Sunday, February 07 2010 @ 08:15 CST Contributed by: patclem
I guess readers can see that I've gotten pretty big into photography. It's another good way to combine my favorite sports and activities with yet another challenge. I've carried my DSLR across Iowa on my bike in my handlebar bag. I've hiked miles deep into Walls of Jericho with all my lenses and my full size tripod (what was I thinking on that one?) I have a waterproof case so I can take it canoeing or kayaking.
So many times, I've taken beautifully composed pictures on my adventures (like my Natchez Trace tour) only to return home and the pictures were crap. They turn out to be just a little off - sharpness, exposure, the flash might wash a scene out, etc. That's why I researched cameras and came up with my DSLR selection. Over time, my opinions have fine tuned on the gear I like. I love L-series Canon lenses for a variety of reasons. I'm kinda itching for a full body camera, but I'd have to be walking through the forest and some money would have to fall on me. Either way, point-and-shoot users can rest assured that any DSLR with interchangeable real glass lenses and large sensors will improve the quality of your photos 10-fold.
So which camera should I buy? That's a question I get frequently from my friends. Since I'm biased towards Canon, I'm going to limit my response to the question to Canon. That said, someone with an investment in Nikon has a choice to make.
Anyhow, you'll have to click Read More below to get the rest.
Sunday, January 24 2010 @ 08:11 CST Contributed by: patclem
I don't know if many folks have heard of a 365 project. You essentially take one photo per day and post it to a set on Flickr. The basic rule is you have to post a picture from that day, which means you have to take a picture every day. Some folks say you're supposed to be in every one of them. I'm not following that rule in mine. I kind of use it as a photo diary.
The hard part is when you have a long day at work. It gets old taking pictures of things at work. Then after dark, it gets tougher to take a photo. Thank goodness for my Droid. I can take an impromptu photo with no special equipment.
So far it's been kind of interesting. I spend "down time" like driving, scanning for a future photo opportunity. See something interesting in a restaurant? Grocery store?
It's easy to spend too much time taking pictures of things I'm eating, or the dogs or cats. Maybe I'll take pictures of the dogs and cats eating?
I think everyone should give this a try. It's kinda fun and it gets you out of the house.
Most Recent Post: 01/31 06:21 by Anonymous [ Views:: 17 ]
Motorola Droid Review
Saturday, November 28 2009 @ 09:10 CST Contributed by: patclem
As a Verizon customer for years, I was a little reluctant to switch to AT&T just for an iPhone. I mean really - your smart phone has to first work properly as a phone, and I know from observation that the Verizon network is better almost everywhere. I'm a little miffed about the rumor mill, suggesting that the iPhone will come to Verizon. I doubt that will ever happen. So, finally a contender arrived - the Motorola Droid. I upgraded my 4-year old Motorola Razr, got the data service, and I'm now sorry I waited! So here's my review so far.
Most Recent Post: 02/05 07:32 by Anonymous [ Views:: 206 ]
The Letter I Never Sent
Wednesday, October 14 2009 @ 10:45 CDT Contributed by: patclem
Dear survivors of David Allison, I owe you a sincere apology. I rode the NTP with my buddy Steve in September of 2009. The terrible experience I had around Jackson and Tupelo with high speed motor vehicle traffic inspired me to write a letter to the park service that they needed to correct it. I never sent it and I feel terrible. If I had, and followed up on it, maybe David would still be alive. Here is the letter:
Dear Sirs,
I recently completed a self-supported bicycle tour of the entire length of the Natchez Trace Parkway - September 20 - 27. There are so many to enjoy this resource - historical and natural wonders are abound. The bicycle camping facilities are well placed, clean and were just what we needed. I did come away with so many wonderful memories, but I have a few negative experiences bicycling that I feel I need to share, and others have also expressed. My only intent is to increase safety for bicyclists, and possibly increase the usage doing so.
