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