2/23/2009

Up here in Maine, we just got another 15 inches of global warming dropped on us-we have about 3 feet of snow on the ground now. You can't see cars at corners because the snow banks are so high. Who stole our global warming???
Sunday, 22 February 2009

2/23/2009 – Part 2

Another grand day for our illustrious Senators Snowe and Collins: It was just announced that Maine will get $900 million out of the $800 billion bail out package. So that means that Snowe and Collins sold their soul to give each person in Maine 1 out of 800 dollars being given out and our population is equivilant to 1 out of 300 people nationwide. What great negotiators!!
Sunday, 22 February 2009

200 MPH on a Motorcycle

How to go 200 MPH on a motorcycle

This is a lesson in goal setting.

Going 200 MPH on a motorcycle as a goal is no different than any other goal you might set in life, assuming it is physically possible to achieve the goal. You start by setting the goal. The goal is set at a level that is beyond anything you have done before that is even close. For example if you drive a Chevy and set a goal to own a Mercedes, that is an extreme jump. If you are making $20000 a year and set a goal to make $100000 a year, that is extreme. If you set a goal to double your sales every year, that is extreme.Don't set goals that are totally impossible. For example don't set a goal to swim 100 yards thru a shark infested tank. You might get eaten! Set goals that are within reach, and that will either enhance life for you and your family or be a great addition to your resume.This is how I set my motorcycle goal. First, I had an idea, in Febrary, 2010. We all have ideas every day about a myriad of things. Most of these ideas come and go just as fast. Some are worthy of writing down and following up. For example, a real estate salesperson could come up with an idea for increasing sales thru some new activity. Ie, calling customers and clients on a regular basis; using a new form of advertising or hiring an assistant.I had an idea-I am going to try to go 200MPH on a motorcycle. Simple, but how? First, I had to convince myself that it was possible. I did this with research on the internet and the media. I discovered that speed runs were done at venues thruout the country as organized events. Therefore, one part of the plan was to find an event, as opposed to going 200 MPH on I-95. I found that venue. I decided to enter the Loring Timing Association speed run on August 1, 2010.The next feat was to figure out what kind of motorcycle would go as fast as I wanted to go. That was relatively easy. There is plenty of information on the web that helped me. I found that there were 2 motorcycles that would do the trick. Now it was time to determine the cost/benefit ratio. A new motorcycle was about $12000, plus the cost of add-ons and equipment to allow me to go that fast. I decided it seemed like a reasonable return.Add to that the cost of getting to the event and staying for a weekend; it seemed ok.  I did sell a bunch of stuff  to offset the cost.! Then, I enlisted the help of experts. I found people on Facebook who had done this. I found other racers and mechanics who knew the details of how to set up the motorcycle to do what I wanted. The goal was started in February and would come to a conclusion on August first. So, I set a time-line to get everything accomplished along the way. This included buying the bike; breaking it in and gradually adding the go-fast parts. Each day was a learning experience as new things were learned, which led to altering course slightly to get to the final setup.I also had to concern myself with clothing to wear. There are rules for clothing and the bike setup that had to be strictly observed. So, I got protective clothing that met the requirements.I rode the motorcycle almost 2000 miles in a couple of months to break it in and to get familiar with the bike. What really was super about this was that the bike that I chose fit perfectly! Confidence had to be achieved before I did the run! To gain confidence, I went on the web and find videos of people doing this sport. Watching those over and over again allowed me to get the feel of what I was about to do. Conversations with other high speed racers allowed me to further learn tips on the proper methods to help gain knowledge and confidence.Came the weekend of the event, and away we went! Bike in the trailer, wife, Anne, by my side and bike mechanic Phil, and daughter-in-law Julie rounded out the pit crew. Julie was official photographer. All this proved to be valuable. The mechanic allowed us to make some critical last minute changes. Having a team cheering was valuable to me to continue to build my confidence. As in all goals, you get to build up to it, and so it was at the rally. First I had to prove I could go 125 MPH; then 150 MPH; and the 175 MPH. I did these with some minor problems. I found that over 150 MPH the visibility becomes limited. This then, caused me to change my glasses so that they would not fly off my head, even under a full face helmet. The 6th and final run that I did with everything I had learned over the 5 month period was 180.187 MPH. I discovered that even with all my planning and expense, I was not going to go 200 MPH. I had reached my limit at just over 180. However, the venture was a complete success! Had I not set the goal, I would never have gone 180.187 MPH. I never considered missing a goal is a bad thing. You set the goal, do all the things to achieve the goal, then go for the goal.Can I achieve 200 MPH on a motorcycle? Of course! Reset the goal, plan and organize and go for it again! Anything can be done by anyone who has the real desire to achieve a goal that is worthwhile.
Friday, 1 December 2023

