Hey,
We’re in December of 2020 and the mayor of Los Angeles said he will cut your water and power if you have a holiday party. In South Dakota you would die. Fortunately, a vaccine has been released and is starting to spread.
As you know by now, life is nuts and then you die. We’ve actually had the best life has ever had to offer in the history of mankind. Nothing could be as cool or as safe as we have seen it in our lifetime. Hell, we had a ten-year war and only about 5,500 Americans died. I’m not discounting one life, but the statistics are amazing. Violence is down, health, except for the Chinese Covid is up. You can lose an arm and get another one. Your heart can be replaced.
Of course, there is a growing number of folks who fear doom is all around us. Hell, I know guys who build exhaust systems and carb parts who believe the Climate Change doom is coming. Why the hell would they keep building fossil fuel parts if they felt that way. Celebrities proclaim doom and then board private jets to their island mansions.
I watched a documentary about the evils of fascism last night. A strong concluding point to prevent this evil was and is free speech and the flow of unbiased information. It’s the only way we will know if doom is true or not. Well, there is another way, that can’t be denied. If the doom doesn’t happen, there you have it, someone goofed. Let’s hit the news:
The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Most recently Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.
THE LATEST FROM BDL—BDL’s 3-inch Open Drive for Shovels is the #1 choice for custom and high performance Shovelhead builders around the world.
Tried and proven part # SHS-630 fits machines 1970 – 1978 with Ratchet top transmissions only.
Conversion comes as a complete drive system, stator rotor stator/rotor guard, pulleys, belt and high performance clutch with a ball bearing pressure plate. The formidable 3” unit boasts BDL’s legendary quality, precision fit, flawless function, and reliability. Along with a distinctive sound the SHS-630 provides smoother operation with less stress on shafts and bearings.
The package provides an excellent way to cure all those “floating basket” and starting issues. Kit requires use of a 1989 -2006 style starter. Minor modifications and use some customization skills are also a must. This conversion is offered with polished finish only.
If you’re into that cool open look this is the real deal. Suggested retail is just a $1418.50 and can be purchased from BDL dealers worldwide or straight from the manufacturer at www.beltdrives.com.
INTERVIEW WITH ENFIELD BOSS–He is not interested in buying Ducati from VW. The revival and growth of the Enfield company almost seems like magic. But they did the research and make only carefully selected moves ensuring they do it well.
The way we’re working on EVs is that we are not going to be the first to the market. But rather we’d study the market, understand the technology – there’s a full team at Royal Enfield who does EVs now. We’re constantly studying the market, riding bikes, making our own mule bikes, prototype bikes and riding them ourselves, seeing what happens, seeing what we like, don’t like.
You’ll certainly see stuff from us on EV like concept bikes and prototypes. But you’re not going to see a production EV from us for another three years or so at least. It might be longer. We’re in a tearing rush to work on it and to develop, but we’re not in tearing rush to be in the market and do a silly job.
–Wayfarer
Chief Investigator
Bikernet New Bureau
India
THE BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS OPEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS—Mask Free.
Headache & testicles
Veteran had suffered from really bad headaches for the last 20 years. He eventually decides to go and see a Doctor at Military Hospital.
The Doctor says, “the good news is empaneled hospital can cure your headaches. The bad news is that they will require removing your testicles.”
“You have a very rare condition, which causes your testicles to press on your spine and the pressure creates one hell of a headache.”
“The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles.”
Veteran is shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for.
He had no choice but to go under the knife. The surgery cost the Government $25,000/-.
When he left the hospital, he was without a headache for the first time in 20 years, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself.
As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life.
He saw a Men’s clothing store and thought, “That’s what I need. A new Suit.”
He entered the shop and told the salesman, “I’d like a new Suit.”
The elderly salesman eyed him briefly and said, “Let’s see size 44 would fit fine.”
Veteran laughed, “That’s right, how did you know?”
“Been in the business 60 years sir!” the salesman said.
Veteran tried on the suit it fitted perfectly. As Veteran admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, “How about a new shirt?”
Veteran thought for a moment and then said, “Sure.”
The salesman eyed the Veteran and said, “Let’s see, 34 sleeves and 16-1/2 neck.”
Veteran was surprised, “That’s right, how did you know?”
“Been in the business 60 years sir.”
Veteran tried the shirt and it fitted perfectly.
Veteran walked comfortably around the shop and the salesman asked, “How about some new Underwear?”
Veteran thought for a moment and said, “Sure..”
The salesman said, “Let’s see….. size 36.”
Veteran laughed, “Ah ha! You got it wrong this time! I’ve worn size 34 since I was 18 years old..”
The salesman shook his head, “You can’t wear a size 34 sir. A size 34 would press your Testicles up against the base of your spine and give you hell of a Headache.”
Surgery – $ 25,000 through Government empaneled hospital, New underwear at local store – $ 25.00.
Second Opinion-Priceless.
Always take second opinion before going under the Surgery through Government empaneled hospital.
–Wayfarer
Librarian
NTSB: Pickup driver’s drug use critical in death of 7 bikers.
A pickup driver’s drug use was the reason he crashed last year into an oncoming group of motorcyclists in New Hampshire, leading to the death of seven bikers, the National Transportation Safety Board found Tuesday.