First and foremost, the areas around Jackson and Tupelo MS are extremely heavily used by commuters and cross-town short-cutters. It doesn't seem that commuting and short-cutting is the intended purpose of the Natchez Trace Parkway, but I understand people will continue to use it. Fifty miles per hour is too fast and unsafe for cyclists with no shoulder. I propose reducing the speed limit to at most 40 miles per hour in these areas. The alternative is to provide a safe shoulder for cyclists to travel the NTP in these areas.
Second, I understand that construction vehicles should be allowed on the NTP to reduce construction costs, including the paving projects around Tupelo. But, they should abide by special regulations, such as 10mph below the posted NTP speed limit, and slower around cyclists. We were nearly run off the road several times by dump trucks.
Third, riding south to north for seven days, we saw a total of three park rangers. Our first was at mile post 187. The officer was extremely courteous. The other two were in Tennessee. More officers are needed, particularly around Tupelo and Jackson to slow commuters down.
Finally, I propose that a law be enforced on the NTP requring motor vehicles to give a minimum of three feet when passing bicycles. Mississippi and Alabama have no such law, but Tennessee enacted the Jeff Roth and Brian Brown Bicycle Protection Act of 2007 to require this. You can find more about that law at www.tennessee3feet.org.
Thank you so much for considering these suggestions.
Sincerely, Pat Clements
David Allison was killed on the Natchez Trace Parkway while touring it by bicycle on October 9. The Park Service press release stated that it appears the bicyclist swerved out in front of the car. In advocacy circles, they call this the Single Witness Suicide Swerve. More or less, this careless driver negligently ran over and killed David and there were probably no witnesses to what really happened other than the driver's testimony at the scene.
After hunting information about the death, I also stumbled across an incident in April where a bicyclist from Netherlands was run over and killed. I have no idea the outcome of that investigation.
To redeem my lack of follow-through, I can assure you that I will do everything I can to save lives other cyclists on roadways where I can have an influence. And I intend to push the NTP management to correct the situation of unsafe drivers on their roadway. I am truly sorry and I carry this guilt forward in my mission.
What can you do when someone is killed like this? INSIST that the accident is thoroughly investigated. That means the driver's speed should be estimated by length of skid marks. The driver's cell phone records should be subpoena'ed and reviewed for activity during the time of the accident. You should question whether drug and alcohol tests were performed. District Attorneys and law enforcement many times believe bicyclists should not be on the road. At least by Tennessee and Mississippi law, bicyclists by law are valid users of the roadway. DA's and police have an obligation to protect us. They MUST do their job. And if they don't know how to do their job, they must be informed.
Finally, the National Park Service, which encourages bicyclists by providing special facilities and marketing materials for bicyclists, need to correct the safety problems they have around Jackson and Tupelo. We can't afford another death on the NTP. We're already bankrupt from the ones in 2009.
I'm still very sad and full of regret for not sending my letter.
Most Recent Post: 11/03 02:42 by Anonymous [ Views:: 164 ]
Heels on Wheels Nashville
Monday, October 12 2009 @ 11:12 CDT Contributed by: patclem
Hope you find this interesting.
October 12, 2009
For immediate release
Long-time Nashvillian and Tennessee native Sonata Stanton-Rayburn is proud to announce the opening of The Heels on Wheels, a personal shopping and courier service that covers everything from stocking groceries and household items to planning Baby's nursery to assisting in holiday shopping and gift selections.
Prior to starting Heels On Wheels, Rayburn worked in the music business at Progressive Global Agency, the Tennessee Cable Telecommunications Association and most recently in economic development for the state of Tennessee.
In her former positions, Rayburn has been most drawn to the parts of the job that required organizational and people skills. "When I asked myself what it is I most enjoyed day in and day out, it always came back to taking care of people," Rayburn says. "I've always been able to put employers, clients and consultants at ease with five simple words 'I'll take care of it' and that was the most gratifying."
