Dad,
In your meal planning I want to reiterate a couple of important guidelines to consider.
1- BE NATURAL. Please do your best to plan around natural ingredients. The less preservatives the better. I know that there are many different pre-packaged hiking foods, but I want to avoid those whenever we can. We will gain more nutrients and beneficial vitamins and minerals if we focus on natural foods.
2- NO "WHITE TRASH" INGREDIENTS. This includes absolutely destructive ingredients like High Fructose Corn Syrup (which is in almost every brand name product) and Enriched Flour. It is easy enough to use and find natural sugar when necessary and sprouted wheat or wheat products that are not Enriched.
Part of my reason for this is my personal diet. I found that I have mild allergies to sugar and to wheat, so I try to avoid ANYTHING with sugar or wheat in it. I will have sprouted wheat on occasion and will use a sweeter like Agave on my corn flakes, and I feel much healthier because of it.
As we get closer to departure day, I will modify my diet to better fit with what we will be eating in order to avoid any shock to my system.
My daily diet tends to be fairly simple: Fruit in the morning, black beans or lentils and a salad for lunch, turkey burger or fish and steamed veggies for dinner (and variations thereof), with snacks like carrots or fruit in between meals.
I will look for your guidance on modifying that to meet the high caloric needs of our PCT hike.
To the future,
Matson
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Re: Walking the Roadless Trails of the Sierra
Dad,
I am considering bringing the iPod, if for no other reason than to have some music when needed. Either that or I will teach myself the harmonica. ;-)
I will be taking Yerba Mate, probably Mendo Mate brand. It is an excellent source of non-caffeine energy and is great source of essential vitamins and minerals while on the trail. According to studies, each infusion of mate contains:
• Vitamins: A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex
• Minerals: Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc
• Additional Compounds: Carotene, Fatty Acids, Chlorophyll, Flavonols, Polyphenols, Inositol, Trace Minerals, Antioxidants, Tannins, Pantothenic Acid and 15 Amino Acids.
Of course it is not for everyone. Mate has a bitter taste that can be countered with sweeteners such as honey, but I tend to prefer it strait. It comes in loose leaf and bagged forms. I will be bringing the loose leaf version. All you do is pack it into a gourd, add hot water, and use a special straw called a bombilla. It can be easily packed in the backpack.
I will, of course, want to indulge in coffee at times and cocoa on occasion, though in July, that may not be as "relaxing" as it is for me in the cooler seasons.
Herb teas can be good as well, I would recommend bringing Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer, it is a good source of B-vitamins, and they have several fruit teas as well, including Lemon Zinger which is very good for helping the digestion process.
As for quantities, if I do not have coffee with you in the morning, will you reuse your bags? I expect that I will split my coffee intake with my mate mornings and the cocoa will be maybe a few days a week. Trader Joes has a natural cocoa that is tasty, but not quite Nestle. And I do have a large container of Nestle powder in my cupboard, from my days of sugar indulgence.
Looking forward to seeing your food supply list.
Talk soon,
Matson
I am considering bringing the iPod, if for no other reason than to have some music when needed. Either that or I will teach myself the harmonica. ;-)
I will be taking Yerba Mate, probably Mendo Mate brand. It is an excellent source of non-caffeine energy and is great source of essential vitamins and minerals while on the trail. According to studies, each infusion of mate contains:
• Vitamins: A, C, E, B1, B2, Niacin (B3), B5, B Complex
• Minerals: Calcium, Manganese, Iron, Selenium, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc
• Additional Compounds: Carotene, Fatty Acids, Chlorophyll, Flavonols, Polyphenols, Inositol, Trace Minerals, Antioxidants, Tannins, Pantothenic Acid and 15 Amino Acids.
Of course it is not for everyone. Mate has a bitter taste that can be countered with sweeteners such as honey, but I tend to prefer it strait. It comes in loose leaf and bagged forms. I will be bringing the loose leaf version. All you do is pack it into a gourd, add hot water, and use a special straw called a bombilla. It can be easily packed in the backpack.
I will, of course, want to indulge in coffee at times and cocoa on occasion, though in July, that may not be as "relaxing" as it is for me in the cooler seasons.
Herb teas can be good as well, I would recommend bringing Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer, it is a good source of B-vitamins, and they have several fruit teas as well, including Lemon Zinger which is very good for helping the digestion process.
As for quantities, if I do not have coffee with you in the morning, will you reuse your bags? I expect that I will split my coffee intake with my mate mornings and the cocoa will be maybe a few days a week. Trader Joes has a natural cocoa that is tasty, but not quite Nestle. And I do have a large container of Nestle powder in my cupboard, from my days of sugar indulgence.
Looking forward to seeing your food supply list.
Talk soon,
Matson
Walking the Roadless Trails of the Sierra
Son
I am listening to Mary Martin Stockdale. She plays the piano and she does it
with grandeur. I want to use her work for my slide shows.
I have a few tasks for you. For coffee I will be using the Folgers bags. One
bag will make two cups of coffee. I will also take herb tea bags. I am sure
we need to take hot coco. The task for you is to sit down and figure what
you will use.
I am preparing the list of everything we need and the quantities. I will
send you the list that I have in a couple weeks and then you can start
adding or subtracting. This list will be our road map to the weight we will
be carrying.
There is one thing you might want to consider. You should take the
Heartstart first aid and cpr. I just finished mine and it will help in
emergencies on the trail. The first aid class is 5 hours long and CPR was 3
hours.
I have experimented with my camp oven. The oven is a BackPacker lightweight
oven. I made some cornbread in it and it came out great. It will bake about
11/2 cups. We can bake cakes and other things in it.
Take the solar panel and try hooking up your electronic to it and see if
they will charge. One you do that send it to me so I can do the same.
See you later
Dad
I am listening to Mary Martin Stockdale. She plays the piano and she does it
with grandeur. I want to use her work for my slide shows.
I have a few tasks for you. For coffee I will be using the Folgers bags. One
bag will make two cups of coffee. I will also take herb tea bags. I am sure
we need to take hot coco. The task for you is to sit down and figure what
you will use.
I am preparing the list of everything we need and the quantities. I will
send you the list that I have in a couple weeks and then you can start
adding or subtracting. This list will be our road map to the weight we will
be carrying.
There is one thing you might want to consider. You should take the
Heartstart first aid and cpr. I just finished mine and it will help in
emergencies on the trail. The first aid class is 5 hours long and CPR was 3
hours.
I have experimented with my camp oven. The oven is a BackPacker lightweight
oven. I made some cornbread in it and it came out great. It will bake about
11/2 cups. We can bake cakes and other things in it.
Take the solar panel and try hooking up your electronic to it and see if
they will charge. One you do that send it to me so I can do the same.
See you later
Dad
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Define: Philanthrocapitalism
In case you were wondering, the great wordspy, which I follow on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/wordspy) has a great definition for Philanthrocapitalism.
philanthrocapitalism n. Philanthropy that uses the principles, models, and techniques of capitalism.
You can see more at http://www.wordspy.com/2583.asp
philanthrocapitalism n. Philanthropy that uses the principles, models, and techniques of capitalism.
You can see more at http://www.wordspy.com/2583.asp
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Downloading Google Chrome...
All right, I must admit I am excited! Google Chrome! Now, I am a true MacAddict, but I have a new ACER Aspire 7720 17" Laptop running Vista. It is good for entrepreneurs to have multiple platforms... allowing you to have greater exposure to technology and to what people are using.
While most of my work is done using by Intel Mac Mini, I like to handle email, and other functions on the Acer. The problem has been that #1 Vista is a cumbersome OS and #2 lately Internet Explorer has been giving me lots of problems, not loading sites, not running Yahoo Mail well, etc.
So it is with great relief and perfect timing that Google has created a Browser so I can finally dump Internet Explorer.
Of course, I am assuming that the Google Browser will be a good product, based on their history, it is easy to assume. If you haven't seen the comic-based instruction manual on how different the browser is go to http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/index.html
It is extremely instructional and quite an innovative approach to web browsers. Some might say this is revenge on behalf of Netscape which was destroyed by Micrsoft. We'll see how well this catches on.
In the mean time, I acxiously await my chance to download the browser. As of this writing, it is available, but there are no links to download the file, and any effort to search for it, returns one back to the Google home page.
If you've found it, let me know.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Public school 1957 vs. 2007
Another great one from Michael Genung...
Comes around from time to time; its lessons remain sobering:
Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Homeland Security, & FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated; Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
Comes around from time to time; its lessons remain sobering:
Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the Principal. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra money from state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.
Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares aspirin with Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Homeland Security, & FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated; Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
1/2 Man - 1/2 Boy -- The American Soldier
Another great email from Michael Genung....
-------------------------
1/2 Man - 1/2 Boy
The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired,
tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half
man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but
old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he
would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never
collected unemployment either.
He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student,
pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a
steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be
waiting when he returns from half a world away He listens to rock and roll or
hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.
He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is
working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling,
thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30
seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the
nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one
effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.
He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.
He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without
spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his
canteens full and his feet dry.
He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can
cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.
If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his
food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you
run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his
hands.
He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still
find ironic humor in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short
lifetime.
He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat
and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at
rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those
around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop
talking.
In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to
be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great- grandfather, he is paying the
price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American
Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect a nd admiration with his
blood.
And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this
tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.
As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. . .
A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.
Prayer wheel for our military...
The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired,
tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half
man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but
old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he
would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never
collected unemployment either.
He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student,
pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a
steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be
waiting when he returns from half a world away He listens to rock and roll or
hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.
