Subject: RED Fridays
RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing
Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used
to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are
voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking
numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no
liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions.
Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to
recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our
idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity
and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday
until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that..
Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will
wear something red.
By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every
Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the
bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this
with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be
long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know
the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly
more than the media lets on.
The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make
things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers.
Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example;
and wear some thing red every Friday.
Submitted to (BFB) By: Mark Spry
Posted By Dragoni: 01/16/2006
THE SOLDIERS DAUGHTER
Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia attending a conference. While I was in
the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to
clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the
greatest act's of patriotism I have ever seen.
Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camo's, as they
began heading to their gate everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly
to their feet with their hands waving and cheering. When I saw the
soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for it hit
me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red blooded American who still loves
this country and supports our troops and their families.
Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung
heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can
go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal. Just when I thought
I
could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women a
young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male
soldiers. He kneeled down and said "hi," the little girl then she asked him
if he would give something to her daddy for her. The young soldier, he
didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself, said he would try and what did
she want to give to her daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the
neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then
kissed him on the cheek.
The mother of the little girl, who said her daughters name was Courtney,
told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in
Iraq
for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter,
Courtney, missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up. When this
temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the
soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other
servicemen pulled out a military looking walkie-talkie. They started
playing with the device and talking back and forth on it.
After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to
Courtney, bent down and said this to her, "I spoke to your daddy and he
told me to give this to you." He then hugged this little girl that he had
just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying "your
daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is
coming home very soon."
The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young
soldier stood to his feet he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was
standing
no more than 6 feet away from this entire event unfolded. As the soldiers
began to leave, heading towards their gate, people resumed their applause.
As I stood there applauding and looked around, their were very few dry
eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness,
turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.
We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and
thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's
good
to be an American.
Red Friday - Just keeping you "in the loop" so you'll know what's going on
in case this takes off.
RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red
every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be
called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are voicing our
love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not
organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on
TV, to reflect our message or our opinions.
Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize
that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing
solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this
Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home,
sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports
our men and women afar will wear something red.
By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday
a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If
every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances,
co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long before the USA is
covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority
is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.
The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things
better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers. Let's get
the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear
something red every Friday.
Submitted to (BFB) By: Michael Rebeiro
Posted By Dragoni: 07/21/2006
NEW WAY TO DO CAR JACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)
Heads up everyone!
You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside.
You start the engine and shift into Reverse When you look into the
rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of
paper stuck to the middle of the rear window.
So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors and jump out of your car to
remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view.
When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers
Appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off.
They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car.
And guess what ladies, “I bet your purse is still in the car!”
So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys.
Your home and your whole identity are now compromised!
BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED.
If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away,
remove the paper later and be thankful that you read this e-mail.
I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women.
A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification
documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong hands.
Please keep this going.
Thank you. Lieutenant Tony Bartolome Bureau of Investigations Florida
Highway Patrol
P. O. Box 593527
Orlando, FL 32859
Posted By Dragoni:
08/23/2006
The Bill Gates List !!! EXCELLENT
THIS SHOULD BE PRINTED ON THE WALLS OF ALL SCHOOLS,
STARTING IN ELEMENTARY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.
Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this!
To anyone with kids of any age, here's some advice.
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things
they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good,
politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept
of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem.
The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school.
You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity.
Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault,
so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now.
They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and
listening to you talk about how
cool you thought you were.
So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation,
try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT.
In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as
MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.
This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters.
You don't get summers off and very few employers
are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
If you agree, pass it on.
If you can read this - Thank a teacher!
Posted By Dragoni: 01/08/2007
NATIONWIDE CALL TO ACTION:
ABATE OF MONTANA SAYS KEEP THOSE LETTERS, CALLS AND EMAILS COMING!
"No state shall make or enforce any law
which shall abridge the privileges
or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state
deprive
any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor
deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the
laws."--U.S. Constitution, Amendment XIV, Section 1
Fellow Freedom Fighters:
Montana State Representative Betsy Hands and Montana State Senator Lynda
Moss are continuing to sponsor Draft Bill LC1683, a mandatory motorcycle
helmet law:
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/lchtml/LC1683.htm
Mandatory helmet laws like this one clearly demonstrate how "good
intentions
often lead to bad legislation". ABATE of Montana has asked us to
continue
to flood their offices with letters, calls and emails protesting this
bill,
which is discriminatorily unconstitutional in that--by mandating helmets
for
motorcyclists as opposed to all motorists--it would violate the "equal
protection" guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the United States
Constitution.
Here is their contact information:
Betsy Hands (D)
1337 SHERWOOD ST
MISSOULA, MT 59802-2301
Home: 406-721-3881
Email: BETSYHANDS@GMAIL.COM
Web: http://tinyurl.com/2zeb7s
(with photo)
Lynda Moss (D)
552 HIGHLAND PARK DR
BILLINGS, MT 59102-1046
Home: 406-252-7318
Email: LYNDAMOSS@IMT.NET
Web: http://tinyurl.com/26gebv
(with photo)
Email addresses for them and the Montana Senate and House Leadership are
as
follows:
BETSYHANDS@GMAIL.COM
LYNDAMOSS@IMT.NET
COONEYEMAIL@AOL.COM
DANWHARRINGTON@IN-TCH.COM
CWILLIAMS@MONTANADSL.NET
LLSD22@YAHOO.COM
COREYSTAPLETON@BRESNAN.NET
GBARKUS@DADCO.COM
SCOTTSALESHD68@EARTHLINK.NET
grt3177@smtel.com
MLANGE6@HOTMAIL.COM
tmcgillvray@bresnan.net
GARYMACLAREN@YAHOO.COM
PARKMONT@HOTMAIL.COM
BERGREN@BOBBERGREN.COM
MCAMPBELLHD31@YAHOO.COM
MCDAVE94@HOTMAIL.COM
DANVILLAFORMONTANA@HOTMAIL.COM
To automatically load these email addresses into a new email window,
click
here:
http://www.ldrlongdistancerider.com/KeepMontanaFree.html
Remember that this issue here is NOT "helmets", the issue is "helmet
laws".
As a distance rider, I often wear a helmet. But as an American citizen,
I
should be free to choose when and where I strap one on. This is not
about
SAFETY ... this is about FREEDOM. You will find more sound reasons to
oppose this legislation presented here:
http://tinyurl.com/2v97al
Even if you have responded to this call-to-action before, PLEASE RESPOND
AGAIN. And even if you have forwarded this call-to-action before, PLEASE
FORWARD IT AGAIN.
Ride Long, Ride Free!
Bruce Arnold ;-)
Bruce@LdrLongDistanceRider.com
________________________________
From: Linda Baldwin [mailto:libaldwin@midrivers.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 2:59 PM
Subject: Draft Bill LC 1683 - There is movement on this ABATE NEEDS your
help!
Hello Everyone: Call to Action:
We have action on LC 1683...the Mandatory Motorcycle/Quadricycle Bill.
Please read below...and start calling, E-mailing, writing those letters
again. As Jill Z. told us...use the same letter you wrote last time,
just
make sure that Betsy Hands and Lynda Moss are bombarded with mail and
phone
calls.
Thanks for your immediate action on this E-mail.