The board unanimously approved a report that determined that Volodymyr Zhukovskyy’s impairment from the drugs was the “probable cause” for him crossing the center line on a highway and sparking the fiery crash. NTSB investigators told the board that Zhukovskyy had drugs, including opioids, in his system.
–from Rogue
Senior Editor
GETTYSBURG BIKE WEEK– 20th Anniversary Black Friday Sale
Gettysburg, PA (November 25, 2020) – Gettysburg Bike Week is back for the 20th anniversary rally at the Allstar Events Complex in Gettysburg, PA with a Black Friday special on tickets, the deepest discounted ticket offer leading up the event. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Gettysburg Bike Week is offering $33 tickets for the weekend pass and $22 for the 2 day passes and $14 one day pass. The event will be held Thursday July 8th-Sunday July 11th.
“We wanted to give riders something to look forward to for 2021. 2020 has been hard on everyone, so we decided to offer our best rate on tickets for the 20th anniversary of our event.” says Gettysburg Bike Week Owner Kelly Shue. “We have already started to work on COVID-19 safety protocol so our event can be put on safely. We missed everyone in 2020 and can’t wait to see everyone.”
No rally is complete without great riding, and Gettysburg has some of the best riding around. Whether riders want to see historic battlegrounds or just hit the road for a great cruise, hundreds of miles of the best riding in the East surrounds Gettysburg. In addition to fantastic solo riding, GBW also features awesome group rides throughout the weekend event.
Black Friday Discount Pricing for Gettysburg Bike Week is as follows:
$33 per-person 4-day passes, available online
$22 per-person 2-day passes, available online
$14 per-person 1-day passes, available online
New and returning riders can find updates, the schedule of events, lodging information and anything they ever needed to know about Gettysburg Bike Week by visiting http://www.gettysburgbikeweek.com.
–Ken Conte
EMERGENCY COVID UPDATE–Hi all. I wasn’t allowed to say anything until today, but it’s now okay for me to share. I have volunteered for the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer.
The vaccine is the one that has been developed in Russia. It is in 6 different stages and I received my first dose this morning at 08:20 am, and I wanted to let you all know that it’s safe and I’m ok. ?o side effects whatsoeve?, and that I feelsh?? ? ???? ???? ??????? ????? ? ? ????, ??? ???? ????? ???. ??????? ???? ????? ?????.
–Comrade Harvinski
DIRECT FROM THE AMERICAN RED CROSS--7 Tips to Safely Decorate your Home for the Holidays
LOS ANGELES, December 2, 2020 — Decorating with holiday candles? Consider the flameless kind — as December is the peak month for candle fires.
The risk is so common that nearly one-third of us have done this – left the room or fallen asleep while candles are burning, according to a 2020 national American Red Cross survey. If you must use candles, never leave them unattended, keep them away from anything that could burn and place them out of reach from children and pets.
With Los Angeles County facing a three-week Safer at Home order, many more of us will be indoors and with a smaller group of loved ones. The Red Cross Los Angeles Region urges everyone to follow these decorating safety tips to prevent fires and keep everyone safe:
Check all holiday light cords to make sure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together — no more than three per extension cord. Turn off all holiday lights when going to bed or leaving the house.
Ensure outside decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your home or trees. If using hooks or nails outside, make sure they are insulated to avoid electrocution or fire hazard.
Look for the fire-resistant label when buying an artificial tree. Keep it away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat. Never use electric lights on metallic trees.
If getting a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and keep it watered. Bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off.
Don’t light the fireplace if hanging stockings on the mantel.
Check the labels of older decorations. Some older tinsel is lead-based. If using angel hair, wear gloves to avoid irritation. Avoid breathing in artificial snow.
Have good, stable placement when using a ladder and wear shoes that allow for good traction.
STAY SAFE FROM HOME FIRES Test your smoke alarms monthly and practice your home fire escape plan until everyone can escape in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late.
Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. You can also download the free Red Cross Emergency app (search “American Red Cross” in app stores).
Additionally, you can learn how to keep your family safe in the cooler months by joining Red Cross LA’s next Community Conversation: Home Fire Safety During Winter joined by the Los Angeles Fire Department on Dec. 2 and in Spanish on Dec. 9. For more information or to view past Community Conversations, visit redcross.org/la.
A HOLIDAY NOTE FROM THE GEARHEAD DIARIES–You wrote a story in the old Easyriders mag. It is that time of year for a re-visit to it . It was a story of a biker headed home on his bike in the dead of winter up north. He ran across a woman and her kids had no Christmas to look forward to.
He became the secret Santa. That kind of stuff gives me that warm felling just like a smooth bourbon.
Have a Merry Christmas to all.
— Gearhead
LATE NEWS FROM KIDS RIDE–It’s a wonderful day for giving!
You have the opportunity to give the gift of two wheels to more special kiddos this school year.
More than ever, children need to know that we are willing to persevere alongside them. Together we can help etch this reality into their developmental history and usher in what kids need most this very moment – a lifetime of mobility, confidence, and overall wellbeing distinctively found in the All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE Program.
