The RearView Mirror

I'm just sittin' watching the wheels go round

2008-04-04T01:13:00.003-05:00

I kind of have to laugh at some of the things I see by just sitting back and watching. I guess I have always been a bit of a people watcher. I used to like to sit and watch people during happy hour back in my younger days and when I drank. Today, with the internet though, there is so much more to see. One thing that I have really had a good skill of and that is to keep quiet and learn. You can learn so much by simply being observant. Just look at what works and what doesn't , the winners and the losers, what they did right or what they did wrong. People tell me I am a great cook and I do enjoy it. Everything I know about cooking has come from watching and doing. I suppose I have applied this simple technique to most of my life and it seems to work well for me. I am not really sure where or who the trait actually came from, but it had to be in the early years of my life.

Any way, I have been observing this one site for quite some time and just watching how the story unfolds. I find these people's behavior somewhat interesting only because of the way they have put their whole show together. The strange thing is that it is like watching a movie that you know how it will end because so many others have used the plot before. Then there is a second site that is involved and I will say that these two for some reason have a deep personality conflict. Again though the situation was so laid out that I could have bet on how each would have acted and won!

One of the sites is for the most part all original content in writing and style. The writer, who I have met and spent some time with is very sensible, cool, calm and collective. That is the usual case any way. It looks as though somehow these other people have found it easy to get under the guys skin. Now, the second site, the owners I do not know but through several emails, boast of being more than what they could hope to be by the way they do things. They never really write original content, except when they have an opinion. The claim to be the first (or real close) in putting a story out, yet most of their work is no more than copy and paste. I suppose if you copy some one's story and it was the first out, then you were close to being the first to print it??? And then they use the term I used to hear so much back when I was in the adult industry of "we are not in this for the money, we just enjoy it" "it is a labor of love". This statement is so rogue, especially when the site is covered with ads, pop-up and an area hidden to paying members only. They have said end of mention too many times to count only to bring the same issue up days later simply to ride out the traffic wave on a name. I suspect the other person has seen this too and this is what gets him going. I laughed hard at how this writer made mention of the others in a story back a couple of months ago. The dig was in words that only those who knew the background of the issue would know of whom he was speaking. To me, he showed class by this way of digging at them, where many readers were unaware of who he was talking about.

So now these two sites are in a word war ( I think this is the second or third) about stats and certain targeted keywords. Both sites are commercial, one is clear on that while the other claims not to be. One is well composed in design with relevant ads that blend is pretty well, while the other pages are constantly in error trying to cram as much advertising and plugins into one page as thay can. Both sites claim the other one have somehow inflated their stats or are not using the correct way and means to measure them. Why am I writing about this? Because I find it somewhat comical and in a way it intrigues me. I have never been a huge fan of stats myself other than where my readers and traffic come from. As far as how many? Well, you are reading this, you found it somehow and that is clear enough for me. This story is true and no names were mentioned intentionally because it happens all over the internet everyday.

Watch for the "play on words" links and advertisements

2008-03-31T09:54:00.003-05:00

You really need to stop, look and read advertisement link, especially when the word "free" is involved. In most cases when the word "free" is used, you should avoid the link. However, there are many cases that the object truly is free and can be a useful item.

It simply requires a little more time and insight on what you are reading. Let's take in example one of the biggest uses of the "play on words" type of ad. "No credit application turned down" or "All credit applications will be accepted". Typically one might think that this means that your credit application will be approved. No! and time has taught most of us that this is not true. Read the words carefully. Both sentences mean the same thing. They will gladly take your credit application, but being approved is not mentioned.

This holds true in the computer software field as well. Many companies advertise "free download". Okay, fair enough the download is free, but then most every download is free. The question to the answer is, is the software free? or are you going to download a piece of software that can make system changes only to find that the software is a trial version. Before you click on the actual download for your "free download" take a look at the program, its functions and if the program is free, or just the download.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with trail software, in fact it can be good to try before you buy. It just kind of gets my goat to see tricks used to get a person to click on a ad. The honest company will provide you with the fact that the software is a trail version. Furthermore, they will provide you with a uninstall that will bring your computer back to the way it was before the trial software was installed. A good rule of thumb: if the software requires you to restart the computer, than it has made changes to your system files. The best way to protect yourself from problems when removing the trial software is to do make a restore point before you install any software.

Genes linked with lupus are revealed, giving hope for new treatments

2008-01-20T19:27:00.000-05:00

Scientists have identified a number of genes involved in Lupus, a devastating autoimmune disease, in new research published today in the journal Nature Genetics.
In an international genetic study of more than 3,000 women, researchers found evidence of an association between Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE) and mutations in several different genes.

