MNO Blog – Motorcycles, News, Opinions

The past few days have been rewarding for me getting my PC back on track. I had to plot out some type of course on what would list the top priority programs I wanted to get installed after last week’s mishap.

Because I build my own computers, they do not come with all the preinstalled trial software that has a tendency to bog most brand name computers down out of the box. I see a lot of the new computers come with free trial offers of 2 or 3 different Internet providers and 2 anti virus programs both running on start up, batched up with other programs to sell you things you don’t need. Add to all that signing on with America Online and your are pretty much screwed from the moment you start up your new computer.

Fortunately I simply start out with my OS (operating system) and a direct Internet connection tied in to my home/office network. One of the biggest barriers I have ran into so far is getting my dual boot system to back running. I am skipping that error for now, because I still have access to both drives and operating systems. So for now, I am running XP 64 and installing from there.

Ok, so if you have purchased one of these computers, or plan on doing so. The first place for you to head is to your control panel and click on the add remove programs and strip off all of the trial and unwanted software. Sign up with a ISP that gives you a fast reliable  direct internet connection preferably by cable or DSL. In other words you should always be connected to the internet so that you simply bring up your browser and go! If you want to set a home page to get current news and things, you can easily do that yourself. If you are using any type of provider that requires you to sign on through their system and are immediately taken to their home page, you are headed for trouble. If you are new to computers and you think you need this type of connection to lead you around to where they want you to go, think about it real hard. Take the money that you are spending for that connection and take a few hours of basic computer instruction instead. You will be so much better off.

So, now we are starting off with a basic computer with a operating system and direct internet connection. From here you will want to make a list of what it is that you want your computer to do for you. There are some other basic programs that most of you will want and need on any type of PC. Email is an important program, so that you will be able to communicate with others from your computer. However, before we get our email set up we need to think about protection. Email can be a very useful tool if well protected. On the other hand email can become a task of sorting through all of the unwanted messages that seem to came from nowhere as soon as you open your program up, this is commonly known as spam. There are many programs on the market to combat spam that you can run out and purchase. Don’t do that! At least not until you have finished reading on and looking into what these programs can or can not do. Furthermore, how much should you spend on a program to combat spam? My suggestion to you is that you spend nothing, not a penny on a spam prevention program. I use and strongly suggest that you try, for FREE SpamAware. This product integrates with Outlook and Outlook express easily and it will delete those unwanted messages for you. Visit Jam Software and download SpamAware if you are using either of these Microsoft products as your email program. Alternatively, you can use Mozilla products such as FireFox for your browser and Thunderbird for your email, which are also FREE and are highly suggested products if you want to stay away from Microsoft. Personally, I use both browsers and Outlook for email.

Another item for protection that you will need to have installed before you begin using your email is a quality anti virus program. Again, there are a lot of products on the market that you could go out and spend money on. However, I would like to point out that you DO NOT have to rush to the store and purchase a AV program and I strongly suggest that you stay away from the so called bundled software packages. These all have a tendency to slow your system down and cause conflicts beyond belief. There are two really good FREE anti virus programs available for you to download on the web. Because I use dual boot and run both 32 and 64 bit systems I needed a software program that is compatible with both. I used to use AVG Free and it is a good product for anti virus protection which you can read more about and download at Grisoft and though they say that their software is compatible with Windows Vista, they have not made a X64 version yet. I did a little research and I came up with a impressive anti virus software made by ALWIL software called Avast which is also Vista compliant and they have a X64 version. I strongly recommend either of these AV protections, but I am running the Avast without any problems. Avast also integrates with Outlook trouble free.

Now we have a computer that is up and running with an operating system, email program protection against virus and spam. You will want to make sure all of these programs are updated. You have a direct connection to the internet and you are using either the current version of Internet Explorer or FireFox.

The next thing you may want to add is a program to write letters and faxes, use databases and spread sheets for your office or home work. For my last tip on free software in this post, I want to suggest that you check out Open Office free office suite. This program compares with the expensive office products on the market and will serve you well to download.

I hope that you have found some good computer tips in this post. I do computer upgrades and tutoring in my spare time now, but I used to have a store. If you have any questions or need help with problems not covered here feel free to contact me. I will be making other posts on computers and the internet in the future and I hope you find them useful.

Technorati Tags: computers, software, email, spam, antivirus

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I remember a day when having data backup was so important to me I installed a tape drive that ran daily backups of all my data. After years of trouble free computer use, I have grown more relaxed and only backed up certain items rarely.

A couple days of days ago I purchased a new 500GB hard drive from Staples. No big deal, I have replaced or upgraded hard drives before. I usually buy Maxtor hard drives because they have been reliable and have a good warranty backing them. Maxtor provides a program called MaxBLAST ™ that will copy your old hard drive over to the new one and this too has always been trouble free. That is until the new version of MaxBLAST™  and the third attempt in getting my old drive to copy over to the new one.

