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Saranac Lake Man Makes US Olympic Luge Team


Left to right: Chris Mazdzer (Silver), Felix Loch (Gold), Dominik Fischnaller (Bronze) after the December 6th World Cup men’s singles luge at Whistler, B.C. Mazdzer finished in second place. (Picture courtesy of International Luge Federation.)

Chris Mazdzer, a luge sled racer from Saranac Lake, secured his place on the US team for the Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia that open in February while competing in Winterberg, Germany at the end of November. I was able to ask Mr. Mazdzer some questions after he finished in second place on December 6th at the World Cup men’s singles luge at Whistler, B.C.

Mazdzer, who hails from Saranac Lake, should be back in the North Country for the holidays. The USA Olympic luge team nominees were recently announced but Mazdzer’s top finishes in World Cup races guarantee him a spot on the team. He will use two World Cup races in North America in December and four in Europe in January as a warm-up for his second Olympic games. Mazdzer is a veteran of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, where he finished 13th.

Below is my interview with him.

How do you feel knowing that you’ve secured a place on the 2014 Olympic Team?

Knowing that I have already guaranteed a spot on the 2014 Olympic Team was an incredible sense of relief. The sport of luge is timed to the thousandth of a second and most race fields are within a second of the leader. There are variables that can happen and situations that can arise when sliding down a mile long ice track that can easily drop an athlete back towards the back of the field. Securing a spot on the team has allowed me to focus more on the process as opposed to the result. I can now think “how can this track help me prepare for Sochi” as opposed to concentrating specifically on that track.

As you wrap up the World Cup events before the Olympics, what are your goals?

My specific goal for the World Cups leading up to the Olympics is to be ranked in the top 12 athletes. During the Olympics the top ranked 12 athletes will go first in the order and this is a significant advantage. If there is any kind of precipitation or warm weather the first athletes will have the fastest ice and an overall advantage.

What goes through your head while competing?

I would have to say that there are three components to this question. First, about 10 to 15 minutes before the actual run I am constantly doing pre-run visualizations and going over exactly what I am going to do. I find that during this step I am nervous, excited and sometimes feel uncertain as to what exactly is going to happen. Second, about 2 minutes before I go down I clear my head and try not to concentrate on the run because when going down the track everything happens so fast that if you are thinking you may be reacting too slow. Finally, when going down the track I am focused 100% on every little detail that is happening, I am just trying to let my instincts take over and focus on keeping good position and reacting to how the sled feels underneath me. In total, I find that I try to build myself up so I can feel the adrenaline kicking through my body, focus on exactly what I have to do and then try let everything go and be in the moment.

What will be unique for you about the Sochi Olympics?

The Sochi Olympics will be unique for me in the sense that this time I will be the highest ranked US Luge athlete competing. In Vancouver I had two experienced teammates that helped guide me through the process and take the pressure off. The role has been reversed this time around and I will be the experienced athlete at the Olympics for luge.

Any words for you Adirondack fans?

I first want to thank everyone who has supported me over the years and also want to tell everyone to go out and enjoy the Winter. The Adirondack’s are one of the only places in the country the breathes Winter Olympic Sports and I want to encourage every child and adult to go out into the winter and have fun !!!

Chris, I can safely say that we’ll be rooting for you in the 2014 Olympics!

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Saturday Quote

Brooks’s law
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brooks’s law is a principle in software development which says that “adding manpower to a late software project makes it later”. It was coined by Fred Brooks in his 1975 book The Mythical Man-Month. The corollary of Brooks’s Law is that there is an incremental person who, when added to a project, makes it take more, not less time. Brooks adds that “Nine women can’t make a baby in one month”.

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Washington County GE Plant to Close

This week it was reported that the The General Electric plant on Route 4 in Fort Edward is slated for closure. GE announced its intent to move capacitor production to Clearwater, Fla. This is part of a larger national trend where businesses and people are flocking to low tax states.

A new book, How Money Walks – How $2 Trillion Moved Between the States, and Why It Matters by Travis Brown offers hard data on the economic contest among the states.

Brown uses official IRS statistics to produce hard data about the massive movement of American working wealth within the country. Between 1995 and 2010, the nine states with no personal income taxes gained $146.2 billion in working wealth. The nine states with the highest personal income tax rates lost $107.4 billion. The 10 states with the lowest per capita state-local tax burdens gained $69.9 billion. The 10 states with the highest per capita state-local tax burdens lost $139 billion. Simply put money, businesses, and people moved from high-tax to low-tax states.

