Month: January 2009

Posted on

Choosing the Right Skateboard Parts

Once I started reading up on skateboards I got really into it. I’ve still got my last skateboard from when I was kid. Well, it’s stashed at my mom’s but I still have it until she decides to clean out the garage.

Anyway, my old board pales in comparison to the new designs and components for putting together today’s boards. If I was going to make my own board now here is what I need to choose and pull together:

  • Skateboard Deck – getting the right size is critical
  • Set of Two Skateboard Trucks for mounting the wheel
  • Set of Four Skateboard Wheels
  • Set of Eight Skateboard Bearings (2 per wheel)
  • Mounting Hardware
  • Grip Tape to Slip-proof the Deck
  • Skate Key/Tool

Optional:

  • Skateboard Riser Pads
Posted on

Custom Skateboards

My sister called this morning and invited me to her son’s birthday party next week. She can’t do it this weekend because of the Super Bowl, so they picked next Thursday for the celebration. Part of the reason they picked Thursday is because they booked a suite at the Sommet Center for the hockey game that night against the Anaheim Ducks. There is a family joke about the Mighty Ducks, but that’s another story.

I’m not sure what to get this kid for a cool birthday present. He’s turning 8 and is just a typical eight year old – into all kinds of sports and video games. Uncle Adam’s present has to be awesome! I’m thinking it might be a good time to introduce him to skateboarding. I think that’s about the age when I first got interested in the sport. Of course, things have changed since I was riding skateboards. The boards themselves are much more tekkie and its all about a custom designed board.

The best web site I can find about skateboards is called www.warehouseskateboards.com. I’ve been reading up on their page “Skateboard Buying Guide” about skateboard basics and how to choose the right boards and components based on age and size. They also have some really wild designs for a huge selection of boards.

If I order it today I can get it shipped here in time for the birthday party, so looking at their choices for a longboard complete package, I’m going with the rad “Blind Reaper” design. This will blow his mind!

Posted on

Happy Chinese New Year

Today begins the year of the ox for the Chinese New Year. There was a link on the front page of Yahoo that gives a forecast for the coming year based on the sign of your birth year. Since I was born in the year of the snake, my forecast for the coming year is really good for my career, especially in the latter half of the year. That’s exciting and I’m looking forward to the good things promised to come my way. Of course, if this comes true I won’t know if it is a result of a horoscope prediction that comes true or if Obama will be taking the credit for an economic turn around. Or both?

Posted on

Finding Free Scholarships

With so many companies having layoffs and going bankrupt, I’m sure people who are working in troubled industries are getting paranoid and worried about their job security and future career path. Some people who are holding onto their jobs by a thread are very likely spiffing up their resumes and discretely starting a job hunt. Others may be looking harder at their resumes and credentials and considering going back to school to finish that degree, enhance or even change fields of expertise.

People considering going back to school  might be interested in applying for scholarships and grants to help with the additional expense. I recently read about a free college scholarships program that involves some participation in a fun and interesting way. Your activities in their program earns points toward free scholarships. If free scholarships are something that interest you, check out their web site at www.scholarshippoints.com.

Posted on

Opportunities in a Bad Economy

A wise woman once told me, “for every door that closes, God opens another door.” I’m pretty sure there is a paraphrase to that somewhere in the Bible, but I’m not even close to an expert on that. The point is, that for everything bad that happens you should have faith that someone good will come from it.

The economy is struggling now and people are losing their houses, their jobs, and their health insurance. Yet all of these bad things that are happening will result in new opportunities for them and for others.

One of the industries that is still growing and actually benefitting from the bad economy is the health care sector. Perhaps some people who would not have otherwise considered a career in health care may now pursue the medical fields. We have had a shortage of good nurses for years. Perhaps that will now change and the people who need medical help in the future will have better health care available to them.

Posted on

Spring Break Means Florida

Ever since I was a little kid my family has always gone to Florida at least once a year, usually for Spring Break. I can’t imagine going anywhere else for Spring Break – it’s our family tradition.