He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is
working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling,
thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30
seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the
nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one
effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.
He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.
He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without
spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his
canteens full and his feet dry.
He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can
cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.
If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his
food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you
run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his
hands.
He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still
find ironic humor in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short
lifetime.
He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat
and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at
rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those
around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop
talking.
In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to
be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great- grandfather, he is paying the
price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American
Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect a nd admiration with his
blood.
And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this
tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.
As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. . .
A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.
Prayer wheel for our military...
'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts
they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'
When you [read] this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our ground troops in Afghanistan, sailors on ships, and
airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq ....
Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Coastguardsman,
Marine, or Airman, prayer is the very best one.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
CreativeCATS Update: Tickets on Sale Now for Unlimited Beer Tasting!
You're receiving this email because you have either attended one of our events, asked to receive information, or know me personally. If you do not wish to receive our updates, please UNSUBSCRIBE using the link that follows. You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails. |
Friends & Beer Lovers! Tickets went on sale TODAY for our September events!
#1 - 2nd Annual SUDS on the GREEN - September 13, 2008
If you missed this event last year because of the rains, don't miss it this year! This event is really 3-in-1 - A Professional Team Golf Trournament - where you are encouraged to be loud and proud and yell on your team - along with a CreativeCATS brewfest featuring Unlimited Beer Tasting - and then the evening will see a Concert in the Park featuring area bands. All of this takes place at Land Park Golf Course near downtown Sacramento.
So, get your tickets today for this amazing addition to the CreativeCATS line-up!
Tickets are only $20 PrePay and $25 at the gate.
#2 - 4th Annual FAIR OAKS'toberfest - September 27, 2008
This event is our fastest growing and one of the most enjoyable of our brewer's festivals featuring Unlimited Beer Tasting in beautiful Fair Oaks Park at the Corner of Madison & Fair Oaks.
Tickets sell fast for this incredible event, so get your's early - only $25 prepay or $30 at the gate.
AND SAVE THE DATE!
Our first Bay Area Event is coming in October! SUDS on the GREEN East Bay - October 18, 2008 in Fremont, CA.
Cheers!
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
CreativeCATS Presents
P.S. Don't miss your chance to get live recordings of the Northern California Blues Festival... www.jasonhaxton.com/ncbf
| ||||||
Monday, July 14, 2008
SCAMS are all around!
Friends,
One of the great advantages of Blogger is the ability to send an email directly to my blog and have it posted immediately.
Unfortunately, this email address made its way onto a spam list and recently I had no less than four email scams posted. I've left one up for you to see. The others were just as sinister... one claimed to be my long lost sister, one actually asked for personal information.
Very embarrassing on my part that I did not catch these sooner... but even more interesting is the question "how did they get access to this obscure email address?" Especially because it is one that is not published anywhere.
So, in an ongoing effort to solve this mystery, I am changing the posting email address for this blog and will see how long it takes for the scamsters to find it again.
VERY VERY URGENT
Friends,
This is one of the SCAM emails that somehow made it to my blog. I deleted the others, but wanted to share this one with you.
Matson
-----------------
MANAGER AUDIT AND ACCOUNTANCY DEPARTMENT,
BANK OF AFRICA ''BOA''.
ATTN:- DEAR,
HOW ARE YOU? HOPE FINE, MEANWHILE, I AM MR JAMAL YOUSEF THE MANAGER OF AUDIT AND ACCOUNTANCY DEPARTMENT BANK OF AFRICA (BOA) OUAGA, BF WEST AFRICA.
I AM CONTACTING YOU FOR AN URGENT BUSINESS TRANSACTION. THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OPEN IN THIS BANK IN 1999 AND SINCE 2001 NOBODY HAS OPERATED ON THIS ACCOUNT AGAIN. AFTER GOING THROUGH SOME OLD FILES IN THE RECORDS, I DISCOVERED THAT IF I DO NOT REMIT THIS MONEY OUT URGENTLY, IT WOULD BE FORFEITED FORNOTHING.
THE OWNER OF THIS ACCOUNT IS MR. SMITH B. ANDREAS, A FOREIGNER, AND A MINER AT KRUGER GOLD COMPANY, A GEOLOGIST BY PROFESSION AND HE DIED SINCE 2000. NO OTHER PERSON KNOWS THIS ACCOUNT OR ANYTHING CONCERNING THE FUND, THE ACCOUNT HAS NO OTHER BENEFICIARY AND MY INVESTIGATION PROVED TO ME AS WELL THAT THIS COMPANY DOES NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ACCOUNT AND THE MONEY INVOLVED IS
SEVENTEEN MILLION THREE THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS $17,300,000.00 MILLION ONLY.
I AM ONLY CONTACTING YOU AS A FOREIGNER BECAUSE THIS MONEY CANNOT BE APPROVED TO A LOCAL BANK HERE IN BURKINA FASO, BUT CAN ONLY BE APPROVED TO ANY FOREIGN ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE MONEY IS IN UNITED STATES DOLLARS AND THE FORMER OWNER MR. SMITH B. ANDREAS IS A FOREIGNER TOO. I KNOW THAT THIS
MESSAGE WILL COME TO YOU AS SURPRISE AS WE DON'T KNOW OURSELVES BEFORE.
MY DEAR, BE SURE THAT THIS IS A REAL AND GENUINE BUSINESS TRANSACTION.
I ONLY GOT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION FROM MY SECRETARY WHO OPERATES COMPUTER,WITH BELIEVE IN GOD THAT YOU WILL NEVER LET ME DOWN IN THIS BUSINESS,CONSIDERING MY POSITION AS A PUBLIC SERVANT, YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON THAT I HAVE CONTACTED IN THIS BUSINESS, SO PLEASE REPLY URGENTLY SO THAT I WILL NFORM YOU THE NEXT STEP TO TAKE IMMEDIATELY.
YOU WILL ONLY NEED TO SEND YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS INCLUDING THE FULL DETAILS OF YOUR ACCOUNT INFORMATION TO BE USED FOR THE DEPOSIT. AND I WILL FLY TO YOUR COUNTRY FOR WITHDRAWAL AND SHARING AND OTHER INVESTMENT IN YOUR KIND CONTROL, MEANWHILE, I AM CONTACTING YOU BECAUSE OF THE
NEED TO INVOLVE A FOREIGNER WITH FOREIGN ACCOUNT AND FOREIGN BENEFICIARY.
I NEED YOUR FULL CO-OPERATION TO MAKE THIS WORK FINE BECAUSE THE MANAGEMENT IS READY TO APPROVE THIS PAYMENT TO ANY FOREIGNER WHO HAS CORRECT INFORMATION OF THIS ACCOUNT, WHICH I WILL GIVE TO YOU AS SOON AS YOU INDICATE YOUR SINCERITY TO CO-OPERATE WITH ME, AND CAPABILITY TO HANDLE SUCH
AMOUNT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE AND TRUST ACCORDING TO MY INSTRUCTION AND ADVICE FOR OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT BECAUSE THIS OPPORTUNITY MAY NEVER COME AGAIN IN MY LIFE.
I ALSO NEED A TRUTHFUL AND GOD FEARING PERSON IN THIS BUSINESS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A MISTAKE SO I NEED YOUR STRONG ASSURANCE AND TRUST. WITH MY POSITION IN THE OFFICE I DON'T WANT ANYTHING THAT WILL JEOPARDIZE MY JOB SO I ADVICE THAT WE SHOULD MAKE SECRECY AND CONFIDENTIALITY OUR PRIMARY WORKING CONDITION, BEARING IN MIND THAT I AM A PUBLIC SERVANT.
I WILL USE MY POSITION AND INFLUENCE TO EFFECT LEGAL APPROVALS AND ONWARD TRANSFER OF THIS MONEY TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITH APPROPRIATE CLEARANCE FORMS OF THE MINISTRIES AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE DEPARTMENT. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS BUSINESS, YOU WILL BE GIVING 35% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT, 60% WILL BE FOR
ME,WHILE 5% WILL BE FOR EXPENSES BOTH PARTIES MIGHT HAVE INCURRED DURING THE PROCESS OF THE TRANSFER. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EARLIEST REPLY.
YOURS SINCERELY,
JAMAL YOUSEF
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Nor Cal Blues Fest - Corrections, Surveys & More!
A quick correction... if you want to hear the most incredible recordings of the two day sensation known as the Northern California Blues Festival... and support two wonderful non-profit programs (Blues in the Schools and Through the Mind) at the same time... go to www.JasonHaxton.com/ncbf (the previous URL I supplied was incorrect.
So, stop what you are doing and check out www.JasonHaxton.com/ncbf today and support some good causes!
Also, we REALLY want your survey response, so goto www.matsonian.com/blues/index.html and click the SURVEY button to share your thoughts with us and help us develop an event better event for 2009 - our 10th Annual!
Cheers!
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
CreativeCATS Presents
Friday, July 11, 2008
To All My Music & Beer Loving Friends!
I still can't believe that it has been three weeks since we completed the Northern California Blues Festival! For those of you who bared the heat, I am sure you would agree it was an incredible event and one for the record books.
There is still time to complete our online survey to let us know what you thought and what you would like to see next year: http://www.matsonian.com/ncbf/index.html and click on the survey button at the top of the page.
