Update

Thank you all for the very kind words and concern. I'm doing just fine and working on my next moves. You'll probably be reading something in the paper before too long on what my plans are. I'm not at liberty here to announce anything yet, but plenty is in the works. And to those who are asking about Tim, he is doing fine as well.

In the meantime, it's been nice to sleep in. Keep checking here and I'll keep you posted on what I'm going to be doing.

Today with the temp expected to peak in the mid 40's, I'm going to get up on that bike and give it a try. I don't usually do a lot of winter riding, but today seems like it might work. I'll let you know how it works out. BTW, I'm down 167 pounds so far.

Radio Daze

All good things must come to an end my friends. Such was the case with the program I've done with Tim for the past two years on WTDY. We really had a blast and I want to thank all of you who made the show very special. I'm sure my good friend Sly will take the ball and run with it.

After 35 years of getting up, off and on at 3:30am, I'm looking forward to watching some Letterman and seeing the sun rise. Day-one felt pretty good.

Thanks again and I'll miss talking with you. I've already moved on to the next thing and all is well here.

Springtime In America

I just watched President-elect Obama address the nation following his stunning victory tonight. I couldn't help but think this is springtime for America. We have all lived through a very long and dark winter. We have been through economic collapse, terror attacks and the politics of greed and hate.

Spring always holds promise. It's still cold and nothing's growing, but it's when the seeds are planted. We have a sliver of opportunity in this springtime for America. I hope we make great use of this time and plant the seeds that will regenerate this nation after a long and cold winter. I look forward to the summer and beyond and wish our new president the best.

Spring is a time to look forward. Spring is a time for hope and spring is a time to plan for the future. This is like the first warm day after that long and dark winter. It's springtime in America!

For Halloween

What not to do in a Monster Movie

Here is the list of things not to do if you find yourself in a monster movie.

Don't shoot at the monster. This has never been shown to kill a monster, but just makes them mad.

If you do decide to shoot at a monster, never attempt to reload when you run out of bullets. You will fumble, drop the bullets and end up as monster kibble.

When you run out of bullets and drop your extras, do not start hitting the monster with the butt of the gun. It makes them very testy.

Never have sex in a monster movie. The monster views this as a "two-fer."

Don't go to Japan.

Never try to escape a monster by driving away. As you are attempting to unlock the car door you will fumble with the key or break the key off in the door lock. Monsters know this and will eat you before you open the door.

Always have a fresh battery in your car if you expect to be in a monster movie. Monsters know even if you manage to get the door open the car battery will be dead.

Don't scream… that's like ringing the dinner bell for a monster.

Stay off all modes of public transportation. Monsters view a bus as a big steam table without a sneeze-guard.

Don't go swimming. Monsters love to eat wet people. It's like being pre-basted.

Don't use nuclear weapons on a monster, they like it.

Never except a job as a caretaker of anything.

Don't attempt to hide in a closet, that's where many monsters choose to live.

Never change altitude in your attempt to evade a monster. Going down to the basement or upstairs will usually result in you becoming monster kibble.

Don't bury a monster you believe to be dead. They will always reach their arm through the dirt to grab your ankle and pull you down then ring the dinner bell.

Never wear high-heeled shoes as you run through the woods. This will lead to you twisting your ankle, falling in pain and being the main course at the monster Thanksgiving dinner.

Never take a shower. Monsters like their food washed.

Enough Already

This campaign for the highest office in the land is really starting to get on my nerves. When I checked the mail today I received a total of five campaign pieces from the Republican Party of Wisconsin. Five pieces on the same day from the same people.

Each one of these mailers was a negative campaign piece spreading some kind of junk about Obama. I don't know what these people are thinking at this point. If this keeps up I may never vote for another Republican ever again. I can't remember ever being bombarded with more negative campaign literature. Not one of these mailers from the Republicans touted the accomplishments of their candidate. Each one of these five mailers was an attempt to paint Obama as a terrorist, crook, a danger to the nation or someone not fit to lead.

To top it off, when I checked the voicemail on the home line there was a message waiting for me from, you guessed it. The Republican Party of Wisconsin left me a message telling me that Obama was the devil and I needed to vote against him. I guess five mailers in one day wasn't enough. They had to back it up with a phone call too. A total of six communications to me and not a one talked about why I should vote for McCain.

I just can't fathom what these people are thinking. They are an angry, desperate and sad lot. Enough already. Please leave me alone. I feel like I need a shower every time I open my mailbox or answer my phone.

Most Top 10 Albums??

