Command. There's no Better Job in the World-

This first-hand report is making the turns throughout the AF email systems but I haven't seen it posted online yet. It is a mighty fine portrayal of how things get done when the military is in charge and affected.

Read the whole thing...

Command: Category 4
Lt Col Randy Coats, 333d Training Squadron/CC

Command. There's no better job in the world. After seven years in jobs with “command authority” and two squadron commands, I figured I had a good idea what command was all about. I was wrong. What changed my mind? Four words--"Shelter Commander" and "Hurricane Katrina."

From 28 Aug - 2 Sep, I lived with 730 of my "closest friends" in 50-year old Bryan Hall at Keesler AFB, MS. It was my third stint as a shelter commander, but it was unlike anything I had experienced before. As life slowly returns to normal on the Gulf Coast and I reflect on the experience, I've come to appreciate the unpredictability of command and how much an event like Katrina can change people and communities.

First, you have to understand some basics. My shelter is a unique animal on Keesler. Most shelters here are dedicated primarily to one unit. Mine is not. I have all the active duty and family members from a wide variety of units--two training squadrons, CE and Security Forces (and prisoners), 100+ Marines, communications students (NCOs and roughly 60 Lt's), 150 NCO Academy students and their faculty, and 50 international officers and their families. The building is an old nuclear fallout shelter, with no windows and no shower facilities. With that setting in mind, I offer the following memories and thoughts on Hurricane Katrina.

25 Aug (Thu): One of my sharpest young MSgt points out Katrina "may grow into something over the weekend" and suggests we update our shelter/evacuation data sheets. I admire his enthusiasm, tell him “that's not a bad idea", then promptly forget to do anything because Katrina's not headed our way at all and I've got other things to do besides worry about a piddly Category 1 storm.

27 Aug (Sat): Two CAT meetings. Katrina has strengthened and is headed our way, due to arrive Monday afternoon. Tentatively plan to open shelters Monday morning. I remember the MSgt's words and begin repeating every officer’s golden rule--"Never ignore a SNCO…Never ignore a SNCO."

28 Aug (Sun): Turn on CNN before heading to 0800 CAT. Radar picture shows Katrina is Category 5, taking up the whole Gulf of Mexico and headed straight for us, due to arrive before dawn Monday. "Never ignore a SNCO…Never ignore a SNCO."
- 1000: Initiate full recall and order all personnel to evacuate or shelter NLT 2100. Many people out of town for the weekend. Accountability is a nightmare.
- 1700: Open the shelter. People/families begin arriving. Have to stop two refrigerators, one 21" TV set, and three mattresses at the door. Students (of all ranks) drafted to help carry bags into the shelter. People told to bring food and water for three days. Most bring food for two days; smokers bring cigarettes for twenty days. Have to break the news--no smoking inside the shelter and once you're checked in you can't go outside (Hotel California rules).
- 2200: Doors locked and boarded up from the outside by CE (one door in an alcove left uncovered).

29 Aug (Mon):
-0500: Winds howling; can hear them best through vents in bathrooms at the end of the hallway (It didn’t sound like this during Hurricane Ivan)
0800: Shelterees (hereafter referred to as "the Natives") start moving around 0800. Smokers looking for nicotine fix, but remain calm.
-1000: Local news reports indicate rising waters, violent winds. Plywood ripped from external doorways (I start getting uneasy; plywood has never moved in previous storms, much less flown away).
-1200: News reports 20+ feet of water in local mall. Natives getting anxious. Smokers getting jittery.
Afternoon:
- Power goes out; generators kick in. Not good. CE told us power can only go out if high-tension cables that survived 200-mph winds during Hurricane Camille go down. A/C stops working; ventilation fans stop working. No windows, no open doors, 731 nervous people…in Mississippi…in August. Ask for generator fuel status and burn rate. Have enough fuel for two days.
- Natives who smoke starting to visibly shake; many look physically ill.
- Cable TV goes out. Natives get creative with antennas. Spotted the bottom half of an NCO sticking out from ceiling tiles. Apparently reception is better if you connect a stripped copper comm cable from the TV to pipes in the ceiling. I appoint a safety observer and hope for the best.
- CE reports primary generator has flames coming out of it, so shut it off. Lost internet connectivity. Down to one generator; power only in hallways and a few rooms.
- Water stops running. Toilets overflowing. With medical advice, I brief the Natives on how to use plastic bags for toilet facilities (someone used this method within 10 minutes). Disposal of plastic bags in a sealed building is a concern. Adventurous major goes into the basement and finds 1961-vintage Civil Defense Survival Sanitation Kits. Basically, a 3-foot tall cardboard porta-potty with a hole cut in the top. This does not look fun. However, 44-year old toilet paper (it was dated) is surprisingly soft.
- One hour later: Water comes back thanks to CE heroes going out in the storm to repair pumping station. I hug the first CE troop I can find. Sanitation Kits thankfully not used, but kept on standby.
- CE troops coming off shift report half of flight-line underwater; BX and Commissary 6 feet deep and rising; trees down all over base; CE building collapsed. Natives begin to get the picture--this is worse than Hurricanes Ivan or Dennis.
Evening:
-1800: Winds still dangerous so cannot open doors. It's hot…it's humid…Natives are getting cranky. Smokers showing signs of extreme duress. One is carrying two unlit cigarettes around. I suggest he tear one open and put it behind his lip for a nicotine fix. He informs me he's already eaten an entire pack and it didn't help. Can't think of anything to say in response, so I pat him on the back and wish him luck.
- Babies and young kids getting grumpy; too hot to nap.
- Barely-visible news reports (on very fuzzy TV picture) report massive devastation in the area. Dead silence in hallway as Natives crowd around the lone TV with a discernible picture. Tension rising.
-2000: Too hot to breathe. 731 nervous people generate a lot of sweat and a variety of smells. Command Post says stay locked down, don't open doors. Natives make strange noises when I walk by. Not sure the "Shelter Commander" badge is a good thing to be wearing right now. First Sergeant reports Natives consider me the embodiment of evil.
- Cops go on shift. The best NCO in the AF is assigned to patrol base housing; he offers to try to check on my cat during his shift (we left her in the hallway of my house).
-2100: Even hotter. Poked my head outside--it's ugly but winds have died down. Command Post says stay buttoned up. Natives mumbling in small groups about how to eliminate a commander. Survival instincts tell me to get some air in here. Posted Marines at every exit and opened all the doors. I'm a hero; Natives love me. Haven't heard "thank you" this much since I put my shirt back on at the squadron pool party.
-2200: Smokers running out of cigarettes to eat. Open a side door and rope off a 10' x 10' smoking area. No more than five people at a time; no more than five minutes. Sucking cigarettes look like blow-torches in reverse. Everyone loves me.
- Nobody sleeps much. Tough to sleep in pools of sweat.

30 August (Tuesday):
-0145: One of my NCOs wakes me up because "Cops want to talk to you, Sir". SFS NCO is direct. "The good news is your cat is fine." Next question obvious. As he hands back my house key he adds, "The bad news is I didn't need this to get into your house." Doesn't quite register…"How'd you get in?" He looked me straight in the eye and said, "I walked through your back wall." That can't be good at all. Looks like a total loss. My wife was on a cot in the hallway. I woke her up to give her the news. Her response? "I guess it'll be easy to pack when we move next year." (She's getting anything she wants for Christmas, forever). Spend the rest of the night thinking of how to stay focused and project a positive attitude given that all my worldly possessions will probably fit in a gym bag. (note: we were eventually able to save most things above 4 feet)
-0700: Bad news spreads like wildfire. Entire shelter knows about my house. Lots of supportive comments as I wander the halls but I see the struggle behind the words--they're sorry for my loss but worry about their own. Their concern for my family despite fears for their own touches me deeply. First time in 19 years I've really had to fight back tears, but I've got to do the commander thing and project a positive attitude. As I walk the hallways I truly feel "the burden of command." My family is safe; I have to push my losses aside for now. These 730 people have no access to information other than what I tell them. I am their link to the outside world. I see them watching me, watching how I react and looking for cues as they try to figure out how they should feel--is the commander scared? Depressed? Worried? Confident? I realize that their mood over the next few days will be a direct reflection of what they perceive as my mood. I've been tested in command before, but never like this.
-0800: Drive to CAT meeting across base. Devastation is shocking. Trees down everywhere. Cars trashed everywhere. Windows out. Walls out. Buildings collapsed. Roofs ripped apart.
-0930: Mass briefing to the Natives. Most uncomfortable briefing I've ever given. Reports indicate widespread devastation. Death toll probably in the hundreds. Power out for at least three weeks. Must begin water conservation. Minimum three months to resume base mission. Will not leave shelter for at least three days. 730 stunned and scared faces focused on me. All are easy to read. (1) realization of how bad it is, (2) fear of what it did to their homes. Worst possible situation for a commander--troops need reassurance I can't give. Struggle to keep my voice steady. Not sure how well I did.
Afternoon:
- Natives' supplies running out. Most critical shortfalls: food, diapers, baby food, and feminine hygiene products. Issue MREs for adults. Assign "Baby POC" to track baby supplies. Develop new metric for morning/evening briefings--diaper burn rate. 17 infants in shelter x 5 diapers/day & 4 jars of baby food/day. Have one day supply of diapers, two days of baby food, but at least three more days in the shelter. Submit urgent supply request to Command Post. Luckily, Sanitation Kits include 44-year old feminine products.
- Still no cable TV and no internet. Information is life. I average (I counted) no more than 10 steps before someone stops me to ask what's going on outside.
- Lieutenant students offer to take over operation of the Children's Recreation Room. One has been to Clown College; several brought coloring books. First Sergeant asks me later (a) "How come the officers have coloring books?" and (b) "How come some of the pictures were colored in before the children started using them?" Honor of the officer corps is at stake; I quickly assign the Shirt to a meaningless task to distract her. Hope it worked. Best not to ask. (Note: to be perfectly honest, that actually happened during Hurricane Dennis in July, but it's 100% true and was too good a story not to include here)
- Pregnant Native goes into premature labor. Ambulance evacuates her to hospital.
- Another uncomfortable night. All Natives (and myself) report profuse sweating in lieu of sleep. Set up special room with lots of fans for children to sleep in. Authorized Chaplain to take a small raiding party to Chapel next door to get rocking chairs for parents with small children.

