"Elite" Riders

This morning I came into work and parked the bike in my usual spot. As I'm getting off my bike, a BMW (bike) pulls up and parks next to me. Here I am thinking, "Cool, another rider who I also happen to work with, perfect opportunity for some light conversation." I commented that it was a nice day to ride. Other rider says nothing in return, I assume its because his helmet is still on and he didn't hear me. After finishing fiddling with my own gear, I repeat my comment about the nice weather. The guy takes one look at me, says "yep" and hurries off like his ass was on fire. I actually believe that if it weren't for his full suit, he would have broken into a run. Though I admit it's possible the guy was just late, it made me wonder how some riders get to be, well... pompous pricks about riding.

I have friends that ride all different kinds of bikes - cruisers (HD and Japanese), sport bikes, BMW's, and even a few Ducati pals. Some are great company: lots of fun to ride with and socialize with, and don't judge a person by their wheels. However, because I run with such a diverse pack, I often run into those who are dead-set against any other type of bike but their own. The groups seem to be predictable, i.e. Harley riders hate sport bikers and vice versa, Japense cruiser bikers often have a grudge against Harley riders, and the European riders seem to hate everyone but themselves. Is this something that's in owner manuals?

To me we're all in this together - we all taking the risk of riding, love the open road and are probably on some level a gear-head. Chances are most also enjoy good company, food and even beverage if the situation allows. So... why can't we all enjoy those things together?

I've heard different arguments, some of which make sense, most of which are ignorant. One intelligent reason is the idea that different types of bikes ride differently - a sport bike is going to be able to handle crazy curves a lot better than a Harley, and a beemer is going to be able to take those dirt roads a lot better than a sport bike. Ok, this means we just don't always go riding together. Or when we go, we split up into similar riding styles and meet at the top of the mountain.

The argument that gets my panties in a bunch is "They just have a different mentality about riding." I hear cruiser guys saying all the time how sport bikers are crazy nut-heads who are at best organ donors, often because they ride fast, hard and without gear. Yet all summer I see hordes of cruisers riding through town fast, hard and without any gear on. And the european riders, they just seem to take the pompous rider tactic to a new level - they seem to hate the rest of us for no other reason than we ride a brand that is different from theirs, and therefore we are less-serious riders.

As with every stereotype, there is a minimal amount of truth to the rumors. But not nearly enough to break apart one of the potentially biggest communities in the country. I'd like to be able to ride around town, happen across another motorcycle and be able to start a light conversation with that person without the fear of being told that I live lower on the totem pole than this stranger.

The Catholic church couldn't get over a few differences and look at how many branches of Christianity there are today, none of which can get along. I fear that bikers are all traveling down the exact same path, destined for separation and inner-group bickering.

Excuse my hippie-like soapbox, but really now... why can't we all get along?

The Season of Saving

Though I've yet to find a reasonably reliable statistic on this, I do wonder how much people spend on themselves during the Christmas season. Not out of selfishness necessarily, but out of convenience and affordability.

Every year around Halloween my mom sends all of us kids a friendly but pointed reminder: if we want gifts, we have to send her a list of suggestions now. Tasked with coming up with a list on the spot, we almost always forget about half the things we've spent all year saying "I should ask for this for Christmas." I thought I'd gotten a jump on things in August when I started a list of things I need or would like as I thought of them, but I still managed to miss a bunch of things. Add on all those things that you have been ogling in stores for 11 months but don't want to waste a Christmas wish on, and suddenly you find yourself with a large list of stuff you can't ask anyone for but know deep in your heart you want more than that green sweater you did have the insight to ask for.

Enter sales season.

Black Friday, as well as the ensuing clusterfudge of sales that have penetrated this most joyous of seasons, is no secret. And it seems every year the deals get just a little better, and last just a little longer.