The new version 4 of MaxBLAST™ decided on the 4th attempt to do a drive copy that it would format my old hard drive (erasing all my data) and then take over 6 hours to copy the blank hard drive that it had formatted. Needless to say that now, after losing a lot of my old data, I am going to be a backup freak again. I am looking at weeks of installing all of my programs and updates before I get my machine back to where it was before this “accidental” formatting of my data and there are many things lost that will never be recovered.

Backup your important data folks. You never know when you might need it. 

Technorati Tags: backup, computers, software

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Today, I am speaking with Byron Morelock. Byron, is the brother of Gerald Morelock the motorcyclist killed on September 4^th 2006 when he was hit head-on by an oncoming Dodge Ram pickup in a no passing zone on State Road A1A in Melbourne Beach, Florida. It was later discovered that the driver of the Dodge pickup, William D. Lane, did not have a valid driver license and was driving while intoxicated. Lane and female passenger Erin Derrick were injured in the crash, but were released from the hospital later. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime lab reported that Mr. Lane’s blood alcohol level was at .192 which is higher than the legal Florida limit of .08. Mr. Lane’s driver license was under current suspension for refusing to submit to a breathalyser test in June of 2006 after he was pulled over by State Police in Rowan County, North Carolina for driving on the wrong side of the road and not wearing a helmet.

There has been quite a bit of local news coverage on the crash of September 4^th in Brevard County, Florida that took the life of Gerald Morelock because as fate would have it William Lane, known as Billy Lane of Choppers Inc. is a motorcycle builder based in Melbourne Florida and he is popular in the motorcycle industry. It was later discovered that Billy Lane did not own the Dodge pickup that he was driving when the crash occurred. The Dodge Ram pickup was one of 3 promotional vehicles owned by
DaimlerChrysler Corporation and had been loaned to Lane to promote Dodge products. All 3 vehicles had custom paint that prominently displayed the Dodge name, Choppers Inc., Billy Lane and the Dodge ram trademark.

One of the most important issues in this tragedy has lacked news coverage and that is what are the thoughts, the feelings of the family that has lost a loved one. That is what I want to discus with Byron Morelock today. I did this interview by telephone, but was invited out to meet with Byron and his son Sean on Melbourne Beach. To meet them in person and talk was very touching. Sean is very quiet and walked off while his father and I spoke. I took Cindi along and she took some pictures as we talked. The following is the interview that took place by telephone.

 Good afternoon, Byron

Byron: Mike, can I say a word or two first to clarify something??

MNO: Sure.

Byron: Thanks.. I have always been a slightly shy kind of a guy. Not bothering anyone and expecting that in return. We all dream about being a movie star or getting in the news for doing something great…Maybe its just a human thing.. I never would have dreamed in a million years that I would have to stand up and publicly Talk about and defend my family and our situation.
I guess that it is something that I must do. Too much hurt and pain have interrupted our lives. The sword has been passed to me. Mostly , we have heard from thousands of caring souls telling us that they too have lost a loved one and that somehow sharing our problems with others might help some one else. That’s why I’m here with you Mike. I wish I wasn’t,. not that you are a bad guy or anything !! I mean that I would much rather be fishing on some beach, waiting for Gerry to come walking up and saying “Hey Bro…whats up”

Ok ..fire away !

MNO: Where do you live? Are you from Florida?

Byron: My son and I live in Indialantic ,Florida now. My daughter Chelsey also lives in Melbourne. Actually Mike, I have been coming down to Florida since I was a baby. My Dad had an Aunt that lived locally so we were drawn here by family. We grew up in Ohio.

MNO: When did you move to Florida?

Byron: I moved to Florida in 1992.

MNO: Gerald Morelock was your brother?

Byron: He sure was….

MNO: Where did Gerald live? Was he from Florida?

Byron: Gerry lived 3 miles south of us in Melbourne Beach. Gerry was from Ohio like me.

MNO: When did Gerald move to Florida?

Byron: Gerry moved down here in 1988. We were always close so I moved down a few years latter.

MNO: Was Gerald older or younger than you?

Byron: Gerry was my big brother…always my big brother. Even though I became a bit “bigger”I always looked up to him as my big brother.

MNO: What was Gerald like in his youth?

Byron: Gerry was always into music & art. We both grew up with the most beautiful Mom & Dad. Kinda like a Rockwell painting. Dad always took us out fishing & hunting. We both loved the outdoors..

MNO: Are there any other brothers or sisters in your family?

Byron: Yea, I have a little sister “Squirt”…I mean DAWN….She always wanted to hang out with us so Gerry & I started calling her Squirt.

MNO: And where does she live?

Byron: She lives up in Ohio about 10 miles from MOM.

MNO: Tell me about your parents, are they both still alive?

Byron: Mom is still kicking….that’s for sure!! Dad died in our arms in
1984 with pancreatic cancer. That was horrible…but I was glad that we were there for him… Dad brought us into to this world and we thought it was our duty to help him out…..Gerry too. Matter of fact …I thought at the time that it was the worst thing that would ever happen to me ……unfortunately ……I was wrong …………As for our Mom: (I call her “BUG” because her name is JUNE )….get it ??? “JUNE BUG”Well she is my saving grace…Always there for both Gerry & I as well as my family. She fell in love with my Dad as a teenager and stuck with him …even to this day…she never remarried. She always says: “Once you’ve had the best …you don’t want the rest!!”