Linda
Bill Actions - Current Bill Progress: In Drafting Process
Bill Action Count: 16
Action - Most Recent First Date Votes Yes Votes No
Committee
(C) Draft Delivered to Requester 01/31/2007
(C) Draft Ready for Delivery 01/03/2007
(C) Draft in Assembly/Executive Director Review 01/02/2007
(C) Draft in Final Drafter Review 01/02/2007
(C) Bill Draft Text Available Electronically 01/02/2007
(C) Draft in Input/Proofing 01/02/2007
(C) Draft to Drafter - Edit Review [CMD] 01/02/2007
(C) Draft in Edit 01/02/2007
***
Post replies or comments here:
http://pub42.bravenet.com/forum/3562429698/fetch/778257/
Posted By Dragoni: 01/31/2007
|
Bogus Motorcycle Helmets
By: the WSP
Almost all motorcycle riders wear helmets.
Legal helmets are proven to save lives. However, some
helmets are sold as novelty items only; never intended
for use on the road. In a collision, these "novelty"
helmets provide almost no protection for the rider.
Unfortunately some people are confused about what
makes a helmet legal and safe to wear.
The attached PDF file will give you some insight
into buying a motorcycle helmet that
is legal to use and will afford you the greatest protection. If you would
like some
additional information, please visit the links and documents provided.
Note: You will need to have the Adobe
Acrobat Reader in order to view and print PDF
files. If you are not able to open the "Bogus Helmets" brochure,
Download the
Acrobat Reader here.
Bogus
or not Motorcycle Helmets - Download a PDF copy of the bogus
& DOT helmet brochure.
Research
information - Southern California Injury Prevention
Research Center.
Revised Code of Washington 46.37.530 - Defines
motorcycle helmet.
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 - For all
legal motorcycle helmets
New Page
Complied By Dragoni, How to Buy
legal motorcycle helmets . |
|
Updated By Dragoni: 02/20/2009
Motorcycle Riders of Florida need to Pay
Attention and Get Involved.
This came to me from ABATE of Florida. Though it asks you to
become a member
what the letter says is very true.
You Need To Contact Your Legislator and Ask They Vote NO! On
HB265 and SB984
ROGUE
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 3:08 AM
Subject: The Legislative Session is Upon Us
The Legislative Session is Upon Us. When they are done in
Tallahassee this
year,
will you still be able to afford to ride your motorcycle? Will
you even be
able to keep it?
For all of you FREELOADERS who continue to sit on your can and
let members
of ABATE OF FLORIDA protect your interests, listen up. This
would include
those of you who think that the only thing we care about is
helmets, you
listen up too.
The Florida Legislative Session begins on the 1st Tuesday in
March and
convenes for sixty consecutive days. The legislature is not
even is regular
session yet and we already have the HB265 bill in the Florida
House and
companion SB984 in the Florida Senate. These bills
conveniently do not
include the word 'motorcycle' or 'cycle' but if these bills
are passed into
law in their current form, the face of motorcycling in Florida
will severely
change. The result will mean only the wealthy will be able to
legally ride.
A few short on money but big on cojones will choose not to
meet the
requirements of the new law. Unfortunately that will mean they
are criminals
and subject to fine, prosecution and incarceration.
Why do we already know this? Why are we already working on
this when search
engines do not discover any threat to motorcycling in this
bill? ABATE OF
FLORIDA members join together and involve themselves in
fundraising to
provide for a lobbyist. This same lobbyist called this to our
attention just
about the time the ink was drying on the bill.
This onerous bill deletes a portion of statute that defines
motor vehicles.
This same portion being deleted happens to exclude motorcycles
from carrying
PIP. Forget about the cost of carrying PIP on a motorcycle
(and that you
cannot buy it), but imagine how much it will cost to insure
yourself against
being run over by someone. No fault situations do not work or
provide
affordable solutions for someone riding a motorcycle. The
reason insurance
companies want helmets on motorcyclists boils down to the
simple fact that
when someone they insure runs over one of us, it costs them
big money. As a
motorcyclist, you know that a helmet is not going to save you
from injury
and/or death when Joe Impala runs over you so you understand
why insurance
companies are going to make you pony up big time when a new
law makes you
responsible for paying for your injuries when someone runs
over you.
HB265/SB984 will relieve the at-fault Joe Impala's insurance
company of the
financial responsibility of running you over.
You will pay insurance premiums to take care of yourself in
the event Joe
Impala runs you over. That is why many people will be
legislated off the
road by this legislation. If you own your own bike and you are
not
independently wealthy, you will not be able to afford the
insurance. You
will be able to choose to park it or become a criminal. If
your bank owns
your bike, you are in worse trouble because they require you
to have
insurance. You will have some additional lovely choices to
make. Perhaps you
bank will allow you to sign an affidavit that you won't ride
it since you
don't have insurance? (because you cannot afford it). Perhaps
you will turn
it back into the bank because you are not so sure you want to
make payments
on something you cannot ride? Perhaps the bank won't take the
risk of you
riding the bike without insurance and will call their note
due. If they call
their note due (and they can, check your loan documents), you
will either
pay it off or they will repossess it. When they repossess your
bike, then
they will sue you to pay for it anyway. Hopefully, you are
getting the
picture here and understand that it is not pretty. Do you also
understand we
could really use your help???
We anticipate a busy legislative session protecting the
interests of
motorcyclists in Florida. Perhaps this is the time for you to
get off your
can and kick in on the efforts. At the very least get of your
wallet and
support the organization that protects and preserves what you
pretend to
care about.
Florida has been high on the NHTSA radar for at least 18
months. Know that
we are number one on their hit list and they have rolled out
another major
pair of documents in the last six months that includes their
helmet
initiative propaganda. For those who do not think that is
important,
understand that when we do not stand together, we are
vulnerable. Know that
there are ways for them to try and take us down that will
cause you more
than a mere inconvenience. Know that ABATE OF FLORIDA includes
members who
choose to wear helmets. Know that this propaganda has resulted
in helmet
legislation appearing in several legislatures already.
In the Florida legislature alone, we have a very full plate in
the upcoming
legislative session. We will be looking for ways to tighten
our stiffer
penalties legislation in regard to Joe Impala running over us.
We are
looking to see what kind of legislation we can introduce in
regard to
restricting cell phone use. We will be looking for additional
funding for
motorcycle safety and public awareness campaigns. We will be
working toward
making sure driver education returns to all public high
schools. We will
continue to work on passing our Discrimination bill. We
previously
succeeding deLaying mandatory rider training bill deLayed
until July 2008.
If we are unable to make changes necessary, we will have to
kill or repeal
the legislation. Our biggest concerns with it as it stands
include lack of
sufficient 'grandfather' clause, deficiencies in lack of
course cost cap and
concerns with access in regard to the limited number of
training sites.
There are already waits to take the course and it is not
mandatory.
Being a member of ABATE means you get information in regard to
contacting
your officials to help pass or kill legislation regarding
motorcycles. You
can get information about what is going on and how you can
help. Contact a
Chapter near you to join. Members and non-members alike will
be needed to
attend our annual Freedom Rights Rally in April. We need you
to get on that
motorcycle and ride into Tallahassee with us and up Appalachee
Parkway into
the Capitol. This session was already important in that we
have a lot of
newly elected legislators. They need to know we vote, we give
a damn and we
will be on the scene to make sure they are representing us and
our interests
in the Capitol. When we go see our legislators in April this
year, we need
to ride en masse.