Big fun on the show this morning talking about the artists that have the most top 10 albums under their belts. Here's the link to the info and list. Have a blast!

Size Matters, Or Does It?

This is the new Toyota iQ. It is slated to be marketed in Europe next year. It will probably be sold in the U-S under the Scion nameplate.

The car gets over 55 MPG, and will be serious competition to the Smart. The Smart is really the only other "tiny" car that is mass sold in the U-S and Europe right now.

The iQ has some impressive safety features including a total of nine airbags. For the first time there is an airbag that deploys in the rear of the car from the headliner behind the driver.

The engineering is interesting as well with a differential setup that saves a lot of space in the engine compartment by centering the power plant. The rear shocks are slated back to make more room in the rear of the car. The car is classified as a four-seater, but really seats two with room for one in the back or luggage.

The real question is, how small are you willing to go?

Caption Contest

John McCain does his hilarious "Mummy" impression during the last presidential debate.

Please feel free to add a caption in comments.

Peaking

I snapped these pictures Tuesday while on the Military Ridge Trail between Mount Horeb and Blue Mound. It certainly appears the color is near peak in this part of the world. The color this year is vivid and we've been lucky that there hasn't been a ton of wind and rain. It's my favorite time of the year to hit the trails. The temps are cool and the view can't be beat. The only negative is we are running out of nice weather! Enjoy it while you can.

Summer's Last Blast?

What a great weekend it was as summer made an encore. I managed to stay outside for most of the weekend between yard work and biking. I hit the tractor on Friday afternoon and knocked down some lawn. I'm thinking that may be the last time I have to mow this year. We'll see.

On Saturday I did about 50 miles on the old Trek. I started with a ride to benefit breast cancer research. It was a nice 25 mile run in the eastern part of Dane County. The ride was organized by the Trek Stores in Madison and was a nice roll. After that I did another 25 or so miles on the Madison paths and the lake loop around Lake Monona.

The picture above was taken Sunday on the west side of Madison on day-two of my extended summer bike tour of the area. I decided to ride from the greater Mt. Horeb area over to Cambridge in the eastern part of the county. It was about 50 miles and just a great day to be out enjoying the weather and the color.

Getting from the southwestern part of the county into Madison and beyond is always a challenge due to the intense hills in that part of the world. It's a lot easier to haul my butt up those hills with a lot less weight! I came in on Mid-Town Road and forgot just how hilly that part of the world is. I continued on to the Southwest Commuter path to the lake. Then it was out Broadway and down Marsh Road to McFarland and Highway MN. That took me over to Rinden Road and Prairie Queen into Cambridge. I hope the weather lets me get a few more of these in.

What a weekend to out doing anything! (Other than a Badger football game)

Jackson Browne's Back

I didn't expect much when I downloaded Jackson Browne's new offering the other day. As a matter of fact I left it sitting on my hard drive for several days before I listened. I wish I had gotten to it sooner! This is some of the best stuff he's done in years.

"Time the Conqueror" shows that Jackson Browne is still writing and performing some great music. Almost every track on this set is good with many a lot better than that. These songs feature a production style that is somewhat stripped-down, but clean as a whistle. It really shows that Jackson still has great pipes.

My favorites are the title track, Off of Wonderland and Just Say Ya. The latter sounding like something that could have appeared on Fountain of Sorrow. Again, just about every track on this set is very listenable.

If you were a fan of Jackson Browne "back in the day," this one is sure to please. If you were never a fan, give this one a listen. He just may make a fan of you yet.

Prius Killer

The Paris Car Show is under way and the buzz is about the new Honda designed to be the "Prius Killer." Honda says it will try to hit the sub $20,000 price point when the car is introduced in the U-S next year. The hybrid design will net about 45 mpg under normal driving conditions.

Honda says it hopes local dealers will adhere to the 20-grand price point, but supply and demand will drive the price that dealers decide to charge. Honda will produce about 100,000 of these cars for the U-S market in the first year.

Honda has pushed hard to get this car into production in nearly record time. What a shame the U-S car companies can't seem to do the same thing.

Palin Baby!

I came across a very funny site this morning that I wanted to share with you. We all know Ms. Palin has some rather interesting names for her children. Well, if she was your mother, what would your name be?

Visit the Palin Baby Name Generator and find out!

Happy debate.

Bikes and Fall

As many of you know, I've been an avid biker for a while now. I try to do about 200 miles a week as a way to stay fit and sane. Fall is my favorite time to hit the rural bike trails. Not only does the color start to pop around now, but there is just a great quality of light. I snapped this picture early in the morning west of Blue Mound on the Military Ridge Trail.

