VIRTUAL SUNDAY POST for September 25, 2016

 Hey,

So, imagine the benefits of virtual sex mentioned in the news this week. You save all the money and time of chasing another redhead across the country. You’re virtual lover can’t get pregnant, isn’t into drugs, has no diseases, or three kids you didn’t know about, a husband who is sheriff of the town, massive debt, mental problems, isn’t a thief, an angry whore, a religious freak, or wants to lock you down in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Or worst of all, hates motorcycles.

The virtual world might not be too bad. I’m in trouble now.  Let’s hit the news.

LAS VEGAS BIKEFEST ARTISTRY IN IRON SHOW—Tomorrow I’m going to slip over to Andrew Ursich’s shop in Long Beach and check out the bike he is building for the competition in Vegas this coming weekend. Bikernet sorta helped Andrew get a foothold in the industry, but here’s his story. We’ve featured all of his bikes to date on Bikernet.

Andrew Ursich is a kustom car/bike builder located in Long Beach, CA. Andrew was introduced to metal fabrication by working for his friend Brian Ferrell. Alongside Brian, Andrew built motocross and skate ramps for major events.

A few years later Andrew met kustomizer Gene Winfield and was given an opportunity to learn and work with one of the best. He worked for Gene for a few years where he learned the art of metal shaping and complete kustom car building. Andrew took his car building skills and applied them to his first custom bike build.

His first bike has won awards at every show it has been to including Custom Motorcycle D’Elegance at Ink N Iron Motorama 2014. With the success he obtained with his first build it inspired him to keep going. Andrews next build Stardust would lead to even better success winning him many awards including Easyriders bike of the year 2016 in Ohio.

Andrew always brings us something clean and classic with his own flare, mixing chrome, brass and gold to blow us away. This new to the game builder has a lot to offer, we can’t wait to see what he brings us next with his third build he is currently working on. He is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

Artistry in Iron Master Builders Championship invites builders from around the world who are shaping the industry and establishing the trend for engineering custom motorcycles to compete against one another for the grand prize.

The competition is an invitation-only, peer-judged custom bike display that draws the world’s premier builders to unveil their newest designs. There are no rules or guidelines on the builds, the builders have full reign to express maximum creativity in their build.

The bikes are judged solely by the master builders themselves, the first competition of this kind. The winner will be presented with a check for $10,000 from Las Vegas BikeFest as well as a custom designed championship bracelet created by renowned designer and master artisan Steve Soffa.

The public is invited to visit the bikes during Rally Central hours and to meet the participating builders during autograph sessions throughout the weekend

NEWS FROM CHOPPERTOWN–The producers of the awesome Dirtbag movies have done it again and made another killer award-winning biker movie about the true spirit of motorcycling.

Their new film “Boutonniere” won the International Motorcycle Film Festival and you can watch the whole movie on Choppertown.com! Click here to watch now for free. Support more films from these guys and grab both Dirtbag movies for the price of one this week only.

We even got a few limited edition Dirtbag t-shirts (while supplies last).

Thanks guys, your support helps us make these shows and bring them to you. Enjoy the weekend!

Stay independent,
–Zack and Scott
Take 50% off the Dirtbag Downloads or DVDs this week to celebrate!

CYCLE SOURCE MONTHLY WORLD NEWS—I produce a news column every month in the Cycle Source Magazine. The other day while packing for Vegas Bikefest I scribbled this intro. It sorta hit home, so I wanted to share it with Cantina Members first:

While we stumble through life looking for the next beer and motorcycle part, life is changing like crazy, and we need to watch out.

—Bandit

MORE FROM THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY– Breaking: ICIJ and media partners reveal details of latest offshore leak

New revelations published today by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and news organizations from Europe, South America, Asia and Africa reveal fresh information about offshore companies in the Bahamas.