The findings, by scientists from Imperial College London and institutions in the USA and Sweden, will enable researchers to investigate the specific pathways and precise molecular mechanisms involved in developing Lupus, potentially opening up options for new therapies. Lupus is a complex condition, mostly affecting women, which frequently causes skin rash, joint pains and malaise, and which can also lead to inflammation of the kidneys and other internal organs.

The scientists discovered the strongest associations with Lupus in three genes: ITGAM, PXK, and one mutation within a gene KIAA1542, a gene whose function is not definitely known.
The ITGAM gene provides code for a molecule involved in a system, known as the complement system, which forms part of the body's immune response. Complement is a series of proteins in the blood which is designed to stick to the surface of bacteria and bugs in order to enable them to be attacked by the immune system.

The discovery of variations in the ITGAM gene in people with Lupus supports the idea that abnormalities in the way complement and antibodies bind to immune cells play a key part in the disease. It is already known that people with Lupus often have low levels of complement in their blood.

The role of the molecules encoded by the PXK gene and KIAA1542 genes in Lupus is less easy to predict, and the discovery of their association is more surprising to the researchers, opening up new avenues of research into the disease.

Other genes, including LYN and BLK, also appear to be involved in Lupus. These genes affect the function of B cells, which play a key role in the production of antibodies. Autoantibodies, which attack the body's own proteins, contribute to the damage done to the body in Lupus.
The new research also confirms links identified in previous studies between Lupus, as well as other autoimmune diseases, and certain other genes.

Professor Timothy Vyse, a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow from the Division of Medicine at Imperial College London, and one of the authors of the study, said: "Lupus is a complex disease, which is hard to diagnose, and it can cause many different and unpredictable problems for patients. Living with Lupus can be really tough. We currently can treat the disease by suppressing the immune system, but we urgently need to understand in much more detail what goes wrong with the immune system so that we can design better treatments. This study represents a milestone in progress towards unravelling the secrets of the disease.

"We are continuing to work on refining these genetic studies. Blood samples from patients with Lupus have helped us already and we are very grateful to those who have given us samples. We always need more samples and would like to hear from anyone with Lupus who would like to help us by giving blood samples for this important research," added Professor Vyse.
The researchers reached their conclusions after comparing the genetic makeup of 720 women of European descent with Lupus and 2,337 women without Lupus. They looked at mutations in the building blocks, called nucleotides, which make up DNA.

There are mutations in around one in every 600 nucleotides and the scientists examined over 317,000 how many of these mutations to find those specific to Lupus. These mutations are known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms.
The researchers confirmed their results by comparing another set of genetic data for 1,846 women with Lupus and 1,825 women without Lupus.

###

The study was carried out by researchers in the International SLE consortium (SLEGEN), which includes scientists from the USA, Sweden and the UK. It was supported by the Alliance for Lupus Research and the National Institutes of Health.

Diving into a drained pool

2007-07-27T23:43:00.000-05:00

The civil case against Billy Lane and Dodge has been settled out of court through mediation. The mother of Melbourne Beach resident Gerald Morelock had filed a wrongful death suit against Billy Lane and Dodge back in October of 2006. The suit was filed after her son was killed while riding his Yamaha motor scooter on State road A1A after being hit head on by celebrity custom motorcycle builder Billy Lane. Witnesses say that Lane was speeding while attempting to pass 3 vehicles in a no passing zone clearly marked by double yellow lines on the highway.

Billy Lane was driving a 2006 Dodge pick up loaned to him by the DaimlerChrysler when he hit Morelock head on killing him instantly. After the second meeting behind closed doors and hours of talks between attorneys, Billy Lane and the family of Gerald Morelock, the case was settled on last Monday. The news of the settlement was released late Thursday and the first story of the settlement can be found on my blog at www.mikeodom.name. Later in the day other forms of media began to break the story including in one of the local newspapers, Florida Today. The story in Florida Today read:

DaimlerChrysler, chopper builder Billy Lane and the family of a Sebastian Inlet park ranger killed in a Labor Day accident that police say was caused by drunk-driving have reached a confidential settlement, the deceased man’s family said today.“We would like to personally show our gratitude and heart-filled thanks to all of the people throughout the nation that have showed us their support, love and caring,” Byron Morelock, brother of Gerald Morelock, said in a statement signed by the family.“My family may not have made it through these hard times if it wasn't for your caring and sympathy,” he said. The settlement came 10 months after Morelock's mother sued Lane, 37, and DaimlerChrysler -- which provided Lane with the Dodge pickup truck he was driving -- over the fatal crash in which police said Lane crossed a double-yellow line and hit Gerald Morelock's mini-Yamaha motorcycle. The suit alleged Lane, who police say had a blood-alcohol level of .192 the night of the accident, and DaimlerChrysler, which the family said used Lane's fame to advertise its vehicles despite prior driving citations on Lane's record, were liable for auto negligence. Byron Morelock said it took about 10 hours of “grueling” debate Monday before an agreement was reached. No details of the agreement were made public. Lane still faces a criminal trial in which he could be sentenced to a maximum 15 years in prison if convicted of DUI manslaughter. A trial date has not been set.