For me, Black Friday is easy to skip. I do most of my shopping before hand anyway (and have gotten into the habit of buying everything online), so I know that I'll only go and spend money I don't need to spend on myself. I'm tempted a little by the online sales, but even those deals aren't stellar on Black Friday. Saturday I gave in a little, but with perfectly good reason: I needed a washer and dryer because the new house didn't come with one, and I knew what I could spend and how good of a deal I had to get in order to buy it from a store. I even ignored Cyber Monday deals - to be fair there weren't a lot of great ones this year.

But by today, Wednesday, all was lost. My willpower was shot up worse than then German Air Force in WWII, and buy.com sent me an email detailing all of the great things I've been drooling over but never had good reason to buy. My first guilty pleasure was a compact camcorder. At 70% off, who could resist? And my second guilty pleasure was a mp3 player that would work with Napster, which rang in at a beautiful 88% off.

I admit, I was ashamed to press the "place order" button. This is supposed to be a season of giving, not getting for me. I feel the need to go caroling or donate time to a soup kitchen just to clear my conscious.

I wonder though, how many spend more on themselves during the last month then on others? How much does the average person spend on themselves? Is it wrong to spend so much on ourselves, even in a time of such savings?

Which is a better title for the holidays - the season of giving or the season of saving?

Meat Parade

I'm currently oozing meat. More specifically, Bambi meat.

I can honestly say that until a few days ago, I had eaten venison a grand total of one time in my whole life. And then, a few days ago, I went to walk the dogs and discovered a large stack of deer meat on my back porch. After wrestling with my normally sweet dogs (who suddenly looked like they were considering taking me out in order to get to said pile of meat), I determined I was the proud owner of 6 tenderloins, 2 chunks of deer butt and 2 shoulders. At first perplexed, and admittedly a little frightened, by the random appearance of slaughtered animal on my porch, I soon learned that my farmer neighbor hunts on a regular basis on the large swath of land we share and just doesn't have the freezer space. I also got the impression I could expect similar encounters with mystery meat on my porch, but I don't want to get my hopes too high. (FYI - marinated a tenderloin last night in a great Italian mix, I highly recommend it)

The very next day, I had a good friend ping me offering 2 more venison shoulders. Suddenly I was looking at a whole lot of great looking meat and not nearly enough freezer and/or fridge space. Luckily I have a multitude of hungry man friends who are going to take a bit off my plate.

I'm going to spend the next couple of days perusing my books of recipes I've collected over the years and will post the first couple that work out well in a day or two.

Have you ever been inundated by a large quantity of generosity?

Hope

I once read that all young people are inherently democratic, and as you age you become more republican. I feel this is for several reasons, such as when you are young you believe in being more liberal with your daily choices, and as you age you become more conservative with your decisions - characteristics that bleed over into defining yourself as a liberal or conservative. I've had cynical conservatives tell me that only proves that democrats resemble teenagers and republicans take on a more "wise old man" persona.

For the sake of argument, I'll skip all of the "what is a democrat" and "what is a republican" debate. I bring this up only because as a person under 30 I seem to have a large number of friends - also under 30 - that lean very hard to the right. For the last 8 years, especially the last 2-4, I have endured my fair share of attacks for my inability to support Bush on a daily basis. I've been given many reasons for why I am nothing but a crazy liberal, and once even accused of thinking the whole world can really dream of sugarplums and unicorns (tequila may have been involved in that particular exchange). However the argument I heard the most - and the one that sticks out the most in my mind today - was undeniably "because he's our president." Simple as that. He's our commander-in-chief, leader of the free world, and was elected by the majority (twice I'm often reminded); therefore the man deserves my daily support. I do not believe they were telling me to follow blindly - just to think differently ;-)

That said, as the first 48 hours of Barack Obama's victory begins to sunset, I find myself saying something similar. The excitement for many is beginning to fade, and the reality of January 20th is setting in. Almost as if cued yesterday morning, my conservative friends began the deluge of doubt and daggers. All have firmly held their beliefs since the beginning of this long race, which all boiled down to "a Democrat couldn't run this country." This of course is how we are labeled dem and rep, believing that our guy can do the job and the other guy can't. At the risk of the attacks I know will be aimed at my head, I have to point out that only in hindsight does history have 20/20 vision, which leads me to my source of frustration.