31 August (Wed):
- 731 people, 36+ hours with no a/c and no showers. Natives stink. Shelter stinks. Natives convinced everyone stinks but themselves. Shirt reports Natives blame it all on me. Wife asks if I can boost SGLI from here. Tasked my most creative NCO to come up with some way to hose people off. Result: water hose connected to sink in bathroom supply closet, with sandbag walls leading to drain in center of bathroom. No hot water, but showers are a success. Still rationing water--3 minute shower every other day. Nonetheless, Natives can wash away the stink for at least 10 minutes till they start sweating again. I'm a hero.
- Still hot. Two cases of dehydration evacuated to hospital. I'm dehydrated, nauseous, and weak despite drinking constantly. Can't believe I let this happen. Check with medics, but saline solution is in short supply and if I'm still walking I don't need it bad enough. They give me some good drugs to control symptoms. Eight hours, 240 ounces of water (I had to keep track), and 9,000 bathroom breaks later I feel much better.
- Lots of debris around the building. Still dangerous for people to go outside, but Natives are getting stir-crazy. Assigned a team to clear and rope off an area near the building. Post guards to ensure nobody wanders off, then allow small groups outside for fresh air for short periods of time. They love me again.
- Wing/CC reads off list of inbound aid at CAT meeting. Not the same as hearing it on TV. I never imagined that it would mean so much to know that so many people are focused on helping you.
- Baby supplies critical. Wing/CC orders a raid on what's left of Commissary and BX. Deliveries to shelters save the day.
- Another bad briefing to the Natives. Only one way to explain why they can't leave the shelter--tell them the truth as I know it. Looting rampant off-base. Looters in base housing. AF member car-jacked right outside the gate. No gas in local area; $5/gallon three hours away. Chaos in New Orleans is moving our way. Extra Security Forces with .50 cals on HMMWVs en route to help secure the base.
- Natives frantic about their homes. They fear anything that survived the storm won't survive the looters. Try to focus them on aid headed our way. Emotions running high. One woman goes into shock; evacuated to hospital.
- Another sweaty, sleepless night. Natives apparently locate world's largest stock of extension cords. Conservative estimates indicate we're running 500 fans off 5 power outlets and 2,000 extension cords. Confiscated the most impressive daisy chains as a safety hazard. Briefed Shelter Management Team to increase fire checks of the building.

01 Sep (Thu):
- Cannot release people to return to homes overnight due to security concerns. However, must let Natives assess their homes or risk bodily harm trying to keep them here. Strict guidelines for home assessments--provide written route of travel; must have a wingman; no dependents can go; max of one hour to save what you can and return to shelter; must be decontaminated before reentering shelter because many houses (mine included) have sludge/sewage inches deep. Lieutenants do great job controlling departure and decon lines.
- Natives return to shelter. Many are homeless. Commander School never taught me how to respond to "I have nothing left," or how to comfort women and men crying uncontrollably in my arms. Some cried for what they lost, some for what they saw. News reports didn't prepare them for seeing not just their home but their entire neighborhood destroyed, or for the cops telling them the bad smell they noticed was probably neighbors who tried to ride out the storm and were buried in the rubble. My only consolation is that I know how they feel. The stink in the house made me gag; the mud was gooey, sticky, and got on everything. My wife spent years building a beautiful collection of Amish figurines. Seeing the trail of broken figures across two yards (I never found the curio cabinet) was painful to endure. Crabs running across my feet in the bedroom (which scared the bee-geezus out of me) was a comical twist to a non-comical situation.
- In an attempt to improve morale, the chow hall (excuse me, “Dining Facility”) next to the shelter opens for one hot meal of whatever was available. Natives happily wait in line 2+ hours for rice with spaghetti sauce and a piece of bread. After the week we’ve had, it’s like Grandma’s Thanksgiving dinner.
- Third straight day of gorgeous weather. Security still a big concern. My DO reports her neighbors shot a looter (it may not be politically correct, but I applaud their initiative). Natives don't care, they just want out. Shelter Commanders compare notes at CAT—we’re all seriously concerned about tempers rising in the shelters. Believe the Natives are just about at the breaking point.
- Still no a/c. Lots of sweat and little sleep.

02 Sep (Fri):
- Security situation better. Natives' are about worn out. Wing/CC authorizes release from shelters. Six days and five nights we will never forget, and the recovery efforts have only just begun.

To say that Hurricane Katrina has been a "life event" would be an understatement. During my time running the Bryan Hall shelter I saw the best and the worst of people first-hand. Some sat in their little piece of floor space and watched others work to make the situation better. Most looked for every opportunity to help others and to make our little slice of hell a little more comfortable. I was amazed at how easy it was to read their faces. I could see clearly as fear changed to shock, disbelief, then anger. I watched in amazement as the anger was replaced with a calm sense of resolve and focus to simply move forward and do what needed to be done. From the little boy I found wandering the halls at midnight (obviously looking for a bathroom) to the lieutenants who stepped up, took charge when I asked, and showed all of us what "officership" is all about, every person in that shelter taught me their own unique and valuable lesson about command.

The CE troops and the Cops in my shelter taught me the meaning of dedication. I watched them tramp in and out on shift work throughout the storm and its aftermath. They were wet, muddy, sweaty, and tired. But every time they came through those doors they took time to find someone whose house they checked on and they always stopped by to give me an update on what they saw. To quote a favorite TV show of mine, "They were…magnificent." My Wing/CC described it perfectly a few days after the storm. Some puffed-up colonel called him up in the CAT and said "General so-and-so is coming down there. I want to know who the most important person on that base is and I want their name right now." The boss' response was classic. "Well, colonel, the most important person on this base is a Staff Sergeant with a chainsaw and if you'll give me ten minutes I'll get that name for you." CE and Cops. If you're looking for the heroes of Keesler, I'll be happy to escort you to their buildings.

As for the rest of the folks in the shelter, they were just as amazing in a different way. For all but the first 16 hours of our 6-day adventure they lived in a hot, poorly-ventilated building with virtually no amenities but running water. Most slept on tile floors. All slept in puddles of their own sweat. All spent 5 days not knowing whether or not they had a home to go home to. Yet through all of it, they kept a sense of humor and worked together to make the best of a bad situation. Even in the darkest moments I never walked down the hall without hearing a constant stream of "Morning, Colonel!" "How's it going, Sir?" or "Hey, Sir! When's the beer truck getting here?" I was only chewed out once by a shelteree. I would argue that in a "typical" group of 731 people, I would've been chewed out several times a day at least.

In my 19 years of service I have never seen a better demonstration of the military "family", or a better demonstration of true professionalism. I have to add, though, that what I've seen in the 12 days since has been just as impressive. The base and its leadership have been amazing. In addition to bringing our mission back on-line in less than 3 weeks, we've provided critical support to local communities. At last count, we'd sent nearly 50 missions out the gates to deliver food, water, and medical support. I was the CAT Director when a local cop showed up and said the shelter down the street had an outbreak of diarrhea and vomiting. The boss had medical teams, food, and water on site within 30 minutes. The list goes on and on.

The same is true for my own unit. With more than one-third of my squadron homeless, my troops (military and civilian) have done things that will bring a tear to anyone's eye. Not one single person in my unit has cleaned out a storm-damaged home alone. We've had teams out every day helping squadron members and retirees (and sometimes people we didn't even know) cut trees and clean out flooded homes. They have made me proud to be part of their team and proud to be part of the US military. They have taught me when it comes right down to it they don't need leadership. They are, each and every one of them, leaders in their own right. Leaders with the willingness, the desire, and the compassion to do the right thing without being told. In truth, they don't need a commander, they only need a cheerleader who will give them the support and the freedom they need to do what needs to be done. When I look back in years to come and ponder what Hurricane Katrina taught me about command that may just be the most important lesson of all.

What a nice weekend!

A weekend of camping was just what the BSU & I needed, I think. We had a wonderful time camping. We set out for the Forestry Service campgrounds just up South Fork canyon on Friday morning only to discover they were all locked up for the winter... Hmm...

Well, let's call Wasatch Mountain State Park and see if we can get in there. Two quick phone calls on the cell phone, and we were set. We just had to set our compass south, head down I84 and then I40 until the turn off just before Heber City. An hour and a half- tops.

And so we found a dandy nice campsite in the Oak Hollow section, set up and relaxed. I got to loose myself in The Godfather Returns, a new novel by Mark Winegardner. I picked this up on a whim a few weeks ago, have been enjoying it a little piece at a time and finally got to dig in and read it in great big hunks this weekend. Its a dandy story of all the characters from Mario Puzo's original Godfather works. I admit, it was a really good page-turner of a story. I finally finished the last few pages just a little while ago.

We did some sightseeing on Saturday into Heber City and Midway. We visited the Heber Valley Railroad station, though we didn't ride the train, we saw the 2002 Olympic Cross COuntry Ski venue, Soldier Hollow and we had ice cream at a bustling little place that was obviously a locals favorite. We also visited the Heber Valley Aero Museum and had a nice look around at a very fine museum. The portion we got to see was just the main display area, which is tightly housed in a hangar, we did not get to see any of the annexes. Which leaves us an excuse to go back another day!

Sandy the dog was with us and she and I had a nice hike up the nature trail in the campground Saturday morning. In between we had some nice lunches and a nap or two, a good fire in the firepit on Saturday night and steaks to eat.