Floriday Today breaking news forums quickly beagn to fill up with comments. The news also began to spread across the internet in forums and other blogs and the hateful comments and ignorance of what happened began to spread all over again as it did nearly a year ago. It never ceases to amaze me how many people will jump in on a story like this and make comments that show they have no clue what they are talking about. People go off on a hate rampage on both sides making comments that hurt those who were involved. Throughout this whole ordeal I have seen so many things said about the issue when the person speaking really had no knowledge of the entire story. Rumors being posted as though it were news or from some type of inside information source. Opinions based on hearsay and some of the same rumors. The whole thing just has gotten out of hand and it is not over yet with Lane still facing the DUI Manslaughter charges.

I try to ignore all of the hate that has flowed in and out of all the comments on blogs and forums from bothe sides. The one place were comments really show their ignorance is when they lash out about Dodge being included in the suit. To me these people are as likely to jump into a drained pool for lack of checking to see if there is water there first!

So with the civil action closed, I am hoping to see something positive come from this.

Billy Lane's Lead Attorney Steps Down

2007-04-16T11:18:00.000-05:00

Two motions were heard today in the criminal trial for DUI Manslaughter case against motorcycle builder Billy Lane. Judge Allawas granted the motion to withdraw filed by Lane's lead attorney, Kepler Funk without explanation from the firm. Gregory Eisenmenger, new attorney for Billy Lane stated before the court that Mr. Lane had no problem with the substitution of counsel.

Attorney Keith Szachacz told Florida Today reporter, Keyonna Summers that there was a conflict of interest but his firms duties to Billy Lane would not allow him to disclose the nature of the conflict. Mr. Szachacz also felt it was in his better interest not to speak to this reporter and declined any questions from me.

Although Gregory Eisenmenger has been co-counsel for Lane for 2 months, he is requesting that the State answer his motion to compel discovery and deliver all documents from the case to his office. Mr. Eisenmenger stated that it is protocol in his office when taking over a case to do their own discovery setting aside the file of his predecessor and starting a new. Mr. Eisenmenger also said he has a expert witness looking at the FHP traffic homicide report that has requested measurements that do not appear on the report. He further remarked that his expert could not continue without the measurements. State Attorney Tom Brown said that he would contact the FHP about the measurements.

More updates and information on the criminal case against Billy Lane will be available as they come out on the MNO Blog. The civil trial against Billy Lane and Dodge appears to be moving along toward the target date set in August.

Someone Is Going to Win a Harley at NADA

2007-02-01T13:24:00.000-05:00

@utoRevenue invites dealers to 'Come on and Take a Free Ride' in a Harley Motorcycle giveaway contest
LEE, Mass., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- @utoRevenue(TM) (http://www.autorevenue.com/), the leading permission-based marketing company in the automotive industry, along with Dealerskins, Dealer Specialties and XI Group, is giving away a 2007 Harley-Davidson Yellow Pearl Softail Motorcycle as part of the "Come on and Take a Free Ride" promotion at NADA 2007 in Las Vegas.
This will be the first year that the automotive industry's four Dominion Enterprises' companies - @utoRevenue, Dealerskins, Dealer Specialties and XI Group - exhibit together, according to John M. Miller, General Manager of @utoRevenue. "Our Harley giveaway plus our 90 x 50 ft. Dominion Enterprises exhibit (#1645) will draw a great deal of attention and give our four companies an excellent opportunity to showcase our dealership services and the synergies we offer," he said.
"To be eligible to win the Harley Softail, which is valued at $21,500, contest participants must visit three of our companies in the exhibit area and receive a sales presentation," said Miller. "Once they complete the presentations and complete their entry form, they will be entered in the contest to win this amazing new Harley."
The "Come on and Take a Free Ride" giveaway is open to all NADA-registered dealership owners, general managers and fixed ops personnel. The winning entry will be chosen in a random drawing 2 p.m. Monday, February 5 at exhibit, #1645. The winner must be present at the time of the drawing. The Dominion group of companies will continue to select entries until a winner is in attendance at the drawing.
NADA exhibitor registrants, employees and families of employees of any contractor of NADA, and employees and families of employees of Dominion Enterprises and its affiliates are all ineligible to participate in the Harley giveaway. Also ineligible are any incomplete entries received after the drawing or entries where valid dealership employment at the time of the drawing cannot be confirmed.
About Dominion Enterprises
@utoRevenue, Dealerskins, Dealer Specialties and XI Group are Dominion Enterprises companies. Since its founding in 1991 as Trader Publishing Company through its evolution into one of the nation's premier media companies, Dominion Enterprises has been a leader in providing resources, information, and web services in the automotive, real estate, apartment, specialty vehicle, employment, and travel industries. Dominion Enterprises is based in Norfolk, Va.; @utoRevenue is in Lee, Mass.; Dealerskins in Nashville, Tenn.; Dealer Specialties in Monroe, Ohio; and XI Group in Baltimore, Md.
For more information, contact Aleisha Gibbons, agibbons@autorevenue.com, 866.628.6245 or Diane N. Bates, dbates@batescommunications.com, 678.438.3674.
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.
Source: @utoRevenue(TM)

