Repeat Occasion

"It's so fun but it's always so damn cold here!!"

Just an ol'-fashioned love song

When the blade cuts through the steam and the falcons run for cover, there will be residents doing the jive out of safety rather than joy, and the credentials required to do so have already been handed out. If you missed the invitation, or if you have disregarded any previous sign, then you may be subject to a radio-wave beating. This will consist of reading the following 


"An earliest reference to sunlight, composed of seven components, can be found in Surya Ashtaka hymns of Samba Purana which is a Vedic text in ancient India."


You must read.... you must read. The waves will beat you. I escaped -- gracefully, if I may.

Happy Birthday Brent Mydland

This beer "Raging Bitch" had only one thing come to mind today...
"...She's temperamental, more a bitch than a machine."

Tons of steel, one of the best train songs ever written; right up there with Orange Blossom Special.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENT!!!

Dead-ly

Yes! Now, this could be good or bad but... It'll serve it's purpose well.

Occupy Your Mind by Steve Corbett

I thought that this was an excellent read:

Occupy Your Mind
by Steve Corbett, posted Oct 5 2011 11:31AM
Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Occupy Wall Street.

Then Occupy Wilkes-Barre.

Occupy Scranton.

Occupy Hazleton.

Occupy America.

But first, occupy your mind.

Without your personal, rational commitment to liberal economic national change – not the mainstream establishment two-party political change that passes for progress – the revolution will never come.

The establishment dreads even the mere suggestion of such a reactionary about-face. And, I’m not talking brother Barack’s “change we can believe in,” either. That’s nothing but a Chicago hustle sung by another corporate shill hawking diversity as evolution that’s truly devolution that in no way contributes to the revolution. Barack is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Barack is more Beaver Cleaver than Eldridge Cleaver.

Mainstream status quo politicians such as Barack and every Republican presidential candidate, fueled by cash from mainstream establishment corporate zombies, squirm at the thought of empowerment by the people – particularly young people – who want to challenge their authority and diffuse their power.

Sound radical?

Good.

Make ’em squirm.

At 4:30 this afternoon, a small group of Facebook friends are planning to “Occupy Wilkes-Barre” from the city’s Public Square. The gathering is scheduled to continue until 11:30 p.m.

At most I expect a handful of concerned citizen protestors to show up with signs that mimic what they have seen streaming online live from Wall Street. But that’s perfectly acceptable. Occupy Wilkes-Barre is a start and there’s no better place to start than there.

Every aspect of the Wall Street protest against corporate greed and the role money plays in corrupting American morality is alive and well in Wilkes-Barre, the county seat of Luzerne County, pound-for-pound the most corrupt county in the nation.

The core of the Wall Street protest attacks the corrupting influence that corporate cash has on government. Luzerne County’s continuing public corruption scandal that so far has resulted in more than 30 admissions of guilt or convictions illustrates an unholy marriage between business and politics as well as any devious example of corruption in the country.

Multi-millionaire admitted criminal Rob Mericle bribed Luzerne County judges who sold children into penal slavery for cash in exchange for more money-making opportunities for Mericle.

Mericle has already occupied Wilkes-Barre.

It’s time to take it back.

And, in Lackawanna County, former majority commissioners Bob Cordaro and A.J. Munchak accepted cash bribes from pillar of the community slugs who bought their way into the good graces of government largesse. Federal prosecutors gave these lowlifes immunity in exchange for their testimony that will likely result in a 20-year prison sentence for Cordaro and a decade behind bars for Munchak.

Sentencing is scheduled for Halloween.

Talk about zombies.

But the only way to end democracy’s eternal night of the living dead is to drive stakes deep into the heart of the blood suckers who do their best to massacre the public trust.

Of course the stakes are high but well worth the danger. In a faltering economy led by money monsters run amok the protestors have little to lose and everything to gain.

And don’t tell me how disorganized they are. Don’t tell me they have no definable goals. Don’t waste your time lecturing people who deserve a far better shake than they’re getting.