Alongside detailed reporting, ICIJ, Süddeutsche Zeitung and other media partners are making details from the Bahamas corporate registry available to the public. This creates, for the first time, a free, online and publicly-searchable registry of offshore companies set up in the island nation that has sometimes been called “The Switzerland of the West.”

“We see it as a service to the public to make this basic kind of information openly available,” said Gerard Ryle, the director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

“There is much evidence to suggest that where you have secrecy in the offshore world you have the potential for wrong doing. So let’s eliminate the secrecy.”

The cache of documents from the island nation’s corporate registry provides names of directors and some owners of more than 175,000 Bahamian companies, trusts and foundations registered between 1990 and early 2016.

The leaked Bahamian files reveal details of the offshore activities of prime ministers, ministers, princes and convicted felons.

This information has been combined with data from the Panama Papers and other leaked offshore documents to add additional heft to one of the largest public databases of offshore entities in history. The Offshore Leaks Database now contains information on close to 500,000 entities linked to 200 countries and territories. The full dataset is searchable and embeddable via ICIJ’s online application – visit the dedicated Offshore Leaks database website for more information about the data, tips on how to search and instructions for downloading a raw copy of the database.

In the Bahamas, company documents can be consulted in person. While the online registry is designed to serve a similar purpose, the electronic registry information maintained by the Bahamian government is often incomplete. In addition, retrieving one company’s documents will cost at least $10, in conflict with the recommendation of the international association of company registries, which discourages search fees.

Jason Sharman, who co-authored a survey of information from 40 corporate registers around the world said the names of offshore company directors is basic information that should be easily accessible to the public.

This information has been combined with data from the Panama Papers and other leaked offshore documents to add additional heft to one of the largest public databases of offshore entities in history.

–By Will Fitzgibbon
Center for Public Integrity

QUICK, OPEN THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY– Sarah goes to school, and the teacher says, “Today we are going to learn multi-syllable words, class. Does anybody have an example of a multi-syllable word?”

Sarah waves her hand, “Me, Miss Rogers, me, me!”

Miss Rogers says, “All right, Sarah, what is your multi-syllable word?” Sarah says, “Mas-tur-bate.”

Miss Rogers smiles and says, “Wow, Sarah, that’s a mouthful.” Sarah says, “No, Miss Rogers, you’re thinking of a blowjob.”

–from Rogue

DESTINATION DAYTONA ROCKS FOR BIKETOBERFEST— Yelvington Trikes will set up for all the action.

Destination Daytona is the Home of Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson, with it’s massive 109,000 sq. ft. showroom, selling thousands of motorcycles, genuine H-D Motorclothes apparel, parts, accessories and so much more. During the course of an average non-event day, the dealership and surrounding property sees an average of 500-750 visitors and/or customers.

During an event, such as Bike Week or Biketoberfest, which are synonymous with Destination Daytona, the average attendance is 500,000 during the ten-day Bike Week and 125,000 during the four-day Biketoberfest.

With retail shops like On The Fringe Leather, Daytona Official Gear and Bruce Rossmeyer’s Outlet store; Howard Johnson Inn & Suites, a luxury hotel; full service restaurants The Wild Hog Cafe, Daytona Pig Stand & Houligan’s; and specialty shops like J&P Cycles Super Store, Destination 4x4s & More, Giant Recreation World, Ultimate Seats, Asylum Tattoo, Big Scoop Ice Cream, Camouflage Dave’s Beef Jerky & More, Godfather’s Tobacco, Daytona Cycle Audio and the full bar/nightclub/ Saints & Sinners Pub…there’s always something to see… something to do… and something to buy at Destination Daytona.

In addition to live music at Saints & Sinners Pub and major concert events and expos at the Pavilion (formerly the Coca-Cola Pavilion), our very own 35,000 sq. ft. covered exhibit space/amphitheater, Destination Daytona hosts Bike Night every Thursday at Saints and a Motorcycle & Car Swap Meet the second Sunday of every month, in addition to fashion shows, carnivals, demo motorcycle rides and benefits for charities such as MDA and Camp Boggy Creek.