In this, the latest edition of the Creative Cats update, I want to share a few important items:
- High Quality MP3s Still Available! Did you know that we recorded almost 80% of the Northern California Blues Festival? These HIGH QUALITY recordings are available for a limited time! So get yours today! To download a FREE sample of the quality of these great recordings, CLICK HERE. For a full listing of available recordings, go to www.JasonHaxtonProductions.com/ncbf
- Suds on the Green -
- FAIR OAKS'toberfest! Next is the Fourth Annual Fair Oaks'toberfest, coming to
Here are some of my preferred events this weekend:
Friday, July 11 –
Saturday, July 12 – 19th Annual Placer SPCA Blues & BBQ - Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine, Coco Montoya, Cole Fonseca & The Rattlers, Mr. December Band, Blues Farm, Equinox, Pinkie Varner and more (1:00), Gold Country Fairgrounds, Auburn
Sunday, July 13 – Sacramento Blues Society Show - Two Cool Blues - Leo Bootz & Southside Shuffle, Equinox (2:00), Zigato's Bar & Grill - Clarion Hotel, Sacramento.
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
CreativeCATS Presents
P.S. You can create events like we do with QuickPlanner Plus! the planning software for EVERYTHING. If you can dream it, you can plan it! www.QuickPlannerPlus.com
Blues, Beer & More: CreativeCATS Update: July 11, 2008
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails. |
To All My Music & Beer Loving Friends!
I still can't believe that it has been three weeks since we completed the Northern California Blues Festival! For those of you who bared the heat, I am sure you would agree it was an incredible event and one for the record books.
There is still time to complete our online survey to let us know what you thought and what you would like to see next year: www.matsonian.com/ncbf/index.html and click on the survey button at the top of the page.
In this, the latest edition of the Creative Cats update, I want to share a few important items:
- High Quality MP3s Still Available! Did you know that we recorded almost 80% of the Northern California Blues Festival? These HIGH QUALITY recordings are available for a limited time! So get yours today! To download a FREE sample of the quality of these great recordings, CLICK HERE. For a full listing of available recordings, go to www.jasonhaxtonproductions.com/ncbf
- Suds on the Green –
- FAIR OAKS'toberfest! Next is the Fourth Annual Fair Oaks'toberfest, coming to
Here are some of my preferred events this weekend:
Friday, July 11 –
Saturday, July 12 – 19th Annual Placer SPCA Blues & BBQ - Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine, Coco Montoya, Cole Fonseca & The Rattlers, Mr. December Band, Blues Farm, Equinox, Pinkie Varner and more (1:00), Gold Country Fairgrounds, Auburn
www.placerspca.org/events.htm
Sunday, July 13 – Sacramento Blues Society Show - Two Cool Blues - Leo Bootz & Southside Shuffle, Equinox (2:00), Zigato's Bar & Grill - Clarion Hotel, Sacramento. www.SacBlues.com
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
CreativeCATS Presents
P.S. Read the blog about Through the Mind, the nonprofit that benefited from the Northern California Blues Festival at http://throughthemind.blogspot.com
P.P.S. You can create events like we do with QuickPlanner Plus! the planning software for EVERYTHING. If you can dream it, you can plan it! www.QuickPlannerPlus.com
| ||||||
Sunday, June 29, 2008
How to Handle a Thief
I live in a bad neighborhood.
Okay, maybe that is not quite true. I live in Sacramento's Northern Ghetto... East Del Paso Heights. (South Sacramento is the Hood - where the gangs reside... we live in the Ghetto - its just full of poor people).
I bought my house here in 2004, a couple years before the Real Estate Peak in Sacramento and across the state. When I decided it was time to purchase a house I took many factors into consideration... location and price were keen among these.
Price-wise I did not want to exceed $200K because I did not want to have an unmanageable mortgage. My broker told me I could qualify for a house twice that price... but those who said yes to that tempting offer are now suffering the foreclosure syndrome.
I stuck with my figure and decided that North Sacramento, East Del Paso Heights would be my best bet. The other options was Oak Park. A more adanvced and developed neighborhood, but still a part of the Hood.
I chose a street North Sac with mainly homeowners, some who had been there for 30+ years, and a home that was recently renovated, and not yet on the market.
Overall the neighborhood has been great. Good people, occassional disturbances, but a far cry from my former residence in the beautiful and affluent East Sacramento, where I was a renter.
One of the most notable differences... in the ghetto, everyone hangs out in their front yards... in more affluent communities, we tend to hang out in our back yards. I guess here most back yards are filled with cars, junk or other stuff!
Anyway... back to the reason for this post... on Friday, June 27, my house was burgled. A couple kids broke in and stole my laptop and some other valuables.
Now, I happened to get lucky in that my neighbor (a couple Hispanics who rent) saw two kids walking through our back alley (all houses out here build in the 40s have alleys) carrying a laptop case. They followed the kids and saw them head into a house nearby.
But I am getting ahead of my story...
I had rushed out of the house earlier in the day to consult on the development of the 42nd Annual World Chili Cookoff and Music Festival in Sacramento. When I got home about 5:30 or so, I walked into the house and found the back sliding glass door ajar. It seemed strange to me... my first thought was "I can't believe I left that open... my AC bill is going to be HUGE!" Then I considered it further and realized that I did not, in fact, go outside that morning so it should not be open. I closed the door... walked cautiously into the living room... looking around with a odd combination of bemusement and dread. Then I saw it. My old Treo 600 and charger cord laying on the living room floor.
"How in the hell did that get there?" Then it struck me... my cool US Luggage ballistic nylon laptop back was gone. My old Compaq laptop was gone. And the cash I had stashed away was gone. Nothing else. The Golf clubs, the DVDs, the other computers... nothing else was gone.
I immediately went out the back door and hopped over the fence into the overgrown alley but saw no-one. I then ran back, got my keys and decided to drive around. Nothing.
When I came back home, my girlfriend had arrived from work, and I noticed my hispanic neighbors hanging out... in the front yard, of course. So I asked them...
Yes! They had seen the guys walking down the alley. Not only that... the previous day two other houses were burgled. Two laptops and a bike were gone.
But my clever neighbors had followed the suspects and saw what house they went into. Perfect!
I got a couple other neighbors together who had been robbed, confirmed the story and said "Lets go to the house!"
Uh... no. I couldn't believe no one else wanted to go!?!?! They had been robbed. Someone had come in their house and violated their privacy and stole their property! I was irate. I wanted to confront the robbers. Why didn't they.
I called 911 instead and reported that I was about to confront the house where the thieves were. The operator took a report, said the Cops would come and take a report. 10 minutes passed. I couldn't wait any more. I asked one of the others to get in the car, drove over to the house, parked so he could see the front door. Walked over and knocked. "Hello?" the heavy set woman said as she answered the door... "do you have a set of jumper cables?" I asked while scanning the living room... she politely checked and came back with a no. "But the neighbors next door are nice and they should have some." I got nothing but good vibes from the lady, so I thanked her and then headed to my car, faked talking with someone else, then got in the car and drove home.
Still no cops.
After about 20 more minutes, I drove back to her house by myself... knocked on the door and, when she answered, I immediately apologized for lying to her.
Then I apologized for my next comment: "I have reason to believe that two men who robbed our neighborhood today and yesterday came into this house." She wasn't even shocked. I described the men. She said her son wasn't home yet but they should be back soon. I gave her my number, took hers and told her I wanted to help her and handle this without authorities.
I returned home.
Still no cops.
I decided to go about my business and see to my house. Making sure that this would not happen again.
After an hour or so, I went back to the house. This time the mom was gone, but her daughters were home. The mom was driving around trying to find her son. Apparently, according to the daughter, her mom had already called the kid's probation officer. "Probation officer? What was he in for?" "Armed robbery." "How old is he?" "14, almost 15."
Fourteen years old?!?!? How incredibly sad is that?!?!?! A fourteen year old felon broke into my home, stole my laptop and some valuables. I talked with the mom over the daughter's phone, got her cell number and returned home.
By now, over two hours had passed and still no cops. So I called the non-emergency number and was told they will send someone over when they are not dealing with other calls. I got a little irate, considering it had been two hours, asked her when I could expect them... after a bit of a run-around from her... I started really getting heated "this is ridiculous! If I lived in a nice neighborhood, they would have been here in minutes!" "No, sir" she said, "we are the same department and follow the same rules. Have you lived in another neighborhood?" I told her I had - having lived in East Sacramento for several years prior to buying in North Sac - and we definitely got MUCH faster response... while I was telling her this SHE HUNG UP!!!
Now, I could have called back immediately... but I wanted to cool down first. So an hour passed. No cops.
I called back, spoke with another lady and explained what I told the others... I know where the perpetrators live, I've been to their house twice, we are waiting for help... "you know where they live?" she asked. "Yes!" "Oh, well that is a different kind of call, they should not have put you down as a report." And she changed the call status. Within 20 minutes the Sacramento PD showed up at the door. I explained what happened, they took their notes, talked with the neighbors, gave me a report number and went over to the house to talk with the mom. They also warned me that CSI would come out to dust for prints and they would call me first.
They did. At 2:30 am. But that's okay... I was happy to wake up, let the lady in and facilitate the dusting.
We will see what happens next. Hopefully I hear something on monday.
I am not worried about the cash, that is probably lost forever... I am worried about the laptop. So many files from recent events... designs, etc.
I'm ranted out.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Northern California Blues Festival... another great community event!
Well my friends...
It is over... the 9th Annual Northern California Blues Festival is in the can. And if you missed it, I am sorry... it was an event that shall never be the same again.
The biggest risk we took this year was turning a one day event into two days. And if you are not familiar with event planning... two days means a whole new host of variables that need to be tackled. Questions like... if you build it WILL they come? Because you are not only creating a longer event, you need you attendees to pay more for more days. Will they? Well... the question was undeniably answered for us... they DID!
