UPDATED: FOUND! Wounded Veteran's Specialized Mountain Bike Stolen!

Anchorage, AK

UPDATED: Matt's bike has been found in an Anchorage Park.  The other 4 bikes are still missing.

Last night, the unimaginable happened, wounded Veteran, Matt DeWitt had his one-of-a-kind, specialized mountain bike stolen.  Matt was in Anchorage, AK with Ride 2 Recovery on a mountain biking trip as part of their training for the Leadville 100 MTB series this August.

In all, 5 wounded Veterans had their bikes stolen from inside a locked Uhaul at the Sheraton in Anchorage, AK.  Matt's bike was the only specialized one stolen.
If the bike isn't found, it is uncertain at this time if another bike could be specially fitted in time for him to ride in Leadville.

In 2003 DeWitt was patrolling in Khalidiyah, Iraq, when a rocket propelled grenade changed his life forever. Matt lost both of his arms below the elbow in 2003.  Having been a competitive mountain biker prior to his injury, Matt wanted to ride again.  Enter Ride 2 Recovery.  With the help of Ride 2 Recovery and mechanic Scott Moro, a specialized mountain bike was created especially for Matt. 
The specialized handlebars allow him to grip and steer with his prosthetic arms

 

and a special bar on the back of his seat allows him to break.

 With this bike, he was able to attend the Bush W100K ride with President George W. Bush

 

The hope is that Matt's bike can be recovered so he will be able to continue his training and participate in the Leadville 100 MTB challenge. 

 

Please pass this on, it's a one-of-a-kind bike and should be easy to spot.

State Governments are NOT Subordinate to the Federal Government

Maybe the anti-federalists were right, maybe the Constitution made it  too easy for the federal government to take over.  Thomas Jefferson didn't believe that, however.  The constitution and the bill of rights were written so that neither has more power than the other and that is the way it should be. 

Thomas Jefferson wrote about our Constitution: “With respect to our State and federal governments, I do not think their relations correctly understood by foreigners,” sadly, I believe many of the citizens of the United States of America do not understand how the relationship between state and federal governments is supposed to work.  Jefferson relates that when the founders wrote our constitution, they had the ability to write what they pleased, that they had no “musty records” or laws they needed to follow.  They were free to create a document, laws, of their own choosing.  They choose not only the wording, but also the format of our government. Our government was founded  so that the state and federal government work hand in hand, each having their own responsibilities, separate, but equal.  But many citizens don't understand this.  They believe the federal government has control over state government and therefore allow them to act as such.

Exactly what are the responsibilities of the state and federal government?  Ours is a constitution based on Federalism, power is divided between a the federal, state and local governments.  Many are confused as to the relationship between the two.  This is why the Bill of Rights was written by our founders, Amendments that clarify what is written in the Constitution and the rights of the people and the government, both state and federal.  It is why Jefferson pushed for the Bill of Rights in the first place.  Jefferson states, “[Those who don’t understand the relationship between the state and federal government] generally suppose the former subordinate to the latter. But this is not the case. They are co-ordinate departments of one simple and integral whole. To the State governments are reserved all legislation and administration, in affairs which concern their own citizens only, and to the federal government is given whatever concerns foreigners, or the citizens of other States; these functions alone being made federal. The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government; neither having control over the other, but within its own department.”

The state government gives power to the citizens while the federal government is concerned with foreigners matters.  Here’s where the problem arises. It is not the job, as put forth by our founders, for the federal government to be creating legislation, laws, that apply directly and only to citizens of the United States. That is what the state’s government is for. The federal government, time and time again, oversteps their bounds.  They interfere with issues that are clearly the domain of the state government. The state government is not subordinate to the federal government, yet the federal government acts as though it is. They are both equal and one does not have the power to dictate to the other.  State governments are NOT subordinate to the federal government, though the federal government continues to attempt to enslave them.

Jefferson believed Amendment X to be foundation of our government and it states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”  These are the rights that the citizens and the states must protect. The states must stand up and reclaim what is inherently theirs, what is given. 

The responsibilities the federal government pertaining to foreign matters is outline in Amendment XI, and limits state’s rights pertaining to foreign affairs and treaties.  Amendments X and XI were written to specifically clarify the responsibilities and limitations of the federal and state governments.

These are the rights which the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, protects, which are rights of the citizens of our states.  "The true foundation of republican government is the equal right of every citizen, in his person and property, and in their management."

