More Green Thoughts

Going through Saranac Lake yesterday, I was really impressed that, in one of the coldest cities in the US, so many buildings didn't even have rudimentary storm windows, doors or vestibules. This is the sort of contemptible laziness and cheapness I despise. I mean, in like 2 years of heating, one would recoup the cost of the windows. But some crummy landlord will rent some old building with 100 year old doors and windows and tons of plate glass, and not give a thought about simple, common sense, middle class things like cutting your heating bill and cutting the amount of stuff that has to be burned to heat it, scum. Or newer buildings with flat roofs and no windows or natural ventilation, so they have to be mechanically heated and cooled year round. So when I see this as the norm, along with stores arranged so only the foolhardy would dare walk and walled off from the houses nearby so Joe SixPack drives his full size pick up everywhere, I can only have contempt at the people who whine about energy prices and demand we drill or somehow we are all going to be living in the dark ages when they squander energy hand over foot. I don't say we can't heat or cool buildings and live comfortably, but a well insulated building with good passive cooling and ventilation, is more comfortable and cheaper to run, ergo more green. So there is no real sacrifice if it is done right from the start. Sure some people are doing this now and if the government has to legislate it, it will be mediocrity.
Also, lets put in some sensible bike and walking paths. I heard some cranks on some so called news channel whining about bike path grants as if this was some hideous thing to spend money on like gold fixtures in the Whitehouse bathroom. So let's have nation of soft, fat slobs falling over from heart attacks and diabetes while consuming energy and junk food like gluttons. Don't walk or ride a bike anywhere, make sure your kid doesn't have to make that horrible quarter mile trek to school, drive or put him on the bus. When you hunt or fish, make sure you bring your ATV, god forbid if you break a sweat. We are victims of our own success, the success of the transport vehicle and junk food industry, coupled with the crummiest sort of planning and sidewalks. So let's fight another war for more oil instead, that is so patriotic!

Going Green

Being green is cool, but some people grouse about enviro-nazis and scoff at even the most common sense measures to conserve and protect, then turn around and call themselves conservationists cause they want a nice view from all 4 of their homes. Of course they claim they are logical but are as small minded and selfish as the radical enviros they criticize. So if it is pretty and green around their upscale homes they could care less about the other side of the tracks.
I am a practical person. So if I can walk or ride my bike somewhere i will. Even though the price of gas has dropped thank god, I still conserve.Usually I park closest to the exit and walk the extra 50 yards anyways. Not only does this save a miniscule amount of gas but it saves a lot of pointless wear and tear. Also it helps avoids a parking lot collision. Then if I want to go to a neighboring store I will walk. If this makes me look weird, so be it; only an utterly petty person would make a stink about that. Also, the exercise really helps and if people walked an extra mile or two a week instead of driving everywhere, we wouldn't have so many land whales croaking of heart attacks at 49 or taking insulin.

For example, I was at local big box place and one set of doors was locked at night. So these two young guys realize the doors are locked too but I told them the other set was open all the time. As I was walking over to the open doors, I saw these two obviously healthy guy drive their truck all of 40 yards to be near those doors. How lame! Same when I am on the road making sales, I go on foot as much as possible, at least you can spot and see things you would miss driving, which makes me more aware. Don't get me wrong, I love driving, but not stop and go nonsense in cities or parking lots. Get me on the open road and I'll go on all day.

Same with consuming packaged trash I don't need, Fill the water bottle, don't buy a plastic one from the cooler. Think of all the electricity, fuel, plastic and cost that bottled thing just consumed then save a $1.09.

Okay, enough of a lecture, have fun.

Just Bought AdirondackNorthway.com!

I know this sounds like trivia, but when I first started AdirondackNorthway.net in '05 they wanted $5000 for AdirondackNorthway.com, wow!! Then it was $1000, no way! I jsut tried it tonight for the heck and the domain vultures gave up and let it expire. So I snapped it up for $10/year like it should be. I will make that the main one soon and use the .net as a redirect.

