Have you ever thought about all of the worthless pictures that you have taken? Did you ever contemplate what you would do with the three hundred pictures that you took when you went to Europe? How many times have you looked at them since? When you do finally spend ten minutes on some bored Saturday afternoon, what will you remember about them?

Of course this was before digital so you had to have them developed at some tremendous cost and then some of them didn't come out looking so great even though you have a camera that even an complete idiot could run and not screw up.

As luck will have it, digital has come around just in time to take the pressure off you. Now you can shoot all day long not have to worry about someone seeing your screw up because you can down load them when you get back to the hotel and get rid the bad ones.

What luck, now when you get home with the three thousand shots that you saved on a CD, now you can just put it into the DVD player and watch your vacation that you will paying for the next eight months. Hey, maybe you had a great time, maybe not - but it's a sure thing you won't know the first day from the last!

I'm just kidding, you won't watch that crap now or in the future because you are so tired and broke that all you want to do is go back to work so you can get some rest. Odds are you will never, and I mean never, watch that CD unless someone else plays it and even then you will say to yourself - what a waste of money -

I have literally thousands of slides from forty years ago that I will never watch and 4x6 35mm shots by the trunk full that I haven't looked at since I put them there over the last fifteen years. Oh I always said I would put them in an album one day so it would be easier to enjoy - bull!! If I ever do, it will be a cluster - - - , because I have no idea what most of them are about nor do I care - the older I get the less I care for details like that - just let them set there, I'll get to them one day - heh -

Next time, let's talk about what people will do with your 'legacy in pictures' when you are gone. What a hoot -

I just got back from the Kettle Marine national park where I was riding my mountain bike - what thrill! I just got it about a month ago and I am still sorting out all the neat things that I can do with it that was damn near impossible with my old bike, a twelve year old Bontrager.

These trails are some of the best in the state. All single track with a lot of good climbs that will challenge even the best riders - the experts do say that they aren't very technical but with all the rocks and sand traps, it is a good work out for me.

A friend and I went twenty miles today at an averge speed of 9.6 mph. He had a small accident, though, when attacking a sand pit in the middle of some pine trees - the front wheel went in a different direction then his face which struck a glancing blow on a pine tree. No lasting damage. It could have been much worse. - heh - We always say that when one of us get hurt -

Do you think guys in their sixties should be doing this kind of stuff? If so, why not?

I have so many questions and so few
answers - why is
it that 70% of the Jews in this country hate Israel?
Why do
they give huge sums
of money to the democratic Party, the
liberals, who have
a professed hatred for
the Jews and have had for
decades? The intensity of
their hatred is amazing. I
would guess it is
their association with the
liberals and their hatred for the
conservatives.

I have never seen such hatred among the conservatives. Not in their blogs or even in newspaper articles - they can be harsh or very to the point but they don't lowered themselves to name calling and character assignation of the individuals and their family members. This latter characteristic is one of the most applied techniques used by the liberals to make a point. It's basic to their philosophy. It's how and where they live. Without it they can't function.

Here's another one - why is it Israel's task to solve the Palestinian problem? Why is the whole world against the idea that the Palestinians have to make a life for themselves by raising up against the Hamas and other terrorist organizations that have in slaved them? Why do they just sit there for decades and wait to be used by these killers and murderers?

There so many things that just don't make sense! It seems so clear to me what the answers are - why can't our government and most of the other world governments see it as well.

Also why are so many newspapers in love with socialism? Why do they find it necessary to lie about everything that our government does -

Again, and I have said this in previous posts,

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

I'm still not getting a good grip on retirement - it just seems that I am not going anywhere but isn't that what I'm supposed to do? The transition from the structured work life to one of self-direction is more difficult than I thought it would be. In fact I never gave it thought, how could I when I had no idea this situation existed. I always thought retirement meant you went on with your life without work. Not so!

I've talked about how l stress out about not knowing what I'm going to do next and of all the things that I want to do and planed to do but haven't. I haven't even started even the most basic projects - It's been a year and a half since retirement -

There is one thing that I have accomplished with some satisfaction and that is I have read a lot of books. Maybe that's a good way to get started retiring - easy my way into it - heh

Good morning - retirement is starting to be a stressful thing - I have so many things that demand my time that I don't know what is the most important - what do I do first?

