Three hundred forty kilometers this morning at temperatures of 37 degrees celsius and higher, it was a pleasant but hot ride.
Ricardo and I are back at my home on Baffin Bay. Now the fun starts, planning our next adventure. I am still interested in riding Guatemala, Belize and the Yucatan of Mexico.
Sunday morning in the Texas hills, cool and clear and the bikes are running perfectly. Ricardo and I are off to areas I have been riding for years. First, 25 miles to Fredericksburg, the quaint German city that draws tourists from all of Texas and beyond. Fredericksburg, with buildings being constructed mostly from pink granite which is mined locally. Fredericksburg, a city of great German food and beer.
Then the bikes lunged some 25 miles away to the Enchanted Rock Natural Area. Enchanted Rock, a solid mountain of round smooth granite rising over 450 feet from the ground floor and covering almost 600 acres. A beautiful natural sight. Then we were off to ride the Willow City Loop, a beautiful 28 miile ride through beautiful ranch and hunting hills.
After a two hour stop in Fredericksburg, Luckenbach beckoned and we were off to this Texas hangout made famous in song by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Luckenbach, famous for it's music and dance hall also offered Ricardo a chance to ride a huge Texas long horn bull. You have to check the photographs to see Ricardo, the Latin Bull Rider.
A quick stop at a winery in Sisterdale and we made our way to a Popo's, a great restaurant near Welfare, TX. A dinner of fried chicken, iced tea and deserts of Blue Bell ice cream and the largest piece of cheesecake i have ever seen. Now, with night upon us, Ricardo and I are safely in a hotel outside of San Antonio. Tomorrow? Baffin Bay, here we come!
Breakfast in Uvalde, TX and we were on the bikes riding up Hwy 55, past Camp Wood and on to Rocksprings. Rocksprings, a ranch town of about 1400 people in rocky and hilly Real County. A stop for gas and air in my rear tire and then were off to ride Hwy 335, south from Hwy 41 to Hwy 337 in Camp wood. This is one of the "Three Twisted Sisters", a winding two lane road that twists and turns up high and then dips low. A beautiful ride that feels just like a massive roller coaster. Past wild animals, a giraffe, bob cats, antelope and many deer. thirty miles of grandeur!
Then headed down Hwy 337 to Leakey. A stop at Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop for water and a purchase or two and we were off riding 336 north towards Hwy 41. Ricardo led the way over Twenty two miles of winding twists and turns. Past canyons, rivers and by cliffs of beauty. soon we were pulling into Garvens for a late lunch of BBQ-maybe the best sandwichs of this trip. Then it was time to head down towards Hunt,TX crossing the Guadalupe River several times. The Guadalupe, a beautiful, clear river that cuts it's way through these limestine canyons and hills of south Texas.
Tonight we are in a nice Inn in Kerrvgille, TX. Tomorrow we will head to Enchanted Rock near Llano, Tx and then ride to Fredericksburg, TX. Fredericksburg, a beautiful town showing it's German ancestry. Maybe a ham hock and kraut for lunch. Then we will be off to Luckenbach, where we will spend the afternoon with "Willie, Waylon and the boys".
Ricardo and I prepared the bikes yesterday afternoon and rode out of Riviera Beach this morning before 7:00 AM. Our destination? The Texas Hill Country! But first, a side trip to Dilley, Texas to see Moto Hank, my BMW mechanic who keeps my BMWs running. Almost three hours spent running down Highway 624, through the Eagle Ford Shale fields. What a spectacle, trucks running amuck, oil tanks everywhere, a frantic scene that resembles chaos.
Finally arriving in Dilley, we pulled up to Moto Hanks to find Hank absent and the shop closed. Why didn't I call for an appointment? That would be too logical. Ricardo and I filled up with gas and headed on to Utopia, Texas and the Lost Maple Cafe, home of the best pies in Texas. Coconut Meringue pie and iced tea for lunch! Then on up past Vanderpool to the Lome star Motorcycle Museum, home to 60 or so beautifully restored European vintage bikes.
Then we were off to Leakey, home to the Frio Canyon Motorcycle Stop where we spent an hour soaking up the motorcycle atmosphere. Leakey, the gateway to the "Three Twisted Sisters", three roads (335, 336 and 336, about 30 miles each) that twist and turn through this very hilly and beautiful part of Texas. The Twisted Sisters are dream rides for all Texas motorcyclists..
As the day faded we made our way back to Uvalde, where we are staying tonight. As we rode into Uvalde a large sign indicated the temperature was 39 degrees celsius (102 F).. The entire day was near 100 degrees F, a hot day to ride 580 kilometers.
