Well, now that I have a laptop and internet access again, it's time to start writing. Let's start with a few quick topics in the news about which I've been stewing:
The Republican Party
Sigh. What happened? Why are they insistent on following a philosophy to continue running their party into the ground? I have several republican friends who would make for much better leaders (and who are only about 25 years old). Here's a few quick thoughts:
1. Christianity is not the answer when the majority of American's aren't Christian! Whatever happened to separation of Church and State?
2. Axe Michael Steele! I remember seeing him make a fool of himself on Bill Maher last year and thinking, how was this guy a Lt. Governor. What do the repubs do? Elect him as their leader! Amazing. Did that watch that show? Put me on a stage against him and I'll run him into the ground.
3. Tax cuts (for the rich). It's pretty clear that America wants the Government in their lives. While nobody likes to pay taxes, I'm pretty sure that the rich shouldn't pay less than the poor percentage-wise. If you have it, why not help. $20 to me means a lot more than $20 to Bill Gates.
4. Social Issues. Why do Repubs preach less government in your personal life when they're trying to legislate issues like gay marriage and abortion? Again, the majority of American's favor gay marriage and are pro-abortion. Why do they insist on saying that the country in center-right when in actuality, it's center-left? It's like refusing to believe the Earth revolves around the Sun or not believing in evolution...oh wait...
Steroids in Baseball:
Way back when Slammin' Sammy and Marky Mark were hitting dingers into the next state, I can safely say I knew that they were on "special" vitamins. While I was a lot younger than I am now, I knew that their body types could not simply come from hard work and dedication. I remember specifically one summer in high school...I worked out religiously with my Dad in Atlanta almost every day. For three months we absolutely KILLED ourselves. We took protein powder, creatine, altered our diets, pretty much every trick in the book to get bigger and faster (except 'roids). In the beginning of that summer, my Dad could bench about 225 pounds and I could throw up around 150. After three months, I was able to get up to 185, while he increased his bench to 260. I couldn't believe how much I had improved!
Let's put that in perspective. Does anyone remember David Ortiz when he played for the Minnesota Twins? I sure don't. But if you do look back at his first few years in the big leagues, he was SKINNY! He didn't hit for power, whatsoever. From 1997 to 2002 his highest home run total was 20. He arrives in Boston in 2003 and promptly hits 31, 41, 48, 54 and 35 dingers. I know what you're thinking - yes, he had Manny hitting with him and maybe his work ethic substantially increased. I love David Ortiz - he can hit the heck of a baseball and is by all accounts, a great person. However, please explain to me why, at only 33, he suddenly can't seem to get the ball out of the infield? I'm pretty sure steroids can't help someone like me hit the ball out of the park, but I'm also sure that they could potentially lift a ball from the warning track to the stands...either way, I doubt we'll know for sure. Going back to my Father/Son anecdote - we worked our butts off and saw improvement, but nothing hardly earth-shattering. So now I'm supposed to believe that A-Rod's bench increased from 110 to 310 in one summer? Really? At this point, everyone is guilty until proven innocent (except my boy, Ken Griffey Jr!).
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Ducati 848 Review
Sophia!
In December of 1995, amidst a bevy of holiday activity, a simple yet humorous movie was quietly released to the public – Grumpier Old Men. While the movie itself consists mostly of an aging Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau straining to recapture the “Oscar” and “Felix” chemistry of old, the true star of the film is the ageless, scene-stealing Sophia Loren. The shock from Loren’s intoxicatingly beautiful Italian silhouette hit me with enough force to break down the thick adolescent wall restricting boys from becoming men.
Mamma mia!
Thirteen years later during an all too short summer weekend, another red-colored Italian knocked me on my heels…the Ducati 848, an 849.4 cc L-twin engine (intrinsically different yet equally impressive to Sophia’s “twins”) with enough power to outrun middleweight sportbikes of today and literbikes of yesterday. Much like the recent 2006 Triumph Daytona 675, the Ducati 848 is a class re-definer.
The lines on the all-new 2008 Ducati 848 (list price $12,995) now mirror those of a new Maserati – angular, purposeful and distinctly Italian. Any fears of Ducati dropping the proverbial design ball can officially be put to rest. Questionable design components have been eliminated (I’m looking directly at the 749 headlights!) while MotoGP-derived design elements have been further incorporated, helping to lower the motorcycle’s already impressive drag coefficient.