While Saturday's attendance during the day was less than last year due to the 105 degree weather, the attendance by Saturday evening to watch Elvin Bishop was easily at 2500+.
Sunday's attendance for Maria Muldaur and the rest of the first ever Sunday Line-up was incredible at 1500.
But there was more than just the attendance. This year we had 35 craft vendors, 9 food vendors, two beer stations, and for the first time ever... Margaritas from Tequila 374.
And then there were the cars... incredible hotrods brought together by the Capital City Cruisers... six trophies were handed out to the winners including the Best of Show (confession here... I don't have the name of the winner but I get it for you).
The line-up of music for Tuesday was truly special... from Equinox to Elvin Bishop, from the Delta Wires to Steve Foster, from Lee Bootz to Mighty Mike Schermer (he's shorter than I thought)... it was a one day line-up any festival would be proud of.
If you want to purchase EXCLUSIVE live MP3's of the festival you can get them at http://www.jasonhaxton.com/ncbf.
Sunday started out with a wonderful pancake breakfast sponsored by the Orangevale Grange. Very tasty! The proceeds from the breakfast benefitted their scholarship fund and they are excited about doing it again next year!
Then the Sunday line-up went along with great aplomb... Jeff Watson, Strictly for Kicks, Sacramento Blues Review, Mick Martin and his new Blues Rockers and the ever so talented Maria Muldaur.
Reminder --- EXCLUSIVE live MP3's of the festival @ http://www.jasonhaxton.com/ncbf.
;-)
Maria was very gracious and sat around for at least 30 minutes signing autographs. Then the crews came in and we had the complete park back to its pre-festival beauty by 11pm that night.
If you would like to be on our email list for the upcoming festivals that I am doing under the banner of CreativeCATS presents, please go to www.matsonian.com and enter you email in the box on the left. We use Constant Contact so you can be assured of no spam.
Keep it real my friend and we will see ya at the next event.
By the way... a blatant plug here... we plan all our events using QuickPlanner Plus which you can get for only $34.95 at www.QuickPlannerPlus.com it is truly the best planning software for creating quick administrative plans. I should know... I designed it! ;-)
----------------------
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
SAVE THE DATE - UPCOMING EVENTS!!!!
SUDS ON THE GREEN - Sacramento
Like Golf? Love Beer? Don't Play... Just Drink!
September 13, 2008
William Land Park, Sacramento, CA
www.SudsOnTheGreen.com
FAIR OAKS'TOBERFEST
An Octoberfest for BrewFest Lovers, by BrewFest Lovers!
September 27, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
www.fairoaksbrewfest.com
SUDS ON THE GREEN - East Bay
October 18, 2008
Fremont, CA
www.SudsOnTheGreen.com/eastbay
CHILI COOKOFF & MUSIC FESTIVAL
October 4-5, 2008
Old Sacramento, CA
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Northern California Blues Festival Fundraiser for Through the Mind
Forming Non-Profit Looks to Blues Festival to Bring Help to Veterans
Through the Mind, a program of the Make A Difference Project Promises to Be a free Alternative for those with PTSD
Sacramento, CA – Recent reports say it all. The war in Iraq is producing one of the worst epidemics of mental disorders among the American military. Suicides are up. Cases of reported PTSD are up. And reports of veterans programs failing to help are up.
Unfortunately for these returning American heroes, the stigma of mental health issues, most notably Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is about as strong as the trouble they are having in their day to day lives, so many do not report it or simply try to deal with it without any direct help from outsiders.
Through the Mind, a forming non-profit program of the Make a Difference project, is passionately approaching this problem by providing free and completely confidential alternative mental health care to returning veterans.
According to Matson Breakey, co-founder of the program, alternative care consists of "any number of options that help the individual to deal with the incident that is at the root of the PTSD. That can be as simple as having a friend to talk to in a non-threatening environment like a coffee shop, or over a good cigar."
Care can range from the simple to the more complex including referral to a professional therapist who is volunteering his or her time to help the veterans.
"It is our intention to offer a number of options that helps the individual become less effected by horrors experienced over there," adds Matson. "This can include meditation, recreational activities, therapeutic exercises, nutrition, and straight forward communication based therapy. And it is all completely confidential."
In fact, other than keeping the clients names and contact information, no other records are kept by the organization. "Any documentation we create is put in a folder and given to the client to keep and bring with next time, if he or she wishes," says Matson.
"The goal is to provide the veteran with a confidential program that matches his/her personal desires, and not just push him into some system that treats every individual the same, no matter background, personal habits or the roots of the incident itself," he adds.
Through the Mind is focusing on PTSD because of its rising appearance among veterans and, according to Matson, "because it is the only mental disorder specifically tied to an incident... to a specific moment when something happened that created a burning engram, a specific trace of that memory, that the individual is now being effected by."
The main barrier to starting any non-profit organization is funding. "It was our intention to be off and running last year," says Matson, "but we did not have the funding. This year, we are hoping that the Northern California Blues Festival will raise enough to effectively launch the program."
Information about the Northern California Blues Festival coming June 21 & 22 to Fair Oaks Park and featuring Elvin Bishop and Maria Muldaur can be found at NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com.
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
www.NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com
June 21 - 22, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
916-924-EVENTS (3836)
www.NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com
June 21 - 22, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
916-924-EVENTS (3836)
The Northern California Blues Festival brings together some of the hottest music ever played under the shade of old oak trees in beautiful Fair Oaks Park including music by Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Mighty Mike Schermer, Mick Martin and more great talent. Proceeds benefit Through the Mind, a non-profit providing alternative mental health care to America's returning war veterans.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Re: The Trip
Dad,
Well, I would be lying if I didn't say how disappointed I am. It is an
incredible thing to plan for a trip of this nature only to have to cancel it
at the 11th hour.
But, it is better to proactively cancel it now, then to have something
happen on the trail itself. Since I have already set aside the month of
July, let me know if you can do something lighter? We can go out for a week
or so. Only hiking a few hours a day?
If not, I understand. It is more important for you to heal your foot so that
we can definitely do it in July 2009!
Matson
----------------------
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
www.NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com
June 21 - 22, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
916-924-EVENTS (3836)
The Northern California Blues Festival brings together some of the hottest music ever played under the shade of old oak trees in beautiful Fair Oaks Park including music by Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Mighty Mike Schermer, Mick Martin and more great talent. Proceeds benefit Through the Mind, a non-profit providing alternative mental health care to America's returning war veterans.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Sacramento County Republican Party... and Me
Okay, a little horn blowing here.
I WON! I WON! I WON!
Won what? you ask? I came in second place out of eight candidates for Sacramento County Republican Central Committee, District 1.
Next Question: WHAT is a Central Committee? I know, I know. Most people do not know that their political party has the right to have a central committee in each county. A committee of individuals who are chosen to represent the members of the party to the party central and, therefore to the state party as a whole. I live in California, and while other states may be, and usually are, different, in California, on the Republican side, the system is quite simple. Each county is broken into Supervisorial districts... i.e. I live in Supervisorial District 1, so I ran for the Republican Party as a member of that district.
Republicans in the primary voted for representatives to the party based on their Supervisorial district.
NOTE: Democrats do it slightly different.., I believe it is done by Assembly District.
Here are the results of the election for my race...Sacramento County Republican Central Committee Dist 1
Vote For 4
(WITH 232 OF 232 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
DIANA PETERS BRACE . . . . . . . 2,099 15.90
MATSON J. BREAKEY. . . . . . . . 2,032 15.40
ERIK R. HARTSTROM. . . . . . . . 1,966 14.90
JANET GARDNER . . . . . . . . . 1,953 14.80
TERRY MAST . . . . . . . . . . 1,763 13.36
RICHARD M. LA FONTAINE . . . . . . 1,720 13.03
CRAIG DELUZ. . . . . . . . . . 1,640 12.43
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 25 .19
Not a bad showing! Of course, two of my friends, Terry Mast and Craig DeLuz did not make it, which is generally a matter of position on the ballot or designation.Now, admittedly, this was a VERY low turnout race, and, had it been higher, the results may have definitely been different. When I won the first time in 1996 (I also won in 1998) I had over 10,000 votes.Part of the purpose of running for this
position, was to help get the Republican Party back on track. See SupportThePlatform.com. The local party has become a tool for doing nothing more than registering voters and helping with GOTV (getting out the vote) come election time. Which is fine, if you are a currently elected official who does not want to be challenged. But, I believe, the Party is more than that. In California we Republicans are losing to Democrats. Why? Is it because their message is better? Is it because people want a socialistic big government solution in their lives? NO & NO.Why is it?I point to one strategic decision made by the Democratic Party in California in the early 90's.... The decision to make their state party chairmanship a 4 year, paid position, rather than a 2 year voluntary position.That simple act created a stronger, longer visioned party operation that could spend its time promoting party values (or propaganda) and promote candidates that could not only win,
but would continue carrying the torch of the party.The Republicans, on the other hand, have stayed with the 2 year, volunteer chairmanship, leaving the
party without long term vision, and a sense that every two years, the incoming chairman will change something just to make his mark.The result? A Party that continues to lose its way in our great state.As a member of the Central Committee, my position is only as strong as those who are like-minded. We will have monthly meetings, of which I will post my thoughts here, and we will struggle with the vision many of us share of a party that is once again the party of Lincoln and Reagan, and not the party where a John McCain gets nominated for President.Okay... I've said it. Here is the RANT... we, as Republicans, have had our greatest success when we show our pride in our conservative (social and fiscal) values. Reagan, the Revolution of 2004... these were truly genuine Conservative movements.How can we possibly be proud of a man who does not seem to even like the Republican party? While McCain is a true war hero, he is no conservative. He is a member of
Congress and a Senator who survives in an environment where even your greatest enemy is your closest friend. Where you always smile and always make deals and where principals are left at the door.