I like having my camera with me because it seems I'm always seeing something worth recording when I'm passing the world by at about 14mph. This morning featured that certain quality of light you only see in fall. It was a magical sight and the camera was able to capture it for the most part.

I've been doing a bit more road riding than I usually do these days as I just got a new road bike after wearing my 14-year-old Trek out. I replaced it with another Trek which is far more advanced. It's got many carbon components and can really scream. I still have my trail bike which I use on the dirt courses around here.

Happy cycling this fall. It works, I'm down 162 pounds as of today.

JT Does It Again

Sweet baby James does it again with his new release "Covers." This guy just keeps getting better and better with age. This album features covers of older songs, but the arrangements that Taylor comes up with keeps them fresh as a daisy.

One of the reasons this disc sounds so good is the way it was recorded. There is no over-dubbing which means everything was recorded "live" in the studio. It's music recorded as it's played instead of a bunch of studio magic imposed on the original tracks. This recording method really makes the disc pop. The entire CD was recorded at Taylor's studio in Western Massachusetts.

As usual Taylor has a bullet-proof band of some of the best studio side players in the world. This disc would be a great addition to your collection.

It was released today on the Hear Music label.

Oh Baby

Interesting story out of the Republican camp today. It turns out that Sarah Palin's unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. The proud grandparents to-be announced that Bristol Palin will have the baby and marry the 18-year-old father. They also announced that Bristol will have their unconditional love and support and that's good too.

When asked about this turn of events, Mr. Obama said that families are "off-limits" in the campaign and he would not be commenting. I certainly understand his reluctance, but I couldn't disagree more. Once a candidate uses the family members for political gain, I feel he or she has then injected them into the political process. When Michelle Obama opens the Democratic Convention she then becomes fair game. When the Obamas decide to trot their children out on stage, they have made the decision to use their family for political gain.

When Sarah Palin decided to make her all-American family part of the campaign, she opened the door to those family members being scrutinized.

In the case of her pregnant daughter, I'm glad that they will support her. But what happens in the thousands of cases where the parents can't or won't support the child? That responsibility falls back on the society as a whole in many cases. I think his would be the perfect opportunity to discuss the many programs that the Republicans have cut that are designed to reduce unwanted teen pregnancies and provide for children in the aftermath. I wonder if Ms. Palin and her GOP buds will be champions of these costly social programs.

Will this girl now serve as a role model for other teens? Will she be the poster child for having a baby when you are still in high school without consequence because either your parents or the state will step in to get you that unconditional support?

I couldn't disagree with candidate Obama more. Not only is this an issue for the campaign, but it's an issue for society at large. Oh baby!

Now I Really Feel Old

OMG

wacky packages

Do you remember those Wacky packages from when you were a kid? Those were the spoofs of product packaging that were sold like baseball cards. There's a new book that takes a look at these clever spoofs that I remember buying. Check it out HERE.

Northwoods Adventure

Trout Lake

The camping adventure is over and it's back to the daily grind, but it was quite an experience. To those who said I'd never make it a week in a tent in the wilds of northern Wisconsin, I did! No only did I make it, but it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. Reconnecting with the natural world for a week really does a body good.

I rode bike, back packed and slept in a tent for the past week. I logged about 250 miles on the bike across Vilas, Lincoln and Oneida counties. They were hard miles as those counties are anything but flat. There was great payoff as the beauty around every bend in the road is hard to describe. Highlights on the bike would be the Bearskin State Trail that runs along the Bearskin Creek in Oneida County and the B.A.T.S. trail that runs along Trout Lake in Vilas County. I saw many eagles soaring overhead along with deer, beavers and hawks.

B.A.T.S. Trail

I have to thank all the listeners who convinced me to give this a try and suggested various things I'd need. The camping went really smoothly and I did have everything I needed. The camp site at Council Grounds in Lincoln County was great. It was on the Wisconsin River and had very nice hiking trails and a great beach. It did rain one night there, but the tent did great and I figured out how to deal with the rain.

Council Grounds camp site

After Council Grounds I moved on to the Northern Highlands State Forest and the camping area at Clear Lake. Thick pine forest and a lake that was so clean you could see right down to the bottom. The swimming was great after a 40 mile tour of the Nicolet Forest on the bike.

Northern Highlands camp site

I ate most of my meals by the campfire. Nothing tastes better than a steak cooked over wood. A couple of nights I just wrapped a spud in foil and tossed it in the fire. That was really good eating. I did go out to eat one night at the casino in Oneida County. I had done about 45 miles on the bike that day and I really chowed down at the buffet. I think I was the only one there without some sort of breathing device.

