Thunder Road Magazine of Iowa December 2022

Well, we are closing the door on ol’ 2022 at the end of the month. How in the hell did it happen that we have had 11 months of this mess come and go already? I am not looking forward to the impending winter for a variety of reasons, but cannot change it so away we go into the end of 22 and soon, the beginning of 2023. Everyone stay safe, stay warm, try not to go stir crazy with cold and little if any riding and see you in 2023.

dooor on n ol’ l onnth th How w hat t we e his dy? ? I o a saafefe, , s i tir r if f an any y 233.

I am sitting writing this letter from the editor the evening after the mid-term election and was really hoping to be writing this with awesome hope for the future, but instead trying to look at the way things went here in Iowa on November 8th and be happy with that. At least the heart of America came out to show our conservative roots and not allow more of the rest of the idiocy spill out into our beloved state. We can look at what we have here for good people in office, and those that voted for them, and voted for the Freedom Amendment and be happy we don’t live in one of those failing state wastelands. I ask that each one of you stand up for your rights, exercise your rights, be wary of those that try to take away our rights, and if at all possible, fight for your rights if given the opportunity. With the state of the country right now, I feel that we are in for some very rough times in the near future. Know who has your back, and who just says that they do. Together we can get through anything.

I don’t generally have a lot of spare time, just like most people, I try to stay busy and get pulled in numerous directions. I have been fortunate enough to be able to be a part of some different organizations in the biker community. I have done this for a few different reasons. For one, I enjoy the camaraderie of the biker world and enjoy the

O n t h e C o v e r On the Cover

On the cover this month is a brown-haired beauty named Natalie, who hails from eastern Iowa. The 2006 Night Train she’s posing with is owned by Mark Sikorski of Davenport, and the pair in a long row of evergreens makes for a festive December cover. Natalie has taken a liking to modeling in recent years, and also appears in Natanic’s Pin-ups biker babe calendar this year, and again in 2023. Natanic’s calendars are “Buy1 get 1 Free” through-out the month of December, but this deal is strictly for online orders only at Natanic.com

company of others that enjoy the freedom of the road among other freedoms many of us hold near and dear. Another reason is to try to raise responsible and active in the community youth, they need to have a positive influence, and doing things to me is so much better than sitting back and watching, and way better than sitting back and bitching when things don’t go your way. Yet another reason is that as I get older, I have realized that things just don’t happen, sometimes one needs to make things happen, push things to happen, and shove bullshit aside to get things done for the common good. I hope that being a part of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa, being a member of the Omaha Chapter of the AMCA, being an invited guest to the Iowa Coalition of Clubs, being a Board Member of the Iowa Motorcycle Dealers Association, being an Assistant State Representative of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and being a volunteer Firefighter are good examples of being a steward of the motorcycle community and being a good example for the up and coming riders of Iowa. In our current state of affairs in this nation, and the threats that are prevalent to our very way of life, I implore each one of you to try to step up and help out, and maybe even lead us and the next generation into more riding freedom. If you don’t have the time to step up, at least consider memberships or other means of supporting the organizations that fight for our rights to be free. Something to think about at least.

With the end of 2022 comes the closing of our 13th Volume of magazines. That is right; we are heading into the 14th Volume of the Magazine that has been engrained as a part of our lives for many years. We have had the opportunity to put on a lot of miles, meet a lot of people, gain friends in areas of the state we had never even been to 15 years ago, and have forged business relationships with a ton of great folks that own or manage some wonderful Iowa motorcycle or biker friendly types of businesses. We would like to thank our loyal readers to keeping up with what we have to say every month, but a giant thank you to the people that see the benefit of having their ads on our pages and our magazines in their businesses. Without the support of the advertisers, none of this would be possible.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! See you next Year!

Vernon Schwarte Editor/Owner Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa

I imagine that all of you have been riding long enough to know that probably the most dangerous traffic situations for bikes involve intersections or transitions like merging lanes. I’m fairly certain that some of the city engineers were either drunk when they designed the streets or they hated their fellow man and were trying to reduce the population by vehicular accident. I really don’t like the design of intersections that are angled rather than perpendicular because in the dark it looks like the oncoming traffic is in your lane. (Shout-out to Cedar Rapids, here!) And I’m not crazy about trying to merge into traffic where the cloverleaf design includes a short wall separating my merging lane from the main street. But that’s probably because I watched a biker nearly get creamed right in front of me while he was trying to negotiate a similar setup. The bike was coming onto a bridge from the street level below, but the angle of the merge ramp was so steep and the dividing wall was so high that the car in front of me couldn’t see the bike till it was almost too late. One second everything looked clear and the car began slipping over into the right lane and the next second a rider popped into view in that same lane. My heart gave a panicked leap but fortunately the driver was paying attention and jerked back into the left lane. I find that when I’m riding in situations similar to previous negative situations that I definitely stay closer to my clutch and my brake.

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like life has a lot more dangerous transitions and merges than I ever expected when I was young. Mark and I had been married for several years when I ran across an article in the Reader’s Digest about large life-events that call for some special attention as you are making your way along. The article said that if you had experienced two or more events from their list - good events or bad - during the space of one year that you were in danger of also experiencing some severe stress. Out of curiosity, I began reading the list.

New marriage? Check. Introduction of step-parent / step-child relationship? Check. New baby? Check. Moving in with parents? Check. Moving out of parents’? Check. Job layoff? Parent diagnosed with life-threatening illness? Check, and another check. That was seven checkmarks, in case you lost count. No wonder we were stressed. I am eternally grateful to God for keeping us from rattling apart during that first year!

You might think that after having safely negotiated all those events that we would be experts at intersections and transitions. But guess what - just like the oddly designed streets and on-ramps, new events can still catch a person by surprise. You can try to prepare for the expected biggies in advance (career change, kids going to school, retirement), but that doesn’t mean things will go the way you thought they would. And there are the gear-jamming, brake shuddering things that none of us want to experience: being pushed into early retirement by our employer, serious health challenges, divorce, loss of a loved one. The big question is not “Will difficult changes happen to me?” but “How will I handle these difficult changes?”

The answer: just as you stay close to your clutch and your brake in tense riding situations, you handle tense life situations by staying close to the Lord God. 1 Corinthians 1:9 says: “God is faithful [He is reliable, trustworthy and ever true to His promise - He can be depended on], and through Him you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

It may feel like the road in your life has abruptly curved or that you hit a major pavement boil or even like you’ve been detoured to the backside of the universe; but God will never leave you to find your way alone. Call on Him. He is faithful.