Perfecto!
The new middleweight Ducati replaces the 749, a strong all-around bike which managed only a few more cheers than jeers among loyal Ducati followers. Highlighted by a thoroughly revamped new engine utilizing Ducati’s legendary Desmodromic valve system, the extra power of the 848 can be felt throughout the rev range, easily controllable from Ducati’s precise throttle and smooth clutch. The 848’s engine effortlessly produces usable power from 3000rpm to the 11,000rpm redline, marked by a trio of red warning LEDs. With a sweet spot between 7,000rpm to 9,000rpm, the engine produces 15% more horsepower (134) and 10% more torque (70.8) than its predecessor.
Given the user-friendly nature of the engine, this is the ideal bike for spirited weekend riding on everything from quiet winding country roads to sharp, tactical canyon workouts. An upgraded tubular steel trellis frame, new brakes and reworked suspension all contribute to an enjoyable and predictable ride, allowing riders to quickly find their most efficient riding style. Balanced turn-in, perfectly hit apexes and exit speeds you never thought possible on a middleweight bike are all achievable on the 848.
Meraviglioso!
Ergonomically, the 848 ranks among the most comfortable sportbikes I have ridden. The 848 easily received my 6’6, 210lb frame, allowing for a good amount of fore and aft movement - enough room to explore multiple riding positions even if you’re a larger cyclist like myself. After a four-plus hour long roundtrip to and from San Diego, my legs successfully evaded the jello-like atrophy experienced when riding most sportbikes for more than an hour.
Sophia Loren, herself with an unforgettably deep and sensuously raspy voice, would undoubtedly appreciate the Italian symphony composed by the twist of your right wrist and played through the 848’s exhaust pipe, here doubling as your orchestra. Beginning with an auspiciously playful gurgle, the engine crescendos to an unrestrained, melodious howl when approaching redline. The best part – no need to purchase additional tickets, this musical performance can be enjoyed repeatedly each time you decide to upshift or downshift.
Fine.
After a long day of riding, I greatly appreciated the ability of the Ducati to act as both canyon carver and comfortable cruiser. Its versatile engine allows for a lazy but pleasurable stroll home after a day of bombing down challenging switchbacks and conquering decreasing radii highway off-ramps. While Ducati also offers the 848 in a pearl white finish, there’s really only one color to select - rosso. Sophia wouldn’t have it any other way.
In December of 1995, amidst a bevy of holiday activity, a simple yet humorous movie was quietly released to the public – Grumpier Old Men. While the movie itself consists mostly of an aging Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau straining to recapture the “Oscar” and “Felix” chemistry of old, the true star of the film is the ageless, scene-stealing Sophia Loren. The shock from Loren’s intoxicatingly beautiful Italian silhouette hit me with enough force to break down the thick adolescent wall restricting boys from becoming men.
Mamma mia!
Thirteen years later during an all too short summer weekend, another red-colored Italian knocked me on my heels…the Ducati 848, an 849.4 cc L-twin engine (intrinsically different yet equally impressive to Sophia’s “twins”) with enough power to outrun middleweight sportbikes of today and literbikes of yesterday. Much like the recent 2006 Triumph Daytona 675, the Ducati 848 is a class re-definer.
The lines on the all-new 2008 Ducati 848 (list price $12,995) now mirror those of a new Maserati – angular, purposeful and distinctly Italian. Any fears of Ducati dropping the proverbial design ball can officially be put to rest. Questionable design components have been eliminated (I’m looking directly at the 749 headlights!) while MotoGP-derived design elements have been further incorporated, helping to lower the motorcycle’s already impressive drag coefficient.
Perfecto!
The new middleweight Ducati replaces the 749, a strong all-around bike which managed only a few more cheers than jeers among loyal Ducati followers. Highlighted by a thoroughly revamped new engine utilizing Ducati’s legendary Desmodromic valve system, the extra power of the 848 can be felt throughout the rev range, easily controllable from Ducati’s precise throttle and smooth clutch. The 848’s engine effortlessly produces usable power from 3000rpm to the 11,000rpm redline, marked by a trio of red warning LEDs. With a sweet spot between 7,000rpm to 9,000rpm, the engine produces 15% more horsepower (134) and 10% more torque (70.8) than its predecessor.