MNO: And you, do you have a family of your own?

Byron: I surly do. My son Seany lives with me and I have a beautiful daughter ,Chelsey , that has her own “pad” now. My ex-wife Carmen lives locally and is always involved with her children.

MNO: So your son, Sean lives with you? Tell me about him.

Byron: Well ….Seany and I are about as close as God allows. I know that sounds strange
to some of you but that’s the truth. If he is feeling sick then I start to feel sick. if I am worried then he too, worries. We are a kindred spirit. Everyone that knows us , tell us that they have never seen such a closeness of two souls. Lately though…..I have noticed him quiet, wanting to just slam our door closed when he comes home .maybe to escape our reality….. I don’t know exactly how to put into words. We constantly get bombarded with the realization that Gerry will never be here again. For me, it‘s horrible!!
…but to see my beautiful boy struggling to figure out all this crap just kills me.

MNO: I see, so this tragedy has had a big effect on Seany, your son?

Byron: Mike…..I don’t know you very well…….but I have to tell someone and I trust you ….my brother Gerry was not just an uncle to Seany…..He also represented his Grandpa, as well as a good understanding friend. Seany always would sit with Gerry and find the answers that he needed to hear. He would call him weekly .

You see, Gerry always helped both Seany and me in so many ways. He would LISTEN to us without judgment and try and understand how we felt . Sometimes a Dad & a son or daughter need Individual space , to be free to say what’s on their minds to someone that cares . Gerry always opened his heart to help us .

MNO: What other changes has all this brought to Sean’s life? School? Hobbies?

Byron: Both Seany and I were paralyzed when we were awakened at 2:59 am by 3 policemen pounding our door down last Labor Day. I didn’t sleep for 7 days…Seany finally passed out 5 days latter on the couch. My Mom flew down As fast as she could to help us. Everywhere we went , people would hug us and cry and ask us how we were doing.

 Our phones rang and rang. Emails after emails. All of these wonderful people were truly concerned about us. Seany could not make himself go to school. His school tried to fail him because of all this. He was devastated. I had to call the Governor’s office and vehemently defend my boy’s reasons. Three days latter I got a call from his school telling me that
Seany was welcome back to his school…….This was an awful thing for him. How dare anybody dictate a time for grieving !!!!!!!!!!

Especially to a beautiful boy caught up in a horrific tragedy. Both Seany and I really haven’t wanted to go out much since Gerry was killed. We use to always go to Sebastian Inlet and fish and play like we were on a deserted island. Build a campfire, and cook (hopefully) fresh fish and then Gerry would come over and eat and talk. I try to be a good example to my son Mike……

But I just can’t hide my pain and he knows it. Too many nights we both just lay in my bed….looking at the ceiling….not saying a word but knowing how much we need each other….He lost more than an uncle……that’s all I can say.….

(Cell phone rings)

Byron: Excuse me Mike.

MNO: Sure, go ahead.

Byron: Sorry, That was Seany….He calls me 5 to 8 times a day since Gerry’s death. We both always say I Love You a hundred times a day. I am not complaining at all . I truly love that boy so much ! He seems to be scared of …”WHATS NEXT ??” syndrome.
Maybe he is frightened with the possibility of loosing me ya know?….

MNO: And you? How has Gerry’s death effected your life?

Byron: (long pause)…

Gerry and I were not just brothers…we were best friends. Confidants of life. He would listen till 2 in the morning about all the crap I went thru and still not be judgmental. He studied all the religions in the world and always would come up with the perfect idea. I still almost stop by his place every day to say hi but then I remember…

Gerry didn’t like to cook , so Seany &I always did for him. If we were making killer lasagna, we would double the amount and take it over to uncle Gerry’s every week. A lot of the times Gerry would come over and bring his guitars and play the most beautiful music while Seany & I would be cooking.

Matter of fact, he played the most beautiful version of “GREENSLEVES “ in the whole world. Every time I would ask him to play that………… This Christmas did not come to Seany & Me .We both would get tears in our eyes listening to music….especially Greensleeves on the radio .14 years… we cooked for him and he always would say to me “I m so proud of you brother”…I miss that in my life now a days.

MNO: Do you think that this has been harder for you, your son and family because Gerald’s death involved a celebrity?

Byron: Of course,. So many more people know of the famous Billy lane. I mean , the first newspaper article barely mentioned my brother Gerry. They were more interested in the famous man that killed Gerry.

MNO: Did you know who Billy Lane was before this incident? Sean?

Byron: No. I really didn’t know of him. Seany and his friends new OF him.

MNO: And the rest of your family? What feelings have they expressed?

Byron: Mom has been devastated by all this !!! She doesn’t know what to think or do .She basically now hides in her home and tries to not think of this tragedy. Thank God that my little sister Squirt lives close by.

Mom doesn’t drive so Squirt picks her up and brings her to her home .Mom still just cleans around the home and worries about our families reality now that Gerry is gone. I am embarrassed to say that Mom probably worries too much for Seany & me and what we go thru here in all of this mess. I love my Mom so much and worry that this tragedy has broken her heart and the will to keep on.

