I grew up in a small town of about 4500 people and the memories of those 16 years remain some of my best of all time. We were a family of 5.....2 parents and 3 kids (4th came near the end of my time in the "burg") and although I can't remember much during the 1st 7 or 8 years there are some things that stand out. I remember JF as my very first friend and we did everything together from watching TV (his family had the first one in the neighborhood) to hunting German soldiers in the bush out back of our houses'. His dad and mom were like my second set of parents and we spent our formative years discovering life's secrets as our imaginations guided our activities during those fun times. As time passed our hobbies changed and our friendship network expanded to take in other characters such as LR, one of the next door neighbors who would end up a household of 12 with 4 girls and 6 boys. The oldest 2 were a little older than us so we didn't associate with them much pre-teen because it wasn't cool to hang out with younger kids at that age. Down the street there were a lot of kids that I remember, the family from the Ukraine (K's), the Dutch twins (I & H), the brother and sister (J&W) from the east coast and R & R the milkman's sons.. There was a black haired girl (MF) who I believe was in my class at school that came regularly to visit her aunt and uncle across the way. I had a crush on her but somehow I don't remember too much about it but my guess is that she dumped me for an older man in grade 2. Sports started to take over my life in late public school and I spent my summers playing baseball and winters on the ice with my other good friends the M's....C&G. When puberty hit I started to think less about sports and more about girls (like every 5 seconds) and I started to hang around with JJ, JH and JF. I had some crushes in early high school (SH) but I always felt these girls were on a higher level than I was so I never made my thoughts known. LJ and DB were two real heartthrobs in those early days and life was reasonable. Things changed rapidly over the next year and I found myself leaving the small town for the big city and an entire new world but the years spent in that small town will live with me forever.

"Socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it." -Ronald Reagan

'Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.'

- Ronald Reagan

'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'-Ronald Reagan

'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.'

-Ronald Reagan

'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.'- Ronald Reagan

'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.' -Ronald Reagan

'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.'- Ronald Reagan

'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.'- Ronald Reagan

'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.' - Ronald Reagan

'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.'- Ronald Reagan

'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it'

- Ronald Reagan

'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.'- Ronald Reagan

'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.'- Ronald Reagan

'If we ever forget that we're one nation under GOD, then we will be a nation gone under.'-Ronald Reagan

In simple terms Capitalism is about individualism whereby most other systems are about groups, collectives, large government control etc. It is about allowing people to attain success in an environment that provides the opportunity for everyone to make their own choices on how they want to live their lives. Some government intervention is necessary within Capitalism to perform tasks that facilitate the ability of people to live and co-habit in a society. The enforcement of"common sense" rules and laws, the protection of the state, and the care of those in society that truly (mentally or physically) can't look after themselves. Beyond that it is up to the individual to forge his/her future. Entrepeneurs can start businesses and these can grow into Corporations that bring wealth to everyone. It is not only the owners that gain but it is every person that works in the organization and usually thousands that just interact with the business. The degree of wealth is determined by many things, ingenuity, risk taking, intelligence, and hard work. Where a person ends up on this scale is determined any one or all of these things. For instance ask yourself why the CEO of General Motors is in his position and you are in yours. Somewhere during your life you made choices and these most certainly effected your outcome. Perhaps you decided to drop out of school and go work in a factory which is fine if it is the choice you made. But to denegrate the CEO because he makes two million a year and you make $50,000 is wrong. He stayed in school went to college and earned a MBA and then worked his way up in management to achieve his status. That doesn't mean he is more intelligent than you it just means he chose education and a different path for his career. Maybe you are part of a union which is a collective and you have turned over your individual decision making to this body. How much you make and how much leeway you have is now predicated on what a group decides for you.I'll get back to this but for now lets jump back in history and look at the USA who embraced Capitalism in its purest sense decades ago. They have grown into the richest Nation in the world and with that comes the highest standard of living in the world. If you compare poverty in the USA to poverty in any third world Country the differences are striking. If you are under the poverty line according to the USA standard, you will still have a car, a roof over your head, emergency medical care, a TV, food for your table etc etc. Furthermore I would venture a guess that those in this category made their own choices to get there and are probably continuing to make them today. The folks in third world poverty do not even have food and water much less anything else so this reflects the plight of the poor in a non- Capitalistic Society. The point is that punishing Corporations or entrepeneurs because they are successful does nothing but hurt everyone in the food chain. Also everytime the Government takes over some part of the free market economy it negatively affects the Capitalist model which in turn has a negative domino effect on the economic system. In Europe and Canada these Countries chose to stray from the Capitalist model and move towards socialism, which they could, because they were thriving through trade with the USA and its burgeoning market. Essentially people signed up for a type of "union" which requires you to pay dues (taxes) and decisions are made for you. Now the USA is being pounded by debt and a large Government monster that is growing by the minute under the left wing ideology and these other Countries have to sit by and wring their hands because they do not have a true Capitalist system as a base from which they can rebuild their own economies. They have to rely on the USA and I believe in the end the American people will choose to remain within the Capitalist system. If not hold on.

