Comments on life, love, and the pursuit of sanity from a two wheeled perspective.

 
Kasparov and Junior Tied
Deep Junior pulled it out in the third game against Gary Kasparov. Thanks to ChessBase for the way in depth, over any normal human's head report on Game 3. Still, it's an interesting article.
posted by Jeremy at 5:58 PM

 
Riders Crazier than Me
Check these guys out. They pull a 400 mile round trip run in the spring. No big deal, right? Oh yeah, they're in Alaska.

The farther south we traveled the stronger the winds got. Delta Junction is a naturally windy place at the base of the Alaska Range and right on the Delta River, but on this day the winds were pushing 50 mph and the temperatures were dropping into the 40s. After a break with a little something to eat and drink, and a chance to warm up, we suited up in some warmer clothes and headed out again.

As if the weather doesn't sound bad enough, my Fairbanks correspondent ensures me that the roads are a little tough to navigate (thanks Jewelz).

Born and raised in Alaska, I spent the first 19 years of my life in the worst road conditions in the United States. Winter temperatures flux from 34 above to 52 below zero. Most drivers don't understand the concept of ice fog (which is when the particles of moisture and exhaust to freeze in the air, causing a dense blanket of fog to hover over the roads) or black ice, a common occurance due to the friction of tire friction warming up snow and the weather freezing it back with in minutes. In Alaska, one takes turns anticipating the slide on ice, by the way, take into account that different levels of snowfall, ice melt and temperature effect the degree of sliding.

Speaking of road conditions. If you know what permafrost is, then you will have sympathy for all those who drive in Alaska. For all those that don't, here you go:

The active surface layer of permafrost is a thin slice of tundra vegetation that thaws every summer and freezes in winter. A frozen sublayer keeps the water on the surface. The active layer is vulnerable to environmental damage. For example, tracks from a passing vehicle will tear up the fragile insulating tundra, allowing the soil to thaw into scars that may remain for hundreds of years. Underground, permafrost consists of frozen soils ranging from gravel to silt. Silty soil is made of fine, powdery sedimentary particles. They possess great "wicking" capacities, enabling water to migrate and accumulate in large bodies of ice in the permanently frozen silt. If the ice melts, the resulting silt mixture resembles soup!

All of this results in a BIG MESS when it comes to road conditions. In fact, most people welcome the snow fall in October, because it keeps the roads smooth for 7 months.

My hat's off to anyone who wants to ride under those conditions.
posted by Jeremy at 5:10 PM

 
My E-mail is Down
My Hotmail is down, probably due to MS not patching their servers (again) and getting hammered by the virus of the month (again). If you've sent e-mail this morning, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

UPDATE: E-mail is still down. I hate MS for not patching their own servers with their own fixes. How stupid is that?

UPDATE: Guess the brainiacs over at Hotmail got their servers rebooted. I'm back up and running for the moment. Let's give 'em a cookie.
posted by Jeremy at 10:19 AM

 
Tattoos and the Military
Defense Tech has a new posting about the Navy's new tattoo regulations. They link to a story in Stars and Stripes detailing the new military regulations regarding "body modification".

Come on people. Sailors and grunts without tattoos (Read the regs. It's not worth getting inked.)? That's like the fair without fried food. It just isn't right.
posted by Jeremy at 9:48 AM

 
Big Day
Looks like I'm going to be swamped today. I'll blog what I can during the day, but it looks like it'll be tonight before I can post much of anything.

Enjoy the Music Critic's breakdowns of pop music while I'm working. Start with Nelly's Hot in Herre.
posted by Jeremy at 6:20 AM

 
Xupiter Alert
Watch out for this new nasty. Wired has the details.
posted by Jeremy at 11:49 AM

 
Buy Me This Shirt
Nice.
posted by Jeremy at 8:27 AM

 
Saddam Needs Killin'
Jonah Goldberg posts a rambling yet insightfull G-File on the subject of Iraq and preemption.

...when the Iraqi prisons and archives of terror are opened and the Iraqi people are free, Bush can simply say of Saddam, in cowboy parlance, "He needed killin'"; and everyone will understand.

posted by Jeremy at 4:59 PM

 
What a Day
I've been running crazy all day long, and it shows no signs of stopping. I'll be back later this evening.
posted by Jeremy at 2:48 PM

 
T-CLOCK
When I took driver's ed in high school, the teacher told us that we should always perform a quick "walk around" of our vehicle before we went out driving. Make sure the tires look good, your headlights work, etc. This principle is even more important when it comes to riding motorcycles.

...the Motorcycle Safety Foundation recommends a short pre-ride check of your favorite two-wheeler before every ride. To help you remember what to check, the MSF came up with the acronym T-CLOCK, which stands for Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis and Kickstand.

These are simple, easy-to-access items that anyone who rides should be able to identify and check. And despite the length of the MSF's list, you can probably check everything in about three minutes. Depending on what you find, that could be the best three minutes you spend all day.

(Link added). Check out the full article here.
posted by Jeremy at 6:45 AM

 
ABC Wusses Out on Kimmel
No more drinking on the set of Jimmy's new ABC show.

After a boisterous premiere during which actor George Clooney passed around a bottle of vodka and an audience member vomited, the bar that serves drinks to audience members has been shut down.

Weak. Super weak.
posted by Jeremy at 6:27 AM

 
MS Hit by Slammer
Wired's tagline is "The Slammer worm that paralyzed worldwide Net activity also hit Microsoft. Security experts say the damage points to problems in the way the software giant keeps customers' software secure." Ya think?