Of course, our Constitution is a living document, it is able to be changed, as Jefferson says: “Nothing then is unchangeable but the inherent and unalienable rights of man.”  Why change the foundation upon that which our great nation was founded?  It is when we attempt to change the foundation, to allow federal government to encroach upon what is clearly the responsibility of the states, that there are problems. This is the reason there is an enormous federal debt.  It is what Jefferson feared when he said: “[The people are] our dependence for continued freedom. And to preserve their independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude.

The federal government was not created to care for the people, the federal government was created to attend to foreign affairs and affairs of the country as a whole.  The state governments, with the extension to local governments, were created  "that all power is inherent in the people; that they may exercise it by themselves, in all cases to which they think themselves competent, or they may act by representatives, freely and equally chosen; that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; that they are entitled to freedom of person, freedom of religion, freedom of property, and freedom of the press."

The federal and state governments are separate, but they are equal, one not more powerful than the other.  And yet, as Jefferson himself predicted, "even under the best forms, those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."  

Our citizen's are not well informed, government run schools and media that supports the federal government have tainted the minds of our citizens. I fear that because our citizens no longer know about the responsibilities, duties and limitations of the different branches of government they will not take corrective action to correct what has gone so terribly wrong.  If you don't know it's broken, you can't fix it.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson to Col. Charles Yancey, 1816.

Who Wants the Flu?

 
Cold and flu season is here again and nobody wants a cold or the flu.  Here are some tips to help prevent the spread of cold or flu and some ways to help you feel better if you get sick.

 
Symptoms of cold and flu are similar. You may have some or all of these symptoms. 

• fever *Not everyone with the flu will have a fever.
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• body aches
• headache
• chills
• fatigue
• sometimes diarrhea and vomiting

A flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common.  This year’s vaccine has only been moderately (62%) effective in preventing the flu so it is important, whether you have had the vaccine, or not, to follow these tips to help prevent getting the flu.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.  This is the NUMBER ONE way to prevent the spread of infection.  Teach children to wash their hands.  

Clean hands prevent the flu:

 

• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.  If someone is coughing or sneezing, try to stay at least 6 feet away from them.

 

If you are sick with a cold or flu, prevent the spread to others.

• The CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
• While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
• When you sneeze or cough, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sneeze/cough into your elbow (not your hand). Throw used tissues in the trash after you use it.

 

Remember: Colds and flu are viruses and antibiotics will not help you unless you have a bacterial infection on top of the viral cold/flu infection.

Care for yourself when you are sick:

• Get plenty of rest, give your body time to recover.

• Eat lightly and keep hydrated, you may have a poor appetite, that is normal when you are sick. It is important to drink and keep hydrated.  Hot tea with honey and lemon are helpful if you have a sore throat and/or cough.

• If you are congested it may be helpful to avoid dairy which increases mucous production

There are medicines available, over the counter, to treat fever, cough and congestion.  Read labels carefully and follow directions.  Do not take more than the recommended dosage.  Pay particular attention to "cold medicines" that have multiple ingredients.  Example: If a cold medicine has acetaminophen, don't take additional acetaminophen (Tylenol) you can overdose and damage your liver.  I prefer to treat the symptoms and use medicine for each symptom.  Yes, you will be taking more medicine, but you will not be taking more dosage of each medicine and you will customize your medicine to only those symptoms you have.  You will not be taking medicine for symptoms you don't have.  Example: if you don't have a cough, there is not reason for you to take something that has cough medicine in it.  

If symptoms persist or get worse, see a doctor.
 

Certain people are at greater risk of serious flu-related complications (including young children, elderly persons, pregnant women and people with certain long-term medical conditions) If you are in a high risk group and develop flu symptoms, it’s best for you to contact your doctor. Remind them about your high risk status for flu.

CDC Emergency warning signs:

In children

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash
  

In addition to the signs above, get medical help right away for any infant who has any of these signs:

• Being unable to eat
• Has trouble breathing
• Has no tears when crying
• Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
  

In adults

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough

This video is was made for healthcare workers, but it's fun for everyone to watch:

Long Walks in Heaven

A few weeks ago, my beloved dog, Stormi, passed away. He was a black Labrador retriever, 12 years old when he died. 

We got him as a puppy shortly after the passing of both my mother and the dog we had.  I always thought that my mother would have loved him as she had a special place in her hearts for black labs after she became very attached to our black lab, Echo, we had growing up. I’m sure she was looking down and enjoying watching us and I’m sure that she, Echo and Stormi have found each other in heaven and also my father who loved him, waiting for the day we will all be together again.