In 2000, and even in 2004, I was expected to get behind the man that the country had decided was best for the job at hand. In 2000, I decided to do just that - give the man what every person deserves: my hope. My hope that at the end of his term, I would look back and think that the country was better for having him at its helm. I hear a lot of people saying that he will be viewed in a postive light by history, but given the current economic, diplomatic, etc situation we're currently drowning in I have to remain at the very best skeptical. Today - there is nothing positive I can say about the man, other than his dog is my hero today.

My feelings, admittedly all negative, come after 8 years of constant disappointment by a man I had put my trust into. As I've mentioned, I was consistently criticized by my conservative friends for such feelings. Yet not even 48-hours after the results were announced, the same people are bashing a man who has, by their own descriptions, yet to be tested. To me, that's like saying someone is a dog-beater just by looking at his resume. At the very best, it's hypocritical. From that point it gets worse. Their own hero, John McCain, said in his highly-praised concession speech to get behind the man who would now be our leader. I do agree McCain's speech was inspiring - but how is his inspiring speech any better than what conservatives have accused Obama of doing? Many say Obama is just full of hot-air laced with flowers and cupcakes, and that he is a eloquent speaker who never says anything substantial - only inspiring. Let's say McCain's speech was somehow different - why are you unwilling to follow his lead now, as he puts his faith where it belongs, behind the next President of the United States, yet 3 days ago you were telling me how I should follow McCain everywhere?

To all conservatives out there - I do not, repeat, do not believe you need to change your views on what you believe is best for this country. I believe that by you having your views, and me having my views, together we create the greatest country on earth. I even think it's ok for you to have some reservations about the future - I think if Jesus himself was elected on Tuesday we still should have had some reservations. Scary does not even begin to describe the muck we are wading through right now. And I do not believe that with a click of Obama's ruby red slippers the great US of A will go back to its former glory. I do not believe that the man will be anything but human - which includes the high probability of at least one large mistake. I will be very angry with him when that mistake happens, as will the entire populous affected by said mistake.

But today, the only thing the man deserves is hope. Partially because he is your next president, and partially because he is an American living through this huge stack of crisises we've found ourselves buried under.

Hope that at the end of his term, the country will be better for having him at his helm.

Of course there is the potential that it won't be. I think the approval rating of Bush Jr. is enough proof of that possibility. But until that day, the day in which hindsight can take effect and we can finally see the full effect of Tuesday's results, hope that it could get better - with the right direction, focus and efforts - is really not too much to ask, is it?

Write-In Votes

Some days gullible is my middle name, and apparently this morning I was having just such a moment. A friend of mine had me convinced for quite a while that he thought both candidates were crap and instead wrote in the Easter Bunny as his choice. Eventually I figured out that he was pulling my leg, but it got me thinking:

What about the write-in candidates?

I'll have to gather more research tomorrow, but I wonder how many people actually write in a candidate for president, and how many of those write-ins are actual live human beings. We've all had thoughts like "my dog is a better option than these guys" but how many of us act on them? And better yet, who gets a lot of votes this way? I'm willing to bet Santa and the Easter Bunny are popular among the fictional candidates, with God and Jesus giving them some tough competition. [note: I'm not saying God and Jesus are or are not fictional... just mentioning them as ineligible candidates people would vote for]

Also, how wrong is it to write-in a fictional character, or even a candidate who has absolutely no chance of winning (like your neighbor Jack who hasn't taken out his trash in 3 months and couldn't even be voted onto the homeowner's association board)? Is it irresponsible to waste your vote, or is it a noble form of protest?

Would you ever write-in a candidate for any office (yes, even down to the neighborhood apple pie queen race)? At what point would you consider it "crossing the line" to choose a candidate not even officially running?

Elections 2008 Results

AOL has some great live results -
Presidential | Senate | House | Governor

They also let you drill down to your local races and have some pretty conclusive coverage of the different aspects of the day.