The weather was glorious and never got too cold or too hot. The maples and oaks were in their finest, blazing colors, (sorry, not my photo but you get the idea) and all in all, it was a perfect autumn weekend. We made the adventurous trip over Guardsman Pass and felt like a Ford Truck commercial pulling our camper up and over that rugged road. Here's another picture I found online of Guardman Pass.

So we made it home safely, the boy had kept the house in one piece while we were away, everything's been either put away or is being routed throught the washing/drying/folding process and I'm showered and shaved. With good coffee to drink... I really gotta get a coffee maker for the camper! Tasters Choice just does not cut it! And the BSU just startled me by telling me that West Wing is on right now, which means she would like me to join her.

So, I will!

Tough week for my blogging buddies-

First it was Kenny, last week being struck down by pulmonary embolism, then later this week, scooter owner and blogger
Steve looses an unprovoked argument with an automobile while on his scooter! He spent 3 days in the hospital while the medical folks ensured his head was ok. His scooter is wrecked, he says totaled, and based upon his report, it probably is a goner.

Anyway, Kenny is predicting to be back at work on Monday and Steve has emailed to say that he is well on the way towards recovering from his injuries. I hope they both are getting better and healing.

Get better guys!

Skipping school tonight!

The spouse the dog and I are headed out camping! The weather guessers have predicted a glorious autumn weekend and its too good to miss. We are also right in the sweet spot, after Labor Day and before rifle deer hunting season.

So I've had my first coffee and now we are going to start loading up. Won't be home till Sunday. The boy will be here though, so the cats will get fed and the house protected.

Today's topic--SELF IMPROVEMENT!

It is Thursday Three time again! Terry wants to know what self-improvement efforts are important to each of us. So go read his thoughts, read my responses and feel free to leave some comments in the comments box. As always, I'll add some links to this post later on today.

1) What one language would you most like to learn to speak, or at least understand?
        Spanish, I suppose, since my community has a significant hispanic population and I would like to be able to communicate clearly with the people that are part of my neighborhood. I do believe that immigrants need to learn to communicate in the local language, no matter what language they bring with them from home, but I also recognize the necessity of being able to communicate with those that don't speak English. Its just a realistic fact of life and I would like to be able to share in the richness of my neighborhood by understanding more of what is said around me. Since I don't intend to immigrate to any other country where English isn't the native language, I don't see any need to learn French or Russian or Swahili.

2) What one skill would you most like to learn?
        I'd like to be able to play music on a mountain dulcimer. I have no musical skills beyond operating most of the controls on my car stereo. I was once upon a time able to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on my brother Tim's violin. He took lessons in school, I learned from him. After that bit of musical prowess and the usual recorder training in grade school, my skills are restricted to getting the wrapper off of an occasional CD purchase. Pathetic, I know. But I really like the sound of the mountain dulcimer and I would like nothing better than to be able to play old-time gospel tunes on a dulcimer of my own. I like hammer dulcimer music too but I wish I could learn the laptop, stringed dulcimer. Here's a picture of a woman playing a dulcimer. I suppose if I were to learn to play the hammer dulcimer, I could qualify to wear this shirt since I've been to to get hammered in the past.

3) What one character flaw would you most like to rid yourself of?
        Character flaw? Get real!

        I don't tolerate fools well and I don't spend much time worrying about what other people are thinking or saying about me. People tend to think I am aloof or rude when in fact, most of the time I'm just distracted by tasks and deadlines and schoolwork planning. So maybe I can learn to relax and smile at more folks.

Kenny is Home!

And if you visit his blog, Coffee in the Morning, he will tell you the details. I'm just really pleased to hear that he has survived what might have been a really close call.

Rats! Kenny's sick!

That's my buddy from work Kenny, proud owner of Coffee in the Morning, from over there in my blog list, is laid up with some dangerous problems. I won't divulge what I overheard from Kenny's boss this morning until I get a chance to talk to him or maybe he will be well enough to tell everyone from his blog in the near future.

But I'm mad at him because of this 'cause he was supposed to be arranging a prairie dog shoot for a weekend real soon. Now that shoot will be off until springtime, soonest.

Get better Big Guy!

Mostly Cajun's After Action Report- Its a Sad One

The good news is Dale, Tanker, from Mostly Cajun survived Hurricane Rita. He is alive and picking up the pieces. The bad news is, his home is gone and his 4 beloved cats and all his earthly possesions, all lost to a fire after he returned to start fixing things.

The guy is homeless and grieving his pets but still able to be kind and thankful. Go read the whole story and wish him well.

Why did I buy a chainsaw?

You mean besides the fact that chainsaws are noisy, smelly and dangerous?

I'll use it once or twice a year. I have a tree in my back yard right now that needs to come down.

I'll add it to the disaster relief tool check list of needed items in the truck.

It only cost $10.

Hey, a guy needs a chainsaw...

"Sorry about that, Chief"

The comic, Don Adams, that played Maxwell Smart has passed away at age 82.

Get Smart was one of the earliest programs I remember watching regularly. I thought it was hilarious and so did my Dad, if I recall correctly.

I've also been known to use that line of apology in my lifetime... Maybe more than once!

Yard Sailing Saleing! My mom would be proud-

I bought a chainsaw- 10 bucks! It's a Stihl, 14" bladed machine and after a couple hours of oily sawdust extraction and some carburetor cleaner blasting, it runs like a champ! It fired right up after 3 pulls of the handle once I got it all put back together and the spark plug cleaned and some fresh fuel in the tank. I do need to purchase a new chain, which I understand is going to triple my total investment, but heck, it's a $10 chain saw!

Also following me home was a high-lift hydraulic jack. This neat find has a 1.5 ton capacity and a stroke of 14 or 15 inches. There is an adjustable height chain and bumper hook attached to the head and with the addition of a few ounces of jack fluid, it works perfectly. Its supposedly old, the retired gent I bought it from told me his dad carried it in his trunk for years, but it seems to be in really great shape. I thought maybe the boy could use it for Tracker extraction instead of the huge mechanical high lift jack he carries whenever he goes off-road.

So, I got two perfectly functioning and interesting tools, and some pleasant conversation with a nice gentleman for 20 bucks. I think we were both pretty satisfied with the deal!

Signed up for next term already-

LG324- Contract Management and Law and LG201- Systems Engineering and Analysis. Monday through Thursday, 4:30 until 7:15 PM, starting 24 October.

According to my count, I have 10 classes, 5 terms remaining to finish my degree, meaning I will be done in October 06.

The BSU is not interested in hearing me discuss further education after my bachelor's degree...!

My scooter's a year old!

I'll just have to owe you a wrap-up of my first year's scooter ownership and I'll try to manage that this week. But the scoot's a year old and I'm still enjoying owning and riding it. It was only 42 degrees this morning, so I didn't ride it today, but its been great while the weather was tolerable.

Just a few more days and weeks of riding to work now that fall is here and winter approaches but I'll keep doing it whenever it can be pleasant.

Scooters making the news in Happy Valley

Sunday's Daily Herald newspaper has an article about the wonderfulness of
scooters for commuting and saving fuel while getting around in Utah Valley State College and surrounding environs. Mostly its talking about the Vespa "boutique" in Orem but its nice to see scooters getting the public recognition in the very mainstream press.

Tanker from Mostly Cajun has bugged out!

If you go look at the weather links at Tanker's blog, you will see that he has changed his mind from riding out Hurricane Rita at home to heading out for undisclosed higher ground. So Tanker, wherever you are, I hope you and the cats are safe.

El Capitan from Baboon Pirates has made it out of downtown Houston and his work site for the security of his abode to await the coming storm. He's preparing to ensure the security of his neighboorhood from some less friendly folks across the fence.

El Capitan's got cats to mind too. How about that? Anyway, these two guys are regulars on my blogroll and Hurrican Rita is about to make their lives difficult. Wish them well.

Its Thursday again!

Which means its time for the Thursday Three questions from our illustrious Axis of Weevil leader, Terry. He dug pretty deep for some questions this week.

1) Name three events that occurred in your life that you look back on occasionally and wonder how things might have turned out if you had done something different.

Three things? Probably the first event that causes me to wonder how things might have turned out differently ocurred in the summer of 1973, between my junior and senior year in high school. My parents moved from Dublin, Indiana to Alliance, Ohio and I went with them. I was offered the opportunity to stay behind in Indiana, to live with a family from church and to graduate with my classmates that I had been in school with since junior high school. I liked Indiana, I had a job, a car and a motorcycle and a couple girlfriends, so leaving it all to move to a new school and town was pretty daunting. I have a sneaking suspicion that had I stayed in the Hoosier state, I would never have left, much like many of my classmates who still live very near the community of Cambridge City where we attended Lincoln High School. I suspect I know the girlfriend that I would have asked to be my bride. Instead, I moved to Ohio, attended a new high school where I knew no one and a new church where I did meet the future, first spouse. From Alliance and a few years of hacking at different jobs, I joined up with the USAF and the rest is history.

Another major life change that could have gone another way? That's gotta be the re-marrying the current BSU after we divorced in 1992. In hind sight, I don't know how it could have gone any other way but for us to get back together after a stupid and destructive breakup that left everybody hurting. At the time, we could have just gone opposite directions, I could have been a weekend and holiday Dad, writing a check for child support each month and following my own interests with the pittance of funds I had remaining. Fortunately for all of us, the BSU and I were able to put away some terrible hurt and anger, begin talking and eventually find our way back to an altar to get remarried. Our anniversary for the first time we got married in 1982 just passed this week, the anniversary we celebrate is coming up next month.

Third thing? If I can't think of a third event that makes me curious as to the alternative outcome, what does that mean? That I've only made good choices throughout my life? Hardly. There's a relationship that I wonder how it might have gone differently but you don't need to know about that.