All in all it was a great experience. I'll leave you with a picture of me by Trout Lake on one of my bike excursions. It's a week I'll never forget!
Me at Trout Lake

Get Some Nuts

New controversy rages over a Snicker's TV ad. Gay rights groups are saying the ad advocates violence against gays and perpetuates stereotypes.

Supporters of the ad say it's just a funny ad and no one can take a joke anymore.

What do you think? Check out the ad by clicking HERE and make up your own mind.

Ford Has A Better Idea

Finally some good news from a U-S car company. Ford is going to start producing some of its popular European cars in this country. When I was in Europe last year I saw and got to drive in some of these cars and trucks. At the time I did a show focused on why Ford didn't sell these cars here. I just couldn't understand it.

It appears Ford will make the official announcement when they release the company's earning report Thursday.

Unlike GM, Ford has decide not to close plants but still peel off thousands of workers. Some of those plants now producing SUVs that no one wants will instead produce these cars and smaller four and six cylinder engines. Ford can also sell a lot more Focus, but they haven't been able to make enough of them. The main problem is not being able to produce the bodies fast enough.

They will switch production at the Wayne, Michigan plant from trucks to Focus bodies only. That should give Ford the inventory they need to keep up with small car demand. Finally a U-S car company gets it right, I think.

As promised, here is video of the popular Transit Connect van that will be sold here and is already very popular in Europe.

Obtain A Life

Boo Hoo

If it gets to the point that the only thing you can find to protest is who will be the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, you must go to "Lives Are Us" and obtain a life. I was amazed that a couple of hundred people turned out for a protest in Green Bay designed to get the Packers to bring Brett Favre back.

On my list of things that I'd be willing to take to the streets for, Brett Favre isn't one of them. Let's see, we have wars, the economy, equal rights and scores of other issues that trump anything the Mississippi cry baby may or may not do.

It's a great statement on how easily some people are diverted from what are the really important matters that face us as a society. These people who "demonstrated" outside Lambeau Field carried signs saying "Brett Favre for president." Talk about a flip-flopper!

I think Mr. Favre needs to stay retired. I don't want to see him cry another river the next time he retires.

Help Mustard Some Support

The Mount Horeb Mustard Museum was recently named a top-ten finalist for one of two $25,000 Markham Vineyard Mark of Distinction grants. The program recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to their respective communities and can use financial help to do even more.

Barry Levenson, Curator of the Mustard Museum, sees the grant as an opportunity to bring even more excitement to the museum with new displays, exhibits, and interactive programs.

The two winners are determined by online voting at . Visit www.markhammarkofdistinction.com. Visitors to the web site can cast one vote per day through July 21. Wisconsin’s mustard lovers can make a big difference by casting daily ballots for its internationally known Mustard Museum.

Praying At The Pump

Do you think God is listening to a group of people who have formed prayer circles at gas stations? They are asking God to lower the price of gas. I think this makes a mockery of what faith is really all about. Reminds of those who pray for the lord to intervene in a football game. Here's the video, make up your own mind.

See the story HERE.

Best Car Ads of the 60's and 70's

We talk about cars a lot on the Morning Pulse. I came across a web site that really sparked some great motoring memories. This site has posted the best television car ads from the 60's and 70's. Some of them are really a hoot and I'm sure you remember most of them.

Click HERE to take a trip down automotive memory lane.

See you at the car show at Quaker Steak and Lube in Middleton on Thursday night.

When "Yes" Really Means "No"

If you really want to drive a telemarketer crazy give this a try. Just keep saying yes to each question they ask. This is pretty funny stuff, check it out.



It might be worth leaving your number off the no-call list just to give this a shot.

The Sauce

On the show this morning I talked about a great BBQ sauce I came across. Many of you have asked for the recipe, so here goes:

B.B.'s Mild BBQ Sauce

B.B.'s Lawnside BBQ

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cans ketchup

• 5 cans applesauce

• 3 cups molasses

• 2 cups vinegar

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 1 cup white sugar

• 4 tblsps white celery seed

• 1 tsp ground clove

• 3 tblsps ground cinnamon

• 4 tblsps mild red pepper

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients in a large pot. Stir well.

Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 20 minutes, stirring often. Simmer for additional 30 minutes.

Be sure spoon reaches very bottom of pot while stirring to prevent sugars from sticking or burning.

Very tasty, have fun!