Give the gift of learning to ride and your
donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar!
NEW FROM THE BUCKLEGUY--Buckleguy.com ….HAS…. A….CATALOG….WOOHOO!!!
This has to be our most anticipated email of all time! Maybe not for you, ha! But this catalog has been in the works for a very long time, and we are overly excited to share it with you. You will find 136 pages of our in stock products including hardware, leather, tools, zipper, supplies, and more!
Our intention was to make a catalog that showcased close up product photos to help designers, crafters, manufacturers, and others to make conclusive decisions on the design and style they are looking for. The pages flow through all of the category types in a logical manner with helpful info on sizing, finishes, how-to, characteristics, and more.
Yes, we are charging $10, BUT, inside every catalog we are including a $5 coupon code to be used on your next order! We wish we could send for free, but for a litany of reasons it simply wasn’t in the cards on this initial round.
Additionally, we have uploaded a ‘virtual catalog’ for those that don’t wish to have a physical one but still appreciate the page flow of a catalog in web format. To see the virtual catalog please click here.
Thank you everyone for the daily catalog requests and inspiration to put this together. We hope you love the catalog as much as we do, and who knows, perhaps it will become your favorite new coffee table book ??.
Thank you everyone, and please stay safe!
LATEST FROM THE NMA–City dismissed red-light camera tickets against Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s security detail.
The city of Chicago dismissed the majority of tickets issued to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s security detail by red-light and speed cameras, including some that were recorded at times when the mayor was scheduled to be attending non-city events, records show.
Since Lightfoot became mayor in May 2019, the police security detail assigned to her protection has received 13 tickets for speed and red-light camera violations, and 10 of those have been dismissed, records show.
Though city officials did not address specific questions about her whereabouts at the time each ticket was issued, listings in her official calendar show some were given at times when her calendar suggests she was on the way home from a personal event or en route to a “non-city breakfast.”
Four were issued at a time when her official calendar doesn’t note her scheduled whereabouts or indicates “rest,” and another says she was supposed to be attending a virtual gala.
A city spokeswoman defended dismissing the tickets, saying cops are allowed to run red lights under certain circumstances.
–By GREGORY PRATT
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
NEW FROM NASH MOTORCYCLES—Long Tall Kidney Belts.
Our version of a kidney belt, designed how they used to be made back in the day. Our new belts are the perfect solution to supporting your lower back, abdomen, and kidneys when riding any distance.
These belts are handmade from high quality local leather and come in black or natural leather. The straps on the belt are sewn and riveted on for extra strength. Also, if you’re looking to have custom designs tooled into the leather, just give us a call, we can quote you a price.
Long Tall Kidney Belt
THE POWDER FILE–#1 Powder Coating, Paint, Remover, for Paint: Powder Coating Removal from Aluminum.
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Contact Us For a FREE – Paint Strip Products Recommendation or Paint Stripping Services, Quote:
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LIFESTYLE CYCLES DEAL OF THE WEEK–2018 Harley-Davidson FLSL – Softail Softail Slim for $15,995.00
See it here: https://www.lifestylecycles.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=9491797
ONLY 17314.00 Miles !!!!!
2018 Industrial gray denim Harley-Davidson SOFTAIL SLIM FLSL
Some of the features/Add-ons on this bike
* H.D. low profile seat
* MX style bars
* Chrome shotgun exhaust
* 103 C.I.
* 6 Speed trans
* Blacked out rear pegs and rider floorboards
This bike has passed Lifestyle Cycles rigorous 101 point safety and mechanical inspection. Whether your looking to commute to work, ride the coast or take that dream vacation, this bike is ready to go!!!
EZ FINANCING-SHIPPING AVAILABLE!!!
Fill out an online application and ride today!!!
**Open 7 days a week**
Just $15,995.00 at Lifestyle Cycles (714) 490-0155
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MAYOR CARCETTI SHUTS DOWN LOS ANGELES–
The Redhad read Garcetti’s shut down rules. You heathens can’t do anything. Although the righteous can still go to Church. And social unrest can continue, protests are a constitutional right.
So, I’m having a protest party, protest New Years Celebration and a protest Bike show. How’s that?
–Bandit
Chief Economist
Bikernet.com™
GIFTS FROM CHOPPERS MAGAZINE–Color Me Gone
Well here it is… the coloring book you’ve always wanted your kiddos to want. 20 fun filled pages of chopper goodness from our pal @Saucerman63. Comes with a free six pack… of crayons silly.
$7.00
THE MANDATORY MASK STUDY—More and more info is coming out about mandatory mask wearing from harmful effects to little help with the numbers of covid cases. It seems the countries that have never had mask rules have reduced covid numbers. Social distancing and hand washing seems to do the trick. But check this out:
The Cobra Effect: Lessons in Unintended Consequences
Human beings react to every rule, regulation, and order governments impose, and their reactions result in outcomes that can be quite different than the outcomes lawmakers intended.
Every human decision brings with it unintended consequences. Often, they are inconsequential, even funny. When Airbus, for example, wanted to make its planes quieter to improve the flying experience for travelers, it made its A380 so quiet that passengers could hear, with far too much clarity, what was happening in the plane’s bathrooms. Other times unintended consequences have far-reaching, dramatic effects. The US health care system is a case in point. It emerged in its present form in no small part because of two governmental decisions.