And the tax that seemed to matter the most? The personal income tax. The states with no income taxes gained the greatest wealth, while the states with the highest income taxes lost the most.

Mr. Brown is on a national speaking tour promoting his book, which is highlighted in the video below.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmMYORkU-No

Sadly, New York state is one of the states losing jobs, businesses, and income due to it’s high tax status.

Mr. Brown’s website has a “Money Walks App” which lets users track by state, not only how income is shifting, which jurisdictions are benefiting.
http://www.howmoneywalks.com/web-app/

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A Visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania

September 11, 2001 has been chronicled by many, but the Pennsylvania field where so many heroic people died on Flight 93, fighting against terrorism, is a place which now has national significance.

One of my resolutions from this past year was to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, PA. On a trip to Pittsburgh on a clear December day last year, I was able to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial. On this 12th anniversary of the attacks of September 11th, I thought it fitting to share my pictures from that visit.

Below are my photos with captions (click to see full-scale).


As you exit the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you immediately find yourself in the mountains of Western Pa.


The road is a quiet country drive through the mountains. This shot was taken looking south toward the state of Maryland.


The sign for the Memorial from the road.


Once you enter, the road continues for about a mile into the Memorial.


A timeline of the events that occurred on Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.


The crew and passengers aboard Flight 93.


The Memorial was originally a mining operation. On the day of September 11th, there were workers on heavy equipment working on the site.


The area surrounding the Memorial as it looks today.


The visitors center is located near the parking lot. One walks from the visitors center into the Memorial.


The names of the victims are inscribed on the Memorial.


The actual crash site is off-limits but can be seen from the Memorial.


The stone marks the spot where Flight 93 crashed. The area without tall grass shows the flight path.


The crash site.


The walk back to the visitors center.

Eternal rest, grant unto them O Lord
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls and all the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

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Bits of Everything

Village of Lake George to Allow Taller Buildings

The Post Star looks at a big zoning change in Lake George Village.

NY Sec’y of State Christens New Lake George Wetlands

Denton Publications reports on the new man-made wetlands.

Woman Who Died From Rabies Wasn’t Advised That Bats Could Pose Risk

The Huffington Post looks at a 2011 death caused by a rabid bat bite.

NY Post Opinion: Humans Unwelcome

NY Post Columnist Bob McManus opines on economic issues facing the Adirondack Park.

Movie Trailer for: Twelve Years a Slave

Here is the trailer for the new movie, Twelve Years a Slave, which recounts the story of Solomon Northup from Saratoga Springs. The release date is set for October 2013.

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Grant’s Cottage: Great Nearby Trip


Grant’s Cottage, the summer home where President Ulysses S. Grant died, is located in nearby Wilton, NY. Wilton is south of Glens Falls.

In so far as July 23, 2013, is the 128th anniversary of the death of President Ulysses S. Grant, I thought I would do a post on the local cottage in which he died.

“Ulysses S. Grant Cottage” is a state historic site located on Mt. McGregor in the town of Wilton.

Grant died of throat cancer at the age of 63 in Mt. McGregor and finished his memoirs at the cottage, which were highly regarded by the general public, military historians and literary critics.

From Huletts, it is only about an hour’s ride. It is well marked and only about two miles from the Northway exit. It is only open for tours on the weekend though. It is located adjacent to Mt. McGregor state prison. So close in fact, I could see the inmates almost 100 feet away behind the prison fence.


Grant spent his last days at the cottage completing his memoirs.

Without giving too much away, the cottage today remains essentially the same as during Grant’s stay. Visitors tour the downstairs of the cottage, viewing the original furnishings, decorations, and personal items belonging to Grant, including the bed where he died. A short walk down a path, brings you to a spectacular view.


Today, the cottage remains essentially the same as it was during Grant’s stay.

I enjoyed the easy trip and the spectacular view. For anyone who loves American history, it’s a fun day outing!

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President Obama’s Statement on the Boston Bombers

“One thing we do know is that whatever hateful agenda drove these men to such heinous acts will not — cannot — prevail. Whatever they thought they could ultimately achieve, they’ve already failed. They failed because the people of Boston refused to be intimidated. They failed because, as Americans, we refused to be terrorized. They failed because we will not waver from the character and the compassion and the values that define us as a country. Nor will we break the bonds that hold us together as Americans.”