My parents bought a condo in New Port Ritchie back in the 1970’s. It used to be a small town with less tourists than most of the Orlando area developments. Of course, after all these years the area has grown and its more crowded now. But it is still a little different feel than closer in to Orlando – less crowds, less traffic, less noise and less kids.

Last year when we went to the condo we decided to explore some of the other little cities and towns that were close by and not spend so much time in the theme parks. We had a nice time exploring the Gulf Coast, and that area is still my favorite spot in the United States. I haven’t found any place nicer.

Posted on

Boating After Dark

My grandmother has a little condo down in Florida on the Gulf Coast and she just bought another little fishing boat to take out in the canals and Everglades. She has always loved to go fishing but she also likes to just cruise along watching for wildlife, like American Bald Eagles, manatees and dolphins.

She’s promised to take me out on the new boat when I come down for a visit during spring break. I asked her if she has the boat fully outfitted yet and she told me that she still needs a spotlight and backup motor. I might be able to help her out with the spotlight. I’d like to get her something nice as a thank you gift for having me stay with her in March.

My dad told me about a good web site called www.magnalight.com to get boat and truck lights, so I’m clicking over there for a bit. Just have to decide if I want the light shipped here so I can take it down there with me, or should I just have it sent right to her. The site has a special offer of free shipping on orders over $200 and they take all the major credit cards, including Paypal.

Posted on

The New Miss America

Tonight’s Miss America pageant was full of beautiful and talented women. After I saw them onstage, I knew right away that Miss Indiana Katie Stam would be crowned Miss America 2009.

She closely resembles one of the actresses on CSI Miami and I think it would be very cool for the CSI Miami writers to do an episode with both of them in it as sisters. That could be her big break, second only to this pageant. Katie is majoring in communications in college and has both the looks and the composure to be on TV. Congrats Katie!

Posted on

Miss America 2009

Call me “Shallow Hal,” but I still like watching the Miss America pageants. I think it is nice to honor attractive, accomplished women and that young girls should be allowed to see that there are good role models for them besides the ho’s and the drug freaks promoted in the popular media, like Madonna, Pink, Lindsay, etc. Most of the Miss America contestants are wholesome, ambitious, talented, composed and attractive. It is good to showcase these qualities and I wish they (mass media, network TV, etc.) would do more to promote wholesome role models for our young people.

This year’s pageant is going to be held at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino, hosted by Mario Lopez. I plan to watch and I suppose I’ll be cheering for Ellen Carrington, this year’s Miss Tennessee, although Miss Texas is always a beautiful woman, too.

Posted on

Only The Best for My Eyes

Today’s newspaper has a bright blue post it note on on the front page promising to save me $500 off the cost of Lasik surgery on my eyes.

I’m sure a lot of people would like to save $500, but that promise isn’t going to be the primary reason why I decide to have Lasik surgery or not, and it’s not going to be the deciding factor of who I choose to perform the surgery. In fact, my motivation is the opposite. I want only the best for my health and especially for my eyes.

If I was to decide to get Lasik surgery, I would be searching out the qualifications of the doctor who will be performing the surgery. I want the best in that field, with thousands of procedures under his belt before he steps close to my eyes.

As a matter of act, this prompted me to get on the internet this morning and start researching the whole Lasik topic. I found several good things about a doctor in the Houston area, Dr. Jack Holladay. This doctor has had over 50 peer reviewed articles published in national and regional publications. That is remarkable in itself. He has an informative web site and has been certified by a non-profit patient advocacy group, USAeyes for refractive surgery techniques including Lasik, All-Laser Lasik, PRK, LASEK, Epi-Lasik, CK, RLE, and P-IOL. That pretty much covers all the techniques in use at this time.

Evidently, Dr. Jack Holladay even teaches other doctors how to perform the different Lasik surgeries. This is the caliber of care that I want for my own eyes.