Stormi was kind and loving.  He didn’t know how big he was, thinking he was a small lap dog, my LAPrador I’d call him. He’d love to climb into your lap, sometimes it was only the front end that made it. He was a people person and was always nearby, usually sitting somewhere in the way, like the middle of the kitchen floor or in the hallway or outside the bathroom, waiting to trip you up.  He’d whine if you were outside and he was in.  He loved to give you big, slobbery kisses and hugs and sometimes would nibble your nose.  I don’t know why, but he loved to nibble noses.

Stormi loved our other animals, and he pretty much let them walk all over him.  When he had a treat and the other dog stole it, he never tried to get it back.  I don’t think he ever growled at anyone or anything in his life.  He loved playing with the grey cat, Smoki, especially when they were both young.  Stormi would chase Smoki around the house.  We always knew when Stormi caught Smoki because his hair was slobbered up in a funky mohawk from Stormi's kisses. In later years the chasing stopped and they became good friends. 

Stormi loved to play and go on walks, the latter became a routine after he tore his cruciate ligament in his knee several years ago and had to have surgery and 2 plates put in his leg.  We first had to walk him with a sling to prevent pressure on the leg so that it would heal.  Once he was allowed to put pressure on it he wasn’t allowed to run.  We couldn’t let him go in the back yard without a leash on because he loved to run.  He and the dog next door, Max, would run back and forth along the fence separating the yards.  So we leashed him.  Then we were given instructions to walk him and keep on increasing the distance.  This is when we started taking him on daily walks, it became a routine and something he loved to do, so much so that he went for a walk his last morning on earth even though he really wasn’t up for it.

Stormi is gone, but not his hair, he shed so much that we will forever be finding it. We used to be constantly sweeping it up.  Sometimes after sweeping we’d have a whole other dog made of hair.  This was even with furmanating him. There’s a brush called the furmanator, it works well, but Stormi had so much hair.

Shortly before he passed, Stormi had been slowing down, his vision failed, he was bumping into things, he was still his loving self, but we knew his time was short.  We prepared our kids, who are grown, for the inevitable. 

I had to go on a week-long trip for work, I hated leaving him, and I hoped he was still with us when I returned.  The day I was to return home I got a call that Stormi had lost much of his energy, but he was still doing ok.  By the time I returned home, though, he was barely moving but enthusiastically wagged his tail when he saw me.  We immediately took him to the emergency vet.  By this time he wasn’t moving at all.  The vet suspected he had lymphoma, a type of cancer, because his all his lymph nodes were swollen as were his eyes. I don’t believe he would have survived much longer and attempting any treatment would have been cruel.  We did the kindest thing we could and we put him to sleep.  I stayed with him petting him and talking to him as he passed. 

As we have done with all our departed pets, we had him cremated.  A little side note, my father had wanted to be cremated and when he passed we complied with his wishes.  We were deciding on what type of container.  We didn’t want an urn or box that screamed “dead person here” so we opted for a plain wooden box.

There is a wonderful pet crematory that all the vets in the area use and we have used before.  What I didn’t know is that they had improved the service they provided.  Their service was excellent.  Our pets had Included was been returned to us in a lovely, heavy duty cardboard box, with a card, very nice.  I was absolutely shocked at what was returned to us, shocked in a good way.  Stormi was returned to us in a beautifully finished cedar box with a name plaque.  They also sent a mold of his paw print, a card and wild flower seeds to plant in his memory.  Never before had I seen anything like this.  It was wonderful. The only problem is now Stormi is in a better box than my father! I think dad’s ok with that though, he loved Stormi.

There is an empty place in our house, but Stormi will always have a special place in our hearts.  We miss him now, but we’ll see him, and all our loved ones, again.  Until then, Stormi and my mom and dad are taking long walks in heaven.

Curosity Lands on Mars, America Celebrates It Together, With the World, Via Twitter

Watching the Curiosity Rover land last night, via Curiosity Cam on Ustream, reminded me of when I watched the United States moon landing.  This time, however, I was able to celebrate it with people around America and the world via twitter.

What is Curiosity? Here 'Actor William Shatner narrates this thrilling video about NASA's Curiosity rover, from its entry and descent through the Martian atmosphere to its landing and exploration of the Red Planet in NASA's hardest planetary science mission to date.'

 

NASA Employs Curiosity by Paul-Gregory Matuszak, @pavelgregory on twitter, explains the Curiosity mission

full article here.

At 1:32 am ET, Curiosity landed in the Gale crater on Mars, just as planned. A few minutes later Curiosity began sending pictures:

The world watched and shared it together via twitter:

My favorite:

 Yes, I was excited:

Later this week Curiosity's Mastcam will be active and bigger, better, color pictures will be sent.  You can follow @MarsCuriosity on twitter and via Ustream Curiosity Cam updates.



Does Research and Statistics Support Gun Control?

