A 2006 study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year.

Another study found that Americans drink an average of 22 gallons of beer a year.

That means, on average, Americans get about 41 miles per gallon.

Yesterday, I was scheduled to go on a much-needed motorcycle ride with a friend. I woke early, gave the bike a once-over, cleaned and polishes and checked the tire pressu.....WHAT IS THAT!!!!

This drywall screw was embedded in the tread of my rear tire. So, I got out my trusty tire plug gun kit and set about learning to plug a tire.

Three mangled plugs and some choice verbal outbursts later, I achieved success...

My bud showed up shortly after, and we set out despite the overcast sky and intermittent showers.

Ended up in a Town called Port Townsend for lunch. We swapped bikes for the 20 mile run into the town, his R1 feeling tiny and insignificant under me, but wheelieing effortlessly (and unintendedly). We had to wait until noon for the pub to open, so we talked about the differences and fielded bike/trip questions with the 6-7 people also waiting to get some food. Good pub food, and the most eclectic CD playing in the background.

We decided against trying the western side of the Olympic peninsula as originally planned, as there were heavy gray clouds rolling in. Decided to make the 40 mile ride to the next town, Port Angeles, as there's a road there, "Hurricane Ridge", that's built for bikes and the top is awe inspiring....

(from a trip a few years ago....)

We reached the road entrance, but were disappointed to see the "road closed" sign. We took the five mile spur up to the locked gates anyway, just to get a taste of some curves, spinning and sliding a bit on the cold wet pavement. Fun stuff, but over all too soon.

We decided to head back, but were faced with a choice. Either return to Port Townsend and possibly catch the ferry, or ride back along the coast. We decided to check when the ferry ran, and blasted back to Townsend. No traffic, we were able to open the bikes up a bit here and there. Found out that my tankbag magnets are only good up to about 130mph, as it suddenly let go somewhere north of that speed and unexpectedly thumped me in the chest. Yeah. Fun.

The ferry was only an hour off, so I decided I needed some caffeine. We left the bikes on the dock and walked next door. Port Townsend's main drag is a few feet lower that the rest of the town....

Hopped on the ferry, met a Harley rider and chatted for a bit. He guessed his (stock) bike had, " About 100-110 horsepower. " I really didn't laugh. (In the real world it has about 65.)

We'd noticed a girl with a cello case walking on board, it was sitting upright in the compartment we chose. She opened the case and played a few tunes as we crossed. Good stuff, her own songs. Her name's Serena Tideman, been trying to find some of her stuff online but no luck.Got her email, to send these pics, so I'll check then.

Deferried and away we went. Some scenery...

In and out of a few rain showers..

Crossed Deception Pass, a tall bridge with impressive currents to get to the main land...

Cruised home to Seattle via a route I'd never taken. R1 leads...

Passed this old Toyota ??? It was packed with an odd assortment of junk. When I took this shot I thought, " cool old car!". But it's just an old car. Hope somebody, someday, cools it up.

I think my riding partner has a good day...

This was the first time I'd ridden with the guy, which can be a little weird. It wasn't. We have similar riding styles, attitudes, enjoy going fast when appropriate and vice versa. We both also didn't want an ambulance figuring into the plans of the day. Good ride. There will be more.

OK, two of these images are of DOGS. Can you pick them out? Apparently many can't...


Dog owners 'fleeced' in poodle scam

Thousands of people have been 'fleeced' into buying neatly coiffured lambs they thought were poodles.

Entire flocks of lambs were shipped over from the UK and Australia to Japan by an internet company and marketed as the latest 'must have' accessory.

But the scam was only spotted after a leading Japanese actress said her 'poodle' didn't bark and refused to eat dog food.

Maiko Kawakami, who starred in the Japanese thriller Violent Cop, showed photographs of her pet on a television talk show only to be told it wasn't a dog - but was in fact a lamb.

The discovery prompted hundreds of women to contact the police with similar problems and the authorities believe as many as 2,000 people have been conned.

'We launched an investigation after we were made aware that a company was selling sheep as poodles,' a police spokesman told The Sun.

'Sadly, we think there is more than one company operating in this way.

'The sheep are believed to have been imported from overseas - Britain and Australia.'