It takes approximately 40 litres (10 gal) of sap to be boiled down to 1 litre (1 quart) of syrup. A mature sugar maple produces about 40 litres of sap during the 4- to 6-week sugaring season.
Coldest…The site, known simply as Ridge A, is nearly 14,000 metres high and is located deep within the Antarctic Plateau. It has an average winter temperature of minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 degrees Celsius) and is so remote that it is thought that no human has ever set foot there.
The Hottest Place on Earth ever recorded was El Azizia in Libya where the temperature reached a scorching 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on Sept. 13, 1922. Making it the hottest place in the worldThe second hottest place recorded on earth was in Death Valley, California, USA, where it got up to 134 Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on July 10, 1913.Dallol, Ethiopia, is the warmest place on earth with an average yearly ambient surface air temperature of 307.55 kelvin (34.4°C = 93.92°F).

Highest…Hillary surveyed Everest at the time and determined that it was 29,000 ft/8840m high - a figure amazingly close to the current reading of 29,035 ft/8850m, which was confirmed using radar and global positioning satellite (GPS) technology.

Lowest…The surface of the Dead Sea is over 1,300 feet below sea level. The very bottom of the sea, in the deepest part, is over 2,300 feet below sea level.
Warthogs…Although warthogs look fierce, they are actually herbivores who prefer to flee rather than fight.
Type: Mammal
Diet:Herbivore
Average life span in the wild: 15 years
Size: Height at shoulder, 30 in (76 cm)
Weight: 120 to 250 lbs (54.5 to 113 kg)
Warthogs are members of the same family as domestic pigs, but present a much different appearance. These sturdy hogs are not among the world's most aesthetically pleasing animals—their large, flat heads are covered with "warts," which are actually protective bumps. Warthogs also sport four sharp tusks. They are mostly bald, but they do have some sparse hair and a thicker mane on their backs.Though warthogs appear ferocious, they are basically grazers. They eat grasses and plants, and also use their snouts to dig or "root" for roots or bulbs. When startled or threatened, warthogs can be surprisingly fast, running at speeds of up to 30 miles (48 kilometers) an hour.

No doubt about it, there could be a witch's brew of germs wherever you turn in public restrooms. Many people consider toilet seats to be public enemy No. 1 -- the playground for organisms responsible for STDs like chlamydia or gonorrhea. But before you panic, the toilet seat is not a common vehicle for transmitting infections to humans. Many disease-causing organisms can survive for only a short time on the surface of the seat, and for an infection to occur, the germs would have to be transferred from the toilet seat to your urethral or genital tract, or through a cut or sore on the buttocks or thighs, which is possible but very unlikely.