Destination Daytona is also an ideal location for your business. Properties include retail space with warehouse, garage and office space all with ample parking.

For a list of Available Properties for sale or lease, Contact: Dean Pepe at 386.671.7104 or e-mail him at dpepe@brhd.com.

Located at 1635 N US Highway 1 directly off I-95 Exit 273 in Ormond Beach, Destination Daytona is just north of Daytona Beach and within minutes of The Atlantic Ocean, A1A, the famed Ormond Loop and Daytona International Speedway.

BIKER’S CHOICE DEAL OF THE WEEK– VANCE & HINES
ELIMINATOR 400 SLIP-ONS
for Harley-Davidson

Large 4-inch mufflers with race-inspired CNC-machined billet end caps.

Best $359.99 • Retail $499.99

BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY COUNTRY WESTERN DEPARTMENT–
Two cowboys are out on the range talking about their favorite sex position.

One says, “I think I enjoy the rodeo position the best.”

“I don’t think I have ever heard of that one,” says the other cowboy. “What is it?”

“Well, it’s where you get your girl down on all fours, and you mount her from behind. Then you reach around, cup her t*ts, and whisper in her ear, ‘boy these feel almost as nice as your sisters.’ Then you try and hold on for 30 seconds.”

–from Rogue

NEW ART FROM ERIC HERRMANN STUDIOS–“Hard West Blues”

A Beautiful V- Twin Chopper motor at first glance, until you look deeper and find the Old West, or Hard West as I like to call it. Look at all the crap this Chopper rider hits when he rolls into town! Hidden in the reflections you’ll find:

3 Gunfighters
1 Stagecoach chased by,
2 Armed Riders on Horseback
1 Gallows Pole (empty)
1 Rattlesnake, being shot at by,
1 Revolver
1 Hard West Town
1 Eagle
1 Scorpion
1 Tarantula
1 Buffalo

Metal Art Aluminum panels (8″ x 12″) $45.00

Small canvas giclee (20″ x 30″) edition of 100 $850.00

Large canvas giclee (30″ x 40″) edition of 50 $2000.00

Eric Herrmann Studios
Eric@EricHerrmannStudios.com
www.EricHerrmannStudios.com

BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY MILITARY ISLE– Larry the Fighter Pilot

A teacher asks the kids in her 3rd grade class:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Little Larry says: “I wanna start out as a NAVY Fighter Pilot, then be a billionaire, go to the mostexpensive clubs, find me the finest whore, give her a Ferrari worth
over a million bucks, an apartment in Copacabana, a mansion in Paris, a
jet to travel throughout Europe, an Infinite Visa Card, and all the while banging her like a loose screen door in a hurricane.”

The teacher, shocked and not knowing what to do with this horrible response from little Larry, decides not to acknowledge what he said and simply tries to continue with the lesson. “And how about you, Sarah?”

“I wanna be Larry’s whore.”

–Rik Savenko

UPDATE: SDPD Won’t Return Chosen Few MC Colors After Profiling Stop

The story relating to two members of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club who were profiled in San Diego last week continues to develop. Although both men were arrested for wearing rings as brass knuckles, including wedding rings, the District Attorney is only pursuing charges against one member for a decorative whip and keychain. Both items were zip tied to the bike nullifying the ability to use either as a weapon.

The member being charged with two felony crimes is employed as a professor and has no criminal record. Internal Affairs and Citizen Review Board Complaints have also been filed.

Most troubling, it appears that one detective in particular has been targeting and harassing members of the Chosen Few MC in San Diego.

SDPD Targeting the Chosen Few MC?

According to the professor and Chosen Few member being charged, “It is interesting that the detective behind the scene, Timothy Coyle, is the same detective who has been harassing all the San Diego Chosen Few members. And the DA is the same DA (J. McLaughlin) who is prosecuting another one of our members who was jammed up under similar profiling circumstances by the same “crime suppression” unit.”