Get the beef here.
posted by Jeremy at 6:16 AM

 
SOTU Slam Dunk
If you've been following the news for the past 6 weeks or so, then you were well prepared for tonight's speech. Bush answered, or at least spoke to, just about every major political issue raised in the last 6 weeks. What started out as a slow, rather mediocre speech quickly became into an impassioned message touching on the war, the budget, the environment, the economy, and foreign relations. Check out the flurry of "real time" SOTU blog commentary courtesy of The Corner beginning here.

UPDATE: The Washington Post hits the nail on the head with this headline.

UPDATE: Text of the SOTU, courtesy of the Washington Post.

Some of my favorites from the speech:

"All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries.

And many others have met a different fate. Let's put it this way: They are no longer a problem to the United States and our friends and allies."

"We've got the terrorists on the run. We're keeping them on the run. One by one the terrorists are learning the meaning of American justice."

"Once again, this nation and our friends are all that stand between a world at peace, and a world of chaos and constant alarm. Once again, we are called to defend the safety of our people and the hopes of all mankind. And we accept this responsibility."

"All free nations have a stake in preventing sudden and catastrophic attacks, and we're asking them to join us, and many are doing so. Yet the course of this nation does not depend on the decisions of others.

Whatever action is required, whenever action is necessary, I will defend the freedom and security of the American people."

"Different threats require different strategies."

"Iraqi refugees tell us how forced confessions are obtained: by torturing children while their parents are made to watch. International human rights groups have catalogued other methods used in the torture chambers of Iraq: electric shock, burning with hot irons, dripping acid on the skin, mutilation with electric drills, cutting out tongues, and rape.

If this is not evil, then evil has no meaning.

And tonight I have a message for the brave and oppressed people of Iraq: Your enemy is not surrounding your country, your enemy is ruling your country."

Now that's a leader, and he's leading.

UPDATE: Key points from, you guessed it, the Wash Post.

posted by Jeremy at 11:46 PM

 
Revisionist Blogging
This story from FOX News is incredible, but in the interest of making it even more incredible (and incredibly self-serving), I decided to edit it a little (OK, a lot).

MEMPHIS, Tn. — A man was catapulted at least 25 feet in the air during a motorcycle accident but grabbed onto overhead utility wires like an action hero and dangled for about 20 minutes before a rescue crew brought him down by ladder.

B., a local biker and frustrated blogger, was treated for bruises at a hospital and was released.

"God was definitely in control," he said.

B. lost control of his Kawasaki Concours on Monday evening after a car suddenly turned in front of him. B.'s Kawasaki Concours clipped the other car and went careening off the road, witnesses said.

The Concours ran straight into a dirt embankment, and B., who was wearing an Aerostitch High-Viz Roadcrafter, flew through the air, bouncing off three power lines and falling onto what he thinks was a telephone wire and grounding wire. His leg caught in one wire, and he grabbed for the other.

"I just kept saying a prayer over and over," he said Tuesday from his lavish, well furnished, technologically awe-inspiring apartment in Midtown Memphis.

The wires were insulated, but the power lines above him had to be turned off before the rescue ladder could be raised.

The other driver, Justin B. Elam, of Cordova, Tn., came immediately to check on B.

"I just started saying, 'Dude, hit the kill switch on my bike.' He looked around at first, he couldn't find me. Then he looked up and saw me," B. said.

Meanwhile, B.'s beautiful, rich, young, biker girlfriend had rushed to the scene.

"I was told he was hanging on for dear life," Adrian said. "I didn't know they meant he literally was hanging on for dear life."

The girlfriend said B. was talking the entire time.

"We asked him how long he could hold on, and he said, 'I can hold on as long as it takes.' His lips were turning blue because it was cold, but otherwise he was fine," the girlfriend said. "And don't forget, this is a great story to remind people to start seeing motorcycles! We're everywhere."

posted by Jeremy at 5:36 PM

 
This is Too Much
Please tell me this was an Onion or ScrappleFace story picked up by the foreign media (again). Please don't tell me the world has fallen this low.

Dobby, the computer-animated elf in the new Harry Potter film, could be at the centre of a court battle over his resemblance to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

A Russian law firm is reportedly drawing up legal action against the special effects people who dreamt up Dobby, arguing that the ugly but caring elf has been modelled on Mr Putin.

Do the Russians have nothing better to do?

But wait, there's more!

"How dare the mean bourgeois mock our President?"

Wow. We hate the Russian President and we're class warriors.
posted by Jeremy at 12:50 PM

 
Hooray for Me!
I just got out of my semi-annual performance review. My review went really well, I'm getting a raise in March, and it looks like I'll be up for a promotion (title and raise) in the next six months or so. That makes the day go better.
posted by Jeremy at 12:07 PM

 
Support Project Prometheus
George Noory (website) and Richard Hoagland (website) are working together to make sure the President gets a lot of support for funding Project Prometheus. Make your opinion known here.
posted by Jeremy at 11:13 AM

 
Gearing Up for the State of the Union Address
ScrappleFace lends insight to George Bush's "show prep" for tonights speech.

I saw a State of the Union drinking game yesterday too, but it seems that the site has crashed after being posted on Fark. I guess you'll just have to make up your own. I do remember at least one of the rules:

If Bush says, "Don't Mess With Texas", finish your drink, smash the bottle over your head, and dance a jig.

UPDATE: Found it! Thanks to The Daily Rant for a link to the State of the Union Drinking Game (OK, this link is hosed, but if you right click on it, choose copy shortcut [in IE], then paste it into your browser, it'll work fine).
posted by Jeremy at 8:17 AM

 
Brilliant
Maybe I can quit smoking.

