Finally, aside from being a good yarn and an inexpensive one, The Road To Winterhaven is the first book published by one of your fellow commenters – a regular at Saabs United in the old days who went by the name of JFan; real name – Geoff Nolan.
As someone who writes for pleasure and aspires to put a book together one day, I found myself inspired by Geoff Nolan’s work. I tried to picture myself putting a story into words, as he has done here. I found myself admiring his dedication, courage and honesty because the process must have been a lot more personal that I’d previously imagined it to be.
The story is set in the late 1920’s. The central character in The Road to Winterhaven is a man named De Angelis, who arrives in Winterhaven in the middle of winter to find a town missing two things. The first thing missing is hope because the town has just been sold to a young megolamaniac entrepreneur, a sort of local-boy-made-good-but-turned-bad who’s determined to throw all the residents out and use Winterhaven as one end of a trans-continental American highway.
The second thing missing is a church and our hero sees that building one might restore the other. What follows is an Amish-style building effort to get the church built in just a few days. All the while we’re introduced to a cast of characters that end up with a lot more depth and dimension than I expected.
I grew up in a very churchy environment, one that I separated from around 10 years ago. I’m no longer a practicing Christian, nor a believer, and I’m comfortable with that. Because of my own background, I found a few of the spiritual overtones in the book a little too much at times. They didn’t make me uncomfortable but they did make me a little cynical, if only for a short time. Perhaps the best compliment that I can pay to Geoff is to say that the story and the characters overcame my cynicism and I still managed to thoroughly enjoy reading this first effort.
You can view Geoff Nolan’s website here. The links above will lead you sites where you can purchase and download the book.
I guess I’m not over this yet. I am NOT going to immerse myself in gun control or the gun culture, but this has been playing more and more on my mind as I’ve looked further into the issue. So I’ve still got one or two things to get out of my system. This one’s more about Australia than the US.
Quite a few people have offered the “why don’t they ban cars?” line in the gun control debate. Cars have been used as lethal weapons in some instances with courts deciding that the intent to kill was indeed deliberate. It’s quite a small number of cases compared to gun deaths, but it happens.
However, I think the car argument is a diversion in the debate on gun control. Pro-gun people seem to want to talk about one of these two issues only if you talk about the other as well, as if they’re inextricably linked. They’re not. They CAN and should be debated separately as one has nothing to do with the other.
People do use cars the wrong way, though. Here’s an Australian example shown on one of our current affairs TV shows late last year. The following video is truly scary stuff. The video goes for just over 8 minutes and I’d urge you to watch it all.
——
Pro-gun people in Australia would like to see freer access to firearms. Some would like to see access to semi-automatic weapons and/or concealed carry laws introduced.
Sooooooooo, imagine the guy in the black ute with a gun. In fact, imagine both of these guys carrying guns.
It’s New Year’s Day and that means some of us will make a few resolutions, either sincere or otherwise. Last year I made some Un-resolutions – things that I resolved not to do in the new year. This year, I’m refraining from hardcore resolutions once again, but I do have a few personal goals to pursue in 2013.
Mind
Do my job better
I’m OK at my job, but if I’m speaking fairly and honestly, it has suffered over the last 5 or 6 years as I got more and more into writing about Saaby things. Actually, just things in general. Both I and my workplace would probably benefit if I were to engage a bit more. Then again, my job can be repetitive and boring as hell, so maybe we’d all be better off if I looked elsewhere.
I’ll give re-engaging a go, first.
Build PJ’s business
My wife is an aspiring artist working as a teacher. She’d like to change that but of course, there are plenty of starving artists out there in the world already and I’ve encouraged her away from adding to that number.
She does wonderful work, though, and more and more people are beginning to enjoy it. I think we have some good ideas for building her business over the next few years. It’s going to be fun to see what we can do with that.
Make some movies
Petrolicious has been inspiring me lately. I’ve got a bunch of GoPros and microphones. It’s time I got more familiar with using them.
Body
Continue at ZAP
I joined a brilliant 24 hour gym during 2012. It’s called ZAP and going there has become a bit of a ritual through the last four months or so of the year.
Anyone who’s known me for a long time knows that I have had a pretty rotten diet since…. well, forever. When I stopped playing basketball (and stated blogging) around 2005, weight become more and more of an issue. I’ve loved every minute of my time writing and plan to continue, but I guess I’m getting more balanced now that the Saab situation has reached what is, for me, a mostly sad resolution.
I started the journey at 120kg and have lost close to 10 of those in the last few months. I haven’t changed my diet deliberately and I haven’t pushed myself in any particular direction. I want this process to be as natural as possible so that it’s sustainable. It’s working, too. I’ve cut down on the bad foods quite naturally. I simply just don’t want them so much anymore.
The next goal is to get to 100kg and then we’ll see where things go from there. 90kg would be ideal given my height.