Author’s note: I reached out to a respected expert on gun control statistics, Dr. Gary Kleck, professor of criminology at Florida State University.  He was kind enough to send me the chapter The Great American Gun Debate:What Research Has to Say  from The Criminal Justice System, 10th edition, Edited by George F. Cole and Marc G. Gertz. Wadsworth. (Published January 2012). [Note: this paper had been hacked at one point and nasty, unrelated stuff added, I'm working on a new link.]   He also sent me a copy of National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 60, Number 3  which is the final report for 2009 which he says “provides the most recent final mortality data, showing numbers of deaths from all causes, with separate counts for gun deaths.”

Update: 11/21/14 (revised 10/4/15 and 6/12/16): The problem isn't guns, it's mental health, insane people will do insane things. Criminals don't follow laws. If someone is going to commit murder, a crime that has the death penalty/life imprisonment, do you really think gun laws will deter them? The way to prevent these types of incidents isn't to regulate or ban guns, it's to help identify and treat those with mental illness who are a danger to themselves and others.  The people are the problem, not their weapons of choice. 

"Mental health is still not adequately diagnosed or treated in the United States, and especially not among young people...not delivered in a very effective manner.”

In fact,  a Connecticut state review panel has concluded "Medical professionals and school staff missed multiple opportunities to help Adam Lanza with his severe emotional and psychiatric disorders."


Updated: 1/1/13: At the risk of making this insufferably long, I have added one more video that I think needs to be here. It is found underneath #6.

Updated 12/21/12:

Last week we witnessed the horrible shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. I am deeply saddened and brought to tears by the deaths of the 27 people including 20 small children.  While I would prefer not to speak about gun control while people are mourning the loss of their loved ones, there are those who immediately and disgustingly took advantage of the situation to politicize it and tout their gun control agenda.  Therefore, I must respond to them with what I know is true:

1. Gun control doesn't work.  Connecticut has strict gun control laws and that did not prevent the tragedy in Newtown.

2. Guns are not the problem, evil is the problem and evil is what we must fight, not guns. Everyone has a propensity for evil. There are ways to minimize (not eliminate) the ability of vil to take a foothold.

3. The public school systems are failing our children. Schools don't know what to do with smart kids who don't fit the social 'norms' even though they are required, by law, under The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) , to identify and "provide early intervention, special education and related services to infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities." This includes not only those with physical disabilities, but also mental and emotional disabilities.  School systems are failing to do this.  

4. Most importantly, our children must not be left unprotected.  Parents are calling for students to be protected by armed security/police as is the case in Orange County, FL.  It is not feasible for police to be posted permanently at schools.  What is feasible and what would be the best way to protect our children is volunteer teachers/school staff properly trained and armed like they do in Israel.

Israeli Elementary School

We train teachers and staff how to perform first aid/CPR and use an AED to save kids, why not train them to use firearms? this is just another way to protect our precious children.

5. I abhor the term "assault rifle." Anything can be used in an assault. There is a specific type of rifle that is called an "assault rifle," it is fully automatic illegal for most people other than military or police and a few select people to possess.  Media, either intentionally or because they are ignorant, mistakenly call rifles used in the recent crimes "assault rifles."

The department of Defense has long defined assault rifles as “fully automatic rifles used for military purposes.”

Here is an explanation:

Some have included semi-automatic weapons that are capable of switching to automatic in the definition of "assault rifle" but they all have the characteristic of being able to fire automatically.  Guns that are strictly semi-automatic are not "assault rifles."  Some people also confuse "assault rifles" with "Assault Weapons" which are something completely different.

6. What does research and statistics say about gun control?

In the wake of the Colorado theater shootings and the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT, many people have called for stricter gun control laws, while others stand by the second amendment right to own and posses guns.  Those who want stricter control believe it will prevent deaths, many gun advocates state guns help prevent injury and death.  I was interested to find out more information in two areas, the first being the comparison of guns used for violence versus gun use for protection and secondly, mortality rates related to gunshot wounds as compared to mortality rates by other mechanisms.

Choose your own crime stats:

“Perhaps what is most striking about the patterns of gun ownership in the US is that ownership is generally highest in those groups where violence is lowest.” (Kleck 1997, Chapter 3).  “It is well known that guns are used in many violent crimes in the US. [However] The best available evidence indicates that guns are used by victims in self-protection considerably more often than crimes are committed by offenders using guns.  For example, victims used guns defensively about 2.0-2.5 million times in 1993, compared to fewer than 600,000 violent crimes committed by offenders with guns (Kleck and Gertz 1995).”