I send most of the morning drinking coffee on the deck watching the humming birds and reading the blogs and writing this blog, most days, and reading slected books. Then it's off to do something, anything, that will help my stress level around the farm and then mountain bike or road bike for several hours. The day is shot again.

I feel I haven't done enough productive things especially the things that I have previously decided that had to be done right away.

Where is this all leading - get a grip on what is important right now and worry about the other stuff later - easy? nah! - but I'll try.

Good morning - what a beautiful day it is too - I find it hard to believe that there are people in and out of government that have dedicated themselves to the idea that this country is the root of all evil. These people owe everything that they are to this county. They were born here and grew up here enjoying all of the rights and privileges that are associated with the freest country in the world. They were denied nothing yet they seek to bring this country to it's collective knees to a hateful world. They are convinced that we can so much better if we resign ourselves to the will of the world community and the United Nations.

When you consider what the reputation of the UN is now and has been for the last twenty years, it isn't possible for a rational person to think we could rely on that institution to lead us anywhere except to total destruction. Kofi Anann is a complete crook and so is his son that stole millions form the mouths of starving people in Iraq in the 'food for oil' scandal that also saw many European government officials with their hand in the same pot. This pot of black gold was provide by a mass murderer of thousands, but the UN didn't care, Kofi turned a blind eye to it. It's now called 'oil for blood' Kofi style.

The genocide in Sudan, Ivory Coast and Niger have gone on now for years and the UN has done nothing to stop it. The charge to do nothing is lead by china which has a large oil assist in that area so they vote against sanctions in the security council as France did before the second Iraq war. They also didn't want the cash cow to go away, they were making millions on the 'food for oil' deal. Let the killing continue, we want the money was, and still is, their philosophy.

The UN is completely worthless as a world leader. They have given funds to Palestinian terrorists to wage war on Israel. They appointed the members of the government of Sudan to head the world council on human rights. These people from Sudan have murdered thousands of Christians blacks in that country through the Islamic terrorists that make up the armed services of that country. Nobody at the UN cares that Christians are being killed. The UN is made up of people that are supported by Islamic states.

You have to ask your self just what does the Democratic party and their liberal left handlers hope to gain by siding with this corrupt organization? Why do they believe that we would be better off on bended knee before a house of criminals and Marxist.

This is only one aspect of the new terrorist organizations that exist to support the Democratic party In America. How can this happen In America?

Am I ever tired - I just got done trimming the yard with a self-powered hand mower - it took me all most two hours. It wasn't enough that I was in a bike race that started at 10 this morning and lasted 1 1/3 hours, 27 miles of hills and strong winds.

I averaged 21 miles per hour. It is hard to believe when I think about the long climbs at 9 and 10 miles per hour, but no so hard when I think about the 50 mph down hills.

My age bracket is 60 to 64, but I beat everyone over the age of 60 and a lot of racers that are thirty years younger than I am. It pays to stay fit but now I need rest

Good evening - it has been a busy news day what with Cindy Sheehan making noises like she has some idea of what's going on in the world. A casual observer that mingled among the demonstrators found that they didn't care one bit about Cindy or her cause, as if she ever had one. The observer found that the conversations that he heard related to how they could turn this national disgrace into a money maker and how it will hurt the President and the Republicans.

Here is a neat pole finding - 46 percent of all Mexicans what to live in the United States and they want to come here even if they have to do it illegally - think we should do something about our boarder? I think we need a security fence like the UN is building.

The Abel Danger report from the Pentagon is really making the 9/11 commission sweat - There are some that say we have to wait and see if this all on the up and up - Col. Shafer has come forward to tell his side of the story, and now there seems to be a woman that has more facts that is waiting in the shadows. Will she come out? Does she even exist! Hmmm

I think that Israel is taking a big risk in pulling out of Gaza - Hamas will use the area to stage attacks on Israel is forgone conclusion - just what Sec. Rice will do when that happens will be interesting.