These concerns are definitely worth exploring. It is clear that police were conducting surveillance based on appearance, not behavior. A minor traffic infraction was used to conduct a stop to harass and investigate based on a discriminatory stereotype.

Unreasonable Seizure? Police Won’t Return Chosen Few Colors or Other Property.

According to the professor, neither member has gotten back their rings, phones, or Chosen Few colors. One motorcycle is also still being held. This is despite the fact that the decorative keychain and whip have zero to do with any other property police seized. One of the men isn’t even being charged. There is no argument for these items being part of an investigation.

Importantly, neither man was wearing his colors at the time of the traffic stop. They were stored in saddlebags. Of course they were being surveyed and had Chosen Few MC insignia on their motorcycles so they were identified as 1%ers before they ever got on their bikes.

Fear of Retaliation?

Most of us are former military and served honorably as well. They are trying to ruin the lives of good men, who will have difficulty finding jobs if a felony is put on their record. How does that help the public? I have filed a complaint with Internal affairs as well, and I am afraid once the cops figure I have done so they are going retaliate. No crimes have been committed by us, it is simply because of that 1%ER status that they consider us the enemy.”

Targeting the Chosen Few MC is an example of selective enforcement in violation of the 14th Amendment. The Chosen Few is a constitutionally protected association and expression of that association is fundamentally protected by the 1st Amendment. The SDPD should demand that their officers immediately cease and desist all profiling of motorcyclists and targeting of the Chosen Few MC.

–Motorcycle Profiling Project

–from Rogue

[page break]

LIFESTYLE STEAL OF THE WEEK–
2006 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic FLHRCI
FLHRCI located in Anaheim, California

Our Price
$11,995

Mileage: 26,708 miles
Exterior: Black

VIN: 1HD1FRW346Y711816
Stock #: 9814

COLORADO MOTORCYCLE EXPO CANCELLED–
The National Western Complex is not willing to host the Colorado Motorcycle Expo for 2017, but has said we could return starting in 2018 (which happens to be the 40th anniversary of the show) and each year thereafter, under certain conditions.

Because this is such an important event for the Colorado motorcycle community, we tried everything we could to make it happen in 2017. Over the past several months we looked at every other possible venue in the state. With the exception of the Colorado Convention Center (and to a lesser extent the Merchandise Mart) there is not another indoor space in the state that has the amount of floor space and parking that we need.

Unfortunately both of those venues are completely booked through the first 4 months of next year, and have annual shows in most of those spots, so they really aren’t an option in future years either.

As for 2018, the National Western Complex, in conjunction with the City of Denver and the Denver Police Department has imposed certain conditions in order for the show to return.

Most of these conditions center around additional security measures (additional officers, wanding, etc.) which we have agreed to.

The other major condition is that both of the clubs involved in last year’s incident (the Iron Order and the Mongols) will be banned from future shows. All other clubs are welcome to attend and colors will be allowed as they have been for the past 38 years.

We very much appreciate your past support of the show and we hope to see you back for the 40th anniversary bash in 2018!

If anything changes, we’ll send out another email.

–Jeff

THE BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY IS STILL OPEN–A bride tells her husband, “Honey, you know I’m a virgin and I don’t know anything about sex. Can you explain it to me first?”

“Okay, sweetheart. Putting it simply, we will call your private place ‘the prison’ and call my private thing ‘the prisoner’. So what we do is put the prisoner in the prison.”

And they made love for the first time and the husband was smiling with satisfaction. Nudging him, his bride giggles, “Honey the prisoner seems to have escaped.”

Turning on his side, he smiles and says, “Then we will have to re-imprison him.” After the second time, the bride says, “Honey, the prisoner is out again!”

The husband rises to the occasion and they made love again. The bride again says, “Honey, the prisoner escaped again,” to which the husband yelled, “Hey, it’s not a life sentence!!!”