The idea is that people will be able to wean themselves from nicotine while continuing to smoke. Smokers are attached to the ritual, LeBow explains. Forcing them to fight both the addiction to nicotine and the habit of smoking makes it less likely that they'll succeed in quitting. With the Quest, nicotine dependency can for the first time be separated from the ritual. Once the addiction is addressed, smokers will have an easier time breaking the habit.

LeBow jumps up from his chair, disappears around a corner, and comes back with a test carton of Quest 3. The packaging is certainly not Marlboro man. Shades of light blue alternate with indigo, and the words NICOTINE FREE are featured prominently. "Seventy percent of smokers say they want to quit, and 40 percent of them try," he explains, sliding the carton in front of me. "If we can make products that speak to even a fraction of those people, we'll make a lot of money."

Nicotine free smokes. What will they think of next?
posted by Jeremy at 7:51 AM

 
Um, Pay Attention People
I thought that Motorcycle Crusier covered just about every bizzarre motorcycle accident possible in my post from a couple of days ago. I guess not.

A newspaper delivery woman died after a motorcycle she was riding crashed into a racehorse on a street here early Monday morning, police said.

At around 4:15 a.m., Hisako Kotaira, 52, collapsed after a motorcycle she was riding crashed into the rear part of 5-year-old racehorse, Tokyu Command, on a prefectural highway in the Nishikawata Honmachi district of Utsunomiya, police said.

posted by Jeremy at 1:39 PM

 
Movie Stars in Memphis
InkedGirl (sfw?) reports a Benicio Del Toro sighting in Memphis (no permalink available. You'll have to scroll to the "Holy hot guy, Batman!" post). Incidentally, I ran into an old buddy of mine a week or two ago who said that he is working on a Hollywood production here in town. My buddy told me the production was starring Sean Penn and Del Toro.

A little research at IMDB reveals that 21 Grams is currently filming in Memphis through February. I haven't seen any film crews or celebrities, but then I wouldn't really care too much if I did.

I'll post more on 21 Grams if I hear anything else of interest.
posted by Jeremy at 11:45 AM

 
Thank God for this Warm Weather
Woohoo!!! I was finally able to ride to work today. Sure, it was around 20 F when I left the house, but that's warm compared to last week.

Incidentally, I've been looking for better layers to wear under the 'stitch in this cold, cold weather. Usually I wear my work clothes, a pair of fleece pants, a heated vest, and a balaclava. That's pretty warm, but I really need another layer for my upper body. I've tried a flight jacket (too bulky), a sweatshirt (pretty good, but not warm enough), and a sweater (still not enough). If I combine the Structure sweater with the sweatshirt and the heated vest, I usually end up warm, but then I've got so many layers that it makes getting dressed to ride a pain in the butt. Last week, a friend gave me an old Columbia sweater of hers (it's a guys large) that fits incredibly well, is very light weight, wicks sweat, and is incredibly warm. Once it was warm enough for the bike to start (somewhere around 18 F or so) I decided to give the Columbia a try. Wow.

I wore it to church yesterday and to work today. This morning was noticeably colder than it was yesterday, but with the Columbia sweater on I hardly noticed. I may have to go out and buy myself a couple of those.
posted by Jeremy at 10:51 AM

 
You've Got to be Kidding Me
Kangaroo Jack falls from Number 1 to Number 2 at the box office? OK, now I'm really disgusted with the world. I'm going to bed.
posted by Jeremy at 10:17 PM

 
SQL Slammer
There's been a lot of hoopla about a new SQL virus. Seems it was responsible for a huge international slowdown a couple of days ago.

The attack began just after midnight Eastern Standard Time on Saturday and spread rapidly, infecting hundreds of thousands of computer servers across Asia, Europe and the US. Security experts said that the virus overwhelmed network infrastructure by replicating rapidly and aggressively scanning the internet for other vulnerable computers to infect.

The first impact was felt in Japan and Korea, where some internet service providers were forced to suspend services. In the US, 13,000 automatic teller machines operated by Bank of America were out of action for most of Saturday.

Companies reported that computer networks had slowed almost to a standstill as the virus generated huge volumes of data traffic.

Wow. Sounds nasty. And it looks like it might be coming back tomorrow.

So what's the fix for this hideous, out of control, monter of a virus? Install frigging SP3 on your Microsoft Server!!! Ok folks, how long has SP3 been out? Five months. Five frigging months. Not only that, but this isn't really a virus. It lives in memory. Install SP3, reboot, "virus" gone, you're safe.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but this seems like another case of black hat hackers taking advantage of worthless system administrators who have nothing better to do than play flash games on the internet. Install a 5 month old Service Pack on our servers? Nah. Let's play another round of Tetris instead.

I say the black hats have done the world a favor on this one. Fire the admins that don't like patching their servers and hire some kids who don't mind doing a little work.

UPDATE: This story from Fox News reaffirms my rant.

As network technicians worked Sunday to complete repairs to damage caused by Saturday's fast-spreading worm, government and private security experts worried that too many security managers are only fixing problems as they occur, rather than keeping their defenses up to date.

Microsoft had made software updates available to patch the vulnerability in its SQL Server 2000 software -- used mostly by businesses and governments -- but many system administrators had yet to install them.

"There was a lot that could have been done between July and now," said Howard A. Schmidt, President Bush's No. 2 cybersecurity adviser. "We make sure we have air in our tires and brakes get checked. We also need to make sure we keep computers up-to-date."

