FOLLOW-UPS, UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS V

Navigating the Church of the Open Road Blog-site

PICTURE/POST CROSS-REFERENCE! By popular demand (well, actually, one reader asked if this could be done) I have linked many of the pictures in the right hand column to the story in which they first appeared. By simply clicking on the picture, magic will happen, and that story will pop onto your screen. To quote Gomer Pyle: “Shazam!”

Further, at the bottom of each post is a list of labels. By clicking on a word in the list, “Shazam, agin!” stories related to the one you’ve read, the place where the story took place or the road taken will appear.


MORE ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS found in posts: The vast majority of the photographs in the posts are those of the author. By clicking on any photo, it will expand – Gomer? – and provide a strip of photos related to that post with front and back arrows. Why it needs to do this, I don’t know. But many of the pictures look better when they’re bigger. Sorta like a one-per center’s stock portfolio.

WHEN A POST HAS ONLY A PICTURE of the old typewriter, know that the post is opinion and likely non-motorcycle tour oriented. The author would opine that he is pretty middle-of-the-road on politics. Neo-conservative readers will argue this point. True liberals wish he’d just keep his mouth shut.


REGARDING THE MARCH 17TH POST: Why Local Boards Make Lousy Choices http://thechurchoftheopenroad.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-local-boards-make-lousy-choices.html was published that day in the Sacramento Bee. Thanks, Editor Reed for the ink. I’m looking forward to hearing from the Pulitzer folks any day now. Comments from readers outside my corner of the blogosphere proved to be interesting.


REGARDING THE FEBRUARY 27TH POST: Why Our Democracy Doesn’t Work http://thechurchoftheopenroad.blogspot.com/2012/02/why-our-democracy-doesnt-work.html got at least one concept wrong. The uptick in gasoline prices, true, has little to do with actions taken by Mr. Obama, as his opponents may claim. But sinister oil folks are not exactly manipulating the prices either. The fact of the matter is that US oil companies can make more money exporting refined gasoline to markets overseas than they can by selling it here. The price of gasoline here at home is influenced by demands elsewhere on the globe. Damned inconvenient, capitalism is.


NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS AT WORK: I long ago resolved not to make New Year’s resolutions. But since I no longer answer the bell, I had to do something to keep myself on some sort of straight and narrow. So now, posted where I can’t avoid looking at ‘em, is a to do list. Some of the components include

Writing and Literacy:

• Compose no more than two blog posts per week. Proof ‘em better to reduce errors.
• No more than one in every four post should relate to politics, but at least one in four should be non-motorcycle/non-travel in nature because life isn’t all about a breezy spring day on a strip of asphalt on a finely crafted and balanced European motorcycle.
• Finish reading a book every two weeks. (Already falling short of that one.)
• Find a local fiction writers group to attend regularly. (Found one – but not attending regularly enough.)
• Dust off the “Pug LeBreaux” novel draft; get a good rewrite done and hand it off to an editor or a publisher. This is why you can’t afford to spew out so many blog posts in a week. (In progress.)

Self-Actualization:

• Ride the bikes regularly. Give each equal time. Practice riding in the rain. Wear all the gear all the time: ATGATT.
• Exercise more. (Not doing it.)
• Acquire less. (Doing it.)
• Patronize locally owned businesses. (The cigar store is locally owned.)

Family Stuff:

• Repair the brickwork out back that’s been sagging for six-and-a-half years. (That took less than three hours.)
• Fix the roof and the side door to the garage. (Okay! Okay! Quit nagging myself about it!)
• Digitize mom and dad’s slides. (On going.)

FINALLY, to those who read the blog regularly, “Thanks.” Your comments and feedback - whether directly to this site or to a linked site - are part of the conversation and make the effort worthwhile.  Thanks also, for sharing with your friends and doubters.

© 2012
Church of the Open Road Press