Category Archives: Uncategorized

Election Day

A friend passed this along to me…

Questions:

  1. What was the average monthly private sector job growth in 2008, the final year of the Bush presidency, and what has it been so far in 2010?
  1. What was the Federal deficit for the last fiscal year of the Bush presidency, and what was it for the first full fiscal year of the Obama presidency?
  1. What was the stock market at on the last day of the Bush presidency? What is it at today?
  1. Which party’s candidate for speaker will campaign this weekend with a Nazi reenactor who dressed up in a SS uniform?

Answers:

  1. In 2008, we lost an average of 317,250 private sector jobs per month. In 2010, we have gained an average of 95,888 private sector jobs per month. (Source) That’s a difference of nearly five million jobs between Bush’s last year in office and President Obama’s second year.
  1. In FY2009, which began on September 1, 2008 and represents the Bush Administration’s final budget, the budget deficit was $1.416 trillion. In FY2010, the first budget of the Obama Administration, the budget deficit was $1.291 trillion, a decline of $125 billion. (Source) Yes, that means President Obama has cut the deficit — there’s a long way to go, but we’re in better shape now than we were under Bush and the GOP.
  1. On Bush’s final day in office, the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 closed at 7,949, 1,440, and 805, respectively. Today, as of 10:15AM Pacific, they are at 11,108, 2,512, and 1,183. That means since President Obama took office, the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 have increased 40%, 74%, and 47%, respectively.
  1. The Republican Party, whose candidate for speaker, John Boehner, will campaign with Nazi re-enactor Rich Iott this weekend. If you need an explanation why this is offensive, you are a lost cause.

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This post originally appeared here on Friday, October 29.

If you’re reading this on Facebook, you can see the original blog at www.radloffs.net, click on “Blog.”
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An Open Letter

Dear Lord,


We love you, but I’m pissed as hell at you right now.

I don’t understand why you’re doing this, I don’t see what good can come of it, I don’t see what I’m supposed to learn from this, and I’m mad at you for putting all of us through this. I’m angry. Things were just fine the way they were, but now you gotta come along and take Kim, and it doesn’t seem fair.

I understand that the deepest lessons are the most painful and take the longest to understand, but you gotta understand that we’re all confused, hurt, and angry right now, and we’ll probably be sore at you for this for quite a while.

Yes, I’m feebly waving my fist at you. Don’t pretend you don’t see me down here.

Now, that said, you know we love you even if we’re mad.

If you can, please give Kim a little help. She’s a big girl with a big heart and even bigger courage, but this is an awfully big step for anyone to take alone. Give her a hand, please. If you have some time left over, it’d be nice if you could help Kim’s family thought this. They’re strong, but they could use a little help, you know.

Thanks,
Christopher L. Radloff

P.S. – I’m still mad at you.

If you’re reading this on Facebook, you can see the original blog at www.radloffs.net, click on “Blog.”
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Bikers Helping Bikers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Radloff
Cell: 712-898-5220
E-Mail: chris@hippieboydesign.com

Northwest Iowa American Legion Riders Help Victims’ Families

Local American Legion Riders are holding a fundraiser Sept. 25, 2010 to help the families of four men. Military veterans and American Legion Riders Steven Benscoter, Dale Aspedon and Dennis Chaney, and Patriot Guard Rider Jay Bock were killed August 9th when a vehicle swerved into their lane near the Little Sioux River interchange on Interstate 29 south of Sioux City, just minutes after a 911 call reported a pickup truck driving erratically.


The American Legion Riders (ALR) are veterans or members of the Legion Auxiliary or Sons of the American Legion. The group raises funds to help people in need, assist with veterans’ funerals and raise awareness of veterans’ issues. The Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) have no membership requirements, but are supporters of veterans and often provide escorts and hold flag lines for military funerals alongside the ALR.

Aspedon, 49, served in the Navy. Benscoter, 62, served 20 years in the Air Force, and Chaney, also 62, was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. All three belonged to the Western Iowa American Legion Riders Chapter, based in Glenwood, IA. Bock, 48, who was Aspedon’s cousin, was involved with Habitat for Humanity and the Iowa PGR.

“These four men were very involved, very active,” said Northwest Iowa chapter American Legion Rider President Tommy Even of Alton, IA. The Marine Corps veteran continued, “We can’t imagine how a tragedy like this must impact their families, their communities. It’s a tremendous loss.”

The Northwest Iowa chapter of the ALR, based in Le Mars, IA, decided to hold a poker-style motorcycle run to raise funds for the families of the fallen men. “These are tough people,” commented Even, “they would never ask for money. But we want to make sure they have help if they need it!”

