Eric Banks' Blog

Vanity Fair "The Dark Side of Mitt Romney"

2012-01-23T09:38:00.002-05:00

I found this hatchet job on Mitt Romney to be illuminating, not from the standpoint of Romney's faults. But from the predictable attempt at positioning his steadfast character, analytical approach, and overall business success as negatives.

So let me get this straight, the man analyzes under-performing, sick, and dying companies then makes a calculated decision about how to invest, which paid off for his investment about 2/3 of the time and made millions for his investors, and this is somehow evil or dark? He pores over tons of data to identify redundancies and inefficiencies, yet this is not the kind of person we need in Washington? Its laughable.

Dell TouchPad suddenly stopped working

2011-11-06T10:42:00.002-05:00

I went out of town the other day, which means something is going to go wrong in my house that I'll have to fix when I get back.

This time it was the touchpad on my wife's Dell Inspiron N5030 stopped working suddenly. The backstory is that she and my daughter were trying to find some funny kid videos on the internet when it suddenly stopped.

I hooked up a mouse and it worked just fine, but sure enough, the touchpad was completely dead. I suspected a hardware failure until I googled "Dell touchpad not working." In no time, I found the problem listed along with the solution on this link:

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?docid=424135

Luckily, it was just the touchpad enable/disable key which is located just to the right of the F12 key. It allows you to toggle the touchpad on/off. A very useful key for those who inadvertently hit the touchpad when typing text.

Garmin Edge 500 Mounting Tabs Broke Off

2011-10-24T18:58:00.002-04:00

I attempted to replace my Edge 500 on my bike mount this morning as I've done hundreds of times since getting it in April of 2010. To my dismay, it fell off and when I checked the mount the two little mounting tabs (ears) on the back of the case were inside the bike mount. My heart sank thinking about having to trash a perfectly good unit.

A brief internet search reveals that more than a few other folks have had the same issue.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/cgi-bin/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_printable;post=3140886;

I just emailed Garmin product support in the hopes they'll replace it for free. I'll post their response later. Fingers crossed!

Clinton Warns Tehran Against Iraq Encroachment - The Wall Street Journal.

2011-10-24T08:01:00.001-04:00

It's nice to see the Obama administration warning Iran not to meddle in Iraq. On the other hand, if they can't resist, maybe our Nobel peace prize winning President will wipe the iran's nuclear program off the face of the earth.

The best outcome, of course, would be another Iranian green movement, which predates the Arab spring. Of course, maybe this time NATO would help.

I thought you would be interested in the following story from The Wall Street Journal.

Clinton Warns Tehran Against Iraq Encroachment

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204777904576649033562607332.html

The Wall Street Journal for iPad provides a new way to experience the Journal's award winning coverage, blending the best of print and online. Special features include:

"Now" Issue featuring updated coverage throughout the day, with top article picks from Journal editors
Market Data including quote search and customizable Watchlist
Videos and slideshows published with free articles

Click or tap the link below to download The Wall Street Journal from the Apple iTunes App Store.

http://www.wsj.com/ipad

Sent from my iPad

Acurite Wireless Thermometer, not dead yet

2011-10-21T22:40:00.001-04:00

I own an acurite wireless thermometer that I purchased at Home Depot for around $16. It's worked flawlessly for a couple of years and mainly helps me figure out how to dress for my 4:30 am bike rides. I confess it's also been the cause of more than a few blown off rides, but I digress.

I learned that when the battery in the outdoor wireless sending unit fails, you can't just replace the 2 AA's. The indoor display and the outdoor sender will lose synchronization if you just replace the sensor batteries.

The proper battery replacement procedure is to remove the batteries from both display and sensor. Then put fresh batteries in the sensor. Next, within six minutes, put fresh batteries in the display unit. They should magically pair up immediately. If they don't, make sure both components are within 100 feet and repeat the battery replacement procedure. Good luck!

Obama's Team Ramps up attack on Romney

2011-10-17T14:41:00.001-04:00

I guess this means Obama's team think Romney is going to get the GOP nod this time.

Axelrod fails the Pinocchio test with his rebuttals of Romney:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-obama-campaigns-spin-on-the-romney-tax-plan/2011/10/16/gIQAbIYUqL_blog.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics

2011-04-25T10:21:00.003-04:00

This past Friday, in a neighborhood just a couple of miles away from my own, a man was shot and killed while walking home from the coffee shop. A suspect was just arrested last night but we still don't know why he killed his victim. It appears to be a random attempted robbery.

This is another of those tragic cases where some punk who has never contributed anything worthwhile to society robs it of someone who has. I've posted Dr. Barber's obituary as a memorial to all his achievements and contributions. RIP Dr. Barber.

Robert Latimer Barber
Dr. Barber, 64, of Charlotte was taken from us April 22, 2011. His passing was tragic and sudden.
'Bob' was born July 14, 1946 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to the late John Marr Barber and Mary Jane Latimer. Bob graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque, NM and went on to pursue his undergraduate studies majoring in economics at the University of New Mexico. He was a proud member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity like his father before him. Upon graduation in 1969, Bob worked at the family business, Ward Anderson Printing Co., as the assistant to the President. Bob later returned to UNM to complete a Masters of Arts in Public Administration in 1977. He worked for the Public Service Company of New Mexico from 1968 to 1985. Starting in the finance dept, he worked in audits, plant accounting, project management, and finally as Asst to the Senior VP for Financial Planning.
In 1985 Bob moved to Greensboro, NC after reconnecting with and later marrying his high school sweetheart Phyllis Allran. They were married for 10 years before her sudden and unexpected passing. In North Carolina, Bob got his start in health care, holding positions at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, the Nalle Clinic and Mercy Hospital prior to joining Carolinas Healthcare System where he enjoyed a 19 year career. At CHS, Bob served in various capacities within the system including Managed Care, Finance and Administration. Most recently, Bob held positions as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer at CHS affiliate hospitals.
Bob proudly served to protect and defend his country, joining the NM Air National Guard in 1968. In 1979 he transferred to the Air Force Reserves with a promotion to Major. His many duties included: Supply Systems Officer, Disaster Preparedness Officer, and Administrative Officer to Commander of the 150th Communications Flight. He served the people of NC coordinating relief services as the Air Force Emergency Liaison Officer and played a prominent role during the flooding related to Hurricane Floyd. Bob was a highly decorated officer having been awarded the prestigious: Legion of Merit; Meritorious Service Medal (two awards); and Air Force Commendation Medal (three awards). Bob retired at the rank of Full Colonel from the military after a 33-year career.
Bob's own professional education culminated with the completion his Doctorate in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1999. His commitment to the education of healthcare finance and administration professionals led him to adjunct faculty positions with UNC-Charlotte, MUSC, Pfeiffer University and the doctoral program at Central Michigan University - often times teaching for multiple schools in the same semester.
Over the years, his professional dedication lead to involvement and leadership positions in numerous organizations including National Guard Association of the United States, the Institute of Management Accounting, Institute of Internal Auditors, the National Association of Accountants, the Society for Management Information Systems, and Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). For HFMA, Bob served as president of the North Carolina chapter and was recently appointed to the national Board of Examiners. In addition he received numerous HFMA awards and commendations, including the prestigious Muncie Gold Merit award Founders Medal of Honor. Bob was devoted to a combination of community service and a host of hobbies. He was enthusiastic about motorcycles, classic cars, crossword puzzles, NASCAR, genealogy and NM Lobo's athletics. In New Mexico Bob competitively raced Corvettes and served on his state and national Corvette association. Bob also enjoyed competitive running and participated in events from Charleston, SC to Spokane, WA. Bob proudly gave his time to a number of service organizations including Jaycees and United Way. Bob had a special commitment to Rotary ClubInternational, serving as a life-long Rotarian, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
But above all, Bob was a dedicated family man. He met and fell in love with Debbie in 1997. Bob and Debbie married a year later at First Presbyterian Church, where they are members. His family grew to include her two sons, Eric and Brian Hartley. He embraced them as his own and served as a trusted mentor and friend while sharing in their growth and development as young men. Although tragically cut short, Bob and Debbie enjoyed a full life of happiness, laughter and travel.

2011-02-06T08:28:00.003-05:00

At some time, maybe after a Windows security update or something, I noticed my hard drive was running constantly. Fearing that it would burn out, as well as drain my battery more quickly when unplugged, I searched the web for answers. I knew that it was some type of software "switch" that had been flipped. I tried stopping several processes to no avail. Finally I found this link which indicated it might be a Windows Search Index issue:

http://www.iishacks.com/2007/06/19/disabling-windows-search-in-vista-stop-hard-drive-running-constantly/comment-page-1/#comment-18475

After disabling Windows search, my hard drive seems to have calmed down significantly. Now it seems to be periodically accessed instead of constantly. Try it and let me know if you have similar luck.

Now I just need to find out how to properly configure my range extending router.

Going All Caveman

2011-01-15T10:29:00.004-05:00

I'm hearing more and more about the "Cross Fit" movement and though I don't know much about it specificially, it sounds like something I would enjoy. I understand it involves weight training as well as agility movements which is something lacking in pure endurance training.

To go along with it, I read somewhere that the Paleo diet is a fave amongst the Cross Fit set so I bought the book last night. So far it sounds really intriguing though not really revolutionary. The basic concept is that you eat lean meats, fruits and vegetables and stay away from salt and dairy. Pretty much common sense if you know anything about nutrition. The nicest thing seems to be the suggestions for meals and weekly plans for getting you off of the grain-based, high carb eating and transitioning over to the Paleo diet. I'm going to commit to doing it for 3 months and see what happens.

Nutcracker music driving me nuts

2010-11-27T08:47:00.003-05:00

The worst thing about being a character in the party scene of the Nutcracker is that the music gets stuck in your head. For many weeks on end, for hours at a time, we rehearse the party scene. The dances are all cued by the music. So not only do we have to listen to it, but we have to associate where we are on stage and all of the different dance moves to it.

I think the only way to flush out the constant music playing in my head is to replace it with other music.

I listened to "Guilty of the Crime" which is on the Eagles "Long Road out of Eden" CD and it did a pretty good job. Its catchy. Other music would probably work just as well, but I don't have a lot of time to listen to music.

Appigo Todo will not sync with MS-Outlook

2010-10-08T13:57:00.002-04:00

I love using "Todo" from Appigo on my iPad. Recently it stopped synching, probably due to a software update on either my laptop/desktop or on the iPad itself. Efforts to reinstate synching proved mostly futile.

I finally got it working again after checking a few things (in no particular order.)
1. Verify the IP address is the same on both the iPad and Laptop. Actually the last field of the IP address can be different:
PC: 192.168.1.167
iPad: 192.168.1.69

2. Verify your PC firewall is not blocking Appigo Sync. Find out the port used by Appigo sync from the preferences screen. Then enter the IP address and port number into a new web browser window.
Example: http://192.168.1.167:51438

3. After doing both, my iPad could still not "see" my laptop/desktop. So I did a manual configuation in Todo, Synchronization. Voila! I was able to "see" my iPad on the PC client and I proceeded to authorize it and re-synchronize.

All appears to be right in the world again!

How do I back up my iPad data, not just the apps?