This has been a very interstice day - Mondays are always nice when you are retired because you didn't have to get up to go to work - heh - but also it was good because I talked to my brother out in Maryland for an hour, covering everything from guns to politics. I am thankful that I have two great brothers and a great sister and we get along famously -

The low point to day was learning the my church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA, has decided that Israel is the problem in the peace process. They, The ELCA, thinks that the wall that surrounds much of Israel bordering on Palestine, and they say it is Palestinian land, is a treat to establishing peace in the area. They stated that they don't care for the new tax that Israel has instituted as well -

They voted 668 to 269 on this resolution - The committee members made no mention of the terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds in Israel - I guess that kind of thing doesn't matter when making decisions, especially if it doesn't fit the agenda that you have in mind -

I have been a member of the ELCA all my life, but because of that ruling I will leave the church and seek my God at home -

Good morning fellow bloggers - the sun is out and the air is fresh from just a little rain last night. The temperature is 62 - perfect! I'm a little stiff form my ride yesterday in the woods which turned out to be 25 miles and a lot of very steep hills that I wasn't able to make, not one! They are short but, even in my best gear, I still went over. They are so steep that when you go over you start to slide down the hill on your back or side. I made it mostly to the top on all but one, and that one is nothing but loose rock and deep dirt. I don't think that one is in my future as a victory. heh

As I have mentioned before, I am retired and continually observing what it is like to be retied and finding that it isn't anything like it thought it would be. In the past, I have listed things that I wanted to do before the day actually arrived and most of those have not come to pass. Because of these pre-retirement goals, I now have stress because I have not accomplished them. What's wrong with this picture?

For now, I find that I have to go one day at a time and do what ever comes to mind at that moment. Planning every move ahead of time is a big mistake. I am not on a schedule so I can do what ever needs to be done right now and then work other things in as the day and week progresses.

Aways be aware that there is a transition from the working life to the retired life. You can't just walk away from all those years of work without some connections.

It's very much like when racing bicycles in a group. If you see an opertiunity to attack the group and break away, there is a magical cord that binds you to this group that must be broken before you can escape. Once this has been accomplished, you are free of them. I don't understand how it works, but it does -

Here is something to think about from a famous American, Abraham Lincoln: "The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time" So go and do likewise -

Hey the new mountain bike is working out just great - the dual suspension is the only way to go, bar none! I can just fly over rocks that caused me problems with my old bike - cool

This will be just a quick note tonight. Question; if Britain is throwing out the radical cleric, Cjad, because he preached violence, why can't we throw out Ted Kennedy and Al Gore and Senator Byrd, Polosi, Moore, Biden, Schumer and the list goes on and on. They all preach violent over throw of the government!?

It looks like Cindy Sheehan and the Democrats have the talking points they have been looking for - " we hate America" - " America is the problem in the world" - " America is not worth fighting for" All of these are bed-rock strong points of the liberal Democratic philosophy.

Just look at the people that are involved, giving Sheehan pointers, - Joe Trippi, the guy that helped Howard Dean in 2003 and 2004 - a liberal Democrat strong man. An anti-war group, the Pink Revolution, or something like that, dedicated to the destruction of anything that isn't Marxist. They are extremely radical and they also have Sheehan's ear. They are all a disgrace.

Of course the media is on this like a bad habit - anything that will cause a problem for the President and perhaps get more of our people killed is worth perusing.

As I have stated before, the liberal left, and of course the main stream media, one and the same, hate the military. It is the best of all worlds to be able to give the President of the United States a black eye by expounding hate for America and its military in their headlines. The terrorists love this. It gives them talking points to convince the world that America is wrong and we should give up and go home. The next step will be to step-up the attacks and kill more American solders and Iraqi civilians.

This is exactly what the Democratic want, the more dead Americans the better - you see, they hate America too, just like terrorists. This is why it looks like the Democrats are helping the terrorists to kill more American solders. Maybe this is the real face of the new Democratic party? It does fit the Marxist agenda the liberals have been following for the last 12 years. Destroy America from within and rebuild it as a total socialist society. Big brother will take care of you as long as you keep producing, after that, you are expendable - Always remember, once the liberals have the power, they will cut your throat for a dine.

It won't work and it never has all down through history - the liberals know this as well but they use this line as a tool to fool the people into thinking all is well, all we have to do is turn the seats of power back to the liberals and things will okay, just like old times - and guess what, damn near half of the population thinks this might be the way to go!!!

