This is Irritating little Chihuahua at six weeks, January of 1999.  She is eleven years old this month, and she has her daily exercise routine.

It consists of sleeping,

going outside and surveying her driveway, from the great sniffing of automobile tires down to the Yucca plant.  I have yet to figure out what is so intriguing about the Yucca, as it does not seem a normal “pee” spot to me, but it is on her daily route. 

It is also on her daily route to debate whether to go on down the driveway to the road.  She will look back, to see if we are watching, go a few trots, stop and look back.  Until I rap on the window or yell at her, then, she ambles off into the yard as if, “No, I never intended on going down the driveway.  I know my boundry.” 

The rest of the day is taken up with sleeping with nose buried,

and begging for food, and sleeping.  Mostly sleeping. 

Oh, and there is the occasional — jump up because she swears I touched her haunches, when she actually has a flea. 

Before I am yelled at, she has a frontline flea application monthly, as well as her heart worm pill.  She has had neurological problems with other flea applications, so Frontline it is.  This was working well for her until the St. Bernard family decided to eat our garbage and deposit their “city of fleas” in our yard.  They DO NOT get flea applications.  Chihuahua  added the garbage cans to her morning run and brought their fleas. 

The St. Bernard’s eating the lid of the garbage can, to circumvent the ties and boards and anything else we could find to keep them out, finally resulted in putting the garbage cans in my studio (which I rarely use in winter).  The city of fleas resides on the ground yet.

Twice a day I comb her with a frozen flea comb, catch the fleas that freeze on it, and put them in the freezer of doom; a disposable container in the freezer.   I know this is wierd, but, yes, I have a container of frozen fleas in my freezer (Try saying that three times fast.).  On top of which, sits her flea cob.  Someday the City of fleas will all die —– I hope.

So, back on topic, the Chihuahua sleeps, eats, poops, and sleeps all day, and for ten minutes, at night, plays with her Taco Belle Chihuahua. 

My fear, the year we had floods, was that our home would be flooded, fall into the pond and the Taco Belle Chihuahua would be history.  I have searched ebay, Good Will and yard sales for a back-up Christmas Taco Belle dog.  She has a basket of stuffed toy and occasionally will play with the Turkey Buzzard; and rarely with the cat mouse toy, but Taco Belle Chihuahua is her love.

Now, we have found another exercise outlet for Chihuahua: The Wii.

Yes, Gaffer brought a Wii home.  One of the games sounds rather like a bark, so she stands on the couch and barks at them.  But, bowling drives her nuts.  It took her three hours to figure out they were not throwing food for her.  She loves her Wii.  She does not understand it, but she loves it.

This is Skeeter trying to communicate with the blue jean leg of the Wii player.  She is either saying, “Okay, where is the treat you have been throwing for three hours?” or “GO TO BED!”

A dog, a brown boulder,
visible through the chain link,
listens for her only friend.
A whistle—a call to greet
the open gate—and she bolts,

unbound by the drab lot.
A flatbed backs and stops,
grinds to first, and barges off.
Red-dirt flags of dust unfurl
over mountains of tires.

A trailer is unlocked
to bring out a sack of food.
Her muzzle chomps,
down in her bowl,
beneath a live oak’s shelter.

A cigar ash grows
and the sun
expands a kudzu vine
to hide the bumpers, hoods,
and fenders that go nowhere.

A junkyard is a strange and somewhat mysterious place.  We think of it as a dead end, both for automobiles and the people who work there.  Most of us do not visit them.  Many of us don’t even know where to find one.  Often, they are physically hidden in out of the way places behind large fences or hills.

Junkyards serve us by hiding our trash (and material excess).  They also provide used parts and a lot of scrap metal that can be recycled and reused.  They are part of the landscape of industrial society: rows and rows of cars sprawled over acres of fields.

The people who work there could be considered hidden servants of our society.  They take responsibility for our castoffs and capitalize on the value that remains in those old cars.  Wise junkyard operators are concerned to protect their asset, thus, the junkyard dog.

In this poem, the dog works at night and is greeted by its master at opening time.  Intruders are rare, therefore the dog has a “drab lot.”  But, come morning, there is anticipation of contact with the master and the enjoyment of food and rest.