Smoking
I want to quit during 2013 and again, I’m trying to make this as natural as possible, too, so that it sticks. This is going to be the tough one.
Liari asked about the electronic cigarettes in comments the other day. I still have them, though I haven’t used them much. Hopefully they’ll be a help (sooner rather than) later in the year.
Soul
The year of family and friends
I’m a lousy friend. I’m hopeless at keeping in touch with people and feel rather awkward around people I don’t know. I don’t suffer fools easily and find conversation too difficult if it’s not about something I’m really interested in.
I’d like to get better at all those things because I love my family and friends and want to see more of them.
The year of the Beatles
The Beatles made 12 studio albums and whilst I’ve heard their music over and over through my 42 years, I’ve only ever owned a taped copy of Abbey Road, many years ago. That changed at about 1am this morning when I bought Please Please Me on iTunes.
I’m going to add one album a month going from the beginning of their career to the end and I’m really looking forward to it.
The year of the road trip
We were going to tour the US, then it got hard to secure enough time off to do it properly. We were going to tour just one side of the US, then we started thinking…..
We’ll now most likely keep our money here in Australia and see more of the country we actually live in. The east coast is looking good…..
After 5 years or so of travelling around the world on Saaby trips, I’d also like to spend more time just getting to know the island I live on a bit better. There are some beautiful spots here in Tasmania and it’s all to easy to neglect the place where you live.
Road trips need a car
I will undoubtedly change cars this year. I always do. The Alfa’s absolutely wonderful but it will most likely be moved on later in the year to make room for another car from my automotive bucket list.
I have a few ideas as to what might take its place and if one of them comes to fruition then it’ll be the biggest automotive purchase of my life so far.
And yes, sad as some may see it, cars are part of the soul equation for me.
Do Something
With the exception of PJ’s art goals, all of this is has been personal “me” stuff. 2005-2011 was all about Saab for me and 2012 was a transition away from that. It’s about time I did something to make a contribution to the community that I live in.
I’m not sure what that’ll look like, but there’s got to be some community organisation out there that could do with a grumpy old man and another pair of hands.
——
That’s a reasonable list to aim for, isn’t it? Nothing too onerous but plenty to look forward to. I hope (and think) it’s all achievable.
What are you aiming for in 2013? It’s very fashionable to treat the idea of resolutions and goals as a bit of a joke at this time of year but secretly, I think we all have something in mind that we want to achieve.
Feel free to share yours here (or not).
Either way, I hope you had a fruitful 2012. Thanks for visiting here and reading my occasional stuff and I wish you every success in 2013. As always, I hope it’s much better than the year that’s gone before.
Did you make any New Year Resolutions on January 1 this year? If so, how did you go with them?
I made a few Un-Resolutions – things I determined NOT to do in 2012. Let’s see how I went as we count down to 2013.
——
I will not buy an iPhone or an iPad. – FAIL.
I did resist the iPhone urge when it came to getting my first smartphone – I bought a Sony-Ericsson Xperia instead. BUT…… I have to confess that I did buy an iPad through the year.
In my defence, there was a genuine need for one as Mrs Swade and I had a project planned, one that would be published on iPad. Therefore we need one of these trendy machines to test the book once it’s ready.
As it happens, that project’s on the backburner and the iPad is only used as an e-reader.
——
I will not compromise on the car I buy this year – PASS
I bought my Alfa Romeo GTV6 earlier in the year and in doing so, fulfilled one of my many automotive dreams. It’s been fantastic fun. I know I haven’t written about it much on this site, but last week I took possession of a box full of new video equipment……. 🙂
I intend to avoid compromise when I replace it, too, hopefully towards the later part of 2013.
——
I will not submit to the scourge of internet snark – PASS
I’m pretty pleased with the way this website has turned out during 2012. It’s been a trying year in many ways, one that’s involved plenty of forced adjustment in a post-Saab era. I’m pleased to say that I’ve done my best to keep things interesting without pouring snark on anything or anyone and the discussion component of this site has been similarly respectful, even in times when you and I might disagree.
That’s not to say it’s been completely smooth sailing.
I was severely disappointed with the reception my NEVS interview received in certain corners of the internets. It was an honest effort and an honest appraisal and I don’t think it deserved the scorn it received from some. On the other hand, whilst I disagree with many on this site about the value of US gun culture, we still managed a pretty respectful – if occasionally heated – discussion on the issue.
——
I will not neglect my family anymore – (Comparative) PASS
I’ve certainly had more family time this year, which has been great. I’m sure that I can still use it better in the future, however.
Maybe it’s an indication of just how absorbed I was in that Saab world that there’s still room for improvement. Or maybe there’s simply always room for improvement.
One to keep working on.
——
I will not die – PASS
Well, you’re reading this, right? The Mayans tried, but failed, and I managed to hang around long enough for another circling of the sun.