2) If you could have lived in another time, what would it be? One stipulation--you have to be pretty much what you are right now--no going back in time and being Alexander the Great, no being Einstein or Moses or Casanova. If you’re a teacher, you’ll still be a teacher; a doctor, still a doctor; a car mechanic--well figure that one out on your own. You wouldn’t know the future, either--so no going back and betting on horse races and stuff. You would just be you, only in another time and place.

Well, my first years in the Air Force were as a crew chief on helicopters and I really liked the immediacy of being on the flight line. Fixing aircraft, meeting flying schedule requirements and occasionally be tangentially responsible for rescuing a stranded hunter or crashed fighter pilot was pretty powerful, ego motivating stuff. If I were to go back in time, I might have been satisfied to just go back to doing the same work during the 1940s and 1950s. I think working the flight line at a place like Edwards AFB in southern California while the 100 series fighter jets were being developed would have been pretty exciting stuff.

3) What one aspect of your life, such as your family, job, social life, spiritual life, creative ability, etc., do you find most rewarding?

Geez, Terry has come up with some tough questions today! What's the One Thing about my life I find rewarding? I think I've been a pretty good Dad, especially over the past 8 or 10 years or so and I'm always pleased when one of my kids tells me they appreciate something I taught them, if only through example. I'm pretty certain that I have given my boys a decent example of my idea what being a man and a husband is all about. I think I do fair as a husband too, though it took me a few years to get the hang of it.

Storm Donations Found at Official's Home

What? Corruption and theft by government employees in Louisiana? Impossible! It couldn't possibly be true, could it?
Storm Donations Found at Official's Home

BATON ROUGE, La. - Police found cases of food, clothing and tools intended for hurricane victims at the home of the chief administrative officer for a New Orleans suburb, authorities said Wednesday.

Officers searched Cedric Floyd's home because of complaints that city workers were helping themselves to donations for hurricane victims. Floyd, who runs the day-to-day operations in the suburb of Kenner, was in charge of distributing the goods.

Police plan to seek a charge of committing an illegal act as a public official against Floyd, and more charges against other city workers are possible, police Capt. Steve Caraway said.

The donations filled a large pickup truck four times. "It was an awful lot of stuff," Caraway said.

He was probably just storing it for safekeeping... Don't you suppose?

Training all day today

So no blogging at all, until tonight at the earliest. What a drag.

Mobsters and Mormons- a movie review

Here's a little secret- if you want to be able to get a really good seat in the theater, go to see a movie about Mormons, on Sunday afternoon! The BSU and I went yesterday and just 10 minutes before the show started we had the theater to ourselves. Nobody was in the room until we were and when the movie began there still was less than a dozen people watching.

There is a whole series of Mormon based movies that have been released of the past few years, Mobsters and Mormons was the only one we have seen. The most recent one that I wanted to see was Baptists at our Barbeque. I suppose these films are playing nationwide, but, since I'm not everywhere, I can't say for certain. Since these are written by Mormons for Mormons, you can very safely take the entire family without fear that anyone will be offended by language or nudity or violence.

Mobsters and Mormons is the story of one gangster, Carmine "Beans" Pasquale and his family entering the Witness Protection Program and being transported from New Jersey to Provo Utah- Happy Valley. They of course are set up in a white bread suburban neighborhood and immediately set upon by the very friendly Mormon neighbors from all sides.

It’s a funny movie. Some of the hijinks are rather predictable and you know there's going to be a happy ending, which it does. But it also shows the Utah Mormon culture for some of its foibles and idiosyncracies. We laughed, the other 10 people in the theater laughed and then we had dinner at Village Inn. Just the two of us, I don't know where the other folks had dinner.

Sadly, I did not get any popcorn yesterday with my movie, which I consider a requirement. In the first place there were only two people working the concession stand and in the second place, their cash registers and debit card machines were dead so they were making change by hand and recording their sales by hand in a spiral notebook! This of course cauesed a long line to form and there was no notification of the problems until I waited my turn in the line almost to the very front. Since all I had was my debit card, there was no popcorn for me yesterday. Rats!

Finally, I noticed that the header at the top of the Baptists at Our Barbeque website misspelled Baptists!

There's a distinct lack of cooling vents-

ok, so Peugout built this fancy-shmancy terrarium of a concept car called Moovie. I can't help but think it looks like every James Bond- bad guy's underground super-secret mega-stronghold shuttle pod.

While Peugot is obviously very proud of this device and its designer, it leaves me with a few questions. Like, how big is the trailer going to be to haul around the air conditioner unit that will keep that terrarium cool? And, how are they going to cool that fishbowl with only two tiny vents at each end of that desk/dash panel? Since there are no pedals or other controls, I assume there must be a mind reading chrome helmet that fits over the driver's head and senses his desires, so where's the helmet? Hmm?

I think it might make a fabulous display in the entry to Peugot corporate headquarters- if they fill it with water and tropical fish!

Phantom Scooter updates

All is well with the Phantom. I have been working pretty diligently on my modified motor mount that ill provide increased clearance for the carburetor and relieve the space needed for the cold start solonoid. The mount is done, I've even had it fitted into the scoot. But I had to do a little grinding for clearance- after I had painted it. And I had painted it a couple times, unsatisfactorally, so now it needs sandblasted clean before I paint it and install it.

That should be later today. I have to go to the base Hobby Shop to use their sandblaster and before I can use it, I have to fix it, which is typical. I tried to use it last week but there wasn't enough grit to cover the pickup, no lights and no exhaust fan. So, I'll hack their equipment into shape well enough to do my mount, bringit home for a shot of Krylon and stick it into the scooter this afternoon.

I've received a couple nice emails from folks asking about my continued results with my scoot and advice about buying their own. Its been pleasant trying to offer advice or suggestions and its nice that this humble blog is serving a purpose to a few folks. So, I guess I'll keep it up!

Cooler weather means another jacket!

The BSU gives me grief that I own too many jackets and maybe its true. But I wear all of them for different reasons and a different times and I ususally make them last a number of years before tossing them out or giving them away. Since the fall weather has moved in, (its just 45 degrees this morning, I decided I needed another scooter riding jacket. It took me 2 tries and return postage but I finally got this Fieldsheer Spiga jacket from Brockton Cycle. The jacket I bought is yellow everywhere the picture shows blue or red. This jacket came with a quilted liner that will also fit inside my mesh jacket for those days when it is 50 degrees in the morning and 80 degrees in the afternoon.

And it was on sale- another prerequisite when I buy a jacket!

Its Fall here in Utah

We've already had our first mountain snowfall, baseball season is over in Ogden and the hummingbirds have headed for Mexico. I had one remaining hummer at the feeder a time or two this week but its time to take it down for the winter.

The Ogden Raptors couldn't finish off the Orem Owlz in the 3rd game to win their Southern Division playoffs but they did gain a new spectator- the BSU! That's right, the spouse attended 3 games in 10 days with me! The first game was a regular season Friday night, then we saw game 2 and 3 of the playoffs the following week. One of the games we were joined by friends Pat and Vicki, the other game Son Noah attended with us. It was a great way to end the season. The BSU turned out to really enjoy the games and understood what was going on better than she expected. It was great fun sharing the time with her, and with Son Noah too and it increased the time we can spend together if she comes to a game now and then. I won't be buying season tickets for 2006 since I'll still be in school, but after that, I just might!

A loss in the blogosphere-

Kim du Toit has taken down the Nation of Riflemen blog. There's been a tremendous amount of stuff going on in the du Toit household, if you haven't been following along and Kim has been job hunting for a real, no-kidding return to the workforce. He has changed the site a couple times in the past weeks to meet his requirements and obligations but now its just gone. Dang!

Geek with a 45 has been in touch with Kim and is assured that all is well. maybe there will be an explanation as well soon. So I'm leaving the link on my page for now and give it some time.

I sure like reading Kim's gun reports and essays so I hope he puts it back online. Sombody smarter than me knew how to locate many of Kim's archived pages, you can go here to read them for yourself.

The Thursday Three returns!

Well its time for the Thursday Three again, back by popular request and general apathy towards creating our own, original material. If you're a newcomer around here or Possumblog, get on over to Terry's blog and check out the re-introduction of the TT.

So, on with the questions, and my answers!

1. With the recent hurricane that hit the Gulf Coast, it has once again been made obvious that being prepared ahead of time can be the difference between life and death. Do you and your family keep an emergency pack of supplies ready to go at a moment's instant as so many people recommend? What all is in it?

Right now, my family does not have an emergency evacuation package or bug-out kit. After considering the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, I have decided that a kit is required. We do live just 1/2 mile downhill from a earthquake fault line after all… As for what is in it? Since it doesn't exist, nothing's in it. What do I intend to put in it? Hmm. I am envisioning a large plastic bin that can be stuffed into my truck's bed. I expect to fill it with bottled water, canned foods or MREs, a comprehensive first aid kit, and some kind of lighting and cooking tools. Also, one of those crank wind radios. In addition, I think a second bin that can be loaded on a moment's notice with clothes, bedding and the folder of documents we don't want to loose. Protective tools, ie, guns and ammo will be part of the package as well but I haven't figured out that aspect just yet and the camper will probably get its year-round readiness status upgraded.

2. If, heaven forbid, anything as destructive as a hurricane or earthquake or fire or flood were to hit your community, and assuming you stayed around or couldn't get out, what are some of the skills you have that you think could be utilized to start the recovery efforts?

I'm a guy, so, by my definition, I'm handy and can make decisions. This would be unlike mayor Nagin of New Orleans, who seems to be neither. So, I'm pretty good at figuring out how to get things done. I have a truck and can haul and move heavy things. I'm better at begging forgiveness than asking or waiting for permission when I see something that needs doing. I've got passable first aid skills. If I'm dressed, I have a Swiss Army Knife in my pocket.