MNO: Did anyone from the media try to talk to your Mom at her home in Ohio, I mean outside of Florida media?

Byron: No , I don’t think so Mike but then again , I am afraid to talk with her like I always use to. I don’t want to take a chance of getting her more upset.

MNO: And you? What was the media attention like when this all first happened?

Byron: From the day after Billy lane killed my Bro all hell broke loose in our lives: .Reporters, photographers, journalists , policemen, coroners, lawyers, prosecutors, Florists, funeral homes, Doctors, …Ya get it ???

Reporters at Seany’s school, waiting for us at home,…a nightmare

MNO: Now?

Byron: Still get hundreds of emails from all over the USA everyday, and phone calls and letters and blogs …. Mostly supporting our cause.

MNO: I’d like to hear more about Gerald. Can you tell me what kind of a person was he?as a Brother?

Byron: He was my friend, my best friend as Seany let me know. You see , I have been a single Dad with my kids for along time. I happen to believe that my kids came 1^st.

Therefore I didn’t go out a lot . I stayed at home and mostly spent time with Gerry. Yea, he was my big brother…and I mean big too. Every single time I saw him , he would give me a big Viking hug and say :”I’m so proud of you !!”

I was lucky I guess to have a bro and a friend in one .Gerry always tried to help. I mean help anyone. I really don’t believe that he knew just how much he helped so many others. To be truthful…I even didn’t know until he was gone myself how I depended on him just to be there.…We have gotten thousands and thousands of people around this great country telling us how Gerry and all this has helped them some way , some how. Many have told me that they have lost a loved one in a traffic tragedy like us. I only hope and pray that my sweet brother can see how much good he had done.

MNO: Did Gerald have a wife? Kids?

Byron: He was married at one time. His only kid you might say is my boy Seany. They had a wonderful relationship !!!!!!!!

MNO: And Gerald was a park ranger?

Byron: He worked at Sebastian Inlet Park and loved it ! Our Dad took us there as kids all the time when we vacationed from Ohio. I guess that’s like a big circle.

MNO: We know that Gerald had a Yamaha motor scooter. Did he have any other bikes?

Byron: He had a big ol BMW.

MNO: When did Gerald first start riding?

Byron: Not long I guess. Maybe a few years. He liked the wind in his face. But ya know what he really loved about bikes and bikers? He loved the idea of being a part of a group. A comrade. He would always tell me how great it felt when a bunch of Harleys would go by and WAVE to him……And now so many more are waving and supporting him and us……he was right,………..bikers are more than cool !!!

MNO: Gerald wore a helmet when riding?

Byron: The 1^st day he got his bike I came over. We both went out
and found a killer helmet! He looked really cool in it too.

MNO: So, Gerry enjoyed riding motorcycles. Other articles I had read said that Gerald was thinking about selling his scooter?

Byron: Well , I was always trying to talk him into getting a sports car with some more METAL around him. He loved the feeling of a bike though.

MNO: I think I read somewhere that before this incident, you and Sean did not know much about the biker community?

Byron: I grew up with a lot of bikers but for some reason I was afraid to
ride myself. I always liked most of the bikers I met, kinda like fishermen….

MNO: And these days, what are your feelings towards bikers?

Byron: Both Seany and I as well as my Mom And Squirt now have only love and good feelings towards bikers all over this great country !!

MNO: Byron, you have a computer, correct? How long have you been “on line”?

Byron: Yes , got 2 of them. I’ve been on line for several years now. why??

MNO: I was wondering if you have been reading these forums, blogs and on line articles about what happened?

Byron: That’s a 2 bladed answer my friend.

MNO: Okay, have you become active in any of these?

Byron: Some….mostly to defend my brother!!!

MNO: Some of the threads seem to get out of control and it appears that you might have been hurt by some of the things said. Is there anything you might want to say about that?

Byron: What has happened to me and my family has happened to way to many others before us. Trying to get thru day by day is bad enough. But to get emails from all over with comments to look at a blog because of a hurtful remark is heartbreaking all over again…

I am at awe with the maybe millions that seem to be supporting our cause in this tragedy. From all our locals here on the beach, friends, M.A.D.D. and B.A.D.D. members from Germany to Japan!!! At the same time it only takes a few bad remarks or false statements said to bring this big Ohioan to tears. Maybe some do not understand the whole situation.

MNO: What about the way some have chose to turn certain threads into a mob scene and hateful remarks against Gerald, you or your family?

Byron: There are several reasons that I will respond to a few hate mails towards my Bro or my family.

One being that I promised my Son, Seany, that Labor Day night that I would never give up , NEVER

The other reason is to try and turn this tragedy into something positive to help others…Gerry would want that. But I guess the single and most important reason that I will fight for our cause is very simple and plain…..

” A BROTHER”S LOVE>>>IS A BROTHER”S LOVE”

MNO: And those who do so against Billy Lane?