Tomorrow? The Three Twisted Sisters, of course. and surely a BBQ sandwich at Garvins!
Ricardo, Chuck and the two bikes are fine but a personal situation needs my presence elsewhere for a few days. We have decided to head to Baffin Bay and resume this ride in a few days.
The morning came early, nice and cool and slightly cloudy. A perfect day to ride TX highway 170, The River Road. universally known as the best motorcycle road in Texas, the river road runs 67 miles along the Rio Grande, from Terlingua to Presidio. Hilly, curvy, with frequent stops along the way, this beautiful ride has you looking to the left right into Mexico and on the right at big Bend Ranch State Park. Even Ricardo thinks this is a great ride.
Taking our time we spent over two hours traveling south to Presidio, the small, quaint town that shares the border with Ojinaga, Mexico. Crossing the border without any delay or paperwork, we headed south on Mx 16, the beautiful mountain road that runs from Ojinaga to Chihuahua. But no, we did not go all the way to Chihuahua! About 30 miles up into the beautiful Sierra Carmen Mountains, we arrived at our destination. The Peguis Canyon, the most spectacular river canyon in my experience.
A Mexican family was there marveling at the canyon and soon we were all talking back and forth. Some Spanish, a little English and much "winking and nodding". I love my time with these great Mexican People. By 2:00 PM, we were on the bikes headed down the mountain and into the small Mexican city of Ojinaga. An hour spent on the Plaza, a boot shine and we were back on the bikes crossing the border into the USA.
Up the River Road, as thrilling as the first time I rode it some ten years ago, 90 minutes later we at our camp site at Maverick Ranch. Right now Ricardo is in the pool. Later, a light dinner. Maybe a couple of cold cans of Beanee Weenees.
And tomorow, it has to be Big Bend National Park and Stilwell Ranch.
Up at 5:00 AM Wednesday morning, Ricardo and I were on the road by 6:00 AM. Our destination? Six hundred miles down the highway to Terlingua, Texas. Terlingua, the goast town that once was a massive silver mine. Terlingua, the gateway to Big Bend.
Pulling the "toy hauler", loaded with my BMW R1200GS and Ricardo's "girlie bike", we made the trip in just over 12 hours. The first five hours took us through the massive and busy Eagle Ford Shale oil boom towns of Freer, Encino, Carizzo Springs, Eagle Pass and through my favotite, Del Rio. Then it was off across 300 miles of desert, through Comstock, Sanderson, Marathon, Alpine and on down towards Big Bend. All baren but beautiful desert. Desert? It rained the whole way. And the temperatures, normally 105 to 110 in July, hovered in the seventies.
Arriving in Terlingua about 7:00 PM, we grabbed a motel for the night and waited until this morning to set up camp at Maverick Ranch RV Campground. Our setup is perfect although the rain continues. However, we took the bikes for a short tour this afternoon so they would know what was in store. Dinner tonight at Bob's BBQ consisted of a rack of succulent ribs and, of course, peach cobbler.
Tonight we will sleep in the Play-Mor and arise early for some exciting mountain riding. Down River Road, through Presidio and on into Mexico.. Our destination, the Peguis Canyon, south of Ojinago, Mexico. The next ten days will be filled with adventure as we ride some of the most beautiful areas of Texas.
Yes, Ricardo and I are headed west, down through Del Rio, Sanderson, Marathon, Alpine and finally into Big Bend. Rain is predicted all along the way. Rain? I thought Big Bend was a desert! Well, rain is predicted for the next week or so.
So Ricardo and I have loaded the Beemer and the "girlie bike" into my "toy hauler" ( A Playmor Trailer) and are going to pull the bikes to Terlingua, unload them and then do day or maybe three day rides into Mexico, up to McDonald's Observatory and who knows where else. And if the weather is right we might even locate a campground and sleep in the trailer. But first, 600 miles in the rain to Terlingua.
Thursday morning, the 4th of July, was beautiful. Sunny, cool--great for the three hour ride back to Riviera Beach. Ricardo, Gaby and I hit Hwy 77, riding briskly back to the Bay. At 12:30 on the afternoon of "The Fourth" we arrived at the entrance gate to Redfish Estates.
Back home, after 15 days and a 2982 mile ride. The bikes, a 2008 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic LT and a 2005 BMW R1200 GS ran flawlessly. Our ride covered parts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas.
Now Ricardo and I have to service the bikes and get ready to depart the second leg of this trip. Soon we will head west, through parts of Mexico, Big Bend National Park and several scenic Texas State Parks.
