Hey,
This is nuts. This month disappeared in a flurry of harried activity and accomplishments, but I still didn’t rewrite my last chapter. Plus this coming week is already snatched with meetings with Lucas Oil and the run to Vegas for Bikefest.
Quick, here are a couple of perfect items to kick off Bikerfest. Rogue will love the first one. A Florida woman paid $20,000 to have a third breast surgically attached to her chest. Jasmine Tridevil, 21, says a plastic surgeon agreed to create an extra boob from a silicon implant and skin tissue. Hang on. (The Week magazine)
And former boxing champ Mike Tyson came to the aid of an injured motorcyclist on a Las Vegas freeway, stopping traffic and comforting the victim, Ryan Chesley, until paramedics arrived. (The Week Magazine)
With those spots, let’s hit the news. I went to the Speedway Nationals last night and Joker Machine’s rider, Billy Hammel was taking the score and the wins, until the last race. There’s a new National Champion.
QUICK OPEN THE BAD JOKE LIBRARY, WE NEED ONE–An old hillbilly farmer had a wife who nagged him unmercifully. From morning ’til night she was always complaining about something. The only time he got any relief was when he was out plowing with his old mule. He plowed a lot.
One day, when he was out plowing, his wife brought him lunch in the field. He drove the old mule into the shade, sat down on a stump, and began to eat his lunch. Immediately, his wife began nagging him again. Complain, nag, complain, nag – it just went on and on.
All of a sudden, the old mule lashed out with both hind feet, caught her smack in the back of the head. Killed her dead on the spot. At the funeral several days later, the minister noticed something rather odd. When a woman mourner would approach the old farmer, he would listen for a minute, then nod his head in agreement; but when a man mourner approached him, he would listen for a minute, then shake his head in disagreement.
This was so consistent, the minister decided to ask the old farmer about it. So after the funeral, the minister spoke to the old farmer, and asked him why he nodded his head and agreed with the women, but always shook his head and disagreed with all the men.
The old farmer said, ‘Well, the women would come up and say something about how nice my wife looked, or how pretty her dress was, so I’d nod my head in agreement.’
‘And what about the men?’ the minister asked.
‘They wanted to know if the mule was for sale.’
–from Rogue and Jerry
REPORT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF HELMET LAWS COMING TO EASYRIDERS MAGAZINE—Dick Teresi, the brother of the publisher of Easyriders and a real journalist is working on a piece for Easyriders on the history of helmet laws. He came up with the following regarding my involvement. He gives me way too much credit, but I was proud to be involved in the fight for freedom.
“Much of this work was accomplished by Keith Ball, a young Vietnam vet (three tours!) that Kimzey met while scouting for bikes to feature in the magazine. Kimzey made Ball the first Manager of ABATE. He eventually found state coordinators for 28 separate chapters around the country. Beyond creating new chapters of ABATE, Ball conducted research on helmets, their true effectiveness and, mostly, their ineffectiveness.
Poring over scientific studies, talking to medical doctors and others, he helped compile a war chest of data that the various chapters could use to combat helmet laws and the imaginary benefits of wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle. (Today Ball serves as the “owner, editor, and janitor,” in his words, of Bikernet.com, a website for bikers in which he still advocates for the rights of motorcyclists.)”
Do not publicize another’s faults
Caution in dealing with others—bring no regrets.
Patience in conducting affairs makes matters easy.
–Buddha
MORE FROM DICK TERESI WHO WAS THE SCIENCE EDITOR OF A MAJOR PUBLICATION FOR YEARS—I asked him what his most startling scientific discovery was? Here goes:
I covered a lot of particle physics so that skews my answer. The most startling discovery to me was Ernest Rutherford’s discovery of the nucleus, around 1909 or so. I forget.
It showed that matter was mostly empty space, not solid as it appears. And it led to quantum theory as classical physics could not explain the atom as Rutherford found it.
Background: the only subatomic particle that was known about at the time was the electron, which was negative in charge. The atom as a whole was neutral. So there must be some stuff in the atom that was positive to neutralize the electrons. Thus, the “plum pudding” model of the atom.
It was a “pudding,” a mass of positive charge with “plums,” the electrons, set in it. Rutherford was probing the atom to get more info. He shot alpha particles at gold and platinum atoms, in the form of gold and platinum foils. He got very small deflections on the screen on the opposite side, which is what you’d expect. No deflection at all if the alpha particles passed through the “pudding” of the atom; slight deflections if they glanced off the electrons, which were lighter than the alpha particles.
