Buttheads
Dry weather, low humidity and high winds have created an extreme fire danger here in North Texas. But all the buttheads are still tossing their lit cigarettes out the windows. And in the past couple of days, several fires have started because of these selfish ass monkeys who can't keep their trash in their cars.
And it's not a rare occurence. Any time I'm driving down the major roads around North Texas, the flying sparks can be seen every few minutes. And burn patches are visible on most roads.
It's a shame that we can't prosecute these ass monkeys for attempted arson.
Labels: litterbug smokers
Shills and Spammers in the Sailing Industry
Unless you're joining the show already in progres, you are aware that I windsurf. I'm also "employed" at the last standing windsurfing shop in the Dallas area. There were quite a few when I arrived, but that number has dwindled to one. And it too would not be in business were it not for the Hobie Cat and kayak business...
But I digress.
As a web-connected windsurfer, I frequently find myself perusing the various windsurfing message boards and forums during what passes for Winter here in Texas. And I have to say that I'm constantly amazed by the number of seemingly innocuous messages that are really nothing more than plugs for some brand's product. You see it frequently really - the guy who "confirms" that a product is great without telling people he's sponsored. Or the "question" thrown out that eventually leads to a product endorsement by a 2nd poster (usually a sock puppet).
I find that behaviour reprehensible. It's dishonest. And that should be enough reason for people not to do it. But in our current "version" of acceptable behaviour, it appears that anything goes. Especially if it results in some form of remuneration.
I guess I'm older than my years. I certainly don't get paid enough working in the industry to justify the hard work. I get way more satisfaction from helping people than I do from my current paycheck. And since my salary is based soley on hours worked and not on the value of the products I help people get into, any argument to the contrary is dishonest. Yet people accuse me of the very thing that aggravates me the most.
So I no longer promote the shop when I participate in these windsurfing forums. Which is probably more to the detriment of the people I could help than to the shop. But the naysayers are persistent... And I long ago grew tired of correcting childish minds.
To all those "sponsored" riders and "professional" sailors.... Pound sand. For you've not actually worked in the industry and are not in a position to judge those of us who have the passion and drive to promote sailing at our on personal loss.
Labels: spammers, windsurfing shills
High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes
HOV is a joke. The powers that be in Texas are trying to cure our commuting wows by opening up HOV lanes. Unfortunately, it never works. The lanes are either under utilized, impossible to use effectively or full of single drivers breaking the law - as I was last week while trying to get around a wreck.
So after months and months of construction hassles on LBJ, they opened new 24 hour HOV lanes between I-30 and I-75. The problem is, if you get on before 75 you can't get off till you get past 75. And in building the HOV lane, they basically removed the shoulders from the road. So instead of someone with a flat tire being a minor distraction, it no results in major back-ups.
Complicating the whole picture is the fact that idiots who get in wrecks NEVER move their vehicles off of the road. They invariably wait for the police to show up. Now if the cops were actually doing their job instead of eating donuts, they would cite these traffic blocking morons for breaking the "Get it off the road" law (yes, it really is a law). Instead, you can count on 5 police cars and a whole box of flares to show up anytime even the most minor fender bender occurs.
Dallas area traffic sucks. And it's getting worse. My advice to tourists is to not visit Dallas. Cause you'll just screw it up more.
Labels: HOV folly
Busy Week
So if I'm going to keep up my pledge to sail once a week, I have to get out today. Unfortunately, it's going to have to be a longboard day if I go cause the weather ain't cooperating. And my leg still isn't back to full function from last week's wreck.
To complicate matters, I've been working extra hours at the
shop because of a boat show and a sickness in staff family. So all the chores/projects I normally do on Sunday need to get done today, cause we did show tear down last night.
And it's already 11am.
That's a lot of excuses.
Nuts.
Strange Winter
It's kind of hard to believe that it's Winter around here. Today, we had a high temperature of something like 74 degrees. And it was windy. So in line with my goal of sailing more this year, I headed down to the lake this morning.
It started off well enough. I rigged up a 5.5
Ezzy Wave on my old Mistral Classic 276. I'm a little
leery of going out on any board smaller than that this time of year because of the water temperature - about 49 degrees. I had a couple of good rides despite the incredibly gusty conditions. At times the 5.5 was a bit much, though I also had several times where I was waiting on the wind to show up.
Then it happened. I was on a slight downwind run, well powered up when I apparently got hit by a gust. I probably was only doing 32mph, but in trying to hang on I caught an edge. I experienced the most violent wreck of my windsurfing career. It was amazed that nothing broke since I hit both the boom and the mast quite hard on the way by the nose of the board. Thankfully I was wearing a helmet because I was seeing stars when I came up.
It took me a few minutes to get going. And by the time I got back to shore, I was definitely done. I needed help getting my gear on shore, then sat counting bones for a bit. I've currently got an ice pack wrapped around my thigh and a slightly stiff neck. Advil is my friend
Now that I'm back at the house, I can see that we had winds well into the 30's, with gusts into the low 40's.
I really am getting too old for those kinds of conditions.
At least nothing more than pride and muscle tissue is hurt. And it completes my first step towards sailing at least once each week in 2008.
Cheers.
Go Vols
Tennessee just beat Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. It was a close game, and the Wisconsin QB played a great game while taking a terrible beating from the Volunteer Defense. Had the Vol D not been in top form, this game could have very easily gone the other way.
Good job, guys.