When you are out shopping sometime have a look around at all of the gimmicks that are used to entice you to buy something. Every day in the newspaper there are ads explaining how much you will save by shopping at our store as we are having a clearance sale! Wait a minute this store has a clearance every month. Are they ever totally clear? Then there are the 10, 15 and 20% off deals that show up on this particular electronic store's ads which seem enticing. But you turn the page and you find their competitor has the same 10, 15 and 20% off deals on their merchandise. I walk through a large department store and see a great shirt on sale for 40% off. This looks too good to be true so I look at the label and sure enough the original price was $60 marked down to $36. Then I looked at the shirt and I wondered if I would have paid $36 for this shirt if it wouldn't have been on sale. I have nothing to compare it with and manufacturers labels now are pretty much the same (made somewhere in the third world or China) and the sale ends today so what do you do? You buy. I have to laugh at my wife and mother-in-law when we are away on vacation in the south because they get so excited to see the morning newspaper so they can peruse the ads for sales and coupons. But sales are not the only enticement. Consider the car shows, the boat shows, the RV shows who always have some babe, half dressed with legs that go on forever hanging over the product. Why, because it is men that buy the bulk of this type of equipment. It must work because it's been the same way for 50 years or more. Buy one get one free is another tactic that sells a lot of stale donuts or rotisserie chickens. Happy hours are so successful for bars that Steak and Shake figured they'd get in on it as well by offering happy hours for milkshakes, can you believe it. Gambling is always popular on many fronts so here come the scratch and win deals at the checkout counters to see how big a % will be on your tag when you scratch away the covering. Use this card for 5% off or use this card to save 10 cents on every gallon of gas and on and on. The latest one I thought was very ingenious was the Hyundai ad that says if you lose your job you can bring the car back. If you lose your house they will reduce the price of the car by 1/2 if you have to live in it temporarily. I noticed that I didn't buy as much as usual while I was away on vacation this time so maybe I'm getting wiser. Next time out I am going to try and find something that's not on sale and is selling for its regular price. Then I am going to snap it up and spend the rest of the day checking to see if I would have paid less for the same item on sale at another store. Anyone want to make a bet?

First let me say that I did not choose to be a grandparent that was somebody else’s choice. They who brought these children into the world have the ultimate responsibility for their health, welfare and education, not me. As long we have that issue clarified I will now explain my role of choice in this parenting cycle. I will teach them those things that are not found in a book or at the highest level of education. These may include how to play “hambone on your leg”, spit accurately in the batter’s box or to skip stones on the lake. From time to time we will travel to far away places leaving through a port hole in the town park. We may end up fighting clones on the planet Azore and we may not return home as scheduled if we are having too much fun. I will find and obtain that ultramatic M1 rocket fire machine gun that is wanted more than anything else in the world. I may sneak donuts into his diet on the sly and stop by McDonalds more often than scheduled if that is what they want. If Mommy and Daddy are not around they may jump, scream and yell as much as they want and if something breaks….well “$#@% happens” what can I say. Accidents and mishaps will stay buried in Grampa’s house never to be raised until years later if remembered at all. I will cover up all misbehaviour (if not illegal) and accept that they can be little buggers at times. But most of all I will love them unconditionally and try to make their lives as enjoyable as possible in their formative years. We pray that we will be around long enough to see them graduate and get married and maybe see them have kids that we can enjoy as much as we have enjoyed them. Most of all we want them to remember us so that we can live on in some small part of them and never really die. Hopefully we will make enough good memories that this can be accomplished. Start the engines and open up to warp speed captain,,,swooooosh> gone.

While shopping the other day I saw a woman with the biggest derriere I have ever seen. To top it off her chest was as big as her posterior and I’m sure this was required in order to create some sort of balance so she could maneuver through the aisle ways albeit at a very slow pace. I can’t understand how these folks can live with themselves having to carry this type of poundage around 24/7. In fact as I looked around the rest of the store it was evident that she was not the only extremely overweight person in the store although she was by far the biggest. There is no question that obesity is a problem in the USA and sure enough I open the paper this morning and there is Michele Obama with her cohorts in Education, Agriculture and Labor working on the newest Government fad “The Control of Obesity”. Just what is needed, another government exercise in trying to exert control over its citizenry by telling them what they can eat and can’t eat. Did they ever consider that self control may be a factor? Of course not... They want to look, as they always do, on these people as victims of society and the government needs to race to the rescue to save them all. They have all sorts of wonderful ideas such as removing vending machines from the schools or at least limiting them to hold only the items they believe are healthy. Let’s say that 30% of the population at schools is overweight and the rest of the kids are average weight and many of them are athletes toned and healthy. Even though they control their food intake and keep themselves in good condition they will of course still lose the opportunity to grab a snack from time to time from the vending machine. This is the fallacy of these Liberal infringements on our rights. Those that are self reliant lose their freedoms right along with the gluttons. There is nothing wrong in teaching or informing kids about the perils of gluttony but why tailor the entire school environment to help them deal with their lack of self control. What happened to the parent’s responsibility to teach their children about health and diet? Aren’t there enough problems in the Country that the politicians could tackle rather than dictating what people eat? Who gave the government the right to be the food police anyway? The Federal Government is supposed to have limited powers according to the Constitution but every time a Liberal hits office they toss the book out the window and strive for more control. Why? Because they know better. Just like taxes those that do the right thing must give up money and their rights on behalf of those that can’t control themselves and have no desire to do so. These people must change their behavior and putting up small bumps in the road to slow them down will have little or no effect at the end of the day. In fact, what if they enjoy being fat? What right does the government have to change their diets? Oh well pretty soon parents will become a thing of the past as we all rely on our Nanny State to take our hand and tell us what we should do to be good little boys and girls.