2010-05-24T09:13:00.001-04:00

iTunes performs a backup when I connect. I'm not worried about losing music or photos as the originals all reside on my computer. However, I use my iPad for note taking and todo lists and must have backups of these files. I'm not sure if iTunes backs those up. Anybody know?

iPad Wi-Fi Weird No Connection Issue

2010-04-30T08:46:00.002-04:00

http://ipadtouchworld.blogspot.com/2010/04/ipad-wifi-network-problems-weak-how-to.html

All of a sudden this morning my iPad wouldn't talk to my home Wi-Fi. My internet service is through AT&T U-Verse and my TV was fine. I could also connect my laptop to the internet just fine. But the iPad refused to connect even after 1. powering it on/off 2. doing a network settings reset and 3. doing an "all reset." I still suspected it was the iPad.

Then I noticed I couldn't print to my networked printer from my laptop. So I tried using my Verizon Wireless Mi-Fi card with the iPad and voila, it connected right away. So therefore I decided to reset my home router/modem.

I reset my home modem/router and all was good again.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Preview

2010-04-28T11:23:00.000-04:00

We were fortunate enough to get a preview of the new NASCAR Hall of Fame this past weekend. Being a car guy and racing fanatic since about the age of 10, I was naturally thrilled. The HOF did not disappoint! There is plenty to do for both young and old. I bought a charter membership and will be spending a lot of time there in the future.

iPad: Use BOTH Google Calendar AND MS-Exchange Calendar

2010-04-11T21:11:00.002-04:00

Just got my iPad yesterday and was frustrated that I could only have my MS Exchange calendar on it. Then I found this: http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=151674

I've said it before...Google is going to take over the world!

24 hours with iPad

2010-04-11T20:46:00.002-04:00

I've had my new iPad now for 24 hours (it sat unopened in my house for a week while I was on vacation.) So far its everything I expected and I consider it a game changer. Why? For several reasons:

1. The mobile web on handheld devices has never been a satisfying experience. For years we waited patiently through WAP sites, text only mobile sites, painfully slow throughput (anyone else remember CDPD?)
2. I don't consider using a laptop to be a mobile experience unless you're in a passenger seat (Northwest pilots excluded.)
3. There's always been the need for a middle-device between a laptop and a handheld PC. I've craved a device that is big enough to read standard web pages but small enough to slip into a folio.

My hopes were raised when Bill Gates showed the first tablet PC (was it back in 2003?) But were dashed soon after when the devices themselves were still very bulky, very expensive, and had lots of quality problems (Gateway computers anyone?)

Los Gatos at dawn

2010-03-30T10:30:00.002-04:00

Los Gatos, CA, is a beautiful little town. Mostly residential cottages and upscale and boutique shopping. Sort of reminds me of Carmel by the sea, but bigger...and not by the sea.

I stayed at the Los Gatos Hotel which also has an excellent Greek restaurant called Dia Deko and a spa. Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt apparently are regulars...although not at the same time unless they can first notify some paparazzi (in reference to their "coffee summit" of last weekend.)

Los Gatos is another place to add to my list called "Places I've been for business that I would love to re-visit with my wife but not for business."

Well Done, Los Gatians!

Google Perplexed

2010-03-30T10:22:00.002-04:00

I flew in from Charlotte yesterday morning for a lunch meeting with an acquaintance at Google. Being a huge fan of Google (Don't Be Evil) for many reasons, I was very excited, to say the least, about setting foot on such "hallowed" ground.

I think it is safe to say I was impressed, but not overwhelmed to be there. I don't know if I had built up some kind of mythology about the place that was going to just wow me. I guess I was a little let down though but maybe my expectations were just too high.

It was a fun, vibrant, college-like atmosphere. I was there during lunchtime and young employees were bustling around. It was an overcast day so there was nobody on the volleyball court. I did see a few of the many fun objects d'art such as the dinosaur skeleton and shark fin. To be fair I also didn't actually go inside any of the offices, just one of the restaurants and we sat outdoors.

Don't get me wrong, I would still love to work there....and live in the south bay area. It's pretty nice, even with all the snails.

Garmin Edge 500 - Problem communicating with device

2010-03-17T11:44:00.004-04:00

I got a brand new Edge 500 yesterday and went for my first ride today. Being very experienced with the Forerunner 305 I was looking forward to using this bike-centric upgrade.

I had a lot of trouble getting my files uploaded though. I normally use SportTracks but it doesn't seem to have support for the Edge 500 (as of 3/17/10.) So I tried GTC (Garmin Training Center.) Out of habit, I used the self-update check to see if there was a later version of GTC. It found a later version and installed itself. I was to find a problem with this later though.

First, I forgot I had to add the Edge 500 as another device so it took about an hour on/off to get to that point.

After you add it to your device profile you'll see this:

The next obstacle was that GTC failed to see the device. I tried using different USB ports, etc. I even connected my 305 and it popped up just fine. So after typing "Garmin Edge 500 - Problem communicating with device" into Google I found a post indicating that the GTC version might be the culprit.

Since I had already done the version upgrade I didn't think this was my issue. But I checked the version I had running anyway (Help, About) and to my surprise it was version 3.4.3. I know that I downloaded version 3.5.3 earlier.

Long story short, the software upgrade did not uninstall the previous version. I had to manually go to the program (program files, garmin, etc.) and created a desktop shortcut for the new version. After double-clicking that shortcut, I checked the version and got this:

Surprise surprise, my Edge 500 was found and my files were uploaded. Now I can get back to work on my training.

Bicycle Advisory Committee Appointment

2009-11-11T22:15:00.000-05:00

BAC

I found out about an opening on the Charlotte Mecklenburg DOT's, Bicycle Advisory Committee a few months ago and, always having an interest in service, decided to apply. I have known councilman Andy Dulin since about 2001, when we both were doing triathlons. In fact, we did quite a few training rides together out in Mint Hill and even on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We suffered through the 2002 edition of the Bridge to Bridge incredible Century...which was so harsh it prompted Mike Magnuson to write a book ("Heft on the Bike.")

I inquired to Andy about it for several months but it never seemed to show up on the Council's agenda. Surprisingly, the other night I received 2 or 3 Twitter Tweets congratulating me on the appointment. I went to Andy's Twitter page and sure enough he Tweeted the news!

I'm both proud and nervous about this appointment. My goal is to expand the use of bicycles in our city not only for transportation but for recreational and just short errands. Too often I see folks jump in their car to drive 1/2 a mile when it would probably take less time for them to jump on a bike.

Thoughts on "Capitalism: A Love Story"

2009-10-26T09:23:00.004-04:00

My wife and I decided to see Michael Moore's latest movie this past Saturday afternoon. Neither of us is overly active politically although we are of course very interested in the economy as well as curious about various points of view. Mr. Moore has always been controversial, at least to the majority of Republicans and certainly to conservative talking heads. But I found his old TV show, Real Life or something like that, very funny. He's always funny when interviewed and besides, only the truly wise look at all sides of issues. Only the narrow minded cling to their own idealogy or dogma in the face of criticism.

Although the title is Capitalism, I had no advance knowledge of the movie's theme. Was it going to be an argument against the economic theory of capitalism or a defense of socialism? Actually, I believe its mostly an indictment of greed and the profit motive as the cause of our society's downfall, and the financial meltdown of 2008. If that qualifies as being anti-capitalistic then I suppose he's achieved his goal.

The main theme of the movie is that this era of greed, started in the Reagan years, culminated in the meltdown. Along the way the wealthy saw their taxes cut down from 90% (which paid for most civil projects by the way) and corporate profits were inflated while thousands were laid off. Moore uses many powerful examples of the pain caused by greed to support his theme

* Rome fell due to the wide disparity between the rich and poor. I can accept this.
* Moore blames the failure of GM on capitalistic greed. If that is what made them make shoddy products in the face of Japanese competition without dealing with their cost problems then I can agree with that. However, I've followed the car industry since the '80's and remember one folly after another. (Pontiac Aztek anyone? K-Car? GM X-car? GM diesels?)
* Wall Street controls the Presidency (a clip of Donald Regan admonishing Ronald Reagan is priceless)
* A family thrown out of their farmhouse because their loan payment went from $1500 to over $2700. Moore doesn't explain what caused their loan to adjust. I guess the implication is that some predatory lender swindled them into an awful loan. I agree these folks were probably victimized and lured into a loan product that was terrible for them.
* So-called "Dead Peasants" insurance. Apparently your employer can take out a policy (or place a bet) that a certain number of employees will die. This makes sense from a statistical standpoint and surprisingly it doesn't seem to be illegal. The whole concept definitely seems unethical though. He used Wal-Mart as one illustration. The closing credits stated that Wal-Mart has now reversed this practice. This was a very troubling part of the movie.
* The employees of Republic Windows in Chicago staged a sit-in to protest Bank of America shutting down their company. This part was inspiring. I agree that the banks were protecting their profits while driving people out into the streets. BofA should have worked more with the company to extend their credit and the company should have given their employees ample warning of a a shut down.
* A homeless family in Miami decided to occupy their former house. It is heartbreaking to see families living in a truck while houses sit idle. They were probably victimized by a predatory lender as well. Their lender should have worked harder to come up with a solution for them. There should be more loan modifications and fewer foreclosures. Were they right to break back into their house? No. But this is not a singular problem. Their whole neighborhood was in foreclosure. Clearly something larger is at stake than just one house.
* Moore makes a leap though to claim that the Obama wave was driven by the "have nots" or the downtrodden and disenfranchised railing against the rich. Obama had a lot of rich supporters including Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. I think the Obama wave was mostly a social revolution IN ADDITION TO anti-George Bush backlash. You have to admit Bush's wars, bumbling ways, and alienation of practically the entire world made him extremely unpopular. Despite that Obama's win was not an overwhelming mandate. Certainly class uprising was a factor but don't discount anti-Bush, anti-Conservative sentiment and the desire among the liberal factions to make a statement about our country be electing a minority president. Look at the HUGE financial juggernaut behind Obama. Remember the $25,000 a plate dinner that Barbra Streisand hosted? What about Oprah's refusal to give air time to the other side? I am glad about the revolution and I am glad he is the President but let's not make his victory more than it was.

All in all I believe Moore accomplished what a good storyteller or movie maker should. He makes you think. He exposes the evil that most folk think just can't be out there. He makes the statement that capitalism is evil which I don't think he proves conclusively. But he definitely shows that evil is out there in the corporate world and that it is beyond time for people to recognize it and fight it. Something has to be done and he doesn't say that it needs to be communism or socialism, but right now we have greed, unregulated greed, running amuck. We have wall street honchos (such as Henry Paulson, worth $700million) operating at the highest levels of our government. In this, I have to agree with Moore that something must be changed.

Miscellaneous Musings

2009-10-16T09:34:00.003-04:00

I just bookmarked the NPR mobile site (m.npr.org.) Now maybe I can start to become as smart as my ex-conservative friend who listens to it all day. Sheesh.

My friend told me yesterday that the moon is receding from the Earth at about 1.5 inches per year. I know that probably will affect the weather and tides here in a few centuries. I think its important to bring a little extra gas money just in case. Coincidentally, America seems to be getting farther from the "Son" every day. Think about that one for awhile!

Supply of Celebrities

2009-09-17T10:04:00.002-04:00

Our nation's celebrities seem to be dropping like flies lately. Is the government doing enough to ensure a fresh supply?