Actually, there’s more to tell on this one. More time for non-Saaby things has meant I’ve had time to join a gym – an excellent 24-hour gym that’s both reasonably priced and very well equipped. I’m feeling better than I have felt for 5 years or more and am closing in on 10 kilos lost, with a goal for losing at least 10 kilos more.
I’ve still got plenty to do on the health front, but 2012 was a good start.
——
So that’s how I did. There’s a lot more to life than that and over all, 2012 has been a year of transition for me. I know it’s been a bit of weird year for others, too, but hopefully it’s been a successful one for you.
How did you go with your goals for 2012 and will you be setting new ones for 2013?
This is not a political site and I don’t intend to prolong the talk on US gun laws here, though I do intend to follow what happens closely in my own personal time. I thought it fitting, however, to present a few final thoughts on the issue borne out of the discussion that started yesterday in this post.
Firstly, I want to acknowledge everyone’s input and thank all but one of you for participating in a civil way. I also want to acknowledge that my post was written in the heat of the moment with a fair amount of passion and featured a proposition that is not workable in the real world.
People in the US have guns – a lot of them. The estimate I’ve read this week is that there are around 280 million firearms in the US, with only around 3 million of those in the hands of the military and less than 1 million in the hands of the police (to be fair, the military also have other, more effective hardware at their disposal).
As a few commenters have noted, any legislation made today is going to see a lot of guns being hidden, buried underground for years only to be dug up later on. If change is going to happen then it will need to be founded on cultural change, which is a lot harder to do. It implies a desire on the part of the people themselves to change and as we saw in comments, that doesn’t exist in everyone.
There are a few positions being taken that I honestly can’t understand. I’ve seen these both on this site and elsewhere:
You all know why I’m writing this now: the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut. I’ve never heard of the place but I don’t need to. There are small towns all over America, England, Sweden, China and Australia that are just like it, I’m sure.
I’m probably going to put the noses of a few American friends out of joint with this one. That’s OK. I choose to remain silent every time I hear them talk/write about the virtues of gun ownership and the 2nd Amendment. I don’t argue with them, even though I disagree. I know that it’ll cause a bunfight that no-one will win.
I thought about remaining silent this time, too, but the tragedy in this case is so wretched, so deep and so needless that I felt I had to say something. Put it this way – when considering the do-I or don’t-I question, I felt like I had to come up with a reason more compelling than “it’ll annoy some friends.”
The right to bear arms is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the US Constitution:
A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
This amendment was passed in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights. Let me be brief: they should chuck this old, antiquated sucker of law out and only allow firearms in the hands of those who genuinely need them. And in the case of those who claim to need them but are outside law enforcement or the military, they should satisfy a test proving they’re capable of responsibly handling them.
However, owning a gun also requires one to follow standard protocols in handling and keeping it safe. This might avoid an unnecessary events of theft or misuse by kids or others at home. It is also important to keep the working condition of the arm; maintenance is crucial in this process. Following all these safety measures might guarantee that the arms and the owner abided by law and order.
There is absolutely no reason for regular citizens to have guns.
Military? Yes.
Law enforcement? Yes.
National Guard? Yes. Under conditions.
Farmers? Yes. Under conditions.
Sporting Shooters? Yes. Under strict conditions.
Why else do regular citizens need access to guns? And why the hell do they need access to high powered rifles and access to semi-automatic weapons capable of shooting tens or even hundreds of rounds per minute? Why should you be able to buy them over the counter at Wal-Mart, or receive them when you open a bank account or buy a car? It’s just nuts.
Our US road trip plans have to be re-thought. Mrs Swade can’t get all the time off that we need in order to do the coast-to-coast trip.
What to do?
Well, we’re thinking of doing two shorter trips instead. East one year, West the other.
This means some potential changes in terms of our vehicle choices. Staying on one side of the country means that we can start and finish in the same place. We could now use a rental car without having to pay a fee for returning it on the other side of the country. Much more affordable.
Of course, we can still buy and sell. It’s just that we’d most likely be best advised to store the car and use it for both trips, a year or so apart. It’s a long time to have cash tied up in a vehicle, but it could still work out in our favour if we choose wisely.
Lots to think about.
Of course, it also means we have to select a route. We’ll be doing the East first. New England is a big drawcard, especially as we’ll be travelling in the early autumnal months. I’m anticipating we’ll travel as far west as Minnesota and as far south as Tennessee. I’m not sure there’ll be enough time to head much further south (maybe we’ll have to do a third trip!)
The Blue Ridge Parkway is another major attraction and one that’ll take us back towards DC and New York after our stop in Tennessee.
Our will be in the ‘fall’, as you folks like to call it. Unfortunately our likely dates rule out attending Swedish Car Day in Boston towards the end of August, which is a major pain. I’m sure there’ll be a Saab gathering on somewhere, however.