Let the chaos begin.

We’ll sort through the minor points later.

Right now I want as many people on the street and in college presidents’ and lawmakers’ offices and bank lobbies as we can muster. I want marches and rallies and disruption and civil disobedience and strategy attacks against Barack, the GOP, the Tea Party and anybody else who wants whatever they can get for “just us” rather than liberty and justice for all.

Don’t get hung up in the details.

Get hung up in attitude.

If you don’t have one get one.

Then go occupy something.

Start with your brain.
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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Corbett/122382414451655

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Lost in translation

Apparently Allentown, PA is a black hole, an element of The Bermuda Triangle, and the vortex that resides between your bed and the wall. How does it take almost 2 complete days to drive from Allentown to Scranton? I could have and would have GLADLY picked it up myself if I was aware that the snail would be on break all day...

I REALLY enjoyed reading this....

It is a review on MILLER LITE. What is there to even review???... I give this guy credit for putting in the time. Hell there's countless other reviews on there, I give 'em all credit. Cheers.

Quote of the day: "I'll finish this"

All this is missing is a *GRUNT*

Pipsqueak

An Enigmatic Translation for....

Ghost Butt

Long rides, long preparation.

"How to prepare for an ultra-long ride

• I’d say its 70% mental, 30% physical. You need the right state of mind. Try to anticipate what riding for 24 hours would feel like. As long as you drink/eat enough, you can almost always continue riding slowly if your mind is up to it.
• Get used to sitting in the saddle for many hours. Take short breaks. Stand up to avoid sitting too long at a time. When rolling down a hill, stop pedaling and shift your body position from side to side.
• Obviously you will have to have done some long rides to be able to enjoy an 18 hour bike day. (But we also have had riders triple their personal best on the August 2003 Fargo-Winnipeg ride.)
• I don’t maximize training (as in 5 times a week) the way many competitive riders do. My three longest rides this summer had each been preceded by 2-3 weeks with hardly any riding!
• Have shorter “bailout” options in case something goes bad (weather, defect, stomach problems, cramps, bad day, …)

What to bring along? Here is a short checklist

• Bike-wear: helmet, gloves, shoes, bike pants & jersey.
• To change when you get there: shorts, T-shirt, underwear, socks.
• 1 pair of light beach slippers (walking in bike shoes is uncomfortable; I also use them as insulation pad to sit on!)
• Rain-Gear: Gore-Tex jacket, long bike pants, long-sleeved bike jersey
• Money/credit card/drivers license (no border crossing without it!)
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen (Your skin WILL burn without it on sunny days!)
• Repair kit for bike, 1 spare tube, mini-pump (mounted at bottle holder),
• Required hex-wrenches to disassemble bike (saddle, handle-bar, pedals) for bike box
• Battery lights back & front

Optional, but recommended items

• Cell phone (keep in mind limited coverage cross-country)
• iPod + charger (if you like music to boost morale – I recommend it)
• Digital camera (not really necessary, but I love my pictures!)
• Toothbrush / floss
• Small first aid kit (gives some peace of mind)

Food/Drinks

• 2 bottle holders are enough on this kind of route. At every town I make sure before I leave that both bottles are full (usually at a gas station or convenience store.) At night, when nothing's open, you probably find at least a soda machine, so bring dollar bills and quarters! If you're looking at a long stretch, you can always put a 3rd bottle of Gatorade in the backpack.
• Cereal bars, 1-2 bananas
• Eat as much pasta as you can the evening before (at least 6 hours before you start) to load up on carbohydrates.
• Eat constantly during the ride (bananas, power bars, fruit, etc.) Don’t eat a big meal – you would stop too long and digestion takes energy away from riding.
• Even more importantly, drink mineral drinks constantly and BEFORE you're getting thirsty. Once you run low you'll cramp and then it is “game over”! If you don't have to pee at least every 1-2 hours, you're not drinking enough.