Lazy bastards.

CORRECTION: Ok, so I was wrong about SP3. Turns out that SP3 for SQL 2000 has only been available since January 17. But a patch that covers Slammer has been available since July. I was wrong about the patch, but these sys admins are still lazy bastards.

posted by Jeremy at 10:10 PM

 
Another Year, Another Mediocre Superbowl
Well, that's it for Superbowl XXXVII. And come on, even if you're a Tampa Bay fan, you've got to admit that was another pretty weak Superbowl. Bad calls against the Raiders (who looked as if they didn't even show up for the game), a blow out by Tampa Bay, and Rich Gannon's new Superbowl record for interceptions made for an unenjoyable game. Even the commercials were weak.

At least I got a good nap.
posted by Jeremy at 9:29 PM

 
Finally!
It was a balmy 35 F when I set off for Cordova and church today. It felt so good to be back on the bike. This morning is the first time it's been warm enough to start the girl since Wednesday. Like I said a couple of days ago, I'm incredibly grateful for my friends who were willing to give me rides to and from work while the cold kept my bike from starting. I just hate being in cages.

Funny thing happened when I got to church. We have a large motorcycle group that operates out of the church. We therefore have a large motorcycle-only parking area. For some reason I expected the motorcycle parking area to be full of bikes. Of course, I wasn't thinking about how cold it is, and that I'm one of the few riders in Memphis bold enough (or stupid enough) to ride all winter. When I pulled around to the motorcycle-only area, it was almost completely full of cars and trucks. There were no motorcycles parked there at all. On top of that, all of the folks walking from their cars into the church were looking at me like I was insane. No prolbem. I just squeezed myself into the empty part of the "reserved" lot, got out of my Aerostitch, and commandeered a couple of orange traffic cones to put around my bike. I love being on a bike.

The ride home was almost better than the ride to church. I was going to be late getting to martial arts because of the traffic leaving church. What better excuse to split lanes, exceed the posted speed limits, pass dangerously, and filter to stoplights? Not only that, but the ride down Walnut Grove from Cordova to Midtown isn't the ugliest in Memphis. Doing between 70 and 90 through Shelby Park and taking all of the curves on the road like I was racing MotoGP made for a memorable Sunday ride.

Have I mentioned that I love motorcycles?
posted by Jeremy at 2:44 PM

 
Homegrown Moto Gadgets
The hardcore long distance motorcycle community is often looked upon as a group of really freaky folks. Think of them what you may, they are responsible for incredible advances in motorcycle gadgetry and unique customization. Consider the Aerostitch RiderWearhouse. Without the long distance community, we might not have Aerostitch, one of the most incredible collection of motorcycle gadgets, accessories, and toys ever assembled.

In that same vein, CycleGadgets.com has sprung out of a home based, moto-gadget company to become another staple accessory supplier to the long distance community. I found them through this South Bend, IN newspaper story. While Aerostitch is probably most famous for their safety apparel, CycleGadgets brings the long distance community (and bikers in general) a unique list of killer accessories that compliment the Aerostitch catalog rather than compete directly with it. The CycleGadgets site is worth a long, hard look.
posted by Jeremy at 9:37 AM

 
Ahhh, the Weekend
Friday night and all day Saturday I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I hoped it could be. I watched lots of movies and laid on a lot of couches. It was truly beautiful. Today I hoped to do the same, but alas, responsibility calls.

For instance, today I'll drag my heathen self to church for the first time in who knows when. My Dad is speaking this week at all 5 services, so I'm going to go to see him speak. Then it's off to martial arts class at 1pm. This is the fourth week of a strength and conditioning rotation. That means sometime around 2pm I'll hobble back home and take a shower, then engage in nothing until I hobble over to my friends house for the Superbowl. A big TV, surround sound, chips and dip, Pabst, and yet another couch await me over there.

All in all, it looks like I have a pretty good day coming up, with only a couple hours of activity to interrupt all of my beautiful nothing.
posted by Jeremy at 9:20 AM

 
More on Kasparov vs. Deep Junior
Bring on the pre-fight trash talking and speculation.

Kasparov is expected to battle like an elegant martial arts master, whereas Junior plays chess as if it's engaging in a street fight, Ban said.

Kasparov said yesterday that the real challenge when playing as a human against a computer isn't lack of brain power.

"The problem is emotions. Computers don't feel the pressure, they don't get tired or hungry," Kasparov said. "But it is just that lack of imagination which gives humans the edge."

posted by Jeremy at 2:25 PM

 
Here's one nice thing about Memphis...
Much like Monty Python's Camelot, Memphis is a silly place. With that in mind, Memphis can be a great place for music. Last night Memphis was a great place for music.

I joined a friend down at the Gibson Lounge (snooty, but a great venue) to see Monte Montgomery. I’m not big on the whole guitar virtuoso thing, but the man can really play some guitar.

When we got to the Lounge, the opening act was just finishing up. The opener was a guy named Kevin Kinney. He sounded like Bob Dylan mixed with some Van Morrison with a dash of modern humor (Blockbuster wants me dead…). Apparently the guy has a pretty big grassroots following, as the idiotic brunette in front of us sang along with every song that Kinney played.

The Monte Montgomery set was out of sight. Like I said, I’m no big fan of the guitar virtuoso scene, but watching Monte play guitar was something else. I play a little myself, and it’s always fun to watch guys play that are at the top of their game. His cover of Little Wing was inspired.