–from Rogue

NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL MOTORIST ASSOCIATION–The automobile has gone from being an eccentric hobby to a necessity of life—to a???? Technological innovations like the internal combustion engine, electric starter, hydraulic brakes, power steering, radial tires, fuel injection, and electronic ignition have transformed the automobile from a quirky, unreliable toy to an appliance-like device accessible and usable by almost all elements of the population.

So where do we go from here?

For those who reached adulthood in the 1940s to the 1970s cars represented, and largely delivered, freedom of movement and economic mobility. To a lesser extent they exemplified social status, financial success, and to varying degrees an expression of individuality.

By the 1980s this began to change. Our vehicles were clearly a necessity, at least for most of us, but they started to evolve toward the “appliance” status that largely dominates today. Clearly, there remains a core group of individuals who love and take pride in their cars, trucks and motorcycles, but if you stand back and observe, you will see that these people are primarily remnants of the “Boomer” generation.

The follow-on to this loss of emotional attachment to our vehicles is a diminished interest in mastering the skills associated with operating these devices. In fact, there is a growing population of young people who have no interest in becoming even rudimentarily adept at operating a motor vehicle. They seem content to rely on mass transit (preferably subsidized by others) and live in urban environments that support public transport. No longer is getting a driver’s license a universal milestone on the road to adulthood and independence.

It’s no secret that there is a worldwide trend of populations moving from rural areas to ever-growing urban centers. In theory, this is driven by the economic opportunity that is available only in these cities. Theory and reality do not always cross paths, but this remains the prevalent migration theory.

As with many expressions of individual interests, the personal automobile does not fit well in mega-urban environments. Traffic congestion, emissions, parking demands, and conflicts with pedestrians and bicyclists make the car a subject of scorn. And, it’s important to remember that the vast majority of the eligible voting public lives in urban areas. It could come to pass that the day of driving personal automobiles in a major urban area may become as likely as shooting clay pigeons on the condo patio.

Those of us who retain an interest in personally owned and operated vehicles are, and will remain, a sizable chunk of the population, although a minority. Our future nemesis, and the gorilla in the garage, will be the mega-million dollar campaign to create, build, and promote the self- driving car (and truck and just about anything else that moves).

In itself, the self-operating vehicle is not a bad or evil concept and offers significant opportunities to many people lacking personal mobility options. However, when the inevitable conflicts between those who make, sell, and use these vehicles and those who prefer to operate and control their own vehicles arise, the outcome does not look promising.

On the robot side we have the auto industry, the insurance industry, the federal and state safety establishment, people who view driving as a chore, and certain technology companies like Apple and Alphabet/Google.

On our side, there are millions of people who prefer to have a significant control over how, when, and where they travel. There are also millions more who take pride in their ability to drive, ride, and otherwise control their sources of transportation. However it must be emphasized that those of us who actually care about this issue, although numbering in the millions, are still a modest fraction of the total population. If we do not join together, organize and aggressively support our interests, we will end up on the losing side of this contest.

The potential conflicts are numerous. In the event of a multi-vehicle accident, the default guilty party will almost always be the person who was controlling his or her own vehicle, or at least that will be the goal of the auto industry.

Self-driven vehicles could control traffic flow, no matter how contradictory to normal traffic flow patterns. Traffic regulations, although often illogical or impractical, will be mindlessly followed, consequently disrupting traffic and irritating other drivers. To encourage the use of self-driving vehicles, they will be given preferential use in areas of congestion, limited parking, or high use corridors. And, there will be the usual onslaught of subsidies, tax breaks, and preferential treatment for buyers and owners of self-driving vehicles.

It will be argued that these vehicles can be programmed so as not to conflict with other traffic or indirectly control normal traffic patterns. But, can you envision federal or state governments, or the auto industry, agreeing to programming that allows these vehicles to exceed speed limits by 10, 15, or 20 miles per hour, thereby allowing the self driving vehicle to keep up with prevailing traffic? The obvious retort is that this can be corrected by setting rational speed limits, but this hasn’t happened in the past 100 years and it’s unlikely to happen any time soon.