Byron: I think that it is wrong. The man that killed my Brother has to go thru our legal and civil system. I once said this statement but not many picked up on it except you Mike..: “ No matter what happens …..Everyone looses in this tragedy “

MNO: I know you can not answer many questions about the civil action filed against Billy Lane and DaimlerChrysler, but I want to just point out some things. Would that be okay? If I ask something that you can not answer, just tell me so.

Byron: Okay.

MNO: Your mother has filed an auto negligence suit against Dodge and Billy Lane for the wrongful death of your brother Gerald, correct? Ur, well I should say DaimlerChrysler I guess.

Byron: Yes. Against Billy Lane because he was driving and broke the law, Dodge because they owned the pickup that he was driving when Gerry was killed.

MNO: So Dodge is involved because it was their pickup that Lane was driving?

Byron: Yes, but that is all I can say for now.

MNO: Byron, thanks for giving me the opportunity to speak with you about all this, I know it is a hard thing for you to talk about.

I did a post on Gerald Morelock back in November of 2006 that includes many pictures of Gerry and his family. You can see that post by clicking here.

Technorati Tags: auto negligence, billy lane, civil suit, daimlerchrysler, dodge, dui, law, personal injury, trial

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I guess one of the biggest draws to the famed Daytona Beach’s Main Street during bike week is for the cruising. Whether you choose to walk or ride this strip of bars, shops and restaurants that are packed along Main Street beginning at S. Peninsula Dr. that continues up to Ocean Ave., it is a people watching safari. Two and three wheeled vehicles of all shapes and sizes and covered with everything imaginable will appear on this strip at least once during the ten day Florida Motorcycle Event. Men and women from all over the world will visit Main Street to shop, eat and drink will checking out the masses that migrate to Daytona Beach annually for bike week.

Wet T shirt and bikini contest are almost an hourly event as the bars attempt to draw in thirsty spectators. Beer Tub Babes, half naked, draw the eye of people passing by while every cell phone with a camera is in hand to grab a shot to bring home as a souvenir of the visit to Daytona Beach, Florida.

The motorcycle industries top names also appear in this area. I was lucky enough to catch custom motorcycle builder Russell Mitchell of Exile Cycles working on a build at Automatic Slim’s on Main Street next to Dirty Harry’s saloon. The bike Russell is working on was to be presented to John Mellencamp and will be featured in Motorcycle Mania 4 to be aired in April.

With all the things to see on Main Street, the number 1 attraction? Babes. Biker Babes, Beer-Tub Babes, babes in chaps and bikini babes.

There is always plenty of great looking eye candy on the strip in Daytona.

More Bike Week Babes on my Bike Week Daytona web site.

Technorati Tags: bike week, motorcycle news, daytona beach, florida, motorcycle events

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Staying at home in my bed after tent camping for 6 nights made it hard to get out of the sack early Saturday morning to return to Daytona Beach for the Rat’s Hole custom bike show, but I did. The annual Florida motorcycle event was not extremely busy the first few days, in fact up until Wednesday the bike week scene seemed tamed. Putting aside the nightly party that was happening on our end of the campgrounds, but that is another story all together.

As promised, the weather for the first Saturday was cold and wet and the cold did not give way to warmer temperatures until Monday. The good thing was that out of the 10 days of bike week we only seen rain one day. We postponed our Daytona Loop photo shoot until Sunday due to the in climate weather on Saturday.

It is hard to wrap up nine days of bike week into one article, so I am not going to try. I am still in the process, but closed to finished, of sorting out the pictures that we took during our visit. The final Saturday of bike week was wild and crowded. Running late coming from Melbourne and getting caught in the Daytona Speedway traffic did not help. It took nearly an hour to get from the International Speedway Blvd. Exit of I-95 to the Daytona Lagoon were the Rat’s Hole bike show was being held.

For the first time, the Rat’s Hole featured a V8 Chopper build-off! The bikes and the main stage were set up in the Tidal Wave Pool that normally holds 500,000 gallons of water. The water was gone for the event…. wonder where they put 500,000 gallons of water while the bike show was set up? Any way, the show was held under blue skies and there was plenty to keep our cameras busy. I will do more on the Rat’s Hole later.

Heading down SR A1A to Main Street later in the afternoon to check out the happenings, we found that Main Street was wall to wall. Where there were not bikes, there were people and no room left for either. For the final Saturday of bike week 2007, Main Street took on the look of the bike week of days gone by. It was almost a feeling of “let’s see how far we can take this” pushing the red line on what would get by. It was a good thing and a good feeling to see people having fun, real fun. None of this”I am shocked at all this” looks. For Pete’s sake, if you want family atmosphere head over to Orlando. It is probably too late for the city to revive the entire event back to Daytona Beach, but it looks like they may get a day of the old days.

There were just as many people the entire time of Bike Week, with the exceptions of a lot of Floridians riding in for the day, it is just that they are more spread out now. US 1 has become the new Main Street and a lot of the traffic has been pulled to the North with the opening of Destination Daytona along with other anchor industry leaders like Corbin. New biker bars, custom chopper and motorcycle dealers and tattoo shops are popping up all around the Ormond Beach area. I will get to all this later on as well.

So, I am back from Daytona and will try to get as much information about what happened at the event posted in the next day or so. Keep an eye out for them.