BlessingsKarla

Mark & Karla Cornick are with the Christian Motorcyclists Association. Find out more about CMA and God’s plan for you at www.cmausa.org. you at www.cmausa.org.

The Biker Friendly Business Directory is a list of establishments throughout Iowa that sponsor the magazine. You can pick up your copy here every month. Let them know that you saw them in TRMI. If your business would like to advertise in Thunder Roads Iowa Biker Friendly Business Listing and become a part of the network, please email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com

Biker Accessories

Crispy’s Biker Apparel Cedar Rapids, Iowa Find Us On Facebook

Dirty Biker Design 122 S. John Wayne Drive Winterset, Iowa 50273 www.DirtyBikerDesign.com 515-444-9050

Dealers

Baxter Cycle 311 4th Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2351 www.baxtercycle.com

Big Barn Harley-Davidson 81 NW 49th Place Des Moines, Iowa 50313 515-265-4444 www.bigbarnhd.net

Carroll Cycle Center 1327 Plaza Dr Carroll, Iowa 712-792-1610 www.carrollcycle.com

Edwards Motorsports and RV’s 1010 34th Avenue

Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 712-366-8400 fullthrottleia.com or edwardsrvs.com

Heartland Harley-Davidson 117 S Roosevelt Ave Burlington, IA 52601 319-754-1100 www.heartlandhd.com

Indian Motorcycle of Mason City

Mason City Powersports 12499 265th Street Mason City 641-423-3181 Masoncitypowersportsinc.com

Loess Hills Harley-Davidson 57408 190th Street Pacific Junction IA 51561 712-800-3500 loesshillshd.com

Metro Harley-Davidson 2415 Westdale Drive SW Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404 319-362-9496 www.metro-motorsports.com

Route 65 Harley-Davidson 1300 S Jefferson Way Indianola, Iowa 50125 515.962.2160 www.route65hd.net

Storm Lake Honda 3040 Expansion Blvd Storm Lake, Iowa 50588 StormLakeHonda.com 712-732-2460

Entertainment

Book Em Dano’s 33 S Main Street Denison, Iowa 51442 712-263-9818 Mon-Sat 4-2 Dancers Nightly 5-1:30

National Motorcycle Museum 102 Chamber Drive Anamosa, Iowa 52205 319-462-3925 Nationalmcmuseum.org

Okoboji Classic Cars Museum and Restoration Shop 810 Jeppeson Road West Okoboji, Iowa 51351 712-332-8029

Food and Drink (Popular Poker & Fun Run Locations)

American Legion Post 111 1101 W 4th Street S Newton 641-792-3353

Open to the Public 7 Days a Week Newtonamericanlegion111.org

Bea’s Place 108 N Main St Baxter 641-227-2080 Check Us Out on Facebook Food, Live Music, Bike Nights

Bloodline Irish Pub 214 Public Square Greenfield, Iowa 50849 Bloodline Irish Pub on Facebook

Catfish Charlie’s

On the Mississippi River 1630 E. 16th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 (563)582-8600 www.CatfishCharliesDubuque.com

Chili Dawg’s Foods of Fire 1940 Blair Ridge Road Blair, NE 68008 www.chilidawgs.com Retail/Online Spice and Seasoning Store

Desperados

105 E 5th Street Atlantic 712-243-7087

Home of Cold Beer, Good Times, Pizza & Wings

Firehouse Bar 1211 5th Street Downtown Sioux City, IA 712-224-1020 Open Daily at 12:00

Flaming Office 201 W High Street Toledo 641-484-2255

Outdoor Patio, Happy Hour 5-7 Flaming Office on Facebook & Google

Goozman’s Westside Bar & Grill 1019 7th St Harlan, Iowa 712-755-2259 Goozman’s Westside on Facebook

Haverhill Social Club 202 1st Street  Haverhill, Iowa 50120 641-475-3321

Tues-Sat 10-2, Sun 12-12

Iowa Legendary Rye 707 N Main Street Carroll, Iowa 51401 Iowalegendaryrye.com

Jake’s Station

107 West HWY 59 Hancock, Iowa 51536 712-741-BEER

Like Our Page Jakes Station on Facebook

J.R. Willie’s Gateway to the Beautiful Hill Country Colesburg, IA 563-856-5095 Open Daily Mon-Sun 11AM Home of the Willie Whopper

www.thunderroadsiowa.com

Just 1 More 515-570-4206 641-757-0159 309 Railway Jamaica, Iowa 50128

Mi Casa Family Restaurant 512 Market Street Harlan, Iowa 51537 712-755-2258

Enjoy Drinks at the Full Bar!

Midway Tavern 206 1st Street Soldier, Iowa 712-884-2230 www.midwaytavernsoldier.com

Montgomery Street Pub 207 East Montgomery Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-2165

Papa Joe’s 117 South 6th Street Missouri Valley, Iowa 51555 712-642-9015

Pearl Street Social Club 110 Pearl Street SW Shellsburg, Iowa 52332 319-436-7100

Find Us On Facebook!

Pines Steakhouse Oinkers Lounge & Grill 1500 E 7th Street Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-243-3606

M-F 11AM-, S-S 4PMRiverside Tavern 450 E Main St Lehigh, Iowa 50557 515-359-9998 Email:riversidetap@gmail.com

Sandbar 103 North Noyes Street Mondamin, Iowa 51557 712-646-2300

Facebook Sandbar Mondamin

Sidetracked

206 West Union Street Creston, Iowa 50801 641-782-8534

Stumpy’s Bar & Grill 423 Main Street Duncombe, Iowa 50532 515-543-4222

Stumpy’s Bar & Grill on Facebook

Sugar’s Diner & Lounge 2725 E Kanesville Blvd Council Bluffs, Iowa 712-322-3600

Check us out on Facebook

The Exchange 171 S Elm Street Avoca, Iowa 51521 712-343-2609

Lang’s Pizza, Cold Beer, Sports

The Full Nelson 205 West 2nd Street Halbur, Iowa 51444 712-658-2425

The Full Nelson on Facebook

The Yankee Clipper 312 SW Maple St Ankeny, Ia 50023 515-964-9484 yankeeclipperbar.com

VFW Post 9662 Bar and Grill 1309 NE 66th Ave Des Moines 515 - 289 - 9914 and Facebook

Vic’s Main Tap 304 Broadway Audubon, Iowa 50025 712-563-2122

Opens M-F 2-Close, Sat 9-Close, Sun 2-Close

Wilson’s Tap and Recreation 1008 Story Street Boone, Iowa 50036/ 515-433-1395

Guns and Ammo

JLM Shooters Supply 6931 Douglas Avenue Urbandale, Iowa 50322 jlmshooterssupply@gmail.com 515-331-1577