Ride safe out there and if you want to keep riding, get
yourself signed up
as a member and pay attention. Those who have been carrying
your load and
pulling your weight all of these years may come up short
without your help,
so get off your can and take yourself off the welfare biker
role...
Dave Russell - aka - Katfish
Posted By Dragoni: 02/20/2007
|
Here
SHE is, the USS New York
USS New York
It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the
World Trade Center.
It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed
for missions that include special operations against
terrorists. It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and
700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by
helicopters and assault craft.
Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in
a foundry in Amite, LA to cast the ship's bow
section. When it was poured into the molds
on
Sept. 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated
it with total
reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who
was there. "It was a
spiritual moment for everybody there."
Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said
that when the trade center steel first arrived, he
touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck
stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of
us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep
us down. We're going to be back."
The ship's motto? "Never Forget"
Please
keep this going so everyone can see what we are made
of in this country!
Posted By Dragoni: 02/20/2007
|
Joinder in Open Letter of
Bruce Arnold Calling for New Directions And
Greater Commitment in AMA Biker Rights and Safety Policy
By "Madd Ray" Henke (RarelyL84ad8@aol.com)
http://www.motorcyclists-against-dumb-drivers.com/
***
20 February 2007
Rob Dingman
President
American Motorcyclist Association
13515 Yarmouth Drive
Pickerington, OH 43147
Email:
rdingman@ama-cycle.org
Dear Rob,
I would like to add my congratulations on your selection as
President of the
American Motorcyclist Association.
At the same time I feel compelled to add my voice to that of
Bruce Arnold,
expressed in his Open Letter calling on you to correct what
has been, in
some respects, the past misdirected course of AMA [
http://tinyurl.com/2dnsbr
], and to call on you to please redouble AMA's
commitment, particularly when it comes to supporting biker
rights. Biker
rights means nothing more than ordinary, common dignity, the
rights of
bikers to make our own adult safety equipment choices free of
the
paternalistic dictates of government.
It is extremely important that AMA has made plain that it
supports the
rider's right to chose whether or not to wear a helmet. It is
AMA's
outstretched hand to those of us who value our dignity and
right to chose,
and we want you to know that we appreciate that AMA stands for
biker
freedom. For many of us, "rights" may be our only common
connection with
AMA, just as for others it might be racing.
There is much more that AMA can do to fulfill its commitment
to preserving
our "rights" which we have not seen in the past. One of the
main obstacles
to restoring biker dignity and freedom in half the states, and
in resisting
efforts to deprive us of our dignity and freedom in the other
half of the
states, is that the powerful insurance and medical lobbies
fund scientific
presentations at every hearing and at every other opportunity
they can
create to influence our state legislators. The presentations
are skewed to
the political ends of the helmet law proponents, most commonly
presented
without rebuttal, and all too often the skewed "scientific
evidence" is
accepted as accurate. The result is that our state legislators
succumb to
the misinformation that helmet laws are essential to avert a
fabricated
public health or "state fiscal" crisis purported to result
from motorcyclist
head injuries which they allege might be avoided by universal
helmet use.
The scientific facts are that head injuries are only a small
fraction of the
broader public health and state fiscal consequences of what is
surely an
obscene incidence of motorcycle accidents. In these motorcycle
accidents we
suffer quadriplegia, paraplegia, other spinal cord injuries,
debilitating
internal injuries, catastrophic orthopedic injuries and leg
amputations, the
incidence or severity of which could not possibly be reduced
by the use of
helmets. Even as these helmet law proponents cite the small
percentage of
head injuries which might be averted by helmets, they fail to
cite the
partially or wholly offsetting numbers of spinal cord injuries
which occur
as the result of use of helmets or the state fiscal
consequence of the
medical cost associated with caring for those who suffer
spinal injuries.
The helmet law proponents also engage in public relations
campaigns which
defame motorcyclists, complaining that this misrepresented
state fiscal
crisis results from the failures of motorcyclists to obtain
insurance. The
fact is that 2/3 of these accidents result solely from the
inattention and
negligence of auto drivers. It is the auto drivers who are
responsible under
the law and morally to pay for the injuries, medical expenses
and damages
sustained by the motorcyclists they injure (those who sustain
head injuries
or any of the other panoply of injuries we sustain at their
hands), and it
is the auto drivers who fail to meet their legal and moral
obligations to
pay our medical expenses.
The factual propositions and rhetoric urged by helmet law
proponents is all
scientifically false. We can point that out. We can show how
the data is
manufactured by contrived methodology to yield results which
are skewed and
misleading. But what our resistance to helmet laws lacks is a
good
scientific offense, including appropriately qualified experts
prepared and
fairly compensated to appear and testify at key hearings; and
we need good
written scientific position papers over the signatures of
highly qualified
epidemiologists regularly updated as new scientific studies
are published
which we can present at all other hearings and opportunities
to educate and
persuade our legislators and policy makers.
We watched in horror, for example, as the NTSB lined up only
the helmet law
proponent experts to testify at the science segment at the
outset of the
September 2006 NTSB "Motorcycle Safety" Forum. It was like a
trial in which
only one side was permitted to put on evidence. The NTSB
hearing was a
farce, indeed predestined to be a farce, as was obvious even
before the
commencement of the hearing by the contents of its agenda. But
perhaps most
importantly the NTSB hearings were farcical by reason of the
preselection of
the only scientific evidence which would be permitted to be
introduced. It
was indeed that skewed scientific presentation at the outset
of the hearings
which defined the "facts" which determined the outcome of
every subsequent
relevant segment of the hearings.
In the future, we would urge that AMA use its influence in
federal agency
hearings to assure that we are never again so outmaneuvered by
the insurance
industry, medical and manufacturer lobbies. And we would urge,
again, that
if the helmet law proponents will have the opportunity to
present their
skewed analyses, that AMA demand the opportunity to present
scientific
rebuttal, in the form of an equal number of highly qualified
experts,
including highly credentialed epidemiologists to undermine the
helmet law
proponents self serving interpretations and if necessary, the
underlying
study methodologies.
We would urge that AMA also weigh in as federal agencies
develop on any
future agenda for "safety" hearings. The agenda for the NTSB
hearing was
simply absurd, the only segment appearing on the agenda having
any prospect
of reducing the incidence of motorcycle accidents, and hence
the full
landscape of the injuries we suffer, was the "motorcycle
awareness" segment.
The largest segment of the NTSB hearing, twice the length of
any other
segment, was devoted to competitive motorcycle manufacturer
advertisements,
Honda being the winner with its novel motorcycle air bag which
Honda took
argued with its greatest effort to make plain would only fit
on its big 6
cylinder bike, and bikes of no other manufacturer.
Even the "motorcycle awareness" segment fell flat as none of
the
participants appeared in the least bit enthusiastic about the
prospect that
auto driver inattention to motorcyclists was even capable of
being
effectively altered by motorcycle awareness campaigns. This
was the only
segment of the NTSB Forum that legitimately pertained to biker
safety and
the AMA representative remained conspicuously silent,
literally without a
positive suggestion on how such a strategy might be
implemented effectively
to reach a significant percentage of auto drivers. In fairness
to AMA, the
MSF representative at this motorcycle awareness segment of the
Forum also
expressed no enthusiasm for the potential efficacy of
motorcycle awareness
campaigns. He indicated that MSF had prepared some motorcycle
awareness
informational commercials, but stated outright that the costs
of airing them
were prohibitive. He indicated that any other organization was
welcome to
use the commercials, but it was apparent that MSF wasn't about
to pick up
the tab. Indeed, the MSF representative indicated that a
single prime time
national commercial would cost several thousand dollars, and
to reach even a
small community it would cost several tens of thousands of
dollars.