3. How safe do you feel in your own community when it comes to disaster preparedness?

First of all, Ogden won't go under water and the hurricanes that are trackable and predictable don't come to Utah. Our disaster will be an earthquake, and nobody is going to get a 72 hour warning from one of those. I suspect that my local government has some kind of plan, though I don't know what it is. I'm also pretty certain that most of my community will be prepared to support themselves either as individuals or through the numerous LDS church wards. The city seems well capable of handling typical tasks like storm cleanup in the winter, so overall, I think we have a capable infrastructure. I just don't think you will see mayor Godfrey standing in front of a microphone begging the federal government to come rescue his citizens as it happened in New Orleans after Katrina.

The boy gets lucky! Mom & Dad too!

No, this isn't a boastful post about multiple acts of sweaty carnality. And too bad for that... But it is a post about the notification from the hospital that all of the bill for the boy's week long stay, has been written off. Taken care of. Abolished- the hospital and the doctor's bills. All we ever saw was the hospital portion of the bill, $8500 and a couple bucks. I suppose the doctor's bill could easily have added $1500 more to the total.

But, the boy is 21, uninsured through me, unemployed and in school. So after we filled out some forms and provided some supporting documentation, the hospital wrote off the bill. Every dollar of it!

This was very good news for all concerned.

On a related note, the boy is drawing close to graduating from Job Corp. The Toyota dealer, where he had begun a Work Based Learning stint just before going into the hospital, is still interested in having him return to their service bay. Rumor has it that there is a permanent position as soon as he leaves Job Corp as well. I really hope this pans out for him as it would be the perfect affirmation of the effort that he has put into his training this past 18 months.

Mayor Nagin admits he should have done things differently!

UPDATE: I found the transcript! Link added at the quote.

I just watched the 2 hour Dateline special on Hurricane Katrina. At the end of the program, talking to Stone Phillips, mayor Nagin admitted he should have done things differently.

He said, "I should have screamed louder".

He didn't say, "I'm going to get the keys to every bus in the city in my hand and a list of assigned drivers." He also didn't say, "I'm going to stockpile bottled water, MREs and porta-potties at the sites chosen as shelters."

No, he said, "I should have screamed louder." Mayor, that's one hell of a plan! If that is the best you can figure out in hindsight, you are unfit to run the animal shelter. You are still a jackass!

I can see snow!

Out the window behind me, right now. Its been cold since Saturday with a storm that came down out of Idaho dumping rain on the valley this morning. But it also dumped some white stuff up there on the mountain before blowing through and leaving clean blue skies in the wake.

My scooter riding days are certainly running out for this year. I'm too old to be riding when its raining and snowing like I did when I was a kid...

The Name Game from Mostly Cajun-

He's been putting up these nearly weekly posts about baby names coming out of his local newspaper. The posts are classics! Go read some of the names and have a great chuckle.

The guy is sharp so be careful. You might have a soft drink/keyboard/monitor interference moment!

I have a new motto to live by-

Its from Red Green.

If a woman doesn't find you handsome, she should at least find you handy.

If you don't know Red, well, you probably have a life and aren't watching Public Television on Saturday evenings like me.

You should know Red and his favorite product, duct tape.

Mayor Nagin- VIOTY candidate! First nomination!

I put this in the comments to a previous post but its too good not to give a post of its own. Its from an email from my Dad today. I don't know why he's shy about leaving comments- he's NOT a shy guy... Anyway, he has a suggestion:

If you are going to be founder and CEO of the mayor Nagin fan club, do I, as your father, get family/cutrate membership?

Not only is he a jackass, but certainly very much in the running as Village Idiot of the Year. Since the democrats use the jackass as their emblem, maybe the VIOTY trophy could be designed, using just the rear portion of said animal.

Open for a nationwide design competition? Maybe you could start something using your blogspot?? Might get some very unusual designs.

I think a VIOTY trophy should be designed and perhaps presented to the good mayor if nobody manages to defeat his cluelessness this year. Design suggestions anyone?

Some photos from Biloxi- before and after Katrina

Great aerial photos over at Murdoc Online. He has matched up post-Katrina aerial photos with Google Earth photos from before the store struck. Well worth checking them out.

Two words I am waiting to hear from New Orleans

Actually, the first one is two words- Superfund Site. Does anyone believe that after being so thoroughly contaminated by
the flood water, that there is a way that New Orleans can avoid becoming a Superfund Site? Think of this contamination on EVERYTHING it has touched, every bit of floating furniture, every stick of lumber that was part of someone's home. Its all covered with the same toxic muck and cannot be cleaned, scoured or just tossed into the local landfill. As the water soaks into the ground, doesn't the ground become contaminated with the same disease, toxic chemicals and filth that would cause the EPA fits if it were an industrial clean-up site? I think it does mean that.

Next word I expect to hear from New Orleans? Gitmo. That's right, I expect to hear that the ACLU will be comparing the temporary jail set up in the Greyhound bus terminal to the detention camp for terrorists in Guantanamo Bay. How can they possibly resist the pictures of lonely, deprived, misunderstood citizens locked up behind chain link fences? I don't think they will be able to pass up the opportunity to claim that these stalwart citizens are being mistreated without air conditioning, television, and immediate access to their lawyers.

Those are my predictions for the coming week. Remember, you read them here first!

My Labor Day weekend?

Well, sure; I had one. Didn't everybody? Why is it Thursday already and I haven't written about my weekend. I don't know, busy I guess. So what did I do with 4 entire days off? Let's see...

Friday, the BSU and I did a little shopping and had a very nice lunch in the Union Grill. It is part of the Union pacific railroad station that now houses several nice museums and a gift shop or two. John Moses Browning's original gunsmith bench is here as well as the rest of his shop in the Browning Gun Museum, which I did not get to revisit! It was our first visit to the restaurant but I'm certain it won't be our last. The food was terrific. I had a chicken and sausage gumbo, the spouse had french onion soup and a salad that she raved about. And tiramisu and coffee for desert! Yum.

Friday night was special because I had convinced the spouse to attend a Raptors baseball game with me! We sat on the first base line because I was late getting tickets for my regular area but otherwise it was a nearly perfect baseball night. We even got 33% more baseball than a regular night because we stayed through the midpoint of the top of the 12th inning! We finally walked out when the Raptors went down 7-4 with only one Orem Owl out. By the time we walked the 2 blocks to the truck, the score had changed to 11-4! The Raptors got waxed- terribly.

On a related note- the Raptors face off against the Owlz again on Friday night for the first of 3 playoff games. In the series last week the Raptors only got 2 wins from 7 games against the Owlz. That doesn't bode well for the playoffs but I'm buying tickets for Saturday night's game anyway!

So, where was I? Saturday was homework in the morning, a repair on the scooter and then a movie date. The repair was to one of the handlebar mirror mounts. Underneath the plastic cover is a normal looking set of handlebars and the mirrors mount to welded on brackets. One of the brackets had failed and my first attempt to re-weld the broken stub only lasted one day. So, I cut the entire original bracket off, bent up a new one, drilled the hole for the threaded insert and got it all welded back together. And it all fit... And its lasted 4 days so far!

The movie? Redeye. A very fine thriller movie. Not creepy or supernatural or other-worldly, just a really fine thriller. Worth the admission costs if you like that kind of film.

Sunday- more homework. Then omelets for a late breakfast and then in the afternoon, a trip to Cabelas! Yes! We have a brand new Cabelas Outfitters store down in Lehi, that's 60 miles from home. It just opened earlier this month. The spouse and the boy went along and we had a pretty wonderful time. And I only spent $60! But what a very cool store it is. Its similar in design and scope to the Bass Pro Stores, with an aquarium and a mountain with stuffed animals on display, a small trout stream and a real outfitter's airplane hanging from the ceiling. It would be very easy to rub the numbers on a credit card completely smooth in that place but having the spouse nearby really kept me from going overboard with the purchases. I did buy 3 boxes of ammo for the new rifle, some candy and son Noah got a pair of new jeans.

And since I bought more ammo- of course on Monday we had to shoot it up! First there was a thorough carport clean-up necessary after the boy's engine change that was completed the previous weekend. Then, we got to go shooting and we had a blast. The new Savage 223 rifle took about 6 shots to get it shooting to point of aim. After that I took to shooting someone's left over clay pigeons on a hillside at 150 yards! Heh! What fun that was! I also, finally got the Stevens Favorite shooting where I pointed it. I even hit the prairie dog targets that I set at 75 yards 3 times out of 6 using my Model 19 from a sandbag!

Afterwards, there was a dandy dinner at home and guns to clean before sitting down to a little television watching with the spouse. And that's how I spent my weekend!

I'm sending this in through an email post with no time to chase links right now. Tonight maybe. More likely tomorrow. Check back!

Another movie personality quiz...

This one wasn't too surprising either...

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

The Ray Nagin Memorial Motor Pool

There's lots more pictures and a detailed look at New Orleans' Emergency Evacuation Plan over at Junkyard Blog. You really need to go read the whole thing and understand, city and state officials had exercised the Emergency plans, repeatedly, they knew the plans did not work when ran as an exercise and they did nothing to fix the shortcomings.

Apparently, it was President Bush's personal call to Governor Blanco, who then called Mayor Nagin that actually got the mandatory evacuation underway.

I'm sure glad Nagin's not my mayor!

I wish I wrote as eloquently as Bill Whittle-

But I don't, by a long shot. So you have to go read his most recent essay, Tribes. I think like Bill thinks, I just can't say it nearly as well.

My Tribe doesn’t fire on people risking their lives, coming to help us. My Tribe doesn’t curse such people because they arrived on Day Four, when we felt they should have been here before breakfast on Day One. We are grateful, not to say indebted, that they have come at all. My Tribe can’t eat Nike’s and we don’t know how to feed seven by boiling a wide-screen TV. My Tribe doesn’t give a sweet God Damn about what color the looters are, or what color the rescuers are, because we can plainly see before our very eyes that both those Tribes have colors enough to cover everyone in glory or in shame. My Tribe doesn’t see black and white skins. My Tribe only sees black and white hats, and the hat we choose to wear is the most personal decision we can make.