"Sonata defines the word multi-tasking," says former employer Scott Clayton of CAA. From maintaining databases, writing up contracts and most importantly keeping positive artist relations she did that and so much more every day with professionalism and a smile."
"Sonata is a joy to work with," says former co-worker Stacey Briggs, President and Executive Director of Tennessee Cable Telecommunications Association. "She has the passion and creativity to solve any problem no matter how big or small."
Heels On Wheels will launch with an introductory party at Cabana Restaurant on Wednesday Oct 21 from 5:00pm-7:30pm. All are welcome.
Heels On Wheels is reliable, insured and bonded. For more information:
Sonata Stanton-Rayburn
Heels On Wheels, LLC
615-585-6643
Most Recent Post: 01/24 01:59 by Anonymous [ Views:: 193 ]
Riding Smithville to Silver Point - great ride ALMOST!
Sunday, September 13 2009 @ 07:02 CDT Contributed by: patclem
Spent the weekend in Smithville celebrating Duke's birthday. As many times as I've been to Smithville, I've always wanted to ride from town out to Silver Point and back via SR56. So, I did it this weekend and I don't know why I haven't ridden it yet!
TN SR56 zig zags north-south through Tennessee. The section I rode is from Smithville to Silver Point, which is a exit on I40, BLOS is probably a C, wide shoulders, very curvy, 55mph speed limit, moderate traffic. The road is pretty much flat from Smithville to the descent to Hurricane Bridge then a long ascent to small up-and-down. About 16 miles one way to Silver Point, there's a picnic table by the Rose Garden Meat-n-three for a rest stop. Only complaint is the driveways crossing the shoulder on 56 are humped, so each driveway has a bump to cross. No rumble strips yet.
What a great ride, almost! As the sun was setting, I turned around, completed the very fast descent back towards Hurricane Bridge. My bike computer was removed, but I looked over and a passenger in a car waved at me, not passing me! When I reached the bottom of the descent, I stopped on the bridge and enjoyed the view. You really can't do this in a car. It might even be illegal. I realized again that being out on my bike and experiencing something like this is really what makes me happy. But the ride wasn't perfect...
After ascending teh 2.5 mile gradual climb from Hurricane Bridge, I continued on with little incident. I was cruising along, about to reach Smithville, taking the middle of a very wide shoulder, a SUV swerved, crossing over the white line into the shoulder and blew its horn, barely missing me. Of course the driver was harrassing me, but he didn't realize that he had put me in serious danger. I thought I saw where he had turned off. I made a few passes up and down some roads but luckily I never found him. With this kind of behavior, we have some advocacy work to do around Smithville.
Anyhow, it was a great ride regardless of the a$$hole, and I hope more folks will give it a shot as a simple but challenging ride while visiting the area. Donna and I left Smithville by car this morning and scouted some backroads southwest of Smithville, which should make for a beautiful loop with Snows Hill mixed in. I'll give it a shot and post a report next time I'm over there.
Most Recent Post: 09/20 02:49 by Anonymous [ Views:: 246 ]
Disappointment Over Tennessee Safe Passing
Monday, August 03 2009 @ 05:50 CDT Contributed by: patclem
This morning, someone posted a link to the HBC list. It's more or less an article, written by police officer Alex Teach, making a joke out of David Meek, a prominent bicyclist in Chattanooga who was run down by a truck. What a horrible thing - a police officer, sworn to protect and serve, with an attitude of neglect towards one class of road users - the bicycle driver. I always wondered why the police never wrote a ticket. I wondered why the Grand Jury failed to press charges against the driver, but later found out it was because of testimony from the investigating officer. I was confused why the justice system failed David until I read.
More recently, in Greeneville, TN, Jay Westbrook and a friend were riding along on a shoulder on the outside of a curve, and a Comcast truck swerved towards them, the passenger mirror hitting Jay, resulting in a helicopter ride to a trauma unit, a long stay in the hospital, and at least 8 weeks laying on his back in bed recovering. No ticket was issued.
