Bikers Attack SUV

Before the hysteria is over, millions of people will have watched the video of the biker group attacking the SUV. I have watched the clip several times myself. As a long time biker, I guess I was hoping to somehow find fault with the SUV driver. Unfortunately, the video evidence seems to show that one of the bikers caused the initial accident. What can’t be seen is what happened the few seconds after the vehicle struck the motorcycle. Did mob mentality take over? It is understandable that all the bikers would rush to check on their friend that had been hit; it is also understandable that at this point in time, fingers would be pointing and insults thrown at the vehicle driver. I can see where the driver would have been terrified for himself and family.

It is speculated on a different video that the biker group were slowing down to block traffic, in order to do tricks. So many laws were broken in this short video that it’s just astounding. As a member of a club that doesn’t condone this type of riding, I have to say that I am deeply ashamed that this incident has occurred. Unless new video is brought forth showing that the driver of the SUV was somehow at fault, I simply can’t blame him for speeding away and protecting his family. Here in Alabama, or in most of the rest of our country, the two thugs smashing in the windows of the SUV would have been shot.

I am a compassionate man; anyone that knows me can verify that. I am sorry for all injured parties. This entire charade should have never have taken place. The most severely injured man will never walk again. I have to wonder what is going through his head as he lays there in the hospital. Was all the fun and games worth it? Was taking over the city streets, causing confusion, mayhem, and panic, worth the hurt and pain he and his family now face? Many will argue that this guy simply went back to check on his friend. That’s commendable, be the fact that he was riding with this group on this day was not. It is a miracle that no one was killed.

As a biker I offer an apology to the rest of the nation. The actions of those in the video do not represent the majority of bikers.

If you have not seen the video you can watch it here.  http://news.yahoo.com/wife-biker-husband-victim-nyc-altercation-063414964.html

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?id=9270138 

The Search for a Home Based Business

If you are one of the millions of people that search the internet each day, looking for a way to make money, you already know there are thousands of ways not to do it. A legit home based business is often hard to find amid all the scams and con-artist. However, a work from home business can be found with patience and research. The home based business choice for today is writing. Writing is probably the best home business opportunity available today.

Freelance writers all over the world work every day from the comfort of their own home. They do not commute twenty miles or carpool with annoying co-workers. Those with families work around family schedules, and the single writers write whenever they choose. Writing is not some get rich quick scheme; very few writers ever see a tremendous amount of wealth. The upside to freelance writing is that it is not a scam and you can make real money.

Whether you are a great writer or not, it is a skill that can be studied and learned. I do not consider myself a great writer, just one in progress. When we cease to learn as humans that is the point in time in which we begin to fail. When an opportunity to learn presents itself, always take it.

There are many sites new writers can start on, as they start their new home based business. I suggest an easy content site such as Triond to get your feet wet. It is not hard to publish on Triond and you will begin to learn how to write articles for internet purposes. One word of advice, even though Triond is a relatively easy site to publish on, take it very seriously. Proofread every article two or three times, run them through spellcheckers and always try to make each article better than the last one. From the moment you publish your first article you are then in the public eye and building a fan base. 

The Triond site is not a site where you will make much money, but like I said it is a good starting point. Once you are comfortable with publishing on Triond you can search for other freelance writing opportunities. Yahoo Contributor is a good site to write for that does have the potential for making better money. As your skills and confidence grow and improve, sites such as Guru.com and Freelancer.com can boost your earnings even higher. This is when the home based opportunity starts to become a legit home based business.

Workplace Morale

Good morale in a company is a valuable thing. Happy people are safer, and, more productive, people. Employees that feel good about their job, more often than not, put in a little extra effort each day. Employees not feeling good about their job begin to develop the “don’t care” attitude. When the “don’t care” attitude sweeps through a workplace, productivity is sure to drop.

Since morale is a mindset, companies can’t just issue a new rule and make everything better. Morale isn’t raised just because management doesn’t like everyone’s sour attitude. Morale is raised when positive things in the workplace begin to happen. Morale is raised when the majority of the workforce feels that management have their backs. Morale is lowered when the “us against them” mentality creeps in.

When favoritism is shown in the workplace, morale will drop. If an employee feels that he or she doesn’t have the same opportunity as “the bosses pet” their morale is lowered. These types of things are wrong but unfortunately they happen all across the country every day. When rules are put in place that penalizes everyone, for abuses by a few, morale is lowered.

What should happen when a company realizes they have a morale problem? Can it be fixed before more and bigger problems arise? In most cases the answer is yes. Problems need to be addressed from the upper echelon of the company and work their way down to the lower tiers. Do new rules constantly need to be put in place, or perhaps the old rules just need to be enforced properly. Have rules already in place simply been ignored for so long that things got out of hand. That seems to be the fault of management.

At some point in a low morale crisis, management needs to find a way back in the good graces of the floor workers. The workers need to once again know that what they do is appreciated. They are not numbers in a log book; they are people and should be treated as such. That doesn’t mean all the bosses go around handing out cookies and cool-aide. They do need to show their employees respect. Without their employees they are like a coach without a team…useless. 

Just Watching the Money Slip Through My Fingers

Well, the rain is falling again here in Alabama. Even though it has rained everyday day for what seems like weeks now, it is kind of peaceful to listen to this morning. I think by tomorrow, drier air is supposed to move into our lovely state, and give us a reprieve from all this wetness. I surely hope so; my son really needs to mow the yard.