Adding biker safety insult to injury the MSF representative
out of the blue
recommended instead "handheld" cell phone bans, which, as I
will demonstrate
below, are worse than no ban at all! This kind of sloppy,
extemporaneous, ad
hoc argument rather obviously thrown out just to shift
attention from the
fact that the MSF representative had nothing positive to say
about the
"motorcycle awareness" subject of the segment, is no way to
conduct
effective policy advocacy.
The only other biker representative at the segment was an
ABATE Iowa
official who described his organization's grassroots efforts
to get out into
the community to talk to auto drivers to explain to them why
we wear
leather, and he described their use of car bumper stickers
reading "My Mom
Rides a Motorcycle." As I understood this effort it was
intended to
establish good relations with the public and thus, hopefully,
to get auto
drivers to show us greater respect on the roadways. The only
other
representative on the panel was an insurance industry
representative who
completely ignored that the subject of the segment was
motorcycle awareness,
rolling his eyes when asked for his position on the potential
efficacy of
motorcycle awareness programs, and without objection from the
motorcyclist
representatives, went off on what was obviously a pre-planned,
completely
irrelevant tirade, again, on how "everyone knows" that helmet
laws are the
panacea for the dangers motorcyclists face out on the road,
throwing in his
canned argument for insurance industry deregulation.
We must never permit ourselves to be so outmaneuvered at an
NTSB or NHTSA or
other important biker safety hearing again, particularly at
hearings which
may result in findings harmful to our biker safety and biker
rights
interests. AMA is our "largest motorcyclist organization" in
the United
States, as you take pride in advertising, and the fact is that
AMA has the
power, if it will assert it, to influence the agendas for
these hearings and
demand fairness in the constitution of the panels. Where
farcical
"motorcycle safety" forum agendas are developed by our federal
agencies, or
where it appears that our federal agencies have succumbed to
insurance
industry influence in the selection of the experts and
panelists who will be
permitted to appear at the hearings, it is AMA's
responsibility as our
largest motorcyclist organization to object and object
vehemently. Indeed,
if the agency will not agree to an appropriate agenda, or if
it refuses to
permit us to field our own motorcyclist safety experts, then
rather than
succumb to such a political farce as we witnessed at the
September NTSB
hearing again, AMA should refuse to participate and call on
all other
motorcyclist organizations to boycott the hearings. If our
largest
motorcycle rider organizations refuse to participate in
sandbagged hearings,
it will undercut the pretense of legitimacy the hearings gain
from biker
organization participation. Indeed, if AMA again participates
in such
farcical anti-biker, governmental hearings as we witnessed in
the NTSB
hearings, please be forewarned that we will have no choice
than to urge and
demonstrate and publicize that you sold out our dignity and
interest in
safety.
We are also being outmaneuvered in our state legislatures, in
much the same
way. State legislative committees set hearings, the insurance
industry and
medical lobbies present their skewed "scientific" evidence
that the state is
facing a public health and/or state fiscal crisis associated
with the
incidence of motorcyclist head injuries, blame the
motorcyclists for being
underinsured, and urge that the solution to enact BandAide
helmet
legislation. Each of the propositions is easily rebutted, as
we have above,
but what we lack, again, is the offensive scientific
presentation by
qualified expert witnesses. It would be best if we could
obtain the oral
testimony of qualified scientific experts, but at the very
least we should
have up to date written scientific presentations which we can
present
rebutting the presentations of the helmet law proponents,
providing the
accurate information with regard to the true dimensions of the
public health
and fiscal consequences of the full landscape of motorcyclist
injury
resulting from motorcycle accidents; and then, good proposals
for reducing
the incidence of motorcycle accidents, and thereby to reduce
the incidence
of the full panoply of motorcyclist injury.
In the last respect, I want to take this opportunity to
suggest to you what
we at Motorcyclists Against Dumb Drivers would propose as much
better biker
safety approaches than helmet legislation to significantly
reduce the public
health and fiscal consequences resulting from what we would
agree is an
obscene incidence of motorcycle accidents on our streets and
highways.
First, and most important, because it seeks to curtail what is
the currently
the biggest single contributor to the full landscape of
motorcyclist injury,
we urge comprehensive cell phone bans with penalties
sufficient to
effectively deter motorists from engaging in all cell
conversation while
driving.
(1) The use of cell phones while driving is now indisputably
epidemic. One
out of every ten auto drivers we encounter on our American
roads and
highways at any given daylight moment in time is actively
engaged in cell
conversation. (NOPUS, December 2005);
(2) Driving under the influence of cell conversation results
in DUI level
driving impairment, and while engaged in cell conversation,
the motorists
are 4 times more likely to cause an accident. Redelmeier and
Tibshirani
(1997) "Association Between Cellular-Telephone Calls and Motor
Vehicle
Collisions." New England Journal of Medicine, 336, 453; McEvoy,
Stevenson,
McCartt, Woodward, Haworth, Palamara and Cercarelli, "Role of
Mobile Phones
in Motorvehicle Crashes Resulting in Hospital Attendance; A
Case-Crossover
Study," British Medical Journal (July 12, 2005). "The 100-Car
Naturalistic
Driving Study, Phase II," DOT HS 810 593 April, 2006. Strayer,
Drews and
Crouch, "A Comparison of the Cell Phone Driver and the Drunk
Driver," Human
Factors, Summer 2006; Strayer, D. L. & Drews, F. A. & Crouch,
D. J. (2003).
"Fatal Distraction? A Comparison of the Cell-Phone Driver and
the Drunk
Driver." In D. V. McGehee, J. D. Lee, & M. Rizzo (Eds.)
Driving Assessment
2003: International Symposium on Human Factors in Driver
Assessment,
Training, and Vehicle Design. Published by the Public Policy
Center,
University of Iowa (pp. 25-30); Strayer, D. L., & Johnston, W.
A. (2001).
"Driven to distraction: Dual-task studies of simulated driving
and
conversing on a cellular phone. Psychological Science," 12,
462-466.
McCarley, J. S., Vais, M., Pringle, H., Kramer, A. F., Irwin,
D. E., &
Strayer, D. L. (2001). "Conversation disrupts visual scanning
of traffic
scenes." Paper presented at Vision in Vehicles, Australia.
Strayer, D. L.,
Drews, F. A., Albert, R. W., & Johnston, W. A. (2001). "Cell
phone induced
perceptual impairments during simulated driving." In D. V.
McGehee, J. D.
Lee, & M. Rizzo (Eds.) Driving Assessment 2001: International
Symposium on
Human Factors in Driver Assessment, Training, and Vehicle
Design. Strayer,
D. L., Drews, F. A. & Johnston, W. A. (2002). "Why do cell
phone
conversations interfere with driving?" Proceedings of the 81st
Annual
Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Strayer, D.
