Ever get a good case of pyscho-constipation? Most of us have at one time or another. You know, that condition where no matter how hard you strain your mind you just really can't produce anything of worth to write. It happens from time to time and it can be very uncomfortable at times, especially when it drags on for several days. It seems like all of these thoughts and ideas are bottled up in your mind and if you can't manage to get them out soon your head will explode from the pressure. A...

I am one of those people who doesn't make snap judgements about people based upon their looks. My own personal experiences in having people mis-judge me has taught me that looks can and often do fool you. I'm a fairly big guy. Not overly tall at 6 feet, but I have a large build. Except for my currently ummm, ample belly due to several months of inactivity while healing from my injuries I have a pretty muscular build. Very broad shoulders, thick neck, and broad chest. And plenty of upper bo...

That's right folks, Michael Jackson has been found guilty on all charges in the Court of Public Opinion. In spite of the fact that the real prosecution in a real trial in a real court of law failed to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, he will forever be guilty in the eyes of the public. In any criminal trial, the burden of proof is on the prosecution. They must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of the crimes he or she is charged with. As one who has p...

I managed to get a ride in this morning before the rains came again. I live on the far west end of town and rode to the far east end of town and back again. A total ride of 6 miles. Yeah, small town. This is the longest continuous ride I have made so far. And it felt pretty good.

This is for those who ride bicycles. DO NOT RIDE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD!!! You're on a vehicle. You are required by law to follow the traffic laws. That includes riding with traffic , not against it. I just took a short 6 mile ride, and saw three different cyclists riding against traffic. Not only is it illegal, it's just plain stupid. Anyone turning onto the roadway or crossing the roadway is looking for approaching traffic in the correct lane. Riding on the wrong side of the ...

This information is taken from various sources including state laws, state driver's handbooks, and bicycle safety advocacy sites. A bicycle is a vehicle. Any person riding a bicycle has all of the same rights and responsibilities as a driver of any other vehicle. In most states, bicycles are required to ride as far to the right of the roadway as is safely possible. There are however certain conditions which allow bicycles to use the main part of the roadway. FOLLOWING A CYCLIST ...

You've heard of speed traps, but what about bicycle traps? Five Utah police agencies will be participating in a state-sponsored crackdown on motorists who aren't safely sharing the roads with bicycles. Plainclothes officers will ride bicycles to catch motorists who aren't sharing the road. Utah averages about 900 bicyclists a year who are injured and often killed by motorists. While this is sadly not an unusually high number in relation to other states, Utah has decided to do something...

I awoke this morning with a very stiff and sore neck and shoulder. What the hell? I swear gremlins must have beaten me in my sleep. I feel like somebody used a baseball bat on me. How does this happen? What could a person possibly be doing while sleeping that causing such a thing? I know, I've heard people say "I slept wrong." How do you sleep wrong? I didn't know there was a correct way to sleep. It's like if someone asks "Did you sleep well?" What do you say? "No, I made a few mistakes."...

It's rainy season here in Florida. It's a fact of life here, but it seems that this year has started out to be wetter than normal. I haven't ridden my bike in over a week now due to daily rain. Yesterday I was preparing to ride over the state employment office, the sun was shining and it looked nice out. In the ten minutes or so it took me to get dressed, grab my helmet, and head out the door it started pouring. I called a friend and begged a ride. Just a few minutes ago I looked outside. ...

The Washington Post reports that a surprising number of scientists engage in questionable research practices. According to a large-scale survey of scientific practices, more than 15% admit to changing a study under pressure from a funding source. Others admit to altering data including dropping data from a study based on a "gut feeling" and failing to include data that contradicts one's own research among other less than honest study methods. If this percentage actually admits to these...

I'm not going to let anyone try to take advantage of me. While I'm glad I finally landed a job, I had to call the boss yesterday and tell him I have a real problem with my post assignment. I was nice about it, of course, but when I applied for the job one of the questions on the application was about how far I was willing to travel to work. I had indicated I wasn't willing to travel more than 5 miles, which is a reasonable distance by bicycle and also well within range of two facilities wh...

Today I finished with the basic course and orientation. I aced the basic training course exam easily (I was the only one who did). I made it to the state office and submitted my application for my security license and received my temporary license which permits me to begin working immediately. I'm now all nice and legal. I was issued my uniforms and assorted gear and will begin my first shift on Monday, so now I have a few days to relax and get the uniform altered to fit properly before st...

Today was the last day of the training classes for the state security license. We have covered everything from company policies, emergency response, patroling, reporting, and firefighting to first aid, and terrorist response. It's been a very busy two days. We had the final exam this evening. I didn't score quite as well as I had hoped, only got a 98% (missed 2 of the 100 questions, grrrrrr), but it was more than enough to pass. So I'm in a fairly good mood tonight, even if I am exhausted...

Sometimes it just seems like no matter how hard you try things just refuse to go right. Things were going pretty well. I had a decent job hauling heavy equipment and making decent money. Not getting rich, but doing ok. In a split second my whole life is turned upside down by a patch of ice on the road and a head-on collision with a Lincoln Navigator. I got hurt pretty bad. Ok, I can deal with it. I've worked hard to heal up enough to get back to doing some kind of work. I'm now able to wal...

Well, I made it through the first 12 hour day of training for the state security license. It went really well but I'm not sure if I'll be returning tomorrow for the second half. I found out that the fees to get this first license is double what I thought it was. Instead of $35, it's $72. I just don't see coming up with $72 between now and Wednesday. Looks like the day was a total waste of time. I may go ahead and finish tomorrow and at least get the class completion certificate. That way if ...