Playing the market for motorcycle blogs

2007-01-23T21:38:00.000-05:00

I recently joined BlogShares and I have been playing with the game. I found it very interesting, really. The concept is a fantasy stock market game that is played with blogs, where shares can be traded for play money. From the site:
BlogShares is a fantasy stock market where weblogs are the companies. Players invest fictional dollars on shares in blogs. Blogs are valued by their incoming links and add value to other blogs by linking to them. Prices can go up or down based on trading and the underlying value of the blog.
Upon first inspection, the game looks pretty complicated but there is of course a help page and forum. When I first signed in, my blog at www.mikeodom.name was worth $1,000.00. I believe this is the starting point for all new blogs in the game until they are indexed and when buying and selling begin. I started the day with $53,ooo.oo went as low a $963.00 and ended out the day with over a million dollars in money.

I found out that the chips you can receive for participating in the game were valued at 10 million +, so I cashed one in to fuel my buying. I am buying stocks mainly in Motorcycle Blogs and trying to learn how to work with artifacts and ideas. This game can be kind of complicated at first, but as you learn, you will have more fun and make more money. The great thing is that while having fun, the game teaches you the value of links. I highly suggest taking a look at BlogShares and joining in the game. Click here to visit BlogShares now.

Emu Oil and Discoid Lupus, healing the skin

2006-12-12T21:05:00.000-05:00

My wife, Cindi, has discoid lupus. For those who do not know what discoid lupus is, and many will not:

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a chronic skin condition characterised by reddened and round scaly patches that tend to develop in sun-exposed areas such as the face and hands. Sometimes, extensive lesions can develop across other areas of the body including the neck and upper back. It is unclear whether discoid lupus is a separate disease or a milder version of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which can affect any of the body’s organs or tissues.

Around five per cent of people with discoid lupus progress to develop SLE, and around 20 per cent of people with systemic lupus develop discoid lupus. There is no cure, but the skin lesions can be managed with medication, and by avoiding exposure to sunlight.

The reason I say many will not know is lupus is not a high profile disease. This saddens me, not only because my wife is effected, but because it also effects 1.5 million other US Citizens. Most of which are women.

Recently I read that event the National Institutes of Health seems to neglect this disease as well. The NIH only allocated $88 million dollars to research for lupus. This may sound like it is a lot, but it is not enough. For instance the number of people diagnosed with the HIV/AIDS virus is 1 million. One half a million less then those with lupus, yet the NIH allocated $2,981 BILLION! to the research of those diagnosed with the HIV/AIDS virus. Doesn't seem fair.

OK, off of my soap box.

Now for the better news.

Back late September, I found some interesting articles about the healing effects of emu oil on the skin. The emu is a bird indigenous to Australia and kind of like the Turkey here in the US. The oil of this bird penetrates 100% into the skin and has remarkable healing abilities.

One of the main findings in my research on emu oil is that it is very important to get the product that is made from the Australian bird. There are many emu products and some come from the US or Canada. It is not recommended that these products be used for the quality will differ from that of the 100% Australian emu oil.

What is there a difference in emu oils?
First, notice that I am not attempting to sell anything here. I am telling this in hope to help those that need help. The Australian emu oil has helped Cindi skin heal after severe discoid lupus flares.
The difference is oils is relatively easy to explain. Remember that I said the bird is indigenous to Australia. One thing of course is the climate that the bird is in along with many other factors of just being raised in the home environment of the animal.
Add to that, when the same bird is raised here in the states, the requirements of anti-biotic injections, chemicals and additives in the food, etc. It is just not the same. Not to mention the price is not a value when produced here.

That brings me to the "how to" on purchase. Forget local health stores. They have it, if you want to pay upwards to $19.00 for 2.oz! Plus it is rather difficult to find the 100% pure and in the Australian line. So I did a little more research on where to buy the emu oil product at a reasonable price. I found a forum on acne and learned how and where to buy the oil at the right price. Turns out the emu oil is very popular to help those with acne as well.