At 8:20 AM July 3, we reentered Texas and made our way south on Hwy 59 to Victoria. Riding in the cool, brisk morning we were in beautiful northeast Texas country. Past small Texas towns like Marshall, Nacodoches, Livingston and Lufkin. by mid morning the heat was felt and clouds were gathering.
Soon we were on the outskirts of Houston, the giant Texas city that I always fear. Traffic, traffic, and a shower of light rain. For 45 minutes we sped through the center of Houston at 75 miles an hour with three lanes, maybe four lanes of traffic trying to either cower or hit us. By the time we stopped in Rosenberg, Gaby, Ricardo and Chuck were ready for rest, off the bikes.
Finally at 4:00 PM we reached El Campo, Texas, the home of El Campo Cycle Center. This is always a mandatory stop. Pamela and James own this wonderfully stocked Cycle Center. Absolutely great people, James and Pamela stopped what they were doing to spend time with Gaby and Ricardo. This Center has Hondas, Suzuki, Victory, Polaris and Yamahas. Simply the finest dealership in Texas-----well, Cycle Rider in San Antonio is equally good, so now I know two great shops.
Finally back on the road at 5:30 PM, we were only 56 miles from our motel in Victoris. Riding fast, we covered the first 40 miles without incident but then suddenly we rode right into a Texas thunderstorm. Thunder, lightning and a quick but fierce cold shower. We just kept riding and soon dried off and arrived at our motel. By noon tomorrow we will be back at my home on Baffin Bay.
We did not leave Memphis until 12:30 PM today. Ricardo decided to treat Gaby to a tour of Graceland (which he first took two years ago). Just as we were about to depart for Texas, I had a mishap with my glasses and had to visit an optician, who quickly saved the day.
Finally we were on the road by 12:30 PM and had a pleasant ride 270 miles down the road to Texarkana, AR. Back into a very nice La Quinta, Gaby and Ricardo are out in the pool cooling off.
We are still 600 miles from Baffin Bay. My goal for tomorrow is to make it about 60 miles south of Houston. Driving through Houston on the afternoon of July 3rd will be a challenge. With luck we should be in Riviera Beach by 1:00 PM on the Fourth of July.
Monday morning went much as planned except for cold, rainy weather. The rain first hit us in Louisville and was fierce at times. Gaby was cold and I had a terrible time with my glasses fogging up, In fact, it was a rather unsafe and throuighly miserable ride. and such a shame because we rode down the Western Kentucky Parkway, past Rough River Reservoir, Between the Lakes State Park, Barkley Lake and Kentucky Lake. Certainly some of the most beautiful country in Kentucky.
Finally, about 2:00 PM, we crossed into Tennessee and the rain subsided. At 5:15 PM we rolled up to the Memphis La Quinta Inn (the one near Elvis Presley Blvd). Of course Ricardo and Gaby had to do a quick visit to Graceland.
having little interest in Graceland, I called old friends, Lester and Jo Ann and soon they were at the inn picking all of us up to head down to Beal Street, the Home of the Blues. A beautiful walk down Beal Street, then dinner on a balcony overlooking Beal Street. And what did we have? BBQ Ribs, catfish, fried green tomatos with horseradish!
Soon it was to bed with a good book. life is great!
Ricardo's friend, Gaby, flew in to Louisville late Friday night and she is riding back with us to Riviera. Today she joined us in attending the Quaker State 400 NASCAR race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. Ricardo and Gaby loved it--it was there first speedway, oval track race. And of course you know that Matt Kenseth won the race, wiith Jamie McMurray coming in second. The day was hot but enjoyable.
Tomorrow we will depart Louisville early, heading back to Texas. With luck and safe riding we will make it about 400 miles southwest to Memphis, TN. Ricardo and I have old friends we want to visit and I suspect he wants to do a quick visit to Graceland.
Yes, Ricardo, Yvonne and I spent the afternoon at Churchill Downs, the home of the Kentucky Derby. This is the last week of the spring racing season. We managed to watch five races, betting on two. We won nary a bet.
Ricardo's friend, Gaby, arrives late tonight and tomorrow Ricardo and I are off to the NASCAR races. Yvonne and Gaby are going to a car show in the early evening and then to the "After Dark Races" at the Downs.
Asleep in the Best Western in Bardstown at 10:30 PM. Suddenly I was awakened by loud sirens. Up quickly, looking out the door and I see fierce rain, winds blowing and people running toward another building. The sirens were a tornado warning. a tornado had been spotted nearby. Ricardo and I ran across the parking lot to the building with the "storm shelter" and joined everyone in the basement for about thirty minutes, then the "all clear" sounded and we returned to our rooms.