Hobbies & Collectibles

Treasure Island Diecast/Facebook Hot Wheels, M2, Matchbox, Jada Ertl, Lightning, Harley, Maisto Buy-Sell-Trade 641-521-8036 rayaustinhd@gmail.com www.treasureislanddiecast.com

Insurance & Financial

O’Malley Wealth Mgmt. 5623 NW 86th Street Suite 400 Johnston, Iowa 50131 515-490-0930

State Farm Clark Ahrenholtz, Agent 2114 12th Street Harlan, Iowa 712-755-5724 Clark.ahrenholtz.jb69@statefarm.com

TheBikerLawyers.com

The Biker Lawyers, P.C. Riding & Defending Your Rights for Over 30 Years 877-209-9452

Photo and Art

Ullrich Photography PO Box 1842 Clinton, Iowa 52733 563-243-8715 www.natanic.com

www.thunderroadsiowa.com

BS & Bikes 300 E 17th St S Suite 700 Newton, IA 50208 641-521-8448

Butterfield’s M.C. Parts 8025 Blondo Street Omaha, NE 68134 402-391-3768

Chuck’s Cycle Service and Repair S&S and Drag Specialties Dealer 307 E 5th StreetWashington, Iowa52353 319-461-5278 Cycle Clinic 2209 ML King Pkwy Des Moines, Iowa 50314 cycleclinicdm.com 515-288-6954

F & J Racing 701 N 3rd Ave Marshalltown, Iowa 50158 641-752-8651 www.fandjracing.com

Mean Machine Cycles

Elkhart, Iowa 50072 Custom & Full-Service HD Repair Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat by appt only 515-367-7336

Motorcycle Medic

3176 Highway 30 Woodbine, Iowa 51579 712-647-2818

Open Tues-Sat Noon-6PM

Nelson Machine & Forge General Machining, Ornamental Iron, Weld/Fab 70 Washington Street Marne, Iowa 51552 712-781-2220

Road Rage BikeWorks

401 High Street Avoca, Iowa 51521 712-307-6111

Road Rage BikeWorks on Facebook

Steffens Cycle and Detailing 1311 E 7th Street Atlantic, Iowa 50022 712-250-8493 steffenscycle@gmail.com

Thunder Road Cycles

4106 Rockingham Rd Davenport, Iowa 52802 563-323-3172

Thunder Road Cycles on Facebook

Tires

Sandbothe Firestone

1106 Main Street Griswold, Iowa 51535 712-778-2223

Sandbothe Firestone on Facebook

Trailers

Lacaeyse Trailer Sales 4192 HWY 146 Grinnell Trailers & Truck Accessories 641-990-2674 www.lacaeysetrailers.com

To buy ad space for your business or service in our directory, give us call at 712-249-5630 or email vernon@thunderroadsiowa.com

The Price of Going Green...Part 6 The Price of Green...Part 6

I was doing some research on the mining of materials for the manufacture of the electric vehicles. I wanted to find out if these net zero vehicles really had zero impact on the world. I had seen some things about how these materials are mined, and then ran across this article, which sums up what I wanted to say, so running it in its entirety here.

U.S. shift on child labor may scramble EV sector

By Jael Holzman, David Iaconangelo | 10/05/2022

The Biden administration declared Tuesday that batteries from China may be tainted by child labor, a move that could upend the electric vehicle industry while giving fresh ammunition to critics of White House climate policies.

The Department of Labor said it would add lithium-ion batteries to a list of goods made with materials known to be produced with child or forced labor under a 2006 human trafficking law. The decision was based on many batteries using cobalt, a mineral largely mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where children have been found to work at some mining sites.

The department released the list in the form of a report that excoriated “clean energy” supply chains for using forced labor. It grouped Chinese batteries together with polysilicon

— a key material used in solar panel cells — made in the Chinese province of Xinjiang.

About half the world’s polysilicon comes from Xinjiang but is banned from the United States due to concerns that it is produced by Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim groups through forced labor. Solar ingots — the term used for blocks of processed polysilicon — as well as wafers, cells and modules were also added to the list of goods made with forced or child labor, since many of those goods are made using Xinjiang polysilicon.

“Clean energy is a central pillar of the Biden-Harris Administration’s policy goals. Yet, that clean energy future cannot — and will not — be built on the backs of forced laborers,” the Labor Department said in its report.

The criticisms aired by the department were similar to those levied by Republicans and allies of the fossil fuel industry against the Biden administration’s support for electric vehicles, centering on China’s dominance in the battery industry.

The Democratic Republic of Congo supplies more than 70 percent of the world’s mined cobalt, a metal used in batteries that provide power to anything from consumer

I was some research on the of materials for a material used in solar cells — made in the

laptops and cellphones to electric vehicles and energy storage facilities for power grids.

China, meanwhile, owns some of the largest cobalt mines in Congo and is the largest processor of the metal.

There are no cobalt processing plants in the United States.

In 2016, Amnesty International, a human rights organization, published an investigation that found tens of thousands of Congolese children were working up to 12 hours a day at small cobalt mining sites across the country.

Eight years later, a large percentage of the cobalt mined in the DRC comes from mines “where thousands of children work in hazardous conditions,” the Labor Department said.

Auto companies are increasingly making EVs with lithiumiron phosphate batteries, which use no cobalt. But cobalt batteries may still make up some percentage of vehicles sold in the global market in the near term because of its unique properties, such as a higher energy density that can enable faster traveling speeds.

On paper, the department’s targeting of batteries would seem to be reason for applause from advocates for improving the situation in Congo who want the U.S. to take greater steps in advocating for better treatment of mine workers.

But Mark Dummett, a researcher at Amnesty International who helped expose that children were mining cobalt in Congo, was horrified by the Labor Department’s action.

Dummett said his concern lies in what he views as a toothless approach from the department. Unlike the full ban against solar panels from Xinjiang, the U.S. government list exists primarily for informational purposes and is “not intended to be punitive,” according to the department.

That means allies of the fossil fuel industry may now say the Biden administration is confident that “clean energy” relies on child labor but is doing little to deal with the problem.

“There is a danger with this labeling that it demonizes the EV industry, the battery industry,” Dummett said. “Anyone worried about the state of the planet should be alarmed by that.”

modern consumer electronics through the recent Inflation Reduction Act, last year’s bipartisan infrastructure package and a swath of other federal financing programs. But his administration

has been mum on how it’s addressing risks within the supply chain for making batteries, including human rights issues near the mine sites where raw materials for batteries are originally gathered.