Technorati Tags: motorcycle news, bike week, daytona beach, florida, motorcycle events, bike shows

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I just learned of a critical situation that will be going on in Washington DC on March 17th. So critical that I have heard the call to be present in DC on that day. The call of  a group called Gathering of Eagles has brought to attention that there are anti-war protesters that wish to use the Vietnam Veterans Memorial also known as The Wall as prop in their political protest march to the Pentagon.

 I can not….. NO! I will not sit in Florida and wonder if there are enough volunteers that will show up to help protect The Wall. I will be standing with the eagles to send a message, a message that will be heard around the world.

Most important, a message that will be shown to our troops that are currently on tour and fighting with their lives on the line every day. The troops need to see that America cares about them then and now. They need to know they they are not forgotten, just as those who have already given the ultimate sacrifice are not forgotten. While the anti-war protesters from answer, code pink and other so called peace movement organizations claim they march for peace, we have seen the destruction and defacing that they have committed during past protests.

These anti-war protesters have the right to protest, but they are so very wrong if they think they will be able to approach The Wall as part of their demonstration. Leave The Wall out of it!

Gathering of Eagles, an impromptu coalition of veterans’ groups, pro-military organizations and Internet activists, wants to right the wrong. “We are a non-violent, non-confrontational group. We look to defend, not attack. Our focus is guarding our memorials and their grounds,” they explain. “We believe in and would give our lives for the precious freedoms found in our Constitution. We believe that our freedom of speech is one of the greatest things our country espouses, and we absolutely hold that any American citizen has the right to express his or her approval or disapproval with any policy, law or action of our nation and her government in a peaceful manner as afforded by the laws of our land.”

What the Eagles will not stand for, however, are “violence, vandalism, physical or verbal assaults on our veterans, and the destruction or desecration of our memorials. By defending and honoring these sacred places, we defend and honor those whose blood gave all of us the right to speak as freely as our minds think.”

Watch this video below by clicking the play button

Never Forget what they did for us.

 Don’t forget those who are fighting now.

The message needs to be clear that the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC is sacred ground and there is no tolerance for political debate or abuse toward it and the honorable Americans that it represents. This can only be accomplished in numbers, strong numbers of Veterans, Friends, Family and Volunteers standing shoulder to shoulder in protection of our memorial.

What will I do? I am going to be there to help and document a very important day in American history. What can you do? Join us on March 17th in Washington DC to show we care. We care about and support the men and women that have fought in the past and we care and support those who are fighting now. If you can not make it for any reason, you can help me to make the trip. This month is a very expensive month for me as it is and finances would dictate that I not go, but I will not allow that to stop me. If you wish to help me with the added expense of travel to DC, click on the donation button to the right. Any amount is appreciated. If you are going to be in Daytona for Bike Week, hire me to do photo work of you and your motorcycle. If you can not afford to donate, help by spreading the word to your friends. Thanks for any effort you may be willing to give.

More information at www.gatheringofeagles.org

Source:

http://www.gatheringofeagles.org

http://www.smalltownveteran.net/bills_bites/2007/03/a_gathering_of_.html

http://www.desertdispatch.com

http://www.michellemalkin.com

Technorati Tags: anti-war, iraq, protest, veterans, vietnam, vietnam memorial, washington dc

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I love to camp, but nothing beats camping in a tent during bike week and other motorcycle events. Waking up to the sound of a motorcycle starting up, then another and on to almost a continuous roar of engines gets me revved up for the days work.

We camp and base our bike week operations out of the Cabbage Patch Bar. Camping is very reasonable,  $10.00 a head, per night for tent camping only. This works out well because Cindi and I do a lot of the photo work for the bar web site. Here you can party and walk home!

Bike Week Camping is a lifestyle where you can make new friends and see old friends from the years past. The camp ground gets packed pretty fast, but there is a lot of room in the wooded area across from the bar.

Wednesday by 10:00 am this is what the place looks like! Motorcycle parking overflow is pushed into the camping area for the world famous cabbage patch coleslaw wrestling. Make note: The women’s coleslaw wrestling is now held on 2 days at the cabbage patch bar. You can now catch all the action on the first Wednesday and second Saturday of Bike Week at the Cabbage Patch Bar, Samsula, Florida.

Come join us!

Technorati Tags: bike week, blog, camping, daytona beach, florida, motorcycle events, motorcycles

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If you plan on visiting Florida for Bike Week 2007, be sure to work a ride on the Volusia County Loop into your plans. We will be on the loop photographing riders and their motorcycles on the first Saturday, March 3 between the hours of 1 till 3 pm.

We have been taking pictures on the Daytona Loop during Bike Week and Biketoberfest for the past 3 years and enjoy the work and friends we make. You can see our past loop photo galleries by clicking here to visit our Bike Week site.

The Loop is a great motorcycle ride that is enjoyed by the thousands of visitors to the Daytona, Ormond and Flagler Beach area each year during the two big motorcycle events Bike Week and Biketoberfest. The road is two lane paved that has stretches of straight roadway covered with scenic tree canopies provided by some of Florida’s oldest oaks.