After our stop at the Lounge, it was off to the Map Room to see Eric Gales play (couldn't find a good site for Eric. You'll have to Google that one). That was the highlight of the night. The only other time I’ve seen guitar playing like Eric’s is when I watch old Hendrix footage. Dude even looks like Hendrix. Remember that old line about Hendrix playing blues from the Martian Delta? I think that Eric must have sold his soul to the devil somewhere in that same Martian Delta. Keep an eye out for his weekly set at the Poplar Lounge.
posted by Jeremy at 11:24 AM

 
Honda's New CBR600RR
Motorcycle Daily has Part One of their CBR600RR track report posted. That's one pretty crotch rocket.

Much hoopla has preceded Honda's new 600, most of it coming from Honda, as a matter of fact. After riding it, I decided that if I'd made the bike, I'd be telling everyone about it, too!

posted by Jeremy at 10:36 AM

 
Shopping Suggestion
It's not motorcycle paraphernalia, but I'd still buy some of this stuff.
posted by Jeremy at 1:01 PM

 
Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys
Jonah Goldberg's latest on France's move against war in Iraq.

When it comes to "Well, duh" headlines, "France Is Being a Pain in the Keester" has to rank just behind "Bears Use Woods as Bathroom." The latest evidence came this week when French diplomats at the United Nations orchestrated what The Washington Post called "a diplomatic version of an ambush."

Note: Jonah mistakenly reffered to Chirac as Prime Minister. He corrects this here.

UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds offers some thoughts and links on the French over at InstaPundit.
posted by Jeremy at 12:41 PM

 
Too Damn Cold
I called Leo's and Pete and Kerry's to find out why my bike isn't starting. Both told me that it's just too cold and motorcycles have a problem starting in weather this cold. The only suggestion that I've gotten so far is to get the bike inside and let it warm up some. Too bad I don't have a garage. Maybe I can strike a deal with the local Walgreen's to let me park my bike in the store overnight.
posted by Jeremy at 12:07 PM

 
RIAA's Hilary Gone by Year's End
Yet more on the RIAA.

RIAA chairman and CEO Hilary Rosen has announced her intention to leave the record industry's trade organization at year's end.

In a statement released late Wednesday, Rosen, 44, said she was leaving the association to spend more time with her family.

Is this good news or bad? I'm guessing that will depend on who her replacement is, something that no-one knows quite yet.

posted by Jeremy at 11:48 AM

 
Man vs. Machine
Gary Kasparov is going back for more this Sunday.

Garry Kasparov, the charismatic Russian hailed by many as the best chess player the world has ever seen, will face off against Deep Junior, a brilliant, aggressive chess-playing program that is uncannily human in its style of play.

Kasparov lost to IBM's Deep Blue in 1997 in a controversial six game match (a great article on Kasparov, Deep Blue, and the chess playing man vs. the chess playing machine appeared in the Oct. 2001 issue of Wired Magazine).

Apparently, Deep Junior is an even better chess player than Deep Blue. Should be an interesting match to follow.
posted by Jeremy at 11:09 AM

 
No Riding Today
Ever since I got my ZG1000, I've ridden it to work regardless of the weather. I've only missed one day (due to ice in the forecast). It never came, but that's the only weather that will keep me off of two wheels.

Well, this morning when I went out to start the bike, she wouldn't start. No amount of pleading or praying or kicking her in the side would get her to start. I'm grateful that I've got some good friends who are willing to come pick me up, but I hate not riding in.

I'll be calling Leo up at Leo's Cycles today to find out why she won't start. If dude from Juneau can ride a Triumph year 'round, then my Kawasaki ought to be able to handle 10 F weather.
posted by Jeremy at 8:56 AM

 
Nuclear Space Travel
If you're interested in space travel, exploration, and technology, then you may have already heard about this:

He [President Bush] is expected to back the US space agency's recent nuclear propulsion initiative, Project Prometheus, either in his State of the Union speech, due on 28 January, or later this year when he submits his 2004 budget to Congress.

The potential for deep space exploration is huge. Head over to Tech Central Station for some background on Prometheus' grandpa, Project Orion.
posted by Jeremy at 3:19 PM

 
The Birth of Packet Switching
Geek Alert: I read this interview with Paul Baran in the March, 2001 issue of Wired Magazine. I have yet to find a more informative, thought provoking article on the early development of the internet and on trasmission protocols in general. The story includes a lot of cloak and dagger cold war stuff too, making it that much more interesting to me. Here's one of my favorite quotes:

It didn't take very long before we started seeing all sorts of wonderful properties in this model. The network would learn where everybody was. You could chop up the network and within half a second of real-world time it would be routing traffic again. Then we had the realization that if there's an overload in one place, traffic will move around it. So it's a lot more efficient than conventional communications. If somebody tries to hog the network, the traffic routes away from them. Packet switching had all these wonderful properties that weren't invented - they were discovered.

It's a long article, but it's well worth your time.

posted by Jeremy at 12:25 PM

 
Common Sense Prevails
If you get burned by a cup of McDonald's coffee, it's their fault. If you get fat from eating McDonald's food, it's your own damn fault:

A federal judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit against McDonald's Corp. (MCD) that alleged the fast food chain was responsible for children's obesity.

Even though the quote says "children's obesity", I missed that part until I read the final paragraph:

The suit was brought on behalf of overweight children who consumed foods at two McDonald's located in the Bronx. One of the plaintiffs is a 14-year-old girl who is 4 foot 10 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.