Back To School

Thanks to my buddy Vano for sending this along. Food for thought.
The excerpt below is from an article, titled “On the Sadness of Higher Education,” by Alan Charles Kors, which appeared in New Criterion, was later quoted by the Wall Street Journal, and was subsequently republished here.


Under the heirs of the academic ‘60s, we moved on campus after campus from their Free Speech Movement to their politically correct speech codes; from their abolition of mandatory chapel to their imposition of Orwellian mandatory sensitivity and multicultural training; from their freedom to smoke pot unmolested to their war today against the kegs and spirits-literal and metaphorical-of today’s students; from their acquisition of young adult status to their infantilization of “kids” who lack their insight; from their self-proclaimed dreams of racial and sexual integration to their ever more balkanized campuses organized on principles of group characteristics and group responsibility; from their right to define themselves as individuals-a foundational right-to their official, imposed and politically orthodox notions of identity. American college students became the victims of a generational swindle of truly epic proportions. If that part of the faculty not complicit in this did not know that it was happening, it was by choice or willful blindness.

In the academic university-the curriculum and classroom, and the hiring that underlies them-it all varies by where one looks. To understand why and to understand one of the few vulnerabilities of universities to actual accountability and reform, one must understand the hierarchy that predicts academic institutional behavior: sexuality (in their language, “sexual preference”) trumps neutrality; race properly conceived easily trumps sexuality; sex properly conceived (or, in their language, “gender”) easily trumps race; and careerism categorically trumps everything. From that perspective, the careerists who run our campuses have made a Faustian bargain (though they differ on which is the devil’s portion).

Being careful, on the whole, to keep the natural and physical sciences, mathematics, and a variegated Column A of departments (sometimes psychology, sometimes philosophy, sometimes linguistics), and the professional schools that relate symbiotically to practical America relatively free of political agendas-though even in these cases, the barriers to crude politicization may break down-the careerist administrators have kept largely intact those disciplines where added value might be measured. From diverse motives of ideological sympathies and acute awareness of who can blackball their next career moves, they have given over the humanities, the soft social sciences and the entire university in loco parentis to the zealots of oppression studies and coercive identity politics. In the latter case, it truly has been a conspiracy, with networking and common plans. In the former case-the professoriate and the curriculum-it is generally, with striking politicized exceptions, a soft tyranny of groupthink, unconscious bias and self-inflated sense of a mission of demystification. Most of the professors I meet are kind, indeed sweet, and certainly mean no harm. It is profoundly sad to see what they have become. ...

Academics, in their own minds, face an almost insoluble problem of time. How, in only four years, can they disabuse students of the notion that the capital, risk, productivity and military sacrifice of others have contributed to human dignity and to the prospects of a decent society? How can they make them understand, with only four years to do so, that capitalism and individual- ism have created cultures that are cruel, inefficient, racist, sexist and homophobic, with oppressive caste systems, mental and behavioral? How, in such a brief period, can they enlighten “minorities,” including women (the majority of students), about the “internalization” of their oppression (today’s equivalent of false consciousness)? How, in only eight semesters, might they use the classroom, curriculum and university in loco parentis to create a radical leadership among what they see as the victim groups of our society, and to make the heirs of successful families uneasy in the moral right of their possessions and opportunities? Given those constraints, why in the world should they complicate their awesome task by hiring anyone who disagrees with them?

The power of universities comes from their monopoly of credentials. As Richard Vedder so deeply understands in his “Going Broke by Degree,” they are the only institutions allowed to separate young individuals by IQ and by the ability to complete complex tasks. They do not add value to that, except in technical fields. Recruiters do not pay premiums because of what the Ivy League or the flagship state universities teach in English, history, political science, or sociology. They hire there despite, not because of, that. Recruiters do not pay premiums because our children have been sent to multicultural centers for sensitivity training. Recruiters pay premiums for the value already there, which universities merely identify. So long as recruiters pay premiums, however, it is rational for parents who wish to gain the most options for their children to send them to the university with the most prestigious degree. That will not change in the current scheme.

We now have closed-shop, massively subsidized, intolerant political fiefdoms, and they are the gatekeepers of society’s rewards. Without incentives for different models of higher education, we shall have this same system of colleges and universities as far as the mind can foresee. The tax-free mega-endowments will grow. The legislators and the public will not end the subsidy. The alumni will continue their bequests. The trustees will proudly attend the administrative dog-and-pony shows, the most efficient act on any campus. Well-intentioned donors will support ghettoized “centers” (without faculty lines, cross-listed courses, graduate fellowships, or degrees) that marginalize inquiries that should be central to the academy. These provide protective coloration for administrators, help with fund raising in certain quarters, and permit a transfer of funds to the accelerating thirst for ever new forms of regnant campus orthodoxies. Until civil society makes administrators pay a price for the politicized hiring, curriculum and student life offices they administer, nothing truly will be reformed.