First, wage and price controls during World War II caused employers to add health insurance as an employee benefit. Why? The law prohibited employers from raising wages, so to attract workers, they offered to provide health insurance. Then, in 1951, Congress declared that employer-provided health insurance benefits would not count as taxable income. This made it cheaper for employees to take raises in the form of increased tax-free insurance benefits rather than in the form of increased taxable wages.
Unintended consequences happen so often that economists call them “Cobra Problems,” after one of the most interesting examples.
In colonial India, Delhi suffered a proliferation of cobras, which was a problem very clearly in need of a solution given the sorts of things that cobras bring, like death. To cut the number of cobras slithering through the city, the local government placed a bounty on them. This seemed like a perfectly reasonable solution. The bounty was generous enough that many people took up cobra hunting, which led exactly to the desired outcome: The cobra population decreased. And that’s where things get interesting.
As the cobra population fell and it became harder to find cobras in the wild, people became rather entrepreneurial. They started raising cobras in their homes, which they would then kill to collect the bounty as before. This led to a new problem: Local authorities realized that there were very few cobras evident in the city, but they nonetheless were still paying the bounty to the same degree as before. In the end, Delhi had a bigger cobra problem after the bounty ended than it had before it began.
City officials did a reasonable thing: They canceled the bounty. In response, the people raising cobras in their homes also did a reasonable thing: They released all of their now-valueless cobras back into the streets. Who wants a house full of cobras?
In the end, Delhi had a bigger cobra problem after the bounty ended than it had before it began. The unintended consequence of the cobra eradication plan was an increase in the number of cobras in the streets. This case has become the exemplar of when an attempt to solve a problem ends up exacerbating the very problem that rule-makers intended to fix.
Air Pollution
There is, of course, nothing special about cobras. The same sort of thing happened in the late 1980s in Mexico City, which was at the time suffering from extreme air pollution caused by cars driven by its 18 million residents.
The city government responded with Hoy No Circula, a law designed to reduce car pollution by removing 20 percent of the cars (determined by the last digits of license plates) from the roads every day during the winter when air pollution was at its worst. Oddly, though, removing those cars from the roads did not improve air quality in Mexico City. In fact, it made it worse.
Come to find out, people’s needs do not change as a result of a simple government decree. The residents of Mexico City might well have wanted better air for their city, but they also needed to get to work and school. They reacted to the ban in ways the rule-makers neither intended nor foresaw.
Some people carpooled or took public transportation, which was the actual intent of the law. Others, however, took taxis, and the average taxi at the time gave off more pollution than the average car.
Another group of people ended up undermining the law’s intent more significantly. That group bought second cars, which of course came with different license plate numbers, and drove those cars on the one day a week they were prohibited from driving their regular cars. What kind of cars did they buy? The cheapest running vehicles they could find, vehicles that belched pollution into the city at a rate far higher than the cars they were not permitted to drive. The people released their cobras into the streets, except this time the cobras were cars.
Unintended Consequences Everywhere
These examples of unintended consequences aren’t aberrations. Unintended consequences arise every time an authority imposes its will on people. Seat belt and airbag laws make it less safe to be a pedestrian or cyclist by making it safer for drivers to be less cautious. Payday lending laws, intended to protect low-income borrowers from high lending rates, make it more expensive for low-income borrowers to borrow by forcing them into even more expensive alternatives.
Requirements that corporations publicize how much they pay their CEOs in order to encourage stockholders to reduce CEO pay resulted in lesser-paid CEOs demanding more pay. Three-strikes laws, intended to reduce crime, increase police fatalities by giving two-time criminals a greater incentive to evade or even fight the police.
The Americans With Disabilities Act gives employers an incentive to discriminate against the disabled by not hiring them in the first place so as to avoid potential ADA claims. Electrician licensing requirements can increase the incidence of injury due to faulty electrical work by reducing the supply of electricians, thereby encouraging homeowners to do their own electrical work.
Venezuela
But perhaps nothing illustrates the scope of the potential problems arising from unintended consequences better than Venezuela’s terrible game of whack-a-mole that began with the 1976 nationalization of its oil industry. The government’s intent was to keep oil profits in the country. And that’s how it went—for a while.
That is without question incorrect given that no other oil-producing nation suffered what Venezuela was to suffer.
As oil revenues and production plummeted, Venezuela’s government acted the way governments inevitably do when revenues disappear. It borrowed and taxed as much as it could, and then it started printing money.
The printing led to the unintended consequence of inflation, then prices rose so high that people could no longer afford food. To respond to this unintended consequence, the government-imposed price controls on food. But this created a new unintended consequence wherein farmers could no longer afford to grow food. And so, the farmers stopped growing food. Finally, the government forced people to work on farms in order to assure food production.
The ultimate unintended consequence of Venezuela’s nationalizing its oil industry was slavery.
The Lesson
None of this means there is no place for legislation. What it does mean is that lawmakers should be keenly aware that every human action has both intended and unintended consequences.