Self-driving vehicles are coming and coming soon. How they are accommodated and coordinated with personally operated vehicles is a clean sheet of paper—right now. This won’t be a frictionless process, and that’s not bad. But if those who like driving take pride in their skill and enjoy the freedom this makes possible do nothing and let industry and government set the agenda and dictate the rules, it’s going to be a very long and frustrating road ahead.

–NMA

BIKERNET MEDICAL CENTER DIETARY RESEARCH NOTICE– My goal for 2016 was to lose just 10 pounds. Only 15 to go.

Ate salad for dinner! Mostly croutons & tomatoes. Really just one big, round crouton covered with tomato sauce. And cheese. FINE, it was a pizza. I ate a pizza.

How to prepare Tofu:
1. Throw it in the trash.
2. Grill some Meat.

I just did a week’s worth of cardio after walking into a spider web.

I don’t mean to brag but……I finished my 14-day diet in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who mention it.

Kids today don’t know how easy they have it. When I was young, I had to walk 9 feet through shag carpet to change the TV channel.

Me neither.

I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or talented….I forgot where I was going with this.

I love being over 50. I learn something new every day…….and forget 5 others.

A thief broke into my house last night……He started searching for money so I woke up and searched with him.

My dentist told me I need a crown. I was like: I KNOW !, Right?

I think I’ll just put an “Out of Order” sticker on my forehead and call it a day.

PS: Sunday, March 13, 2016 begins Daylight Savings Time. Don’t forget to set your bathroom scale back 10 pounds on Saturday night.

WEEKEND GUN NUT REPORT–Show Your Support—NEW NRA Yard Signs Available!

Show your support for NRA and the Second Amendment this election cycle by purchasing an NRA yard sign. With everything that is at stake this year, including the Presidency, the balance of the U.S. Senate and the makeup of the Supreme Court for generations to come, there has never been a greater need to support NRA and NRA-PVF endorsed candidates than right now.

Don’t miss out on this limited time opportunity to order your NRA yard sign TODAY by visiting nrailasigns.org.

Make no mistake, the future of our Second Amendment rights is at stake in the November elections, and we will only win this fight with your help. There is no better way to remind everyone that you stand with NRA and for our Second Amendment rights than by displaying an NRA yard sign.

Take advantage of this great opportunity, order your NRA yard sign TODAY by visiting nrailasigns.org.

 BIKERNET BAD JOKE LIBRARY MILITARY ISLE–You’ve all heard of the Air Force’s ultra-high-security, super-secret base in Nevada, known simply as “Area 51?”

Well, late one afternoon, the Air Force folks out at Area 51 were very surprised to see a Cessna landing at their “secret” base. They immediately impounded the aircraft and hauled the pilot into an interrogation room.

The pilot’s story was that he took off from Vegas, got lost, and spotted the Base just as he was about to run out of fuel. The Air Force started a full FBI background check on the pilot and held him overnight during the investigation.

By the next day, they were finally convinced that the pilot really was lost and wasn’t a spy. They gassed up his airplane, gave him a terrifying “you-did-not-see-a-base” briefing, told him Vegas was that-a-way and sent him on his way.

The next day, to the total disbelief of the Air Force, the same Cessna showed up again. Once again, the MP’s surrounded the plane…only this time there were two people in the plane.

The same pilot jumped out and said, “Do anything you want to me, but my wife is in the plane and you have to tell her where I was last night.”

–Jim Waggaman

adjective

Quotes
A few flavescent leaves, shed during delivery, fell to weaving the carpet that would be finished by nightfall.
— Patrick Chamoiseau, Chronicle of the Seven Sorrows, translated by Linda Coverdale, 1999

Origin of flavescent
Flavescent entered English in the mid-1800s. Its immediate source is the Latin present participial stem flavescent- “becoming golden yellow, yellow” from the verb flavescere “to become golden yellow, yellow.” The verb derives from the adjective flavus “golden yellow, yellow.”