Thursday morning we traveled 20 miles or so to Loretto KY, the home of Maker's Mark, one of our finest Bourbons. The distillery grounds were beautiful. We took a nice tour through all of the distilleriy and the were invited to the "tasting room'. Don't ask! Bardstown is home to many of Kentucky's bourbons, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Knob Creek, to name a few.
Then we stopped by "The Old Kentucky Home and Stephen Foster state park. Finally we pointed our bikes toward Louisville and arrived at Yvonnes's house by 3:30 PM. A tour of Louisville, a light dinner on the Ohio River and we were in bed by 11:00 PM.
Ricardo and I will remain in Louisville Friday and Saturday, then we are off to Sparta, Kentucky, the home of Kentucky Speedway. Saturday night, we will be attending the "Quaker State 400", a major race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Ricardo and I took the back roads to Mammoth Cave National Park this morning. First we went to Smiths Grove, Ky and then Hwy 101 to Brownsville. from there we headed out Hwy 728 towards Nolin Lake State Park. finally we went down a beautiful, narrow and winding road to the Green River Ferry that took us across Green River and into the Park. Along the way we saw many beautiful wild turkey and some magnificent forests.
Finally in the park, Ricardo signed up for a two hour tour of one part of the cave and I spent time exploring the headquarters. By 2:00 PM we had enjoyed a great lunch in the park restaurant and decided to head to Hodgenville, KY, to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historical Site. this was a beautiful and informative stop and we both enjoyed ourselves.
Tonight finds us in Bardstown, Ky checked into a Best Western. Tomorrow we plan to do the "Bourbon Tour" and visit a couple of distilleries. We have plenty of time. We don't really have to be in Louisville until Friday.
Monday morning Ricardo and I once again hit the Natchez Trace Parkway, traveling 220 miles north to Nashville. A slow and pleasant ride, a steady 55 mph, through beautiful forests and Alabama and Tennessee farm lands.
Arriving in Nashville mid afternoon, we checked into a hotel and set off the visit Music City. But first I had to show Ricardo why Nashville is known as the "Athens of the South". So, off to Centennial Park and a visit to the Parthenon! Yes, right here in Nashville is an exact copy of the Parthenon, more commonly seen in Greece.
And then it was off to downtown Nashville, the home of the Grand Ole Opry. We saw it all, Ryman's Auditorium, the Hard Rock Cafe, even Tootsies Orchid Lounge. Finally by 7:30 PM, we were exhausted and returned to the hotel. Ricardo to the pool and Chuck, relaxed with a book.
Tuesday morning found us at a great motorcycle shop inj Madison, searching for cooler helmets and looking at new Triumphs, KTMs, Kawasakis, Yamahas and Hondas. This shop had everything except BMWs. Finally we were back on the road headed to Bowling Green where Ricardo wanted to visit the Corvette Museum. All Corvettes are built here in Bowling Green, Ky and there is a very large Corvette Museum.
By mid day we were back on the bikes headed to the hotel. But first a stop at Best Buys. Last night Ricardo's trusty laptop began to fade......So, now Ricardo owns a new IPAD. Let's see if he can figure out how to use it.
Later tonight, we are having dinner with my sister, Deborah. After all I did go to most of high school here and both of my sisters grew up here in Bowling Green, the home of my parents, grandparents and most of my extended family. Tomorrow the bikes are going to take the back roads to Mammoth Cave National Park and then on to Hodgenville and Know Creek, KY, the birth place and early homes of President Abraham Lincoln.
Out of bed early, we still did not leave the hotel until mid morning. Leaving Natchez, MS, Ricardo and I pointed the bikes toward the Natchez Trace Parkway. This scenic and historical parkway leads you 444 miles throught three states and hundreds of years of American history. Today we rode almost 300 miles to Tupelo, MS.
Along the way we stopped several times for rest and refreshments. Then most interesting stop was in French Camp, MS at Leonard's grocery, where we met the manager, Minna and a delightful young man, Drew Guillette. Already bitten by the "travel bug" Drew visited Italy last summer and now hopes to visit Costa Rica some day. Minna, originally from Staten Island, NY, served us a great Bar B Que sandwich for a late lunch. Tonight I will post a photograph of Ricardo, Minna and Drew so you can see the nice folks we meet along the way.
Ahh, Tupelo, MS, the birthplace and early home of Elvis Presley. And of course Ricardo had to visit, have his photograph taken and even sit in the swing on the front porch. And Chuck ? I was the tour guide and photographer.