And Republicans want this man as President? Why?!?!?
----------------------
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
www.NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com
June 21 - 22, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
916-924-EVENTS (3836)
The Northern California Blues Festival brings together some of the hottest music ever played under the shade of old oak trees in beautiful Fair Oaks Park including music by Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Mighty Mike Schermer, Mick Martin and more great talent. Proceeds benefit Through the Mind, a non-profit providing alternative mental health care to America's returning war veterans.
I WON! I WON! I WON!
Won what? you ask? I came in second place out of eight candidates for Sacramento County Republican Central Committee, District 1.
Next Question: WHAT is a Central Committee? I know, I know. Most people do not know that their political party has the right to have a central committee in each county. A committee of individuals who are chosen to represent the members of the party to the party central and, therefore to the state party as a whole. I live in California, and while other states may be, and usually are, different, in California, on the Republican side, the system is quite simple. Each county is broken into Supervisorial districts... i.e. I live in Supervisorial District 1, so I ran for the Republican Party as a member of that district.
Republicans in the primary voted for representatives to the party based on their Supervisorial district.
NOTE: Democrats do it slightly different.., I believe it is done by Assembly District.
Here are the results of the election for my race...Sacramento County Republican Central Committee Dist 1
Vote For 4
(WITH 232 OF 232 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
DIANA PETERS BRACE . . . . . . . 2,099 15.90
MATSON J. BREAKEY. . . . . . . . 2,032 15.40
ERIK R. HARTSTROM. . . . . . . . 1,966 14.90
JANET GARDNER . . . . . . . . . 1,953 14.80
TERRY MAST . . . . . . . . . . 1,763 13.36
RICHARD M. LA FONTAINE . . . . . . 1,720 13.03
CRAIG DELUZ. . . . . . . . . . 1,640 12.43
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 25 .19
Not a bad showing! Of course, two of my friends, Terry Mast and Craig DeLuz did not make it, which is generally a matter of position on the ballot or designation.Now, admittedly, this was a VERY low turnout race, and, had it been higher, the results may have definitely been different. When I won the first time in 1996 (I also won in 1998) I had over 10,000 votes.Part of the purpose of running for this
position, was to help get the Republican Party back on track. See SupportThePlatform.com. The local party has become a tool for doing nothing more than registering voters and helping with GOTV (getting out the vote) come election time. Which is fine, if you are a currently elected official who does not want to be challenged. But, I believe, the Party is more than that. In California we Republicans are losing to Democrats. Why? Is it because their message is better? Is it because people want a socialistic big government solution in their lives? NO & NO.Why is it?I point to one strategic decision made by the Democratic Party in California in the early 90's.... The decision to make their state party chairmanship a 4 year, paid position, rather than a 2 year voluntary position.That simple act created a stronger, longer visioned party operation that could spend its time promoting party values (or propaganda) and promote candidates that could not only win,
but would continue carrying the torch of the party.The Republicans, on the other hand, have stayed with the 2 year, volunteer chairmanship, leaving the
party without long term vision, and a sense that every two years, the incoming chairman will change something just to make his mark.The result? A Party that continues to lose its way in our great state.As a member of the Central Committee, my position is only as strong as those who are like-minded. We will have monthly meetings, of which I will post my thoughts here, and we will struggle with the vision many of us share of a party that is once again the party of Lincoln and Reagan, and not the party where a John McCain gets nominated for President.Okay... I've said it. Here is the RANT... we, as Republicans, have had our greatest success when we show our pride in our conservative (social and fiscal) values. Reagan, the Revolution of 2004... these were truly genuine Conservative movements.How can we possibly be proud of a man who does not seem to even like the Republican party? While McCain is a true war hero, he is no conservative. He is a member of
Congress and a Senator who survives in an environment where even your greatest enemy is your closest friend. Where you always smile and always make deals and where principals are left at the door.
And Republicans want this man as President? Why?!?!?
----------------------
Matson "Matsonian" Breakey
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
www.NorthernCaliforniaBluesFest.com
June 21 - 22, 2008
Fair Oaks Park, Fair Oaks, CA
916-924-EVENTS (3836)
The Northern California Blues Festival brings together some of the hottest music ever played under the shade of old oak trees in beautiful Fair Oaks Park including music by Elvin Bishop, Maria Muldaur, Mighty Mike Schermer, Mick Martin and more great talent. Proceeds benefit Through the Mind, a non-profit providing alternative mental health care to America's returning war veterans.
The Trip
Son
As you know I have been having a problem with my right foot. Very sore when
I walk. It is on the ball of my foot. I have been seeing my foot doctor for
4 month and he sent me to therapy and still no luck in fixing the foot
problem. I needed to know how my foot would feel on a hike with my full
pack. Last Friday I picked a trail about 8 miles round trip. My pack weighed
in at 49 lbs. I was able to walk about 11/2 miles before I was forced to
turn back due to pain in my foot.
I saw my doctor yesterday and he feels there is a tear in a ligament on the
bottom of my foot. If this is so then it is a 3-5 month fix. He feels that
if I did any hiking without letting the foot heal would cause more damage
that would never heal.
The bottom line is this. We cannot do the trip this year. I am so sorry
about not doing the trip this year. If all goes well we could do a trip in
September or October. I still want to do the trip but not this year. We have
worked real hard to get ready. With all the research and planning done it
should not be too hard to get ready for next year. We could even make the
trip a little longer.
The Gregory Palisade Backpack was real comfortable. Once I got it adjusted
right it felt great. I highly recommend the pack. I also recommend the use
of trekking poles. Going uphill or down they made it much easier and safer.
Going down hill I adjusted the poles longer for the added support. They were
able to give me two more legs that stabilized the downhill trek. Going
uphill the additional legs gave me the ability to relax my legs. Even
walking on level ground helped me as the poles took some weight off the
legs. You do use different muscles in your arms so a person should walk with
the poles before a long hike. I spent a good month with the poles when I
took my three dogs on their daily hike in the woods.
Dad
Sunday, May 25, 2008
How to Be A Leader...
Alright, this post is really not about leadership... it is about my recent termination from The Community College Foundation as director of sales and marketing for TechEd, the Technology in Education International Conference & Exposition.
I think the leadership part comes from the central reason I was terminated... the new President of the Foundation, Rick Fowler, felt he could not control me, therefore I was not an effective member of his team.
Now, to be fair... I agree. If an employer says X, but I know the correct action to be Y... I am not going to do X. That's is simply stupid.
Many employers would disagree. I know. I've been one. Of course, in my case, I surrounded myself with people whose skill level was such that I would defer to their thoughts and expertise unless I was absolutely sure of my desired direction - based on my years of experience with the subject.
Mr. Fowler, on the other hand, has ZERO experience in the event, conference & entertainment industry. He comes from a background of military discipline having retired from the Air Force as a Colonel in charge of logistics and air cargo. After retiring he joined the organization where many retired military that have no immediate civilian skills end up... USAA.
From there he was recruited to lead a failing Community College Foundation... a little background here... The Community College Foundation was a thriving organization in December 2005 when I joined. Through 2006 things were going well, until the right hand of the original president, David Springett, left to follow her husband to DC. Then various factions in the Foundation decided to organize a coup to dethrone Dr Springett. The coup failed but not without long-term damage to the Foundation. The leader of the coup left, David was asked by the board to focus on an incredible project called ePassport (electronic vital record-keeping for foster youth), and an COO was brought in to run day-to-day operations... Dr. Lloyd Messersmith. As a contractor Lloyd was getting paid an enormous amount of money to keep the Foundation going strong.
But, under his "leadership" the Foundation lost a multi-million dollar contract with the County of Los Angeles... essentially crippling the Foundation. Why was the contract lost? Because Dr Messersmith didn't know a damned thing about the proper way to conduct a group or to develop proposals... he left it in the hands of someone in charge of that contract and she had her eyes set on joining a new group... the one that won the contract. The bottom line... her proposal sucked and Dr. Messersmith let it go through.
Through 2007 the only mission of the Foundation was to stay alive. Dr Springett resigned, the Board of Directors sold the building David Springett worked so hard to acquire, they closed the ePassport program, the only one of its kind with huge upsides to it, blamed David for mismanagement... and the list goes on and on. All Lloyd did during his tenure was take a paycheck and keep saying "I am truly working the hardest I ever have to keep the Foundation alive".
In the meantime, TechEd, a division of the Foundation, was thriving, having increased attendance each year and increased revenue from both attendance and exhibit hall sales. Both of which I managed.
We had only a skeletal team... my boss, William Neece, director of operations Maureen Julian, an incredible sales associate Jill Noordzij and me - later Adrian Rutherford joined us in the sales dept.
My average day? No less that 10 hours. Even if I came in as late as 8:30, I would easily be there until 6:30. As we got through 2007 William resigned in a beautifully orchestrated move right after a quarterly Board meeting. Lloyd made Maureen the department head because he disliked William and I reminded him too much of William.
Of course, Maureen, while a great individual and a good administrator is not a Conference Director... though she is getting better.
Okay, this long and drawn out blog was supposed to be about Rick Fowler.
Rick has a reputation in Sacramento Circles as a bit of a hot-head and a political wannabe. He once told me that while his values align more with Tom McClintock, he is supporting Doug Ose because he thinks he can win (4th Congressional district race to replace the retiring John Doolittle)
In that one statement he told me everything I needed to know about him and his LACK of values.