To be rigorous, Rutherford ordered his assistants then to put the detector screens all around the room, so that there were now screens BEHIND the gun that shot the alpha particles. Screens 360 degrees around the room. This seemed nuts. How would electrons bounce the alpha particles straight back? But in in 9,000 times this is what happened. The alphas ended up behind the gun they were shot from. Rutherford said it was like shooting a cannon ball into a sheet of tissue paper and having it come straight back at you.
Made no sense…unless the positive charge in the atom was not a smooth pudding but a heavy chunk of something. This turned out to be the nucleus, protons and neutrons stuck together. It took Rutherford several months at least to figure this out. And then he and Niels Bohr came up with the first attempt at quantum theory. It was wrong but a good start.
But the thing is that atoms have this heavy but small nucleus in the middle, and then the electrons are scattered in orbitals way far away, scale wise. Matter is mostly empty spaces between the nucleus and the electrons.
And yet when you put a piece of paper down on a wooden desk, it stays supported there because the particles are strongly bound to each other and bounce around against the paper to support it in shuttlecock fashion.
Sorry you asked?
–Dick Teresi
NOW FOR SOME REALLY IMPOTENT INFO—
Have you ever wondered who first uttered the phrase, “You Gotta Be Shittin Me?”
Well, it just so happens to have originated through the Father of America, way back when George Washington was crossing the Delaware river with his troops.
There were 33 men in Washington’s boat.
It was extremely dark and storming furiously and the water was tossing them about.
Finally, Washington grabbed Corporal Raymond Dicks and stationed him at the front of the boat with a lantern.
He ordered him to keep swinging it, so they could see where they were heading.
Corporal Dicks, through driving rain and cold, continued swinging the lantern back and forth, back and forth.
Then a big gust of wind and a wave hit and threw the Corporal and his lantern into the Delaware.
Washington and his troops searched for nearly an hour trying to find him, but to no avail.
All of them felt terrible, for the Corporal had been one of their favorites.
Sometime later, Washington and his troops landed on the other side, wet and totally exhausted.
He rallied the troops and told them that they must go on.
Another hour later, one of his men said, ‘General, I see lights ahead.’
They trudged toward the lights and came upon a huge house. What they didn’t know was that this was a house of ill repute, hidden in the forest to serve all who came.
General Washington pounded on the door, his men crowding around him.The door swung open, and much to his surprise stood a beautiful woman.
A huge smile came across her face, to see so many men standing there.
Washington was the first to speak,
‘Madam, I am General George Washington and these are my men. We are tired, wet, exhausted, and desperately need warmth and comfort.’
Again, the Madam looked at all the men standing there, and with a broad smile on her face, said,
‘Well, General, you have come to the right place. We can surely give you warmth and comfort. How many men do you have?’
Washington replied,
‘Well, Madam, there are 33 men – actually 32 of us without Dicks.’
–from Bob Clark
QUICK, BIKERNET READER COMMENT–
PRE-LAS VEGAS BIKEFEST RUN THURSDAY NEWS FOR September 25, 2014
http://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=11903
Nice Key tags.
I have one of the original ones of BANDIT’S XXX MOTEL – ROOM 69 in front of me.
Guess I will need one of the new ones as well.
–Rogue
Palm Bay, FL
Lunch at CFM today. This is the Hilton over the mall
The Thai style food court
Veggie in oyster sauce 75 b, Chicken with soy sauce 85 b, Pepsi 25 b. All in $6
A new taxi company has arrived.
Along with more affluent times. Used to be very few in town
The baht bus. Hundreds of these constantly troll the main streets. Can get on and off anywhere. Only a few minutes for the next one. Covers 95 percent of my travels. 10 bht per ride on the route. If you ask the driver where he goes it immediately becomes your taxi for 100-200 b
After meeting with my bike shops not much time left before diner at fine dining with Steve from back in Bkk days. Long established upscale Mata Hari. Lobster bisque. Crab crusted red snapper hse salad. About $30 for a very good meal
Bright sunny and hot today. All is business as usual seemingly better on the surface with the military rule of Marshall law. The army has cleaned up some problem areas the police couldn’t handle as they were too ” friendly” with everybody.