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The Boys of Summer are Back Tonight


The view from the Orioles dugout at Camden Yards in Baltimore.


Another view looking toward home plate and the visitors dugout.

(Click pictures to see full-scale.)

This evening is the official opening of the 2013 Major League baseball season. It’s always great when baseball season starts up again because you know that summer is getting close.

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And the Least Free State in America, is…

George Mason University’s Mercatus Center just released the third edition of their comprehensive “Freedom in the Fifty States” study, ranking “the American states based on how their policies promote freedom in the fiscal, regulatory, and personal realms.”

North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma took the top five freedom spots, while Rhode Island, Hawaii, New Jersey, California, and New York came in 46th through last place.

(Mouse-over a state to see it’s ranking.)

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Blizzard Nemo Update

Saturday: 3:15 PM

Looks like the final snowfall total is between 7 to 8 inches in Huletts. This isn’t particularly bad when you consider how other parts of the northeast got hit. It was reported locally that Hudson Falls got 6.5 inches, while Nemo dumped 19-inches of new snow on Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, N.Y.

Saturday: 6:30 AM

Snow has stopped falling. Will post pictures and snowfall totals later today. Wind blowing hard from the North.

Friday: 6:15 PM

About 6 inches on the ground now. Winds have picked up considerably from the Northeast.

Friday: 2:15 PM

It’s been snowing since about 7:00 a.m. this morning, with about 2 to 3 inches on the ground already. Snow is coming down heavy at this time.

I received the following from National Grid:

Outage reporting hotline – Call 1-800-867-5222 to report an outage.

Text messages – Customers can receive text message alerts by texting the word STORM to NGRID (64743). Customers can opt out at any time by texting the word STOP to NGRID (64743).

Find us on Facebook or Twitter to connect with us and other customers. You can also view images from the field, get safety tips and the latest updates on our restoration efforts.
Remember, if your power goes out, you can access our mobile website by going to nationalgrid.com on your mobile phone. There you will be able to report outages, check the status of your outage, view outage maps, view important messages and access safety tips.

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Congratulations to the Ravens


Baltimore Raven’s head coach, John Harbaugh (right) with some of our nation’s wounded veterans.

Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens on their Super Bowl victory but what really makes them champions is their support for wounded veterans. They honor “wounded warriors” on the field at every game, pack backpacks for the wounded and their players even join wounded veterans at Under Armour’s Baltimore area headquarters for workouts. Congratulations to the Baltimore Raven’s on their Super Bowl win, and thanks for being champion supporters of our nation’s veterans.

In case you missed it, here is the Public Service Announcement that played during the Super Bowl featuring our nation’s veterans and “Wounded Warrior Project.” Many thanks to CBS for donating the time for the spot.

httpv://youtu.be/MVvcM1zEYGg

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New York Employers Pay More

Received this bit of news today:

As of November 2012, several states had outstanding Unemployment Federal loans. As a result, employers in these states will see an increase in their FUTA taxes.

According to the IRS and Dept of Labor, New York is one of these states:

Generally, employers may receive a credit of 5.4% when they file their Form 940 (PDF), Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, to result in a net FUTA tax rate of 0.6% (6.0% – 5.4% = 0.6%).

Some states take Federal Unemployment Trust Fund loans from the federal government if they lack the funds to pay UI benefits for residents of their states. If a state has outstanding loan balances on January 1 for two consecutive years, and does not repay the full amount of its loans by November 10 of the second year, the FUTA credit rate for employers in that state will be reduced until the loan is repaid.

Thus, New York employers will pay 0.6% more thanks to “New York State having Title XII advance balances on January 1 of at least two consecutive years and on November 10, 2012, and did not qualify for credit reduction avoidance.”

These vagabond shoes are longing to stray.

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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: 2013

“I’ve seen too much hate to want to hate, myself, and every time I see it, I say to myself, hate is too great a burden to bear. Somehow we must be able to stand up against our most bitter opponents and say: We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will and we will still love you…. But be assured that we’ll wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom. We will not only win freedom for ourselves; we will appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.”

Martin Luther King Jr.
A Christmas Sermon for Peace on Dec 24, 1967