Projects will help kids walk, bike to school - CharlotteObserver.com

2009-09-09T08:28:00.000-04:00

Imagine kids walking and biking to school! Imagine lowering our country's out of control childhood obesity stats! Imagine a world free of Ho-Ho's and donuts! Imagine!

Projects will help kids walk, bike to school - CharlotteObserver.com

What does a total lack of ambition feel like?

2009-09-03T07:52:00.003-04:00

I hate it when old men, I mean pretty old, call someone on the phone (like their wife) and when she answers they say "How You Doin'" like Joey from friends. It's just wrong.

I am writing this while sitting at an airport gate.

They say that character is how you behave when no one is watching. I think how employees act when they are not "on" also speaks volumes. I just passed two airline gate workers jawing with each other while riding (not walking) on a people mover.

Not only were they lounging on the people mover, but when I walked up behind them, they made no effort to let me pass. They continued their conversations about how hard their jobs are or some other blathering.

If I had an employee who moved so slow (well....not at all in this case) while they were on the clock I would fire them on the spot.

The other day I was wondering what it must feel like to have absolutely zero ambition. I think these two demonstrated to me that it feels pretty relaxing.

We are spoiled by our health insurance

2009-08-31T07:36:00.003-04:00

John Stossel brought up an interesting perspective the other day. He pointed out that making insurance companies pay more is not the answer to the healthcare crisis. The problem is that we people have no stake in driving down the price of healthcare because it is free.

For comparison, he brings up that the cost of Lasik surgery has been driving down for years. Why? Because its not covered by health insurance. Make sense to me!

I started thinking that we treat our home and car insurance in kind of the same way. When something goes wrong with our plumbing or heating, we can a repairman, shop around for the best deal and go with one that meets all our needs. We don't call the insurance company! Imagine how much a plumbing or HVAC repair would cost if it was paid for by insurance? But if a tree falls on your house or something major happens, that is what insurance is for!

Similarly for your car. You don't charge tires, oil changes, and brake jobs to your car insurance provider. Insurance covers you in case of theft, accidents, etc.

Imagine if we applied that same kind of logic to health insurance. We'd shop around for the best prices on basic "personal" maintenance and minor repairs. Of course if we get cancer or some serious diagnosis then that is what insurance is for. That would save all of us money and make our system better because there would be price competition.

Of course the problem isn't this simple but this is the kind of mindset that would help. We need people to take responsibility for their own "maintenance" and basic upkeep. Insurance should be for unexpected, major, or catastrophic events.

Best product writeup ever?

2009-08-27T09:39:00.000-04:00

BonkTown.com: Shimano America Dura-Ace Hollowtech Double Crankset - $223.99 - 53% off: "Shimano America Dura-Ace Hollowtech Double Crankset:

Mmm…sexy sexy. The Shimano Dura-Ace Hollowtech II Double Crankset is stiffer than a frozen boner, flashier than Liberace, and lighter and hotter than a pair of titanium panties. The sleek two-piece design, oversized spindle and hollow-forged crankarms trim every last gram of fat while simultaneously boosting system rigidity. Near-seamless construction means unmatched power transmission to the custom machine-lightened Dura-Ace chainrings, pickle-crisp shifting, and a lust factor that will parch the salivary glands of your comrades."

register

2009-07-28T09:48:00.001-04:00

Catching Up Today

2009-07-28T09:16:00.002-04:00

OK, well yesterday.

Yesterday morning we were shocked to hear the pitter patter of little feet coming down the hall at around 8 am. You see Caroline woke up (again) during the middle of the night and Elizabeth put her in John's bed (since John was at a friend's house.) Caroline normally sleeps in a crib. She apparently woke up and realized she wasn't in prison and was able to slide to the floor upright. It seems like a small thing but it was definitely a milestone!

My email box this morning contained my long anticipated invite to Google Voice. I just finished setting up my new number, 704-759-6140, and can't wait to figure out how to use it. The VM transcription looks pretty cool!

On the personal side, its Tuesday and its been since Saturday afternoon that I last did any exercise. Granted that was the finish of a 140 mile bike ride that wore me out! I also did yard work for about 6 hours in the 92 degree heat on Sunday. So I guess I've actually only slacked off yesterday and today....and its only 9:20 on Tuesday. Perhaps I'm being too hard on myself. I'll get out and do something in the afternoon!

Monday....Yuck

2009-07-06T07:50:00.003-04:00

Well, this is about day 5 of our P90X commitment. I hesitated and almost wrote "experiment" instead. But that sounded too indecisive and uncommitted. Today's video was "legs and back" and it was a killer. I rode 17 miles on my road bike right before the workout so that may have contributed to my weakness. I only got through about 40 minutes of the video before I was getting light-headed. That recovery/protein shake never tasted so good.

It's been an adventuresome past few weeks. I've been riding my new Trek Madone 5.2 road bike every other day which has been awesome. It feels great to get back out on it. I miss doing group rides but it will be awhile before I can hang with one and work it into my schedule.

I'm also on about the 4th week of my wealth building mentorship program with Donald Dy. So far we've restructured my debt and are now working on my strategic plan for the next 10, 5, 4, 3, and 1 years. This all very exciting.

Family wise, we went on a beach vacation for 4 nights/5 days to North Myrtle Beach a few weeks ago. We stayed at the Avista Resort which was pretty much perfect for our situation. There was plenty to do at the resort and the area around was OK. We did mini golf one day and everyone got a little sunburned. Caroline had a wonderful time in the sand and surf.

Speaking of Caroline, she is now 2 yrs and almost 3 months old. I continue to be amazed at her energy and her speaking ability. She speaks in complete sentences and is able to give commands, tell what she wants and doesn't want, and generally speak her mind at all times. Except when we want her to speak, like on the phone with Grandma or to other people. She has those shy tendencies that I remember from my own childhood.

Yesterday she rode her first carousel. It was in the center court of Concord Mills Mall. She was enthusiastic about doing it...as long as I was going with her. Actually, she agreed to accompany me. However, she protested against actually sitting on the horse and being belted on. Once the ride started and she was able to see Mommy go by, she got into it. She even started singing "up and up" remembering her ride on a real horse (named Rugby) from a few weeks ago. We rode it one more time and this time she did even better. Another fear conquered.

Now if we could just get her to sleep all night. Last night she woke up and said "I scared" for the first time. Heartbreaking to know that she's not only dreaming but entering the age of nightmares.

2009-06-23T11:55:00.004-04:00

The license plates here in Montreal have the provincial slogan "je me souviens" on them. My French is a little rusty but I think it means "If you think your roads are in bad shape wait 'til you see ours!"

2009-06-22T06:13:00.001-04:00

On my way to Montreal for customer service. Hope our developers have saved the day again!

2009-06-22T06:11:00.001-04:00

Had a great Father's Day yesterday. So thankful for my kids, wife, and my Father.

2009-06-17T07:24:00.001-04:00

Whether its church, board games, drinking, or whatever. People need friends and a sense of belonging.

2009-06-17T07:23:00.001-04:00

Everyone needs to find a community, at least one, that is based around your selfish interests. This makes you more interesting in general.

2009-06-17T07:17:00.001-04:00

test

Prayer Works!

2009-06-10T09:55:00.003-04:00

I’ve been agonizing about whether or not to buy a new road bike for awhile. It’s the old story about the high cost versus how much am I really going to use it. I’ve been keeping my eyes open, looking at classifieds, and going to a few bike shops. Meanwhile I’ve been riding my old one more and more. Nothing makes me feel as young or healthy as biking.

Last week I finally (almost) decided to take the plunge by making an appointment to get sized for a Trek Madone 5.2. Yesterday I went down there and ended up saying yes. The total cost? Let's just say it was enough to make me queasy. My last road bike was a 2000 Trek 2300 which I thought was outrageous at the time.

I applied the money we'd saved from various yard and classified sales which we were going to put towards a flat screen TV. Still, I felt sick all day and night that I dug us deeper into debt and fretted about what I was going to sacrifice make up for it. And yes, I think I prayed silently for an answer. (why does it take desperation to remind most of us to pray anyway?)

This morning I got an email from my bank notifying me that a large deposit was made last night. It was a surprise from the school system; apparently they have been underpaying my wife for months and are finally straightening things out.

This is not the first time something like this has happened. The same thing has happened at least 5 times in the last 5 years when confronted with surprise bills. After surrendering to prayer, somehow the money showed up just in time. One time I got 2 medical refund checks that totaled up to the exact amount I owed to the dollar. Of course, once I had to get hit by a car to get money to pay the IRS...so it wasn't completely painless. But the point is, prayer works!

I've read similar stories from Tony Robbins and other gurus of empowerment. I have to believe that we can somehow tap into a larger consciousness. A good friend is trying to teach me about enlightenment through the art of breathing although the skeptic in me is resisting. However, my own personal evidence is mounting. I feel like I'm on the edge of a breakthrough in consciousness and self-actualization.

I also think The higher power (God, the Logos, etc.) is trying to tell me to do something for the good of mankind and it might have to do with bike riding! All the better!

if the post office was smart

2009-05-11T17:53:00.002-04:00

Well the post office racked up a 2.8B loss last year. Not bad for a government institution!

I was thinking that they are a clear example of a company that failed to notice that "their cheese was moving."

The Post office failed to realize their strength which is...they have a huge database of addresses and demographics information. Plus, they have a superior organization system (ZIP codes.) What their weakness is, is delivering the mail. It is a business that is going to go away as things go electronic.

Older folks are the last ones to go electronic. Why didn't the post office develop some kind of mail reader/printer for people who don't like computers? Imagine a device with a big screen and about 2 buttons. All your mail is screened, filtered, by the post office according to your demographics and preferences, and delivered to this home "box." You push one button to read the mail and if you want, push the other button to print it.

Imagine if the box had a touch screen that you could write on in long hand and then hit a button to send it to your recipient?

I went to the post office today and not surprisingly, there was a long line of impatient people waiting for their turn to be serviced by a glum clerk. There was one automated postal center (robo-postman); I believe its the only one in a 10 mile radius. I much prefer to use them because their attitude is a lot better than the human clerks.

Why doesn't the postal service put more of them around town? Perhaps in convenient places? Imagine if they were set up as kiosks in malls or parking lots like ATM's? I would pay a buck or two extra not to have to drive 4 miles to my nearest post office.

They couldn't hear the train coming and now they're coming up with innovative ideas like "Let's go to a 5 day delivery week instead of 6!" This is progress? Please.

2009-04-20T10:13:00.002-04:00

Just registered to update my blog from my cell phone. This could be dangerous.

Like the US? Thank a pirate!

2009-04-13T07:33:00.002-04:00

From a Washington Post Review of Michael B. Oren's Power, Faith, and Fantasy : "In the perilous early years of the republic, the Muslim Barbary powers preyed on American shipping and captured, tortured and enslaved hundreds of innocent men and women. When John Adams and Thomas Jefferson implored the pasha of Tripoli to stop, Oren recounts, the pasha's emissary insisted that the Koran made it the "right and duty" of Muslims "to make war upon" whichever infidels "they could find and to make Slaves of all they could take as prisoners." George Washington raged, "Would to Heaven we had a navy to reform those enemies to mankind, or crush them into non-existence." And Congress did create a navy in the 1790s primarily to crush the Barbary powers and protect American traders and missionaries. President Jefferson -- so often mislabeled as an idealist, pacifist and isolationist -- eagerly launched the war and ordered the permanent stationing of U.S. naval forces thousands of miles from the nation's shores. "

I doubt that many Americans are even aware of the role pirates played in the formation of the United States. When our founding fathers declared independence from Britain, our ships lost the protection of the British navy. Unable to just pay the ransoms (the European way) the United States was at the mercy of the pirates. Thus one of the reasons the states united was to pool their resources and build a navy.

