Eccentric Gears

My family moved just before I started high school so I didn't know anyone when classes started. However, I soon discovered a small group of close friends via the class-clown method. They were class clowns and oddballs which, just so happens, matched the exact type of friends I was looking for. Remarkably enough, they had the same types of interests I had too. Photography, astronomy, hiking, travelling, motocross, etc. We became friends then and are still close friends today even though our jobs have taken us physically distant from each other. As a matter of fact, my friend Joe is more than just a friend to me. He is really like a brother. We all used to hang out at his house and his parents were like surrogates to me. I loved his Mom and, since my Dad died when I was nine years old, his Dad was my surrogate. He'd probably be happy to know that I stole some of his mannerisms and used them when I became a parent ...... and they still worked !!! Anyway, together we tortured teachers and administration in school, had many great adventures, and travelled far and wide. It was nice to find another group of close friends. In junior high there was a group of us that were also close friends. We also tortured teachers and administration (stories to follow at some point). We started an underground newspaper to compete with the sanitized school paper, and, as we prepared to graduate eighth grade and move on to high school, the teachers got together and voted on which students would be doctors or lawyers, which would be married or have careers, etc.
I was voted most likely to be arrested for starting campus riots. I liked the ring of that.
Of course, it was all done as a joke and we all loved it. We presented one teacher
with a jar of 'Perlmutter Peanut Butter," another with a booklet entitled "The Fairmont West Virginia Reader," and just generally had fun with several others. Now, teachers can't do anything without being sued. I just read about some whiner kid and his family who were "deeply hurt" and "wounded" when the teachers at his school voted him to be something goofy. Dorks. We used to have fun teasing our teachers and they teased us. Now, if a teacher says anything that is not white bread pure and respectable, some moron will sue them and the school system. This is all fallout from the self absorbed, selfish, "I'm more important than anything in the World," protected jackasses that currently make up most of our country. I'll be ranting about those jerks later because I am digressing badly from the story. So .... I had a wonderful time in junior high and the last part of elementary school because of my close knit group of friends and it was nice to be accepted into a new group just as close in high school.
Thanks my friends. I owe you much more than you know.

On the Siding

Strange as it may seem by the name, I am also a strong supporter of martial arts.  I am webmaster and actually host several sites for local schools. I have been a student of both Tae Kwan Do - Tang Soo Do and Shotokan Karate.  I like the basic philosophy, the respect and discipline, and the great physical exercise.  I have a deep respect and friendship with several of my Sensei and consider those some great lifelong friendships. However, I will say to all of the martial arts organizations out there that I am very disappointed by the fragmentation of martial arts.  Just like in the old warrior days, every school, every organization, every teacher seems to consider his/her little fiefdom as some sacred domain.  If one is a member of one organization you can't be recognized by another.  If I practice one style I will be admonished if I go somewhere else to practice another.  Yet, martial arts schools complain about not having enough people to pay the bills.  When will all the martial arts organizations realize that it is to their advantage, and a boon to the students, to combine their efforts and end the petty bickering over kingdoms. Just because the orientals did it 150 years ago doesn't mean it is a good thing, or a relevant thing, in today's world.  Remember, they used to kill each other over this crap. You may be just killing yourselves. Why don't you get together and do something to help all of the martial arts students, and potential students, instead of stroking your own egos? I bow and leave.

What's the Moniker Mean

I am an avid traveler and enjoy meeting many interesting people. This post is named "The Hobo's Ramblings" because I was appointed to be a Grand Duke of Hoboes for life by one of the greatest Kings of the Hoboes ever, Steamtrain Maury Graham. I became a friend of Maury's in the 1980's and, although we had lost touch with each other, I still considered him a good friend and a wonderful personality. I was very saddened last year when he died. I was officially dubbed "Black River Blondie" in Britt, Iowa by my hobo friends. I've pretty much shortened it to "Black River" though, particularly as the blonde turns much more grey. My friend Joe and I read about the "King of the Hoboes" in an old Reader's Digest article and decided we HAD to meet this dude. We packed up our stuff, went out to the Catoctin Colorfest in Maryland and tracked him down. Met him, talked, hit it off right away. He invited us to come out to Britt for the annual Hobo Convention and, that August, we made our first trek. A great experience. Went back several more times and got to stay in the "jungle" with my friends and learn a lot about the "good old days" and the "bad old days" on the steamtrains. I'll never forget it. We were even filmed and interviewed for the TV show "Real People" (that dates me doesn't it) but the interviews were cut from the final show .... damn ... there goes my 15 minutes of fame. We are visible in the background though and it was fun to see ourselves on TV. But that's what the name means to me and why I chose it. I'll try to use that as the theme to many of the ramblings.

Hoppin' the Freight

I question why I'm doing this.  Mine is an ordinary life and I've always thought it is fairly self-centered for all of these people to be out on the internet chronicling every second of their dull lives. I don't intend to do that here.  I'm not going to whine about doing yardwork or report how I feel every 15 minutes.  This blog will be added to randomly.  I've had some interesting experiences in my life, and known some interesting people, and I'd like to relate those stories and talk about those people here.  Also, I am fairly opinionated about the current level of stupidity and arrogance in the US at this time and I plan to speak my mind as the spirit moves me.  If I review this at some point and think, "What an ass I am," that will be the end of it.  If I think I'm leaving something someone may enjoy, other than a minute by minute account of the last time I took a crap, I'll continue and leave it.  We'll see.