Upon reflecting on David Meek and Jay Westbrook accidents, then factoring in Officer Teach's piece of work, and the consistent failure for our law enforcement and justice system to find fault, I realize the following: the Jeff Roth and Brian Brown Bicycle Protection Act of 2007 is either unenforceable, or police officers are untrained or apathetic towards protecting bicycle drivers.
Shannon Hornsby and I, shortly after the law was passed and went into effect, developed the tennessee3feet.org website, posters and campaign to educate bicycle and motor vehicle drivers of the law. Sharp Emmons developed the logo. Ivan Kansky developed the poster and background for the site. We were so happy that we finally had a law that protected bicyclists. But we understood that it would probably only be part of a incident where a bicycle driver was swiped by a motor vehicle. Man were we wrong. And I sit disappointed.
I call to have the safe passing law revoked and for bicycle drivers to be treated like motor vehicle drivers.
I call Tennesseeans to educate and become educated, that bicycle drivers are allowed and belong on the road.
I call for motor vehicle drivers to expect bicycle traffic.
I call for survivors of those killed, or those who survived their encounter with a motor vehicle while driving their bicycles to seek justice, either through criminal law or through civil law.
I call for bicycle drivers to ride defensively and courteously.
I call for bicycle drivers to continue to ride on roads that they're legally allowed to ride on.
I call for police officers and local governments to enforce laws equally between bicycles and motor vehicles.
I call for Tennessee to declare in law that bicycles are valid users of the roadway and should be treated as such.
I call for Alex Teach to be assigned to Chattanooga Bike Patrol, or teach bicycle safety and law for the remainder of his career.
More information that should be of interest if you've made it this far. Alex Teach's response after realizing that his job as a police officer is in jeopardy. He doesn't seem to want to learn the error in his ways.
Finally, on August 8, a group of concerned bicyclists (including myself) from across the state is convening in Nashville to form a statewide advocacy organization for walking and biking. This will hopefully be a catalyst to bring positive change in the environment we're currently dealing with. www.bikewalktn.org I'm sure we'll be talking to Kendell Poole and Mike Browning from TDOS about his suggestions to John Baker.
PS - I hope you didn't stumble upon my website after I was run over by a motor vehicle driver while I was legally driving my bicycle.
Most Recent Post: 12/13 07:32 by Anonymous [ Views:: 389 ]
Safe Bike Route for HWEN to Green Hills Mall Area
Tuesday, July 14 2009 @ 07:27 CDT Contributed by: patclem
I had a discussion with a non-bicycling friend several weeks ago about bicycling, Nashville bike facilities, and the feasibility of bicycling for something other than exercise. She was adamant that bicycles are impractical, stopping short of "bicycles shouldn't be on the road." And there are plenty of greenways and bike lanes that bicyclists should stick to, and stay off her roads. Interestingly, her husband, a former bicyclist, seemed to agree with her. At first I was furious. Then it dawned on me that this is the attitude that bicycling advocates have to overcome, and Tennesseans have to overcome to bring the state out of the bottom of every state rankings list. Anyhow, so I'm going to work on a series of ways Nashvillians can get from place to place, at least around the Hillsboro West End area as either a start or a finish area.
It's a shame to have a high population density in the area, and to have a road like Hillsboro Road that is so bicycle and pedestrian challenged. At the time of this writing, the road is under construction to be repaved and restriped to include a turn lane down the middle. The project is not including any bike/ped facilities whatsoever.
The graphic below shows a way to get safely from 23rd and Woodmont to the Green Hills Mall area, avoiding Hillsboro Road entirely.
Take Woodmont (with bike lanes from Harding Rd to Woodmont) east towards Hillsboro Road.
Just before the light, take a right into the church parking lot. Follow the parking lot parallel to Hillsboro Rd towards the mall.
Approaching Cavalry Church, there's a grass area separating the two churches. Get off and walk across the grass. Continue towards the mall.