Rainy Wet Warm Fall Weekend

What lame weather. Went up to Glens Falls today with my wife so she could do her job as a photographer at the NY State HS Girls Volleyball Playoffs at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

My New Plan

News Flash

NEW for 10/31/2008, There are Paper Brochures for this Site with my customers' listings available in over 60 venues from Albany to Lake George & North Creek, including both NB rest stops at Exits 9 & 18. This makes my Adirondack Northway site even a better place to advertise
I am working feverishly in Word 2K to put together that three fold brochure, readying it for the printer. I already paid the two folks in Lake George to distribute it. Likewise, I have been fixing up my Adirondack Northway site. It sat like an some fun old car in the woods for a year or two. So when I looked at some of those pages I haven't touched in years I was horrified at the backwardness. I created a little page, table and function to manage what pages what customer ads go on, so I don't have to hunt down and delete them myself, it's all done from a special page. But I have been working like a dog to upgrade all those lame old pages. When I first started it, I copied over the old crap from NYRoute30 as a start. I can still see the old 4 column tables I used for ads until I went to two columns and used includes that had rows for ads. Which makes that about three years out of date, like the Champlain page. But I have been adding new customers, pictures and redoing the ads with the new ad table function. Lot's of work but worth it!

Almanac Predictions

Colder than average winter, lot's of snow, get ready for that too, folks!

Getting Geared Up For Fall

Fall, My Fave Time of Year: Leaves, Hunting, Harvest

Okay it has been a bad year business and economy wise, plus I have vegged most of it in the capital district. But I am psyched now for some fall action and maybe some more business. At least the price of gas has dropped a bit. Now it's time for a new tent and a sportsmen license. There is supposed to be a bumper crop of turkeys this year, wanna get me one or two. Going to take my usual busman's holiday this weekend. My utterly brainless boring temp job could get along fine without me and since business and hours are slack there, good riddance. This is Colon's Weekend and I want celebrate a really intrepid explorer. Don't hand me any of this politically correct BS about Columbus, I just don't care. The Indians did't build the Northway, the Erie Canal or even the Waterline Railroad route. I earned a little vacation from the depressing reality around here. Here is a nice picture to calm all of you down:

Whiteface Mountain from Lake Placid Village

Latest Trip

Summer Days

I was up north last week. Trying to save what little business I have and the news was not so hot. But at least one website that went down when the place went out of business got resurrected as the place re-opened as a bistro, the Tavern at Schroon Lake. I spent the night in Schroon, but my fave campsite was taken so I pitched my tent in the skimpy clearing down the road from there. Broke camp just before some torrential downpours drenched the place. Better wet soggy weather than the oven in California with all the redwoods going up in smoke. My brother went out there and they got turned away from Big Sur cause of the fire.
I still care about the 'Daks and my business. I redid the header menus on my sites for a little better look. But the price of gas has cut into what little profit margin I have. As well as hurting my customers. I tried to give away free listing and links to these potential customers, just for stopping by. I put up their listings and links then emailed them, hoping I could get at least a link back to me out of it. But they didn't even bother to answer my email, maybe too much cash to count. It doesn't take much effort to reply to a personal email. So I yanked the links but left the rest of their listings on the page. If someone says he'd give me a link back to my site and doesn't even take the minute to do it, I can't respect him at all. Maybe my sites aren't hot stuff but at least I keep my end of the bargain and answer every customer call or email I get and try to ameliorate it.

Mud Season

Mud Season

I was up north for a couple days. The weather was so warm, as well as the water levels. Looking for some peace and quiet and I found it. But the good weather is bringing out the noisiest pests imaginable, Harley riders. Sorry, but your mass produced macho toughness does not impress me. Biker chic is on the same level as hip hop fashion. You can hear those inconsiderate lowlifes 30 miles away winding out their deliberately noisy machines. Heavy trucks, that we all depend on, make 1/10 the noise you do, as well as drive a lot more sensibly. Even the obnoxious thumper cars(one with huge bass speakers and stereos), which thankfully are on the decline, sound doesn;t carry as far as some load on his "bike". But I guess all that freedom you get by making yourself go deaf as well as annoying others, outweighs all the negative benefits.