Tonight we have checked into a nice La Quinta and Ricardo is once again in the pool. Later tonight, a dinner of turnip greens and pinto beans. Monday, a 240 mile ride to Nashville, TN, the home of The Grand Ole Opry and a visit to Ryman Auditorum, the old brick church that became the first home of the Opry. And of course, a stop at my old "hangout", Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
Last night we met several nice folks from Pierre Part, LA and they convinced us that our ride would be incomplete unless we visited Pierre Part, a delightful village 30 miles north of Morgan City. So? Early this morning we headed to Pierre Part.
Pierre Part is on the bayou, near many alligator swamps. In fact it is the home of Troy Landry, the star of Discovery Channel's "Swamp People". Unique and quaint, the visit was well worth the ride. Finally about noon, we pointed the bikes North on LA 69 and made the 130 mile trek to Natchez, MS. Natchez, al southern antebellum town full of beautiful Civil War era homes and streets lined with flowering trees. Check out our pictures to understand this unique beauty.
And Ricardo? He is having a great time viewing the beauty of Southern Mississippi and talking with everyone in his new creole dialect. Everyone thinks he is an alligator wrestler from Pierre Part, LA.
And tomorrow? Up by 6:00 AM, and riding by 7:00 AM. We have to beat the heat as we ride up the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Natchez Trace Parkway, running 444 miles from Natchez MS, through parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and finally ending just outside of Nashville, TN.
Leaving Galveston Island, we took the ferry to Port Bolivar. A very picturesque voyage, at no cost to Ricardo or me. This morning, we were off to the Louisiana Coast. A quick ride southeast, past several large refineries, we were soon at Hwy 82, running along a large waterway (canal, maybe?) filled with ocean going tankers, filled with oil or some refined product. A delightful and interesting morning.
Over the large bridge at Sabine Pass, Texas, we were speeding down Hwy 82 to Cameron, LA. But first one more ferry trip over the Cameron River and suddenly we were on the gulf coast in Cameron. Oil field activity is booming and everyone was helpful--it was a fine morning. Up the coast 140 miles, thru one quick rain, and we were at Avery Island, home of Tobasco.
at the end of the civil War, Edmund McIllhenny moved to Avery Island and over the next four years cultivated pepper plants that soon became the key ingredients in Tobasco Sauce. From this humble birth, Tobasco, still owned by the McIllhenny family, is sold worldwide. Sold in 110 countries, labeled in 22 languages Tobasco is one of Louisiana's best known products. And it is produced solely here in this historical plant on Avery Island where 710,000 bottles are produced each day.
Ricardo and I enjoyed a plant tour, sampled some fresh product and visited the company store. This is really an interesting place. Now we are checked into a new and very nice LaQuinta Inn and Ricardo is in the pool.
Tonight we had crawfish etoufee at a local restaurant filled with friendly and interesting Cajuns. Most were dining on boiled crawfish and of course a group invited Ricardo to join in. He is now a master at "eating tails and sucking the heads". And his creole accent is perfect. Everyone here thinks he is from Pierre Part.


Imagine the following scenario: Millions of Jews – men and women, small children and their great-grandmothers, scholars and laypeople, all assembled in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. Suddenly the crowd gets quiet and the Jewish King ascends on to a platform and reads sections of the Torah. The nation is inspired and invigorated. A display of unity and a statement of purpose converge to revitalize this diverse nation. This scene happened every seven years.
If one plays basketball, he better be aware of the coach's existence because it will affect the way he conducts himself at practice and at the game-and even off season. He knows that if he gets involved in an activity the coach frowns upon, it might jeopardize his chance of being successful on the team. The same is true of being in a theatrical production, in the military, a student, or any other endeavor in which there is clearly one person who is in charge, if you are not cognizant of that person's existence, you will not succeed at that endeavor. This obviously relates to G-d because if we ignore or pretend that He doesn't exist, how can we be successful in life? Remembering that the world has a Creator and living according to that reality has been a challenge for humanity since Adam and Eve and it seems harder than ever in a 21st century, an age when screen time and social media takes the lion's share of many people's waking hours. What is the Jewish approach to remain cognizant of the Almighty's existence? The Torah has no shortage of mitzvot but there's one in particular that keeps our minds and hearts in the right direction; blessings.
Rabbi O's Weekly Parsha:: Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9) Who Are You A Student Of?
Rabbi O's Weekly Parsha: Emor (Leviticus 21-24) To Life!


Tighten skin that has lost elasticity due to aging. Note: Even though there can be very effective skin tightening and thickening with laser resurfacing, if the skin is extremely loose, another procedure such as a Facelift may be more appropriate. This would be explained by Dr. Sacks at your FREE consultation. Sometimes both a Facelift and Laser resurfacing would produce the very best results.
