RationalBiker

Thanks all!! It has been a great day with my wife and son!

Thank you very much!! It's been a great day! My wife did not have to work and my son is home from College (VA Tech)!! Getting to spend a week with my son is a birthday gift all its own. Woo Hoo!!!!

I don't have any pictures up on a service yet, but I will soon. I just recently renewed my interest in photography and bought a Canon 30D. I'm very pleased with the camera and two lenses so far. When I get some shots up (probably Picasa), I'll post some on here. Meanwhile, here's an old thread on OO.net that contains some of my older stuff.

I too only knew Stephen for a relative short period of time online. During that time, I did come to have a lot of respect for him. I thoroughly appreciated his approach to discussions and his ability to explain things in a very understandable manner. I'm very sorry for your loss Betsy, but I trust that you two shared a relationship that very few people are fortunate enough to experience. Having noted his favorite song in another post, I'm going to iTunes to get "What a Wonderful World" and I will be listening to it frequently today in his memory. RB

Happy holidays all! I hope that all the days of the year are happy and productive for my valued friends here on The Forum!

** Significant Spoilers ** I enjoyed the series very much. Some of the characters were more likeable than others, but most were interesting none the less. For a significant portion of the series, some of them have a terrible sense of life. This changes for the most part toward the end of the series. While I didn't always like the messages, I really appreciated how death was used to illustrate the importance of life. In particular, as a form of self-reflection, the imaginary conversations with the dead helped the characters work through the various baggage they carried throughout their lives. Most prevalent of these dead characters was obviously Nathan Fisher, the patriarch of the family. He "helps" them understand what was right in their relationships and what was wrong. I watched this series to the end, and in my opinion the last episode was one of the most powerful series finales I have ever seen. Anyone who watched any of the shows will recall the "death of the week". You saw a glimpse of a person's life just before they lost it. In the final episode Claire, the youngest and only daughter, is leaving home to make her way in the world all alone. She is clearly experiencing a wide range of conflicting emotions, but she knows the journey she must take, and it's inevitable end. It's not until the end of the series that I think she finally embraces life. As she drives to her destination (a promising career in art), the viewer gets a glimpse into future of all the remaining main characters and how they eventually die. Some die tragically and others, like Claire, die happily and gracefully of old age, in their beds, after a long, productive life. Regardless of the particulars values the creator of the series might have, the message in total is clear; life should be lived, not as a mere existence, not as something one coasts through, but with full vigor and attention to one's values and with great love for those who are important to you. I think this is the message one is intended to walk away from the show with. It's very likely the ending of this show resonated with me particularly because of the death of my mother (which was not yet distant enough for me) and some of the dynamics in the relationships on the show.

appy-Hay irthday-Bay!!! Thought I throw in a little pig latin spin.

I took the family to the movie yesterday and it was thoroughly inspiring! I love how he never complained, never made excuses and had such a tenacious drive to achieve his dream. To know that folks like Gardner exist offers great hope for this country and the world. I didn't know that was the real Gardner at the end until I got home and looked around on the 'net.

A very belated THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! Hey it's a Ducati, the yellow is just fine . My wife's present to me was the previously discussed tattoo, as yet unfinished (hard lines done, have to go back for shading and background). I decided to go with a depiction of a Harley V-Twin engine on my right upper arm. It reminds me of both Galt's engine (though hardly as revolutionary) and my passion for riding.

** Possible Spoilers ** I would echo the comments favorable to Hiro as a character, particularly with respect to the aforementioned transformation he appears to make in the future. I'm thoroughly pleased with the show so far, and had looked forward to it based on what I had read several months in advance.

Aside from what Burgess queries, I would add that the title is somewhat misleading.

We've had as low as $1.87 for regular and $2.15 for premium in the last couple weeks in Virginia Beach, VA. It is a nice break. Nothing like filling up a tank for 7 to 9 bucks.

Saturday Night Live did a fake commercial around this idea. It was talking about tattoo regret and showed an age progession simulation of a tattoo losing it's form turning into a big messy, colorful blob. I think that thoughtful consideration should be done before getting a tattoo with full realization of the permanancy of the tattoo and what one intends to communicate. Past that, one just has to live with the fact that some folks appreciate tattoos and some folks do not. I'm not sure how it was in the past, but now many parlors advise people NOT to drink before getting the tattoo (aside from the bad decision-making reasons). Drinking causes the blood to thin and the person may bleed more during the procedure. I have noticed that some parlors try at least minimally to get people to think about what they are doing first. They often recommend against other people's names because tattoos often outlast relationships.

Ahh, okay.

Stephen, The more I consider the eagle (neck and head) idea, despite it's abundant use, the more I like it. However, I'm thinking of something more abstract than just a picture of an eagle. Think something similar to the USPS eagle logo, but different, and not the "tribal" look that runs rampant in what appear to be practically meaningless symbols that "look really cool". I'm trying to decide how the style will reflect certain important concepts. For instance, the symbol must have bold, clearly defined lines, something to communicate clarity or certainty. Looking up can denote pride, achievement, etc. I welcome style and concept ideas from anyone who cares to offer them.