New Diet, Same Old Song

It seems every so often a new crazy diet comes down the pike to pray on those who have weight problems. We've seen everything from carbs, to low fat to high fiber to just take some pill. The latest diet that seems to be getting some traction is the Big Breakfast diet. No kidding. Some group of researchers somewhere has done a study that shows people who eat breakfasts of more than 600 calories lose more weight than those who eat smaller low-carb breakfasts.

After losing a bunch of weight, I'll give you the secret. Burn more calories than you eat and you will lose weight. Any time you lose weight it's because you are burning more than you consume. So go ahead and have a thousand calorie breakfast. If you burn more than that it will result in weight loss.

The diet industry does its best to hide that simple truth from people because they make billions peddling snake oil to those who are desperate. The simple truth (or the math diet as I call it) isn't very sexy or easy and won't make anyone millions of dollars.

So here goes one more time and this won't cost you anything. Just burn more calories that you consume and you will lose weight. Save your money and don't fall for the latest and greatest "diet" that's getting hyped this week. Today it's "big breakfasts." One thing I know from personal experience is that too many big breakfasts will lead to a big butt. That's just common sense.

Is Your Next car A Hybrid?

Honda has announced that it will begin selling a new "inexpensive" hybrid car in the U-S next year. They haven't announced what the name is or what the price point will be. Here is a concept of what the car looks like.

It irks me that Honda can produce this new car in less than a year and the U-S car makers are closing plants as they try to figure out how to compete. If Honda can do it, why can't the domestics? A car like this could have saved a lot of jobs in Janesville.

Honda also announced this week that it has started selling a hydrogen car. About 200 have been offered for sale in the U-S. They lease for about 600 a month and most have been snapped up by Hollywood big wigs.

See Ya and Good Luck

Caught this interesting blog in Business Week. It was written by a graduating UW business student. Interesting insight into the mind of a recent grad and her thoughts on Madison as someone "passing through."

Click HERE to view the blog.

40 Days and 40 Nights, Again

It figures that I picked this last week to be in Iowa. I made it back home tonight, but it wasn't easy. I started in Des Moines, but my usual route to Highway 151 through Cedar Rapids was not an option. Instead I headed due north from Des Moines and shot across the state of Iowa on Highway 20. Because I-80 was closed between Iowa City and the Quad Cities, they detoured all of the interstate traffic onto 20. It was slow going, but dry for the most part.

The devastation across the state of Iowa was widespread. The picture you see above, I snapped at the Mississippi River in Dubuque where a barge slammed into a bridge and sank. That closed the bridge for a while until authorities deemed it sound despite the accident.

The flooding I saw in the Des Moines area was very bad. Many people had water in their homes and the streets were lined with all manner of wet items that had been pulled from basements and now await the landfill. The water was lapping right up to the interstate highway system in many parts of town. I wasn't scheduled to leave until Sunday, but I feared if I waited I might not be able to get back.

On my way down I had passed through my old stomping grounds in the Cedar Rapids area and saw the destruction first hand. That city is totally submerged. I've never seen anything quite like it. I'm not sure how they will ever fully recover with damage so widespread and so severe. More than 400 city blocks are swamped.

I was also in Des Moines back in 1993 when the city flooded. The good news is Des Moines learned something from those 93 floods. They worked on the levee system and flood control. It really worked. As bad as the floods this week are, Des Moines fared much better than in 93. Cedar Rapids did not make major changes in its flood control system following 1993. But that year Cedar Rapids did not get it as bad as the record flooding they are seeing now.

I think the Chamber of Commerce in Iowa will be sending me a letter asking me to stay away. It seems every time I go to Des Moines, there's a flood.

Silver Lining

Mother Nature's Encore

I guess every cloud really does have a silver lining. I snapped these shots at sunset Monday on the Military Ridge near Mount Horeb.

It was a tough weather weekend for many in Wisconsin with flooding, tornado damage and hail. My mood changed when I noticed what was happening as the sun set Monday evening. The beauty of something as simple as a sunset reminds me always of nature's ability to dazzle.


I'll never tire of scenes like this. We really do live in a very special corner of the world. What a show!

The Flood

If you listen to the show on a regular basis you have heard us talk about the great flood of 01 that swamped Tim's much loved Caddy.