Lines around the mouth and lips are very well treated by Laser resurfacing.
First, the face is cleansed of oils in order to prepare for the laser procedure, and then the skin is further cleansed with an antibiotic solution. The laser is then used to remove the very top layers of the skin with a computer controlled laser until the appropriate depth of skin is reached. This procedure is commonly performed with both a local anesthetic and with sedation so that the patient is comfortable. Vaseline which is very non allergenic is applied for after the procedure and for many days afterwards. It keeps the protein 'crust' which exudes from the skin after the procedure moist, so that after a few days this 'crust' or exudate is easily removed.
Generally, post-operative instructions call for plenty of rest and limited movement in order to speed up the healing process and recovery time. Antibiotic ointment may be applied to the affected area following surgery in order to aid with the healing process, to minimize swelling, and to control the risk of infection. The skin will be red and may ooze. Some discomfort should also be expected.
Any pain associated with the surgery can be treated with oral medication by Dr. Sacks. While complications are rare, patients can minimize potential problems by carefully following the post-operative directions. Recovery time varies with the extent of the resurfacing and the number of procedures completed.
Redness - When the 'crust' has subsided, the underlying skin will be pinkish - red which will fade over a few weeks and can be camouflaged with makeup if desired.
Infection - The chance of this is low as Dr. Sacks will prescribe two different kinds of antibiotics starting the day before the laser resurfacing and continuing after the procedure for a few more days. The first type of medication is for bacteria and the second type of medication is against viruses so that even if for example the patient had herpes and it was not evident, the chance of this being a problem would be avoided.
Tightness - As the skin of the face heals a feeling of tightness may be experienced as in fact the skin is tightened. Any sense of discomfort with this will subside.
Blotchiness - This is unusual and is prevented by the skin treatment prescribed by Dr. Sacks for a few weeks before the laser resurfacing and by STAYING OUT OF THE SUN after the procedure.


I can't believe I am typing this, Halloween is just around the corner. Which begs the question, what am I going to be for Halloween? (yes, I still sometimes dress up. The kids who come by our apartment love it.) In past years, I have had my handy dandy loofa costume. What is a loofa? It is that shower-puff thing that is a giant tulle sponge.
Wouldn't it be fun to actual be a working iPhone? You must admit, it is a perfect cosutme minus the 42" tv and power source I would have to carry around.


The Convention and Event Centre Pontresina is distinguished by its versatile, state-of- the-art infrastructure and facilities. The modern, professionally-equipped rooms are designed to meet the highest requirements. A large auditorium, seven seminar rooms and three foyers offer ideal settings for small and medium-sized conferences, meetings, and also cultural events and banquets.
On the doorstep of the Convention and Event Centre Pontresina is Pontresina's majestic landscape of mountains and glaciers. As a result, the views from all of the Convention and Event Centre rooms are phenomenal. And as one, great, unspoilt outdoor playground, the Engadin offers 1,001 ways of enjoying leisure time on a natural high – so that your seminar, conference or event in Engadin St. Moritz becomes a truly unforgettable experience.
Events at the Conference and Event Centre Pontresina leave a small environmental footprint. As the first and yet the only convention centre in Switzerland, it has been awarded the "Sustainable Company" certificate by Expo-Event Live Communication Association Switzerland. A company may only call itself a "sustainable company" if it has achieved an outstanding performance in terms of energy use, waste prevention and mobility, as well as staff responsibility. As an example, the convention centre is operated with 100% green energy, and the lighting is being converted to LED.


Feed Your Hold Hair Spray is the best way is to sustain your style without weighing down your hair.
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While we don't test on animals, we've had many willing New York City salon clients volunteer to test our all natural formulations before they went to market. This is how we got our start. Before long, there was such a demand for more products to transform a variety of hair and scalp issues and to overcome certain styling challenges. We spent several years developing and refining the complete line of Yarok hair care available today.


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S.T. Karnick August 17, 2007 9:26 am Tags: choice, determinism, free will, H. C. Bailey, moral, morality, Reggie Fortune Category: Manners and Morals, Mysteries, Philosophy
Free Will, Determinism, and Pop Culture
The central moral issue of the past century was whether a traditional (in fact, millennias old) assumption behind moral thinking should prevail, or should be replaced by a newer, seemingly more compassionate thought. It is a matter over which American society is still struggling.
The classical Western notion, of course, was that an individual is responsible for his or her own actions, even if outside circumstances contributed to the person's decision to break a rule. That meant, for example, that even poverty did not excuse theft.