Read the whole thing...

Decorating my computer-

I bought one of these USB Lava Lights! At Target, on sale, about half of the price on this page.

Its very cool!

Another thought or two about Katrina- and preparations

Today I listened to the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, railing at the federal government for not stepping in fast enough to rescue his city. Its on the CNN video page right now but I can't figure out how to link it. I did find a transcript. Since then, I've been thinking about what the mayor did, since his time in office, to prepare for this type of disaster and disaster response.

He did order the city evacuated before the hurricane struck, didn't he? Sure he did. First on Saturday:

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin followed at 5 p.m., issuing a voluntary evacuation.

Nagin said late Saturday that he's having his legal staff look into whether he can order a mandatory evacuation of the city, a step he's been hesitant to do because of potential liability on the part of the city for closing hotels and other businesses.

"Come the first break of light in the morning, you may have the first mandatory evacuation of New Orleans," Nagin told WWL-TV.

But if he was so concerned with getting the people of New Orleans out of town, why are these buses still parked in a flooded yard? Why weren't they loaded with citizens and driven out of town while there was still time? And just 30 boats was all the city could scrounge for rescue efforts? Come on mayor! That's hardly a preparation plan!

In a somewhat surreal morning news conference, Mayor Ray Nagin issued an emergency order giving state and local authorities the right to commandeer private buildings and vehicles -- including boats -- as they see fit. The mayor did not say which buildings might be seized for public use, but said that if the Superdome became too full, additional buildings might be needed for shelter.

Nagin also said the city has 30 boats at its disposal, but could need far more, depending on the water level in the city after the storm.

So Nagin takes the President and FEMA and everyone he can think of to blame for not resucing his people, he wanted every greayhound bus in America on its way to save his people, but all he had was 30 boats and a couple hundres schools buses abandoned and unused.

Great plan Mayor, ya jackass!

Thinking about New Orleans

Last night I told the BSU that I wanted to go to the bank and get a loan. I said I needed 6 new dump trucks, 2 front end loaders and an RV. And trailers to transport the loaders. She of course, looked at me like I had just announced a plan to take over the world, when all I really had expressed was my business plan for the next 5 years.

I've been looking at the pictures of New Orleans, on the web and the television. I even found some satellite pictures from before and after Katrina last night. My heart truly goes out to all the people that have lost everything they owned, that are homeless, jobless and sleeping on interstate overpasses. It is a disaster of huge proportions and I do not have any solutions that will resolve the human suffering that is going on our Gulf Coast right now.

I can see that the city of New Orleans will need to be scraped clean to the ground and rebuilt. All those homes that have been underwater to the rafters cannot be repaired. Those thousands of homes will need to be bulldozed and carried away, every scrap. With the threat of water-borne disease that is being discussed, this scrap will need to be treated as hazardous waste- biological waste perhaps.

The state of Louisiana needs a new landfill to contain the debris that needs scraped out of New Orleans. It will be a massive landfill and it needs to prepared right now.

My suggestion? Lake Ponchartrain looks pretty good, just on the other side of that failed levee and Lakeshore Drive. Maybe they won't need the entire lake but they need a significant portion to levee off, drain and use as a landfill.

If I could, I would be there with my dump trucks, loaders and some reliable operators, next week, applying for permits and contracts that will be forthcoming to assist in the cleanup. There is going to be lots of work for people willing to get into the cleanup effort and all that has to be done before the building trades folks can go to work.

I think it will turn into a historic effort. It will be an effort that reflects the resilience and strength and savvy that built this country in the first place. As Americans, we will do the right thing, do ourselves proud and show the world that we will not be beaten even in the face of such disaster.

Katrina-

My mind just can't quite grasp the level of devastation that has hit New Orleans, Gulfpot and Biloxi and all the area in between. There are tons of photos from WWL TV and you can read reports from a local blogger here.

The pictures of New Orleans underwater are particularly hard for me to grasp.

Its going to be a long time before life returns to normal for every member of that city and locale- for those that survive.

Army vs Marines

An Army guy is sitting at a bar wearing a shirt that says "Marines suck".

Sure enough, two Marines walk up.

One of the Marines says, "WHAT DOES THAT SHIRT SAY!?!?!?!"

So the Army guy responds, "That's the first thing I hate about Marines, they can't read."

The other Marine growls, "What did you say!?!"

The Army guy responds, "That's the second thing I hate about Marines, they can't hear."

Then the first Marine demands that they take this outside.

Two minutes later the Army guy walks back into the bar unharmed. The bartender askes what happened to the two Marines.

The Army guy responds, "That's the third thing I hate about Marines, they bring knives to gunfights."

I think I'd like to have one of these!

Its a Peugot! I've always been intrigued by 3-wheelers, this one looks like a bunch of excitement!

This isn't too surprising

John Wayne You scored 57% Tough, 9% Roguish, 23% Friendly, and 14% Charming!

You, my friend, are a man's man, the original true grit, one tough talking, swaggering son of a bitch. You're not a bad guy, on the contrary, you're the ultimate good guy, but you're one tough character, rough and tumble, ready for anything. You call the shots and go your own way, and if some screwy dame is willing to accept your terms, that's just fine by you. Otherwise, you'll just hit the open trail and stay true to yourself. You stand up for what you believe and can handle any situation, usually by rushing into the thick of the action. You're not polished and you're not overly warm, but you're a straight shooter and a real stand up guy. Co-stars include Lauren Bacall and Maureen O'Hara, tough broads who can take care of themselves. Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the Classic Dames Test.

The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid

We didn't have sling shots like this when I was a kid!

And certainly a good thing too! What kind of trouble could we have managed if we had laser pointed, red dot sight aimed slingshots?

I'll bet I would still be paying for damage repairs... And of course, begging my dad to give it back!

Cats in Sinks

Who doesn't love them? Here's all the cats in sinks you can imagine. Link shamelessly stolen from Dave Barry's blog after he high-tailed north out of hurricane Katrina's way.

[Note] You folks will dial up connections may really hate this link. There's a lot of kitty pictures!

Feminine Hygiene Tips- from Lysol...

I found this link today over at Lance McCord's blog. I've been watching and reading Lance's page for a few days now, I probably ought to put him over there on the link list pretty soon.

Anyway, today he has a link to a directions from Lysol on how a woman can protect her "feminine allure and daintieness". Lysol seemed to think that a women's husband will only remain interested in her if her "objectionable odor" has been expunged.

Creepy. Really creepy!

My feelings about Cindy Sheehan?

Most of my regular readers probably don't need to ask. I've refrained from commenting about this woman and her circumstances because there are so many other bloggers already doing a much better job of it. This one, Adeimantus, expresses my feelings better than I could say it myself.

So when Cindy Sheehan speaks, decency obliges us all to give her a respectful hearing. But though we are obliged to hear her, we are not obliged to heed her.

Unfortunately, her wrathful voice brings no new insight. Her opinions are nothing more and nothing less than re-amplified repetitions of the hyperbolic irrationalities that have been heard from her manipulators on the extreme left since before the war in Iraq began.

Go read the whole thing.

Feeling kind of lucky tonight...

I've decided that I really don't like days like today when a southerly wind blows through our state. If you remember the last time I mentioned the wind being bad, it was the day the Phantom was struck by a runaway boat. Well, it was windy from the south again today and the scooter got damaged again. This time I was on the scooter and on the road when a driver pulled out from a side street into the side of the scooter!

I'm ok. I didn't even drop the scoot. But I was kind of shook up. The driver, a young airman in a Ranger pickup, was pulling out from a side street on the base as I was headed home after work. He failed to see me coming and so pulled out from the right, just as I was getting to the intersection. I moved left as far as I could without getting into the next lane and the driver hit the brakes just as I came into his view. I just about got clear of his bumper but he ran into me, just under my seat. I got the scoot stopped right away with no further drama and then we pulled off together to check out the circumstances.

I need a new body panel. I don't need the decal or the turn-signal lens as I have those left over from the previous incident. My muffler has some scratches on it that should buff out. The airman is going to pay for the parts and then all should be back to 100%.



I was wishing, just at the time of the impact, that I was wearing my new padded jacket that was waiting for me when I got home! Those shoulder pads were seeming like a really good idea just about the time I thought I might be bouncing off the pavement.

Damm!

Let Cindy Sheehan meet the president!

In fact, like Lawrence, I think it should be a mandatory meeting, as soon as it can be arranged. If you don't click over to his post, you're going to think I've flipped sides, so go read the whole thing!

A prayer for better beer-

No, really! Its from a Marine Corp chaplain. And if you go read the Prayer for Better Beer, you will probably wish to say the prayer yourself.

On a related note- the beer at the James Taylor concert we went to Saturday night- $8.50 for a 24 ounce draft microbrew... I had Country Time lemonade instead!

Interesting find in my referral pages today

I found this link to Big Scooter Guide.com in my referrals today. I've never heard of this site before, and looking at it, it seems to be one of those "no content-all redirect" advertising sites.

But whatever, the site has my little blog listed as a Recommended Resources For Scooter Phantom R4i Vento. I'm presently listed 3rd, just below the eFundraising and SoberRecover.com. Don't ask me what either of those two sites have to do with scooters, but there you have it. If you're drunk and broke and looking for help, Wasted Electrons remains vigilent to help by offering scooter advice.

Its a good thing this internet thingie doesn't have to make sense!

Stupid- Stupid Camera!

Ya know, just one of you might have mentioned that the date on the pictures I put online a week or two ago had the wrong date on them! My camera's date is set one month ahead, rather like a really advanced Daylight Savings Time.

But nobody mentioned it; not in the comments or through email or phone call. So I look dumb, in front of the entire internet and I had to find out from another blogger poking fun at me!

At least he said Astin was a cute baby!

Weekend update-

Well, my time off from school ends tonight and I'm back in class tomorrow night. So what did I do for fun while this weekend? Well, first I took the BSU to the movies Friday evening, we went to see March of the Penguins. What a neat movie this is!