Here's some video of found of the aftermath.

The Weight

Before

After

When I started my quest to become a healthier individual a couple of years ago I promised to keep you posted. To this point I've lost 142 pounds and 22 inches of waistline. It's been a very interesting experience on a number of fronts. The positives range from a ton more energy, self esteem and less self loathing. I think a tough part of breaking any self-destructive behavior is learning to be comfortable in your skin. Once you can master that trick the rest gets a little easier. In other words, you have to cut yourself some slack to give you room to mentally "start" the process of exorcising the demons.


On the negative side I don't have all those layers of insulation to hide behind. In an ironic twist I feel a lot more "exposed." When you are morbidly obese there are certain aspects that allow you to hide behind those hundreds of extra pounds. You are literally arms-length from getting close to people on many different levels. That emotional barrier is both a blessing and a curse depending on your personality.

Many people think shedding tons of weight will solve all their problems. Don't get me wrong, it does solve a bunch of them. The real heavy lifting comes when you have to confront the root causes of your self-destructive behavior. If you don't do that I think you are doomed to repeat the cycle that puts you in that position in the first place.

A very interesting aspect of not being the biggest person in the room is that I can disappear when I want to. When you are pushing 400 pounds it's very hard not to draw attention. You do "feel" the stares and focus when you are that big. If I choose to be Casper now, I can just fade into the landscape. That's a very new and different feeling. In many cases it's very liberating. Just imagine if you never had the ability to recede into the background in public.

As this metamorphosis continues I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'm now within just a few pounds of my goal. We'll see how it goes when the task changes from losing weight to maintaining my progress.

If you don't see me, just look a little harder. I may be just trying to blend in.

Reaping What You Sow

Today General Motors announced it is leaving Janesville and canning 2,600 workers in the southern Wisconsin city. The politicians were quick to line up offering their "shock" at the General Motors action. Mayors, senators, congressmen, the governor and others have all released statements urging the car company to change its mind. Ummm, right.

Mind you now, these are the same people that are at least partially to blame for the closing in the first place. Because they didn't have the political will to pass an energy policy that moved the country toward energy independence, we have seen gas prices skyrocket. That is one of the main reasons people don't want the gas pigs built in Janesville. They also whistled by the graveyard while the mortgage crisis loomed. Another major contributor to the economic tailspin that contributed to the woes of the auto industry. Tight credit means people don't or can't finance large purchases. Why are they so shocked?

The other factor playing into the mess in Janesville is General Motors burying its corporate head in the sand while all the indicators pointed to the looming energy crisis. They are simply producing the wrong car for the times. It's not that they build bad cars, they just build the wrong cars.

While the Koreans and Japanese were busy developing inexpensive hybrids and small high-milage cars, GM was busy cranking out trucks and SUVs where the short-term profit margin was greater on a per vehicle basis. When they finally figured out what was going on they were already ten years behind. Too bad the quality workforce in Janesville is paying the price for politicians and corporate moguls with no vision.

GM has developed the Volt. It will probably be out in 2010. It's a battery/gas car but will carry a price tag of at least $40,000. What are they thinking? You can already get a Toyota hybrid for low 20's. Again, GM is a day late and a dollar short.

You reap what you sow. The seeds of this disaster for Janesville were planted by politicians and GM execs years ago. Now it's harvest time and no one should be "shocked."

In The Slot

Remember those slot cars when you were a kid? Well, they are back These aren't your father's tiny Oldsmobiles. These new slot cars are bigger, better and of course much more expensive. I wasted many an hour watching those little cars zip around the track. Check out this video from WSJ.




What's next, a souped-up version of Shoots and Ladders???:

Bye To Harvey

I was really sad to hear about the passing of Harvey Korman yesterday. I think he was one of the funniest guys ever to gace the small or big screen. I'll never forget that dentist skit that Korman and Tim Conway were in. One of the funnist things I've ever seen.

Korman was also stellar when he teamed with Mel Brooks. This is one of my favorite scenes from Blazing Saddles. Click HERE or below to see Mr. Lamar at his finest.

So long Harvey, you really will be missed. As Mel Brooks said, this world will be a much more serious place without Harvey Korman.

Evil Scarf

We are so afraid of the terrorists killing us in our beds as we sleep at night that the clothing police have taken aim at a scarf worn by TV cook Rachael Ray.



Take a look at this. I really think it's silly season. Scarfs don't kill people. People kill people!

Where's the Beef? (in China)

I have to say off the top that I'm a big fan of the beef rib. When cooked properly they are just great. You have to slow cook them and use just the right sauce. If you get it right, it's a great meal.