–Art Hall
Bikernet Supreme Commander
Of the Bikernet Internation News Bureau
BRASS BALLS BOBBERS BRINGS BOBBER BIKE KITS BACK–Bike Kits Designed With You In Mind–Here is one of our customer built Brass Balls Cycles kit bike. He did a great job. Our phase build system made it easy for him to acquire the different parts in phases so he could work on it at his own pace and pay for the phases only when he was ready to get them, not all at once.
Our Kits Are Available in Phases and Fully Customizable. Click image to see them in detail.
We offer a basic kit which can be customized to suit your own budget and style.
Now is a great time to start your bike kit project with Brass Balls Cycles.
Be riding by spring.
As always, a portion of sales proceeds help us in our philanthropy efforts for our troops. To see more about that click here to see what we do. Thank you for your support.
Brass Balls Cycles by Darwin Motorcycles
UNCOMPROMISING AMERICAN MOTORCYCLES
THE RUN TO THE ACTION IN VEGAS—Some 40 snarling chopper riders are riding out of the Bikernet headquarters for Las Vegas Bike Fest this coming weekend. We are all sharing the same room at the Golden Nugget in downtown Vegas. Here’s just a taste of the action.
KANSAS
Saturday – 8:30pm – 10:00pm
Entertainment all weekend long
Local Favorites: Garage Boys, Parametrics
Ryan Whyte Maloney
Easy 8’s
Patrick Genovese
Shawn Eiferman
Kelly Sheehan Band
[page break]
COMPLIMENTARY, New Bikernet Reader Comment!–Kutty Noteboom built Triumph For His Wife
http://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=245
We see many Bobbers, this would have to be one of the nicest ones spotted yet! what a lucky girl.
— Triumph Owners Motor Cycle Club New Zealand
Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
PEEPS HAVING TOO MUCH FUN IN FLORIDAY—They need to come to Vegas.
Community puts a lid on ‘trashy’ Redneck Christmas Parade
–Associated Press
CHUMUCKLA — A Florida Panhandle community’s Redneck Christmas Parade has been canceled, with organizers complaining that attendees have gotten out of hand in recent years.
The nearly 20-year-old event was run by the Chumuckla Athletic Association. CAA president Renee Melvin told the Northwest Florida Daily News that she used to bring her family to the event before she even started working with the association.
Melvin says local businesses and residents have had major issues during the parade in recent years. And the bad behavior — mostly related to excessive drinking — has persisted, despite organizers paying the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office thousands of dollars for security. “The parade has gone from a wholesome family event to a trashy beer fest,” organizers wrote on the event’s Facebook page.
The parade was created to raise money for community events.
SUNDAY BIKER MOVIE FROM THE GANG AT CHOPPERTOWN–It’s Biker Movie Sunday and our special this week is Choppahead Vol. 1, the original Punk Rock Chopper movie! Download the full movie for a special price of only $5.00 HERE or grab the DVD for only $9.99 HERE. (deal ends Monday)
Thanks as always guys!
Before the current wave of fancy shops, mortgage priced bikes, and superstar builders came to light, the chopper subculture was (and still is) heralded by the home-builder.
The true essence lies with the guy that works a full day, comes home and then builds in his garage (or kitchen, or living room) til 3am, the guy that builds out of passion rather than profit. The guy that turns out a killer custom with limited time, tooling, and resources.
This movie pays homage the home bike builder and explores the underground chopper scene. Follow Big Truth and crew as they go out on-location across the country and profile home-builders, small grassroots shops, and underground bike/hot rod shows (including the Smokey Mountain Smokeout, Viva Las Vegas, Harley 100th, and more).
–Zack and Scott
ANOTHER, New Bikernet Reader Comment!
PRE-LAS VEGAS BIKEFEST RUN THURSDAY NEWS FOR September 25, 2014
http://www.bikernet.com/pages/story_detail.aspx?id=11903
Uncle Monkey sure hit it this week with his article.
It fits my and many others situation to a T!
–Rogue
Palm Bay, FL
CAREFUL HOW YOU DRIVE IN FLORIDA WALDO–Speed-trap town may lose its police
A tiny north Florida town known as a speed trap may lose its police department. Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell said her office will not extend a contract with the town of Waldo to provide a temporary police commander.