For example, the Energy Department in July finalized a $102 million loan to a subsidiary of Australian mining company Syrah Resources Ltd. to expand a graphite anode plant in Louisiana for electric vehicle batteries.

The graphite for the anodes will come entirely from Syrah’s Balama mine in a region of Mozambique where violent fighters linked to ISIS have fomented an international humanitarian crisis. Experts told E&E News that the U.S. financing could lead to dislocation that foments distrust that could be exploited by hostile actors (Greenwire, May 11).

Jigar Shah, head of the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, expressed confidence in the company at the time, saying the company released “some of the best environmental, social and governance sort of reports in the mining world.”

However, DOE declined to say when it proposed the loan whether it included conditions that could help improve working conditions around the mine, something experts said would help reduce the odds of conflict breaking out.

The Biden administration formed a working group earlier this year to come up with proposals to deal with domestic mining and sourcing from foreign countries. The working group’s recommendations are not expected until after the midterm elections.

Mining President Joe Biden has boosted U.S. battery manufacturing perhaps more than any president since the growth of

It’s unclear whether Biden has the political appetite to start banning batteries based on the minerals they use, as doing so could upend one of his biggest priorities: swift action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Rachel Alpert, a former State Department adviser on human trafficking issues and current partner at Jenner & Block LLP, called the label and report a “warning sign” that customs agents may follow up with action.

“It puts companies on notice that they need to scrutinize these products,” Alpert said.

However, advocates for more action aren’t convinced the situation will change.

Terrence Collingsworth, an attorney who sued Tesla Inc. and major tech companies on behalf of families with children who were killed and injured in Congolese cobalt mines, said he doubts U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will act.

Collingsworth pointed to the agency’s reluctance to curb cocoa imports from Cote D’Ivoire in western Africa despite “overwhelming and undisputed” evidence of child labor. He petitioned the agency to act more than two years ago, he said, but “we still have heard nothing.”

“I have little faith in the CBP enforcement process when it comes to powerful multinationals,” said Collingsworth.

A CBP spokesperson did not say whether the agency would contemplate new enforcement steps in response to the Labor Department’s report, saying merely that it would “continue to use the resources at our disposal” to keep forced-labor goods from entering the U.S.

Any U.S. ban on cobalt imports could trigger a reshuffling of the global mining industry, raising prices and leading to more mines opening in North America over time, said Theo Yameogo, a mining analyst with consulting firm EY.

But it would not happen fast enough to avoid disrupting the switch away from fossil fuels, he said.

“I’m not certain that within two years, or even six years, we can rebuild an entire industry around battery metals within the U.S.,” he said.

The Labor Department declined to specify whether it recommended other government agencies take further action to curtail child labor in the battery supply chain. In a written statement, department spokesperson Christine Feroli referred to the label and report as “research” and said the department is in “regular communication with other U.S. government agencies on its work” and provided advance notice of its findings to “relevant agencies.”

The Labor Department has also had “constructive engagement with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo” as part of “the Biden-Harris administration’s priority focus on labor rights,” Feroli said.

Department “staff work closely with their counterparts in other agencies to utilize this research across the full scope of relevant government authorities,” she said.

Solar

The Labor Department report may also revive negative attention on a second key technology: solar power.

Solar’s forced-labor issues have already gotten extensive attention from federal lawmakers and customs officials. Last year, customs officials effectively blacklisted one Chinese importer, while Congress approved a law that beefed up enforcement activities on products made with Xinjiang polysilicon.

And major solar importers have reportedly had panel shipments impounded at the border (Energywire, Aug. 9).

Those moves have not fully satisfied many of the solar industry’s critics.

The Coalition for a Prosperous America, for instance, an advocate for domestic manufacturing and one of the most vociferous critics of U.S. solar trade groups, sent a letter to CBP in August asking it to blacklist ten additional Chinese solar-parts suppliers.

Nick Iacovella, a coalition spokesperson, said Tuesday that the Labor Department report “vindicates” the group’s position that clean energy “cannot be built on the backs of enslaved Uyghurs in China.”

Solar’s biggest trade group, the Solar Energy Industries Association, defended the industry’s progress on delinking from Xinjiang — something it called on members to do back in 2020.

John Smirnow, the solar group’s general counsel and vice president of market strategy, said U.S. solar companies were increasingly sourcing panel inputs from Germany, Malaysia and the United States itself.

“Today, the U.S. solar supply chain is largely free of inputs from Xinjiang,” he said in a statement. Providing documentation of that, via a traceability standard, is “quickly becoming a minimum requirement for selling into the United States,” he added.

That same protocol could be put in place for the sources of cobalt in a lithium-ion battery, Smirnow said. Batteries are widely used as a storage device for solar power.

“As we have said, there is no place in the U.S. market for products made with forced labor,” Smirnow said.

Politics

While the Labor Department’s statements may not lead to immediate action, they create an opening for critics of electric vehicles and solar panels.

Republicans have drawn a line between abuses at polysilicon plants in Xinjiang and the broader energy transition.

Last month, 18 House Republicans wrote a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, expressing concerns about the origins of solar panels bought by the department and deployed in the U.S. Virgin Islands, whose Democratic governor has set a goal of running the entire grid off of solar power.

And some in the GOP have already started throwing grenades at the administration over China’s presence in the mining industry.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) last week wrote to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm asking her not to offer a loan to Lithium Americas, a Canadian company developing the largest U.S. lithium mining project in Nevada. Lithium Americas is partially owned by Ganfeng, a Chinese company.

Biden’s handling of China and mining issues will face oversight from House Republicans if they win control in the coming midterm elections, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said in a statement to E&E News.

Republicans want to focus on what involvement Biden’s son Hunter had in the 2016 sale of an industrial cobalt mine to a Chinese bidder, Comer said, as well as how “continued outsourcing of critical minerals production leaves American clean energy, manufacturing, and other sectors vulnerable to the actions of our adversaries.”

“President Biden and his administration talk a big game about moving the United States to so-called green energy sources, but China’s monopoly of critical mineral production and the business dealings of President Biden’s son have made the United States dependent on Communist China,” Comer said.

As of publication time, the White House had not responded to a request for comment sent Tuesday evening.

An investment firm co-founded by Hunter Biden in 2016

Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook

helped a Chinese mining conglomerate take control of a large Congolese cobalt mine from an American company, according to an investigation by The New York Times published last year.

