So God Gave Me Another Lesson and This One Was A Bicycle

By David Hogan
Birmingham, AL

Yep, there is something about griping and being ungrateful that just cries out to the universe, to be heard.

And heard I have been, many times in my life.

When I bitched about the way I was treated in my high paying management job, I soon found myself running my own business with employees doing the same bitching, but now at me.

When I bitched about elderly people and how easy they had it, I soon became the 24/7 caregiver to parents with terminal diseases and Alzheimer, and realized my gripes were unfounded.

I can go on and on with the many lessons I've had in my life, but you get the idea, so I'll share just one more.

I used to bitch about those that got in my way, cars going too slow, dogs that didn't give me time to get in the door before wanting to play, pedestrians waiting until the last minute to step in the crosswalk, and bicycles, oh those damn bicycles that have no damn business out here on my road, and in my way.

Yeah, I certainly had a hole named after me a time or two in my life.

And then God gave me a bicycle, and in my later years, at that.

And instantly on my bike, I was free.

And instantly on my bike, I was vulnerable.

I soon learned many of my bike riding friends also had a displeasure while driving their cars about bicycles before they became bike riders again later in life, although it's not something brought up a lot, but it's there for many of us.

I soon learned how utterly violent those in automobiles could be to me and my wife, as we rode.

And yet, we ride on, and we are both free and vulnerable, but we are also much more than that.

We are grateful.

Grateful, we were once again shown what it's like on the other side of something, we once griped about.

Maybe what God gave me all these years was more than just valuable lessons.

Yes, I'm quite certain the lessons are truthfully, blessings.

Enjoy your ride, wherever it may take you!

OH, maybe be grateful a bit too!

2000 Miles on a Bicycle in One Year - How Hard is That?

By David Hogan
Birmingham, Alabama
October 23, 2018

Logging 2000 miles on a bicycle is not that hard with the help of group riding. So let's break it down a little.

Strava App showing 2003
miles I've logged to date.

In Birmingham, Alabama here is how you can hit 1000 miles, one of the first riding milestones desired by many riders.  Many riders don't even start riding until cold weather gets out of the way, so let's look at this goal from March until the end of November, which is 9 months of riding time.

You ride the following group rides each week to get over 2000 miles which is double the desired milestone of many, and I'll be conservative with the miles for each ride:

Tuesday Night - Le Tour de Ham - 12 miles

Wednesday Night - Cycling Talk - 12 miles

Thursday Night - Trample - 8 miles

Saturday - Saturday Stroll - 15 miles

Sunday - Team RWB - 20 miles

TOTAL MILES = 67 in one week

OK, first of all this by no means a list of all the rides, you could have ridden with Magic City Bike Club, Birmingham Bicycle Club or many others, but the idea is there are many group rides to choose from. So using my above list that is a total of 67 miles in a week, and we have 36 weeks to ride in from March to November making a total of 2412 miles.

Now, cut my list in half or just take out a couple of group rides, and you still get 1206 miles.

That's 1206 miles on a bicycle that were not spent on a couch eating junk food.

Let's go ride a bike!

The NEED to be right and RESPECTING others.

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The old and highly successful restaurant owner ceased his culinary duties to greet the young group of students from across the state, all having won culinary competitions in their respective regions.

One student asked the old chef how he prepared his kitchen for the first meals of the morning. The old man began explaining the steps he went through and why.

The young student laughed aloud, coldly telling the restaurant owner he clearly did not understand efficient workflow.

The student began describing steps that he said were clearly better and upon completion told the old restaurant owner he should clearly see his way was more efficient in every way.

The old man just said, "no thank you."

The arrogant student became enraged and appealed to the director of the program who had brought them there to agree with him, and added there was nothing the director could say to defeat his way as being better than the old restaurant owner, as it followed everything they had been taught.

The director said, I need say only one thing, to defeat your taught ways.

"You do not own the restaurant, he does", said the director, as he pointed toward the old restaurant owner.

The director thanked the restaurant owner for his time and moved the group of young culinary experts on to their next restaurant visit.

We Need the Dialog on Guns but Let's be Clear...

I think it important we have the dialog in America on deaths and guns, but I am tired of having the dialog with arguments that have been ruled on by the Supreme Court as if they are still waiting to be resolved.

Until the constitution is legally changed when they rule, that is it. You can cite the dissenting opinions until pigs fly, but they remain the opinion of the side that lost.

Certainly we as a people can move to change the constitution as our founders were brilliant in allowing such, yet making it hard to do so.

WITH THAT SAID there are two items that continue to be argued on the 2nd amendment that HAVE made it to the Supreme Court.

Click to enlarge

They are the notion that the 2nd amendment applies only to those in the military by virtue of the clause "a well regulated militia", which has been deemed by the court to mean THE PEOPLE, not the National Guard or the military. (See image to left showing the opinion of the court as written by Scalia)

Click to enlarge

The other is the notion that modern day weapons do not apply to the 2nd amendment once again with the court opinion clearly stating that is not so. (See image to the right showing the opinion of the court as written by Scalia)

Many, having found out that the militia is defined as the individual, switch tactics to attack the words "well regulated". I would remind that our 2nd amendment right has been regulated and for quite some time, BUT that regulation cannot "infringe" our defined right.  Banning something is most definitely an infringement, while there remains now as in the past, many regulations and requirements on this right.