Given the user-friendly nature of the engine, this is the ideal bike for spirited weekend riding on everything from quiet winding country roads to sharp, tactical canyon workouts. An upgraded tubular steel trellis frame, new brakes and reworked suspension all contribute to an enjoyable and predictable ride, allowing riders to quickly find their most efficient riding style. Balanced turn-in, perfectly hit apexes and exit speeds you never thought possible on a middleweight bike are all achievable on the 848.
Meraviglioso!
Ergonomically, the 848 ranks among the most comfortable sportbikes I have ridden. The 848 easily received my 6’6, 210lb frame, allowing for a good amount of fore and aft movement - enough room to explore multiple riding positions even if you’re a larger cyclist like myself. After a four-plus hour long roundtrip to and from San Diego, my legs successfully evaded the jello-like atrophy experienced when riding most sportbikes for more than an hour.
Sophia Loren, herself with an unforgettably deep and sensuously raspy voice, would undoubtedly appreciate the Italian symphony composed by the twist of your right wrist and played through the 848’s exhaust pipe, here doubling as your orchestra. Beginning with an auspiciously playful gurgle, the engine crescendos to an unrestrained, melodious howl when approaching redline. The best part – no need to purchase additional tickets, this musical performance can be enjoyed repeatedly each time you decide to upshift or downshift.
Fine.
After a long day of riding, I greatly appreciated the ability of the Ducati to act as both canyon carver and comfortable cruiser. Its versatile engine allows for a lazy but pleasurable stroll home after a day of bombing down challenging switchbacks and conquering decreasing radii highway off-ramps. While Ducati also offers the 848 in a pearl white finish, there’s really only one color to select - rosso. Sophia wouldn’t have it any other way.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
"Hello" : Author - MAW3
Yesterday is history. But there ain't nothing new under the sun.
The past and present need each other, if ever the future is to become.
What comes next I do not know. I'm anxious for its arrival but fearful at the same time for I've learned.... nothing is as it seems. Good deeds get done in vain. And dreams can be slain by whomever holds the blade with the sharp edges.
My charge to myself has wavered at times. Sometimes it is to stay strong, stable and steadfast on my course and greatness will find me. Other times it has been to blaze the trail before me, lest the current surroundings bore me, and sprint toward my goal with all deliberate pace. But if there is nothing new under the sun and history proves to serve correct, then I know of at leas one feeling to expect. A warm churn in my stomach. Slightly discomforting. Yet the signal of one of life's memorable moments getting ready to occur. And if there is nothing new under the sun, I know that when i lay eyes on you, I'll have no choice but to be breathless. I know it will be YOU, because before I turn blue, You will breathe life back into me when you say "hello". I don't know what this will mean to you, but for me this moment shall last for all of time.
This moment,, just like the two before it, will ultimately shape who I am in this world. This moment, just like the two before it, will change you as a woman. But I know, just like the two before you, that you don't know this. You don't know that you will be taking down the pictures of us kissing just as fast as you will rush to kiss me again. And you will be boxing up my gym shorts, old t-shirts, boxers and my toothbrush just as fast as you'll be calling me to come over and get undressed all over.
Like the one before, I don't know if I'll give you my heart and completely give in to the only desire of continuously making you smile... only to be stuck breathless when you say "i don't think 'we' are going to work anymore. I just can't do it..." with no hope of you breathing life back into me. Or like the one before her, I don't know if it will be me that's caught in the whirlwind of green grass on that side of the street or the fool's gold glittering before my eyes... and decide that my heart is no longer with you. Indeed, the grass was green for a number of years. But for every summer, there is a winter... and grass doesn't survive in the cold. I can only hope it comes back even greener in the spring time.
But just like the two before, I know it will be the best moment of both of our lives , even if its only for a moment. And if there is nothing new under the sun, then we will have such a good time together. We will talk with nothing to say; but only to hear the sounds of each other's voices. We'll go places with nothing to do; but only to hold hands as we stroll. You are so pleasing to my eyes. The way you turn heads when you walk thru a room and the way strangers see us together and say "boy, you two sure look good together!"... or "Man, take care of her. That's a good looking woman!" are the moments when we really know we have something special. And it can be for an hour, a day, a year, or a lifetime.... but it will be special. And we will smile on the inside.