Reading the discussion of these acne inflicted teens, I found the best place to purchase emu oil is on eBay. On eBay you can find 100% Australian emu oil in a 2 .oz bottle for around $7.50. Big difference over the local health stores. You will want to buy a small portion of the oil at first. Like every other medicine or product, your outcome may differ. I hope that when you try it, that it will help you as it did my wife. Once you know that it works for you, it is cheaper to buy it in larger quantities.

Cindi and I hope that this will help others that have discoid lupus. If it does, please write and let us know.

You may want to read my other posts on lupus:

Brevard County Lupus Support Group

Herbal Medicine: Cindi’s Lupus Tea

Looking for shuttle launch tonight

2006-12-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

We hope to see the space shuttle Discovery take off from launch pad 39B this evening at 8:47. However, a lingering cold front has the winds here in Melbourne, Florida kicking up a bit. The temperature outside has warmed up quite a bit, but it is the wind that may play a factor in yet another delay in the launch.

Thursday, the thick low cloud ceiling caused a delay in the Discovery launch. We will have to see if this wind dies down and hope for a night launch tonight.

Veterans Every Day

2006-11-12T19:29:00.001-05:00


Thanks to Rolling Thunder Central Florida Chapter VI for this video from the Veteran's Day event in Lakeland Florida 11/11/06 and to Tom and Dee Twigg from Bringing Home the Wall.

North Carolina Court says Billy Lane was not to be drinking and driving

2006-10-05T17:43:00.000-05:00

As part of the provisions of the $1,000.00 bond that Billy Lane had been released on from the June DUI arrest in North Carolina, Billy Lane was not to drink and drive. This became a major issue today as Choppers Inc. Owner, Billy Lane appeared at the Rowan County Courthouse at 2 p.m. today.

A clean shaved Billy Lane appeared before the Judge today in a designer suit that covered all of his tattoos. With his dreads tucked under the suit, Billy Lane pleaded in his case for refusal to submit to a sobriety test after being pulled over by the North Carolina Highway Patrol. The arresting officer had pulled Mr. Lane over originally for driving on the wrong side of the road and not wearing a helmet. No further report of the courts action today have been reported.

A story told of a tragedy in the making

2006-09-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

The death of motorcyclist Gerald Morelock on September 4th in Melbourne Beach, Florida has been in the eye of the motorcyclist community for the past few weeks. Many have even criticized the amount of discussion on the subject siting that it was due to the celebrity involvement. I have to agree with to a certain extent when it is pointed out that most of the articles mentioned more about the celebrity involved not Gerald Morelock, the victim and his family that lost a loved one.

In all of the articles that I have read, very few had the victim, Gerald Morelock as the subject matter. Most of the media and articles called more attention to the fact that famous chopper builder Billy Lane was involved in a fatal accident. Some article headlines even led one to believe that it was Billy that was killed. While the family of Morelock and most speaking was that of Byron Morelock, Gerry's Brother made very little mention to the cause of death in relation to Billy Lane.

Billy Lane was found injured along with the passenger of the Dodge pickup that he was driving the night of the accident that left a motorcyclist dead at the scene. Witnesses to the accident claim that they saw the custom black Dodge pickup cross a double yellow line on south Hwy A1A while trying to pass two vehicles. It was Mr. Lanes negligence by using the no passing zone that caused the death of Morelock who was riding a 1983 Yamaha Motor Scooter. Billy Lane and Passenger were released from the hospital after being treated for injuries, while the sad news of Gerry Morelock's death was being reported to the members of his family.

As the news quickly spread of the chopper builder being involved in an fatal accident that he was at fault, so did the news that Billy Lane was reportedly impaired by alcohol. Questions were raised as to the reason that he was not immediately arrested, along with allegations of him receiving special treatment. However, the Florida Highway Patrol made it perfectly clear that there were procedures that had to be followed in order to process the correct charges against Mr. lane. There was little doubt that Billy Lane had made a irrational decision to attempt the pass in the area that was clearly marked. But the question still remained, had he been drinking.

The forums and blogs of the motorcycle community were alive with speculation as to what happened and what the causes were. There is no longer a speculation as to whether Billy Lane was intoxicated after yesterdays arrest and charges filed of DUI, Driving While license Suspended and Manslaughter. Billy reportedly turned himself in to the Florida Highway Patrol escorted by his attorneys. He was released on $15,000.00 bail less than two hours later. The wait was over. Gerald's brother Byron Morelock was quoted as saying that a lot of tension had been relieved after the news of Billy Lanes arrest.