Of course, even if personal responsibility was assumed, mercy and common sense were essential to the dispensing of true justice. Western morality and our sense of justice always recognized that sometimes, albeit rarely, an individual's circumstances can be so compelling as to excuse rule-breaking. And of course anything not done by choice, such as killing a person in self-defense, was automatically excused.
This mindset was challenged in the past century by the philosophy of determinism.
Resting on the obvious truth that all material actions are caused in some way or another, the moral philosophy of determinism extended this to suggest that to a great extent human beings do not act freely by their own choice. It is in fact a highly sophisticated argument, but it ultimately rests on the assumptions of philosophical materialism.
In its popular manifestation, in any case, moral determinism led to the idea that criminal behavior was largely not a matter of free choice but instead an inevitable consequence of the circumstances in which the wrongdoer found him- or herself. Hence the emphasis on "alleviating the root causes of crime" as opposed to removing criminals from society and punishing them to lower the attractiveness of the choice to engage in criminal behavior.
Such a mentality certainly benefits those who commit crimes, of course, as they are fairly easily absolved of responsibility for their actions, and punishment is increasingly hard to justify. It is seriously deaf to the victims of crime, however, as it places the emphasis on the awful circumstances that drove the criminal to harm someone, and concentrates efforts on removing those circumstances. What it does then, is make a perverse quest of bettering the lives of the criminal class, rewarding them for their misdeeds.
As a result of this perverse situation, instead of simply holding criminals more responsible for their actions, "victims' rights" organizations sprung up, with the intent of providing ministrations to victims to give them "closure," meaning to reconcile them to the fact that they were victimized by others and that nothing good was going to be done about it or any real effort made to reduce the incidence of such crimes.
By the 1980s, this elaborate scheme of superficial niceness to both criminals and their victims and refusal to pursue real justice had become clearly absurd and harmful, and a reaction set in. Since that time, American society has been torn between the two approaches to moral responsibility, with the criminal justice system and social welfare apparatus moving more toward the notion of personal responsibility while the schools inclulcated a deterministic moral philosophy.
This argument between two philosophical approaches has also played out widely in the culture, esepcially in crime fiction. For me one of the best forums for contemplating issues of moral responsibility has been mystery fiction, and I think that most of the best instances I've seen of such treatment have been in the realm of classic puzzle mysteries.
One such writer is H. C. Bailey, author of the classic Reggie Fortune mysteries. Bailey quite consciously tackled the issues of personal responsibility and possible compulsion, and his main detective, Reggie Fortune, often openly recognized that legal guilt and moral responsibility can be two very different things. As a result of this recgonition of tension between two notions, Bailey's mystery stories have a fairly sophisticated moral point of view.
But moral sophistication does not, in this case, mean decadence. Bailey recognizes the difficulties in establishing the truth of free will and personal responsibility, but he recognizes that in practical terms they must be assumed to be true or society will devolve into chaos. The key, as Dr. Fortune's actions make clear, is that each situation be analyzed thoroughly so that the response is just and true for that instance. That, it is clear, is all that we can hope to do in this world.
In a 1935 profile of his great detective character Reggie Fortune, "Meet Mr. Fortune," Bailey demonstrates this truth by directly and insightfully addressing the question of personal responsibility for one's actions:
On the conviction of a criminal he [Fortune] has sometimes been heard to repeat the phrase of the old divine, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." But this does not proceed from the comfortable philosophy that anybody may be a rascal if circumstances impel him that way. Mr. Fortune's creed is that the original impulse in a great deal of crime is a motive which many or most people feel. The distinction of the criminal is that he indulges it selfishly. For that selfishness when it wrongs others Mr. Fortune finds no excuse in difficult or tempting circumstances. A cruel crime is to him the work of a pestilential creature, and he sees his duty in dealing with such cases as that of a doctor in "treating" illness. The cause must be discovered and extirpated. There is no more mercy for the cruel criminal than for the germs of disease. Both must be made innocuous. The measures taken against both must be such as to diminish the danger of further infection.
Here, as in the best of his stories, Bailey manages to square the circle morally: fully recognizing the power of circumstances while thoroughly accepting the fact that what distinguishes the criminal from the rest of us is the choice to break the rules.
Philosophy, as Bailey and Fortune both recognize, can serve as a foundation for action, or it can serve as an excuse for shirking one's responsibility to protect those who cannot protect themselves. And the latter class, of course, includes all of us at one time or another (in childhood, in dotage, and at least eight hours of every day of our lives, as we sleep). It is why the Reggie Fortune stories so often deal with threats or crimes against children—they are among the most clearly defenseless of us all, and the defenselessness of victims is what makes crime so repugnant.