I tried to represent the hidden and lonely yard from the perspective of the dog as a metaphor for individuals who work hard and faithfully in jobs that are invisible to most of society.  The animal is approached by none but the master, who knows it well enough to do so.  The dog does not wish to be friends with any but the master.  It is doing what it has been bred and trained to do, i.e. be an enemy to all.  This is hard work for the dog and only the master’s appearance brings rest.  The oak tree and the kudzu are metaphors for rest.  Like a blanket of green, the kudzu protects the car parts while the dog is gone (during the day).  Rest is given from above (the sun causing kudzu to grow) and often in mundane ways (dust settling like a blanket on the tires).

We live in a castaway society where people are forgotten, or regarded as shameful, if they do not provide pleasure, entertainment, or a return on our investment.  In the poem, the master’s provision of food and companionship, the tree, the kudzu, and dust settling on the tires are metaphorical coverings for the shame of castaway people and things.

I also tried to say something about contentment with one’s calling or lot in life.  The dog is satisfied to do its work, receive its daily chow, and take shelter beneath the tree.  It is thankful and waits patiently for the one friend who truly cares.

The cigar ash is a metaphor for the slow steady burn of a man’s workaday life (within which are comforts and joy).  I ended with the cigar image because I am really talking about the human experience of work and life, not a dog’s.

I finally got my sleep after staying awake for more than 36 hours doing assignment! Yes, it’s last minute group work, but to be honest I think we did pretty well. One assignment down, 4 more to go!!

By the way, the protest in London is today and we (Ryan and I) are excited about it! We’ll be leaving for London around 9am, hopefully we’ll get some good shots! We’ll be reporting it right after the protest is done, so stay tuned!

cheers!

BikeTiresDirect.com

Looking for the best cycling products at great prices? That’s what BikeTiresDirect.com is all about. We’ve got the best selection of bicycle tires found anywhere, plus we also have a wide variety of cycling components, accessories and apparel from manufacturers such as Assos, Campagnolo, Look, Shimano, Sidi and more.

Any product bought from us carries the full manufacturer’s warranty. We handle all warranty claims directly so the customer doesn’t have to deal with the manufacturer. We make sure they get satisfactory warranty service and can often provide faster turn-around than they might otherwise achieve.

www.chicnhip.com

Hello once again for another Kumho tires review. This time, we will feature yet another Kumho Ecsta Tires, the Kumho Ecsta ASX KU21 and let see what does the Kumho Ecsta ASX KU21 have to offer.

An ultra high performer for all seasons, the Ecsta ASX combines outstanding wet and dry grip with high performance handling and competent snow traction – all while delivering long mileage and great ride comfort.

The Kumho Ecsta ASX KU21 has the features as follows:
* Asymmetrical tread design optimizes all-season performance.
* High-tech silica compound delivers the optimum balance of wet and snow traction, treadwear and fuel efficiency.
* Large outside blocks maximize cornering performance.
* High-angle slant and circumferential grooves provide optimum water drainage to resist hydroplaning.
* E-technology step grooves and sipes increase edge effect for increased wet and snow performance.
* Multi-zone tread contour provides dynamic casing control for improved comfort and handling.
* The ASX’s ESCOT technology controls the tension throughout the casing to provide a comfortable ride and maintain performance handling.
* The jointless cap and edge covers keep the two full-width steel belts in place to ensure strength, stability and maximum footprint during high performance driving.
* Variable pitch tread blocks and cross-grooves reduce road harmonics for a quiet ride.
* Rim protector in lower sidewall safeguards wheel from scratches and abrasions.
* The ASX is available with two UTQG ratings. Sizes with a 60 aspect ratio and higher come with a UTQG of 420 A/A. 55 series and below come with a 420 AA/A UTQG rating.

The consequences of Obama’s 35 percent tariff on imported Chinese tires are now starting to become apparent. An Associated Press article yesterday (via Pushing Possibilities) identified a few of the explicit and implicit consequences of the tariff.

Explicit costs include:

Under the government’s new tariff, which went into effect in September, a set of Chinese tires that would have cost $280 now cost nearly $100 more.