But why did I get fired? We held TechEd 2008, our 13th Annual in Ontario, So Cal, on April 13 - 16. During that time, Rick's first, no less than three times did Rick counter a decision I made and do so publicly. Not just coming over to me and saying... "hey, I know you want to do X, but I really would like to do Y".
No, he yelled across a room in one case... embarrassing members of our planning committee who had agreed with the decision... in another, he derided me in front of a sponsor... embarrassing the sponsor to the point that the sponsor apologized to me.
What were these decisions? Life threatening choices? Make or break moments? NO. In the latter case, Mr. Fowler wanted to have a meeting at 6:45 instead of 7:30 as scheduled on our master plan. Walking by me he said... it looks like things are ending early lets do our debrief now... my response? Not Yet. To which he stopped, came back and insisted that we do it now. After telling him I had other things to do before the meeting, he told me to follow him NOW! (this was in front of the sponsor).
Needless to say, I did not follow him. I continued with my duties and we had the normal meeting at 7:30 that evening.
Of course, the consequence was that Rick with the help of a highly ineffective HR director Tara Martinez, built a case to fire me... and I was terminated on May 5, upon my return from two weeks of Navy Reserve Annual Training. Maureen, my direct boss, was strangely absent from my termination meeting.
So, is this how you lead? Probably not. Am I a model employee? Definitely not. In my meeting with Rick he cited his inability to control me as part of the reason... I replied with "yes, if you want to control me and micromanage, then NO I am not going to be an effective member of your team."
Of course... as one final note... I am the ONLY member of the Foundation that kept graphs of EVERY product I produced since day one - graphs that they would not return to me. I am therefore the ONLY member of the Foundation that can prove consistently that I increased my product each year directly and facilitating my team of exhibit sales to bring in the rest of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue from TechEd.
I wish everyone at the Foundation the best and hope TechEd continues to provide incredible opportunities for educators everywhere to learn the latest in Technology in Education.
OKAY... I've ranted enough on this one.... whew!
Using QuickPlanner to Plan our Trip...
Okay, I admit that I should have done this earlier... but I am going to plan the next thirty days before my one month hike of the Pacific Crest Trail (matsonianpct.blogspot.com) using QuickPlanner Plus (http://www.quickplannerplus.com)
While this trip with my father has been over two years in the planning, this last month is the most critical.
QuickPlanner Plus came out of simplified strategic planning for my various business activities and my need for comprehensive marketing plans for my day job with The Community College Foundation (not there anymore... see matsonian.blogspot.com for my rant on that one).
I've used it successfully in planning the West Coast Brew Fest, the Northern California Blues Festival, Suds on the Green and the Fair Oaks'toberfest. I've used it to develop business plans, software launch plans, teaching plans, even weekend fun plans.
But now, with only a month before my father and I start on our trip at Mt McKinley and hike 300 miles to Echo Lake, I am going to maximize my planning process by using QPP to develop the step by step guide I need to get it all done - while also planning the Northern California Blues Festival June 21 & 22 (northerncaliforniabluesfest.com)
This afternoon, I am going for a nice bike ride and some tennis playing with my girlfriend, then I will come back and do the plan.
I will post the plan in the user's forum at QuickPlannerPlus.com, which for a limited time is free to all... take a look at let me know what you think.
Matson
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Personal Beacon Locater
Dad,
One other piece of equipment I am considering is the SPOT Personal Locater, read about it here...
http://www.findmespot.com/Home.aspx
Since I am adamant about not bringing technology on this trip... meaning no cell phones or computers, I think this will provide the assurance our families need that there are no problems.
It has several functions including a 911 beacon, SPOT Tracker in real time, and check in function which allows us to send a pre determined communication letting them know where we are on Google Maps.
It will be about $140 for the unit, plus $99 for the one year subscription, and $7.95 for the rescue insurance... ;-)
Let me know your thoughts...
Matson
One other piece of equipment I am considering is the SPOT Personal Locater, read about it here...
http://www.findmespot.com/Home.aspx
Since I am adamant about not bringing technology on this trip... meaning no cell phones or computers, I think this will provide the assurance our families need that there are no problems.
It has several functions including a 911 beacon, SPOT Tracker in real time, and check in function which allows us to send a pre determined communication letting them know where we are on Google Maps.
It will be about $140 for the unit, plus $99 for the one year subscription, and $7.95 for the rescue insurance... ;-)
Let me know your thoughts...
Matson
Choosing Clothes and Weather...
Dad,
As I am looking over my gear, I am considering my clothing options.
I am currently opting for the lighter weight direction, with something like:
2 Moisture Wicking T-Shirts - Short Sleeve (Mountain Gear or Columbia)
1 Moisture Wicking T-Shirt - Long Sleeve
1 Eddie Bauer Windbreaker Jacket (has removable fleece liner that I will not bring)
2 Cotton/Polyester Blend Conversion Short/Pants
1 Black Webbed Belt (military issue)
4 Pair Polyester Performance Underwear
4 Pair Injinji Toe Socks
2 Pair Merino Wool Light Hiker Socks
1 Pair Vasque Breeze Hiking Boots
1 Pair Rockport Sandles
What I am not sure about is the following:
How cold can it possibly be during July? Weather in California is consistently becoming more and more schizophrenic. Are you bringing long underwear just in case? I have seen recommendations for bringing a warm vest to keep the core warm, what are your thoughts?
Also, in case of rain, are you bringing rain gear or just a lightweight parka?
I was looking at the Frogg Toggs and a basic set of the performace gear can go for as little as $49.95. Their gear claims to be wind proof and water proof which would eliminate my need to bring the Eddie Bauer jacket. But I would need a vest of some form.
As is always the case with me, I am concerned about the monetary side of things. I am going to buy the short and long sleeve shirts because I figure that is most consistent piece of clothing I will be wearing for the month, I already have the pants and the Eddie Bauer Jacket, and I am trying different underwears to see what I can get that will not chafe.
I am completely sold on the Toe Socks and will use those instead of liners and I will bring Tea Tree Oil to fight my athletes' foot.
With our mutually balding heads, what sort of hat were you planning on bringing. That one I used from Eddie Bauer on our Twin Bridges Hike was nice, but it was too hot and I sweated a lot. I need something similar but breathable. I may actually try getting a military issue desert covert.
Looking forward to your thoughts...
Matson
As I am looking over my gear, I am considering my clothing options.
I am currently opting for the lighter weight direction, with something like:
2 Moisture Wicking T-Shirts - Short Sleeve (Mountain Gear or Columbia)
1 Moisture Wicking T-Shirt - Long Sleeve
1 Eddie Bauer Windbreaker Jacket (has removable fleece liner that I will not bring)
2 Cotton/Polyester Blend Conversion Short/Pants
1 Black Webbed Belt (military issue)
4 Pair Polyester Performance Underwear
4 Pair Injinji Toe Socks
2 Pair Merino Wool Light Hiker Socks
1 Pair Vasque Breeze Hiking Boots
1 Pair Rockport Sandles
What I am not sure about is the following:
How cold can it possibly be during July? Weather in California is consistently becoming more and more schizophrenic. Are you bringing long underwear just in case? I have seen recommendations for bringing a warm vest to keep the core warm, what are your thoughts?
Also, in case of rain, are you bringing rain gear or just a lightweight parka?
I was looking at the Frogg Toggs and a basic set of the performace gear can go for as little as $49.95. Their gear claims to be wind proof and water proof which would eliminate my need to bring the Eddie Bauer jacket. But I would need a vest of some form.
As is always the case with me, I am concerned about the monetary side of things. I am going to buy the short and long sleeve shirts because I figure that is most consistent piece of clothing I will be wearing for the month, I already have the pants and the Eddie Bauer Jacket, and I am trying different underwears to see what I can get that will not chafe.
I am completely sold on the Toe Socks and will use those instead of liners and I will bring Tea Tree Oil to fight my athletes' foot.
With our mutually balding heads, what sort of hat were you planning on bringing. That one I used from Eddie Bauer on our Twin Bridges Hike was nice, but it was too hot and I sweated a lot. I need something similar but breathable. I may actually try getting a military issue desert covert.
Looking forward to your thoughts...
Matson
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tents and other stuff
Son
I do hope your boots work, as you need. Let me know. My boots are doing
good on my left foot, but my right foots is not comfortable. I have been
going to a therapist to correct or fix the pain on the bottom of the foot.
Not helping much. I will be doing a 8 hour hike next week with full pack to
see how my foot does. At this point it would be a real problem on the trail.
I will let you know.
As far as the bear canister I bought it at www.moontrail.com. It was the
cheapest price I could find. The canister is a Garcia Machine Backpackers
Cache for $55.00.
The sleeping bag sounds good. The nights might get down to 25 or 30 degrees
at the elevation we would be at. Make sure it will keep you warm. I would
talk to the staff over at REI. I bought a Big Agnes Encampment +15 Long Bag
for $109.99 at REI's big sale. I will be sleeping in it next week in my back
yard.
I have read about using tarps as covers. It would work if we had trees and
bushes to attach the tarp to. I do not know the trail and so do not know how
wooded the area and trail are. The way I look at it is this way. If the
night is nice and there is no chance of rain I will sleep under the stars
with my tents rain cover over me and my sleeping bag. That will keep any
dew-drops off of me and my sleeping bag. The tent will come in handy when
the weather looks bad or when there are snakes in the area HA! HA!