I recently flew south from Toronto to Florida via Newark New Jersey and I am confused as to our Government’s strategy regarding security against terrorism. I traveled extensively during my career going back to the mid 70’s and spanning those years I have seen many changes in the security measures before and after 9/11 that make no sense at all. Now obviously some do and in particular the “no passenger no bags” policy is the most common sense change made during the 70’s. Metal detectors are another reasonable measure that is effective in preventing weapons getting on board a plane. However there are many other rules, regulations and procedures that make no sense at all and if eliminated could speed up the process without sacrificing security. First of all is the insane amount of paperwork required when purchasing a ticket. Why do they need all of the information at the point of sale? Why do the name on the ticket and the name on your ID (passport) need to be identical and if not you won’t be allowed on the plane? What danger do you represent if you spelled your middle name incorrectly. Why do you have to provide your name, address and destination address? Why do you have to fill out a customs check sheet indicating (almost always answered no) what you aren’t bringing into the country? A person could submit incorrect information (lie) on these sheets and no one would ever know or care and yet tons of paperwork is generated and time wasted every day capturing this data. Then you hit the scanning station and besides the metal detector you have to put your bags on a belt to be x-rayed and viewed to be sure you are not bringing anything dangerous on board. Along with your carryon bags you must also have your coat, sweater and shoes viewed on the x-ray screen. If you have liquid in your bags over 4 oz (?) it is immediately confiscated. These last two checks were brought on because of failed attempts by would be terrorists who used these tactics. It seems that most of our so-called security improvements are driven by the terrorists and their various methods that hopefully we learn about because of failure (unlike 9/11). On this particular trip after I had just passed through the metal detector and got my shoes back I had to walk 30 yards or so and then round a corner. Lo and behold there were 6 more security personnel and several tables whereby they proceeded to search my bag again and test me for gun powder. How they suspected I could have obtained something illicit in that short 30 yards I have no idea. They do this idiotic search in Toronto and yet once I landed in Newark I could walk around inside the gated area with several stores and restaurants that sell gadgets and use utensils including knives but no check when you get on the plane to leave NJ. Nor do they match ID with the boarding pass so I could switch with anyone and head on to a new destination without anyone knowing. The problem with almost all of our security system
is that it is reactive instead of proactive. If we followed a proven security system model like the Israeli’s use I’m sure we could be more efficient and ten times safer. But the people that make these rules never have to ride on commercial airways in economy so they will never understand the problems of us “everyday folks”. Perhaps we should insist that all politicians be prohibited from using military transport and first class seating on commercial airlines. Bet you it wouldn’t take long before some common sense laws saw the light of day.

