three hundred forty eight

 1960 AMERICAN DECADENCE 

Chevrolet Impalla 

In my opinion this is the perfect American car. Yes the steering was vague, the suspension was floaty, the tires were unpredictable, power steering was experimental and the drum brakes worked really well once. Real steel, real chrome, big engine and a focus on style. They were not practical but that was not the point, these were land space ships.

Studebaker Hawk

The Studebaker company was based in South Bend. The designers seemed to have a lot of freedom to create futuristic designs. I think they were the most creative of all American car manufacturers. They went bankrupt and were purchased by Packard. Sadly this ended their over the top designs.

Lincoln Continental MarkV

The electric rear window was awesome but in the rain the mist from the road would wash in if someone opened a front window. A friend had one of these as a party car, it ended up in the Columbiana county fair demolition derby. Lincoln had several unique ideas.

Chrysler Imperial

Chrysler Imperials competed in the decadent market with this land cruiser. 

1960 Ford Thunderbird

Ford had a slightly smaller idea but only slightly. The T-Bird went though many changes over the years but they were always on the cutting edge of style.

1960 Pontiac Bonneville

My best friend's father had a red one, I went on a few double dates with him. I was glad he was driving.

1957 Dodge Coronet

1967 Plymouth Belvedere 

They were known for push button transmissions, power steering and power brakes but not in a good way. I learned to drive in our family car a 1957 Dodge Coronet and a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere in drivers ed. When my parents or the drivers ed teacher weren't paring attention I learned they both did really great gravel donuts, by accident.

There was one car that still captures a crowd at a car show the most decadent piece of Americana the 1959 Cadillac.

1959 Cadillac Coupe deVille

This car causes a stir wherever it goes. Even the most environmental nut will take a second look. This point in American history is often mocked by German touring car owners. They are not practical, environmentally friendly or fuel efficient but damn they are nothing but cool.

I'm a car guy and I like black cars if you haven't noticed. I love drooling over these expensive toys when ever I see one but owning one is way out of my range. 

Don't get me wrong Europe has produced some amazing cars.

Jaguar XKE V12

Citroen DS 19

Both of these are ahead of their time technology particularly the Citroen. They went a much different direction when it comes to styling but they just lack that cheesy over the top American obnoxious flamboyant quality. 

Gas was 30 cents a gallon and the traffic in rural Ohio was light. There was nothing like a Sunday drive through the country side with mom and dad in the front seat and big brother me and our dog in the back seat. We had an entire playroom to wrestle and play the "he touched me first" game. There were no headrests to block my dad's right arm back hand slap but we could duck and dodge because there were no seatbelts to hold us in place. 

We drove by the lake to say hello to grandpa on the way to get a Dairy Queen ice cream or 15 cent McDonald's hamburger. I know we were foolish not to strap our kids down but it was a different time. I remember hanging my head out of the window feeling the wind rattle my cheeks so when I see a dog doing this today at least I know why.

I notice many Americans are ashamed and many Europeans are smug but I am unapologetically proud of every pound of chrome. There will never be another car celebration like the 1960's.  

three hundred forty seven

 

I keep up with the news but I refuse to be controlled by it. By design the so called news wants to control our emotions. Every story is shaped to stir our fears, undermine trust and divide us. Every story is shaped to sway opinion, indoctrinate and demonize long standing values. Up is now down, black is now white and right is now wrong. Racism has been revived, hatred and bigotry have been redefined and mob rule is controlling our speech.

For decades I heard demands from these same people for peace and love, harmony and justice and freedom to do what they want. Today these same people support wars, injustice and oppose freedom. I heard about the sacred right of the first amendment, the honor of civil disobedience and the absolute privacy of the bedroom. Time has passed and ironically their values have changed. The abuse of power, propaganda and bullying have now been twisted into virtues. 

Unfortunately a combination of isolation and propaganda has taken a toll. The whole world has gone mad according to the media, anyone who opposes the current opinion is slandered. The average citizen has been labeled a victim or oppressor, intelligence is determined by geography and the proper opinion is ever evolving. Words are conveniently redefined, history is rewritten and everything is impending environmental doom. 

This all sounds hopeless but remember a big mouth with a bull horn may not represent the majority of opinion. Yes the press, movies, made for TV programing and social media have a giant megaphone but a silent majority is still there but open censorship, criminalizing opinion and assigning racial motives does have a chilling effect. In spite of this I'm convinced the average citizen operates on an old fashioned sense of right and wrong.

I believe poking the bear is a bad plan. Lie to us, call us names, try to silence us but don't screw with our kids and the safety of our families. I believe they have already gone too far, the bear is waking up and is really pissed off.

I have not been on the road lately to take the pulse of our nation. On my bike trips I talked with them, ate with them and camped in their yards. I saw the people who simply want to live their lives, build something and raise their children to be good people and citizens. I imagine not much has changed.

All is not lost the pendulum will swing. Most of what is happening makes no sense because it opposes natural law. Our founding documents take into account natural law because it is ingrained in every human. 

The changes they are attempting to make are built on sand and have no foundation. You don't have to be old like me to understand natural law, we all have a basic common sense understanding. They have attempted to hijack phrases like common sense, fundamental freedoms and fundamental fairness. 