Talk to you later,
Dad
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tent
Dad,
Just to let you and to document the purchase, I did get the REI tent you recommended, the REI Half Dome 2 HC # 728-308. Though, more and more, I am seeing other options by some more experienced hikers that are doing lightweight tarps and other covers. Of course they are through-hiking so there is a different issue in packing and going ultra-light.
Matson
More On Equipment...
Dad,
Doing some research and wanted to pass along this tip... and interesting way to make a measuring cup using our standard utensils.
http://www.purebound.com/gear/homemade_measuring_cup.htm
This site, purebound.com, is very interesting. Targeted mainly for through-hikers and other enthusiasts, it definitely has some other great tips.
On another note, I will be hiking this weekend back up to Twin Bridges to determine if my new boots (see previous entry) are up to snuff. I will load my backpack with about 40 pounds or so.
I need a new sleeping bag, one that is not as warm as my current Coleman bag. I was looking at the REI Travel Sack... http://www.rei.com/product/731835 - What do you think?
I figure I should also get a travel liner / bag liner to add warmth when needed and keep the bag clean... http://www.rei.com/product/690012
QUESTION: What is the Bear Canister you purchased? Where did you get it?
I will be heading into REI early next week to go over backpacks and such... taking my Everest in and have them fit me for it and determine its suitability. Good to have REI around...
Love,
Your Son
Monday, May 05, 2008
Termination & Personal Belongings
Rick,
I wish to formally request the following:
1. Please mail me a letter of termination detailing the reasons as laid out in this morning's meeting. You can mail it to the address on file.
2. A cursory look at my belongings proved that much is missing. I therefore request an escort to my former workstation (after hours if that works best for the foundation) so that I may secure the rest of my personal belongings. Please have the two crates from my office at TechEd that were paletized in the warehouse also in that space so that I may retrieve personal items from there as well.
Thank you,
Matson Breakey
Sunday, May 04, 2008
The Ongoing Adventure of the Boot...
Dad,
It was a great idea for us to hike Twin Bridges. It was a wonderful opportunity to test my new Asolo boots. And boy am I glad I did!
As my last entry about the boots indicated, I absolutely loved the fit and the feel of the Asolo.
But, as we discovered, the soles were dissappointing, mainly while hiking from snow to granite.... and the resultant lack of grip.
There are many things I am willing to forgive on a boot, but loosing grip on a 30 degree angle is not one of them.
Anyway, I returned the boot yesterday to REI during their busiest weekend of the year and purchased a pair of Vasque Breeze GTX XCR. They are rated as hiking and not backpacking but the experts at REI thought that they should be fine for the 55 lbs we will be carrying. I like the mesh breathability and the Vibram soles which are noted for their no slip qualities.
Interesting enough, the Asolos I bought were size 13, these new boots are size 14 (the 13's allowed my toes to hit front).
I will be trying these over the next few weeks and see how they hold up.
Love,
Your Son
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Tent
Son
A quick note. REI is having a large sale and they have a 2 person tent for
$109.99. It is the REI Half Dome 2 HC # 728-308.
Talk to you later
Dad
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Food for the trail
Son
I tried the BakePacker Ultra-Light last night to make some corn meal. It
turned our great. I cooked it on medium heat which will keep the BakePacker
at a medium Boil for 15 minutes and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will be a
great treat for us to add to our evening meals. I will be trying a cake mix
in the next few days. You can go to www.bakepacker.com to view this great
little oven. I used Marie Callender's corn bread mix. The serving size will
give each of us 450 calories. Which is 75% carbs, 18% fat, 8% protein.
I figure we can have oatmeal every morning with a variety of nuts, raisens
added to give us about 800 calories to start our day. Of course I will have
coffee. We can use the Folgers bags. Also good ole hot chocalet
I want to experiment with adding rice and powdered beans and dehydrated
veggies to the corn bread mix to give added flavor and good eats.
I will talk to later and hope you are having a good time.
Dad
Friday, April 25, 2008
Food for thought on the trail
Son
For the next month or so I will be writing about the process I will
be using to create the menu for our 30 day hike. I will first cover the
nutritional reasons for the food that we will be packing and eating.
Our body is fueled by CARBOHYDRATES and FAT. Frequent snacking is needed to
maintain energy levels for the long trail. Eating about 20-30 grams of carbs
per hour will help your body keep your body from hitting the WALL. Eating 7
pieces of dehydrated apples will give you about 28 grams of carbs. A 1oz
granola bar will give about 19 grams of carbs. You see it is not hard to
plan your snacks to help your body.
With us carrying about 55 lbs we need about 3500 to 4500 calories per day. A
50-35-15 diet is what our target will be. That is 50% calories from carbs;
35% calories from fat; 15% calories from protein. 3500 calories will weigh
about 1.6 lbs on a 50-35-15 diet.
Proper training is a must as it trains your body to be more efficient fat
burners. Trained muscles burn a richer fuel mixture, high fat, conserving
carb stores.
For more on this subject go to www.thru-hiker.com/packlighteatright.
Do you think Michael would drive use to the trail head. He could even spend
the first night and climb Mt Whitney with us? Let me know and I will contact
him.
More about our food tomorrow with some interesting menu items and ways to
cook/bake them.
Have a nice day son,
Dad
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Boots
Son
Glad you found yourself a pair of boots. If someone carried 45 lbs with the
boots I do not feel it would be a problem. The biggest question is do you
feel comfortable with them? I bought a pair of Montrail Torre GTX wide from
REI. The wide is so comfortable. I can move my toes around and my heals are
snug. When I get into town next week I need to visit REI as I need to get
some trail running shoes.
The nice thing about REI is you can take them back at any time to get a
refund or exchange.
Make sure you break them in as much as possible before we do our Pt. Reyes
walk. I have put about 40 hours on my already.
Dad
Friday, April 04, 2008
Bought some boots... Finally!
Dad,
Well, here it is. Tonight Louisa and I stopped by REI (they're having one of their sales) and checked out their boots. They didn't have the Vasque Sundowner, but they did have another version - the Vasque Summit GTX. All leather and a great old boot. One that would probably last me many decades... but, at the urging of the REI employees, I tried another boot that was much more breathable... the Asolo Fugitive. After trying both, I was much more impressed with the support supplied by the Asolo. The REI associate helped me find a good size... 13! ... and I decided to go ahead and get them - not to mention they were on sale! I decided it was better to buy them now and then return home and do research to see if they really are as good as the staff at REI claim.
Now, I just finished doing the research, and while almost every review raved about the boots and how happy they were with the choice -- including a very impressive review on BackpackGearTest.com -- I am concerned about one thing...
REI had these boots identified in their Backpacking category, but the Asolo website has them listed as hikers. In fact, they are light hikers and while many of the reviewers used them for backpacking, none carried more than 45 lbs.
My question is this... if we are going to be carrying upwards of 60 lbs, will these boots work or do I need to go back to the Vasque Summit or Zephyr?
Your son...
Matson
Another Boot To Consider
Dad,
I've also considered the Vasque Zephyr II. Seems to be lighter than the Sundowner, and has better breathability, but still the ankle support I need.
Your Thoughts?
Matson
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Backpacking Boots
Dad,
I am excited to see you next week. After we finish working on TechEd (TechEdEvents.org), I think it is going to be a nice relaxing day hiking Point Reyes.
I need to get my boots soon so I can test them and ensure that their are no hot spots. I am considering a couple different styles of Vasque boots. Many reviewers have raved about Vasque with the only drawback being that they are now made in China.
Specifically, I am considering the Vasque 7152 Sundowner Summit GTX Backpacking Boots. These are a great all-around boot, it has the ankle support I need, is made of leather, fully waterproof and a quality boot.
Question is, in July is this the best boot? It is not going to breath well, but it is going to last. What do you think?
Your son,
Matson
Thursday, March 13, 2008
About Time I did an Update
It has been far too long since I last types words into this blog. Primarily because I have been so busy with my day job at TechEd, that I've neglected many of my other passions including QuickPlanner Plus.
But today I had the opportunity to speak to an Intro to Business class at Sacramento City College.
I opened up with the basic questions of who in this class wants to start their own company and I got about four hands. Then I asked who in this class wants to go work for someone else, and I got about three hands. Out of a class of 14, that left several who didn't answer at all. So I asked a couple of them why they were in the class.
The answer? Its a requirement.
A requirement?
That's definitely not the right view to have about business 101. I don't care if you are going to be an entrepreneur, accountant, future executive, doctor, lawyer, burger flipper or wig maker, you had better understand the world of business.
So yeah... it had better be a requirement for everyone.
If you don't understand the world of business, you don't understand anything going on around you.
Okay this is starting to be less of a QuickPlanner blog and more of a Matsonian Rants so I guess I will have to post it there as well.
Business is business. Every organization in the world, every employee in the world, every group in the world operates on the basics of business and business operates on the basics of human organization.
And, here it is, human organization survives because of planning. And planning is the root to successful living.
So, if you don't understand business how can you understand life.
Join me in the mantra: Intro To Business for EVERYONE!
But today I had the opportunity to speak to an Intro to Business class at Sacramento City College.
I opened up with the basic questions of who in this class wants to start their own company and I got about four hands. Then I asked who in this class wants to go work for someone else, and I got about three hands. Out of a class of 14, that left several who didn't answer at all. So I asked a couple of them why they were in the class.
The answer? Its a requirement.
A requirement?
That's definitely not the right view to have about business 101. I don't care if you are going to be an entrepreneur, accountant, future executive, doctor, lawyer, burger flipper or wig maker, you had better understand the world of business.
So yeah... it had better be a requirement for everyone.
If you don't understand the world of business, you don't understand anything going on around you.