Many members of the motorcycle community, including myself, where dismayed at the fact that Billy remained silent about what happened. Then, following the arrest and charges being filed, Choppers Inc. the Melbourne Florida based motorcycle shop that Billy Lane owns released a statement. A statement that many hoped would say more. Instead the statement released by Choppers Inc. on Billy's behalf was only three lines long stating that we extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Gerald Morelock. That Billy was injured in the accident as well and that he would cooperate fully in the pending investigation as he recovers.

Following today's arrest more news broke and the story unfolded of how Billy Lane had allegedly been drinking all day and had visited two local drinking establishments while he and the passenger of the accident rode around on one of his motorcycles. Later in the evening the two returned to the shop to drop off the motorcycle and started off to the home of Billy Lane in Melbourne Beach in one of his custom Dodge pickups. It was on the way home and not much more than a mile from his home that the deadly tragedy happened. To add to problems, the FHP has stated that Billy refused to give in to a blood test at the scene and again later at the hospital. In fact it is alleged that troopers had to hold him down while nurses drew blood for the test. It was only after yesterday's arrest that these facts came to light. It was only after the arrest that any statement was made from Billy.

Billy was on a streak of bad luck and wrong doing in the past couple of months that started when the motorcycle he had built for this year's Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off caught fire only a few miles from the final destination of Laconia Bike Week. The gas tank had been leaking for miles and finally caught fire causing the custom chopper with his special hubless wheel not to make it.

It was not long after that North Carolina Police pulled Billy Lane over for driving on the wrong side of the road and without a helmet. It is illegal to ride without a helmet in North Carolina. The arresting officer sites that he detected the smell of alcohol after making the traffic stop and Mr. Lane refused to take a breathalyser. It was for this reason that Mr. lanes drivers license was suspended.

Now in early September, a mans life was ended early, taken from the family and friends that knew and loved him. Gerald Morelock, 56, of Melbourne Beach used to visit the Sebastian Inlet park as a kid with his family. He loved to play the guitar and dreamed of one day moving from his hometown in Ohio to live in Sebastian. Gerry Morelock got his wish and even worked at the Sebastian Inlet Park where he spent many of his off hours fishing at the inlet. His family and friends gathered on September 17th at the inlet park to pay their respects and tell stories about Gerry's life and love of the area. A sad and tragical ending to this article. The motorcycle community has suffered the loss of two members by this happening. My prayers and sympathy for the family and friends of Gerald Morelock, may he rest in peace. I can only hope that from this point on, Billy Lane will do the right thing and I pray for his forgiveness and healing. The fact remains that what happened was created by not thinking and not doing the right thing. Since the results of the blood tests have returned with over double that allowed by the state of Florida it shows that Mr. lanes judgement was wrong from the moment he got behind the wheel.

Sources:

Motorcycle designer Lane charged with DUI in fatality
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060926/NEWS01/60926008/1075

A sad day and a loss to the motorcycle community

Motorcycle shop owner charged with manslaughter in biker's death

Large crowd eulogizes lost friend
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060918/NEWS01/609180315

Related:

Auto Negligence claim filed against Billy Lane and Dodge

When heroes become bad guys

Billy Lane faces DUI manslaughter charges

Hearing date set for Billy Lane in Florida DUI/Manslauter case

StumbleUpon

2006-08-27T03:04:00.000-05:00

StumbleUpon

I use my Google tool bar for business and my work atmosphere, but when I need a break the StumbleUpon toolbar is by far the best. Total entertainment and new discoveries of the things you enjoy.
Highly recommened!

Does anyone know where to find the beach?

2006-08-20T23:48:00.000-05:00

Growing up and living on the Florida east coast, I love the beaches. Many of the annual visitors of the sunshine state come here for the very same thing, the beaches. The golden sand, sun and year round tropical climate is an attraction to all.

Sadly, I am seeing less of the Atlantic Ocean as I ride on the beach highway known as A1A. Even the one that claims to be "the worlds most famous beach" is closing the dynamic view to condos. There is a choice, a plan, a alternative! But the city gives way to the call of developers and will soon be the worlds most famous condo jungle.

Walking in to the amusement center on Daytona Beach Boardwalk and watching all the kids on the bumper cars, Himalaya and carousel laughing and having a good time. I wonder if their parents explained that this would be the last time? They would not be able to visit the boardwalk rides again, for this was closing day of a 50 year family owned business. The owner of the business was giving free rides to say goodbye. He and two other boardwalk business owners fought to keep their business' open. But the city condemned them calling them and the area blighted. They will be replaced by a condo with restaurants and shops. People that came to visit the beach that day took advantage of parking in other areas of land where business' used to be but have been cleared away. Soon the wrecking ball will clear the remaining buildings and construction will begin.