It’s unclear whether Hunter Biden was directly involved with the deal, which happened while his father was still vice president. The White House has maintained that Joe Biden was unaware of the deal when it happened (E&E Daily, Jan. 21).

Yameogo, the mining analyst, said Republicans would not be meaningfully addressing human rights conditions and corruption issues in Congo around minerals if their efforts focused solely on China and Hunter Biden. He noted the case of Glencore, a mining company based in Switzerland that mines large amounts of cobalt from Congo, which pleaded guilty in May to bribery and market manipulation schemes.

Unless actual policies come out of a potential GOP investigation, Yameogo said, “it’s just going to be a witch hunt.”

As you can see, this net zero emissions deal is not what it appears to be on the surface. “Clean” electric cars MAY offer some benefit for the environment, but at what cost? Is it worth the cost of human lives? Is it worth the cost of child labor? Is it worth the cost of multiple government entities working to push the agenda of politicians for maximum profits in their own pockets? This whole electric vehicle and green energy push does not feel “green” to me at all. Hopefully this series of articles has opened up some eyes and caused people to do a little research and make their own decisions on the efficacy of and the reality of the price of going green.

Vernon Article written on behalf of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa, Iowa Confederation of Clubs, and Motorcycle Riders Foundation State of Iowa Representatives.

Vernon Schwarte

Editor/Owner Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa Owner Thunder Guns and Thunder Guns West Iowa Motorcycle Dealers Association (IMDA) Board

Member Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) Assistant State Representative

Tis the season for beauties and bikes, right? Natalie is our h oliday hottie this month, and she’s posing on Mark Sikorski’s super clean Night Train. A machinist by trade, Mark is always toying with his bikes or his big-block Nova. Na talie has taken a liking to modeling in recent years, and also appears in Natanic’s Pinups biker babe calendar this year, and again in 2023. Natanic’s calendars are “Buy1 ge t 1 Free” through-out the month of December, but this deal is strictly for online ord ers only at Natanic.com

not so USELESS RAMBLINGS not so USELESS RAMBLINGS

Ukraine-O-Mat

Have you ever wondered which country is the most corrupt in the world? I mean, down to the very fiber of their being, where handing out brides is crucial to human existence. Which country is plagued by corruption at the deepest levels?

Here’s a hint: “I looked at them and said: ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money.’ Well, son of a bitch. He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time,” Biden said of the withholding of $1 billion in loan guarantees for Ukraine with the demand that the country’s top — and corrupt — prosecutor be dismissed. (Excerpt from the Washington Examiner)

While Ukraine may not be the MOST corrupt country, Quid Pro Joe certainly highlighted their corruption and then bragged about it on recorded video. But what of that prosecutor? Why dismiss this allegedly corrupt prosecutor? For those that do not know, Viktor Shokin, the prosecutor, was investigating Burisma Holdings, an oil and natural gas company that had employed Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s drug addicted son, as a board member for a $50,000+ per month salary. Hunter has admitted in interviews that he got the job at Burisma based solely on his last name. Interestingly enough, Hunter was a board member while Joe was the vice-president of the United States. The same time Joe is leveraging a $1 billion (taxpayer dollars) US aid package if Shokin isn’t fired.

In a 2019 the Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International listed Ukraine as 120th out of 180 countries, making it the second most corrupt country in Europe. While some steps have been taken since the revolution to counter the corruption, they have been half-hearted that were meant to insulate the government while indicting others for the corruption. In 2019 Ukraine’s Institute of Economic Research and Policy Consulting estimated that the reforms

helped reduce national corruption by $6 billion per year. The leaves me wondering just how bad things really are if the alleged reduction was that high.

One of the articles I read recently said that Ukraine is “one of the only countries in the entire world that has the stability/infrastructure to be the cabal’s global headquarters for money laundering and bio lab research.” It is 100% globalist owned, has a 100% puppet government, and that every government official is compromised. Think back to Joe’s ultimatum about Viktor Shokin being fired and let it sink in.

I want you to pick a number between 60 and 100. Do you have one? Good. Now, add a $ sign in front and nine zeros behind it. That’s right… BILLION$. $60 to $100 BILLION in US taxpayer money, most likely as high as 20 percent more than any number we might pick, has been sent to one of the world’s most corrupt countries in supposed aid packages.

Ukraine declares independence from Moscow in 1991, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. Ever since that declaration, it would seem that Russia has been pissed off about it. February 24th, 2022, Russia decides it has waited long enough and launches a large-scale invasion.

By June of 2022, the U.S. responds with approximately $6.3 billion in security assistance. On June 15th, the Department of Defense announces an additional $1 billion in security assistance. This includes an authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to $350 million, as well as $650 million in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) funds. This would be the twelfth drawdown of equipment from the DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.

Hundreds of tons of U.S. military weapons and equipment have been shipped to Ukraine, along with billions on U.S. taxpayer dollars. Stingers, Javelins, Switchblade Tactical Unmanned drones, Howitzers, rocket systems, armored

personnel carriers, small arms, body armor, helicopters, communications systems, commercial satellite imagery services, and let’s not forget training and maintenance. We’ve seemingly paid to completely supply, train, and maintain the Ukraine military in the first half of 2022.

Pursuant to a delegation by the President, we have used the emergency Presidential Drawdown Authority on twentyfour occasions since August 2021 to provide Ukraine approximately $10.9 billion in military assistance directly from Department of Defense stockpiles.

Since the very beginning of the Biden administration there have been several Ukrainian aid packages authorized. I have spent hours attempting to piece together all the packages and make sense of it all. The official White House website has multiple press releases about some of the packages, the mainstream media has their stories, and the independent news sources have their take on the matter. Honestly, I can’t keep track of it all. One time when I added things up, I came up with $45 billion, another adding session came up with almost double that. I give up on the math.

But here we are, over $31 trillion in debt. Spending more than a trillion more tax dollars a year than we take in annually. Dumping close to one hundred billion dollars into the Ukrainian money laundering machine, while we watch the ever increasing net worth of Biden, Harris, Pelosi, Clinton, and Obama through book deals, speaking fees, smart investment strategies, etc... allegedly.

While multiple sources suggest that Joe Biden’s net worth

is currently about $9 million, there are four other family members that seem to be benefiting from his largesse, favorable access and powerful position for commercial gain. In Biden’s case, these deals include foreign partners and, in some cases, even US taxpayer dollars. James Biden – younger brother, Hunter Biden – drug addled son, Howard Krein – son-in-law, Frank Biden – brother, and Valerie Biden Owens – sister, have all been benefitting quite handsomely throughout Biden’s political career. Hunter and James have benefitted the most since January 2021.