Human beings react to every rule, regulation, and order governments impose, and their reactions result in outcomes that can be quite different than the outcomes lawmakers intended. So, while there is a place for legislation, that place should be one defined by both great caution and tremendous humility. Sadly, these are character traits not often found in those who become legislators, which is why examples of the cobra problem are so easy to find.
–Anthony Davies and James R. Harrigan
FEE Foundation for Economic Education
NYC Snitches Could Get Cash for Illegal Parking Tips –City Council proposal would give snitches 25 percent of any fines resulting from their reports. A Policing for profit scheme plus a citizen surveillance core equals Big Brother at its highest level!
–NMA
FROM THE SHERIFF’S ARCHIVES—This photo was taken in Sturgis 1994. She’s still waiting…
–Christer
Sheriff Media Group
Sweden
OPEN FOR THE HOLIDAYS–Bandit’s Cantina Bad Joke Library is mask free.
“Praise the Lord”
The pastor asked if anyone in the congregation would like to express praise for an answered prayer. Suzie stood and walked to the podium.
She said, “I have some praise. Two months ago, my husband, Frank, had a terrible bicycle accident and his scrotum was completely crushed. The pain was excruciating and the doctors didn’t know if they could help him.”
You could hear a muffled gasp from the men in the congregation as they imagined the pain that poor Frank must have experienced.
“Frank was unable to hold me or the children,” she went on, “and every move caused him terrible pain.” We prayed as the doctors performed a delicate operation, and it turned out they were able to piece together the crushed remnants of Frank’s scrotum, and wrap wire around it to hold it in place with metal staples.”
Again, the men in the congregation cringed and squirmed uncomfortably as they imagined the horrible surgery performed on Frank. “Now,” she announced in a quivering voice, “Thank the Lord, Frank is out of the hospital and the doctors say that with time, his scrotum should recover completely.”
All the men sighed with unified relief. The pastor rose and tentatively asked if anyone else had something to say.
A man stood up and walked slowly to the podium. He said, “I’m Frank.” The entire congregation held its breath. “I just want to tell my wife that the word is sternum.”
— Ray
–from El Waggs
Certified Librarian
Bandit’s Cantina Bad Joke Library
HORNY AIR CLEANER BY JIM WAGGAMAN— I thought you might be interested in seeing my ‘Horny Air Cleaner’ featuring and useless without, a kustom backing/mounting plate, made by Lee Wimmer. It’s made from the bugle part from an original ’34/’35 Ford horn.
That’s NOT the bike it will be going on. I just HAD to see how it was going to look on a bike. Eventually it’s going on a chopper I’m doing right now.
Let me know what ya think…my turkey’s really excited about it
–El Waggs
Custom Technician
Bikernet.com™
We will bring you a tech shortly.–Bandit
TEXAS LICENSE PROBLEM–After 27 million driver’s license records are stolen, Texans get angry with the seller: the government
The Watchdog asks, why doesn’t the state do a better job protecting our privacy?
The Watchdog’s revelation last week that personal information on 27 million past and present Texas driver’s license holders is for sale on the dark web leaves many Texans incensed.
Texas state government sells its data sets to outside parties who are not allowed to use them for marketing purposes. But some of these companies then resell to companies who do use it to sell and annoy us.
The FBI and the Texas attorney general’s office are investigating.
If you get a boatload of calls, for example, like I do, trying to sell me an extended car warranty, you can thank the state.
In the breach, stolen information includes your name, address, date of birth, driver’s license number, VIN, make, model, color and year of car and the lending institution to whom you make car payments.
Some other states do not sell this data, but Texas does. State lawmakers could change the law in their 2021 session.
I first reported this in 2015 when I learned that several state government departments sell information to outsiders. In an open records request that year, I learned that in 2014, the Department of Motor Vehicles earned $2.4 million in sales.
This year, CBS 11/KTVT reporter Brian New updated those numbers. The DMV made more than $3 million in 2019 selling drivers’ names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and VIN information, he reported.
Before I show you how these sales march through what is possibly the biggest loophole in state government, here’s what you’re saying to The Watchdog about the data theft:
Jimmy M.: “Well, if the state is making money from our personal data I want my share.”
Tom W.: “The state of Texas is responsible directly for this data breach.”
Ted K.: “Why is the state allowed to sell data in the first place, especially since they obviously have no idea as to what happens to that information once it leaves their control? Let’s fix this and prevent future instances by prohibiting any government entity from selling its citizens’ data.”
Deborah B.: “Why is the state allowed to sell this information? Can we opt out?”
The buyers are data-mining companies, insurance companies, banks, police departments, car dealers, toll companies, school districts, corporations, private investigators, tax-collecting law firms, tow truck companies and electricity companies, to name a few.
Follow this — the biggest loophole. In Texas, it’s against the law for companies who buy the information to use it to sell to us. So, to get around that, some companies sell the lists to other marketing companies, which go ahead and use the information to sell — and annoy us.
Because our information isn’t sold directly to marketers, the state doesn’t have to give us a privacy statement when we buy a car or apply for a driver’s license. We don’t get to opt out, as residents of California are now allowed to do.