There are so many places to go with this one. I'll just point out that being a fat girl in junior high is hard enough. This poor kid is a fat girl in junior high with idiotic parents on the losing end of a ludicrous lawsuit that is now the focus of the national media. Hate to be her. And her parents need a good slap in the head.
posted by Jeremy at 11:19 AM

 
InstaPundit on the Verizon Case
Glenn Reynolds weighs in on the latest from the Verizon v. the RIAA rumble:

If I had a "Harry Potter book report" and the RIAA or MPAA came after me with claims that I had an illegal copy of the Harry Potter movie, I think I'd pursue an abuse of process action, and seek prosecution for perjury.

Go Glenn!

UPDATE: Wired reports on the RIAA's recent actions...

posted by Jeremy at 10:05 AM

 
Speaking of Cold...
I've been watching Accuweather.com and listening to the radio this morning and it looks like I'm in for some good cold weather the rest of this week. If I were going to complain, I should've held off on posting that Juneau link. Thank God for my heated vest and fleece pants. If only I had some electric gloves.
posted by Jeremy at 7:43 AM

 
Russ Pagenkopf, Winter Rider
I thought I was a tough guy for riding year 'round in Memphis. Check out this guy, riding year 'round in Juneau:

Alaska in mid-January might bring to mind glaciers, frozen tundra and snow piled higher than a set of ape-hanger handlebars. Would you also believe there is a motorcyclist who rides just about year-round there?

I know that Juneau is no Fairbanks, but Pagenkopf is still my new cold weather hero.

posted by Jeremy at 7:35 AM

 
Expect the Really Unexpected
Anyone who's ridden for more than 10 minutes knows how dangerous the streets can be. If you lived past the first ten minutes, congratulations. Realizing how dangerous riding can be, I'm guessing you've run through a couple of "what if" scenarios in your head. Motorcycle Cruiser wants to add to your list in this article on motorcycle safety. Here's a teaser:

The threats that most of us probably think about are the common ones: drivers turning left in front of us, oil in a turn, drivers who don't check their blind spots and change lanes into us. But if you use your imagination and look around, you might conceive of some possible threats that aren't commonplace. And some pretty wild things happen to motorcyclists who are simply riding along, seemingly doing everything right. Over the years I have received letters from a couple of riders who were struck by lightning and woke up in the ditch. I have a clipping about a motorcyclist who was killed after a dog fell on him from a railroad overpass. There are mysteries too, like the rider found dead (the evidence points to a heart attack or falling asleep) miles from where his bike came to rest almost upright against a guard rail.

The article is a long one, but it's well worth the read.


posted by Jeremy at 12:43 AM

 
Dodge Tomahawk
OK. I'm sick of this thing (here too).

Let's look at Webster's definition of the word motorcycle:

motorcycle: noun; a 2-wheeled automotive vehicle having one or two saddles.

This is not a motorcycle. It's an incredibly fast, incredibly interesting, and incredibly powerful 4-wheeler. Please World, no more Dodge Tomahawk.
posted by Jeremy at 8:38 PM

 
Bad News for P2P File Sharing?
Yahoo news stories "fall off" the net pretty quickly, so I'll quote this one from Reuters extensively:

U.S. District Judge John Bates said Verizon must cooperate with recording industry efforts to track down online song swappers, rejecting the telecommunications giant's assertion that such a move would violate customer privacy and turn it into an online copyright cop.

Verizon said it would appeal the decision.

The case could set an important precedent as the recording industry asks schools, businesses and Internet providers to help them track down individuals who they believe are cutting into CD sales by trading digital songs through "peer to peer" services like Kazaa.

The story gets more frightening a little further along:

Recording-industry investigators, using automated software, have been able to track down the numerical Internet addresses of file traders, but have not been able to match those addresses with individual names.

And what should we expect in the future?

"Now that the court has ordered Verizon to live up to its obligation under the law, we look forward to contacting the account holder whose identity we were seeking so we can let them know that what they are doing is illegal," said Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America.

"Let them know what they are doing is illegal"? Somehow, I don't think the RIAA would be satisfied with a "sit down" with America's file swappers. This is one I'll be keeping an eye on.

UPDATE: Well now, here's an AP piece that seems a little more promising:

The leading trade associations for the music and technology industries, which have been at loggerheads over consumers downloading songs on the Internet, have negotiated a compromise they contend will protect copyrights on movies and music without new government involvement.

Lobbyists for some of the nation's largest technology companies will argue under the new agreement against efforts in Congress to amend U.S. laws to broaden the rights of consumers, such as explicitly permitting viewers to make backup copies of DVDs for personal use or copy songs onto handheld listening devices.

The story goes on to say that locking controls on hardware, burn proof CDs, and the like are expensive, bad ideas. It seems that the RIAA and tech companies such as Microsoft and IBM agree. The MPAA, however, was "noticeably absent" from the deal.

Could some common sense be creeping into this debate?
posted by Jeremy at 8:21 PM

 
Riding in the Rain
Enter some common sense tips from Sport Rider. This should be required reading for those of us who ride in Memphis, considering how miserably wet our winters are. Here's a quote:

City riding in stormy weather is by far the most nerve-racking, but just because the clouds roll in doesn't mean you can't ride almost every day.

Amen to that! Check out the entire article here.

posted by Jeremy at 1:58 PM

 
2004 Valkyrie Rune
Honda has come out with a revolutionary mod of their popular Valkyrie that will be available in the 2004 model year lineup. It looks to me like Honda teamed up with Arlen Ness for this one, but I haven't heard any confirmation on that. With an estimated price tag of a little over $20 large, this one looks like a winner in more ways than one. See specs, pics, and brief reviews here, here, and here.
posted by Jeremy at 1:44 PM

 
I Love Computers
My work computer is hosed to the point of being unusable. Now I've got to take time away from fixing everyone else's computers to fix my own. Why did I choose this line of work again?