Okay this is starting to be less of a QuickPlanner blog and more of a Matsonian Rants so I guess I will have to post it there as well.
Business is business. Every organization in the world, every employee in the world, every group in the world operates on the basics of business and business operates on the basics of human organization.
And, here it is, human organization survives because of planning. And planning is the root to successful living.
So, if you don't understand business how can you understand life.
Join me in the mantra: Intro To Business for EVERYONE!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Bear Canister
Son
The Garcia Backpacker Cache Canister weighs in at 2.7 lbs. We both need
canisters. If you pack it correctly you should get about 12 lbs of food in
it.
Dad
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Re: Bear canister to protect the Bears and our food.
Dad,
Cool. I take it we both need to have a bear canister? How much does yours weigh?
What frustrates me is that the State is not willing to certify the Ursack. It has to be the lightest and most durable bear-prevention food sack I've seen. The state certifies one of their models but only if it has the canister instert in it which is ridiculous and redundant.
Matson
Bear canister to protect the Bears and our food.
Son
The Bear Canister that I bought is a Garcia Backpacker Cache. It hold about
700 cubic inches and measures 8.8 inches by 12 inches. It sells for about
$65.00. I was able to find it for $55.00 at moontrail.com. They have some
low prices on their equipment.
You need to check out the oven I bought. It is at BakePacker.com. The way it
works is pretty cool.
Dad
The Bear Canister that I bought is a Garcia Backpacker Cache. It hold about
700 cubic inches and measures 8.8 inches by 12 inches. It sells for about
$65.00. I was able to find it for $55.00 at moontrail.com. They have some
low prices on their equipment.
You need to check out the oven I bought. It is at BakePacker.com. The way it
works is pretty cool.
Dad
Monday, March 10, 2008
Re: My equipment for the trip
Dad,
What a great list of top-quality equipment. I'm afraid mine will be the middle market. Hopefully I will get it done next weekend and sent over to you.
What brand of Bear Canister are you getting?
Matson
My equipment for the trip
Son
The following is my equipment that I already have.
Backpack Gregory Palisade (large)
Sleeping pad Therm-a-Rest Prolite 4
Tent North Face Bullfrog 23
Walking Poles Leki Makalu
Cook Stove JetBoil
Baking BakePacker
Cooking Pots 2 Quart
Water Filter MSR WaterWorks EX Filter
Bear Canister Garcia Machine Backpacker Cache
Light HeadsUp Lite
Scope KVH Data Scope (digital
compass/rangefinder)
Camera Nikon D200 with two Lenses
I still need to get a solar panel and a storage device for my 24 MB
pictures. I believe I will take about 4000 photos on the trip. Looking at
about 80 gig storage device.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Re: Permit to travel the PCT
Dad,
Not sure walking barefoot would help my severe flat feet. There is really no arch to be had.
:-)
Matson
Permit to travel the PCT
Son
I have received the permit for the PCT from the PCTA. Still waiting for the
permit for Mt. Whitney.
One item about feet. Prepare your feet for the trail by walking barefoot as
much as possible. This helps your feet by hardening the sole. I walk around
the house a lot barefooted. As long as the temperature is warm.
Talk to you later,
Dad
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Re: Foot wear to wear to be confortable
Dad,
Good to hear from you! I was hoping that is the case. I have a great pair of Rockports that I like to use on my hiking trips, switching between boots and sandles as needed.
I need to have the Rockports re-tread, but they are a great pair of hiking sandles.
Matson
Foot wear to wear to be confortable
Son
After doing much research I have come to the conclusion that sandals would
be the best second shoe. Sandals would allow your feet to breath when at
camp. You can use the sandals to cross streams and with good soles you can
even walk the trail with them on good level ground.
I have read a few articles of people wearing sandals on the whole trip. They
would take a pair of shoes for the wet weather, but would use the sandals
for all hiking.
I have about a month before the swelling is gone on my foot. At that time I
will start the search for a good pair of hiking boots. My foot doctor told
me to get E wide boots. It is very important to get the toe box wide enough
for your toes to move. I have always worn regular size boots, C wide. I also
felt that my toes were being crushed. I never thought that a wider boot
would be the answer. As long as the heal of your foot is tight then you
should be good for a comfortable trip. If you can keep your feet comfortable
then the trip should be comfortable.
I should have my equipment list ready by weeks end or even sooner.
Dad
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Lindsey Lohan - Why Nude Pics?
It was the obvious next step for her.
These millenial generation stars like Britney and Lindsey and non-stars like Paris, are so starved for attention, so starved for paparazzi attention, that they do crazy stunts, party all night and we are surprized when drugs and alchohol pay their toll.
So they go on to artificial rehab centers and more media attention. Then people wonder what happened to them when...
Now, in order to capture our attention, the stars innevitably turn to some fantastic event or activity.
For Lohan that event is posing nude.
But not, like many would do, in Playboy. No, she managed to get nude pics in New York Magazine, which would be more interesting if it wasn't for the Marilyn Monroe tribute.
Come on, Marilyn was great and was one of a kind. Lindsey is, well, just Lindsey. First off, the pics aren't that hot. She needs to firm up that body a bit.
Second, Lindsey always looked better as a redhead. Blond is just so common.
I feel like I am looking at a someone recently coming out of rehab... oh wait... I am looking at someone just out of rehab, which of course, makes me feel guilty about viewing the pics - and that is just not right.
So here is the rant - Rehab Girls - Keep your clothes on!
Second rant - If you really want help getting off of drugs, do not goto a luxury center... goto Narconon, dammit!
PICS AT: http://media.nymag.com/fashion/08/spring/44247/
These millenial generation stars like Britney and Lindsey and non-stars like Paris, are so starved for attention, so starved for paparazzi attention, that they do crazy stunts, party all night and we are surprized when drugs and alchohol pay their toll.
So they go on to artificial rehab centers and more media attention. Then people wonder what happened to them when...
Now, in order to capture our attention, the stars innevitably turn to some fantastic event or activity.
For Lohan that event is posing nude.
But not, like many would do, in Playboy. No, she managed to get nude pics in New York Magazine, which would be more interesting if it wasn't for the Marilyn Monroe tribute.
Come on, Marilyn was great and was one of a kind. Lindsey is, well, just Lindsey. First off, the pics aren't that hot. She needs to firm up that body a bit.
Second, Lindsey always looked better as a redhead. Blond is just so common.
I feel like I am looking at a someone recently coming out of rehab... oh wait... I am looking at someone just out of rehab, which of course, makes me feel guilty about viewing the pics - and that is just not right.
So here is the rant - Rehab Girls - Keep your clothes on!
Second rant - If you really want help getting off of drugs, do not goto a luxury center... goto Narconon, dammit!
PICS AT: http://media.nymag.com/fashion/08/spring/44247/
Monday, February 04, 2008
Superbowl Results? Mixed
Okay, so the game of the year is over. The results (Giants 17, Patriots 14) are disappointing for some, and a thrill for many more.
At our party, the underdog Giants were the fan favorites. Even in the Cowboy loving household that hosted our party (no, I am not a Cowboys fan) they were all (sans two) rooting for the Giants.
Was this the trend across the country? Were true football fans tired of the Pats?
For me the emotions were mixed. My girlfriend spent many years living in Boston, so her team is definitely the Pats. Out of compassion I supported her hopes during the game while secretly enjoying the end of the Pats reign.
But who was I truly rooting for? Neither team. All I wanted was a good game. In an era when Superbowl games can be complete bores, all I wanted was an exciting game reminiscent of my 49ers win over the Bengals in '89.
The first half was nothing less than my worst fear... a fast moving game with low scoring... in other words a bore. Granted it could have been worse... one team completely dominating the other and the outcome decided by half-time, but still... the game just wasn't nail-biting enough.
And the commercials weren't that exciting either. Maybe the most unique was the pigeon carriers or Audi's take-off of The Godfather, but overall... not many to discuss around the water cooler.
Then Tom Petty came out, did his thing, and the game was reinvented for the second half. Scoring on both sides set the tone for a more exciting half and the Giants clinched the memory for millions of viewers worldwide.
One thought... how in the hell did Eli Manning stay on his feet?
Okay... off to work for me, but here is my final Superbowl Rant: who cares who wins, just make sure the game is worthy of the hype.
At our party, the underdog Giants were the fan favorites. Even in the Cowboy loving household that hosted our party (no, I am not a Cowboys fan) they were all (sans two) rooting for the Giants.
Was this the trend across the country? Were true football fans tired of the Pats?
For me the emotions were mixed. My girlfriend spent many years living in Boston, so her team is definitely the Pats. Out of compassion I supported her hopes during the game while secretly enjoying the end of the Pats reign.
But who was I truly rooting for? Neither team. All I wanted was a good game. In an era when Superbowl games can be complete bores, all I wanted was an exciting game reminiscent of my 49ers win over the Bengals in '89.
The first half was nothing less than my worst fear... a fast moving game with low scoring... in other words a bore. Granted it could have been worse... one team completely dominating the other and the outcome decided by half-time, but still... the game just wasn't nail-biting enough.
And the commercials weren't that exciting either. Maybe the most unique was the pigeon carriers or Audi's take-off of The Godfather, but overall... not many to discuss around the water cooler.
Then Tom Petty came out, did his thing, and the game was reinvented for the second half. Scoring on both sides set the tone for a more exciting half and the Giants clinched the memory for millions of viewers worldwide.
One thought... how in the hell did Eli Manning stay on his feet?
Okay... off to work for me, but here is my final Superbowl Rant: who cares who wins, just make sure the game is worthy of the hype.
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