The solution
State lawmakers could fix this, giving us privacy statements and allowing us to opt out of the information sold. Or they could go one better and prohibit the sale of the databases entirely. Other states do.
If you bring this up, state departments other than the DMV complain loudly about how these are open records that often can help consumers. (For example, your car is towed, and the towing company can figure out whom it belongs to). Besides, selling our data makes a lot of money for the general fund.
One way to see how loosey-goosey Texas is with our information is on the paid subscription lookup site PublicData.com.
Years ago, there were multiple states listed where you could quickly look up a person’s driver’s license information. Now there’s only Florida and Texas. The other 48 now have higher standards of privacy.
Same goes for vehicle information. Only five states are listed for searching, but four are marked “[OLD].” The fifth is up to date and active. That’s us.
If you get unwanted spam email, postal mail or phone calls and wonder how they got your information, often enough it’s because of our state’s lax laws. Thank you, state leaders.
When it comes to cheap and easy data distribution that violates our privacy, we’re No. 1. Hoo-ray for Texas.
First, note that Experian was the first alert here. My identity theft service has yet to inform me.
Second, keep an eye on your credit report, which you can get free. Go only to AnnualCreditReport.com or call 1-877-322-8228.
Third, Vertafore is offering one year of free credit monitoring and identity restoration services. You can check in with Vertafore at 888-479-3560. Their website for this is vertafore.kroll.com.
Fourth, put a fraud alert on your credit accounts. I’ve shown how to do that before with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion.
If you want to learn more, The Watchdog recommends consumer.gov/idtheft and the Texas DPS Identity Theft Information Guide and the Identity Theft Resource Center (Idtheftcenter.org).
Become a citizen of Watchdog Nation. Join Dave Lieber and learn to be a super-consumer.
–from the NMA
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A BROTHER’S RIDE FOR 49 YEARS–Still Kickin’ After All These Years, been with me for 49 years this month not bad for this old gal.
Bought new at Inglewood Harley-Davidson for $2695 out the door in ‘72. I must have been out of my mind to spend that much money, she has had many face lifts and she made her way into many magazines.
She never let me down, except a front tire blowout at 65 mph coming back from Utah in ‘74, and a cow we hit on the way to Cooks Corner.
She had a Tank Shift, Mouse trap and Jockey shift. A kicker from a 1918 knuckle knife, very early belt drive from Nez, a rear 12-spoke, 15-inch Mag. She has got me in and out of trouble. Escaped the cops. Chased many Split Tails (LOL). She is still here after all these years.
–Bob T.
Young Tech Editor
Bikernet.com™
BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS ROCKING THIS WEEK—NO MASKS!
There were 3 good arguments that Jesus was Black:
1. He called everyone brother
2. He liked Gospel
3. He didn’t get a fair trial
But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Jewish:
1. He went into His Father’s business
2. He lived at home until he was 33
3. He was sure his Mother was a virgin and his Mother was sure He was God
But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Italian:
1. He talked with His hands
2. He had wine with His meals
3. He used olive oil
But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was a Californian:
1. He never cut His hair
2. He walked around barefoot all the time
3. He started a new religion
But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was an American Indian:
1. He was at peace with nature
2. He ate a lot of fish
3. He talked about the Great Spirit
But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Irish:
1. He never got married.
2. He was always telling stories.
3. He loved green pastures.
But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Mexican:
1. He treated his mama like she was a saint.
2. He always wore llantas and a serape.
3. He was a carpenter who could fix anything.
But the most compelling evidence of all – 3 proofs that Jesus was a woman:
1. He fed a crowd at a moment’s notice when there was virtually no food
2. He kept trying to get a message across to a bunch of men who just didn’t get it
3. And even when He was dead, He had to get up because there was still work to do
–Sam Burns
NEWS FROM THE MASTER OF LIGHT–Artist David Uhl
Now that we’re in December and 2020 will soon be behind us, we’re excited to start the “12 Days of Uhlness”.
As you may know, in the past we’ve offered a holiday promotion with the display pieces we’ve used at shows and here at the gallery at discounted prices.
We’re taking it a step further this year, in that anyone who spends a minimum of $500 during the 12 days will be entered in a drawing to win a David Uhl original oil painting (we’ll have four for the winner to choose from) valued between $20,000 and $35,000! You can see the four choices at the bottom of this email.
Pieces offered this year include the gently used display pieces, some of David’s earliest works, pieces that were on payment plans that fell through, consignment returns, etc. They are all signed by David, numbered and will come with the appropriate Certificate of Authenticity.
For the next 12 days, you’ll see a different group of pieces each day. These are being offered in a 24-hour flash sale each day. You will only have 24 hours to reserve your piece from the time that day’s email is sent out. And, only one of each is available in most cases, so you’ll want to act quickly on these.
If you’d like to temporarily opt-out of these emails, then rejoin afterward, simply let me know.
You can click on each piece below to go to that page on our website. Please let us know if the piece(s) you order are for Christmas gifts and we will do our best to accommodate this.
Today’s pieces:
“Eternity”
2018 European Anniversary in Prague
** 24×18 canvas framed – normally $1,250, now $950
** 32 x 24 canvas framed – normally $1,850, now $1,250
And the one above…
Please email me or call me at 303-913-4840 with any questions, or to place your order. Thanks for your time!