L., Drews, F. A. & Johnston, W. A. (2003). "Cell phone induced
failures of
visual attention during simulated driving." Journal of
Experimental
Psychology: Applied, 9, 23-23. Strayer, D. L., Drews, F. A., &
Johnston, W.
A. (2003). "Are we being driven to distraction? Public Policy
Perspectives,"
Vol. 16, 1-2. (Published by the Center for Public Policy and
Administration,
University of Utah) Strayer, D. L. & Drews, F. A. (2003).
"Effects of cell
phone conversations on younger and older drivers." In the
Proceedings of the
47nd Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics
Society (pp..
1860-1864). Strayer, D. L. & Drews, F. A. & Crouch, D. J.
(2003). "Fatal
distraction? A comparison of the cell-phone driver and the
drunk driver." In
D. V. McGehee, J. D. Lee, & M. Rizzo (Eds.) Driving Assessment
2003:
International Symposium on Human Factors in Driver Assessment,
Training, and
Vehicle Design. Published by the Public Policy Center,
University of Iowa
(pp. 25-30). Strayer, D. L., Cooper, J. M., & Drews, F. A.
(2004). "What do
drivers fail to see when conversing on a cell phone?" In the
Proceedings of
the 48nd Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics
Society (pp
2213-2217). McCarley, J.S., Vais, M.J., Pringle, H., Kamer,
A.F., Irwin,
D.E., & Strayer, D.L. (2004) "Conversation disrupts change
detection in
complex traffic scenes." Human Factors, 46, 424-436. Strayer,
D.L., & Drews,
F. A. (2004). "Profiles in driver distraction: Effects of cell
phone
conversations on younger and older drivers." Human Factors,
46, 640-649.
Strayer, D. L. & Drews, F. A. Crouch, D. J., & Johnston, W. A.
(2005). "Why
do Cell Phone Conversations Interfere with Driving?" In W. R.
Walker and D.
Herrmann (Eds.) Cognitive Technology: Essays on the
Transformation of
Thought and Society (pp. 51-6 , McFarland & Company, Inc.,
Jefferson, NC.)
(3) It is NOT holding the phone or otherwise manipulating it
which results
in the DUI level driving impairment or four fold increased
likelihood that
the motorist will cause an accident; it is the cell
conversation. It is an
"inattentional blindness" resulting from the diversion of
limited conscious
attention to the internal-cognitive tasks associated with the
give and take
of the cell conversation away from the external-visual tasks
essential for
safe driving. When drivers are engaged in cell conversation,
whether by
handheld or hands-free cell device, they fail to "see" signal
changes, they
fail to "see" cars stopping in front of them, they fail to
"see" changes in
the driving environment which would normally be expected to
automatically
draw the motorists' attention, and they fail even to "see"
what their eyes
are fixed upon. Strayer, D. L., & Johnston, W. A. (2001).
"Driven to
distraction: Dual-task studies of simulated driving and
conversing on a
cellular phone. Psychological Science," 12, 462-466. McCarley,
J. S., Vais,
M., Pringle, H., Kramer, A. F., Irwin, D. E., & Strayer, D. L.
(2001).
"Conversation disrupts visual scanning of traffic scenes."
Paper presented
at Vision in Vehicles, Australia. Strayer, D. L., Drews, F.
A., Albert, R.
W., & Johnston, W. A. (2001). "Cell phone induced perceptual
impairments
during simulated driving." In D. V. McGehee, J. D. Lee, & M.
Rizzo (Eds.)
Driving Assessment 2001: International Symposium on Human
Factors in Driver
Assessment, Training, and Vehicle Design. Strayer, D. L.,
Drews, F. A. &
Johnston, W. A. (2002). "Why do cell phone conversations
interfere with
driving?" Proceedings of the 81st Annual Meeting of the
Transportation
Research Board, Washington, DC. Strayer, D. L., Drews, F. A. &
Johnston, W.
A. (2003). "Cell phone induced failures of visual attention
during simulated
driving." Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 9,
23-23. Strayer, D.
L., Drews, F. A., & Johnston, W. A. (2003). "Are we being
driven to
distraction? Public Policy Perspectives," Vol. 16, 1-2.
(Published by the
Center for Public Policy and Administration, University of
Utah) Strayer, D.
L. & Drews, F. A. (2003). "Effects of cell phone conversations
on younger
and older drivers." In the Proceedings of the 47nd Annual
Meeting of the
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (pp.. 1860-1864). Strayer,
D. L. &
Drews, F. A. & Crouch, D. J. (2003). "Fatal distraction? A
comparison of the
cell-phone driver and the drunk driver." In D. V. McGehee, J.
D. Lee, & M.
Rizzo (Eds.) Driving Assessment 2003: International Symposium
on Human
Factors in Driver Assessment, Training, and Vehicle Design.
Published by the
Public Policy Center, University of Iowa (pp. 25-30). Strayer,
D. L.,
Cooper, J. M., & Drews, F. A. (2004). "What do drivers fail to
see when
conversing on a cell phone?" In the Proceedings of the 48nd
Annual Meeting
of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (pp 2213-2217).
McCarley, J.S.,
Vais, M.J., Pringle, H., Kamer, A.F., Irwin, D.E., & Strayer,
D.L. (2004)
"Conversation disrupts change detection in complex traffic
scenes." Human
Factors, 46, 424-436. Strayer, D.L., & Drews, F. A. (2004).
"Profiles in
driver distraction: Effects of cell phone conversations on
younger and older
drivers." Human Factors, 46, 640-649. Strayer, D. L. & Drews,
F. A. Crouch,
D. J., & Johnston, W. A. (2005). "Why do Cell Phone
Conversations Interfere
with Driving?" In W. R. Walker and D. Herrmann (Eds.)
Cognitive Technology:
Essays on the Transformation of Thought and Society (pp. 51-6
, McFarland &
Company, Inc., Jefferson, NC.)
Since cell conversation by handheld and handsfree device
results in the
identical DUI level driving impairment and identical 4 fold
increased
likelihood that the motorist will cause an accident, please
see clearly that
handheld cell phone bans, such as was urged by our MSF
representative at the
NTSB Forum can have no possible positive safety effect,
because motorists
will simply purchase hands-free devices for use in their
vehicles. Indeed,
that handheld cell phone bans are likely to have little if any
impact on the
epidemic of injury associated with the current epidemic of
driving under the
influence of cell conversation is an observation made by the
most respected
scientists in the field.
"These data call into question driving regulations that
prohibit handheld
cell phones and permit hands-free cell phones because no
significant
differences were found in the impairments to driving caused by
these two
modes of cellular communication." Strayer, D. L., Drews, F.
A., & Johnston,
W. A. (2003). "Are We Being Driven to Distraction?" Public
Policy
Perspectives, Vol. 16, 1-2. (Published by the Center for
Public Policy and
Administration, University of Utah). Strayer has indeed made
this clear at
least since 2001:
"Our data imply that legislative initiatives that restrict
handheld devices
but permit hands-free devices are not likely to reduce
interference from the
phone conversation, because the interference is, in this case,
due to
central attentional processes." Strayer, D. L., & Johnston, W.
A. (2001).
"Driven to Distraction: Dual-task Studies of Simulated Driving
and
Conversing on a Cellular Phone." Psychological Science, 12,
462-466. See
also, Strayer, D. L., Drews, F. A. & Johnston, W. A. (2002).