Implicit costs include:

Jennifer Stockburger, a tire test engineer for Consumer Reports, says six of the top ten all-season tires recently tested by the magazine were made in China by major manufacturers.

To calculate the true cost of the tariff, Pushing Possibilities conducted a cost-benefit analysis:

17% of the tire market is made up of Chinese tires.  Tire sales for 2008 was around $27 billion, which means that about $4.6 billion is Chinese tires. With an average price of $280 for Chinese tires pre-tariff, the total quantity of Chinese tires sold would amount to 16.4 million.  With a $100 price increase, assuming that domestic tire price increases offset the tariff increase, U.S. consumers are expected to lose out on a net savings of over $1.6 billion.  And that of course does not take into account the implicit cost of quality loss.

The tariff was expected to stop the loss of employment in the U.S. tire industry.  By assuming there would be a benefit of saving 5,000 jobs in the tire industry, even at the median U.S.  income, that only amounts to a very large estimate of over $250 million of saved income.

Therefore, Obama’s tire tariff cost the U.S. over $1.35 billion dollars.

Farfalle, Wisconsin (API) A bus full of high school marching band students flipped over last Sunday night on the southbound Fremont Interchange after smashing into an SUV carrying a family of four, an accident that caused serious injuries to five of the students and three family members and tied up traffic for hours.

Check out the most amazing deals on SUVs here.

Highway Patrol Sgt. Dan Meeder said that at 9 p.m. on Saturday, the busload of students from Tottenville were returning from an intramural marching competition when the bus driver noticed that the SUV had crossed into his lane and immediately began to skid until finally one of the tires blew off the vehicle.

You can buy tires for as low as $10 a month with your Sears card.

According to witnesses, the driver of the SUV, 48-year-old Daryl Mishengoss of Pearl Lagoon, was carrying his family back from a wedding he began to drift into the lane of the bus, then weaved first into the shoulder and then back across the lane a number of times before the bus driver, Sammy Pyle of Farfalle, swerved to avoid an accident, at which point he lost sight of the white stripes of the median and the bus flipped into a roll.

See what’s new with the rock band The White Stripes.

After that, witnesses gave conflicting accounts of the ensuring crash. One motorist said that Mishengoss and his family were likely distracted by the multiple media players they were operating in the SUV, including a video monitor that was playing a movie.

See why Angelina Jolie is the biggest movie star on the planet.

However, several of the parents of band members at the Tri-State Band Meet said that bus driver might well have become slightly intoxicated at the event and that, although the SUV was in the wrong lane, Pyle’s vision might have been slightly impaired and his reflexes dulled by a higher-than-normal blood-alcohol level.

Why not enjoy a glass of Maker’s Mark, Kentucky’s own small-batch bourbon whisky?

Sgt. Meeder said that he could not confirm whether Pyle had been intoxicated and declined to reveal the results of a Breathalyzer test.

You know who else has to pucker? Feeding infants! Here are pictures of Angelina Jolie nursing a baby.

Another officer, Dan Hernandez of Wickenham, said that despite the human error, there were other factors at play, including a faulty guardrail and several pot holes in the road. Hernandez said that this particular stretch of road is long overdue for highway repairs but has been a casualty of budget cuts for infrastructure amid economic malaise.

See why paying taxes to the federal government is the same thing as being a slave.

“I think that this is going to bring a lot of attention to how badly this stretch of road has become,” said Hernandez. “It’s probably one of the most dangerous roads in the state.”

See which models have the most dangerous curves.

“I’m always afraid I’m going to get in a serious accident here,” said Raoul Ortega, a house builder who lives part time in the U.S. and part time in Colombia.

See why tolerance of non-English speakers is partly responsible for the Fort Hood tragedy.

Most of the injuries were lacerations from broken glass …

Check out the best deals in Wisconsin auto glass.

… which was showered all over the road.

Angelina Jolie to perform in sexy shower scene with Johnny Depp.

Many teenage passengers from the bus lay bleeding on the road.

Check out all these dead teenager movies.

Many travelers trying to get home for the night had to wait for hours while the police removed damaged vehicles from the scene. Some even left their cars and stood talking while a bottleneck half a mile long grew down the road.

“It’s a real pain, but what can you do?” said Martin Rosenweig of Tottenville.