It's interesting that for the last couple of years we're hearing the same thing happening. Pirates operating off the coast of Africa are operating at will and the UN has done nothing about it. In fact, the policy is to pay the ransoms. Finally, the United States Navy Seals heroically rescued an American hostage yesterday. I think most Americans are thrilled to see us using our power, so hard to protect in our defeatist political climate, to defend the our rights of our ships and our people in international waters. My prayer is that our new President acts decisively and doesn't wait for the UN or Europe to dictate our response.

My sleep study

2009-03-02T19:43:00.003-05:00

This very exciting (yawn.) I'm now undergoing a sleep study. That is, I will be in a few hours.

It's all because my wife thinks I have sleep apnea. Apparently she is under the impression that ceasing to breathe during the middle of the night is unusual. Hah!

So I agreed to go through with it just to humor her. The upside? I get the TV all to myself tonight!

Lately I've been doing a lot of Twittering. WEll, I guess I haven't been doing it as much as being twittered by other folks. I'm following Lance Armstrong, who is a manic twitterer. So is Rainn Wilson, who is one funny fellow. Jimmy Fallon is also a Twitterer, I think he's mostly nervous about his upcoming talk show...which starts tonight by the way! I'm not sure how long I'll be into it. I'm sure if circumstances were different I'd be too busy to engage in such foolishment. But its a diversion for now.

So what's going on with Battlestar Galactica right now? I think there are only 3 episodes left and I can't wait for it to end. It was once so promising. The miniseries and first two seasons were gripping. Then they went to New Caprica...and the show pretty much jumped the shark.

The occupation was a thinly veiled commentary on the whole Iraq war (yawn.) The best part of it was when the Galactica jumped into the upper atmosphere... that was, for an engineer and space nut, exhilarating to watch...especially with the so-called accurate newtonian physics and all. Then the writers tried to cover patch up all the plot holes they'd opened up and it got really stupid.

First, the whole concept of their being 12 models. At first, no one knew who or how many human-looking cylons there were. It was suspenseful not knowing if the person next to you was a cylon. They introduced various characters then revealed them as cylons as necessary. Probably the best one was when Lucy Lawless was revealed. Well done!

Then they said, "Let's say there were only 12 models." Suddenly they had to utilize everyone who had been exposed so far over and over again. Some of them were forgettable such as Doral and the low-key doctor guy. What a waste of a concept. Then to further insult our intelligence, they said "OK, we've shown 7 so far, let's say the remaining 12 are the "final five" and make them so kind of special Cylons." What a crock. They tried to claim that this was intentional when we all know the writers are making this crap up as they go along. Sheesh.

The latest episode was called "Someone to watch over me" and in it Starbuck hallucinated about her father. I really just want to know what's the deal with Starbuck, and what's going to happen to the ship and then I'll be done. I have a feeling they're going to do some kind of Matrix Revolutions type ending ("all this has happened before, and it will happen again...unless something (Neo) does something different this time.")

Check please! I'm done!

Goal Setting

2009-02-26T14:02:00.004-05:00

I've always believed that high achievers are driven by their vision and goals. In fact, you first have to have a vision in order to set goals. It is this process of defining your vision and then following through on your goals that I'm interested in at the moment.

What does it mean to have a vision, to be a visionary? Well simply stated it means that you imagine a world or a scenario or an outcome that doesn't quite exist today. I think the term visionary is usually applied retroactively though. For example, when Bill Gates envisioned a PC on everyone's desk running his software he was probably considered just a dreamer. Of course it came true so in hindsight he was a visionary.

It is the definiing one's personal vision that is captivating me right now. We are so inundated with opinions and things that are important to other people right now. For example, the news we get is filtered through the lens of the writers, editors, and agencies that produce it. Similarly for politicians and those that follow them (bloggers, etc.) They decide which issues are important to them, and through coverage by the press, they become the things we talk about over dinner, etc.

2009-01-29T10:01:00.002-05:00

"Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before."

.............White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, November 2008

He might as well have been explaining his boss's "stimulus" plan. WSJ Article

Pelosi is the worst liar ever

2009-01-29T07:46:00.003-05:00

Or maybe I should say the best one?

The House passed an 812Billion dollar "stimulus" bill yesterday. The breakdown includes something like $111B for "medical" related spending. The majority of it is for Medicare/Medicaid. How much for science and technology? $16B.

The American people should be absolutely outraged at this!

To top it off, our illustrious, and bi-partisan speaker of the house, Nancy ($32M dollar) Pelosi had the nerve to go on the morning shows touting it as a victory for the average American. She is still harping on the fact that we've already "given" $700 to the banking industry. Oh and she also took credit for catching Citigroup trying to buy and $50M jet and then canceling the order. What a piece of work she is.

I wish she would crawl back into whatever crypt she escaped from!

Read for yourself: http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/legislation?id=0273

By the way, it's 647 pages of bureaucratic bull.

2009 Sprint Cup Schedule for MS-Outlook

2009-01-28T14:22:00.004-05:00

I'm doing this as a service to my fellow man.

I entered the entire NASCAR Sprint Cup 2009 schedule into my MS-Outlook. Since I sync my Outlook with my mobile phone, I'll never miss another race! I'll actually be notified one hour in advance of each race thanks to the reminder feature.

I'm making this file available for purchase through ebay! Please help me send my kids to college!

Close Encounter of the R2 Kind

2009-01-22T08:50:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago I had a little time to kill on a layover. So I took the shuttle from Dulles to the Udvar-Hazy annex of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum. It's a great place for any space or plane nut to spend a few hours. It's actually on the grounds of Dulles airport and there's a $1 shuttle from the terminal.

One of the pop culture exhibits is the "Mother Ship" model used in the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." It was interesting to learn that the model was made from parts of other commercially available models such as model trains.

I was also surprised that the builders attached some very small inside jokes that were too small to appear in the final film, but can be found on the model if you search long enough. I found a tiny TIE fighter, a graveyard, and some other things.

Here's a closeup of my little buddy, R2-D2, standing on the hull:

New Compound Word

2009-01-20T10:03:00.001-05:00

Let's say you're in the middle of explaining your new idea to a colleague. Before you can finish they make a sarcastic remark about your idea that totally derails your train of thought.

I call that getting "snide-tracked."

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-13T00:26:00.006-05:00

O Canada! I flew in from Charlotte to Montreal via Toronto tonight. I'm always amazed at how formal and high strung the customs folks are. They're very stern! I thought Canadians were kind, easy going folks. But every time I come in I get the 3rd degree and they don't seem interested in any tomfoolery!

I'm sitting in my hotel room at the Aloft hotel at the Montreal airport (YUL.) The roads around the hotel are pretty clear but the snow is piled up as high as 6 to 8 ft on the edges of the parking lot. If only the kids could see it!

Separated at birth?

2009-01-09T12:21:00.003-05:00

Blago! Vinny! Together again!

Antoher Liberal Conundrum...

2008-11-11T09:39:00.002-05:00

Barack Obama was swept into the Presidency by (the promise of) a wave of change. He was able to build excitement throughout the nation for a complete change of course from the preceding 8 years of sheer hell. (By the way, please disregard the first 6.5 years of unchecked real estate appreciation.) So, change is what the people want and change is what he will deliver.

He even convinced voters in NC to get on board that train of change. All good. In fact, record numbers of new voters registered including people who for one reason or another decided not to vote in previous elections (uh-oh.) These people do apparently watch a lot of television.

They voted along party lines, thinking that all democrats represent change, and all republicans represent a failed system.

You know who ended up in our Governor's seat? A candidate who has been in the capitol for 22 years! Who lost? A maverick Mayor from Charlotte who would have shaken up the legislature, fought for lower taxes, and directed some much needed attention to the western part of the state.

They weren't for change after all.

And that's another liberal conundrum.

Auto industry bailout

2008-11-11T09:26:00.001-05:00

Well here is the first battle of our next President's term. Yes, I know his term hasn't officially started yet...not sure if he knows that.

The US auto industry, which has been pillaged for decades by union slimeballs, is finally almost out of cash. They had a good run, in fact, during the 1990's era of cheap gas who didn't have an SUV? In fact, I still have a Suburban, one of the kings of the guzzlers. That's a long story in itself. Suffice it to say it was poor judgement along with poor timing. We drive about 50 miles a week in it. But let's separate the car business from the truck business.

The truck lines have kept Ford and GM afloat for years. It's the car lines that are the problem. They've been getting hammered by the foreign versions which boast more appealing design, more thorough engineering, more efficient performance, and frankly more solid build quality and reliability.

In most businesses you either improve your product, cut your costs, or go out of business. The threat of going out of business is what forces the first 2 options. Why should the auto companies be immune to that possibility?

I know the impact such companies have on affiliated businesses and jobs. But I believe those will not be greatly affected. Why? Because foreign companies are making their cars here now! I see this as an opportunity for the foreign manufacturers to have access to all of those side industries and labor.

Where will this have the most impact? In Michigan of course and upon the union members who are sucking at the teat of the auto companies. Who supports the unions? President-elect Obama.

I smell trouble brewing.

Let the car companies go bankrupt. Let the unions fizzle. Then let new companies rise from the ashes. Then a new crop of workers who appreciate their jobs and hopefully don't want to drive their companies into the ground will arise.

Don't reward poor performance and corruption at the taxpayers expense!

Things a liberal robot might think

2008-11-03T16:31:00.000-05:00

I am a loyal and devoted liberal Democrat.
I believe Republicans are bad and their policies are evil.
I believe Republicans are narrow-minded fascists.
I do not agree with their choices.
Colin Powell is a Republican.
And Colin Powell endorses Obama.
So Colin Powell’s choice must be bad.
But I think Obama is a good choice and I am a liberal Democrat.
Therefore do I agree with a conservative Republican?
Illogical, illogical, must compute!

Vote Your Conscience, but get all the facts first

2008-10-31T10:25:00.001-04:00

This column by Dr Krauthammer is a convincing argument for McCain. I noticed he didn't mention anything about Gov Palin though.

McCain for President, Part II

By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, October 31, 2008; A19

Last week I made the open-and-shut case for John McCain: In a dangerous world entering an era of uncontrolled nuclear proliferation, the choice between the most prepared foreign policy candidate in memory vs. a novice with zero experience and the wobbliest one-world instincts is not a close call.

But it's all about economics and kitchen-table issues, we are told. Okay. Start with economics.

Neither candidate has particularly deep economic knowledge or finely honed economic instincts. Neither has any clear idea exactly what to do in the current financial meltdown. Hell, neither does anyone else, including the best economic minds in the world, from Henry Paulson to the head of the European Central Bank. Yet they have muddled through with some success.

Both McCain and Barack Obama have assembled fine economic teams that may differ on the details of their plans but have reasonable approaches to managing the crisis. So forget the hype. Neither candidate has an advantage on this issue.

On other domestic issues, McCain is just the kind of moderate conservative that the Washington/media establishment once loved -- the champion of myriad conservative heresies that made him a burr in the side of congressional Republicans and George W. Bush. But now that he is standing in the way of an audacity-of-hope Democratic restoration, erstwhile friends recoil from McCain on the pretense that he has suddenly become right wing.