As you ride in deeper into the 23 mile trail known as the “loop” you will encounter some sharp turns and  S curves along the low lying wetlands heavily decorated with natural Florida Palm Trees. The ride stretches out from outer Daytona and into Ormond and Flagler Beach.

There are not many places available to stop along the route, so you will want to ride slow to enjoy the view. The few places that allow for bikers to pull over and rest will not be seen until you are right on them, so you will need to keep an eye out for them.

Bikers taking a break during bike week ride on the Daytona Loop.

It can also be very hard for us to find a good spot to take pictures along the loop scenic ride, but we have a few places that we can be found working. One of my favorite places is at what I call the lake curve. The picture above and at the post opening were both taken there. This spot gives me a great camera vantage and angle where I can lay near the road and catch motorcycles as they pass on the curve.

Look for me and my wife as you ride and your picture may be posted in this year’s loop ride photo gallery. Pictures are available for purchase and are shot at a high resolution so that they are suitable for enlarging and framing. See you at Bike Week!

Technorati Tags: bike week, motorcycle news, florida, daytona beach, ormond beach, motorcycle pictures, the loop, biketoberfest, volusia county

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With the approach of Super Bowl this weekend, I thought I would post some interesting game stats. These stats are not for the football game, rather they are statistics surrounding the super bowl and how it effects the media.

• Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts sports merchandise have seen a dramatic rise in retail sales this year.
• More women are drawn to the Indianapolis Colts
  than the Chicago Bears. Data show that 59% of Indianapolis women are Colts fans,
  vs. 46% of Chicago women who are Bears fans.
• The 2006 Super Bowl was the highest rated TV show
  of the year, attracting more than 90 million U.S. viewers.
• The cost for a 30-second TV advertisement reached
  an all-time high in 2006, while traditional advertiser categories continued to
  dominate the broadcast.
• Super Bowl advertisers in 2006 saw a sharp
  increase in visits to their web sites following the big game.
• Album sales of the Super Bowl halftime performers
  soared in the week following their appearance in the halftime show.
• Box office figures continue to plunge on Super
  Bowl Sunday.
• Sales of soft drinks, beer and chips rise
  significantly before the Super Bowl.

Comparing last year’s Super Bowl food preferences in the two markets that are
home to this year’s teams – Chicago and Indianapolis – there are some noteworthy
similarities and difference between the two cities. Looking at the largest
overall percentage of sales increases, both markets showed strong sales growth
in cocktail franks and processed cheese loaves. However, Chicago area
supermarkets showed strong growth in sales of frozen unbreaded crab,
refrigerated fruit, dip mixes, and dairy dips; while Indianapolis area
supermarkets experienced bumps in the sales of ‘Miracle Whip’ type salad
dressing, frozen hors d’ oeuvres & snacks, brownie mixes, and bratwurst
& knockwurst.

Product Categories — Super Bowl Weeks*
Largest Overall Sales Increase

– Tortilla Chips — $10.2 million
– Light Beer — $9.2 million
– Regular Beer — $8.7 million
– Potato Chips — $7.8 million
– Regular Cola — $7.7 million
– Frozen Pizza — $7.3 million
– All remaining Carb Bev — $5.5 million
– Frzn Poultry 1-Food Entree’s — $5.4 million
– Mexican Sauce — $5.3 million
– Ice Cream — $4.7 million

Product Categories — Super Bowl Weeks*
Largest Overall Percentage Sales Increase

– Cocktail Franks — 118.1%
– Beef Steak-Frozen — 58.4%
– Pork-Frozen — 48.8%
– Dip Mixes — 37.0%
– Processed Cheese Loaves — 36.3%
– Dairy Dip — 36.1%
– Bread Mushrooms-Frozen — 35.6%
– Tabasco/Pepper Sauce — 34.8%
– Canned Dip — 32.2%
– Barbecue Sauces — 31.7%

* Two-weeks ending February 11, 2006
Source ACNielsen; Supermarket sales

A consumer segmentation analysis from the marketing company Spectra revealed
some of the unique characteristics of Super Bowl viewers from Miami,
Indianapolis, and Chicago compared with national professional football fans.
Utilizing Spectra’s BehaviorScape framework, viewer characteristics can be
determined based upon BehaviorStages (which bring to life key household factors
that impact consumer purchasing behavior), and LifeStyles, (which further
differentiate consumers by highlighting affluence and the neighborhood type in
which they live).
For instance, most viewers of professional football across the U.S. typically
watch on the weekend one or more times per month, and tend to come from affluent
neighborhoods from a variety of household types. They span across all
neighborhood types and tend to skew toward couples 35+ without children in the
household as well as singles under 35 with no children. Popular Super Bowl
snacks that skew highly across the average US viewer are bags of nuts, brats,
popcorn, and frozen poultry.
Super Bowl viewers in the host city of Miami watch the game on TV live in
both urban and affluent suburban households across household types.
Indianapolis residents who watched the Super Bowl last year generally come
from rural and downscale suburban neighborhoods. Additionally:
– Indianapolis viewers purchase above average amounts of sausage, buns,
and brats than the average viewer.– Indianapolis viewers are likely to do their grocery shopping (possibly
for Super Bowl snacks) at Wal-Mart, Aldi, or Kroger.