Got nothing to do in your car? Try Books on Tape.

Or an Apple IPod.

Or if you’re a brand new driver, how about Texting Devices for Teens.

Or how about simple masturbation?

This is the beginning of a new tool I’ll be using to train. I’m getting some climbing webbing and will use it to pull a fully loaded tire. Sand and other objects to make it heavy. This will work my arms, lower back, shoulders, legs and my cardiovascular system for sure!

Otto on the move.

All Georgians pay a $1.00 tire disposal fee in to the Solid Waste Trust Fund with the purchase of a new tire.  The Fund is intended to cover expenses of tire disposal and recycling and the clean-up of illegally dumped tires.  State legislators raided the Fund again this year. 

In 2004 and 2005, for example, [the Fund] earned nearly $7 million. Legislators took it all away both years, though. The fund raised about $6 million last year; the General Assembly gave EPD $1.4 million.

The legislators’ raid leaves insufficient resources to clean-up the 3.6 million tires buried in a 100-acre illegal landfill in Thomaston in Upson County.

To properly close [] landfill would cost $2.4 million. To dig up, cart off and recycle the 3.6 million tires would cost a minimum $8 million, a price EPD deems “economically unfeasible.”

Hays Arnold, mayor of Thomaston, said locals don’t talk much about the tire landfill and understand Georgia’s financial issues.

“A lot of money during these economic times has just disappeared,” Arnold said. “Maybe when we get financially healthy again we can do something with the dump.”

Please take the time to check out your car, The antifreeze is very important,check wiper fluids they have antifreeze wiper fluid real inexpensive at car parts stores,make sure other fluids are up to level especially your oil,make sure that you have your car stocked with water, food ,blankets,flashlights and use solar white lights there are many products on the market that are ac/dc you can give them a full charge before leaving on a trip and if you need extra light wa la it really makes a difference ,now check your tires get those studded tires on now if you use them, make sure you have chains in an easy spot to get to.the mountain passes are not the best place to have to dig around to find your chains and equipment to install them,If you are not aware front wheel drive requires chains all the way around same goes for if you get studded tires I was informed by oregon state police that front wheel drive must have all stud tires {4} and chains the same,he never gave me a statute to verify so I believed him ,no matter what your safety is first ,your car needs to be checked so you travel and get to where you are going in one piece,Do not let four wheel drive make you think you do not need chains that is a real old bad  habit for many people believe that four wheel drive is the same as chains ,sorry no matter what the ice knows, you do not have chains on or studded tires some how the ice knows, MY husband and many other people have been on their side,off the hiway because the ice and traveling too fast for the conditions put them off the road ,do a check list and travel safely , one last thing check your battery some batteries you can still check the fluid in them if yours is the kind make sure they all have fluid up to the inside mark,no battery no lights, happy holidays

I’ve got a lot on the plate for this week.

I got my magnum running yesterday. The petcock started linking just before the ride today, so I had to make a an o-ring out of fuel line on the spot. Its running super solid, I always forget how this moped is the best moped ever.

cleaning and sealing the ltd tank this week, finally.

this is the ugliest pipe ever. Originally a tomos estoril, its survived a lot. The pipe was derestricted, the silencer has fallen off numerous times, the header has snapped a few times, etc. Somehow it still works fine, and take my brother’s tomos to crazy speeds.

broken polini cup derbi motor.

most fun bike ever. Currently disabled.

need a stock cylinder or some old tires?

getting vespino ready to ship out to kentucky. fits in the box, just gotta pack it properly now.

With an increasing number of holiday festivities being held in the home this year, we’re all looking for creative and cost effective ways to spruce up our table settings and create a look that will impress our guests. When it comes to setting your Thanksgiving table, options for the adventurous host are limitless. What are the hottest trends for you to bring to your table this year? Here are a few ideas that will take your Thanksgiving table from ordinary to extraordinary:

Color, Texture and Mix – Match:

In table linens and accessories, this year we are seeing rich, saturated colours. We are also seeing a lot of texture and the mixing and matching of patterns with solids. There are a lot of options out there to do something warm and inviting.

