has yet to win over significant numbers of potential customers. The study of 2,223 web-using Americans found that although 87% had heard of the operating system only 12% of those who knew of it were planning to install it.
Microsoft is keen for consumers to start using Vista While the survey did find that some people waited for Vista before buying a PC, 60% said its appearance had no effect on their spending plans. It also found that 79% of those questioned were using Windows XP on their home PC."
According the article, Microsoft will support XP for several years longer. This comes as no surprise to me. Microsoft is trying to force the consumer and Industry to migrate to the new Vista Operating system. The main problem is that many will not want to have to upgrade their hardware to meet Vista’s minimum requirements that are much higher that those of Xp’s.
To compare the system requirements:
XP Professional:
PC with 300 megahertz or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233 MHz minimum required (single or dual processor system);* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, or AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended
128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
1.5 gigabytes (GB) of available hard disk space*
Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution video adapter and monitor
CD-ROM or DVD drive
Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device
Vista Requirements:
Home Premium / Business / Ultimate
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of system memory
40 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
WDDM Driver
128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)
Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
32 bits per pixel
DVD-ROM drive
Audio Output
Internet access (fees may apply)
Additional Requirements
Actual requirements and product functionality may vary based on your system configuration. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features and edition of Windows Vista will run on your computer.
While all editions of Windows Vista can support multiple core CPUs, only Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise can support dual processors.
Home Premium / Ultimate
TV tuner card required for TV functionality (compatible remote control optional).
Home Premium / Business / Ultimate
Windows Tablet and Touch Technology requires a Tablet PC or a touch screen.
Ultimate
Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption requires a USB Flash Drive and a system with a TPM 1.2 chip.
As you can see, it takes much more of a base computer to run the Vista package as compared to the XP Pro computer.
Tell Me What You Think...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Ambient Massive - There Is Grace In Their Feelings
. Instruments used were: Kurzweil 2000vx Microfreak' Maschine 2 Wavestate Deepmind 12 Virus Ti2 Monotron and various VSTi synths. Releas...
-
DSC00210 , originally uploaded by RMStringer . Phillip Glyn and Ridding High at Solley's Disco Saturday night 1-2-2010. Taken with the S...
-
I will be starting with Wachovia on Thursday. I will be working from 9 - 6 for the first several weeks...YAHOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