3/5/2010

This has been a weird winter. We have no snow in Maine now, but the rest of the country has been hammered. I love the quote I saw on Fox News that said "It is going to keep snowing in Washington DC until Al Gore crys "UNCLE".
Thursday, 4 March 2010

4/16/2010

The President just announced that NASA will be directed to send a man to an asteroid! Dumb and dumber! Any suggestions on who to send?
Thursday, 15 April 2010

4/19/2009

The global warming nut jobs consistently write editorials in the newspaper about how we all need to be reponsible to prevent global warming to save the earth. Don't they realize that we have had global warming for at least 20,000 years since the height of the last ice age when the earth was covered with glaciers all the way down into New England? Glaciers are melting, they are saying, and it's man's fault. Bull pucky! This is a continuation of the heating cycle that started long, long ago and will continue without any interference from us. But, this could turn around and become serious global cooling really fast. For instance, if a volcano in Iceland covered the earth with enough ash to cause a nuclear winter, which would trigger the next ice age!! I wonder of that could happen?
Sunday, 18 April 2010

More...

5/10/2010

The Gulf oil spill is definitely Obama's Katrina. The devastation caused by Katrina was largely caused by inadequate engineering of the dikes and levies. I suspect that no one expected that, nor did anyone expect a catastrophic failure of the well site at 5000 feet underwater. This failure is equivilant to the Chernobyl reactor accident in Russia. In this country, Chernobyl could never happen. The nuclear industry is well regulated by the government and the industry. It seems like it may be time for the government and oil industry to get up to speed too. This well spill is going to continue to be a mess of gigantic proportions.
Sunday, 9 May 2010

5/18/2010

On the Glenn Beck program today, Glenn said that the white house is targeting his sponsors to cripple Glenn's program. Well, I'd love to advertise there, if I could afford it!
Monday, 17 May 2010

5/20/2010

On December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona was attacked and sunk by a foreign power. Today, the State of Arizona was attacked by the President of Mexico and the President of the United States in a forum at the White House and in Congress.

I am calling for all Americans to donate to the Arizona State Treasury. I have sent $20 to them as a contribution from my wife and myself. If you read this, please do the same. If everyone who believes in the Constitution will send just $10 to Arizona, they will not be impacted by so-called boycotts. God Bless Arizona! Send it to the Governor direct. Here is her contact information:

The Honorable Jan Brewer
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Telephone (602) 542-4331
Toll Free 1-(800) 253-0883
Fax (602) 542-1381
Wednesday, 19 May 2010

5/25/2010

The Gulf oil spill continues unabated. This may well prove worse than Chernobyl!! The destruction of animal and plant life is unprecedented in modern history. They are saying that this spill could last for dozens of years if not controlled. As a minimum, the way of life on the Gulf coast is FOREVER changed. Where are the leaders on this? Isn't anyone in charge? Looks like Pandora's Box to me. BP=PB?

This shows the law of unintended consequences at work on a grand scale. Forty (40) years ago we had the technology to build enough nuclear power plants in this country to provide at least 70% of our energy needs of today. The environmentalists put a halt to that program. If those plants were built, it is probable that this well would never have been drilled!

Now the people in the Gulf are paying a huge price for this foolishness. Thanks Sierra Club.
Monday, 24 May 2010