It has it all, drama, romance, birth, death, fuzzy babies and dramatic weather. No explosions though, and no car chases. Other than those things, it has it all. It really is a marvlous movie and through the ending credits you get to see how much trouble the camera men went through to get this story on film.

I was reminded of one of my favorite Bloom County cartoon strips where Opus the Penguin was trying to call his mother and was terribly distraught because no one ever answered the phone when he called. The final frame of the cartoon showed all the penguins standing around a pay phone on a post watching it ring and complaining that no one had a stool so they could reach the receiver. If I were an Emperor Penguin in Antartica, I think I would have to have a phone and a speed dial set to the Fish Gut Delivery Service so I didn't have to march back and forth so far for a meal!

Saturday night was another date night, a big one this time! We went to see James Taylor in concert at the
USANA amphitheater in West Valley City. This was a big deal for the spouse, she really wanted to see James again, since we saw him just a couple years ago at the Delta Center. Anyway, the money was in the checking account so at the last minute I bought a couple tickets, (ouch!) and off we went.

It was a really fun show. James is so full of stories and songs and joy in doing his shows that its a pleasure to go and see him in concert. The man has written SO many songs! This show was a pleasure. James does the ballads and old-time tunes simply with just his voice and acoustic guitar and you can believe all night would be fine if he did that. But then he gets the band cranked up with horns and electric guitar and does Steamroller like rock and roll is all he knows how to do! The changes are remarkable and fun all at the same time.

I've been tired all day after last night night. we went out for pie and coffee before going home and then stayed up another hour with the boy and his new gf who were watching Mythbusters. But I got my shop cleaned up and out today, all the benches have been cleared but one and I got my bike hung up out of the way and I threw out a bunch of stuff that I could no longer remember why I wanted to save it.

I did not get the inside glass of the truck cleaned, which was on my list of things to do, nor did I get to go to the shooting range. That was supposed to be a priority since my new Savage 223 rifle is now safely in the gun locker and begging to be taken out and shot. I did buy 2 brands of ammo for it this weekend and a sandbag rest and I cleaned it really well after reading the owner's manual. Nothing left to do but shoot it now!

Laundry machines are running full bore right now, meaning I've got clothes to fold if I want to be able to find them in the morning before work. The drain is still not working well even though I've been pumping lots of dangerous chemicals through it. The over flow is coming up black and smelly right now, so I know I'm making progress!

Son#2 is doing much better now and is back home where he belongs. He seems to have picked up a new gf, though she may be of the "right now" type instead of "Miss Right." Because he's been so involved with her this weekend, the Tracker is still not running. He does have the engine in place and he thought things were going just fine until he discovered 30 minutes ago that the engine will not turn over. Not even a lttle. It is locked up tight. I've looked at it- since I started this post- and the bad news is, it looks like the engine has to come out again. Something in the transmission bellhousing, flywheel is not right and is locking the engine. I don't know what it is, I wasn't here when he slung the motor and hooke the pieces together, but I'm certain there is a clearance problem of major proportion.

Neither of my school books have arrived yet. ECampus.com has really let me down this term. I ordered my books on the 10th, they weren't shipped until the 18th and won't be here until the middle of this week. Totally unsat!

Anyway, I'm tired. I guess I'll go to work in the morning to rest up!

I might just have to attend this event-

Its the Saints and Scooters"Don't Let the Terrorists Win" weekend scooter event. Three days and nights of hanging out with scooter folks- it sounds like lots of fun.

'Course I'm shy a few 'tats and piercings to really fit in with most scooter crowd folks, and I don't have any Doc Martins or a black leather jacket. But maybe they would let me ride with them...

Rabbit Motorscooters

A few days ago I was talking to an buddy on the phone and we got to discussing motorscooters. Imagine that... Anyway, he asked me what I knew about Rabbit motorscooters and I had to admit that I had never heard of a scooter called Rabbit. He said it was more luxurious than Vespas of the same age and he was familiar because someone he knew had owned one years ago.

Well, my friend was right. There was a Rabbit motorscooter, made by Fuji Heavy Industries after World War 2. They were imported into the US beginning in 1957, in a number of different models. And unique to Rabbit for the time, was an automatic, continuously variable transmission. Unlike today's belt drive CVTs, the Rabbit's transmission required automatic transmission fluid to operate.

I'm still certain that I've never seen one of these scooters. But now, I'm sure willing to look for one!

Speaking of scooters-

What's happening with my Phantom? A number of things actually, since you ask.

First, Alan from PowerSportsFactory warrantied out my HP-150 muffler that separated a few weeks back with a brand new one. That muffler's inlet pipe came completely loose from the main can of the muffler. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the same problem appeared last week on the new muffler. It was only two weeks old. Today I found a welder that has TIG welding capability and can weld on the stainless materials. He said it would be ready tomorrow. While that muffler is being repaired, I'm back to my JC Whitney home-grown muffler.

I've still been tinkering with my carburetor as reported in this post, but its all for no improvement until I get a new fuel enrichment solenoid. The one I have is broken, the housing is split and seems uninterested in any of the glue types I have around here. I ordered a new one today. I also discovered why the dang thing breaks over the weekend. Way back here I showed pictures of my new intake manifold and mentioned that making everything fit due to its increased length was a challenge. What I failed to realize was how big a challenge it would be! When the scooter is on the centerstand, there is plenty of clearance for the solenoid. But when the scooter goes back on its wheels, the angle of the offending mount moves forward and dislocates the solenoid from the carburetor!

Dang! When this thing is broke, it lets in air where it shouldn't be, making any attempt to adjust the carb an effort in futility. So, I've ordered a new part and a new motor mount. I'm going to get all ugly with the mount and cut and weld and grind until I get a mount that gives plenty of room for the carburetor and its attachments. I'm kinda tired of dinking with it and the only way I can figure to get the clearance I need is to just basically build a new one. That should be fun.

Anyway, there's 2700 miles on the scooter already and it still looks good and goes good. I did replace the fuel diaphram and that fixed my problem of running out of fuel going up long, steep hills.

My neat, mesh jacket arrived, finally, today and its too small. So I've got to send it back. Rats!

Another Scooter Blogger!

This guy just purchased his Strada from PowerSportsFactory. He's pleased with his scoot and I'm jealous that New Jersey is just a little too far to go to window shop for scooters.anyway, his blog is StradaScooter.

Here's the pictures I promised

The first one is of the newest Mccord family, Son #1, Sara and baby Astin.


The next one is of Granny Sunday and her pride & joy, Grandson Astin.


Finally, a picture of Son#2, Noah.


He is doing much better today than he was the day this picture was taken, which the last Tuesday when the crisis occurred. If you have seen his picture before, you'll note a significant change in his hairstyle!

I promised pictures, and I will post some

But not tonight. It got late. Sorry.

Update on the familial stress

Son #2 is now a patient- same hospital where his mom was a patient just about a year ago. We took him there last night after he met with a therapist and his suggestion was that the boy needed some immediate accessement and treatment.

So, he's getting it. Seems his troubles were bigger than he had been willing to share with ol' Mom & Dad. Or his counselor or Job Corp, who was kind enough to call this morning to ask how and what was happening with him. She sounds like a lovely woman and it was obvious from her call that she thinks the world of Son #2. The boy has already called with clothing and personal gear requests and he sounded upbeat about the circumstances so far. Good.

I've loaded up his new cell phone with prepaid minutes and the essential numbers he needs until he gets back home and into school.

Now there are lots of other chores to run today before going to see him tonight!

UPDATE: Sunday, 11 Aug. The young man is doing well. He has been moved into a less restrictive unit and started on meds. More are planned for today. We visited last night nad except for the "sleepy" factor that most of those meds cause, he was in decent spirits and cooperating with the program.

I expect he will be home by the end of the week.

Its a boat! Its a plane! What the heck?

You gotta see this Hydro Foam boat video! Very wild. And they look like lots of fun!

Major, major frustration at our house right now!

On a ugly note, son #2, after an extended breakup with his long term GF, lost his mind Tuesday night, kicked down some door frame lumber, swiped as much of my beer as he could carry and spent the night wandering around in the neighborhood. This was just after we had such a pleasant dinner on earlier that evening.

The ex-GF threw him out when he appeared at her house at 3:30AM, (GOOD!) and then he failed to show up at the Toyota dealer where he just began apprenticing on Monday. This was part of his Job Corp training and was supposed to be leading to full time employment within about 6 weeks. He finally showed up at home about 3 PM Wednesday.

Now he's at home, did not go to the Toyota dealer or Job Corp this AM and saying he is not going back. Meaning he'll get dropped from the program. He doesn't think he needs to be in a Psych hospital but does think he could use a therapist. He's not speaking and he's acting as the spouse says, "like a 4 year old." And he is.

So he didn't go to Job Corp or the Toyota shop today. He did attempt some repairs on the door frame that I told him I was expecting. And he has a therapist appointment later this afternoon. Before that, his favorite instructor from JC, one that he really likes and respects, is coming over to the house to talk to him. I went and asked this favor from him this morning…

He's really put a lot of effort into this mechanics training, 18 months worth of going to school everyday and doing well all along the way. Now he's obsessing over a girlfriend that he broke up with, when he found out she quit college and kept it a secret for an entire term. He really does love her. But he broke up with her and she has moved on.

I have tried to tell him that time would heal his hurt. I've also encouraged him to leave alone everything he has no control over, like this relationship and instead to focus on those things he has control over, like his training and his career.

Right now, he is not hearing me or his mother. Perhaps his instructor or this therapist will be able to talk to him in a way that makes sense.

Big explosion closes Highway 6!

A truck carrying 35 tons of explosives overturned this afternoon, then blew up in Spanish Fork! The television reporters are all a-twitter trying to say something better than the other networks. It appears no one was killed and injuries limited.