Other general thoughts

• Stop often but only for a short time (5-10 min); take power-naps; that way your muscles don't cool down and it's more refreshing in the long run.
• I would not go on a long ride without my aero bars. They help aerodynamics, reduce strain on back and help you maintain different positions on the bike.
• Don't ride hard, just pedal smooth. Don't let the odometer tell you how hard to ride. That depends primarily on wind and hills. Long and steady is the only thing that matters.
• Don't think about the goal and how far to go it still might be. More importantly, try to get in the groove and enjoy the freedom of the road, the weather, the sunshine, the smells and sounds of nature, whatever is out there. I found the less you think about the ride itself the more likely you are to enjoy yourself and be surprised that yet another hour has passed already ...
• Work your way up gradually. Don't try to ride 7 hrs in the dark right away. That's hard. Start 1 hr prior to sunrise to get the experience of night time riding without the low morale. I'd say start with a 300km all-day ride (12 hours, round-trip) and see how that goes. As I stated: My average is 4 hrs for 100km.
• Have a plan for retrieval. Ideally you have someone coming along with the car. But that can also be tempting to just give up too soon when the going gets tough...
• Be prepared for little mental challenges: Detour due to road construction, missed a turn and have to go back, bad stretch of road, hills, dust/wind/rain, etc. Most such difficulties don't last very long.
• To go far, ride with tailwind. Sounds so obvious, but few people systematically plan for it and do it. Retrieval is an issue, though!
• I find larger highways better than smaller ones due to the smooth road, wider shoulder conditions and generally less turns and hills. If you go on small roads, make sure there is very little traffic.
• I use Zip-lock bags for many small items; they keep things dry (sweat, rain) and organized, while they weigh nothing. For example, I bring a couple of tissues in a zip lock to clean the sunglasses from sweat! Another zip lock bag contains dental floss. Handy to have, weighs next to nothing!
• Pack your fresh cloths in plastic bags to keep them dry if you do get in a rain shower.

Websites

• www.ultracycling.org Ultra-Marathon Cycling Association
• www.rusa.org Randonneurs USA
• www.biketrip.org Long-distance bikers forum
  
  

Books

• The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling
  Build the Strength, Skills, and Confidence to Ride as Far as you want.
  by Edmund R. Burke and Ed Pavelka
  Bicycling Magazine

• The Long Ride
  Around the world adventures of a self-propelled optimist
  by Lloyd Sumner
• The Road of Dreams
  A two-year bicycling and Hiking Adventure Around the World
  by Bruce B. Junek
• Miles From Nowhere
  A Round-The-World Bicycle Adventure
  by Barbara Savage

Hope this helps. Let me know how it's going for you. I'd love to hear from other people's experiences.

Have fun and ride safe."

From: http://www.tlausser.com/How.htm
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Another helpful site which contains links to some helpful iPhone apps for cycling

http://ruedatropical.com/2009/02/iphone-cycling-applications/

I personally found that "EVERY TRAIL" and "ABVIO CYCLE METER" seemed to be the best of all of them (based on reviews and functions).

What we should know!

A good night's sleep can be the difference between a fun and safe day and a fatigued and dangerous day in the backcountry. Backcountry sleeping has its challenges, including uneven and rocky ground, pesky insects, changing temperatures and weather, and the inconvenience of having to get up to go to the bathroom. Knowing a few tricks that outdoor professionals and enthusiasts use will stack the deck in favor of a good night's sleep.

Read more at Trails.com: Ways to Sleep Better in the Backcountry | Trails.com http://www.trails.com/list_39857_ways-sleep-better-backcountry.html#ixzz1CEhXHwrR

Bottles and Snacks

If your trip takes you into the heart of winter or cold and extreme temperatures, such as in high altitude climbing, prepare for sleep by placing snacks and water next to you. Cold temperatures and high altitudes cause the body to burn calories at a faster rate, which makes you hungry and contributes to your getting cold faster. Just before climbing into your sleeping bag, melt some snow or heat some water and place the heated water into an old-style Nalgene bottle. Slip the heated water bottle deep into the sleeping bag to warm it. Your body heat will also prevent the water from freezing if you need to drink it.