Former president Barack Obama was making $60k as an Illinois-state senator and another $32k a year as a constitutional law lecturer and touted a $1.3 million net worth before becoming president. One source reports that he is now worth $40 million, over 30 times more than when he entered the White House in 2000.

President Harry S. Truman couldn’t have said it any better… “Show me a man that gets rich by being a politician, and I’ll show you a crook.”

I suppose that the massive corruption in Ukraine and their vast money laundering system is a great pet to have. We The People continue to feed it, while only a select few reap the benefits.

David McCoy

- david@thunderroadsiowa.com

- Facebook.com/TRMIDave @TRMIDave

Tommy’s Café

916 W 3rd Street

Davenport, Ia 52802

(563) 323 – 6689

Monday – Saturday 5:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Sunday 5:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Tommy’s Café has a history rich with family, and has been this way since opening its doors in April of 1987. The original business started with only counter seating and a handful of booths with Tom’s mom waiting tables and his dad baking pies, donuts, and bread. Tom learned the ins and outs of the business from his parents, and one day his future wife, Chris joined the team. The business grew, and they added on to the dining space in 2003. Tom and Chris have since included their children in the business, and are continuing the family tradition.

Now, at TRMI, we love a good Mom ‘n Pop story, and we have actually been going to Tommy’s Café for years… each Davenport Swap Meet weekend, for our annual Anniversary trip to the Eastern side of the state. We love this place. Delicious food, friendly people, and watching customers line up for a to go box of fresh baked donuts makes us smile. We always hit Tommy’s for breakfast, but they have a whole menu of other meal options like burgers, chicken, tenderloins…you name it, Tommy’s has it. And with our history of deliciousness at Tommy’s I am willing to bet there isn’t a disappointing item on the menu.

This visit, we had our friends Brad and Stacey along for the swap meet, and even though Stacey had too much fire water

the night before, she was along to sample everyone’s breakfast choices and run clean up duty on the extra toast.

Brad ordered the Smokie Mountain, which consists of a grilled English muffin topped with two scrambled eggs, cheese, and nine smokie links. Brad said that the melted cheese perfectly complemented the fluffy scrambled eggs, and the smokie links were a salty complement to the crispy English muffin.

Vernon ordered the chicken fried steak and eggs breakfast. The tender, country steak arrived perfectly cooked to a golden brown and covered in piping hot country gravy. The two eggs were cooked to a perfect over medium, just the way he likes them. If that isn’t enough to fill your belly, there was also a generous portion of crisp hash browns and toast to round out the breakfast platter. I ordered the biscuits and gravy with a side of hashbrowns.

My breakfast was a pair of fluffy, delicious biscuits topped with a heaping scoop of sausage gravy. Perfectly peppery, and thick enough to coat the biscuits just right. The crispy side of hashbrowns were excellent to clean up the rest of my sausage gravy.

Breakfast at Tommy’s is the perfect way to start your morning. The only way to make it better is to take a box of those tempting donuts with you on your way out. So, the next time you find yourself in Davenport, find your way to Tommy’s and make sure to tell them that Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa sent you….and bring me back a donut!

If you have a WRTE location for us to visit, please let me know at Melanie@thunderroadsiowa.com

Mean Machine Cycles “

Every year in September, the quiet little town of Elkhart is taken over by hundreds of bikers for Mean Machines’ Smalltown Throwdown. This year the daylong event was cancelled due to rain, but that didn’t stop the Mean Machine crew from rescheduling a new show. The event became a condensed “bike night” version and was nothing less than the baddest and biggest bike night of the year!

That beautiful Friday night at 5pm hundreds of bikes rolled into town, filling the streets with the roar of revving engines! The aroma of grilled burgers and brats filled the air, served up by the local fire department. Vendors were flooded with people checking out all the cool products and gear they had for sale while the local rock station broadcasted live and cranked out tunes in the background until 6:30 when the crowds made their way over to the burnout pit. Several bikers pulled into the pit to light up their rear tire and filled the air with smoke and the smell of burnt rubber in hopes of winning the grand prize, a free tire! As the sun set at 7:30, the cage was opened up for the stereo battles where baggers pulled in and cranked up their systems to battle it out and win the “King of the Ring” crown. Once the battles were over, the sounds of the band coming from the local bar enticed everyone to go over for one more drink before they headed home for the night.

The Smalltown Throwdown gets bigger and better every year and is without a doubt a small little rally style event that you don’t want to miss! Make sure to follow Mean Machine Cycle parts on social media and their website for details on next year’s event.

www.MeanMachineCycleParts.com photos courtesy of: Sierra Grace Photography

“Smalltown Throwdown”

You know, it was so cold in D.C. the other day, I saw a politician with his hands in his own pockets.

Frank was getting ready to go on a trip to New York for the first time, and was talking to his friend Bill. Bill: “While you are in New York, there is a bar that you have to go to. When you walk through the front door, you are handed a free drink. Then you can go to the back room and get laid. Come back up to the bar, and you get another free drink. Then you can get laid again. It goes on like this all night.” Frank: “That sounds unbelievable. Have you really been there?” Bill: “No, but my sister has.”

A man is out shopping and discovers a new brand of Olympic condoms. Clearly impressed, he buys a pack. Upon getting home he announces to his wife the purchase he just made. “Olympic condoms?”, she blurts, “What makes them so special?” “There are three colors”, he replies, “Gold, Silver and Bronze.” “What color are you going to wear tonight?”, she asks cheekily. “Gold of course”, says the man proudly. The wife responds wryly, “Why don’t you wear Silver? It would be nice if you came second for a change.”

“My teenage daughter came home in a rage. ‘I’ve just done sex education in school today, Dad! You lied to me! You told me if I have sex before my sixteenth birthday, my boyfriend will die!’ I put down my paper: ‘Oh, he will, sweetheart, he will.’ ”

Why do elves laugh when they are running? Because the snow tickles their balls.

An American businessman is entertaining some overseas business guests on the golf course. The first guest, who is from Italy, tees off and hits a good shot 200 yards down the fairway. As the American businessman knows a small amount of Italian he says: “Buon tiro”, which means “Good shot”. The Italian businessman replies: “Grazie”. The second guest, who is from France, tees off and hits a fantastic shot that lands on the green thirty feet from the hole. As the American businessman knows a small amount of French he says: “Tir fantastique”, which means “Fantastic shot”. The French businessman replies: “Merci”. The third guest, who is from Japan, tees off and amazingly the ball goes straight in the hole, a hole in one! The American businessman doesn’t know many Japanese words or phrases but when he dated a Japanese girl during his overseas business trips she used to moan when he made love to her and she would shout out “Ura-ana, ura-ana”, and which he repeats to his Japanese guest. The Japanese businessman replies: “What do you mean, wrong hole?”