Election Eve

Since I work in the media industry, elections is one of the busiest times of the year, even on off-years. Given that this year is a presidential election - and a heated one at that - I am preparing myself for what will surely be a chaotic 48 hours.

I'm constantly fascinated by the media's ability to turn the elections car right or left depending on which reporter says what. Today we rely so much on mass media to deliver our information, and is undeniably a driving force behind many votes. Often this driving force is highly criticized as unfair and intentionally-biased, and those that jump on the media bandwagon are accused of lacking even a single independent thought. While I can be accused of tooting my industry's own horn, seeing first-hand the inner-workings behind a media giant I think gives me a unique perspective.

A good example of how the media has changed the face of the fall race is the presidential debates. In modern America the presidential (and vice-presidential) debates have become a volatile display of attacks and flimsy "facts" leading to days of scrutiny and analysis by experts and politicians and advisers on every side of the fence. Candidates focus on saying what they think people watching want to hear, and throw rocks at their opponent if only for the sake of throwing a rock. Frankly I think it's become a pissing contest between two children, and since the removal of corporal punishment from the school systems, teacher/ moderator has virtually no ability to do anything but chastise and make snide comments from the safety of his/her desk.

Despite my misgivings about debates, I think it's one of the most honest forms of the election season. Put someone on the spot, ruffle their feathers a bit and you'll see their true form (or at least as close as they're able to show in this arena). This is where the media monster rears it's ugly head - the first debate wasn't until 1960, after it was possible to broadcast the event across the country. Never before had the entire population had access to the candidates in real-time. Many have argued that very first debate between Nixon and Kennedy sealed the ballot box - Kennedy is often viewed as the winner of the event, and he went on to squeak by Nixon in a very close November race. This could certainly be a coincidence, however since then debates have undeniably held a large role in the election. In 1976, Gerald Ford made a large blunder during a debate and later lost the race to Jimmy Carter. In 1980 the race was considered close until Ronald Reagan, comfortable in front of cameras, won the debate and later the election by a large margin. Perhaps one of the more amusing debate blunders was in 1992 between Bush Sr., Clinton and Perot when Bush was caught looking at his watch multiple times during the evening. Later he admitted that he was checking to see how much time was left in the debate. At least his son was more entertaining on TV :D

Another (more recently) popular media outlet during elections season is the Internet. Sure, it's popular most days, but how many of you went online to look at McCain's stance on drilling domestically? Or to do more research on Obama's tax plan? The biggest problem with the Internet is the lack of quality control. Any Joe Schmoe can type up a few words and claim them as fact. Throw in a few easily-excitable followers and you've got yourself a mass riot of rumors. I admittedly spend a small chunk of my day discrediting links to other posts people send me. It's never that I think the authors shouldn't say what they have to say - I'm a first ammedment fanatic. However, posing their opinions as fact, or worse, intelligent people believing these opinion pieces as fact is just plain nuts. These are often the same people who throw things at their TV when CNN comes on, claiming media bias and the inability for fact to come out of the media. Didn't your mother teach you not to believe everything you read? This of course is the nasty habit of ours to only believe what we want to believe, supported conveniently by only reading about the theories and ideas you want to believe.

In short, I think the media is a necessary evil. It's a monster that we hate and yet overfeed because we can't stomach the idea of being without it. Is the media always fair? Of course not. The media is run by humans, and last I checked, being fair 100% of the time isn't something any human being is capable of.

This sort of turned into a desperate plea. If you're going to read or watch something, before you decide to believe it or not, read or watch something else on a completely different channel that has a completely different viewpoint. Reading Red State and then backing up what you read by reading Urban Conservative is not really what I mean. I know all blogs and stations have mountains of facts, but if everyone is contradicting each other, they can't all be right :D

Sorry to state the obvious, but it's been thrust in my face a lot the last week, and I finally had to say something. Research first, take it all with a small grain of salt, and assume everyone knows at least a little of the truth and everyone is also stretching the truth a little. How hard is that?