Self-serving rubbish. McCain is who he always was. Generally speaking, he sees government as a Rooseveltian counterweight (Teddy with a touch of Franklin) to the various malefactors of wealth and power. He wants government to tackle large looming liabilities such as Social Security and Medicare. He wants to free up health insurance by beginning to sever its debilitating connection to employment -- a ruinous accident of history (arising from World War II wage and price controls) that increases the terror of job loss, inhibits labor mobility and saddles American industry with costs that are driving it (see: Detroit) into insolvency. And he supports lower corporate and marginal tax rates to encourage entrepreneurship and job creation.

An eclectic, moderate, generally centrist agenda in a guy almost congenitally given to bipartisanship.

Obama, on the other hand, talks less and less about bipartisanship, his calling card during his earlier messianic stage. He does not need to. If he wins, he will have large Democratic majorities in both houses. And unlike Clinton in 1992, Obama is no centrist.

What will you get?

(1) Card check, meaning the abolition of the secret ballot in the certification of unions in the workplace. Large men will come to your house at night and ask you to sign a card supporting a union. You will sign.

(2) The so-called Fairness Doctrine -- a project of Nancy Pelosi and leading Democratic senators -- a Hugo Chávez-style travesty designed to abolish conservative talk radio.

(3) Judges who go beyond even the constitutional creativity we expect from Democratic appointees. Judges chosen according to Obama's publicly declared criterion: "empathy" for the "poor or African American or gay or disabled or old" -- in a legal system historically predicated on the idea of justice entirely blind to one's station in life.

(4) An unprecedented expansion of government power. Yes, I know. It has already happened. A conservative government has already partially nationalized the mortgage industry, the insurance industry and nine of the largest U.S. banks.

This is all generally swallowed because everyone understands that the current crisis demands extraordinary measures. The difference is that conservatives are instinctively inclined to make such measures temporary. Whereas an Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Barney Frank administration will find irresistible the temptation to use the tools inherited -- $700 billion of largely uncontrolled spending -- as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to radically remake the American economy and social compact.

This is not socialism. This is not the end of the world. It would, however, be a decidedly leftward move on the order of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society. The alternative is a McCain administration with a moderate conservative presiding over a divided government and generally inclined to resist a European social-democratic model of economic and social regulation featuring, for example, wealth-redistributing growth-killing marginal tax rates.

The national security choice in this election is no contest. The domestic policy choice is more equivocal because it is ideological. McCain is the quintessential center-right candidate. Yet the quintessential center-right country is poised to reject him. The hunger for anti-Republican catharsis and the blinding promise of Obamian hope are simply too strong. The reckoning comes in the morning.

letters@charleskrauthammer.com

How often did Obama vote with Bush?

2008-10-31T10:08:00.002-04:00

Obama's attack ads trumpet that McCain voted with Bush like 90% of the time (or more.)

Well Mr. High and Mighty voted with 41% of the time and with his party 96%. So much for being a force for change.

41% of the time Obama voted with Bush.

McCain bucked his party 19% of the time (nine senators bucked their party more) while Obama bucked his party only 4% of the time. That is, McCain was more than four times more likely to stand up to his party (and their political pressure) than Obama.

Also note that Obama didn't vote 228 of the 568 times (40.1%) he could have voted for during his total time in the senate.

http://www.cqpolitics.com/cq-assets/cqmu... (party/Bush unity)

http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category... (missed votes)

Warning from the Mecklenburg GOP

2008-10-31T09:51:00.001-04:00

Suggestion

ALERT

As Friday evening is Halloween, and there is usually much mischief, please take down your campaign signs (especially the McCain/Palin signs) for the evening and put them back up Saturday morning.

This may help save some of our signs and therefore some money.

Economy's Silent and Heavy Toll on Children

2008-10-29T10:12:00.001-04:00

Homeless Rates Among Children on the Rise
By JUSTIN ROOD
October 27, 2008—
In once-booming Northern Virginia suburbs, children who never had to worry about having a roof over their head don't know where they will sleep tonight.
In Cincinnati , newly-homeless families are splitting their children up among relatives because they can't find shelter together, much less feed everyone.
In Las Vegas , sons and daughters of the city's housekeepers and kitchen workers -- already living on the margin of the American economy increasingly rely on "weekend food bags" from their school in order to feed themselves from Friday afternoon to Monday morning, when they can eat a subsidized school breakfast.
Welcome to the economic crisis for thousands of Americans too young to have a mortgage, a retirement account, or the right to vote.
"Normally we would get a few calls now, our phones are ringing all day long," says Kathi Sheffel, coordinator for homeless services for Fairfax County Public Schools.
In Fairfax as in many other school areas, homelessness among students is up about 25 percent from last year and last year's figures were a sad increase from the year before, according to First Focus, a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan group which pushes to improve public policies that affect children. The group is conducting its second annual survey on homelessness among students.
"We now have families that are more middle-class, that have run into issues they didn't expect and have become homeless," explains Fairfax 's Sheffel. Some families lost their home after defaulting on a home loan or a parent lost a job, she says, but many became homeless because the home they rented was foreclosed upon when their landlord didn't pay the mortgage.
When children lose a home, their health and studies suffer. "Kids in greater number are coming to school who probably haven't eaten breakfast. Who don't have access to a washer and a dryer. Who live with fear," explains Karen Fessler, a school official in Cincinnati , Ohio . "How important is a long division problem when they don't know where they're going to sleep tonight?"
The New Homeless
In Cincinnati , homelessness among students is also up more than 25 percent from last year, according to Fessler, the homeless education liaison for the city's schools. Families are having to split up to survive, she explains.
"It reminds me of stories my mom told me about the Depression," says Fessler. "People with three, four, five children are having to farm their children out" because it is financially or logistically impossible to stay together, she says.
The new homeless in Cincinnati , says Fessler, aren't from the ranks of the chronically poor, but are families whose tenuous livelihoods are being crushed by the fallout of the economic crisis.
"We're seeing that more families who were living on the edge, paycheck to paycheck, who can't make it anymore," she says. "Families who were just barely hanging on, now. . . can't hold it together."
"It's alarming," says Phillip Lovell, a policy expert at First Focus, discussing how the economic meltdown is hitting kids. But just as alarming, he says, is that no one is talking about the plight of children when they talk about the troubled economy.
"You'll hear next to nothing from most politicians about how this is effecting kids and what they're going to do about it," says Lovell.
In Las Vegas , many of the 600 children who attend Whitney Elementary call home the "daily-weekly-monthly" hotels that ring its small campus -- including the massive Sportsman's Royal Manor, whose medieval-themed architecture led the schoolchildren to call it "The Castle."
Lunchtime at Whitney is where you can see the real effects of the economic crisis, says school counselor Vicki Bustos. At Whitney, 85 percent of her students now qualify for a free or reduced-price meal.
"It's tremendously worse we can see the hunger in the lunchroom," Bustos says. "There's less food for them at home now. For a lot of them, lunch is their only meal."
The foreclosure crisis has battered Las Vegas , and the economic meltdown it triggered has kept the Strip in the worst business slump it's seen in at least a quarter century. That means fewer jobs for the parents of Whitney's Elementary's students, says Bustos. Some leave town. Others double-up in other families' apartments. For most, resources to feed, clothe and care for their sons and daughters is stretched to breaking.
Weekend Food Bags
Three years ago, Whitney officials realized many students had no food to eat over the weekend -- in fact, were taking ketchup packets home from the school cafeteria to eat for dinner. Rounding up donations from local businesses, they started putting together "weekend food bags" of pop-top canned goods, Slim Jims, and other food that needs no preparation, since most of the families' short-term apartments have no kitchens.
Last year, says Bustos, they handed out 120 or so bags each week. This year, they're up to 161 a week, and expect to be giving out 250 per week by Christmas.
Of course, the economic downturn also hits those trying to stave off its impact. While many of Whitney Elementary's programs rely on private donations, the Clark County, Nev. school district is worried its tax-funded homeless aid programs will face cuts soon.
In Cincinnati , the nonprofit which supports the school system's homeless services has struggled to raise money to meet the students' needs.
That frustrates youth advocates, who see hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars going to bail out financial giants, while children are suffering.
"The bailout and everything how is it really going to cycle back down to the individual person?" asks Fessler in Cincinnati . "When are we going to see the impact of that on an individual, human being level?"
Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

MS Outlook / Internet Explorer script error when printing

2008-10-28T18:21:00.007-04:00

I repaired my MS Outlook and MS Office a couple of times today and yesterday. (Don't ask.)

When trying to print a receipt email in html format that contained animated graphics (java I believe) I got the following error popup window:

It says the following:
! An error has occurred in a script on this page

Line: 2233
Char: 1
Error: Unspecified error
Code: 0
URL: res://ieframe.dll/preview.js (I think it could also refer to preview.dlg)

I searched on the internet for the solution and most of them involved some sophisticated editing of the registry, adding/deleting printers, adding/deleing add-ons and on and on.

I went so far as to reinstall my outlook which wiped out my email account settings. I even reinstalled IE8 (b2.) Nothing worked.

Then I found a post with this simple command line:

Go to Start/Run and enter the command:
regsvr32 ole32.dll

I did it and guess what....IT WORKED!

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the ones that work after all. Thanks to whoever found this!

My attempt at a Late Night Comedy Joke

2008-10-23T18:16:00.001-04:00

I don’t know about you but my mailbox is getting bombarded with fundraising requests from all sorts of charities that are struggling and desperate. Why just today I got an urgent letter from Sarah Palin!

Evolutionary History of Liberals and Conservatives

2008-10-23T12:11:00.002-04:00

Humans existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters and gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in winter.

The 2 most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundations of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into 2 distinct subgroups: Liberals and Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early human ancestors were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as "the Conservative movement."

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing! This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as 'girlie-men.'

Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy and group hugs and the concept of democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare.

Another interesting revolutionary side note about liberals: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't "fair" to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, Marines, athletes and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to "govern" the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after the Wild West was tame and created a business of trying to get MORE for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history:

It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to respond to the above and a guilt feeling before simply laughing, denying and forwarding it. A Conservative will be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately

Where's the outrage???

2008-10-21T23:17:00.002-04:00

Gas prices have finally fallen below $3 a gallon in response to the worldwide demand reduction. Now OPEC ministers want to have an emergency meeting to cut production by 2 million barrels a day. They want the price per barrel to be up around $100. This will allow them to continue building their monuments and edifices to excess.

What have we heard from our politicians? Nothing.

Deja-News

2008-10-15T09:25:00.002-04:00

And now from the "Haven't we heard this before files" comes one of today's top stories: "US troops kill No. 2 leader of al-Qaida in Iraq"

How many times have we killed the number two guy in either Iraq or Afghanistan? I guess they reshuffle the deck every time so I'm sure #2 will be killed again in a few months.

I really just have 1 burning question....Why can't we kill #1?

In news from the "It's about time" files, Casey Anthony was finally formally charged with her daughter's murder. What a tragedy all around. First, for little Caylee, who never had a chance. Second, for Casey's parents. I can only imagine the heartbreak at losing first their granddaughter and now their daughter. It's maddening to hear Casey's attorney predict vindication and all that but I guess that's his job. If only he could persuade Casey to finally tell the truth.