What is green and smells like pork? Kermit’s finger.

A baby seal goes into a bar. The bartender, says: What can I get you to drink, little fellow?” The seal says, “Oh, anything: Just as long as it’s not a Canadian Club!”

It was just before Christmas, and the jailer was in a happy mood. He asked the prisoner who was in the dock, ‘What are you charged with?’

The prisoner replied, ‘Doing my Christmas shopping too early’. ‘That’s no crime’, said the jailer. ‘Just how early were you doing this shopping?’ ‘Before the shop opened’, answered the prisoner.

How is a wife like a laxative? Th both irritate the shit out of you.

mas, , and d the e . t ng he he h e? They ou. u

One day Mr. Smith, the president of a large corporation, called his vicepresident, Dave, into his offi and said, “We’re making some cutbacks, so either Jack or Barbara will have to be laid off.” Dave looked at Mr. Smith and said, “Barbara is my best worker, but Jack has a wife and three kids. I don’t know whom to fire.” The next morning Dave waited for his employees to arrive. Barbara was the first to come in, so Dave said, “Barbara, I’ve got a problem. You see, I’ve got to lay you or Jack off and I don’t know what to do?” Barbara replied, “You’d better jack off. I’ve got a headache.”

offiffice some m arbara e looke ed

What do you call an obnoxious reindeer? A: RUDEolph.

Two guys are walking through the woods one day when they stumble across a big deep hole. The first guy peers into it and says, “Wow! That looks deep.” The second guy says, “It sure does. Let’s throw a few pebbles in there and see how deep it is. We’ll be able to tell the depth by how long it is before we hear the noise of the pebbles landing.” So they pick up a few pebbles and throw them in and wait. Nothing. There’s no noise. The first guy says, “Jeeez. That is really deep. I know, let’s throw one of these great big rocks down there. Those should make a noise.” So they pick up a couple football-sized rocks and toss them into the hole and wait… and wait… Again, nothing. They look at each other in amazement. Then the first guy gets a determined look on his face and says, “Hey, over here in the weeds, there’s a railroad tie. Help me carry it over. When we toss that sucker in, it’s gotta make some noise.” So the two of them drag the heavy tie over to the hole and heave it in. Once again, not a sound comes from the hole. Suddenly, out of the nearby woods, a goat appears, running like the wind. It rushes toward the two men, then right past them, running as fast as it’s legs will carry it. Suddenly it leaps in the air and into the hole. The two men are astonished with what they’ve just seen and look at each other in amazement. Then, out of the woods comes a farmer who spots the men and ambles over. He asks them, “Hey, you two guys seen my goat out here?” The first guy says, “You bet we did! Craziest thing

I ever saw. It came running like crazy and just jumped into this hole and disappeared!” “Nah”, says the farmer, “That couldn’t have been my goat. My goat was chained to a railroad tie.”

Why do vegetarians give good head? Because they are used to eating nuts.

The Germans and Americans were reaching a stalemate in WWI. In World War I there was trench warfare, and neither the Americans nor the Germans could get the upper hand. They were reaching a stalemate. One day, an American came up with a plan that would win them the war. This private explained his plan to his trench mates, and they figured, “Why not? It’s not like we have any better ideas.” The next day, an American soldier called out, “Hans!?” A German popped up and shouted back, “Ja?!” Boom, the German was shot dead. The next day the Americans shouted again, “Hans?!” “Ja?!” Shot dead. This process continued over the next couple of days. The Germans were losing large numbers, and were now finally catching on. The Germans had an emergency meeting. They thought they could come back from the heavy losses using the same tactics as the Americans. Thus, a German asked, “What is a popular American name?” “John!” replied another. The next day, the Germans decided to execute their plan. A German shouted, “John!?” An American called back, “Is that you Hans?!” “Ja!” And that is how the Americans won WWI.

A husband and wife who work for the circus go to an adoption agency looking to adopt a child, but the social workers there raise doubts about their suitability. So the couple produces photos of their 50-foot motor home, which is clean and well maintained and equipped with a beautiful nursery. The social workers are satisfied by this but then raise concerns about the kind of education a child would receive while in the couple’s care. The husband puts their mind at ease, saying, “We’ve arranged for a full-time tutor who will teach the child all the usual subjects along with French, Mandarin, and computer skills.” Next though, the social workers express concern about a child being raised in a circus environment. This time the wife explains, “Our nanny is a certified expert in pediatric care, welfare, and diet.” The social workers are finally satisfied and ask the couple, “What age child are you hoping to adopt?” The husband says, “It doesn’t really matter, as long as the kid fits in the cannon.”

There was a wife who texted her husband a romantic message...She wrote: “I love you. If you wake up, send me your dreams. If you laugh, send me your smile. If you eat, send me a bite. If you drink, send me a sip. If you cry, send me your tears.” Then her husband texted: “I’m on the toilet, advice please.”

What is the difference between the Greyhound terminal and a lobster with boobs? One of them is a crusty bus station and the other is a busty crustacean.

Three men die on Christmas Eve and go to heaven, where they’re met by Saint Peter. “In order to get in,” he tells them, “you must each produce something representative of the holidays.” The first man digs into his pockets and pulls out a match and lights it. “This represents a candle of hope.” Impressed, Peter lets him in. The second man pulls out a tangle of keys and shakes them. “These are bells.” He’s allowed in too. “So,” Peter says to the third man, “what do you have?” The third man proudly shows him a pair of red panties. “What do these have to do with Christmas?” asks Peter. “They’re Carol’s.”

What does it mean when a man is in your bed, gasping for breath and calling your name? You didn’t hold the pillow down long enough.

It was Christmas Eve at the meat counter and a woman was anxiously picking over the last few remaining turkeys in the hope of finding a large one. In desperation she called over a shop assistant and said: ‘Excuse me. Do these turkeys get any bigger?’ ‘No, madam,’ he replied, ‘They’re all dead.’

For his 90th birthday a man’s friends decided to give him a visit from an expensive, high-class call girl. The evening of his birthday, she appeared at his door, and when he opened the door she said, “Happy Birthday! Your friends have sent you a gift! I’m here to bring you super sex. So what will it be?” The man thought for a moment, and then he said, “Sweetie, at my age, I think I’ll have the soup.”