I am not opposed to renovation and upgrading, but this was not an option. The thing that the citizens of Daytona Beach and all the other Florida beach communities need to understand is that this change is going to happen. But they must also realize that there is a terrible mistake that is about to happen! A error that is not reversible. Quit being blinded by all the smoke screens that the developers and real estate typhoons are putting up. There are organizations that have formed and others will follow that are using trickery in their campaigns. Many claim that they are fighting to keep from having a concrete jungle along our beaches. Hog wash! Read on to see what they are really saying. They are opposed to the height of the structure with total disregard of the land that borders the building.

The alternative, high rise condos, makes more sense. It allows for two things to happen that will solve the issue of a concrete jungle. After all, how many of you are flying down A1A? You are at eye level on two or more wheels! What difference does it make how tall the building are? The fact remains that if there is no space left between them for beach access and parks, you are not going to be able to see the beach. Furthermore, unless you live in one of these condos, you are not going to be able to get to the beach! Let the builders go up not out. Pass the laws that make the developers pay for more room in the air, by giving us more space on the ground, where we live. This will also allow for more occupancy per building while allowing more area on the ground for the others in the community and visitors to enjoy. This option is being heavily discussed in the future plans for Ormond Beach, a beautiful community. The mayor of Ormond Beach is doing a fantastic job of pointing these issues out and is standing strong in his position. But again, there are those that oppose him. The CAN DO movement is one of those mentioned previous that wants to restrict how high a structure can be. They say that they are opposed to a concrete jungle. Yet, what they are asking for is what they are fighting against? It is kind of like a civil war within the movement where neither side knows what they are fighting for. For a clearer understanding as to what all this means, be sure to visit Ormond Can Be . Pay special attention to down the page about half way to the two comparison pictures Tall and slender in comparison to short and stout. Notice the picture where you can see the beach!

Daytona Beach residents were AOL'ed by the media and DBAVCB

2006-07-30T02:34:00.000-05:00

The residents of Daytona Beach have been blinded and guided into not adopting a 'visioning plan' presented by A. Nelessen Associates like a AOL first time user. Just as thousands of AOL users have never seen a true web browser and are led by the hand in the on line activities, such was the case in the overwhelming dismissal of the proposed visioning plan. A plan that cost the city in excess of 250,000 dollars was never given a chance according to the president of A. Nelessen Associates in a statement to the Daytona News Journal here. EDIT: Hmm, it appears that the letter was somehow deleted from the online edition of the Daytona newspaper. Not a problem, you can read the letter here

After reading the statement and looking at what the vision plan actually entailed, it was clear that the residents of Daytona Beach either never were shown the vision, or it was held only in context. The statement released today from Mr. Nelessen tells how his vision plan for the city of Daytona Beach being rejected was a first. The vision it seems called for too much viewable area of the beach being left undeveloped when according to the Daytona Chamber it would be better used building hotel lobbies with restaurants and shops. If you want to see the 'worlds most famous beach" you will have to pay to drive on it or view it from a balcony. The vision also called for too many acres of unspoiled wildlife area being left untouched. The recommendations by the chamber feels that these areas would be better put to use by building housing projects on them to lessen the population density in the downtown and beach areas.
The Daytona Beach City Commission and the Chamber expressed their disappointment that Mr. Nelessen's vision plan made no mention of the area's huge resources like the Daytona International Speedway. They were also miffed that he did not include tourism and special events like Biketober and Bike Week (that they are wanting to downscale) in his vision for the city. The city felt that because these resources generate millions of dollars, they needed to be included in a vision.
The recommendation also points out that Daytona Beach has evolved from a single city into a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) encompassing New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange to the south, and Ormond Beach, Palm Coast, and Flagler Beach to the north. Really?

ZoomInfo Web Summary: Michael Odom

2006-07-29T22:56:00.000-05:00

ZoomInfo Web Summary: Michael Odom
For more information about the writer of this blog, Mike Odom

How this blog got its name

2006-07-24T18:20:00.000-05:00

I do a lot of driving. Many time I drive cars that need to be transported from point A to point B. Today I had to drive a car for quite some distance that had no air conditioning or radio! I love to sing in the car with the radio when I am traveling by myself. So without this luxury and many more miles ahead, I began to sing anyway. Some really old songs started coming to my head out of nowhere. Then I was suddenly stumped on lyrics and what to sing next to entertain myself during the ride. I was in the fast lane of a interstate highway doing 10 over and had a guy tailgating like I was doing 40. I looked in the passenger side rear view to check the lane before I made my way over to let the jerk by. There it was! In the mirror, the next song for me to sing. If you are a big classic rock fan, you probably already have determined the song and artist by the weblog title.