I'm starting to get nervous - I haven't ridden my bike in three days. Usually I will ride every other day if the weather is good except when I have a race on the week end and then I will not ride for two days before - it seems to work for me. I feel good and my legs seem to perform better from the rest - this exercise thing is additive

Here is a subject that is not going to go away - profiling of suspected terrorists. It is amazing that law makers, liberal law makers and wimpy conservatives, have stated that airport and port authorities can not select or pick Arab or Muslim men to search - they must only search people at random - so if five middle eastern men are in line at the air port with heavy coats on in Florida, and the inspector has just searched a middle eastern man a few minutes ago, he can't pick these guys to search because of the law of random -

Liberals find that if several hundred or even thousands die because of this law that they approved, it will be worth it because we have preserved the rights of these men to kill us at will. As long as they don't kill those that belong to those Senators that sponsored the bill, it's okay if a few thousand of the lower classes die when the bomb goes off in the mall or restaurant.

History is a good teacher - here is just a few of the killings that have provided us with proof that Muslims have been kill us for years - Bobby Kennedy was killed by a Muslim, Munich Olympic athletes, Marines killed in Beirut, Us embassy in Lebanon, World Trade Center in 1993, US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, The US Cole and the list goes on and on - all of the killers and bomber are Muslims - ALL - EVERYONE -

The two towers destroyed and 3000 killed in New York City was just a fluke - in fact, if the liberal concentrates hard enough, they can make them go away as if they never happened -

I just read this in the local newspaper - Productivity growth up again - the productivity growth rose 2.2 percent again this quarter - down from an increase of 3.2 last quarter, but still good news for the economy - this mean good news, also, for the living standards of millions of workers at all levels of employment. Unit labor costs also continued to drop to an increase of 1.3 percent in the second quarter. This means inflation is under control.

In a previous post, I mentioned that the budget deficit is down and the trade deficit is down even though oil prices are driving up the over all dollar amount - exports are up and increasing and the dollar is looking much stronger as well.

Did you ever wonder why this kind of news never gets into the paper as a head line? Isn't this what we all want to happen so we can have more confidence to spend more and drive the economy further down the road to success? Wouldn't it be grand to be able to read the newspaper with a sense of confidence, assured that what you are reading is the truth.

I don't see this happening in my life time.

It seems that the main stream media doesn't really care that it's flagship radio station, Air America, is falling on it face. The media didn't have that problem when Rush Limbaugh had his drug problem. It was front line news for weeks! The biased media saw a good opportunity to try and ruin Limbaugh because he hammers the left on a daily basis and his radio program is number one in the country.

Now that Air America is caught stealing from children and the infirm, they don't find that this is something the general public would be interested in. The fact that many of the clubs around New York City will have to be closed, leaving children to fiend for themselves on the streets. Alzheimers patients will have to be cast into the outer darkness of their own sanity wondering around not knowing if it is day or night. The media big shots really don't think this is important. The left media elites don't care. They have the money and that's what counts.

Al Franken has his big salary and if kids are forced into drugs and gangs doesn't register on their care scale. Those are just kids and old people, refuse of the lower classes, something that the big time eastern shakers and moves will not dirty their hands on.

The Democrats call themselves the party of the people, the down trodden and forgotten. What a hoot - they only care enough about them to use them as a stepping stones to get votes and power. Never doubt it!!

Good evening - what a great day! Low humidity and temperatures in the low 80's. This what summer is all about -

Just a short note on the economy tonight - it seems that most people have the idea that the economy is hurting because the cost of fuel is high. The increased price of fuel, in relative terms, isn't much compared to the total amount of dollars that we spend on houses, cars, travel and miscellaneous items that we just can't seem to get by without. It might cost us another three or four dollars per week for the average car owner. We don't think twice about spending that much on one drink or a pack of cigarettes so what is the big deal about gasoline?

The economy is doing just great, by the way, with the the budget deficit down and the trade deficit at a yearly low, 207,000 new jobs created this month and tax revenues running 15% ahead of last year. What is also important is that a majority of the income is from the top 20% of the tax payers in the nation, and of that amount, 40% is from corporation income. What do you meant the economy is hurting.

Earnings are up again last month as they have been for the last 26 months. Housing starts are at a all time high. Unemployment is lower than at anytime during the bubble years of President Clinton. And don't forget, when the bubble burst in 2000, the economy lost over four trillion dollars. Since then, George Bush has brought the economy back and put it on solid ground.

