Weather:
If I hear another weather report that tells how "unseasonably" warm our weather is, I really think I'm going to march to the nearest television station (two are near me) and stand outside with a huge "Duh" sign! It is nearly 11pm and the temp is 56F. For shoppers and retailers it's been great. Overzealous spenders pack the streets along Michigan Avenue and State Street, restaurants are replete with hungry folks with credit cards they are all too willing to plop down. For those of us who do not participate much in the seasonal rituals, it is difficult to carry on normal life, especially to simply walk down my neighborhood streets. Let me let you in on a secret: Unless you just want to walk down Michigan Avenue or State Street and battle all the people congestion, there are alternate walking routes that will make the trip so much less arduous. This is the time of year I try to avoid Michigan Avenue and State Street as much as possible. To navigate most easily along Michigan Avenue, walk one block west or one block east of Michigan Avenue,--Rush Street and St. Claire Street respectively. These streets parallel Michigan Avenue. Do this if you need to get somewhere. If you like crowds, especially those that tend to stop in the middle of the sidewalk and congregate, by all means take the major streets and prepare to go slowly. I can't hardly wait for it all to end. Bah Humbug!
Crazy moto decision:
One of the forums I frequent, one of the best, is undergoing some crazy changes. The various moderators on About.motorcycles.com have been literally locked out! They have been excised out of the communities they have painstakingly forged. No real explanation to the forum from the powers that be. The only explanation--and it makes no sense to me--has come from the head guy, Walt. Who has remained respectful, diplomatic, and considerate, which is a whole lot more than the folks behind the motorcycle site. With our wonderful forum hosts denied access to the folks they've nurtured, taught, protected and cared about for many years, some forum members are scrambling for other places to regroup. I'm really ticked about this. It's just a dumb decision and to do so as if the members would stand idly by and not have a reaction is even dumber.
I have other forums I frequent, so it's not like I don't have other places to post and exchange ideas and info about motorcycles. That is hardly the point. People don't passively trade info and chat together and not eventually form relationships. When people have not posted for a long time, someone will invariably ask the whereabouts of the person. Although I never participated in the weekly chats, I often thought about it and I certainly enjoyed hearing the tales of those who had gotten together to ride and have fun at the annual motorcycle gathering. Of the forums I frequent, hands down, the About one is the best because collectively, people seem to care and care enough that they watched out for folks. I had several incidents with posters, rather trollers, who tried to disturb the peace and disrupt the lively art of communication. Not just the forum hosts, but the members in general were johnny on the spot about stepping in there to support me and let the trollers know that their comments had crossed the line of respect. Some shaped up after being given a warning, others were blocked and not allowed to attack others. I've visited other forums where flames and personal attacks are par for the course. Yet none of this seems to have mattered to the site owners of About.com. They've literally yanked the carpet from under the hosts as well as from the forum members. What a stupid, really dumb move where it seems that once again, the powers that be, value things over people and have no shame about point blank about it!.
