Monthly Archives: July 2012

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Hot day, cool ride

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The day was hot and sweaty… we had an Outlaw Trail Caste Party in town so I rode in. Taking it nice and easy. There was a weather front that moved in and cooled things down. My new Joe Rocket Mesh jacket really felt good, flowing a lot of air through it. A little bit of rain splashed me… Oh man… No other feeling like it.
Grilled burgers in the park was awesome.

Unfortunately the ride home had me accompanied by a Law Enforcement escort almost the entire way. From Naples to Vernal, UHP. Then VCPD through to where I gassed up at Morts. After gassing up, another VCPD picked me up. He peeled off and I thought I was in the clear, but stayed chill. Up ahead, UCSD was on location in one of their new rigs sitting there watching the Round About. I didn’t speed through it, but I didn’t slow down for it. Gave the Deputy a wave as I memorized the rig. Turned by the Maeser Sev, and another UHP picked me up and followed me most of the way home. WTF is going on? I checked into it and there was nothing going down about me… just epic level chronic bad luck for a guy wanting to twist his wrist.

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The Scariest Movies

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KSL.com has an article about the 13 Scariest movies.

This list is for Horror Lightweights… Which means for most people living in Utah.  But the Ogre lives in Utah and this list is something he might watch at 3 AM because he can’t sleep.  *Yawn*.  I’m bored and tired just looking at that Fail Roster.

Okay, The Ring and The Thing are right up there for great Spook Flix… but they don’t SCARE me.  I’m not exactly sure what it is that really scares me… but there is one that stands out that scared the shit out of me.

EVENT HORIZON.

There are two kinds of people out there… Those that have seen EH in the theatre… and those that have only seen it at home, safe, in your little box.  Event Horizon scared the shiat out of me.  3 days later, I climbed a wall backwards trying to get away from my wife… because I was having a nightmare about EH.  Uncle Musket did the same thing 2800 miles away after watching EH, three days later.  Hell, I had nightmares and couldn’t sleep for a week.

The Woman in Black… with Daniel Radcliffe is a new movie out on disk that’s well worth watching.  It has great Lovecraftian atmosphere and tells a good story.  It’s scared a lot of people I know… and is now in my favorites list of Creepy Movies.  You’ll have to check it out if you’ve not seen it.

 
So what movie scared you the most?

Weapons

Glock 21 .45

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A lot of guys have discovered the Glock 21.  Glock’s full sized .45 pistol.  Even Guns magazine has a gushing article about it.

Yeah, it’s a great gun.  But why have that, when you can have the model 20 in 10mm and have something amazing?

10mm > .45 Auto.  Always.

Automotive

To Ride

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Riding a motorcycle makes one contemplate mortality, as I hold it on my own hands… I am more aware of it. Every time I fire up the engine, I know it could be my last time. I say a little prayer… Asking that I have a good ride, and if it be my last, that I am taken home quickly. I trust in my Skill, and in my God. I have faith. This allows me to Not Fear. As a result, I enjoy my Ride more… And I enjoy everything else more too… My Wife. My Children. My Friends. And the little things in life are sweeter too. A sip of a cold Tea. A smile from a pretty girl. A laugh from kid. Wind in my face. Jokes are funnier. Food tastes better.
I don’t ride because I want to die. I ride because I want to live.

Automotive

Monday’s Motorcycle: Honda VFR

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One of the motorcycles I had in the past and truly enjoyed, was the VFR.  It uses THAT engine… that one that I just can’t help but to love… Honda’s V-4.  Lots of power at the low revs, lots of power in the middle, and lots at the top.   Honda has put this engine in the Magna, and made them in a couple different sizes… all good.
My first was a 500CC, then later a 750, and then an 800.  The 500 wasn’t my first bike, my first bike was also a V-4… the Saber.

But the Saber pretty much became a cruiser, and Honda used the badge on the Shadow line of bikes… pity… But the V-4 lived on the Magna… I’ve had a few Magnas.  One of each Generation.  The last was the best, undoubtedly.
The Intercepter though… that became known simply as the VFR.  And it’s lived it’s life as a dedicated sports bike, then went the path of the Sports Touring as Honda decided to bring the inline-4 out as the dedicated sports machine.  I used to hate the CBR because of that.  It’s Commercial Airliner looking fairings and Non-V-4 engine.  The VFR kinda became tired.  The sporty looking bike for Old Guys.  Well, now I’m an Old Guy.  And it’s looking good.  It’s looking really good.

It’s not a perfect Sports Touring Bike… It has it’s flaws.  But it’s got some great points.  A new double clutch system, that V-4 engine in a 1200 sized Value Pack of Moto-Goodness.  It’s also fairly heavy, and people are saying it’s not as powerful as it should be.  But I think this is forgivable giving the fact that the power delivery is low and mid-range designed for what it’s for… Sports Touring.