They say these things but their actions just don't match what they say. You can spin a convincing tale, use the forces of pier pressure and attempt to silence common sense but natural law doesn't come to us through the media. 

People are not stupid they can be miss lead but eventually when things get really ridiculous the lights come on. In the mean time, stay informed but do not wallow in it. We need to be clear headed and healthy. Don't buy into the name calling, worry about being popular or lose hope and check out. Live your life and enjoy your life.

three hundred forty six

 

BEND OREGON WINTER

Bend Oregon

3560 feet above sea level

Sunrise 7:20

Sunset 4:29

Annual averages for Bend, the mountains get much more snow.

Rain fall 11 inches

Snow fall 43 inches

High temperature average 60F

Low temperature average 30F

Average annual sunny days 158

Bend is located in the center of Oregon. If you drive south you drive through amazing pine forests. This is where Crater lake is located.

If you drive east, you drive through high desert and rolling hills mostly out of cell phone range. There are only a few small towns for fuel and food between Bend and Ontario on the Idaho border.

Drive north the landscape changes from Juniper tree high desert, amazing canyon landscapes and winding forest mountain roads.

Driving east you drive over a snow covered mountain pass then into a lush forest ending at a rocky ocean coast line.

I enjoy the seasonal changes but winter is way too long. It has been cold and overcast for weeks now. The streets are clear but riding my scooter is still uncomfortably cold. If I do go out it gets dark way too soon plus the temperatures drop below freezing so there may be ice.

Don't get me wrong I love this amazing state but a few more warm months and an extra hour of daylight wouldn't hurt. 

Spring will be here soon, flowers, trees and grass will grow. The days will be longer and the sun will warm my bones. 

three hundred forty five

 PHEROMOMES

I grew up around farms with pigs, cattle, chickens, goats and dairy cows. As a young boy the animal interactions I witnessed were very educational. There is a financial benefit to livestock reproduction so most farmers show a level of interest most city dwellers find strange. 

Most breeding is done by inseminators to have breeding success, to control genes and to avoid injury. This does not limit sexual activity by any means, farm children see real life played out everyday. Domesticated animals show all of the behaviors we find in the wild. 

Deer, elk, rabbits, game birds and wild pigs play out a more rough and tumble version with male fighting for dominance. 

I know very little about horses but I do know a mare in heat can effect male horses a mile or more away. Dogs lose their minds as they pursue  a female in heat. Well behaved male dogs may run away, run into traffic or become aggressive.

The animal kingdom uses pheromones for several reasons. They find mates, mark territory, friend or enemy identification and bonding. I believe humans do this too. Humans have a limited ability to consciously identify specific scents because this part of our brain is not as developed as it is in other animals.

My question is if humans breathe the same air, aren't we sending and receiving similar signals? In a room full of fully clothed humans perhaps pheromones are effecting our moods and behaviors much more then we understand. We rely on our other senses so much it is easy to see how these powerful forces are dismissed.

I believe we are attached to mates, sense when we are in danger and recognize bonds with other humans. That may explain that once in a lifetime attraction that marks us for life. Not a crush, hook up or casual relationship, but a primal connection that can't be explained or forgotten no matter the distance or how much time has passed.

Mothers bond with their babies in a special way. Mothers are so connected that decades later they can detect if their child is in danger, if they are ill, their moods and yes if they are lying. It is a combination of factors but the secret language of pheromones has much more to do with this then we realize. 

Animals are not inhibited when exploring pheromones, humans are more discrete. Some so discreet they are unaware pheromones exist. Regardless their bodies, thoughts, moods and sexual focus react in the presence of the opposite sex. 

I watch a room full of men as a woman enters the room. The most loyal married man who would never ever stray may not openly react but trust me they know she is there. I personally know this to be true. I won't speak for women but I assume they react too. They may not even realize they react but they do. 

I have watched the behavior of humans for many years. I notice body language and group dynamics. Humans for the most part limit or resist these animal instincts but today many are controlled by them.

This hidden language enhances the passions of life. Not limited to sexual passions but the self sacrificing long suffering passions that last beyond the grave.

A great movie was "Scent of a woman". Al Pacino was a blind Lt Col who mentored a young man about romancing women. This movie made me aware of my own attraction to women.

My initial attraction to women was based on the sight and feel of their hair, skin, eyes, lips, breasts and the shape of their bottoms, but I was unaware how much their scents and smells effected me. As a young man my body reacted to these in a strong physical way but I didn't know why. 

When I was in high school I had a teacher who just drove me crazy. She was an older woman in her 40's, had a full figure and dressed very conservative. One day I got close enough to smell her hair. My body reacted in a way I could not explain. I had no interest or crush, my body just reacted. I never said anything to anyone but from that moment on I was aware there was something going on I did not understand.

I don't know if I'm wired differently but through my life I have connected to people and places through my sense of smell. All of our senses connect us to everything good or bad. Not only the senses I am consciously aware of but the underlying secret language of pheromones.

There is a sharp difference between humans and animals. Humans live by social and moral rules, animals are ruled by their instincts. Today the if it feels good do it crowd are guided by their instincts while ignoring any moral code.

Ignoring the fact that we have this secret language and built in instincts is sad we miss out on the passions of life. However ignoring the fact that we are human and function on a higher social level can lead us to chaos. A proper balance of these factors is the spice of this dance called life.