I am a little aggravated this morning. Browsing through my freelance sites that I pull writing jobs from, I found a ton of jobs that I’m qualified to do. Unfortunately, I can’t bid on them. They require more time to do than I have available. My full time job requires me to work 12 hour shifts four nights a week. Most of the good freelance work requires several hours a day, five and six days a week. Knowing I can’t possibly complete most of these assignments, even if I win the bid, I have to turn them down. It is tough watching hundreds of dollars of work slip away every week.

Anyone that ever wanted to run, or start their own business, has faced dilemmas like this. How and when to break away from the comfort of a steady job, has always been a hard decision. Unfortunately, most that do strike out on their own eventually fail. Working for oneself requires a lot of discipline. Sure, it would be great to be your own boss and not have someone watching over you all the time. But, would the work get done without that added bit of pressure? For many the answer would have to be no.

Musicians often play for many years, hoping for that one big break…that never comes. Writers are not much different. We are always dreaming of a big book deal, or scoring an article in a top magazine that pays a dollar a word. These things do actually happen, but lots of dues usually have to be paid first. There is one thing for certain, if you see how hard the road is and you give up, you will most definitely not make it. Always put yourself in a position to win. When your big break does come, you can then take advantage of it. One last point to ponder, success isn’t measured in dollar amounts; it’s measured in contentment and happiness.

It's a Dark Day in America

As racism runs rampant through our country, I have to wonder will it be our eventual downfall. We as human beings are increasing our technology capacity at a tremendous rate. The computer you buy at Wal-Mart today is out dated by the time you get it home. We have satellites that are on their way out of our solar system, and they are still working. Yes, we humans are pretty smart, but pretty stupid as well. For all the great things we have and have accomplished, we still haven’t figured out how to get along with each other.

 

From our political system, to our justice system, we have major issues that need to be fixed. We all know this to be a fact, but since we can’t do anything but argue and bitch among ourselves, nothing gets fixed. We seem to be so caught up in showing one group or another who is superior that we leave most of our problems unresolved. We gain nothing by doing this, instead we just simply waste a lot of time.

 

At one time America was a proud country. Our flag meant something; not only to us, but the rest of the world as well. Now we are seen as a sinking ship, caught up in our own pity and self-indulgence. We don’t have time for all that garbage. The rest of the world is passing us by while we just sit here idle and let it happen. Why does it take a national tragedy to bring us together as a nation? 911, for a short time did just that. Our neighbors became our brothers. We were scared for a while, not knowing the certainty of our future. It’s kind of sad that it has to take something like that, to make decent people out of us.

 

Can this serious of a problem ever really be resolved? Sure it can. But it will take many generations of parents, teachers, clergymen and other leaders, educating children as they grow and mature. Racism and prejudice will most likely never completely be wiped out but attitudes, morals, and values can be improved through lots of work. Americans used to be proud to roll up their sleeves and work through the tough times. Well, this is one of those tough times.

 

Choices

With a fresh cup of steaming coffee in hand I look at the blank page in front of me. Without a clear plan for today’s blog I’m not real sure where the path of words will take me. It all seems a little gray and fuzzy, like the scene outside my window this morning. The good thing about a blank page or a new day in front of you is that you have a chance to mold and shape them anyway you choose. Being that this is my last day off before I go back to work I feel the need to pack as much into it as I possibly can. I don’t like going back to work thinking I missed out on something.

 

For those that know me well know that I ride my motorcycle nearly everywhere I go. Motorcycle riding has been in my blood since my teenage years and will probably remain there for my duration. When given the chance to combine this passion with any of my other hobbies the enjoyment level really escalates. One example would be metal detecting. By strapping my detector on my bike I am able to combine two great hobbies into one day. Not only do I get to ride and hunt for treasures but I save gas at the same time.

 

Having a booth in the basement section of Finders Keepers in Cullman I am always on the lookout for items I think people will want to buy. Once again my bike plays a part in this venture as well. Since I ride all over the southeast anyway, I get to stop in at places and shop around, sometimes finding the coolest things. One man’s trash is most definitely almost always another man’s treasure. The trick is to get these two people together.

 

So where will this day take me? I haven’t a clue. Will I find a three or four thousand dollar coin today or become one of the great American pickers…not if I don’t get moving. You guys have a great day. Get out and do something…you won’t regret it.

Unforgettable Trip in The Boundary Waters

Unforgettable Trip in The Boundary Waters

Writers Block?

Well I’m about to end this day the same way I started it…listening to the rain. Kinda relaxing don’t you think? I’ve done more reading and researching today than actual writing. It seems that my mentors, actual published authors have quite a lot of advice for us wannabes. I can’t imagine a writer’s life before the internet. Just think if you wanted to research a subject and the library was closed you were out of luck. Not only that you had to take your own photos.

 

The internet has made our lives easier in more ways to count. As a writer these days there should be no such thing as “writers block.” If you are ever stuck just pull up some strange place or town on Google Earth and fly down to street level.  You can then roam about until you find something interesting to write about. Don’t think you’ll find anything, try it you’ll be amazed. Myself I like to ride and see the country on my Harley; but when that isn’t possible I don’t mind using the other tools I have available.

 

You guys have a great night, I’m gonna go listen to the rain a little more.