"Why Do Cell
Phone Conversations Interfere With Driving?" Proceedings of
the 81st Annual
Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
This sentiment was echoed by Johns Hopkins Professor Yantis,
based on his
above described neurological studies, "Our research helps
explain why
talking on a cell phone can impair driving performance, even
when the driver
is using a hands-free device." Stromstein & Yantis, supra.
We would urge that handheld cell phone legislation is even
worse than no ban
at all because the legislation misinforms the public that
driving under the
influence of hands-free cell conversation is somehow "safe."
Secondly, if AMA shall come to the conclusion that the
currently conceived
"motorcycle awareness" advertising campaigns are not a
feasible means both
to increase auto drivers "awareness" of bikers and to change
their driving
behaviors which put us at risk, then we would urge that AMA
engage in the
appropriate research to determine what can be done to force
motorists to
"see" us.
First, let's accurately define the problem. The AMA has
succumbed for too
long to the unfortunate misinformation that motorcycle
accidents, and
particular intersection accidents, are the result of the "lack
of
conspicuity" of the motorcycle. It is by this fiction indeed
that NHTSA long
ago abrogated its responsibility to provide the solutions for
what amounts
to 50 percent of all multi-vehicle motorcycle accidents
occurring as the
result of auto driver inattention at intersections. Auto
drivers enter
intersections and turn left at intersections into our rights
of way,
commonly exclaiming after killing or maiming us, "I didn't see
the
motorcycle." NHTSA is composed of a bunch of bi-speckled bean
counters, but
as we understand it, our AMA representatives are
motorcyclists, right? You
know, as motorcyclists, that our breaking ability is quicker
and that our
bikes are capable of extraordinary maneuverability, permitting
us to avoid
just about every hazard that an auto driver can create -
unless the driver
pulls right out in front of us. Indeed, the auto drivers must
pull out into
our right of way, directly in front of us, to create a hazard
we can't
avoid. So these accidents clearly do not result from our "lack
of
conspicuity"; we are right in front of them.
Do the research. Begin with Mack & Rock, "Inattentional
Blindness" 1998.
These fifty percent of multi-vehicle motorcycle accidents
result from auto
driver visual-visual "inattentional blindness," not "lack of
conspicuity."
We know much more about the mechanism of conscious attention
than we did in
the early 1980s when the term "lack of conspicuity" was first
used in this
context by Harry Hurt. We think we "see" much like a video
recorder, but
this couldn't be further from the truth. True enough, our eyes
will take in
the full landscape of visual information, which will in turn
be transmitted
to our brains received by our subconscious. But at the
subconscious level
this visual information is processed, indeed extensively
processed, and
then, only in late processing, just a very small portion of
this visual
information is permitted through what amounts to a bottleneck
into conscious
attention. And it is only what is received into our conscious
attention
which we consciously "see." Hence the conscious experience of
the auto
driver who reports "I didn't see him," notwithstanding that
the motorcyclist
was right in front of him.
The literature also describes the factors which result in
visual-visual
inattentional blindness, including those which we have
concluded are most
important in this context, to wit, "expectation" and
"relevance." In
addition, making observation of an object task-relevant is
effective in
modifying what the target subject population will "see." In
processing,
visual information which is "expected" is preferentially
passed through to
conscious attention; and visual information which is
considered more
"relevant" is also more likely reach conscious attention. Auto
drivers do
not "expect" to see motorcycles, and they don't consider us as
"relevant" as
they might an oncoming car, truck or bus, so our appearance in
their visual
field is less likely to reach their conscious attention - and
we are less
likely to be "seen" by the auto driver.
The importance of understanding specifically why auto drivers
don't "see" us
is that we might spend an enormous amount of energy and money
on "motorcycle
awareness" television campaigns, based on the assumption that
just telling
them to look for us should be effective, for example, and in
the end have no
impact at all upon auto driver behavior or the numbers of
motorcyclists
injured at intersections.
I don't know whether the types of television commercials which
MSF has
created, as an example, would have any prospect at all of
influencing auto
driver behavior, because I don't believe that the assumptions
upon which the
content of the commercials was determined was scientifically
based. What AMA
should take on as its responsibility is first to commission
the research to
arrive at a good understanding of the factors which lead auto
drivers not to
see us, and studies then to provide the information essential
to fashion
appropriate remedies for auto driver inattentional blindness.
We have suggested a number of strategies to modify auto driver
values of
expectation and relevance based upon our own research. We have
also
recommended an alternative to expensive and probably
impractical television
advertising, and that is to avail the state auto driver
education programs,
including by urging that the motorcycle education booklets
which auto
drivers study to obtain or renew their drivers licenses by
modified to
provide comprehensive information on the strategies which auto
drivers must
employ for the protection of motorcyclists. As a part of those
recommendations we seek to alter auto driver "expectation" for
motorcycles,
inter alia, by providing auto drivers a "task" to perform as
they enter and
turn left at intersection, in this case to take the time to
carefully gauge
the motorcycle's speed. The purpose isn't to get the auto
drivers to
determine the motorcycle's speed, although, that can be a side
benefit. The
purpose is to force the auto driver to "attend" to the
motorcycle, to "see"
it, as an essential prerequisite to gaguing its speed. We urge
that the
written tests that auto drivers must take to obtain or renew
their drivers
licenses also be modified to contain a comprehensive list of
motorcyclist
safety questions, and that those drivers who fail to answer
all motorcyclist
safety questions be require to retake the test.
Indeed, we urge that the curricula of all driver education
courses,
including high school courses and court ordered courses be
modified to
include the same information on the strategies which auto
drivers must
employ for the protection of motorcyclists.
In terms of increasing the "relevance" auto drivers attach to
the appearance
of an oncoming motorcyclists we consider that it is essential
to invoke the
auto driver's self interest. For example, we urge
"motorcyclist specific"
ROW legislation, or ROW legislation with motorcyclist specific
penalty
provisions. We urge that severe penalties, such as automatic,
lengthy,
drivers license suspensions, for ROW violations which result
in motorcyclist
death or injury are essential to impress upon the auto driver
the specific
self-interest relevance of the oncoming motorcyclist.
In sum, we consider that it is AMA responsibility as our
largest
motorcyclist organization in the United States to do what is
required to put
the helmet law proponents out of business as we chose to
redirect our
national and state concerns about what we agree are very
serious public
health and state fiscal concerns more accurately defined by
the full panoply
of injury suffered my motorcyclists in accidents. Our AMA
approach must be
both to defend our dignity and to fight for our safety, on the
one hand
demonstrating that helmet laws are ill-designed to
significantly reduce the
incidence of motorcyclist injury and at the same time put
forth good
alternative solutions better calculated to reduce the
incidence of the full
landscape motorcyclist injury across the board.
We look forward to your accomplishing an end to this wasteful,
never ending,
helmet law tug-of-war during your tenure as President of AMA,
and a return
to sane safety policy, for which you will be remembered as our
leader who
restored our dignity and provided us significantly greater
safety as we
enjoy our chosen lives as eagles in flight, rather than caged
in parakeets.