There's a path between Cavalry and the Krystal parking lot.
From there, you become more "sidewalk friendly" and you should be able to safely navigate to anywhere in Green Hills. Suggestions? The two churches could install a sidewalk between the parking lots, allowing neighborhood pedestrians and bicyclists to safely connect. They could go as far as painting bicycle symbols to guide cyclists through the parking lots.
23rd and Woodmont is easy to get to from Natchez Trace, Woodlawn, Bowling, Hillsboro Village. An alternative route to the mall is to use Belmont, then cut down on Glen Echo.
One last note, I'm a pretty avid bicyclist. But since I first started riding, I've never seen a hill so steep I couldn't walk.
Most Recent Post: 08/27 01:24 by Anonymous [ Views:: 358 ]
Riding My Bike to Work
Tuesday, June 02 2009 @ 08:30 CDT Contributed by: patclem
A friend of mine sent me this cartoon. I hope it's not gonna get me a cease and desist or something because of copyrights. I'll take it off if someone has a problem I guess. But, Pat = Jeff.
Rode my bike to work today. For as much as I spout off advocacy stuff, I don't practice what I preach nearly as often as I should. I should ride my bike to work every day.
Took off at 6:30am this morning. It's 12 miles towards the lousy side of town - Antioch. I only say the lousy side of town because the area is populated with middle class "working" people, and the area is generally forgotten about when it comes to improvements like bike lanes, sidewalks, etc. I'll write about the Antioch sidewalk problems another time. Needless to say, my bike commute is fraught with challenges. So what's it like to ride your bike to work? I'll try to explain some of the sights, sounds, and general experiences on my commute. Hopefully I can make it as interesting as I can.
Early in the morning, I share the road with very few cars, drivers usually polite because they've left early enough to make their commute a low-stress activity. It's great to share the road with these early morning folks (I wish everyone trapped in their box would leave a little earlier.) I also share it with folks out walking their dogs. They say if your dog is too fat, you're not getting enough exercise. Refer to the cartoon above!
Ah, the smells. Things come and go into bloom. On a bicycle, you can breathe that sweet scented air. Sometimes it makes me sneeze, but no big deal. I can usually smell other things - cologne if someone drives by me with their window open. Remember, it's early and it's all fresh. I can also smell people smoking. Marlboro Light - reminds me of some parties, night clubs, playing pool. That was the brand my friends used to smoke (and probably still do.) I'm so glad I never started smoking. When it's really hot and I stop by a smoker in a car at a light, no good memories there. I feel sorry for them - stuck in their car with their addiction ruling a small part of their life. I guess our addiction to cars can be just as bad. Refer to the cartoon above! (you couldn't understand the connection, could you?)
I rode down Thompson. Most of it has really nice bike lanes. The thermo-something decals are pulling up. I heard they're $800 each, and I think Nashville or Tennessee should get their money back. It reminds me every time about an email conversation with the state Bike/Ped coordinator about them. I was hoping they'd be fixed by now.
I cut over to Antioch Pike near a church. It's a middle-class neighborhood again. A bicycle really slows you down to take in the sights! Several of the yards are filled with yard art. One has at least a dozen fake deer in the front yard. Do they love deer, do they love to hunt deer, or did their friends "deer graffiti" their yard? My grandmother was "ping flamingo'ed" once. Her front door was surrounded with pink flamingos when she got home. Someone put an old toilet in our landscape, complete with petunias planted in it. Donna was angry, I was completely tickled, and no one has fessed up to the prank yet. Maybe a deer drinking out of the toilet would make a nice presentation.
When I arrive onto Antioch, I pass at least three schools. That section of Antioch is four lanes through a residential neighborhood. On the far end on Nolensville, there's plenty of shopping. Very little traffic occupies the area. A center turn lane, then a "road diet" to add bike lanes would be a great thing for this road, a great thing for the Antioch community, and a great thing for my commuting route! Someone needs to turn those drain grates perpendicular to the bicycle tire. Someone is gonna get hurt, and it might be me?