UPDATE: The reinstall of W2K went fine (I'm still holding a grudge against Windows XP). Now we're on to the endless process of updating W2K, reinstalling all of my Novell stuff (we're a Novell house here), and restoring my backed up data. Meanwhile real work and blogging can continue from my laptop.

UPDATE: Most everything is loaded again, but now IIS isn't working properly. Why should it? I only need it for development and to finish a high level project. No big deal, right?
posted by Jeremy at 12:06 PM

 
Quitting Update
I'm up to 95% non-smoking now. Not too bad, but considering I'm also wearing the biggest transdermal nicotine patch on the legal market, I really shouldn't be all that excited. Where's the Big Dog (tm) wrap-around nicotine arm band when you need it?
posted by Jeremy at 11:43 AM

 
David Frum on the "Peace Activists"
David Frum, in today's post to his diary, points out the blatant hypocrisy of the current anti-war movement:

Listen to the speeches of the weekend marchers – read their placards – or, if you have a strong stomach, look through their “indymedia.org” websites. What you see there is not opposition to war. They are all for war, when it is waged against Israel. Nor do they remember to post even pro forma denunciations of Saddam’s wars against his neighbors – and much less of the threat he poses to the United States and its allies. So what do you call people who take to the streets to try to save Saddam from defeat in the conflict with the U.S. he started in 1990? The plainest and least euphemistic term, it seems to me, is simply: “pro-Saddam protesters.”

(Linking in quote mine).



posted by Jeremy at 11:29 AM

 
Still sick...
After watching Undercover Brother, Barbershop, Minority Report, Eye See You, taking numerous, various medications, staying on the couch all day, and having dinner cooked for me, I'm still sick as a dog. I'm going to work tomorrow anyhow, but it won't be any fun.
posted by Jeremy at 12:54 AM

 
Home Sick
I'm home sick from work. What felt mildly annoying last night around bedtime has turned into nausea with head spins. Fun.

Hopefully blogging will pick up after a nap.
posted by Jeremy at 1:15 PM

 
Tops at the Box Office
As reported by IMDB.com:

1. Kangaroo Jack
2. National Security
3. Just Married

Proof positive that representative government, and not direct democracy, is the only way to go.
posted by Jeremy at 7:53 AM

 
Tampa Bay v. Oakland
So I guess I got my wish, sorta. I really did want to see the Titans in the Superbowl again.

UPDATE: ESPN's play by play of the Raiders 41-24 victory over the Titans.
posted by Jeremy at 9:52 PM

 
Question? A.N.S.W.E.R.
I'll let Glenn Reynolds of InstaPundit speak for me regarding the current anti-war rallies. Those guys make me so mad that I start sputtering and turning red. You really don't want to have to listen to that.
posted by Jeremy at 12:49 PM

 
Hoorah for Cheesy Action Movies
Just saw a commercial for Cradle 2 the Grave. DMX? Jet Li? Two great tastes that taste great together?

This one looks like it'll be a lot of fun. Judging by DMX's performance in Exit Wounds, he shouldn't ruin the movie. We already know that Jet Li rocks. Add motorcycles, explosions, high powered rifles, a four wheeler racing down a city street, some good looking women, and it looks like we've got a recipie for a "...blockbuster smash of the season!" Or at least a fun hour and a half at the local mega-plex.
posted by Jeremy at 12:40 PM

 
Cross your fingers for the Nashville Oilers
This has been a bizzarre season for Titans fans (yeah, I hated 'em when they moved to Nashville early, but I've grown to love 'em). Steve McNair has been hurt in one way or another most of the season, and Eddie George is no longer the key player he used to be. Whatever. The point is, the Titans are playing in the AFC championship game today and have a chance to go to the Superbowl for the second time in 4 years. Can they do it?

Not many people think so. The Football Project analyzes the upcoming game in depth and gives the game to the Raiders.

As for me, I'm torn between wanting to see the home team go to the Superbowl again and wanting to see Oakland go back to the Superbowl for the first time since 1984. I guess that means I'll be happy either way the game turns out, but I've really got a soft spot for the Titans.
posted by Jeremy at 10:46 AM

 
The Secret Lives of Numbers
Here's an interesting site that plays on my fascination with numbers and the influence of numbers on the human psyche. Unfortuantely, it deals with whole numbers only, so I couldn't plug phi into the applet. Phi probably wouldn't have fit the project very well anyhow. Here's an excerpt from the Numbers home page:

The authors conducted an exhaustive empirical study, with the aid of custom software, public search engines and powerful statistical techniques, in order to determine the relative popularity of every integer between 0 and one million. The resulting information exhibits an extraordinary variety of patterns which reflect and refract our culture, our minds, and our bodies.

For example, certain numbers, such as 212, 486, 911, 1040, 1492, 1776, 68040, or 90210, occur more frequently than their neighbors because they are used to denominate the phone numbers, tax forms, computer chips, famous dates, or television programs that figure prominently in our culture. Regular periodicities in the data, located at multiples and powers of ten, mirror our cognitive preference for round numbers in our biologically-driven base-10 numbering system. Certain numbers, such as 12345 or 8888, appear to be more popular simply because they are easier to remember.