Color Trends

Warm tones have always been popular for Fall and that continues with some of the biggest trends in colour combinations this year. Some of those include:
- Deep Spice and Aubergine with muted Gold accents – Dark Chocolate with Blues and Gray accents – Olive Green, Aubergine and softer greens as accents – Dark Chocolate, Taupe and Natural

Tabletop Decor

- Use things that you already have in your home – pull out your 3 or 4 of your favourite vases of different heights. Use complementary colors of fresh flowers for a simple and stunning arrangement. Fill three or four vases and/or glass bowls with different colors and sizes of ornaments, fruits, leaves – anything with color and texture that will create visual excitement.

- Your guests are all unique – why not celebrate their individuality? Use different patterns and/or colors of napkin rings that match their unique personalities. Are they simple or sophisticated? Fun or formal? Unpredictable or conservative? Show them you care with a little customization to complement your table linens.

- Candles are always a dramatic and cost effective way to make a statement – use votives at each place setting with a name card and emphasize beautiful table linens for a classy and simple look. Or go more dramatic and cluster your favourite candle sticks of varying heights and looks as a centerpiece. Use colors that complement or match your dishes, glasses and table linens.

- Nothing brings subtle sophistication to your table like a well-selected runner. Use one the length of the table plus 12 inches to hang over the edge (usually a 90″ or longer) as the perfect centerpiece. If you are using a solid tablecloth or placemats, make sure to jazz it up with a festive pattern. If you have a patterned look already, use a vibrant solid runner that picks up on one of the colors in your runner.

- Use 2 napkins instead of one with a napkin ring. With a solid napkin inside, and a more decorative napkin on the outside.

When setting your table, just remember: do what feels right for the mood. A casual gathering calls for a relaxed setting. A formal meal should feel that way at the table. Either way, it doesn’t take much to elevate your in-home dining experience. Replacing an old tablecloth with something fresh an exciting, and adding a few simple table accessories can go a long way to impressing your guests. It’s that time of year when family gatherings abound and everyone spends countless hours congregating around the dinner table. With the hours spent preparing the perfect meal, make sure you don’t forget to finish it off with the perfect setting.

From the Telegraph:

1.  Smoot-Hawley

The most famous act of protectionism took place in the 1930s when the US government, facing the early forces of depression, legislated to impose tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods – some significantly. The act triggered a spiral of retaliatory protectionism across the world, and in the view of some economists, fuelled both the Great Depression and the geopolitical tension that led to the Second World War.

2. Common Agricultural Policy

Under the CAP – a European scheme, although similar programmes are in place in the US and throughout the developed world – domestic farmers are given subsidies for producing (or in some cases not producing) food. Without such subsidies many domestic agricultural businesses would collapse, since they cannot compete with the cheap prices charged by overseas exporters for everything from vegetables to livestock to cotton.

3. Shoe wars, bra wars

Recently, in his former role as European Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson accused China of illegally dumping vast numbers of shoes – and later bras – on the European markets. “Dumping” is the name given when a country exports a product at a price even lower than that paid in its domestic market. Under the WTO code, it can act against such moves under so-called “anti-dumping” rules.

4. Chinese tyres

China and the US are currently locked in a trade battle over the trade in car tyres. In September, the US Congress accused China of illegally swamping the US market with cheap tyres and imposed tariffs on those imported from the Asian giant. China in turn accused the US of protectionism, arguing that exports to America had actually dropped last year. But with thousands of American jobs on the line, the case is still the focus of heated debate.

5. India vs China

The WTO is not merely a mechanism for the West to fight its own corner against cheaper emerging market exporters. Emerging and developing nations also use it as a forum to tackle their own independent trade battles. Recently, China and India have been locked in debate over trade, with India accusing China of expanding overly aggressively into its silk and satin markets. India argues that Chinese prices are so cheap that its key domestic industry is simply unable to compete.

I have never in my life seen a tire with so much metal-wire showing. Hard to believe this can even hold air. I guess things are tough all over.