We can rest assured that what we have saved will be there when we want it, at least until the next election in 2008. If the Democrats win, all bets are off. Everything that you have will be up for grabs.

You can run but you can't hide from the tax man -

Good evening - I know that everyone has heard about Air America stealing money from Gloria Wise boys and girls club and Alzheimers patients that they support - $480,000 to be exact and the guy that did it no longer works for the the club and AM. Yeah, he worked for both organizations, that's how he got the "loans". Oh, did mention that he took another $400,000 for him self.

Al Franken must be proud that this what the entire left basis it's survival - stealing and cheating other people out of everything. Take, and give nothing return. The new left wants everything you have, including your soul. No, they don't believe that you have one, but you do, and they think you are just stupid enough to give it to them to sell so they can buy more power to take more from everybody. This is who they are - never doubt it.

What's really cool to is that the New York Times has not printed a word on this. This started in July for crying out loud. Remember the huge write up in New York when he launched his network? He was just the best and was going to kick the butts of all of the conservatives radio stations. Fact! Al Franken is a flop. His stations in New York City and else where are on the bottom of the charts - they are bankrupt, just like the liberal philosophy -

Good morning - sorry I have been absent of late, the last two days, but I have been busy working on both of my lawn tractors that have malfunctioned. I have about an acre and a half to cut and the grass is growing something fierce since it rained last week. I need the tractors or I will have to contract a local farmer to come in with the hay combine.

This does illustrate a point in retirement activities. How did I get all of this done and work too? My John Deere has a carburetor problem that I can't find even after taking the thing apart and installing a kit that cost $72. Get this, it contained 6 screws, 2 threaded plugs, 3 gaskets, a gas control fixture and assorted small metal gaskets. No instructions. You can buy a Holly carb kit for a four barrel for $30. What's wrong with this picture?

In any event, I have taken it apart at least three more times to no avail. It still won't idle. I have called several local shops for advice but no one has a clue - I may wind up buying a new carb for $160. This what should have done in the first place given what I know now. Of course hind sight is always twenty twenty -

I gave up on the Deere and went for a bike ride - it wasn't much fun given the humidity and heat even though it was cloudy and even some light rain - I went 43 miles but when I got home it felt like I had got 80. I was very tired. I only averaged 18.5 mph on mostly flat and lightly rolling terrain - whatz up with that ?

Good morning - It's going to be another hot one for sure but then it is summer and I wouldn't have any other way -

Here is another aspect of retirement that I didn't know existed - the conflict between what you think you should accomplish every day and what you actually get done and how important is it that you accomplish something grand every day.

I actually get sick almost every day worrying about what I should accomplish and what I actually get done - a lot of the time I just want to sit and read a book, not all day, but just for a while. Even this causes stress in that I feel I must get up and be physically productive.

The feeling isn't something that one can put your finger on exactly, but it just kind of set there in your stomach, gnawing away. I sometimes think it's hunger, in that I don't eat in between meals other than eating fruit or something that isn't fattening. In reality, it's stress.

In starting to find an answer to this problem, I have determined that I worry about getting to old and weak to do the things I want to do - I am 62 and in good health and I know it should serve me well for many years yet, at least for the next 10 years anyway - I need that strength now and in the future - I worry I won't have it when I need it -

More on this as time goes rapidly by -

By the way, that race that I said I was going to do last Saturday, well I did it and took first place - there was only one other person in my age group but I still hung in there with a lot of people that were thirty years younger than me. I came in 84 over all out of 128 or so - it was my first race of the season and maybe my last other than Mauston, in two weeks, which is the hardest race of the season, I think -

Also I just bought a new mountain bike - a Specialized Epic Marathon - what a beauty - more on this after I take my first ride this week at the South Kettle Marane.

President Bush really gave the Democrats a kick in the butt when he sent John Bolton to the UN on Presidential appointment. This will give him this post until the new congress is sworn in in 2007 after the mid-term elections - The President has this constitutional authority.

You know the left will go nuts over this, they filibustered him from the beginning, over 6 months ago, and they will forget that Clinton used the same authority 140 times in eight years.

They have stated that their stalling his nomination wasn't filibustering. What a hoot - they will say and do anything no matter the consequences - another good example is Howard Dean - The insanity is complete - Go figure!