The hole in the ground is massive and the debris set hillside fires several hundred yards from the blast site.

Its gonna be a long commute for those folks that travel Highway 6 and have to bypass!

Hoopty Rides- a new addition to my blog list

Maybe you've already seen Hoopty Rides, but if not, swing over and check this guy out. He has some great stuff going on in his garage and I'll bet we could be best friends if given the chance to hang out. Anyway, he has some really cool projects going on and I'm mighty envious.

Kye, Sara and Astin buy a new car!

Son #1, his lovely wife and my grandbaby came to visit last night! They wanted to show off their newly purchased Scion XB. They only purchased it Monday night. It's a beauty in dark blue. The Malibu they have been driving is consuming coolant at a more than daily rate, in spite of a head gasket replacement just a few weeks ago. So, they took advantage of all the sales efforts going on, shopped around and decided on an XB. They liked it better and was less expensive than all the small SUVs that made the consideration list.

They came up for a very pleasant visit and we all headed out to Village Inn for dinner with Son #2 and his ex-girlfriend Lily.

Dinner was fine, Astin the grandbaby was in a playful mood and let me hold him and play with him for the entire time. He's getting quite chubby and his red hair hangs in his eyes most of the time. After dinner we headed home and Astin got the stuffed baby sea otter toy that we brought for him from Oregon.

I've got pictures but they are stuck at home in the camera. I'll post a couple this evening if I get time.

Sure glad I bought a Phantom last year-

Bet you never thought you would see me write that, did you? Well, Vento has released the pictures of the new Phantom. If you're shopping for a Phantom, I sure hope you like the "rat rod", industrial look of flat black and diamond plate!

Note too the exhaust system on the scooter- its expansion pipe shaped with a turned around, stinger muffler, just like the style for every 2-stroke motored scooter! Vento obviously decided to jump on the "racing pipe" look for this 4-stroke engined scooter and to me, it looks ridiculous. I suspect its a fake with no real expansion chamber properties and probably restrictive as hell with that tiny tailpipe diameter.

Personally, I like my shiny, copper colored Phantom. I suppose the flat black look will be good for the young kids that can't keep the tires in touch with the pavement and scratch up their body panels. It will be easy to keep a can of BBQ grill paint on hand to touch up the scratches!

Another movie review- a good one this time!

Saturday evening the BSU and I went off to see a preview of a movie that doesn't hit the normal rotation until this weekend. The movie was The Great Raid. Surprisingly, the BSU was all over going to see this film because she had seen some documentary on the same raid on the television some weeks ago.

The movie is a re-telling of the story of the 6th Ranger Battalion, a group of green, untested Army Rangers in the Philippines as they trek 30 miles behind Japanese enemy lines to rescue 512 American POWs held in a notorious camp.

I'm not going to spoil it by telling you more. I will advise you to go see it. It is a terrific story and very well told. That said, it is graphic. Perhaps more graphic than Saving Private Ryan, if only because the killing that is displayed is up close and personal, in courtyards and inside the POW camp instead of on the beaches of Normandy. I admit to being surprised that this movie, and the manner in which it portrays the Japanese could be made in these Politically Correct and Culturally Kind days we live in. This movie is easily the equal to Saving Private Ryan or Enemy at the Gate so if you liked those movies, you may really like The Great Raid.

Our dog Sandy-

I don't want to sound as if our beloved, on long-term babysitting-duty dog Sandy is weird or anything.

But this morning, when I got up at 5:10AM and went to use the toilet, she was sitting in the shower stall!

Not sleeping in the shower- sitting. And she didn't want to come out and go back to her sleeping pad. Strange dog, really strange.

BTW, there's a picture of Sandy welcoming one and all to the Tiki Hut camper from our trip to the beach here.

A Phantom performance quandry

Today I had a phone chat with Alan from PowerSportsFactory. When he learned that my air filter was still attached to a portion of the original air filter system, he strongly recommended that I get rid of it and install the filter directly to the mouth of the carburetor. The configuration that has been working looks like this:




And since, due to the narrow confines of the motor mount and the tight fit of the hole that I already enlarged to fit the bigger manifold some months back, I was unable to fit the filter directly to the carb inlet, so I used a couple inches of the rubber tube from the original air intake. It looked like this:



Now here's the quandry. Alan told me that I would need to adjust the air mixture screw after removing the curved pipe. And I did that- by the book. It adjusted just beautifully and ran perfectly on the stand. Trouble is, it won't run worth a damm when under load! It just goes to crap! If I could get it out of the midrange and onto the main jet, it would begin to clear out and run fine. But through the mid-range, from just off idle to until it is running on the main jet, its unrideable!

Replacing the curved tube, and readjusting the air mixture got me right back to where I had been in the first place. And I tried adjusting the mixture 3 different times with test jaunts up my block, all unsuccessfully.

I'm stumped. I can not believe that bit of curved hose makes so much difference in the performance but I can't figure out which way to go with the carb and its jets and adjustments to get it running right. The hard part of course is that you can't get the poor performance when its sitting on the centerstand, the engine must be under load.

Maybe it needs a different sized pilot jet. I suppose bigger would be the way to go but that is just a guess. Any suggestions?

BTW, I did bypass the fuel shutoff with a new length of hose after replacing my curved inlet pipe and made one run up the hill successfully without the engine cutting out. I think that verifies that the valve is bad. I'll be awaiting the new one in the mail shortly. Thanks Alan!

Movie Review- Summertime fun!

Want to have some fun at the theater this summer? Here is the solution- go see Stealth. Take with you a cranium packed full of all the foolish movies that tried to portray the military that you can think of. Think Iron Eagle and all its terrible offspring. Then, buy a bag of popcorn, a soda, then sit back and count up all the ways you can identify this movie as completely off the mark. I mean, its obvious that NO Naval personnel were employed as advisors for this movie. The movie is not supposed to be funny, but it is. It really is.

I'm not going to give away the whole movie but I'll give you a short list of obvious faux pauxs that made me laugh. You can check out the movie and collect your own set of Hollywood goof-ups. My list:

"Implosion" bombs that can penetrate 15 floors of a building, then go off and cause the building to fall in on itself without injuring anyone outside the building

The skipper of the USS Abraham Lincoln call it a "ship." I'm pretty certain that every floating piece of naval equipment is a "boat" no matter how big it is.

The skipper was also wearing a jacket with the patch of the USS Carl Vinson!
While evading the Russian MiGs, our hero expended "chafe and flares"
The "concussion check" for our hero was pretty funny.
The visual references to Top Gun were fun and frequent.
The controlled flat spin of the unmanned fighter jet made me laugh out loud.
Finally, the crashed heroine of the movie who was NOT wearing a one-piece flight suit while sneaking out of North Korea.

Make up your own lists!

I probably could buy that 30mm carburetor

If I hadn't already paid for a new jacket from Brockton Cycle. You can see the details of the jacket here.

Its mesh, so it lets in the fresh air during these hot summer months and meets the requirements of long sleeves and reflective and high visibility required by the Air Force base. The wind-tight jacket I have been wearing is just really miserable on the way home when the temperature's up over the 90 degree mark.

Now I'm just waiting for a new package to arrive.

More Phantom "improvements"

I've been talking to Alan at PowerSportsFactory this morning, based upon some discussion of carburetors and related vacuum lines. It all started due to a post over at the Vento Users Group at Yahoo. Alan had mentioned to one of the posters that no intake manifold vacuum splitter was required as the big carburetor did not require a separate vacuum source. But my carb does have a requirement for a external vacuum source and so I ended up calling Alan to figure it all out.

I have a 26mm carburetor, not the 30mm version that is presently being offered in the big-bore kit from PSF. That explains the difference! Alan was also insistent that if I remove the u-shaped portion of the original air filter system and installed the air filter directly on the intake end of the carb that I would feel the performance improvement immediately. I used the u-shaped portion based on a picture of the kit from PSF that showed the tube included! I suppose the configuration has changed as development continues, so I'll give it a try.

The scoot has also had a problem that Alan has promised a replacement part to correct. The scooter runs out of fuel when operated at high speeds and high loads, like when I'm trying to get up some of the steep hills around my house. The motor just "dies" for a few seconds but letting up on the throttle allows the engine to recover and then it runs just dandy at everything less than wide open throttle. The fuel shut-off valve is vacuum operated and it appears to not maintain enough vacuum to hold the diaphragm open when operating under low vacuum conditions. I figured out last night how to bypass the valve tonight to verify my theory. In the mean time, Alan is shipping me a new valve.

It also just occurred to me that I could build a small vacuum storage tank to put inline to level out the changes in the low pressure level fluctuations…

The real question is, do I spend the money for that 30mm carburetor that has an accelerator pump feature? Hmm...

Movie Reviews later

Right now I have some scooter troubleshooting to do and preparations for a trip to the gun range!

New scooter blog added to my list

That scooter link list keeps getting bigger as often as I find a new one to share. Today's addition is a Road Less Taken and its author is Sparky. He's Canadian but I promise not to hold that against him. His blog is brand new so I encourage everyone to go by his blog and say hi and encourage Sparky to give us some great stories.

Social Security - Medicare FUBAR Update-

While we don't yet have the medications in hand, the temporary solution to the BSU's pharmocological requirements replentishment might be resolved. It appears that while we are applying and waiting for Social Security to take her money and implement the spouse into Part B, we can get her pills and potions through the pharmacy at the base hospital.

The pharmacy even claims to have all the meds she requires on their shelves. Now we just need to get the call-back from her Doc, the Doc to write new scripts and for the Doc fax in the scripts to the pharmacy. Otherwise, I have to make a 80 mile round trip to pick up the scripts to deliver to the pharmacy counter.

With a little luck this will be resolved today and the BSU will continue to have the right amounts of meds floating through her system without me skipping a house payment.

Its still DUMBASS that the Medicare can't be declined in favor of the Tri-Care.