The science behind the site is fascinating, and their applet is a lot of fun to play around with.

posted by Jeremy at 10:02 AM

 
Try it before you knock it
I've been avoiding David Frum's Diary on NRO since it's inception. I already devote a lot of time to reading favorite sites on a daily basis, and I didn't want anything else taking away from my Fark time. Big mistake on my part.

Frum's entries are one a day, concise, well written, and interesting. Check it out for some good, conservative blogging from way inside the beltway.
posted by Jeremy at 11:57 PM

 
Thank you Mr. Stuttaford
Demonstrating absurdity by being absurd:

Western leaders are, these days, continually expected to apologize for the deeds of their country’s imperial pasts, so shouldn’t we expect the same from the heirs of the [Mongolian] Horde?

End the shameful silence in Ulan Bator! The world needs an apology – or at least a few muttered words of remorse. Natsag Bagabandi, we’re waiting…

posted by Jeremy at 4:33 PM

 
I have a problem, and I need help...
The U.T.M.C. has posted a list of probing questions that may help to diagnose a social ill within the motorcycle community. The list has obviously been there for a while. I think I've been avoiding it because I know I have a problem and I don't want to deal with it. Of course, I can quit any time I want to. Really. I just don't want to.
posted by Jeremy at 4:17 PM

 
How did I miss this one?
Just saw Big Trouble with a buddy of mine. That's one funny movie. It reminded me of Snatch and Lock, Stock with a little more slapstick and without the need for subtitles. It only got a 6.3 on IMDB, but I gave it an 8. How can you not like a movie with Dennis Farina, Stanley Tucci, Renee Russo, and Patrick Warburton (just to name a very few)? Andy Richter's sideburns are worth the price of the rental alone.
posted by Jeremy at 4:02 PM

 
Mr. Subjective on the Daily Ride
Here's one of my favorite quotes from the Aerostitch site:

Today, everyday riding is sometimes seen as excessively risky or dumb. In response many riders have re-discovered cruisers (and narrowly focused sport bikes). These artistically designed machines are especially fun on quiet roads where they can evoke some of motorcycling's oldest sensations and traditions. In contrast, motorcycle commuting via today’s overcrowded arterials can become almost a gladiatorial contest against a dangerous mix of both drivers and vehicles.

(Emphasis added). As a daily rider, I can vouch for that.

You can read his full comments here (scroll down).
posted by Jeremy at 1:59 PM

 
2003 Kawasaki ZX-6R
Any fans of the 600 class bikes have known about this one for a while. Motorcycle Daily presents it's first review here.
posted by Jeremy at 1:49 PM

 
Toward a World Without Exploitation
If it were an Onion article, it would be hilarious. As it is, I'd like the authors of this website to sit down with a 12 year old Thai sex slave or a prisoner in a North Korean gulag and explain to them how feeding a dog avocados helps end exploitation in the world.

These guys just piss me off.
posted by Jeremy at 10:06 PM

 
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
I've been trying to quit smoking this month. I was doing OK until Tuesday (don't ask). After that, it was back to smoking at least as much as I was before.

In order to get back to the quitting, I went out tonight and bought another "last" pack of smokes and a box of patches. We’ll see how the quitting goes, again.

On that note, a buddy of mine and I did the math on my smoking yesterday. We figured that at a pack a day and 7 minutes per cigarette, I’m not smoking around 90% of the time. Sounds good to me.

posted by Jeremy at 9:04 PM

 
chuckle
Leave it to me to think that this would be a skinhead blog.
posted by Jeremy at 8:33 PM

 
HD at Motorcycle Hall of Fame
This Harley exhibit at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame looks like it's worth a road trip. Wish I could make it.
posted by Jeremy at 8:00 PM

 
Mike Fleming, oh how I hate you
I'm a geek. I love computers, I have at one time considered myself a numismatist, and I love conservative talk radio. One thing that I cannot abide, however, is mediocrity.

Now, I have to say that I am grateful to local radio personality Mike Fleming for his local content. Other than that, he's a hack. He's the worst broadcaster I've ever heard on the radio, his show prep is obviously listening to Rush Limbaugh, and he garbles the meaning and nuance of every multi-syllable word he tries to use. I swear the man has a word of the day calendar sitting next to his mic. You all know the word of the day types. "Hey Bob, don't you thank ole' Fred is actin' awful supercilious today?"

Just try listening to 10 minutes of his show. You'll see what I mean.
posted by Jeremy at 5:13 PM

 
New Urban Guerrilla
Here's a new dual sport 400 from Suzuki, reviewed by Motorcycle Daily. It's no KLR650, but it looks passable. Very passable. Perfect for an urban guerrilla.
posted by Jeremy at 3:54 PM

 
Survey says, "No"...
I saw the first commercial for Biker Boyz the other day. Can't tell you how dissapointed I am. I envisioned a modern day, Hell's Angels type story, with Morpheus leading a band of dirty 1%ers around southern California in a reign of American Iron fueled terror. Instead we're getting a 'C' grade The Fast and the Furious on sport bikes. I may not even rent this one.
posted by Jeremy at 2:08 PM

 
Comment Free?
To include comments, or not to include comments. I think I'm with Reynolds on this one, for the time being. Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like to contribute. I'll post what I find interesting.
posted by Jeremy at 12:32 PM

 
B. in the blogoshpere...
Hey, wait, a free service where I don't have to program, find a web host, or perform any db design and maintenance? I'm there!

Keep your eye on this spot for my ramblings on life, motorcycles, politics (ugh), motorcycles, beer, and motorcycles. See ya soon.
posted by Jeremy at 9:56 AM