Waldo is one of only two U.S. towns officially labeled “traffic traps” by AAA. Two Waldo police chiefs resigned after state investigations were launched into illegal activities, including speeding ticket quotas.
City officials have said Waldo has a speeding problem, and tickets helped pay for the city’s small police force. With declining property tax income and ticket revenues, the city isn’t clear how it will pay for the force.
–from Rogue
JUST WHAT WE NEEDED, A WEEKEND HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT—Hypogeum,
noun
1. an underground burial chamber.
Quotes
All these royal personages are successively named in the inscriptions of the hypogeum, and thus form a supplement, and a valuable confirmation, of the table of Abydos.
Origin
Hypogeum comes from the Greek word hypógeion meaning “underground chamber.” It entered English in the early 1700s.
ROAD GLIDE INSERT FUEL CAP COVERS—
Check ‘em out.
–Vince Spencer
Telesales Support Manager. Pacwest, Texas
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Email: Vince.Spencer@twcable.com
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR STILL INVESTIGATES PHUKET, THAILAND—
A few miscellaneous photos. Had another fast food moment and ate at KFC. Seems same.
From the local paper.
A better shot of the CFM and Hilton. J I didn’t like the other one
There is not much beach left. Umbrellas go right to water about 50 ft. They have been talking for years how to bring sand in but no action yet
Saw this old bike parked in the tourist area one nite. Unlikely place for it to be Darn I didn’t get the make.
Promotional giveaway at RGPM
–Art Hall
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CAR STORIES FROM THE PETERSEN MUSEUM–This Hudson Was McQueen’s Daily Driver. One of the sleekest American cars of its day, the low-slung Hudson won acclaim for its ground hugging silhouette made possible by a low floor that required passengers to “step down” to get into the car. This unique coupe is equipped with an automatic transmission and the high performance “Twin H-Power” dual carburetor setup.
It attracted the attention of actor Steve McQueen who acquired this 1952 Hudson Wasp and many other collectible pre- and postwar cars late in his life. A true connoisseur, McQueen appreciated the historical importance of automobiles, whether they were exotic or commonplace.
The Hudson remains in the condition at the time it was acquired from the McQueen estate.
Be sure to visit the Petersen Automotive Museum before is closes on October 19th for an extensive renovation.
I COULDN’T RESIST AND STOLE THIS WORD FROM THE BIKERNET UNIVERSITY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT—Bibliophobe,
noun
Quotes
“But they are slow to make. The printing press can produce many copies of the same book, you see. With this, anyone who wanted a book could simply go in a shop and buy it as other things are bought.” I frowned, not convinced at all that this was a good thing. The king laughed. “So Kate, my bibliophobe, what would you rather be doing than reading?“
Origin
Bibliophobe comes from the Greek biblion meaning “book” and phóbos “fear.”
THE SUNDAY POST BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS STILL OPEN—
A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, “I know what the Bible means!”
His father smiled and replied, “What do you mean, you’know’ what the Bible means?
The son replied, “I do know!”
“Okay,” said his father. “What does the Bible mean?”
“That’s easy, Daddy…” the young boy replied excitedly,” It stands for ‘Basic Information Before Leaving Earth..’
PACKING FOR THE RUN—We have a problem in Los Angeles, getting the hell out of town. It’s like a war zone with traffic snarls, congestion, timing issue and a myriad of highway. Just leaving town I could hit the 710, the 405, the 605, the 210, and finally the 15. It’s a gruel up the grade into Victorville then Barstow, and Baker, before reaching the State line at Primm.
We had a brief meeting the other night and a brother brought up a small whorehouse in Pahrump and I started to study maps. How could we get to Pahrump and into Vegas without the 15. Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible unless we cut to Lancaster and the 14. That’s all wrong and in the opposite direction.
The search is on. We found a back way off the 15 coming back from Bonneville. It was a terrific, lonesome road roaming ultimately in Joshua and 14 Palms, we even touched on Route 66 in Amboy.
We have some terrific features coming to Bikernet, so hang on for a new BDL tech, and a new Digital Discovery connecting guns, motorcycles and history.
Hang on for this report on Saddlemen’s new product line. They sponsored this street party at a Drag Specialties dealer meeting, but the whole city came out for the action.
Have a helluva week, and find some time to relax. I’m going to have dinner with a grandkid today.
Ride Free Forever,
–Bandit