Her is his exact prediction for the trial's outcome. Let's see in about a year how prescient he was. By that time the publicity from this trial will have catapaulted him to celebrity status.

"I sincerely believe that when we have finally spoken, everyone, and I mean everyone, will sit back and say, 'Now, I understand. That explains it,'" Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, said Tuesday as he stood next to his client before the indictment was issued.

Now if only they could get that other smug, cold-hearted son of a B, Drew Peterson.

Constructive Activism vs Shouting out the window

2008-10-06T10:27:00.004-04:00

Yesterday someone proudly told me how they yelled out the car window at some Pro-Life activists who were marching outside the local Catholic Church. They were proud to shout out their view that "It's a choice!" and told me how stupid the Pro-Lifers are.

First of all, this post is not about my feelings on that particular issue one way or the other. What bothers me is the attitude of the yellers. On the one hand, there were people who had a belief, who chose to hold up signs and try to bring awareness of those beliefs. On the other hand, there are dissenters who spotted them and choose to roll-down their window and hurl insults.

Now the ironic thing is, the person who yelled out the car window is a gay activist. I know that he attends rallys and events where they hold up signs and are jeered by protesters. I guess that's part of the reason he feels duty-bound or obligated to insult pro-lifers or anyone else who doesn't support his agenda.

I am not saying I agree with the pro-lifers completely. But I empathize with their passion. To them, life begins at conception and they are opposed to abortion because they, in their hearts, believe that someone has to fight for the rights of that (potential) baby. We can argue about blastocysts, embryos, viability, etc. but that is an enormous issue and not the point of this post. How can you fault them for having a belief and having the guts to stand on a street corner and support that belief? They have just as much right as you do to stand with a sign that reads "legalize gay marriage" or something to that effect.

Anyway, the whole subject bothered me for the rest of the day. It seems to me that if you are truly passionate about a subject, you should learn the other side's argument and beliefs as much as you know your own. You should address the root of the problem by writing letters to the editor or going to meet with the people who you disagree with. My point is there are much more constructive ways of being an activist than yelling insults out of a car window.

IRON MAN DVD

2008-09-30T19:09:00.001-04:00

Link to the Candidates!

2008-09-30T09:39:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I got LinkedIn to John McCain. Yesterday Sarah Palin accepted my request to link. This just seems so funny. The whole point of LinkedIn is to expand your network for mostly business reasons. By linking to people you know, you can find out who they also know and therefore share opportunities and other stuff.

Now all of the candidates are using it as another place to post their platforms. I guess it was inevitable, what with the advent of the Web 2.0. and social networking. It still seems kind of weird though.

Interestingly, I can't link to Barack Obama, Hillary/Billary, and Biden. Apparently I need to know their email addresses...which I don't. Is this some kind of commentary on their willingness to connect with me, the "common man?" Do I need to be an elite who knows their email address?

Ah, who cares! I can't wait until all this political theater is over! My portfolio is dropping every day!

Letter to my Senators (Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole)

2008-09-25T10:49:00.001-04:00

Message sent to the following recipients:

Eric Banks
Charlotte, NC 28211-2905

September 25, 2008

Dear Senator Burr and Senator Dole,

Senators,

Our country is at a crossroads. We are at the mercy of OPEC member nations at a time when our very economy needs a shot-in-the-arm. I urge you to do everything in your power to stabilize the world oil market in the short-term while, in parallel, supporting the long-term solution, energy independence.

America has always been the beacon of hope for the world. Our world not only needs new energy alternatives to keep the engine of industry going in the short-term, but to power the world economy for the next two hundred years.

American innovation can lead the world down this path.

First, I would like to see short-term solutions such as offshore drilling and greater use of clean-coal, put into place immediately. We are the Saudi Arabia of coal!

Second, I would like to see more tax revenue diverted towards education, specifically towards alternative energy research and development. Make this a strategic goal for America for this generation! This should be an effort akin to the Industrial Revolution, which shot America to prominence in the world economy.

Third, more needs to be done to commercialize alternative technologies.
Duke Power is leading efforts to commercialize solar farms in NC but that is just the beginning. Tax breaks for commercial alternative energy companies are one idea. Subsidizing homeowners to help them get off the grid is another.

I am no expert, but believe we can do more right now to move us away from being at the mercy of OPEC member nations.

Please help to make this a strategic goal to keep our country first in the world for the next several generations.

Sincerely,

Nicole Kidman credits fertile water with pregnancy - Yahoo! News

2008-09-24T11:03:00.000-04:00

Nicole Kidman credits fertile water with pregnancy - Yahoo! News

These are the people (Hollywood types) who are recommending, nay, demanding, that we vote for Obama as the next President?

Scary

Ba-Rockin' the Queen City

2008-09-22T10:00:00.002-04:00

Barack (The One) Obama spoke in Charlotte yesterday. Apparently he and Michele just realized they'd better get down here. Of course 20,000 of their adoring flock showed up to say "Hello." My stepson went to try and see him at the last minute then found out those who got to see him went at 7:30 in the morning.

As he was on the way out I kidded him about going to see the "Rock Star." I think he thought I was joking. When he got back he was wearing an Obama T-Shirt! I chuckled to myself.

Gas shortage

2008-09-18T09:31:00.002-04:00

There are 3 gas stations at the intersection of 2 major roads about 1/2 a mile from my house. All 3 ran out of gas last Friday when threats of widespread destruction by Hurrican Ike caused a gas-panic in Charlotte. Not only that, but the few stations that had gas jacked up their prices to $4.29 or higher. One station has gotten a shipment or two but for as of last night all 3 were dry again. However, on the plus side, the price on the signs is marked down to $3.99 so at least we've got that going for us.

I keep thinking about the best chapter in Glenn Beck's book (An Inconvenient Book) about the coming energy crisis. Basically it will be an economic disaster unprecedented in history. The best solution is to develop alternative energy sources now and use "clean coal" technology to get us through the short term. Why don't we hear more about this from the presidential contenders?

Repair a Lawnmower - wikiHow

2008-09-13T17:39:00.000-04:00

Repair a Lawnmower - wikiHow

Sarah and the Bridge

2008-09-11T16:21:00.002-04:00

I don't understand the furor over Sarah Palin and the bridge to nowhere. I guess its actually only a furor to the left as they try and dig up dirt on her. Today some judge from her past has been "discovered" who allegedly warned her not to seek the firing of her brother-in-law. Mind you she was a private citizen at the time.

So here's what Obama's commercial says. Governor Palin supported the bridge to nowhere as a candidate, then was against it.

So where is the problem here? She was running for Governor and supported federal money for projects in her state. Then, after she was elected and did more research, she opposed the bridge but kept the money. It seems like she was looking after her state's best interests.

I think the left may be trying to insinuate a double standard here.

They're probably still upset that Kerry was caught flopping on the war issue. He admitted he VOTED for the war, then voted against it.

There is a big (HUGE) difference between a candidate supporting a project then changing her mind and an EXPERIENCED US Senator voting to declare war!

My Garmin 305 won't turn on or power up

2008-07-28T17:27:00.002-04:00

My heart just about stopped today when I went to use my Garmin 305 and it was completely dead. I tried a couple of different chargers and it wouldn't come to life. I went on a bike ride without it hoping it just needed to charge for awhile.

It still wasn't working an hour later. Luckily I found this tip on the gamin website:
http://www8.garmin.com/products/faq.jsp?product=010-00467-00

You have to hold down the "reset" and "mode" buttons simultaneously then push the on/off button while holding them. It powered right up and all is right in the world again!

First Compressor and Nail Gun

2008-06-26T10:49:00.003-04:00

I finally decided to join the millenials and upgrade for a hammer to a nail gun. This was after years of being in denial, thinking it was a luxury I didn't need, and generally believing most people were still getting by with hammers.

Some recent projects I've done just would have been so much easier with these modern wonders. I recently framed a music band practice room and updated all the mouldings in a bedroom. At least for the bedroom I borrowed a friend's Paslode gas powered finish nailer.

I bought this combination kit after walking by it many times in my local Home Depot:

It was tucked away on an end-cap display with a price reduced sticker. I got it for $99! I checked online and it originally was listed for $249, but I think sold for $199. Anyway, I figured even if the guns are junk at least the compressor looks pretty good and I didn't own one.

Impatient, I used it last night to secure some baseboards in the music room and put up two pieces of exterior siding. I managed to do both without shooting myself. So far so good.

Next I'm going to whip together a dog-house. Should be fun!

What's going on

2008-05-29T22:32:00.002-04:00

Gas just crossed (north) of $4 / gallon here in Charlotte. My lifelong talent for good timing continues to amaze me. We bought a Chevy Suburban, the largest land yacht on the market, last summer when gas was a paltry $3/gallon. What great timing.

Well, we all make mistakes, eh?

2008-05-08T10:22:00.002-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNgaVtVaiJE

scary

2008-05-08T10:10:00.000-04:00

iPOD Repair: Changing the hard drive and battery

2008-04-10T09:56:00.002-04:00

My stepson's 30GB iPOD video bit the dust a couple of weeks ago. First the hard drive started making a clicking noise and then it failed to synch up with iTunes. I knew right away the hard drive was dying and none of the "reset" or "software reload" solutions had any effect on it.

So I decided to see if it was possible to fix it instead of trashing it. It initially seemed an intimidating prospect. After all their cases are smooth and sealed without a screw or hatch anywhere.

I'd read about the website rapidrepair.com so decided to check there first. They sell replacement parts as well as do the services themselves. They're probably the best recourse for someone a little to cautious to attempt it themselves. I've never been that sensible however.

After finding out the hard drive details (it's actually a Toshiba Model MK3008GAL) I searched the web for sources. Most of the places I found sell them for over $100. I bid on a few on ebay but kept losing out. Eventually I decided to buy one direct from an ebay retailer who specialized in new replacement parts. I got a battery and a set of case-cracking tools from another ebayer at the same time.

The parts arrived and last Saturday morning my stepson and I sat down to change them out.

The case opening tools are basically two plastic levers with sharp, flat, ends. You work them into the sides of the case and pry gently, them work them around the perimeter until the aluminum back separates from the plastic front. The iPOD then opens like a clamshell. You have to be very carefuly and go slowly because the hard drive will fall out and the ribbon cable connecting it to the motherboard is very delicate. There are two other cables connecting the slider switch and battery from the back to the motherboard.

I opened up the connector on the motherboard that holds the ribbon cable to the hard drive. Then the whole drive came free. We transferred the cable and blue styrofoam and plastic edge covers from the old to new drive. Next we inserted the cable back into the board connector and clicked the connector closed.

The battery replacement was a little easier since the new battery came with a connector cable. Basically we just unplugged the old, plugged in the new, and glued the new one to the case where the old one was.

Working gently, we made sure everything was in place and put the case back together. It snapped together securely and we were off to see if it worked.

We hooked it up to iTunes which prompted us to do a restore and software update. Both worked with no problems and my stepson was able to reload his library. After letting it charge for 4 hours or so he took it on an overnight trip. The next day he reported that it worked perfectly and the battery life was like a new one! Mission accomplished.

Next I'll try and buff out the scratches from his display. Apparently there is a product called "Applesauce" available for $20 from rapidrepair. However, those who know me know that I'll look for a cheaper solution!

Charlotte, NC: Criminals Welcome!