As Bailey makes clear, the honorable route is to take the measures necessary to ensure the protection of the innocent. This attitude should be neither eccentric nor particularly courageous, yet it too often seems so, both in the real world and in fiction.
The power of popular culture is that it enables us to see the consequences of our assumptions without having to suffer them ourselves.
Unfortuntunately, we are all too often wont to ignore the warnings and forge ahead anyway. That is our choice.
David Nollmeyer
Ars longa vita brevis
Whether the origination of behavior is free or determined, there is no doubt that there are those among us who appear to wish to make us dependent upon there vicarious tastes. This is most likely determined.(Adriane Raines)
Our art of the present day is know nothing and plutocratically based to extract a large profit for a small price with no regards to anyone's sustainability but one's own.
Bhakta David Nollmeyer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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2023 Toyota Tacoma Rumors, Release Date, Price
2023 Toyota Tacoma Rumors, Release Date, Price – When it comes to truck shopping in the United States, this 2023 Toyota Tacoma isn't exactly a revelation. Any connection to the fact that it's outfitted and convenient to use from the highway might account for this. It docks devices, plays games online if feasible, into the midrange section and doesn't honestly feel cumbersome out and about, being neither too small nor enormous. But don't fall for the ruse! It's not meant to be a neighborhood house. A daily vehicle owner will find the hard trailblazer unrefined because of its rough ride and lack of refinement on asphalted roads. A Honda Ridgeline with these interior features just can't underscore how much nicer it rides. The timetable multiple-garden hose engine in the Toyota is also a source of unhappiness. However, if you choose the V6 and drive on less-traveled roads, you may enjoy the Tacoma pick-up like many others before making the decision to buy one.
Depending on how you set it up, combine and enhance the cab, and freight your bed mattress options, the 2023 Toyota Tacoma will have an entirely distinct appearance. The Entry Cab has two exits because the Increase Cab needs the other exits for correct powering. The TRD Sport and Out-Street receive honeycomb grilles, while the SR and SR5 feature prominent grilles. There is a sideways grille on the Limited model. This grille features the most extensive Toyota history, with all current TOYOTA writing resembling that found on lower generations of TRD Professional models.
TRD Expert entryways skid formula, as well as a hood scoop with a distinctive aesthetic, become part of the package. The clunky lighting at the entryways is consistent throughout the collection. However, they are switching over to light-emitting LEDs from standard halogen in the Limited, and all models save the base SR should come equipped with fog lighting. Two distinct models will be available in 2023: the Pathway Specific Version will use the same grille as the Limited and have Kevlar-protected 16-inch wheels, while the Nightshade will have a blacked-out external finish, as the name suggests.
Only a handful of people buy a pick-up truck because of its large university cabin, and if you're one of them, there are only a handful of you. The truth is, this Tacoma isn't the right vehicle for you. While some of the materials utilized are tough, they aren't anything out of a high school science class. The clip is provided with a different type of natural leather-reliant material. However, the plastic-type material chemical dash and the entryway solar technology solar panels are left to fend for themselves. Many variants include an in-electronic structure flexible driver's seat that prompts the need to find an ideal driving region, and the controls for your features are laid out for comfort and simplicity. However, despite the wide range of options available in the world of infotainment, there aren't many to worry about.
Toyota's 2023 Tacoma pick-up will have two engine, the first of which is a mediocre replacement. Tacoma's 2.7-liter cooking vessels are capable of generating 159 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque, quickly. There is a 6-speed auto gearbox in use on this website, as well as 4×2 and 4×4 engines. The V6 is standard equipment in the SR and SR5, which are the higher trim levels. The 3.5-liter V6 produces 278 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque, which may be sent However, the TRD Professional can only use the 4-wheel drivetrain. These models also include a 6-tempo auto delivery feature.
2023 Toyota Tacoma Release Date and Price
According to your requirements because there are eight minimal variations to choose from and some variants inside each and every one. It's using the SR5, which raises the price to $27,940. The TRD Sports activities are $33,060, and the Street Specific Version is $34,005.more demanding TRD Out-Street. If you want the Nightshade Exclusive Version, the price jumps to $38,905 when you move up to the Limited, which comes with an extra $1,000 in luxury features. is by far the most highly regarded design. The 4×4 2023 Toyota Tacoma Limited, for example, raises the price to $41,980, despite the fact that this drop includes 4-wheel-drive as a standard feature. Enhancing the V6 engine has the same effect, raising the SR and SR5 to $28,410 and $31,085, respectively.
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