Letter to my Senators (Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole)

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

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

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

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

Repair a Lawnmower - wikiHow

Sarah and the Bridge

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

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

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

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?

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

scary

iPOD Repair: Changing the hard drive and battery

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!

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"

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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