"M-a-d-d Ray" Henke
Motorcyclists Against Dumb Drivers, [
http://www.motorcyclists-against-dumb-drivers.com/ ]
Co-moderator, Bruce & Ray's Biker Forum, [
http://LdrLongDistanceRider.com/forum.html ]
***
Post comments or replies to:
http://pub42.bravenet.com/forum/3562429698/fetch/785766/
Posted By Dragoni: 02/20/2007
|
|
What Splatt has
to say here is going to alarm most, upset many, and be a
well-deserved bitch-slappin' for some. Bravo, Splatt...
Subject: My Response to Jesse's Fine: Biker Civics
101
Here it
is...at long last...the long awaited "slam" you've all been
asking, and waiting for....
Tennis,
anyone?
~splatt
What's all the Racquet About?
Surely you've heard by now
that some big name motorcycle builder was slapped with an
even bigger monetary fine by a group of underpaid
whack-jobs who can't find real jobs; the California
Air Resources Board. (CARB) The six figure fine was
handed to this disingenuous parasite for selling a batch
of bikes that didn't meet state "emissions standards."
I've been telling you for years that smog check for bikes
looms large on our horizon (confirmed by CARB this year)
but nobody listens. It seems only a select few of us
actually give a damn while guys like this live in denial
and blame US when THEY get fined, because they expect
someone else to fight for their "rights." I try to keep
everyone updated on all the ridiculous fines being handed
down, but the community didn't take any real interest in
the fines of the REAL shops that keep our sport rollin'.
Look, this is easy, the guy
fancies himself as a Biker, with the cutesy little thug
uniform and all that hoopla, but his bad-ass reputation
was entirely bought and paid for, years ago, by somebody
else who's walkin' around with a couple of teeth missing.
As an avid rider, I can tell you the guy just doesn't
exist in my world. I tell people outside our realm that
he really isn't one of "us." He's just another porous
ego-sponge who's momma didn't pet him enough as a child.
How unfortunate…for us.
To maintain my ideological
consistency on relevant real-world issues, I apply a few
simplistic analogies to matters that might cause moral
conflict within my psyche. On immigration, I apply the
"Not in My House Analogy." On religion (and riding IS my
religion) I apply the "Not in My Church Analogy." On
issues regarding Club L.A.M.E., (Look At Me Everybody) the
preening peacocks who go around revvin' their pipes and
spoiling things for the rest of us, the Chrome-O-Sexuals™
who salivated at seeing one of us at a stop light and
traipsed right down to the Stealership™ to BUY that
attitude and freedom lifestyle for themselves without any
regard for the social responsibility of tithing to our
church, for them, I created the "Tennis Analogy."
The Tennis Analogy, applied
to those who perpetuate the myth of being cool without
sacrifice, let's say, builders, goes like this; You make
fancy tennis racquets but you don't really like to play
tennis. You're an artisan with fiberglass and strings, but
you've never given support to the tennis community. You
don't join the various tennis organizations and you don't
even know who it is that keeps the tennis courts lit up at
night. When volunteers from the tennis organizations stop
by your shop because they need help, you say, "WHO are
you? And what can you do for ME?" (True, he did)
You aren't there on the
state capitol steps with the rest of us at any protest
rally for "Tennis Rights" and you certainly aren't there
for "Tennis Awareness Month" which is now recognized by
the legislature because of US. No, you get an exemption
because you're somebody special. Well, you might fool a
bunch of mindless couch potatoes with chrome grip tape and
titanium doo-dads, but your tennis racquets have no soul
if they aren't played with. Who needs a useless tennis
racquet in their garage? The REAL tennis players have REAL
life tennis stories to tell about their racquets, matches
won and lost. The time they got a haircut with Jimmy
Connor or bought a drink for Arthur Ashe. Picking up balls
for Martina Navratilova.
You never gave a dime to
the Tennis Voter Guide, you don't even vote. You want the
prestige of being the go-to-guy in the tennis world and
you certainly dress the part. You wear the fancy little
tennis bracelet, you sport the sexy white tennis shorts
and you mug it up for the camera. That racquet in your
hand brings fame and fortune. You wear the same goofy
little sweat band that Agassi wears, but when it comes to
brass tacks, you're only doing it to pillage what ya can
out of the tennis community before you get bored and move
on. You NEVER give back, it's just take, take, take. Count
the money and let somebody else bleed for the right to
swing a racquet around. You just make the tennis racquets
and you paint 'em up pretty, it's not your job. Uh huh,
right.
If I'm gonna play tennis,
I'm gonna play with someone who actually enjoys the sport
and understands what it is to preserve tennis for future
generations, by doing good deeds and hard work. One of the
more popular shirts to come out of Wimbledon said, "_ _ _
_ _ Who?" I live my life by that creedo and the other
shirt I own that says, "Fifteen grand and 15 matches
doesn't make you a tennis player." The back of that shirt
sez: "If you see my racquet on a trailer, call 911, it's
being stolen!"
Don't play coy,
conveniently forget to get involved, make a Ka-Zillion
dollars by breaking all the rules and then have the
audacity to ask US why WE didn't do enough to protect you.
Ka-Zillionaire that he is, he STILL can't find the chump
change in the petty cash drawer to join an MRO.
(Motorcyclist Rights Organization) SAME as those other
bozos on the east coast, and they're Ka-Jillionaires. If
they won't support us, why on earth should we support
them? We're VOLUNTEERS, willing to sacrifice our left nut
for the sport while their leech-like conceit exists only
to take FROM the sport.
So, be honest. How many of
you have a fancy tennis racquet with a slick paint job in
your garage? Now, how many of you actually PLAY tennis
with that racquet? And here's the grand slam; How many of
you drive around with a tacky tennis sticker on the rear
window of your pick-up truck because it makes you look
cool?
~splatt
Posted By Dragoni: 03-26-2007 |
|
Good for him!!!
Surprised CBS let him get away with this even though he's
right!!!
AMEN ANDY ROONEY!
Right on, Andy Rooney!
Andy Rooney said on "60 Minutes" a few weeks back:
I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything
except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly
discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund,
Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black
America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College
Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss
White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be
knocking down your door.
Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a
killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but
no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.
I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which
is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl
Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?
I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a
phobia, it is an opinion.
I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they
are different, weird, or tick me off.
When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities
where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial
profiling; it is the Law of Probability.
I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of
cigarettes, a newsp aper or a hotel room, you must do it in
English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American
citizen, you should have to speak English!
My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave
the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect
ours.
I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry
ass if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you
can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see
the above lines.
I don't think just because you were not born in this country,
you are qualified for any special loan programs, government
sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a
hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.
We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk
our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades
later they could come over here and tell us our constitution
is a living document; and open to their interpretations.
I d on't hate the rich I don't pity the poor.
I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and
television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.
I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made
and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent
the next operating system that's better, and put your name on
the building.
It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it
does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their
little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"
I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but
please don't pretend they are a political statement. And,
please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want
to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French
fries!
I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black
people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa ; so
how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a
continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American
because my great, great, great, great, great, great
grandfather was from Europe . I am proud to be from
America
and nowhere else
And if you don't like my point of view, tough...
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA , AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION
UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
I was asked to send this on if I agree or delete if I don't.
It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I
have a very hard time understanding why there is such a
problem in having "In God We Trust" on our money and having
"God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the
14% to Shut Up and BE QUIET!!!
If you agree, pass this on, if not delete.