A Greek and Italian were debating who has the superior culture. The Greek says, “We have the Parthenon.” The Italian says, “We have the Coliseum.” The Greeks says, “We had great mathematicians and philosophers.” The Italian says, “We created a world empire and established Pax Romana.” And so on and so on for hours, until finally the Greek lights up and says…. “We invented sex!” The Italian nods slowly, thinks, and replies, “That is true—but it was Italians who introduced it to women!”

What goes CLOP, CLOP, CLOP, BANG, BANG, BANG, CLOP, CLOP, CLOP? An Amish drive-by shooting.

What do you get when you cross a Unitarian with a Jehovah’s Witness? Someone out knocking on doors for no apparent reason.

Ole and Lena were celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary. After the guests left, Lena looked at Ole and punched him real hard in the shoulder. “That’s for twentyfive years of bad sex.” Ole thinks about it and then reaches over and Punches Lena hard in her shoulder, “That’s for knowing the difference!”

Mechanix Illustrated The Motorcycle Book

Now, just because that is the way I see things, again, it does not mean I see thing in a negative light (too often).

Time to be as Jolly as that dude in the Red Suit!

Where do we even begin this holiday season as we stare down the barrel of 2022 coming to a quick end and we are turning the pages on our calendars towards 2023 with all the hope and dreams that are accompanied by the start of a New Year, after all, 2020, 2021, 2022, it really can’t get worse can it?

But alas, let us not go into the end of this year with sadness and life attempting to kick us square in the proverbial nut sack. Now is not the time for despair but rather a time for joy and happiness, as hope springs eternal with the holiday season upon us.

Wow, did I just crank out a steaming, hot load of feel-good horse fertilizer. Steaming Hot.

I am trying, I really am…and for the most part, my life is not all doom and gloom, it really isn’t. I am not always sunny on my outlook, but I tend to be a bourbon glass half full kind of guy, I give people the benefit of proving themselves. Oh sure, I am SUPER good at casting a jaundice eye in a general direction. Oh, trust me, I am better than average at not taking the shit sammiches we are dealt by the government, large corporations, news media outlets, the internet or whatever. I am good at seeing what the end game of whatever the message really is. I can many times see past the facade of what is being presented and figure out what they are trying to pull. Many times, people ask me to breakdown what really is going on, or what I think is the true message or what the process might be. It’s fun. I am not always right, but I am more spot on than I miss or over think and I am not really sure how this talent came about. Likely, decades and decades of being in media myself, doing public relations, crafting marketing plans, and more has shown me how to see past the spin, I guess.

I mean, sure this time of the year as I write in my home office overlooking a cold, dead, soon to be frozen lake, I know my bike is parked, likely for the winter. It gets dark before the work day is complete. I went from shorts and Hey Dudes to pants and boots seemingly overnight. Did I mention…I likely wont’s see my bike until spring!

Yea, I get it, we are in the Midwest, well, you might be reading this some other place, some warm climate where your seasons involved “snow birds” here, “snow birds” gone, I get it, this award-winning publication is read from sea to shining sea, not just from the river to river. Last year, many of us were blessed to get some riding during the month of December and who knows what the month is going to bring us this year, but as far as my world is concerned, my scooter is sleeping a long winters night. Strangely, I am good with that, more than good.

I am not going to whine and complain about not being able to ride. I love the riding season; I love my boating season but this year when it came to the end, I was not the least bit sad like I normally tend to be. I am like the birds flying south with this stuff. You can bank on it; my wife and kids are all prepared for Dad to be a bit of a dick because he had to store his bike and his boat. It’s overblown in truth, but it gives them a reason to point at me whenever I am in a bad mood about something not related…at least that is what I tell myself.

This time it has been different, hell for many of us 2022 has been different. No different than the CHOVID shit we dealt with over the last two years. No, I am not going down a CHOVID debate rabbit hole about what they did to us, who got the jab, who didn’t, whatever. I really don’t care what YOU think or feel any more than I would expect YOU to want to hear how I feel. That said, we can all agree, mis-

takes were made, lives and businesses were harmed more than they needed to be and we are learning more truths in hindsight all the time. Those two years were weird, but this year just felt different.

It wasn’t all bad by any means, it just felt like we had a bit of uncertainty around every turn but we cumulatively seemed to make the most of it. Concert stadiums and shows were back and jamming, restaurants/bars got back to normal. Things turned around, at least a little and we got back to living, at least for the most part, yet much of the year while we had one foot dancing a jig of normalcy, we kept waiting for the other foot to come back and kick us down.

But screw it, it’s the holidays, we can’t go back and change what happened but it feels like it’s the first “normal” holiday season in the last couple of years. We can gather, see our families, travel without those stupid ass face coverings that we knew there were a joke and now even the medical community now admits they really didn’t offer true protection. Ever feel like it wasn’t about “protection” but more about “control”? Dammit there is that jaundice eye of mine coming back, time to grab another bourbon infused egg nog, (hold the nog) and get back to the good things.

I love the holiday season, I truly do. I love seeing family, gathering with friends for parties. I really dig Christmas lights, decorations, trees, you name it, it’s wonderful.

I don’t care if you start with Christmas early, if that makes you happy, hell you do you. People who get pissy about premature Christmas have bigger issues to deal with. If it

makes you feel glad and happy, hell with them, Fa-la-la-la la-la-la-la.

Look, let’s clear something up, it’s been shoved up and broken off in our collective keisters for the better part of two years by stuff way out of our control so if extra Christmas gets your candy cane stimulated, by all means, be the Jolliest you ever dreamed.

This doesn’t just stem for the celebration of the holidays for me, I have never understood why people get so cinched up over what makes people happy. Like when people mock others for putting ketchup on a hot dog, it’s a freaking hot dog, enjoy. Or how someone eats a steak. Watching someone use steak sauce or ketchup might be a bit off putting to me, but I sit back and just let them make the culinary choices the makes them happy. Of course, we have two exceptions all rules, if you are ordering it well done, just get the chicken and speaking of chicken, there is no such thing as boneless wings, those are just nuggets. Let’s stop with that fallacy and just move one.

The holiday season is upon us, make the most of it, embrace it, find the happiness of a young child awaiting Santa. Eat the food, drink the bourbon, put ketchup on your boneless wings, just love it all and smile.

Because a shitty cold February is right around the corner.

Todd “Crash” Davis

Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa on Facebook

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