Poodles are famously used by the rich and glamourous on the continent but are extremely rare in Japan, with many people having little idea what they look like.

The company, which translates as Poodles as Pets, sold the 'poodles' for £630, about half the cost of a normal poodle but is now understood to have been shut down.

Talk about getting the wool pulled over your eyes....

A rusting hulk of a German U-boat. Beautiful, in it's own way.

YouTubin'...

Darwin almost wins....(0:31)

Some great pics from Killboy.com's update....

Mean front light/fairing...

Pretty new 1098...

Not so pretty 1098 on the return trip....

New KTM Superduke....

There's got to be a story behind this pic....

Houseboat attacks!!!

Not really. Just a really dumb driver of a semi causing potentially lethal obstructions in a road clearly signed as not suitable for semi's.

Nice form...

Strangely proud of his parking job...

How to Build a Stripper Pole
Home Made Dancing Pole for under $100

Go Here...

YouTubin'....

Crazy Ping Pong match...(0:37)



Wear your seat belts....(0:19)



And please fasten your helmet buckle...(0:39)

A navy shower (or "sea shower") is a method of showering that allows for great conservation of water and energy. The steps in a basic navy shower are:

1. turn on the water
2. immediately wet the body
3. turn off the water
4. soap up and scrub
5. turn the water back on and rinse off the soap

The total time for the water being on is typically under 2 minutes and often less.

Navy showers originated on naval ships, where supplies of fresh water were often scarce. Using this method, crew members were able to stay clean, while conserving their limited water supply. The idea has been adopted by many people who wish to conserve water and the energy needed to heat the water, for both environmental and economic reasons. Maritime cruisers often take navy showers when they aren't in a port with easy access to fresh water. A ten-minute shower takes as much as 230 L (60 US gallons) of water, while a navy shower usually takes as little as 11 L (3 US gallons); one person can save 56,000 L (15,000 US gallons) per year. Overall savings are for a Florida household in 2001, using an electric water heater, that represented savings of roughly $380 per person per year.(from the wikipedia entry)

Go green....

So this is the 500cc version of the MP3 scooter by Piaggio. It tilts into turns, and is stable, even when sliding. Only problem is the 250cc version we have here is 8 g's. about what a top-shelf 600 goes for. Tough competion.

Ugly face, but certainly unique.

Probably a blast to ride, sliding the front through corners.

The bear found the two wires -- about the thickness of vacuum cords -- by first ripping off a 3-foot high protective plastic box. It appeared that almost instantly when the bear bit into the wire, it was electrocuted. "It didn't thrash much, it was pretty quick," Sinnott said.

Bears like to chew on plastic, said Sinnott, who was not surprised the bruin was curious about the box and its contents. "I don't know what they get out of it, but they are curious and he might have tried to investigate it just because it's rubber or plastic."

The bear bit into 5,000 volts of energy, according to a Chugach Electric Association spokesman Phil Steyer, who said the apparatus did not belong to the company but likely to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, the owner of the land where the bear was found.

Steyer said the company often deals with birds or squirrels that are electrocuted, but in his 19 years on the job, he's never heard of anything close to the size of a brown bear being killed by the wires.

The scene of an adult brown bear electrocution is examined by Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Rick Sinnott, right, and Kincaid Park recreation supervisor Robert Hughes along the park's Sisson Loop Aug.10, 2006. A passing cyclist discovered the scene, just off the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail about 2.3 miles from the park chalet. Officials planned to shut off power and then remove the animal by nightfall.

Full story is Here.

"Wheel weights have been around for many years, but are no longer the only solution for trucks, commercial vehicles and motorcycles. We want you to get the highest possible tire mileage by using our products.

The way we do this is by offering a Dynamic Balancing Solution, a high-density ceramic bead that, when easily installed, continuously balances your tires as you drive. The amount of material will distribute itself in weight and position dependent on the balance requirements of the individual tire.

The result is a smooth, vibration-free ride, derived from our balancing media that is always repositioning itself as the tire wears. If you own a pickup truck, commercial truck, motorhome, RV, tractor trailer, motorcycle, or similar vehicle, and want to get rid of those wheel vibration and tire cupping problems, then you need to move up to Dyna Beads™!"

Snake oil or viable answer? I dunno.

Their site.