2008-04-10T09:32:00.002-04:00

The owner of a billiards hall in an upscale Charlotte neighborhood was recently nearly murdered by a 20 year old career criminal. This scumbag has been charged with 50 crimes so far yet was still out on parole due to soft judges in a softer state criminal justice system. This is the same state that allowed criminals who were on probation to end two extremely promising lives in Durham recently (Eve Carson and Abdijit Mahato.)

Thankfully this pathetic governor is on his way out. Unfortunately his slew of crime coddling judges are still in office.

This state needs a governor with the guts to stand up for the law abiding citizens. Keeping career criminals on the streets is ridiculous! Criminals in this state obviously don't fear the punishments, and with good reason.

Let's make the punishments more severe and bring fear back to the criminals!

Write to your elected officials and let them know you are sick of such leniency!

"Can only access google sites"

2008-04-04T15:54:00.002-04:00

Yesterday (or last night really) I was in the Las Vegas airport waiting for the redeye to leave and wanted to use my aircard to catch up on web-related stuff. However, after connecting with VZ Acess Manager, I could only load my google pages (either google main or news.) The news links were up-to-date but I could only see the google results. Trying to goto the source article didn't work; my browser timed out after several seconds of waiting (I have no patience for slow page loads.)

I was monitoring the throughput rate and it was zero for every page I tried except google. I thought it was a problem with Verizon's EVDO system and didn't have time to mess with it fully.

Actually a few hours earlier at CTIA some colleagues were using my computer to access webmail. IE seemed to work fine then. The terminal was too crowded to mess around with it then.

When I got to Atlanta (at 5:30 am) I tried it again and still no luck. So I ruled out the Verizon network. Just in case it was spyware/malware I did a restore to the prior day. I had time to determine that it still wasn't working. I tried running my registry cleaners (ccleaner and tune-up utilities) without any luck.

Finally I got home and after a short nap did some research on another internet pc. I searched for the phrase "can only access google" and found a lot of hits. However, there wasn't just one solution. Most of the solutions involved highly detailed malware troubleshooting which I just am not into.

I did a restore to an earlier date, about 3 days ago, and the problem was resolved. I'm not sure what caused it but it must be related to a webmail site or something.

Don't Phase Me, Bro!

2008-01-09T12:14:00.001-05:00

I thought I was being original by coming up with my variant of the "Don't Tase Me, Bro" slogan. Turns out several people beat me to the punch.

However, I wanted to make my version of the tshirt so here it is:

www.cafepress.com/banksland

Almost 11 weeks

2007-11-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

I've been walking without help for two weeks or so now. It's going pretty well actually.

Yesterday I walked .5 miles to the new Starbucks and back. I my hip felt pretty good although later in the day it felt like I had been pounding on it a little. I guess I'm still re-building strength in the surrounding muscles and the breaks themselves. I tried to speed up once or two into a slow jog but that seemed to hurt a little. I can't help feeling that I might crack something if I put too much pounding on it. Guess I'll give it some more time.

Recovery update

2007-11-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

For the last few days I've been walking (waddling) around with a cane. I've generally been pain free, except when I stumble or trip, as in over the dog, and come down hard on my left leg. Then it hurts a little.

Yesterday morning I walked to the Starbucks up the road from our house. It is a little more than 1/2 a mile. I pushed the baby in the jog stroller (I walk straighter/better when pushing a stroller or cart.) I felt good for the most part. I tried to jog across the main road but that hurt some. Overall it was a good first outing since the crash. I got pretty tired and hot even though the temp was in the 50's. I would say walking with this injury takes more energy and effort than healthy walking. I also think my aerobic system has been reset to zero/square one.

I should probaby try and ride the stationary bike soon.

Condition Update

2007-10-22T21:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend wasn't too bad. I used the cane all weekend and walked/stumbled around quite a bit without it. I worked on the fence on Saturday.

There is still some residual pain and it gets sore after awhile.

I can't walk without a noticeable limp without the cane.

Today (Monday) I went to the gym in the morning for the first time since the crash. I did a few weight stations (bench press, pulldowns, curls, abs, etc.) They didn't have any stationary bikes though (only in the spinning room.)

It still hurts after sitting down for hours. It feels sore right in the femur. Not sure why.

Bye Bye Crutch?

2007-10-19T13:12:00.000-04:00

I bought a cane yesterday because I'm getting sick of the cumbersome crutch. It seems to be working OK.

My condition continues to improve day-by-day. It doesn't even hurt that bad to sneeze anymore. It will be 5 weeks since the crash today. I'm definitely coming out of the bad times. Even the memories of the excruciating first few days are starting to fade.

Now I can get in and out of cars with only minimal discomfort. I wouldn't even really call it pain. It feels more like soreness or tightness in the upper thigh area. Same for the bed, I can get in and out more normally now although it doesn't feel good to lie on my left side at all. There still seems to be some pelvic pain when I put pressure on the outside of the femur.

I can also still feel things moving around a little throughout the day. But it doesn't really hurt. I would say the most discomfort occurs after a lot of walking around. Then I feel like sitting down and taking a load off.

I've even tried walking without any support piece but that seems to twist my lower back a lot. I don't like the idea of putting weight on my lower back at a funny angle. It just seems like that would lead to future disk issues.

4 weeks today

2007-10-12T20:23:00.000-04:00

I had a couple of milestones last night. I made it to the bathroom without crutches and only had to go once.

Yesterday I went to the doctor for follow up xrays. He said everything appears to be healing properly (in alignment.) He said my progress looked good but that it would be 12 weeks for complete healing. I made a 2 month appointment just in case. He also cleared me for travel since I'm flying to NJ this upcoming week.

So I can walk short distances...like down the hall without crutches, however, I'm heavily favoring one leg and look pretty awkward.

I think driving is not a problem anymore either.

Still limping

2007-10-09T09:48:00.000-04:00

Able to get in/out of bed pretty quickly. I guess I've gotten used to the routine. Still have to support the bad leg with the good. I'm ready to be over this!

Certain leg positions are more painful than others. For example, I can get on my knees on the floor to play with the baby but can't get up on one leg at a time. I have to keep both legs together and stand up on both. It also hurts to get on my hands and knees and even more to crawl. I think it is due to the position of my left leg relative to the right and also to the direction of pressure on the pelvis.

The sharpest pains these days come from sneezing and coughing. A strong one of either feels like a knife in the groin. Luckily it only happens once or twice a day. Otherwise it's more about endurance. I'll feel great and hardly have to use the crutches, then after an hour or two I'll be leaning on them heavily.

I did manage to do about 10 situps and a few counter-top pushups last night.

Status Update

2007-10-08T09:01:00.000-04:00

Last night and Yesterday. No painkillers. Able to walk with crutches and minimal pain in the morning and early afternoon. Towards about 4 pm fatigue/pain started increasing. Volunteered preparing dinner for church youth group until about 7:30 pm. Upper left thigh was pretty sore by then. Felt good to lie down at 8 pm. Got into bed pretty easily but uncomfortable to lie on side. Fell asleep on back.

Still hurts pretty bad to sneeze or cough. Sharp pain in upper thigh/groin.

Seems also to be a question of endurance. I can go for a few hours in the morning/early afternoon but the pain seems to increase during the day. By late afternoon/evening I am pretty sore and leaning on the crutches a lot.

Still can't carry anything or walk normally without crutches. I still look like a "special" person.

This year is the 50th anniversary of both "Leave it to Beaver" and Sputnik. Coincidence? You decide.

This morning I am still pretty sore and contemplated taking some pain-killers. Not much appetite either.

Yesterday the Carolina Panthers won against the N.O.Saints in a last-second field goal after a miserable game. The headline in local paper today states something to the effect that "things are looking up." That's making lemonade out of lemons I'd say.

3 week update

2007-10-05T17:01:00.000-04:00

Today is the 3 week anniversary of the crash. I think my recovery is going pretty well. I still need crutches to walk around, although I'm putting less weight on them. It's more just to keep too much weight off of my left leg.

For the past couple of nights, I've been able to roll onto my right side in bed. It takes a while, maybe a minute or so because of pain in my upper thigh. I also don't want to put too much stress on the joint all at once. However, once I'm on my side, it's not too bad. Just a dull ache inside the thigh. However, It's too painful to lay on my left side yet.

Also, I haven't taken any Vicodin since Wednesday. Again, the pain hasn't been too bad except when my left leg moves suddenly. For example, when it falls off the table or out of bed too quickly. The key to minimizing most of the pain is to keep my legs close together.

I drove for a long distance (10 miles) for the first time today. The last time I tried to drive, about 10 days ago, my pelvis felt like it was coming apart. Today I had no sense of bones moving around in there. I just had to lean on the car while getting the crutches out.

The thing that seems to be lingering is a dull ache that feels like it is running down inside my left femur.

Feeling Better

2007-10-01T16:57:00.001-04:00

Today I woke up after a pretty good night's sleep and got out of bed in a few seconds without much pain. I still hooked my good leg under the bad and lowered both to the floor.

I had to sleep flat on my back again, though, and couldn't lie on my side. It's still too painful.

I made it to the bathroom OK and was able to get in/out of the tub without too much struggle. I still can't lift my leg more than a few inches in front of me. Rather I pull it up behind me and go over the tub side backwards.

Van Halen Concert 9/27

2007-09-28T11:18:00.000-04:00

I purchased tickets to the Van Halen reunion kickoff concert in Charlotte about two months ago, long before my bike crash accident. I'll be damned if I was going to let a little broken pelvis keep me away from it. Little did I realize how painful going through with it was going to be.

My wife didn't want me to go, especially seeing my condition at the Wal-Mart on the previous evening. Honestly I was having second thoughts that night as well. I napped on Thursday until 11 in the morning (after getting up between 5 am and 8 am initially) and felt much better all day Thursday. I purposely limited my movement even further and sat on pillows much of the day.

That afternoon we did a recon drive to the arena to check out the handicapped drop-off and parking. I was shocked to discover no handicapped parking spaces on any of the surface lots. I didn't check any of the nearby garages however. When we got home I checked online and the arena's website did not show any handicapped parking lots either. Strange omission I thought.

Our plans were in limbo due to the parking situation all that afternoon. We finally decided to have Elizabeth's mom chauffer us to the arena and drop us off at the handicapped entrance. That turned out to work really well and minimized the distance I had to walk. We made it inside and up the escalator then discovered our section was diametrically across from where we were. Oh well, I knew I'd have to do some walking!

We made it to our section and were amazed at our fortune in that our seats were right below the entrance level. Thus we only had to step down a couple of steps to the seats. And we had the end of the row as well. It seemed like pre-destination if you ask me.

The show was awesome. Here is the set-list for those keeping score:

01. You Really Got Me
02. I'm the One
03. Runnin' With the Devil
04. Romeo Delight
05. Somebody Get Me a Doctor
06. Beautiful Girls
07. Dance the Night Away
08. Atomic Punk
09. Everybody Wants Some
10. So This Is Love?
11. Mean Street
12. Pretty Woman
13. Drum Solo
14. Unchained
15. I'll Wait
16. And the Cradle Will Rock
17. Hot for Teacher
18. Little Dreamer
19. Little Guitars
20. Jamie's Cryin'
21. Ice Cream Man
22. Panama
23. Guitar Solo (incl. "Women in Love" intro, "Cathedral", "Eruption")
24. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
------------------------
25. 1984
26. Jump

Wednesday 9/27 Report

2007-09-28T10:59:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night I accompanied my wife on a re-supply mission to Wal-Mart. I intended to push the cart and use it for support while she loaded it. I tried that out in the parking lot but was only able to go about 20 steps before I acknowledged that wasn't going to work. It was too painful.