I have included the ENTIRE Supreme Court opinion of of Heller v Washington D.C. where this was addressed. You can find dissenting remarks against what I highlight in the photos, but they remain the remarks of the side that did not win.


http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf

By all means have the debate to make things safer and yet retain our rights, but these two arguments are without validity if we are going to follow the laws of our land.  Using them over and over again simply stalls real discussion.

Facebook Posting Etiquette

My rules for Facebook posting and commenting...please note these are MY rules, and I base them off 20 years of professionally managing online forums and as the former Chief Sysop of PC World Online Forums in the 1990's, where I was known as PCW David.

1. It is important to remember that everyone has a timeline.  Your timeline is your timeline, and other folk's timeline, is, well, not yours.  Think of your timeline as your house and this may be easier to understand.

2. What you do on your timeline within the scope of what Facebook allows, is acceptable.  It may not win you friends or likes, but it is YOUR timeline.

3. Deleting unwanted comments on your timeline is acceptable.  Again, it may be unpopular and even cause you to lose friends, but it is your timeline.  We'll cover better ways to handle negative/unwanted comments in a moment.

4. Automatically commenting about something controversial on another's timeline is "stupid" (yep a harsh word but a correct one when not thinking), if you haven't really thought it through before doing so.

5. The fact you disagree with something, does not mean your comments will not be deleted on another's timeline.  This also applies to comments that you know are not correct.  Once again, it will serve you well to remember that timelines are like homes.  EVEN if they are giving out wrong information, they can still delete your comments....like it, or not.

6. Consider dealing with controversy on your OWN timeline, not others.  I'm not saying it's OK to call them out on your own posting and timeline, although that is up to you... and has consequences in doing so.  You may be OK with the consequences, but know they exist.

7. If someone has posted something wrong or misleading, consider a private message to the person.  They may not know what they have posted is wrong, and they'll appreciate the privacy in discussing it.  On the other hand, they may not care for your opinion in which case if you feel the need to correct bad information you'll usually go further on your own timeline.  Why?  Many people have similar thinking friends and they may not care for you calling out their friend.

addition...

8. If you posted something controversial and ASKED a question....well... you asked a question, and yes it's your timeline and you can still defend it as you see fit, but once again...you asked!

addition...

9. You may think that because you know the person and you have bantered with them before on their timeline, all is OK and you can keep arguing... Maybe so, maybe not...  Many people will "tolerate" comments for a while, right up to the point they move you to their acquaintance or restricted list. Don't take for granted friendships when it comes to being respectful.

Again, think of timelines as homes.

10. F-bombs, someone calling you an SOB and other very expletive attacks mean you are BLOCKED in my book, no matter what got your dander up. I watched this happen with someone after only two comments were made and the person went postal over-reacting to what he and he alone, thought was a jab at him.  It doesn't even matter the reason, F-bombs are an instant get out of my house.

Maybe more in the future as people continue to NOT show respect to others, and sadly so.

Being a Real Friend

I recently witnessed a female friend on social media call out some of her female friends for going after married men.  It was ... refreshing.

People that do this(go after married folks) are not very smart.  Whatever you have been told by the one that is still married you have been told by... one that is still married.  Think about that.

I like many that have been married for multiple years, have seen ups and downs and I admit when I'm down, I'm certainly not myself and have no business discussing with another human what I'm down about in my marriage, unless I'm seeking help to make my marriage better... This is something you generally discuss with a long standing friend, not a member of the opposite sex, who may be just as "down" as you are.  This leads to the blind, leading the blind.

I admired my friend for taking a stand of, hands off married people... PERIOD.

LOOKING FOR THE NEXT DR. SEUSS AND SOME TOLERANT SNEECHES

Sneeches from Dr. Seuss divided by a star or lack of.

People deal with tragedies in different ways and before the little innocent children were even taken out of the school in Connecticut I was watching people on social media advance their anti-gun OR pro-gun agendas.

My way or the highway was the norm, along with pleas to keep an open mind, IF you will just open your mind, to their way of thinking that is.

This is sad to me that there always has to be this amount of control over the mind and opinions of others.

Points of view are "shaped" by countless life factors, experiences and much more.

Some are praying for more guns, while others are praying for less guns.

An on and on it goes, this way, and that way.

Since nothing will stop this ever and ongoing debate, I'm praying for tolerance and the respect of other points of views, to be something both taught and learned.

Nothing will bring these innocents back, and few things will lessen the pain of the family left behind, no matter which "side" you choose to be on.  For every brilliant point made, an equal and brilliant counter-point will follow.

As far as the familes are concerned, I'm thinking that second guessing what could have been, should have been, after the fact, gives little comfort.

I'm praying the families are simply loved by many, as I have no idea what will cure their horrible pain.

For myself, my family and my friends:

• I'm praying that we all learn to spread a little more love and tolerance of one another and our varying opinions. 
• I'm praying that through an outpouring of love to our fellow man we will lesson the desire for anyone to kill innocents whether it be by gun, knife, pipe bomb strapped to a body vest, or cruel words that drive one to suicide.
• I'm praying for more people like Dr. Suess that teach us about respect for others and for ALL the "sneeches" whether they have a star on their belly or have no star on their belly.

Keep the Faith - Respect Others - Choose Life!