We have a lot of tires…

Michelin has released its October 2009 and year-to-date figures for tire sales, and the figures offer a significantly more positive performance in some key sectors, though difficulties remain. In original equipment passenger car and light truck tire markets, October replacement sales were up in all three of Michelin’s reported regions compared to October 2008, with Europe up 6.4% (of which Europe excluding CIS was up 10.4%), North America up 6.9%, and China up 11.4%. However, October’s original equipment PC/LT tire sales were down 0.9% in Europe and 8.4% in North America compared to October 2008, though China showed strong growth of 75.2%. Given the difficulties of the first nine months of the year, YTD PC/LT sales are still down for both the OE and replacement segments in Europe and North America, though China’s market is up 52.7% in OE and up 14.4% in replacement YTD.

Radial truck tires also posted stronger results in October, at least on the replacement side. Replacement truck tire sales increased 0.4% in Europe including CIS, 16.8% in Brazil, 12.7% in Japan, and 12.1% in China. Among Michelin’s reported regions, only the North American market saw declines in truck tire replacement sales in October, which totaled 3.1%. However, original equipment radial truck tires continued to show steep declines across all regions in October 2009 compared to October 2008, with the steepest percentage declines (60.5%) in Europe including CIS.

Reflecting the deep and prolonged downturn in this segment, truck tire year-to-date figures were down nearly across the board in both the OE and replacement segments. The lone exception was China’s replacement sales, which were up 0.5%.

The full results are here.

This morning I let Ally make cinnamon rolls (well not really “make” but transfer from the tube to the pan to the oven) and they smell so good! I figure I’ll give her some easy stuff to get used to the oven with.

It’s Friday!! I have quite the handful of errands to run today. Just to name a few, I’m getting new tires on my car, stop at Target and stopping in to the vitamin shop to re-up… Ally goes with her dad (step mom and step sis) on the weekends so I will be meeting up with them later this evening. Jim’s working the weekend so maybe I’ll have enough “me” time to finish cleaning my basement.

Yesterday I did it. I bought pretty much the rest of the items I needed for homeschooling Ally.  lots of  “living books”, some really cool science DVDs, a classical music box set, math curriculum, history curriculum.. etc.. At first glance it didn’t seem like it would cost that much but I have to be honest and say it did. I take it back, my local library didn’t have as many of the books I needed as I thought they would. Luckily I found most of them used but nevertheless. It works out though because some of the items I purchased we can use for years to come and of course we love books! It could have been done cheaper, but I was drawn to particular curriculum that needed other resources to accompany it.. I didn’t have to get everything all at once either but now I’m set for the whole year. It’s worth it.

Last night I dropped Ally and Jim off at Jim’s grandma’s house then went to the school that I pulled her from for conferences… They had sent me a note saying that I could still meet with them if I wanted to, to see how she did the first 10 weeks of school. Why not, right? I must admit I was a bit nervous, I wasn’t sure if they were going to give me a hard time or not. First I met with her old teacher, nice lady… To my surprise she seemed supportive (just a wee bit). She gave me Ally’s report card and went over the few things she thought Ally needed help on. All in all, Ally did great. The report card was marked mostly with “S”  for secure. She is a very smart little girl and I am very confident she will excel even more by being homeschooled. After I met with the teacher I met with the principle, she let me go through Ally’s file and she made copies of whatever I wanted. They also had a vendor fair in the gym. I stopped in for a quick peek and picked up some business cards. They had some really neat Christmas gifts! So no hassles, pretty much in and out with no problems what-so-ever.

I went back to Jim’s grandma’s (Nonna), visited for a bit then we left and got ice cream.. LoL

Now I have to get moving so I can get my errands done! ♥

new tire trims are in, you can have white wall any type of tire you wish. some dreams will come true. colorful dreams, will come to life. more colors on the way. for now a variety in the 18″ size and all the 17″ white walls you could want. thin, fat, wide, trim, yellow, 16″, 19″!! for mopeds, yes. for motorcycles, yeah and giant moped and other two wheeled creations.

Caught this photo with my phone at a recent Raceway Park practice day.  Can’t even tell what series tire he’s running anymore…

This bad boy has more wheels than any vehicle I’ve ever seen.  Check it out, that’s 18 axels with 8 wheels per axel for 144 total wheels, just on the trailer.

Because of the generosity of Fyxation Tires, Leader Bikes and Volume Bike Co we will now be having a Quantum Trick comp after the grand opening series finale race this Saturday. Some of the best tarck stars from the left coast will be in attendance. You shouldn’t miss this.