Whether I'm what you've been waiting on our entire life or if you are merely taking off your cool & taking a chance with someone a little different from the rest, this timeless moment will be etched into history. I don't know who you are. I don't know what you think of all of this. And you could be anywhere in the world right now. That could be you I see everyday on the way to work... or it could be you right here next to me, with a warm churning feeling in our stomach. Slightly discomforting. Yet the signal of one of life's memorable moments getting ready to occur.
Yesterday is history. and there ain't nothing new under the sun. The past and present need each other, if ever the future is to become. The wind was knocked out of me for a moment. But despite being breathless for that moment, I'm hopeful at the same time. For history tells me that you will breath life into me again when you say... "hello".
The past and present need each other, if ever the future is to become.
What comes next I do not know. I'm anxious for its arrival but fearful at the same time for I've learned.... nothing is as it seems. Good deeds get done in vain. And dreams can be slain by whomever holds the blade with the sharp edges.
My charge to myself has wavered at times. Sometimes it is to stay strong, stable and steadfast on my course and greatness will find me. Other times it has been to blaze the trail before me, lest the current surroundings bore me, and sprint toward my goal with all deliberate pace. But if there is nothing new under the sun and history proves to serve correct, then I know of at leas one feeling to expect. A warm churn in my stomach. Slightly discomforting. Yet the signal of one of life's memorable moments getting ready to occur. And if there is nothing new under the sun, I know that when i lay eyes on you, I'll have no choice but to be breathless. I know it will be YOU, because before I turn blue, You will breathe life back into me when you say "hello". I don't know what this will mean to you, but for me this moment shall last for all of time.
This moment,, just like the two before it, will ultimately shape who I am in this world. This moment, just like the two before it, will change you as a woman. But I know, just like the two before you, that you don't know this. You don't know that you will be taking down the pictures of us kissing just as fast as you will rush to kiss me again. And you will be boxing up my gym shorts, old t-shirts, boxers and my toothbrush just as fast as you'll be calling me to come over and get undressed all over.
Like the one before, I don't know if I'll give you my heart and completely give in to the only desire of continuously making you smile... only to be stuck breathless when you say "i don't think 'we' are going to work anymore. I just can't do it..." with no hope of you breathing life back into me. Or like the one before her, I don't know if it will be me that's caught in the whirlwind of green grass on that side of the street or the fool's gold glittering before my eyes... and decide that my heart is no longer with you. Indeed, the grass was green for a number of years. But for every summer, there is a winter... and grass doesn't survive in the cold. I can only hope it comes back even greener in the spring time.
But just like the two before, I know it will be the best moment of both of our lives , even if its only for a moment. And if there is nothing new under the sun, then we will have such a good time together. We will talk with nothing to say; but only to hear the sounds of each other's voices. We'll go places with nothing to do; but only to hold hands as we stroll. You are so pleasing to my eyes. The way you turn heads when you walk thru a room and the way strangers see us together and say "boy, you two sure look good together!"... or "Man, take care of her. That's a good looking woman!" are the moments when we really know we have something special. And it can be for an hour, a day, a year, or a lifetime.... but it will be special. And we will smile on the inside.
Whether I'm what you've been waiting on our entire life or if you are merely taking off your cool & taking a chance with someone a little different from the rest, this timeless moment will be etched into history. I don't know who you are. I don't know what you think of all of this. And you could be anywhere in the world right now. That could be you I see everyday on the way to work... or it could be you right here next to me, with a warm churning feeling in our stomach. Slightly discomforting. Yet the signal of one of life's memorable moments getting ready to occur.
Yesterday is history. and there ain't nothing new under the sun. The past and present need each other, if ever the future is to become. The wind was knocked out of me for a moment. But despite being breathless for that moment, I'm hopeful at the same time. For history tells me that you will breath life into me again when you say... "hello".
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Debate
I was proud of Obama. He did what he had to do. He showed that he had a great command of the issues and he acted very presidential. Which is important because the independents are looking for a reason not to vote for Obama...sorry, I'm drinking gin.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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