Keep an extra bottle empty next to your sleeping bag so when nature calls in the wee hours, you simply urinate into the bottle.

Because of the extremely strenuous nature of backpacking, skiing or mountaineering in cold temperatures, you feel hunger frequently. Keep a bag of high calorie trail mix or snacks next to your head in the tent. When you awaken, hungry and with stomach growling, lean over and grab a quick handful or two of the snack mix. This will ease your hunger, allow you to fall back asleep and provide calories to keep your core producing heat.

Even Ground

One factor that causes interrupted and unproductive sleep in the backcountry is trying to camp on uneven or rocky and snarled ground. When you pitch your tent, look for the flattest and most level site available. Clear the area of any debris, rocks and sediment. Use your sleeping pads to level out the sleeping surface as much as possible. Try stuffing articles of clothing on sloping areas to achieve as close to level ground as possible. If you still have uneven terrain, sleep with your head on the upslope rather than the downslope. Lying with your head below your feet causes blood to move to the head, which may cause headaches and interrupted sleep.

Flexibility and Group Sleeping

If you have more than one person in your tent, try distributing the people head/toe. Have one person sleep with his head next to the other's feet (in sleeping bags of course). If one person is a snorer, the other's face and head will not be directly next to the snoring. 

Flexibility is important when we sleep, because most of us move and change positions throughout the night. When you select a sleeping bag, buy one that allows you to move easily without giving up the bag's thermal qualities. The bag should move with you as you turn and twist but not be so big that you move inside it. Extra space on the inside of the bag is extra space your body has to heat to maintain the thermal qualities of the bag.

Article Written By Eric Cedric

A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Eric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.

Read more at Trails.com: Ways to Sleep Better in the Backcountry | Trails.com http://www.trails.com/list_39857_ways-sleep-better-backcountry.html#ixzz1CEhfLBnd

Dream 'WHO'S COUNTING': Worm Guts

The group of us traversed a long trail along a cliff-side type environment. Twas a humid damp day, yet not very cloudy. Water had merely peppered the grass and foliage and there was almost a fog from the altitude/temperature change. We had similar backgrounds and even knew people through connections yet it was without pattern. Most of them were people in my everyday routines and even some as far back as the military.

The rock wall came. It was almost sewn together with brown and green vines; VERY jungle-like. Amongst the webbing there were berries and fruits. We walked and talked as we picked off the edibles. Sometimes I would pick off what I called an "unripe", which was literally a tiny vial-like glass bottle full of red liquid that very much resembled blood. The glass itself was definitely organic because like the fruit, some bottles weren't "ripe" either.  One of them that I pulled out was perfectly rounded off. It lacked sharp edges, and was just missing the bottom half of itself; a clean cut. 

The bottles ranged from cracked to just little shards jutting out and were often rust brown and dirty. They would make the sound of glass-against-concrete as they broke free and slid out from their circular cadavers. Was like nails on a chalkboard or a high pitch screech from a tiny inhuman mouth. I remember mentioning to whom I had been talking to and connected with the most, that the idea of red liquid really made me sick. I remember thinking that it was disgusting to think that we were essentially eating these things because everything else grew from the same environment. It reminded me of squashed worm guts. One of them that I pulled, spilled and leaked out. It ran out into a tiny puddle of water that had probably formed from the rain in a concave at my feet. It was a deep red that showed it's cloudiness as it swirled and mixed with the water. It would "smoke up" and then settle and become more translucent. The chewing of glass and reminiscing is probably the reason I woke up today with a headache.

TIME TO REJOICE

This has got to be the coolest music video i've ever seen. GREAT idea(s), GREAT song, and GREAT waytogohome.