Posted
By Dragoni: 04/01/07 |
|
W ashington
State
Patrol
Media
Release
Chief John R. Batiste
Captain Jeff DeVere
Government and Media Relations
(360) 753-5299 – office
(360) 753-5469 – fax
http://www.wsp.wa.gov
***For Immediate Release***
Date: October 15, 2007
Contact: Sgt. Kristene O’Shannon
Phone: (360) 570-3108
According to the WSP and Washington Courts, the correct
fines for the above violations are listed below:
• The
fine for a carpool lane violation is $124.00. There is
no increased fine for repeated offenses.
• The
fine for an incorrect lane change, driving on the
shoulder and blocking an intersection is $124.00
(These fines rise to $174.00 if the violation results in
a collision)
•
Passengers over the age of 16 will receive a citation
for failing to wear a seatbelt.
The only time a
driver will receive a citation for their passenger
failing to wear a seatbelt is if the passenger is under
the age of 16.
•
Drivers can receive a citation for driving even 1 mile
per hour above the posted speed limit.
•
Starting July 1, 2008, the fine for using a cell phone
while driving without a "hands free" device will be
$124.00.
(Traffic fines can be higher if the violation occurs in
a construction zone.)
Driving under the
influence can equal jail and the use of "hands free"
cellular telephone devices will be required while
driving
This law does not go
into effect until July 1, 2008.
To obtain further
information regarding the monetary penalty schedule for
infractions.
Visit the Washington
Courts website at
http://www.courts.wa.gov/index.cfm
and the
Washington State
Legislature website
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW
to obtain further
information regarding the R.C.W..
Posted by Dragoni 12/19/2007
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Biker Terminology
Well, if only people understood the Hell's Angels & Bandidos better, the world would be a better place now. |
If you are CRUISIN' THE COAST
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
SPRING BIKE WEEK 2009 UPDATE
We look forward to seeing all bikers for the 69th Annual Spring Bike Week 2009
(May 8-17) in Horry County (everywhere but the City limits of Myrtle Beach) in
2009.
The City of Myrtle Beach has initiated a media campaign designed to deter the
good,
law abiding motorcycle riders from coming to our area. The information being
disseminated
by the Grand Strand Chamber of Commerce and City of Myrtle Beach does not
accurately
portray the views of the people of Horry County. The majority of people and
businesses
look forward to you visiting and desperately rely
on your visiting to make it through the year.
The last I checked, bikers aren’t going to be intimidated. As always, if you
come to our
area and obey the laws and respect our community you have nothing to worry
about.
The City of Myrtle Beach can’t stop you from visiting the other areas of
Horry County.
We are encouraged by the emails we are getting from people saying they are
coming
anyway. There is no reason for you not to come. As H-D says, “Screw It,
Let’s Ride!”
Furthermore, the City of Myrtle Beach has never played a role in bike week and
has made
it clear they don’t want to play a role. In years past, over 90% of the events
taking place
were outside the limits of the City of Myrtle Beach. The new rules and
regulations really
WILL NOT affect your visit or any of the activities and events.
We have listed info that will make your visit easier this year and will continue
to try
and alleviate any of your confusion. Trust me, we are all confused and we live
here.
Click
here for more information.
 |
Report:
NHTSA Buried Study on Cell Phone Dangers
Tuesday, July 21,
2009
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gathered
hundreds of pages of research and warnings about the
hazards of drivers using cell phones, but withheld the information from
the public in part out of fear
of angering Congress, a newspaper reported Monday.
The former head of
the traffic safety agency, Dr. Jeffrey Runge, told The New
York Times that he was urged to withhold
the findings to avoid antagonizing members of Congress who warned the
agency against lobbying states. Runge said
transit officials told him he could jeopardize billions of dollars of its
financing if Congress thought the agency
had crossed the line into lobbying, the Times said.
Critics say that
the failure of the Transportation Department to pursue the
role of driving distractions in car crashes
has resulted in traffic deaths and allowed multitasking while driving to
grow.
The research
findings were obtained by the Center for Auto Safety and
Public Citizen through
Freedom of Information requests, the Times said. The newspaper posted the
documents on its Web site Monday night.
The findings
included:
_ Cell phone usage
by drivers increased 50 percent, from 4 percent in 2000 to 6
percent in 2002.
_ Driver
distraction contributes to about 25 percent of all
police-reported traffic crashes.
_ Cell phone use is
growing as a distraction while driving.
Draft
recommendations from NHTSA included that "drivers not use
these devices when driving except in an emergency."
Legislation
forbidding the use of hand-held cell phones while driving
was not recommended because
it does not address the problem and may instead lead drivers to think
handsfree phones are safer.
The problem is that
a cell phone conversation takes the driver's focus off the
road, the studies showed.
The Times said the
Center for Auto Safety and Public Citizen will release the
documents Tuesday.
Posted by Dragoni 07/21/2009
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The FACT
is Free Men Own Firearms, Slaves DO NOT!!!!
American Freedom Fighter - B1!
Ask Me How!!!
A
LITTLE GUN HISTORY
In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From
1929 to1953,
about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves,
were
rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to
1917, 1.5
million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were
rounded up and
exterminated.
------------------------------
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to
1945, a
total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to
defend
themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
------------------------------
China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952,
20 million
political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were
rounded up
and exterminated.
-----------------------------
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to
1981,
100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were
rounded up
and exterminated.
-------------
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979,
300,000
Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up
and
exterminated.
------------------------------
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to
1977, one
million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were
rounded
up and exterminated.
In the 20th century the number killed because of gun control:
56 million.
------------------------------
It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia
were forced
by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be
destroyed by
their own Government, a program, costing Australia
taxpayers more
than $500 million dollars.
The first year results are now in:
Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent.
Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent.
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent
(yes, 44 percent)!
In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms
are now up
300 percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens
turned them
in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess
their guns!
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady
decrease in
armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically
upward in
the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed
that their
prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase
in break-
ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians
are at a
loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after
such
monumental effort, and expense was expended in
successfully ridding
Australian society of guns.
You won't see this data on the US evening news, or hear
politicians
disseminating this information.
Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and
property and,
yes, gun-control laws adversely affect only the
law-abiding citizens.
Take note my fellow Americans, before it's too late!
The next time someone talks in favor of gun control,
please remind
them of this history lesson.
With guns, we are 'citizens'.. Without them, we are
'subjects'.
During WWII the Japanese decided not to invade America
because they
knew most Americans were ARMED!
If you value your freedom, please spread this anti-gun
control
message to all of your friends.
The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible
victory in
defense. The sword is more important than the shield, and
skill is
more important than either. The final weapon is the brain.
All else
is supplemental.
SWITZERLAND ISSUES EVERY HOUSEHOLD A GUN!
SWITZERLAND'S GOVERNMENT TRAINS EVERY ADULT THEY ISSUE A
RIFLE.
SWITZERLAND HAS THE LOWEST GUN RELATED CRIME RATE OF ANY
CIVILIZED
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!
IT'S A NO BRAINER!
DON'T LET OUR GOVERNMENT WASTE MILLIONS OF OUR TAX DOLLARS
IN AN
EFFORT TO MAKE ALL LAW ABIDING CITIZENS AN EASY TARGET.
If you believe in the 2nd Amendment, please forward to a
friend.
Never
Forget 09/11/2001
Click Here
|
Before you send out any chain Emails Verify if they are True or
False!
http://www.snopes.com
|