–Greg Rhodes
International Sales Director
David Uhl Fine Art
Uhl Studios
Uhl Studios website
303-913-4840
There were a bunch of samples posted, but I picked my two favorites. Go to the Master’s web site to check all the offerings.
–Bandit
GUN NUT REPORT--Armed Philly Restaurant Customer Shoots and Kills Robber Who Pointed a Gun at Him
DEFENSIVE GUN USE OF THE DAY
Apparently suffering from a late evening craving for chicken wings, a 27-year-old Philadelphia man walked into a local WingStop restaurant just after 10:00 pm Sunday night, only to find a robbery in progress. An unidentified 53-year-old had pulled a gun and demanded all of the money in the joint.
“(He) walked in, went behind the counter, announced a robbery and asked for all the money,” said Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small.
Before the three employees who were inside could comply with his demands, a customer walked in talking on his cell phone.
When the stick-up man pointed his gun at the hungry customer, who had a valid concealed carry license, the new arrival drew his own firearm and shot the robber once in the neck. The perp soon began to assume room temperature.
The customer, who does have a valid permit to carry a weapon, stayed on the scene and cooperated with police.
“We do have his weapon. We know that’s just one shot was fired from that customer because we found one spent shell casing on the floor on the customer side of the counter,” said Small.
Yet another successful defensive gun use — a crime in progress stopped — by a law-abiding gun owner. It’s almost as if this kind of thing happens regularly. Oh wait…it does.
–BY DAN ZIMMERMA, Truth About Guns
NEWS FROM THE TEXAS WEATHERMAN–So, I’m starting to realize barometric pressure affects my old ass! When hurricane get close and something this morning too! Every part of me hurt this morning. Even after all the Biofreeze, my Underdog Secret Energy pills(legal) & other stuff I still hurt!
Funny how it how goes away once the motor starts.
–RFR
Official meteorologist
Bikernet.com™
COVID AND THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY-–
The Future of Delivery–Black Friday kicked off the 2020 holiday gift-buying season. As a matter of fact, Black Friday sales this year started in the early part of November instead of the day after Thanksgiving. Most of these sales will likely be online due to the pandemic.
According to Digital Commerce 360, US consumers are projected to spend $198.73 billion with online retailers this holiday season. That is 43.3 percent higher than the same period last year.
Even before the COVID crisis, online shopping expanded so quickly that delivery companies struggled to keep up with demand. In September, Ware2Go (founded by UPS) released a survey that showed market shift brought on by COVID-19 prompted unprecedented demand. Ware2Go CEO Steve Denton said in a recent interview, “We’re anticipating this year’s shipping volumes to hit a new peak. With most supply chains already working above their 2019 peak shipping volumes, we recognize that this holiday season will be unlike any the industry has seen.”
That’s this year, but what happens to delivery when the pandemic is over?
Many companies are investing heavily to develop the newest delivery device, whether it’s sidewalk robots, flying drones, or electric cargo bikes. Several plan to go driverless to cut down on the cost of drivers and more will likely make their fleets electric.
Whatever happens, consumers will continue to shop online at unprecedented rates, which means the demand to deliver our stuff will be greater than ever. Logistyx Technologies President Ken Fleming said recently in an interview the changes will last beyond the pandemic, “E-commerce growth is great news for most trucking businesses, especially those supporting e-commerce order fulfillment, as delivery volume to distribution centers and directly to consumers keeps rising.”
One of the most significant changes in delivery is that instead of shipping to a grocery retailer, trucking companies are delivering to an e-commerce middleman warehouse, which then does the final hand-off. This means more final-mile deliveries.
Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, announced earlier this month that it would expand in-garage delivery for Prime members to 4,000 US cities. In 2017, the company launched Amazon Key to deliver packages inside homes with smart front door locks and indoor cameras for customer reassurance. They wanted to solve the problem of porch theft. Amazon Key drew mixed reviews and had since focused on delivery to garages (and car trunks) in 50 US cities.
Walmart also recently announced that it would team up with Cruise, a driverless car operation owned primarily by General Motors. The two companies will begin a program to test driverless-vehicle delivery of goods directly to Scottsdale, AZ customers. Walmart has also teamed up with Waymo (the driverless-vehicle unit of Google parent Alphabet) in a similar program. The Arkansas-based company has also started experimenting with delivery via flying drones.
Fight for curb space is also intensifying in urban centers. Four cities (Aspen, CO; West Palm Beach, FL; Omaha, NE; and Nashville, TN) are the latest to participate in pilot programs to evaluate apps that supposedly will help improve congestion by renting curbside time for delivery and rideshare companies.
Cities, mobility companies, urban planners, anti-car activists, and Big Bike all see dollar signs when it comes to the lowly street curb, which was paid for with taxpayer dollars.
New York City recently stepped up efforts to curb deliveries during morning and afternoon rush hours between Sixth and Madison Avenues from 45th to 50th streets. Trucking Association of New York President Kendra Hems said even though a group of trucking associations has asked about the pilot program’s effectiveness, the ad hoc coalition has not yet received an answer from the city. She added there are two other problems for NYC delivery trucks:
Business owners schedule deliveries, leaving truck drivers and delivery companies to pay any fines that are levied, and
Closed streets and newly placed streetside restaurants due to the pandemic have made it harder for truckers to deliver goods.
