Blood

The notice came in the mail this weekend and a phone call yesterday reminding me that the Red Cross was having another blood drive this week. It was today actually and I did what I normally do, rode my bike up to the community center, rolled up my sleeve and donated a pint. Not a big deal but it is an important thing to do.
They checked my donation record and I am two pints shy of five gallons, which I thought was a lot until I got to talking to the old guy next to me when we were done and drinking coffee. He was awarded his ten gallon pin today and he told me he started giving when he retired 21 years ago. That is A LOT of blood!
I have seen what a pint of blood can do for a person who is in need first hand and it is an amazing thing. So if you can, the next time the Red Cross is in town give them a pint and help somebody in need. And with any luck sometime this summer I will write about this subject again and I will be able to tell you that I got to the five gallon mark. ;-)

Clyde- the winter beast

Pictured above is Clyde, a Trek cruiser I bought five years ago just because I thought it looked cool, I mean how many bikes do you see these days with springer front ends? Spring, Summer and Fall Clyde is the go to bike for doing errands around town if it is raining. But the winter is where it really comes in to its own. Clyde has some features that really make this bike perfect for winter riding. A seven speed Shimano Nexus rear hub provides reliable shifting in the worst conditions and can be shifted even when you are not pedaling. It also avoids all the maintenance headaches of a rear derailleur and cassette in slushy winter conditions. It has always shifted no matter how cold it gets. It also has a rear coaster brake that always works no matter how cold, wet and nasty things are. The big fenders are a no brainer in wet weather. Overall, I was about 80% satisfied with the bike the way it came from the factory for winter conditions. This year I did two things that get me almost to 100% satisfaction. I installed big flat platform pedals from Atom Lab that have built in studs to grip the bottom of your boots. The second thing I did was to mount a set of Continental Spike Claw 120 tires. I could not believe the difference that the tires made in icy conditions. The 120 carbide studs are mounted on the outside edge of the tire tread and do not touch the road surface when you are riding straight but if you lean in to a turn or start to slide and fall the studs provide an amazing amount of grip. I went out recently in some very icy conditions and rode hard enough to where a fall was almost a given. I never fell or even came close even riding way too fast for conditions.
So if you like to ride bicycles, instead of putting it away when the leaves come off the trees keep going and try winter riding. Riding in the winter is really not that hard if you dress for it. I dress just about exactly like I would if I were going snow boarding and I am very comfortable out there.
You can go with a dedicated winter bike like I did or equip your bike so it handles the rougher conditions without problems. Either way you go it will open a new dimension of riding to you and you may find yourself thinking of bicycling as a winter sport AND hardcore hardtimes transportation like me. See you out there!

Alan Watts- A conversation

Alan Watts has a prominent place in my library with at least 27 titles on hand. He had a huge influence on me when I started reading his books right after leaving the military. Alan is also the person who introduced me to the TAO and guided my understanding. In 1971 he recorded for television " A Conversation with Myself" and it is amazing to listen to him clearly describe the problems we are encountering in society today. He saw very far and very clearly. The four parts run just shy of 1/2 hour in total. You won't be sorry if you watch the videos and take the time to read some of his books.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aufuwMiKmE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ8WeLrtFnY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RcjATFcbq4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOYIE-RX3No&feature=related

Alan Watts on Fear and Existence

I invite you to watch these two videos by Alan Watts. He is my all time favorite lecturer, author and explainer of Tao. He died back in the 70's but was far ahead of his time and this short lecture is very relevant to our time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asqd1H4IluQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdrSyWSrZMo&NR=1

Hard times transportation

The picture above shows the rig I have been using this summer to get groceries and haul other oversize packages that normally would be hard to transport on a bicycle. The trailer is a B.O.B ibex model that is very well built, has suspension built in and will haul 75 pounds. It also has a large, tough, waterproof bag that is included so you can haul things in rainy weather. It is very rare for me to go on any errands around town using anything other than a bicycle and having the trailer gives me more opportunities to ride and leave the car at home.

Kiva- loans that change lives

I had an e-mail tonight from Kiva, the micro loan organization telling me that I had a credit from some of my loans being repaid. So in less than 10 min I had reloaned it to a woman in Peru that is running a small bookstore. This is my seventh loan and so far i have had a repayment rate of 100%! Two of the loans are totally repaid, the other three are 83%, 58% and 26% repaid. Not bad for a 100 dollar investment on my part. This is such an easy way to help people that I hope I can encourage people to give it a try

View from the sticks

At various times on different sites and forums the subject of self defence comes up and normally I don't participate much. The fact is that even though I live in a state that allows licenced concealed carry of handguns, I don't carry. I truth there is only one period during the 24 hours of the day that I feel at all vulnerable and that is at home when I am sleeping. I am a very peaceful and non-violent person with one exception. That is if someone comes into my home, uninvited and armed then the claws come out. What you see in the picture above is what is in reach when I am sleeping. No matter what side of my bed I wake up on there are at least two edged weapons within reach. I have preferred edged weapons for very close quarter combat in the dark for a long time. If at all possible I don't want to fire a firearm indoors because as soon as you do you are both deaf, momentary blinded and somewhat stunned.
I also keep my cell phone close at hand to call 911 but the fact is in the rural area I live in it can take awhile for reinforcements to arrive. And with all the budget trouble city's and towns are having I don't see it getting better.
If I do get awakened by something and I have to investigate then the other weapons come in to play. The flashlight works well to temporarily blind someone and makes a handy club. In my other hand is the shotgun, chamber empty, magazine loaded with buckshot. A pump shotgun makes a vary distinctive sound when a round is racked in to the chamber that most everyone understands. I call it the universal translator.
I hope very much that I never have to use any of this but it is close at hand on standby if I do. Everyone has a different situation in their homes and what works for me may not be appropriate for other people. I live alone so I can do somewhat different things than a home that has children in it. When I had kids at home the firearms were unloaded and locked up but could be gotten to quickly in a special safe. What I recommend is at the very least think through your situation and what your response should be. It is your home,you don't ever have to be a victim and surrender without a fight.