I finally arrive in the parking lot at work. It's a downhill glide across a huge parking lot, and I pass by where I usually park my car. It's a great feeling. Usually the security guard will unlock the door for me to get in, since my badge is usually tucked away somewhere inconvenient. I get lots of questions too when I see folks in the morning when I'm coming or going. Someone thought my Campy freewheel sounded like I had cards in my spokes. Most common question is how far I ride, and then how long does it take me. I usually return the question in hopes that I can convince them to ride too. (see cartoon above.) Most of them commute 20 or 30 miles from their urban sprawl. I'm going to write some day about why population density is a good thing.
OK, I've been summonsed to the Tivo to see some funny stuff from the first show in the new timeslot. Get out and ride your bike. The more bicyclists out there, the safer it is for bicyclists in general. (see cartoon above.)
Most Recent Post: 06/25 11:12 by Anonymous [ Views:: 413 ]
Taking a Walk
Sunday, April 12 2009 @ 11:36 CDT Contributed by: patclem
Donna and I walked over to her sister's house on Saturday. It's easily less than two miles, but the route travels across I-440 overpass and continues on 21st Avenue. Along the way, we were nearly run over three times, one time I had to jump back because the driver was speeding through a corner, looking back at traffic, and didn't see me until I screamed at him.
It's amazing how drivers are oblivious to bicyclists and especially walkers. Nashvillians believe that people that aren't driving solely have a responsibility to watch out for themselves. I think every bicyclist and pedestrian does have a responsibility to be safe. But by law, it's just the opposite. But somehow in Tennessee, if you get run over, the incident will likely be documented as a terrible unavodable accident. Even Grand Juries tend to pass incidents off as tragic accidents. The only exception is the drunk driver that runs over a pedestrian or bicyclist.
Take David Meek - an experienced cyclist in Chattanooga run down by some truck driver that didn't see him. Didn't see him? that MF that drove that truck should NEVER drive again. I seriously hope David's family sues the driver and the company he drove for into bankruptcy.
http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9959220
This kind of injustice is not uncommon. This kind of behavior infuriates me - Traffic Justice must prevail. Citizens of Tennessee, I call on you to abandon your tolerance for this kind of injustice. I am so ashamed at old fashioned conservative ignorance. We must change the way people think. "Unavoidable accident" should be considered an oxymoron. All accidents are avoidable. Someone MUST be at fault.
Walkers are Bums or Lower Class Citizens - the common stereotype. I believe this is what most people think and I'll explain why. We were walking along 21st and I felt kind of funny - like people might think we didn't have a car, like maybe people thought we were walking because we couldn't afford a car, or we had lost our drivers license because we had a DUI or something. We had bags in our hands, so that probably reinforced the stereotype. Nashvillians think that if you're walking and you don't have exercise clothes on, you're at the bottom of the social food chain - can't afford a car, can't afford a bus ticket, you must have just gotten out of jail. I believe that THIS is the reason people don't walk. This has to change.
More Info:
http://bikeportland.org/2009/03/11/seeking-a-national-legal-standard-for-cyclists-right-to-the-road/
http://commuteorlando.com/wordpress/2008/11/25/traffic-justice/
http://www.bikewalk.org/tji.php
I guess readers can see that I've gotten pretty big into photography. It's another good way to combine my favorite sports and activities with yet another challenge. I've carried my DSLR across Iowa on my bike in my handlebar bag. I've hiked miles deep into Walls of Jericho with all my lenses and my full size tripod (what was I thinking on that one?) I have a waterproof case so I can take it canoeing or kayaking. 
Take David Meek - an experienced cyclist in Chattanooga run down by some truck driver that didn't see him. Didn't see him? that MF that drove that truck should NEVER drive again. I seriously hope David's family sues the driver and the company he drove for into bankruptcy.