The future of delivery looks bright for delivery and freight companies, but what about the rest of us? Of course, the convenience of having stuff delivered directly to our doors might save us time and money, but convenience should not be the only consideration.
As more and more delivery trucks and other automated delivery devices crowd the roadways, what impact will this have on overall congestion? More personalized delivery intermingled with rideshare and increased driverless car traffic has already had a significant impact on motorists in urban cores. For rural residents, finding goods in stores might become an issue if more products go to a middleman warehouse instead of directly to stores.
Auto manufacturer, delivery, and tech company executives have formed a new group that will grapple with future transport’s thorniest issues. The Commission on the Future of Mobility plans to put together a new regulatory framework for the global transportation sector going through a worldwide transition driven by shared, connected, autonomous, and electric technologies.
Can the industries that profit from these changes be trusted to make decisions that serve the public’s best interests? Likely, corporate interests will take priority, leaving the rest of us to cope with the mobility landscape that emerges.
–NMA
BANDIT’S CANTINA BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS WIDE OPEN—MASK FREE!
Caller: Hi, my name is Matt and I’m an alcoholic.
AAA: Sir, this is triple A.
Caller: I know, I’m explaining why my car is in the lake.
CLASSIC FROM LOWBROW–$59.44 $69.95
HARLOT P-PAD – BLACK VERTICAL TUCK N ROLL VINTAGE STYLE PILLION PAD
BiltwellSKU: 011274
Put the cherry on top of your chopper sundae with a P-pad to match your solo seat. Easily custom mounts to your fender with hardware of your choice.
Technical Details:
-1/4-inch (4mm) thick laminated leather base with vinyl veneer for weather resistance
-Pre-curved shape to fit the radius of most rear fenders
-One-piece molded polyurethane foam padding
-Four nickel-plated brass grommets on the corners for custom mounting
-Hand-sewn smooth and embossed vinyl covers available in a variety of stitched upholstery patterns
BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT VOCABULARY LESSON OF THE WEEK–fussbudget
[ fuhs-buhj-it ]
noun
a fussy or needlessly fault-finding person.
WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF FUSSBUDGET?
Fussbudget “one who is fussy or needlessly faultfinding” is a transparent compound of the nouns fuss “bustle, commotion” and budget “itemized list of funds or expenses.” The word entered English in the early 20th century; it became associated with the character Lucy Van Pelt in the comic strip Peanuts in the 1960s.
HOW IS FUSSBUDGET USED?
He was a fussbudget. His interest in ideas didn’t match his interest in small, and often silly, facts. Much of the time he saw neither the forest nor the trees but only a bit of the undergrowth.
RICHARD ROVERE, “THE MAGNIFICENT FUSSBUDGET,” HARPER’S, JUNE 1975
“Friends,” the ever-popular television comedy, has already directed the action away from Chandler, the fussbudget, and Ross, the whiny paleontologist, to Joey of the big biceps and unambiguous urges.
GINIA BELLAFANTE, “SEEING A NEW MAN CALLING THE TUNE, FASHION GETS IN STEP,” NEW YORK TIMES, JANUARY 22, 2002
MOTORCYCLE TOURS ARE STILL AVAILABLE IN INDIA–We called our business Giant Leap because once you commit, your world will never be the same.
You leave behind petty rules and a world gone mad, you reconnect with nature, people and curiosity.
Experience the thrill of camaraderie and feel the achievement of doing what most people on the planet wouldn’t even dare to.
Get the T-shirt and join the club who can wear it with pride:
—— “I Took The Giant Leap”
Motorcycling hasn’t been truly understood until you’re at the top of a mountain on a dirt road and simply observing the worlds thousands of metres below you.
Awesome. Amazing. Inspiring. Challenging. Adjectives do no good in describing these motorcycle tours.
Take a risk, take a chance, take your Giant Leap.
Visit our Website Here: Yourgiantleap.com
–Ben
LET’S CELEBRATE—All we are capable of doing, all our friends and all we’ve been able to do in this amazingly short chunk of history.
I’m in an interesting time slot. With the help of Lee Clemens of Departure Bike Works in Richmond and Kent Weeks or Lucky Devil Metal Works in Houston and our Pandemic Panhead project, I’m learning a whole bunch about engines and I’m trying to write it down. Hang on for this tech.
I’m also working in the 91st issue of the Bandit’s Cantina series, and it’s getting way too long. I may need to cut it in half. Bandit’s on a run to save the Cantina financially and his staff physically.
I’m also working on a piece about my life to dance on Bikernet with a group of Sam’s wild photos. Again, it’s sort of long-winded about 1969 and a Sportster I rode back and forth from San Diego to Long Beach to see my first wife to be.
I’m about to finish removing the mag from the Pandemic and installing an auto-advance circuit breaker, a coil, an ignition switch, a battery and wiring. Hang on for an upcoming report.
Ride fast and free, forever! And happy holidays!
–Bandit