I switched to crutches while she pushed the cart. By the time I made it from the parking lot to inside the store I was in pain again. Most of the pain coming from the back side of my pelvis on the left.

Realizing that I was going to be more burden than help, I told her I would wait at the front of the store while she completed the mission.

I was in pretty bad pain the rest of the night, emanating from the back of my pelvis. That night I only got out of bed once to pee and went in the bottle once also.

Tuesday 9/25

2007-09-25T17:24:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to sleep around 10:30 or so then woke up around 1 having to go to the bathroom. My lower back was so sore I couldn't get out of bed and had to use the urinal jug the hospital gave me.

That's been happening a lot lately. I'm having to go 3-4 times per night. Usually twice in the bottle and finally I get up around 5 and go, not returning to bed.

My back definitely feels more "delicate" today and yesterday. Not sure if something has broken loose. I'm being even more careful and slow than usual. Yesterday and today for the first time since the accident I can feel the bones shifting/popping inside my pelvis. It's a strange sensation, sort of like when you pop or crack your knuckles.

I also contemplated how much trouble this would be if I had a different job. I'm very fortunate to be able to work from home. In this condition, I doubt I could go to a conventional office job for various reasons:

Can't drive a car while under the influence of the medication
Can't really drive anyway...reaction times are off and it hurts to brace my left leg
Can't carry anything since I need two crutches to walk.

Monday 9/24 Progress

2007-09-24T09:12:00.001-04:00

Very difficult getting out of bed this morning. Pain flared up in my lower back and front overnight. It took several minutes to turn perpendicular and get my legs down. Getting in/out of the shower was also painful and so I went very slowly.

Took 2 LORTABS at around 6 am.

I'm trying to work in my office today and my left leg is very uncomfortable. It seems like numbness due to pressure. I got a soft bed pillow out of the house to sit on but it still feels sore inside. Other than that I feel pretty good.

Did not have a sinus headache this morning.

Progress Report

2007-09-24T08:50:00.000-04:00

I've been walking with crutches for a few days now and am still getting the hang of them. They're more manuverable than the walker but I think more tiring.

Yesterday, Sunday, was a very active day, relatively speaking. I read the paper and sat on the couch until 11 am or so. Then we went to the new Chipotle right around the corner. A FEDEX Kinko's just opened up in that same development.

If I wasn't hurt, I would finish the small section of fence/gate that I started the week before last. I didn't get a chance to finish it due to some thunderstorms and the early onset of darkness. Instead, I, with Elizabeth's help, went through my closet culling out old or worn shirts for charity. We filled a donation bag with 2 sport coats, 1 pr of shoes, 2-3 slacks, and 4-5 shirts.

Although I can get out of bed by myself, I still need help dressing/undressing. Getting out of bed requires hooking my good leg under the bad, squirming around until I'm perpendicular to the edge of the mattress, then lowering my legs to the floor. A short stool by the bedside helps to shorten the distance. Then I can stand up on my own and use crutches or walker to get to the bathroom.

I'm able to drop my pants, etc. and get in the shower. Getting in the tub requires bracing myself on something stable (walker, wall, etc.) then lifting my bad leg behind me and stepping over the tubside backwards. Once in the tub I can pretty much stand in the same place, occassionally bracing against the enclosure walls.

Getting out of the tub is kind of the same. I go very slow and brace myself, then out with the good leg, then the bad. I cannot bring my bad leg forward yet. It is too painful in the front of my thigh and pelvis. Since I can't reach down that far, Elizabeth has to dry off my legs.

Getting dressed still requires a lot of assistance. I can't bend down far enough to reach the ground so Elizabeth has to help me put on underwear, pants, socks and shoes.

Thursday Progress 9/21

2007-09-20T22:29:00.000-04:00

Last night I slept from about 9:30 until about 3. I laid flat on my back and could not turn onto either side. I got very uncomfortable being in that same position and so was awake from 3 am onward. Finally I got out of bed at 5 am and into the shower.

I was able to get out of bed on my own and made it to the shower with the walker. It took several minutes for the journey.

I also awoke with a sinus headache around my left eye orbit. With breakfast, which consisted of grape nuts trail mix and cheerios, I took a sudafed cold and sinus. All in all I felt achy and stuffy headed. I was also very fatigued. Around 8 am I decided to call in sick to work and notified them.

I laid on the couch and watched a DVD TV show and napped for a few minutes. Then we had lunch with Caroline.

At 12:45 pm I had an appointment with Dr Mahdav Karunakar, an orthopedist at CMC orthopedics. Due to an incompetent nurse, we sat in the lobby for 45 minutes while she searched for my chart. Once we informed her that I was a new patient, as I had already done on the phone, we got in shortly.

The main order of business was updating my xrays. They shot three angles from above, head on, and below. Each one showed the same things; three clear breaks of the pubis, ilia, and ischial bones. The doctor explained each xray and clarified the locations of each break. He indicated the breaks were complete lateral fractures and not merely longitudinal cracks or fissures.

The xray nurse told me they get about 3 of those types of fractures per month and that she can tell from the patient's faces that they are very painful.

Lastly, they set me up with a pair of crutches which I can use depending on how things feel. The crutches allow more manueverability around tight places in the house. They are more painful to use on long walks. I don't think I'm any faster on them compared to the walker.

All of the walking within CMC made my fatigued. As I get tired, the area under the pelvis gets very tight. I think it is due to the ligaments, etc. being stressed from doing the job normally done by the bones.

In summary, I did not aggravate the injuries the other day by walking. The doctor encouraged as much movement as possible. He did confirm the 3 breaks are still visible and that it would be several weeks before the healing is complete.

I got extremely tired from all of the activity and went to bed by around 10.

Wednesday 9/19, Morning report

2007-09-19T09:11:00.001-04:00

Could not get out of bed this morning. It feels like something has changed in my back. Sort of near where the pelvis meets the sacrum. It also hurt on the outside of my left thigh. I was unable to hook my legs together, swing them off the bed and stand up. After taking 2 Lortabs, stretching and warming up for about an hour, I was finally able to get my legs off and stand up.

Walking with the walker was more painful than yesterday. Perhaps I walked too much yesterday.

The orthopedist at the hospital told me to make an appointment for a 1 week checkup. I will call them today to see if I can come in early.

The leg is still kind of numb/sore deep inside when sitting at my desk.

Tuesday 9/18

2007-09-18T19:20:00.000-04:00

Today I think I took a step back. My lower back on the left side is starting to hurt. It feels as if something has shifted where my pelvis connects to my sacrum.

Walking seems a little more difficult today. I was having stomach problems which I suspect were caused by . Instead of taking 2 per dose I went down to one per dose. Consequently, I felt more pain. It was interesting to get a sense of how much pain there is in the absence of any painkillers. The answer is quite a bit.

I woke up around 3 am and could not get back to sleep. I ended up going to watch TV around 5 until 7 ish. Getting out of bed required laying back, supporting my bad leg with the good, and swinging both over the side of the bed simultaneously. Then I stand upright using the walker.

I took a shower today. The first one since Thursday. Elizabeth had to help me get over the tub side. I used the walker to get alongside the tub then braced myself against the walls for stability. Getting out of the tub was the same in reverse. I was only able to dry off my top half. Elizabeth had to dry my legs.

She also had to assist me with putting on my underwear, shorts, socks and shoes.

Monday 9/17

2007-09-17T14:23:00.000-04:00

I woke up around 5-ish out of habit. Didn't get up until 6-ish. Getting up was still painful but I managed to do it on my own in a few minutes. I used the walker for support as I stood up and walked down the hall.

I sat on the padded stool in the kitchen which was a little painful. My left leg is still sore inside and on the back.

Elizabeth noticed that the veins on the back side of my knee seem to be more pronounced. She made an appointment with my family physician, Dr. Hoben, so that he could examine them.

I took at around 11 am then took another "sink shower" and washed my hair and shaved. I'm starting to feel human again.

I was able to walk with almost a normal type stride with the walker today. I still have a lot of pain getting up and sitting down though.

I missed work today and am juggling my upcoming appointments. I cancelled my flight to St Louis and Kansas City that were scheduled for this week.

I saw Dr hoben around 5 pm. He was concerned about the appearance of swelling and recommended an ultrasound immediately. We were able to be worked in to the radiology dept at Presbyterian Main.

The ultrasound came back negative for any blockages and we were sent home. He prescribed as an alternative to . was causing stomach distress.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. I was very tired by 9 pm and went to bed around 9:30.

Today's Progress

2007-09-17T14:14:00.000-04:00

Let's see, what have I done so far today. Well, last night was OK actually. My first night at home in my own bed. I was able to sponge down and change clothes before bed. Elizabeth had to help me undress. I stood at the bathroom sink and used a washcloth.

I was able to wrap myself with a towel and get to the bed. Elizabeth had to help me put on my underwear and get into bed. The method that works best seems to be:

a.) use the walker to get perpendicular to the bed.
b.) sit down on the edge of the bed.
c.) lay back straight out
d.) hook my good leg under my bad left leg and lift up.
e.) swing both legs up onto the bed.
f.) inch my way into a comfortable position.

It is still very painful getting into bed. The most pain happens when my legs spread apart at all.

Walking around the house last night wasn't too bad. I still had to walk one step at a time; advancing the walker then stepping forward with the bad leg, then good leg. It is very slow also.

I slept from 10-ish until about 1-ish when I woke up and had to urinate. Rather than a slow painful trip to the bathroom I used the bottle from the hospital. I was able to fall back asleep until about 3 am when Mary Elizabeth came in feeling sick. After that I was unable to relax and resume sleeping.

Ironically, the baby slept all night without interruption.

2nd night, 3rd day in hospital

2007-09-16T12:08:00.000-04:00

Last night I slept much better than the first night. I still have a lot of trouble getting in and out of bed. My left leg and hip are very painful when pressed on the edge of the bed. Once I am able to stand with my walker and can fully extend my leg, it feels a little better.

The pain feels like it is coming from my inner thigh towards the rear. It feels like soft tissue soreness lying down. When I move it hurts at certain points during the movement.

I was able to have a BM around 11 am for the first time since Thursday. One of the side effects of LORTAB is apparently constipation. I should be good for the rest of the day though.

I'm starting to wonder about being compensated for my pain and suffering, as well as the inconvenience to my family. Not to mention the impact on my job. I think I'll be unable to travel on planes for at least a few weeks. I don't want to take unfair advantage of the driver's insurance but on the other hand she was legitimately wrong for passing me and then turning across my path. If I was a car she would not have done that. I am so tired of drivers treating cyclists like inconveniences.

2nd day in hospital

2007-09-15T23:01:00.000-04:00

This morning was very busy with nurses running in and out of my room seemingly every 15 minutes. They're been checking my vital signs every few hours.

At 4 am a nurse came in to draw blood for a CBC

I was told I don't appear to have any symptoms of internal bleeding.

A PT, Jim, came in around 8 am. He showed me how to get out of bed and stand up with the aid of crutches. He ended up setting me up with a walker instead of crutches.