Engine type l-c V4
Valve train SOHC, 16v
Displacement 1237cc
Bore x stroke 81.0 x 60.0mm
Compression 12.0:1
Fuel system PGM-FI
Clutch Wet, multi-plate slipper or dual-clutch automatic
Transmission 6-speed
Claimed horsepower na
Claimed torque na
Frame Aluminum twin-spar
Front suspension 43mm Showa inverted fork with adjustable rebound damping
Rear suspension Single Showa shock with adjustable spring preload and rebound damping
Front brake Dual Nissin six-piston radial calipers, 320mm discs
Rear brake Single Nissin two-piston caliper, 276mm disc
Front tire 120/70-ZR17 Dunlop Roadsmart
Rear tire 190/55-ZR17 Dunlop Roadsmart
Rake/trail 25.3 deg./4.0 in.
Seat height 32.1 in.
Wheelbase 60.8 in.
Fuel capacity 4.9 gal.
Claimed wet weight 591 lbs. standard, 613 lbs. automatic
Color Candy Red
Available March
Warranty 12 mo., unlimited mi.
Uncategorized

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

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The show is done now.  The final show was last night.  I have some of my freedom returned to me now!

But I’ll never forget the experience.  I was a part of something special… Especially the Friday Night Showing that we did.   There was some wind and rain… it rained through the whole show.  But it was the best show we did.

The dancing girls, wearing their thin white Egyptian costumes… dancing in the rain… arms raised, shoes kicked off… I witnessed the pure joy in those dancers, dancing in the rain like that… it was the most beautiful stage performance I have ever witnessed.  It was an honor to be there.   The audience must have thought so too because they didn’t leave.  The audience was just as packed at the end as at the start… they stuck it out in the rain, thunder, and lightning… and it was a fantastic show for everyone.

I’ll never forget it.

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Worth

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I’m writing this post to a certain woman I know who is unappreciated and mistreated by her husband.  You know I’m into bikes.  I love all motorcycles.  So forgive me the Moto-Metaphor.  Anyway.  One of my favorite brands out there are the Triumphs.  Classics, all of them.  The old ones, even more so, even more desirable because they are now rare.

I knew this guy once.  He had a great old Triumph.  But he ignored it.  He pushed it aside in his garage.  Eventually it ended up in the back with an old paint tarp thrown on it so he didn’t have to see it and it ended up with some junk piled on it.
What he didn’t know was that old Triumph was worth more than his newer bikes, even worth more than his house.  But he didn’t realize this and didn’t take the hints about it… and he only paid attention to his new flings.
Finally someone asked him for it and he gave it up… just to get it out of his garage.
The new owner knew what he had.  He cleaned it up.  Turned it up.  Restored, very easily and simply it to what it should have always been…  People saw this classic Triumph riding around town… Every biker would double take and rubber-neck looking at this fine machine.
The old owner was mad.  Demanded it back… but it was too late.  New owner just laughed and enjoyed his new Truimph.  He rode it everywhere… Just enjoyed riding that wonderful machine.

To the person I’m writing this too… You are a Triumph in every sense of the word and your husband doesn’t realize your worth.   One day he will.  And it will be too late and it will be his loss and not yours.  Don’t let him throw a tarp on you.

Weapons

WTF, Rossi?

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Rossi had me going there for a minute.

Oh, a Circuit Judge in .22 Magnum?  Okay, I’m down.  “It wont let leave you hanging.”  Oh, that’s good. Don’t want to mess with a Hanging Judge!  LOL, Rossi… Using your knowledge of Western Lore… Your Crazy.

Oh man… AND it can shoot .45 Colt and .410 SHOTGUN TOO!   It’s MAGIC!  Those Wacky Brazilians… They can do anything with Voodoo Magic these days.  Even turn a Kenyan into a Hawaiian.  You guys are crazy.
That’s it.  I’m ordering one.  Hell yes.  A .22 Mag than can also throw down some wicket .410… I’m in.  Give me one, Rossi!  I’m holding my breath over here!

DAFUQ?  Discontinued?  It’s the first featured product on your Web Page?  Discontinued!  WTF, Rossi? I want this!  What can I do?  I’m going to call customer service!

Wait.  What was I going to call them about?  Ah screw it… it will come to me… I’ll just stare at this picture of this adorable blonde girl while I try to remember.

SQUIRREL!
 

Automotive

Your gunna kill yourself on that.

38 Comments

Good Hell… If I had a dollar for every time I heard that.  Sport Bikes and Sport Touring Bikes are no less safe than any other motorcycle. 
I humbly submit though, that the fact of the matter is that the opposite is true.  Sport type bikes are more agile and stable at speed.  Sport Bike Riders wear more protective gear.  Sport Bike Riders are more attentive and strive for continual riding improvement.
As evidence of this theory, look at the news reports of the fatal accidents in Utah this year.  Following the reports on KSL.com, I believe damn near all of them were on Cruisers. Loud Saves Lives, they say.  Maybe… But the lack of gear kills.  I thought about this because the other day I saw a guy on a Harley… and he was actually wearing a helmet.  This stood out in my mind, because it was the first one I had seen all year. 
Now, my buddy Fenris wears a lid… But he’s been the only cruiser jockey that I know that will wear one regularly.  No one else does.  Actual motorcycle jackets are few and far between.  The uniform for cruising is a Dew Rag and a Vest.  I’m not aware of any dew rags earning a Snell 2010 rating.  And that vest might look cool… But where is the CE rated Armor?
No. I’m not going to kill myself on my machine… I’m not suicidal.  Which is why I wear my gear and ride a bike that has better technology for avoiding danger.
You Harley guys… You gentlemen, are going to kill yourselves.