 

“Defensive gun use is effective in preventing injury to the victim and property loss.  Research based on interviews with large nationally representative samples of crime victims consistently indicates that those who use guns during crime incidents are less likely to be injured or lose property than those who either adopt other resistance strategies or do not resist at all. These effects are usually produced without shooting the gun or wounding a criminal -  only 24 per cent of gun defenders even fired the gun (including warning shots), only l6 per cent tried to shoot the perpetrator, and at most 8 per cent wounded the offender (evidence summarized in Kleck and Kates 2001, Chapter 7).”

“There is also evidence indicating that some criminals may be deterred from making some criminal attempts in the first place by the prospect of victim gun use against them. Criminals interviewed in prison indicate that they have refrained from committing crimes because they believed a potential victim might have a gun, and crime rates have dropped substantially after highly publicized instances of prospective victims arming themselves or being trained in gun use, or victims using guns against criminals. (research summarized in Kleck and Kates 2001, Chapter 7).”

Information I had not even considered, “that when criminal aggressors possess guns in a crime incident, they are substantially less likely to attack and injure their victims in the first place. At least nineteen studies have found that offenders possessing guns are less likely to injure their victims than offenders with other weapons or no weapons. The explanation appears to be that possession of a lethal weapon enables aggressors to intimidate victims without actually attacking them, in crimes where the offender’s goal is not to kill the victim.” Kleck 2011

Many gun control proponents state that having stricter gun control laws that restrict who can purchase guns will prevent criminals from obtaining guns.  Studies show that most criminals do not obtain their guns from a conventional retail dealer of guns. 

Eight four percent, of 943 felon handgun owners surveyed,
did not purchase the gun from a conventional retailer.

Another question that has surfaced is: why do people focus more on gun injury related deaths? Why guns when more people have died from poisoning and motor vehicle accidents individually and followed closely by falls? There are restrictions on some types of poisons, but that didn’t prevent 41,592 deaths by poison in 2009. There are even less restrictions on motor vehicles which caused 34,485 deaths in 2009.Both of these cause more deaths than guns. All of these can be used by in the commission of murder.

According to: National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 60, Number 3 December 29, 2011Deaths: Final Data for 2009 (Table 18) in 2009, a total of 177,154 deaths were classified as injury related Four major mechanisms of injury in 2009— poisoning, motor-vehicle traffic, firearm, and fall— accounted for 75.1 percent of all injury deaths.

Mechanism	Number of Deaths 2009	Percentage
Poisoning	41,592	23.5%
Motor-vehicle traffic	34,485	19.5%
Firearm	31,347	17.7 %
Fall	25,562	14.4 %

If you want to see more statistics, you can check out the Explore the Wallstreet Journal's interactive murder database of killings committed in the U.S. from 2000 to 2010 (h/t Adam Baldwin) where can limit your search by criteria.  For example: There were 28 drowning murders in 2009.   I'm not sure how accurate the interactive database is, the database  does not include Florida.  The CDC's 2009 vital statistics report, Table 18, says 41 drowning murders in 2009. If the interactive database is correct, 13 occurred in Florida.  That seems a little high to me, but it's possible. Still the interactive database lets you get a feel for the numbers and gives you the ability to compare different categories.

Why then are guns singled out as needing restriction or banned? Could it be, perhaps, a matter of politics? Though there are gun proponents and gun control advocates on both ends of the political spectrum, it seems as though it is mostly the liberals and progressives that want gun control and the conservatives and moderates that defend the second Amendment right to bear arms. That this topic has become entrenched in people’s political belief system, it is difficult, but not impossible, for people’s minds to be changed on the topic of gun control.

Research shows that gun control will not help prevent gun related crimes, nor will it prevent people from obtaining guns. In fact, stricter gun control would cause an increase in crime, increase gun related crime, and victim injury/death.

In response to the question:  What is the defense of those that would try to discredit this study?

Dr. Kleck responded: "I have thoroughly rebutted all of the criticisms of my and others' survey estimates of the frequency of defensive gun use in one convenient source, a chapter in the 2001 book Armed, by Gary Kleck and Don B. Kates."

Dr. Kleck stands by the data in the study. 

Thank you Dr. Kleck!

REFERENCES

Kleck, Gary. 1997. Targeting Guns: Firearms and their Control. N.Y.: Aldine de Gruyter.

Kleck, Gary, and Marc Gertz. 1995. “Armed resistance to crime: the prevalence and nature of self-defense with a gun.” Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 86:150-187.

Kleck, Gary, and Don B. Kates.  2001.  Armed: New Perspectives on Gun Control.  Buffalo, NY: Prometheus.