Both of these skills require a person to have many of the same attributes such as the ability to communicate ideas clearly, the ability to sell these same ideas to other people and the ability to shepherd these ideas into actionable tasks. However there are many areas where the roles differ and sometimes people get confused as to why political leaders don't always follow the actions of Corporate leaders when confronting issues or implementing policies. You see Corporate leaders have one large advantage over political leaders and that is the fact that they have the power to terminate a person's employment whereas a politician cannot. At the most they can influence your job positively or negatively but rarely can they apply capital punishment to those that don't fall in line. Therefore a political leader has to be able to influence the emotions of his audience and to garner their trust if he/ she is to be successful with their agenda. To get your attention and your vote they must stimulate your passion by raising issues nearest and dearest to your heart. For instance to most people the issue of security for them and their families is always uppermost in their minds so attacking crime and punishment or the lack thereof is always a winner in politics. Taxation in all its forms has always been a negative aspect in our society regardless of your political persuasion so this subject can always raise the hair on someone's neck. Once the politician has tapped the emotions they must now garner trust. A past history with examples of "doing what you say you will do" is a powerful tool that will help convince people to get on your side. If you don't have that then kissing babies, trotting out your family for photo ops and general schmoozing will help get people comfortable with you and your political ideology. Back to the Corporate leader who will find it helpful to garner trust but not a necessary thing required to push through his/her agenda. Both of them can mislead people with vague statements, exaggerations and downright lies to facilitate their agenda so they are Bobbsey twins in this area for sure. So let's look at the results side of the board whereby both leaders have successfully pushed their agendas into actions using their own techniques and now must view the fruit of their labors. The Corporate Leader must be successful or he will face a boot out of his job for failing to satisfy his shareholders. So even though he started with more power and an easier route to implementing his policies and programs he faces capital punishment if he fails. The politician on the other hand finds herself in a very different position if she fails. She may have lied or mislead people to get herself elected and her programs implemented but what is to be done? The job is secure until the next election and by then most will have forgotten the untruths and the failure. In fact with good political spin doctors today they can turn failure into victory through the media (particularly if you are Liberal) and voila' you are ready for another run for the golden ring. So if you are searching for truth and integrity in leadership let me tell you it is very very rare. The last leader in my opinion that held these values was Ronald Reagan. He was truly a unique man and a honest politician ( which is almost an oxymoron) that has not been matched for the years before or since. Sarah Palin has the base talent to be another Reagan but the question remains, does she have the strength and confidence that are required to withstand the pressures that come with "principled" political leadership? It would definitely be something to see.

When I jumped on board 10 years ago some people asked me why I would get involved with such a dangerous hobby as that of riding a Harley . I guess the risk is a part of the attraction but considering we risk our lives every day by just getting out of bed I figure the increase is tolerable. The upsides however are large to those of us who enjoy the pleasure of riding two wheels at speeds over 80 mph with the wind in our face and the roar of a 1485CC engine beneath our legs. The look of the bike is paramount with a solid base color that gleams in the sun and a ton of sparkling chrome that is attached everywhere on the chassis. The leather on the seats and bags compliment the chrome studs that trim the ebony material. When you swing your leg over the bike and sit down to balance the bike between your legs you are almost ready to take off except for a few things. Final adjustments to the helmet, sunglasses and gloves are completed as well as confirmation that you are in neutral gear. You then flip the ignition to on, snap the start button down and hit the igniter to spark the engine to life. The horsepower potential is heard through the rumble of the Samson dual pipes and a small rev or two alerts people within hearing distance that you are there and ready to ride. As you shift into first and let out the clutch the engine sound changes reflecting the torque sent to the drive belt and it increases as the big gear winds out. Shifting through the up gears is like music as you gain speed on your way to a comfortable cruising level. On the highway you can let the machine loose to enjoy the acceleration and if alone, check out your top end comfort zone. Speed, power and control are probably the key attraction to the big Hogs but it can also be a masculine symbol of strength as Tim Taylor would say "urf " urf". Whatever it is, I love roaring down the highway or rumbling between lights downtown on the back of my Heritage Soft tail Classic. Some riders love to ride in groups but that is not my style, I would rather be with only one or two other bikers or in fact alone particularly when riding through the back roads and highways where there is always the possibility of stopping at some quaint shop or Flea market in a small town or village. Instead of having to convince others to stop you just pull off and do your thing. I never seem to get enough miles on my odometer each summer although I always resolve to change that practice every year. Maybe this summer I can wear off some rubber by visiting some good friends up north. Who knows? So for those of you that think I'm nuts I'd suggest you try a ride on a big HOG before you marry your opinion. For my friends I offer to take you on your first ride if and when you get up the courage.