– There is also a very high concentration of Super Bowl viewers who are
likely to shop in smaller accounts such as IGA and Buehler’s Buy Low.

Chicago residents who watched the Super Bowl last year likely live in urban
and affluent suburban households across household types. Additionally:

– Viewers in Chicago tend to purchase more bagged nuts, beer, frozen
poultry and meat than the average viewer.

– Chicago viewers are likely to do their grocery shopping (possibly for
Super Bowl snacks) in Dominick’s, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods.

There is also a very high concentration of Super Bowl viewers who are likely
to shop in smaller accounts such as Wild Oats and Sunset Food Marts.

So by the numbers, it looks like on Super Bowl Sunday Americans prefer to eat tortilla chips, drink light beer but regular soda throw some frozen steaks and chicken on the grill while munching on cocktail franks. It appears that there is a toss up in dipping your tortilla chips on eating prepared nachos. Either way we seemed to have consumed over 10 million dollars in tortilla chips and drink over 17 million dollars worth of beer washing them down.

These facts and statistics were compiled by and found at Nielsen Media Research, please visit their site for complete details.

Source:

http://www.nielsenmedia.com

Technorati Tags: facts, football, media research, news, stats, super bowl, superbowl

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There are a lot of things going on in Congress and the Internet blogosphere right now that you need to know about. The Bill of Rights and Constitution of the United States are under attack! There are members of congress that want to amend laws that were put in place to govern and protect the rights of the people of the United States.

Earlier this week a poorly drafted proposal was turned down that would require bloggers that write about political issues to register as a lobbyist if their blog received more than 500 views a day. Section 220, would have required certain people engaged in “grassroots lobbying” to register with the government or face civil and criminal penalties, including up to 10 years in prison.

The S.1 Bill titled A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process was approved 96-2 with the amendment that removed section 220 from the bill. Senator Rob Bennett (Utah), the amendment’s sponsor, remarked “Let’s reaffirm that the zenith of the Bill of Rights is free speech, the right to petition your government for redress of your grievances, and the right to peacefully assemble, all of which are involved in grassroots lobbying and none of which should be criminalized,” the senator said in a floor speech introducing his proposal earlier this week.

The bill as it stood was noted as “massive” and section 220 seemed to be cleverly disguised within the large amount of words. However, Mark Fitzgibbons who runs the site http://www.grassrootsfreedom.com/ opposing the legislation that included section 220 of bill S. 1 along with a broad range of groups including the ACLU, the Free Speech Coalition, the Traditional Values Coalition and National Right To Life said it would hurt their own groups’ abilities to influence Congress and place unreasonable restrictions on Internet politicking.

Section 220 of bill S.1 was stripped from the bill and rightfully so. It was not properly drafted and the language of the proposal was unclear and confusing. Our First Amendment rights being threatened in this form is real and needs to be monitored for protection.

Another proposal that is being circulated in an attempt to create a bill would effect the Constitution of the United States in a big way. There are those who would like to amend the constitution to allow foreign-born person to run for president! This should raise concern with all of us.

Article ll Section 1 clause 5 of the United States Constitution bars foreign usurpers form becoming President. The Founders of our country forged Clause 5 of the first Section of Article II of the Constitution to protect America from a foreign-born President holding dual or treacherous alliances with other countries.

By now you are asking, who would want to change the Constitution so that a foreign-born person could be president? Why would they want any person that was not born in the United States to hold the highest position of our government, the President of the United States? But wait there’s more! Who is the person that these people would like to see President? His father was a SS nazi officer. He has publicly stated that he has dreamed of being a dictator and that he admires Hitler. This man is currently in office as Governor!

WHO? Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach; and Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., proposed the amendment to the Constitution to allow immigrants to become president after being citizens for 20 years.

WHY? To amend the Constitution of the United States to allow foreign-born persons to become President. The people above would like to see the current Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jennifer Granholm, Governor of Michigan run for president. Both are foreign-born, both already hold an office.

This is not new news, Alex Jones has been talking about this and created a web site called Arnold Exposed, this site not only tells about the proposed amendment, it also shows many things about Schwarzenegger you would have never dreamed of. Alex Jones is a hard hitting investigative journalist that has made people stop and think watching his fact finding documentaries. Alex is probably best know for his 911 conspiracy theory and documentary, but he doesn’t stop there.

Take a look at the information that I have provided for you, please. Make your own decision by what you see, hear and learn in these videos and web pages. I am not trying to point to any particular party or platform in this post. It is my goal simply to inform my readers and let everyone make up their own mind by what they learn.

You have the right to know!

Source:

http://news.com.com/

http://www.grassrootsfreedom.com/

http://thomas.loc.gov/

http://www.senate.gov/

http://www.arnoldexposed.com/

http://www.infowars.com/

http://www.prisonplanet.com/

http://www.prisonplanet.com/

http://www.amendforarnold.com/

Technorati Tags: politics, political news, amendments, conspiracy

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