Random commentary on the times and such:

 

12/7/06 So I got the offical word from Dr. weather, the northeast will have a slow start to the winter but the late winter and spring may be better than average. This was predicted in Nov. and so far he is right on, it has started to snow though. Oh yeah, the Farmers Almanac is useless, but this guy, Jim Romer does forecasting for the ski areas so it's about as good a forecast as you can get, though it's still a forecast.

11/26 This is a little after the fact but I wanted to put it out there. It was pointed out to us by our friends the Burns.

> Declaration of Thanksgiving As A National Holiday
It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God. To confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon. And to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures--and proven by all history--that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord. We know that by His divine law, nations like individuals are subject to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justify fear that the awful calamity of Civil War, which now desolates the land, may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins--to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has
ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us. And we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts that all these
blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace--too proud to pray to the God that made us. It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the
United States, and also those who are at sea, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our benevolent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.
-A. Lincoln 1863
11/4 Nobody figured out (or told me) what ski areas I saw on the way out to vegas (picture is below) so I had to figure it out myself. Here is the result. Speaking of skiing, Global Warming has come up in conversation again. Some local researchers ( http://www.climatechoices.org/ne/ ) came out with a report that said that by the end of the century if nothing was done we (the northeast) would have half of the days with snow on the ground that we currently do. They also talked about the summers being way hotter as well. The whole topic has reached a fever pich around here partially because of more warming reports and also because last winter was such a disaster. Anyways I'll give my comments in a bit.
10/3 So Interbike (USA's bike industry show) went well, I hadn't been for a few years so it was good to get back into the scene. Las Vegas (where the convention is held) is the great pretend city. There is nothing origional there but some pretty fun imatations. There are tons of cool things to do and see, though I didn't get out much at all this trip. The show was at the Sands, which is next to the Venetian hotel (picture # 1). Note that these canals and shops are inside the building (that is not the real sky). In Vegas eating, smoking, and drinking are allowed anywhere anytime, so between the smoke and omnipresent casinos it definatley wears you down. You can get away from it all, it just costs a lot. Note, in the photo of the Mirage(2) hotel you can just the the surrounding mountains. So the show was cool, we got a lot of good info, but not too much free stuff (swag), it takes a lot of time to get the free goods, waiting in line, standing on your head and such. Note the big crowd (3)that gathers when people start handing out free anything. Who knows what ski areas (4) these are? My guess is Utah but some of you Westerners can help me out maybe. We spied them on the way out. Carmen took me down to boston right after I got back. It was such a contrast to go right to a real city where people do real things and are nice without expecting a tip.
9/21 I've got my New Years resolution (just in time), I resolve to return all emails, at least those that want one. I figure that I like it when people repy to my letters , so I should start by replying to theirs.
9/14 So we've got some news about Global warming. One of the theories that is gaining momentum in the pop science press, is that the melting ice will change the ocean's currents enough to change the weather in Europe and the US northeast drasticlly, as in it will make us a good bit colder. They are bringing up images about the Little Ice Age Europe had a few hundred years ago. I only hope this happens soon enough for us to get more epic skiing in and not just Levi should he choose to stay in the area. So hey, go ahead and drive that Esclade.
9/5 Much to our dismay, Mercades (our cat) is missing and presumed dead. She disappeared last week. For cats at least, I think its better that we don't have the body. You get a gradual resignation rather than a sudden shock. Anyways, we are 0 for 3 in getting a cat that doesn't use up all nine lives before its time. Thankfully Levi hasn't asked us any questions about where cats go when they die.
8/31 So here's the thing, Most of what you hear is wrong or at least so tweaked out of context that it might as well be. This is one of the guiding principles of my life. People are skeptical of this, but that is why I bring it up, I have been running into this a lot recently, people just believing what they are told (or read or see) without considering wether it is true. If you doubt me, start thinking about everything you hear and think about how much of it will turn out to be false. In reality, using the word "most" is probably an exaggeration. A lot of what we hear is opinion (by someone of limited experience in the matter) and what facts we hear are usually so out of context that it can be bent into whatever shape the speaker wants. Many times the "facts" themselves are wrong. My goal is not to have us stop talking, but to have us chew the tidbit before we swallow (including this).
8/8 So that Floyd guy. The entire cycling community is bummed especially after such a gutsy and classy showing. I have been convinced for a while that basiclly all of the European level pros (including the Americans) are using banned means to become faster. Why do I think this? One example, just before the Tour this year the top 3 hopefuls to win the tour were yanked because of their involvment with doctors known to be doping athletes and then the eventual tour winner tests positive. The kicker is that none of these guys had tested positive before, despite all of them winning huge races like the tour of Italy. What does that mean, but that the dopers are way ahead of the testers.
July How about that Zidane eh? I don't know what the big deal is, in American football that happens every play.
June 22, So the U.S. doesn't move on in the World Cup. Oh well, We did actually score one goal on purpose in three games, and we did tie Italy so I'll call it a sucess.
So today, May 8th marks the 10th anniversery since I started at Omer and Bobs. I'm not sure what that means but the only people still at the shop that were there then is Richard the owner and John P who works for a month or so in the winter. There are two other people here that started not long after I did, and 5 other people who came here after the sporting goods stores they worked for went out of business. My year and a half sabbatical at Singing hills was good for me (I've been back for 2 years now) and I am optimistic for more good things happening in the next couple of years. The store and esp. the repair shop have come a long ways in the last 10 years but we have lots more work to do.