Any Eastern-US touring suggestions would be most welcome.
I don’t normally touch on politics here. It’s not usually the place. But the US elections are nearly as big as the Olympics now and if you live in a country with electricity, then you can’t ignore the vote that’s happening in the US, starting later today.
I don’t want to get into the whole Red vs Blue thing here (so don’t!) but the polls are said to be very, very close. In fact, we could end up with another 2000 scenario where the guy who gets the most votes doesn’t win the prize.
Rather than talk about the candidates, I thought I’d ask about the system.
The system, in this case, means the electoral college system. Those unfamiliar with that system should check out the link but in basic terms, it gives states a say in who gets elected based on a proportional allocation of votes. States with a small population get a small say. Big states get a big say.
Coverage here in Australia has included some history on the electoral college system. I don’t know if they got it right, but they say the founding fathers in the US set it up that way because they didn’t really trust the people to make a sound decision directly. So they set up the college system so that representatives of the people would cast their state’s votes according to the people’s wishes.
In my mind, the guy who wins the most votes should win the job.
The college model seems to make it easy for candidates to forget about certain states and only spend time in ‘swing states’ trying to win votes. It’s an insult to both swing and non-swing states to have these guys either paying them extra-special attention or no attention at all.
Here in Australia, things are different (and not in a good way).
We don’t have a President. We’re still tied to the empire’s apron strings and can’t trust ourselves to have an Australian head of state. (Our last referendum on the issue was in 1999 and was soundly defeated).
Instead, we have a Prime Minister but we don’t get to vote directly for that person. At least in the USA you get to vote for the leadership candidates through the primary system. In Australia, we vote for our local member to represent us in the parliament, a person who is usually aligned to a party. The party with the most seats in the lower house gets to form government. Before all this happens, however, the party elects the leader, who’ll be the public face of the party machine both during the election and, of course, in either government or opposition.
One of the elements of this system that’s caused a lot of frustration here in Australia is that the parties are allowed to change leaders at any time. In 2007, Australians voted in huge numbers for the Labor Party under the leadership of a guy named Kevin Rudd. Mr Rudd’s Labor colleagues got sick of him, his abrasive manner and tireless work ethic, and after a few years and they ousted him and installed our first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. To have a sitting Prime Minister with a huge mandate cut off at the knees didn’t go down well and Labor has been struggling ever since, currently presiding over a venomous hung parliament.
I don’t know if there’ll be an appetite for another referendum here in Australia about becoming a republic. If there was, and if it was successful, then I’d like to be able to vote directly for the person who’s going to be leading the country.
On the eve of a US election where the popular winner might be the presidential loser, would such a system serve the US better as well?
Wouldn’t it be better to make these people work for every vote, not just votes in the swing states? Wouldn’t it be better if a republican vote in New York was worth the same as a democrat vote there? If a democrat vote in Texas carried the same weight as a republican vote in California? Isn’t that the way it should be – earn every vote.
——
If I were the almighty, I’d also put a complete ban on political advertising on television. There are enough ways to communicate with people in 2012 that you can leave one medium alone.
But that’s another matter.
——
Feel free to discuss.
But remember, we’re talking about the system, not the candidates here. I have friends on both sides of the political fence and I don’t want anyone feeling uncomfortable or agitated discussing this. I don’t care what side of the fence people are on.
I’m just interested in whether the system is broken and whether there’s a better way.
I’m sure this will change as we look into things more, but this covers what we’d like to see so far. It doesn’t include some trips off-track to visit people, either. Just the basics.
5,500 miles, according to the boffins at Google. Ay Carumba!
——
We might have to make some choices here.
E.g. Can we do both Colorado and Wyoming? If we need to choose, which one?
And how does this route change the vehicle choices we have to make?
Just a quick tip for any English types who’d like to see how Australians play football, there’ll be a game on at The Oval this weekend.
Port Adelaide will be playing against the Western Bulldogs in an exhibition game organised by the Australian Football League. Both are bona fide teams within the competition here, so this isn’t a bunch of bozos from the bush you’d be seeing. These guys will be contesting the premiership here in Australia next year.
Having said that, if the AFL had a relegation zone then these two teams would have been very close to it last year, and they’ll be resting some of their star players for this game. Still, it should be a good show featuring some genuine players of the future.
There’ll be no rolling around on the ground clutching a lower leg while pretending to scream with pain (unless, of course, the leg is broken and causing genuine pain). It might just be a refreshing change for you poms to see some real physical competition 🙂
The Elastoplast AFL European Challenge
Saturday November 3
Kia Oval
1pm JLT All-Stars v Continent
3.30pm Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide
Tickets are on sale now at www.kiaoval.com Adults £20 / Children £5.
——
You won’t see footy of this quality there, but you’ll still see some good football.
