Summer Stuff 1

Journal: Today I got Big Blue running. Big Blue is my 2005 Kawasaki ZZR1200 --- which sat for well over two years while I fought with the seller over undelivered parts and promises. That partially resolved, finally, I've decided it is time now to ride him. A ZZR1200 has 150+ hp, and is capable of well over 150 mph. Not that I ever will. But he sure is a kick to ride -- it's something like trying to cling to a Saturn V when you twist the throttle up.

The total cost of the adventure was $774 by the time the insurance was purchased, the registration and plates updated, and the shop bill paid in full. Not as much as I'd feared it would be, but still a faire chunk of change.

 I swapped the shop berth he had with the Yellow Streak -- that one needs a quick valve check. So far I'm satisfied with the work this shop has done -- if that continues maybe I've found a maintenance home for my bikes. The Yellow Streak is a 2003 Kawasaki ZR7S that I've had since he was new. A very nice machine, who now has a garage buddy in Midnight Metallic Blue.

Current Events Comments and Rants:

John McCain: This presidential candidate keeps bringing up his Vietnam war record. He says he's not running on that issue, so why does he keep talking about it. Seems kind of disingenuous to me. A politician (a former General) said the other day that McCain's jet jockeying and POW time in themselves don't qualify him to be Pres -- an obvious truth but of course the statements caused a big storm of protest, dismay, groaning and gnashing of teeth. But I'd say that his record since then as a senator certainly does qualify him for the position. I especially like a man who continually pisses off folks in ALL the political parties. There's just something that's RIGHT about a man like that.

The Presidential Race: Just ONCE, I'd like to see a candidate refrain from attacking the record of his opponent. Just tell us what YOU want to do -- and leave the other guy alone. The fact is none of these people are the devil. Run on your own ideas -- let us figure out what the other guy's shortcomings are. We will. Maybe.

Helicopter Crashes: Up in Flagstaff yesterday, two medical evac helicopters collided while approaching the same medical center with patients on board. Most everyone died and today the news vultures are all conjecturing and guessing like "experts" about the causes. Seems to me when two airborne machines run into each other the causes are fairly obvious.

C206

Airplanes Crash too: Over in the high desert of eastern New Mexico over the weekend, a local family of 5 lost their lives as they attempted to depart from an airport near I-40. Now it is time for me to conjecture and guess... there is nothing new under the sun. One very common cause of this type of crash is high density altitude. It is obvious the plane (a C206) was somewhat heavy (5 souls on board + baggage) -- the field elevation was high and the temperature was up. There were cross winds reported, and supposedly a steep turn on the upwind.

This sounds like a classic density altitude crash to me -- even if the pilot was very experienced. Sometimes we get a little too cocky about our capabilities and those of our aircraft, and the western deserts, mountains and plains are littered with the remains of others who've made the same types of mistakes in flying machines. May they rest in peace.

Forest fires: The western forests are slowing being burned to the ground by amateurs, who I figure are mostly recent arrivals from other parts of the country -- they're out there in the ponderosas making signal fires, uncontained and uncontrolled and from the sound of the mistakes, they don't have the first clue about woodsmanship. It is time to put some restrictions on these flaming whuffos. Before being allowed into any forest, campground, national monument, etc, all citizens should henceforth be required to take and pass a skills and woods "common sense" course. Otherwise, they should keep their incompetent butts within the city limits where they belong. I'm tired of having my favorite forests, campsites and places burned to the ground by absolute unthinking idiots. I think there will come a day when none of it is left. Just my opinion.

The State of the Nation: Have you ever read the electronic comments for online news articles (for example, http://www.azcentral.com/)? When I read the voiced hatred, ignorance and poor grammar that characterizes these comments sections, I really think all may be lost for this Great Experiment; that there is no hope.

H. Clay - The Great Compromiser

People seem to glory in rudeness, and anyone with a different idea than your own is attacked and villified. It seems that no one in or out of government will compromise on any issue at all -- and in our form of government, if you won't compromise then nothing will ever get done. Does no one remember Henry Clay?

It used to be that the great middle kept things moving -- and the radicals among us were just our conscience, moving us as a nation a tad one way or the other. For the past couple of decades at least, the radicals seem to be the ones who run the show - and the radicals should NEVER be allowed to run the show. It seems like the extremists are the ones making our public policies and decisions. We're going to pay for that shortsightedness.

Since when is a "D" student qualified to be president of this nation? Have we declined so far that education is no longer respected? It certainly seems so.

When did torture become an acceptable tool of this nation (no matter how bad the criminal happens to be). We used to be the good guys. If we continue down this road, where we think (and act like) the end justifies the means, then we are no better, no more righteous, than some of the criminal regimes and nations we destroyed a couple of generations ago. Hypocrites... and idiots.