The fundraiser will begin at the Ickey Nickle, 4700 41st Street, Sioux City, IA (on Highway 75 North). Sign-in for the event will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 25th. The route will swing through several towns south and east of Sioux City, pausing at Leather ‘n Hawgs in Hornick, IA to enjoy local Sioux City musicians Hippie Go Luck, before heading back to the Ickey Nickel. Food will be generously provided by the Ickey Nickel at the end of the run. There will be no prizes awarded — ALL the money will go to the cause — but there will be a silent auction at the Ickey Nickel. The run is open to all vehicles.

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If you’re reading this on Facebook, you can see the original blog at www.radloffs.net, click on “Blog.”
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Bizzy Days

Apologies for not blogging more… Things have been moving quickly, yet not getting anywhere at all.
A week and a half ago I raided what little savings we had and got my eyes fixed (Lasik surgery rocks!). Before the surgery, this is what I’d see when I’d look out my office door:

The farther away something was, the blurrier… To the right is the door, to the left is a set of shelves… The blurry things in the middle are our table and a couple chairs, no more than fifteen feet away (if even that) — so you can imagine how bad my sight was for things that were farther away.
I’ve worn glasses or contacts since about third or fourth grade, and have never really liked them… Glasses give me headaches and contacts hurt like no one’s business if you get something in your eye. So I was happy to finally, FINALLY have the surgery! I could see 20/15 with one eye and 20/20 with the other the morning after the surgery. I still have one eye that’s noticeably sharper than the other; I’m hoping that they’ll even out over time, but I’m way happy with the results so far.
ANYway… that cost us a lot of money. My beauteous Alpine wife Dagmar was very gracious, generous, and understanding about the whole thing. So we spent all we could and borrowed the rest and I got the operation. Fine ‘n dandy — I have some nice contracts in the pipeline, so the borrowed money should be paid off soon.
But now I’m worried…
Dagmar’s been ill for the past five days or so. We went out to a comedy club last Friday (called, oddly enough, “Last Friday Comedy Club”), and Saturday she woke up with a sore throat. Sunday it was bad enough she went to Urgent Care, where they said she had strep throat and gave her some pills. By Monday she was bedridden for the most part and had entirely lost her voice. The doctor confirmed that she has a “rare version” of strep, combined with an acute respiratory infection. More pills. By Wednesday she was coughing up blood. Today she’s feeling sharp pains in her chest. The doctor’s not returning our calls; I’m getting pretty close to taking her to the hospital.
I’m worried about her health, obviously, but I’m also worried about finances… There’s just no way she can work right now, we have no savings thanks to me being selfish and getting the eye surgery, and none of my customers seem to want approve their projects so I can bill them. (“Just one more change. Just add one more little thing.” I never bill a project out until the customer’s happy. I just wish I could make them happy a bit quicker right now.)
So, instead of working and earning money this morning, here I sit writing my woes, whining to the world. I simply can’t concentrate at the moment… I’m sure the doctor will be able to fix Dagmar and I’m sure we’ll be okay financially, but these things stress me a bit. I worry and fret.
On a positive note, the dog’s tonsillitis seems to have cleared up nicely…
If you’re reading this on Facebook, you can see the original blog at www.radloffs.net, click on “Blog.”
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Remix

I miss writing in my blog! Meantime… watch this if you want.

If you’re reading this on Facebook, you can see the original blog at www.radloffs.net, click on “Blog.”
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Ah, Zoey…

Quite possibly the most boring video I’ll ever make. (It originally had “Brown Eyed Girl” playing, but I was playing around in YouTube and hit the “AudioSwap” button and ended up with something operatic by accident.)
For those reading this on Buzz or Facebook instead of Blogger, here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLab_mC49M4
If you’re reading this on Facebook, you can see the original blog at www.radloffs.net, click on “Blog.”
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Dreaming of the Road

Author: UNKNOWN

1. The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.

2. Four wheels move the body; two wheels move the soul.

3. I’d rather be riding my motorcycle and thinking about God than sitting in church thinking about my bike.

4. Life may begin at 30, but it doesn’t get real interesting until about 65 mph.

5. Midnight bugs taste just as bad as noontime bugs.

6. Sometimes it takes a whole tank full of gas before you can think straight.

7. A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.

8. Young riders pick a destination and go; old riders pick a direction and go.

9. When you’re riding lead, don’t spit.

10. Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 65 mph can double your vocabulary.

11. If you can’t get it going with bungee cords and duct tape, it’s serious.

12. Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.

13. I’ve never seen a motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist’s office.

If you’re reading this on Facebook, you can see the original blog at www.radloffs.net, click on “Blog.”
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