There's only one problem. The beef rib is getting pretty hard to find. The other day I was at the market and asked the guy at the meat counter what happened to the good old beef rib? He said "we don't carry them anymore." Being the curious type that I am I asked him if people don't want them anymore. He said "no, lots of people still ask for them." Well now my curiosity is really taking over.

"So, if lots of people still want them, why don't you carry them?" He said "we don't carry them because they are all getting shipped to China." With a perplexed look on my face I asked "why are they all getting shipped to China?" He said "because they really like them there." I just couldn't believe that some guy in China was eating MY beef ribs.

Wanting a second opinion I went to a small meat market today and bellied up to the bar. "Do you have any beef ribs today?" The butcher looked me in the eye and said "we haven't sold them now for about a year." I said "China?" He said "yup, China. They are buying them all up." He told me he could get them, but the price is so high that no one here would buy them.

I thought those folks in China all made 50 cents an hour, which is why we have them make all that poison stuff that gets shipped back here. How can they afford my beef ribs at 50 cents an hour? Seems to make more sense to me that they keep the poison dog food and toys and we keep the beef ribs.

Won't You Be My Friend?

Madison may have its problems these days, but putting on a happy face isn't one of them. On an NBC Today Show report Wednesday morning Madison will be named one of the five friendliest cities in the nation. I'm not really sure how they measure that, but it beats a poke in the eye.

Perhaps they went around and asked people if they'd give you two tens for a five. Now that's friendly. The report was compiled by Barbara Corcoran for NBC.

I do think we are a pretty friendly city. People still say "hi" on the street to strangers along with a nod and a smile. It took me a while to get used to that when we first moved to this part of the word from the Boston area all those years ago.

It will be interesting to find out why they bestowed this honor on Madison. Tune in to the Today Show Wednesday morning to find out.

Click HERE to view the NBC article.

Madison Falls Out Of Love With The Homeless

We've made the big time. Check out this article from this morning's LA Times.

We used to be known for best place to live and Farmer's Market. Now it's murder and the homeless. What a difference a couple of years make!

Stop To Smell

This is a great time of the year to stop and smell not just the roses, but lots of really pretty things that are growing along the highways and backwoods of Wisconsin.

I put about 100 miles on the bicycle this holiday weekend and noticed it's starting to look and smell very nice out there these days. The flox are starting to bloom across the rural countryside right now. They are purple and white flowers that give off a really great perfume as the evening hours approach. There are a lot of them along the Southwest Bike Path and the Military Ridge Trail.

Of course it's hard to beat the Arboretum for the sights and smells of late spring. I stopped off there today to catch the tail end of the lilacs in bloom. That's always a great show and this year was no exception. The picture above is of the blooming trees that grace the Arboretum.

Cheers,
gg

Sorry State Of Affairs

Something happened last week in the twilight of President Bush's last year in office that flew under the radar but deserves a second look. Mr. Bush was in Saudi Arabia last week on bent knee asking some two bit prince to pump more oil. Now keep in mind that for the past seven years Bush has been kissing the Saudi royal family's ass. This extends to giving them a pass after 9/11, despite the fact that most of the murderers were of Saudi heritage.

The President of the United States was told there would be no more oil. It's gotten to the point where Bush is now begging like a panhandler asking for spare change. What a sad and sorry day for America. All of Bush's arse smooching didn't get him so much as an ounce of crude, black gold, Texas tea. Forget about the fact that the Saudi royal family treats women like second-class citizens and would like to see Israel go the way of the buggy whip and the nickle cigar. When one is on bent knee it's hard to make demands of those you are hoping will throw you a scrap.

With all of Bush's foreign policy experience, the best he can do is go begging at the palace and be sent away empty-handed. What a proud day for America! I have to say that all Americans should be embarrassed about our national energy policy. It appears that policy has degenerated to the advanced idea of begging.

While on this trip Bush spoke about the need for the next president to be experienced at foreign policy. Well it looks like that experience certainly has paid off with four bucks at the gas pump and our good friends the Saudi princes telling the president they won't put any money in his little spare change cup. Bush is so desperate to renovate his legacy, that he is willing to swallow his (our) pride and beg at the Saudi royal table. Well, the Saudi princes won't play so it looks like old George W will be remembered for a failed war and five dollar a gallon gas.

We need a next president who has a real energy policy. We need a next president who will challenge the great minds in America to develop the next generation of technology that will move us away from oil. We need a president who's too proud to beg.