But it was long ago and it was far away, oh God it seems so very far
And if life is just a highway, then the soul is just a car
And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are
And objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are

Meatloaf from the Bat out of Hell II album

Yes the very words that are in the rear view mirror prompted both the next song and the title of this blog.
of course I had to do a couple more cuts by this talented musician before I made my destination. Do I have you guessing?
OK, I tell.
Two out of three ain't bad and Paradise by the dashboard light

What happened to physical requirements for cops?

2006-07-24T17:55:00.000-05:00

Overweight Melbourne motorcycle Police

There was a day when the physical requirements to become and remain a Police Officer where tough.

What happened to those requirements?

The Police Force of today, especially the motorcycle units are out of shape. These Officers used to be proud and ride tall. Today they are overweight and sloppy looking. I have seen Officers that I know would be out of breath after chasing an alleged criminal 1 block. The Police Force used to be well trained and in top physical condition like that of the Armed Forces.
I find it ridiculous to see a Police Officer have to pull up his trousers after dismounting his motorcycle or deporting from his vehicle. I also see it as a loss of respect from the general public as well as the officers themselves. I truly believe that there is a need to reinstate a more stringent physical requirement for a law enforcement officer. If they cannot meet these requirements, then they need to be removed from the force until such time as they can.

The police chief needs to take a closer look at his unit and the officer should take a look at himself in the mirror. We need to reinstall a respect in our Police Department, but they certainly need to start within the department by respecting themselves.

It’s difficult to feel protected by someone that could not complete a simple obstacle course.

2006-07-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed shooting pictures of this custom motorcycle during Bike Week in Daytona Beach this year.
MNO Photography

Daytona Beach. A city without a vision

2006-07-23T21:04:00.000-05:00

You have to have a direction in life. Daytona Beach has not adopted a vision plan.

Daytona Beach used eminent domain ruling to force business and land owners to sell their property in the name of redevelopment. Business' that were very much a part of the history of the beach. Now, almost two years later the city still has not provided its residents what they are calling a vision. They seem to have no direction at all even destroying historic buildings along the way like one of the oldest lifeguard stations. Chasing off the bikers from events like Biketober and Bike Week and downgrading the motorcycle events was part of their vision. But bikers are used to being on the road and they have no problem with direction. It has become increasingly clear that the direction at this point is to go north.

Bruce Rossmeyer owner of Daytona Beach Harley-Davidson had a vision of his own. Because the city chose to raise the stakes on him, he put together a little redeveloping of his own.
The plan was to build the world's largest Harley dealership in Ormond Beach. Although construction of the dealership fell behind, the complex is well laid out and is already turning handlebars. Complementing the gigantic motorcycle showroom, there are pubs, shops and hotels.

Destination Daytona, when completed, will be not only the world's largest Harley-Davidson dealership. It will also be one of the biggest attractions for bikers during Bike Week and Biketober.
Many other biker-friendly downtown Daytona Beach businesss' followed Rossmeyer by either moving to Ormond or opening a second location. The world famous Boothill Saloon was one of the first to make the move by opening a second location at the old Jackson Hole.

Motorcycle Photography - www.mnophoto.com

2006-07-23T19:58:00.000-05:00

Motorcycle Photography - www.mnophoto.com
After completing some pretty big changes in the design and layout of my motorcycle photography site, I am now working at writhing some new articles and content. I have to spread my work out and pace my schedule so that I can get several sites updated weekly. I downloaded some new software last night to compliment this blog with some of my work. So, there should be some dramatic changes in the look of this site as well.

You are learning until the day you die

2006-07-23T03:52:00.000-05:00

I like to look back on each day and note the things that I learned. When you do this, you will find that what you did learn will tend to stick with you more. Its kind of like when you really need to remember to do something, you write it down. It is not the fact that the paper will remind you, it just helps to remember something simply because you wrote the note.
One thing that I learned the other day that I found very interesting was that the rubber in your tires DO NOT protect you from lightning. More will be available on this at http://www.rideweather.com/forum/ when I get my story finished for the site. I learned this when I visited the National Weather Service center in my hometown of Melbourne, Florida. I met a forecaster that was also a lightning specialist. It surprised me when he told me that a motorcyclist had been struck and killed by lightning.

2006-07-23T03:06:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I started this blog so that I would have a place to jot things down as I am working or surfing the web. This happens a lot because I practice at the art of designing web pages. I don't like to use the title or term "webmaster", I think that it is a practice. It is a practice that I enjoy though. A couple of thoughts about work. First work is a four lettered word, so shun from using the word and second, do something that you enjoy to make a living.
That is about it for now. I want to get this blog configured so that it has a little more life to it.