GUN NUT REPORT STILL ACTIVE– War on Terror or a War on Guns?

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, was in New York City recently on an official visit. Commenting on the bombs that exploded while he was in town, he opined that such attacks are now simply “part and parcel” of life in major urban centers.

In the last several months there’s been a great deal of talk about how to address this “new normal,” including the need for a so-called “no fly, no buy” gun sales ban, pursuant to which persons on secret federal watchlists would be ineligible to legally purchase firearms.

Many groups, including the NRA, oppose such proposals for the use of “vague and overbroad criteria and secret evidence to place individuals on blacklists without a meaningful process to correct government error and clear their names,” resulting in law-abiding Americans wrongly being prohibited along with known or suspected terrorists.

The shortcomings of these watchlists work in the other direction, too, by being under-inclusive. Law enforcement sources confirm that Ahmad Khan Rahami, the suspect charged in the recent New Jersey and New York City bombings, was not placed on any government terror watchlist, although he had been reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and flagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in 2014.

After conducting an “assessment,” the FBI took no additional action in his matter. But even assuming that a “no-fly” gun ban had been in effect prior to these bombings, such bans focus on gun sales and have questionable preventative value when the weapons of choice are homemade bombs and explosive devices assembled using “over the counter” materials.

In the aftermath of the Orlando nightclub shootings by homegrown jihadist Omar Mateen, both President Obama and Hillary Clinton were quick to call for greater gun control. Here, too, it’s illuminating to examine the existing allegations concerning Rahami. The FBI’s interest in Rahami was prompted by an investigation by local law enforcement. Documents show Ahmad K. Rahami was arrested in 2014 on charges related to stabbing a relative and possessing a firearm “with a purpose to use it unlawfully against… another,” in violation of New Jersey law.

The warrant contains the police officer’s conclusion that there is “reason to believe that the [arrestee] is a danger to himself [and] others.” As it happens, New Jersey is notorious for its draconian gun laws, which featured in several high-profile prosecutions of otherwise law-abiding concealed carry permit-holders like Shaneen Allen, Brian Fletcher, and many others, all of whom faced conviction on second degree felony charges with a three-year mandatory minimum prison term, for possessing legal handguns for self-defense.

Like those offenses, the gun violation cited in the warrant is a second degree crime. However, it appears Rahami was not prosecuted on these charges after a grand jury declined to indict him.

It’s true that much of the facts involving Rahami remain unknown at this time. What is increasingly apparent, though, is that overbroad watchlist bans, hampering the ability of law-abiding “good guys” to possess and carry guns, is not the answer to stopping domestic terror threats. Now more than ever, our laws need to empower honest citizens to be able to fully exercise their God-given right to self-defense.

LET’S PEEL OUT— I was recently asked if I wanted to question the president of Royal Enfield. I was scrambling on several projects and didn’t have the time, besides I had just one question. When will they build a twin? I passed it along—still waiting.

Next week, will be a scramble to load all the right shit for Las Vegas Bikefest, haul ass. Don’t forget the cooler for Jeremiah and James who will be riding out and arriving just after I finish putting the booth together. It’s going to be a party every night.

Then Saturday night, after the Hall of Fame party on Freemont I need to load up and head back. I need to dust off a tuxedo and make it to Sugar Bear’s wedding on Sunday in Pasadena. Holy shit.

http://blog.bikernet.com/motorcycle-cannonball-stage-14-saturday-september-24-2016/

In the meantime the Cannonball is still headed west and Spitfire covers it daily on the Bikernet blog. I’ll return with more features and a story on the fest. We never slow down.

Have a helluva week. Come see our booth in Vegas and buy something from 5-Ball Leather. Everything will be on sale…

Ride Free Forever,

–Bandit

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