Pay attention

Here is a story from Illinois that saddens everyone nail polish killer.

To sum it up, this woman is driving and applying nail polish and not paying attention to the road runs a red light and slams into a motorcyclist who is proceeding legally and kills the motorcyclist. So far she has not been charged in the death but has been ticketed with "failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident" and further charges are pending.

Idiots like this woman who decide to drive with little disregard to others should be banned from having a vehicle and licenses. If a death occurs the perp should serve a minimum term of life.

Bad couple of days

From Sunday morning until a short time ago I have been in a dark mood. So I have shied away from posting.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers day to all the moms out there.

Motorcycle Awareness

Note to the media we make Harley's here but not all motorcycle riders ride them. Some of us ride other brands(gasp).

so my message is watch out for ALL motorcycles and not just Harleys.

Give Me A Break/Anti "Idol"

What is the fascination with American Idol and Danny Gokey? American Idol is nothing but a singing contest and Mr. Gokey is a contestant. But the coverage and talk on the news around here makes Mr. Gokey sound like the third coming of the lord(after Obama).
Both are not that important to trump everything else that is happining. The media needs to refocus on what really matters.

Applause

It has been a pleasant surprise so far. When I have been on the motorcycle I have been treated well by other drivers. No one riding too close, cutting me off or other issues.

Babies

4 deaths so far from adults sleeping in the same bed as their infants. People need to realize that this is a very bad idea. If you want to have your baby near you at night get a crib or playpen for the child.

Afraid are they?

Headline from WISN reads: State Democrats Oppose Walker's Motorcycle Tour

To sum it up the Democrats think that Scott Walker is using public money to go on a ride and use this as a campaign tool for his gubernatorial bid. And they claim he can nit be trusted to keep his campaign for Governor and the promotion of the Milwaukee area.
To quote from the article "We all know that Walker is set to launch his campaign next Tuesday, and this is nothing more than a thinly-veiled campaign tour designed to get Walker media exposure in markets around the state," said Jason Stephany of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
That could be further from the truth. Mr. Walker has been doing this ride around the state for several years to promote the Milwaukee area without using it a campaigning tool for himself.
The Democrats need to take the eyes off of Governor "Diamond" Jim Doyle's sagging approval ratings, proposed tax hikes, fund raids, semi-scandals, and lies in order to keep the power they have gotten.

Friday Ride

I put another 105 miles on the bike today and it only took 3 hours. I cut it short time wise because of the wind.

Bummed

After a long debate we had to put our 17 year old cat down. She will be missed but will be in my heart for a long time

Feels Good

Feels so darn good outside. I was able to put 110 miles on the cycle yesterday.

Laugh of the year

Big stuffed gorilla goes flying

Apr. 11, 2009 3:25 p.m. | Duluth, Minn. — John Bray is looking for the person who lost a massive gorilla on Blatnik Bridge in Duluth.

Bray says he was driving across the bridge Thursday afternoon when a huge stuffed brown stuffed animal flew off the truck in front of him. Bray says it flew up 50 feet and came down in the middle of the road.

He says he pulled over and traffic stopped. He then shoved it into the back of his sports utility vehicle and brought it to his office. He’s a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

Bray says it was a funny incident but someone could have been seriously hurt. He says the driver is required by law to have a load tied down, but he or she won’t get a ticket.

He says the driver could be a Wisconsin resident because the truck was coming from there.

Saturday Afternoon Drive

Well I got out on the motorcycle Saturday. I drove to Mukwanago to Eagle and back for a total of 65 miles. I now feel better mentally.

Still silence

This came out after the announcement of the CEO's pay raise and other "compensation increases". Where is the outrage,the hand wringing, the call for caps on CEO pay????

Posted: Apr. 2, 2009

Most employees at all Journal Communications divisions will take a 6% pay cut for the remainder of the year and in return will get 10 additional personal days off under a plan announced Thursday by Steven J. Smith, the company's chairman of the board and CEO.

In a letter sent to employees, Smith said the pay reduction and time off are a reflection of weak advertising spending.

"There is a high probability that this environment will continue for at least the balance of 2009," Smith said. "As we manage for the long-term success of the company, we must identify constructive ways to continue to reduce costs."

The pay cuts and time off affect executives, managers, market managers, supervisors, as well as corporate staff. The company is also asking on-air broadcast talent and most union employees to negotiate payroll reductions.

The program will be implemented at Journal Communications, Journal Broadcast Group, Journal Sentinel and Journal Community Publishing Group.

This week, the company also offered a voluntary separation agreement to newsroom employees represented by Newspaper Guild Local 51. The company has told the Guild that it needs to cut $1.2 million in annual payroll.

Roundabouts

This love affair with roundabouts is getting out of hand. Now they want to place a whole bunch on south 27th street at some very interesting locations. The one that gets me is Sycamore Street which is the entrance and exit for Wal-mart and Sam's Club. Right now its bad enough to get in and out of those lots, the roundabout would make things worse (in my opinion).

Real Boredom

It is starting to really suck to be off all this time. I'm running out of ideas to keep myself occupied (besides packing).

Flooding

I do not feel sorry for those who live adjacent to any body of water that is prone to flooding. Sure the view from your back door is nice most of the time, but there is the high risk you took when you bought the property that you would be flooded out at least once or twice a year. BTW you should not whine about the high premium for flood insurance or expect the government to bail you out every time your property gets damaged from the floods.
My solution to these people is:

• the first claim is paid so you can rebuild

• The second claim the State or the Federal government now owns the property

This would save the taxpayers and insurance companies money, create a buffer zone around the river/creek or lake. By creating the buffer zone it would help in cleaning up the pollution that plagues the area water bodies.

Taxes

Just bought some legal tobacco, the price doubled due to the state wanting more $$$$. It was $21 for 2 pounds and now it is $44. I can't wait to leave this tax hell known as Wisconsin.

Media CEO pay

Where is the outrage from the media on this exec?

Mar. 19, 2009 | Total compensation increased almost 22% last year for Journal Communications Inc. chairman and chief executive Steven J. Smith, according to a regulatory filing by the company Thursday.

Smith earned no bonus, but his salary rose 3.7% to $798,077. He received stock awards worth $1,672 and option awards valued at $397,003, a proxy statement for the Milwaukee-based media company and publisher of the Journal Sentinel said. The biggest change in compensation was in the value of Smith's retirement benefits, which grew to $233,110, compared with $74,782 in 2007. He received other compensation last year worth $16,095.

Journal Communications posted a $224.4 million loss in 2008, largely due to $228.7 million in non-cash charges in the fourth quarter as the company wrote down the value of goodwill and some of its television and radio licenses. The company's newspaper, radio and TV operations also saw declines in revenue because of the recession and the ongoing migration of ads to the Internet. Its stock price fell 72.6% during 2008.

With all the talk from the editorial board and from the other media outlets about capping CEO pay at 500k they are letting this slide. Why? Oh thats right its one of there own.

Tired and Sore

Me and the better half were in Arkansas from Wednesday until Monday helping my pops do clean up from the ice storm that hit back in late January.