Some effects in iPhoto

this was fun

So I am finally getting things organized so that we can have a DVD
just about in time for us to do something again in november 2008...
down under??

The Finalized Packaging

With much help from my buddy at Thompson Transportation and an approval from my very good friend at Castells and Asociados I have the final packaging for the emblem.

Isle of mann in a Super kart

The new phonebooks are here!!

Well it's not the new phone book but I am as excited as Navin Johnson seeing his name in print. I don't know if this is what makes me "somebody", but it might make me into "somebody who doesn't work for someone else". And that's all I want to be.



I got the pics from China of the samples of the emblem in both anodized aluminum finishes. They will finish the packaging pieces and send the whole shabang to me for approval in a week or two. Hopefully that is just a funky reflection across the face of the silver one.


And just for fun I throw this clip in to see if Lisa gets interested in taking coronet lessons:

Caa! Hey guys!

Just thinking of Pete and Jim when i ran across this today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qXM0nZq0RA

Fwd: 1982 CB650 parts

I have been posting the miscellany stock parts for free (but listed my favorite beer) and look what came out of CL...

Who the heck writes big nice emails other than someone who is interested in the same two wheeled machine as you. I've read shorter and less interesting Christmas letters.

Motorcycles and craigslist classifieds are probably the two most powerful conventions for connecting our modern society.

Begin forwarded message:

Subject: 1982 CB650 Cafe projects

Hi Eliot,

Your craigslist posts are interesting, because I'm in Garden Home and am building a cafe racer from my '76 CB550, into which I have transplanted a CB650 engine with a Jardine pipe, but otherwise stock. I've installed Raask rearsets, CB650 forks, aftermarket shocks, and changed a lot of other stuff. My aim is to build a retro bike that looks like I think it ought to, with dependability. I'm a single dad and am not interested in keeping up with new bikes, nor even with going very fast, just want to have a bike that feels right, makes the right sounds, and gives me enjoyment while being responsive enough to dodge our current generation of irresponsible drivers. (I suspect that's why you, too are converting to two-caliper front brakes.) I haven't polished anything on it, just concentrated on getting the right parts in place. Shine can come when it's running.

It appears that we are working in parallel. Few of my friends are bike-oriented, and I don't know where to look for things locally. My bike could probably be done in fairly short order if I put my mind to it, and I'd welcome

Incidentally, I have a second '76 CB550 that was converted to a full-out road racer. When the first bike is streetable, I hope to make a 'real' cafe racer out of it, possibly with my other CB650 engine in place of the highly-tuned CB550 which has every possible thing done to it. That bike has a Ducati tank, braced frame, laid-down shocks, twin disk front end, Kerker exhaust, Mikunis, the whole shebang. It was built by "Dr. Les Barker" who has apparently been a top local bike builder for many years.

There may be ways we can help each other, and possibly one day ride these suckers somewhere! If you're interested, please let me know. I'd like to hear from someone involved in a project like mine.

Best,

Joe Cxxxxxx

503-XXX-XXXX

A little self-deprecation goes a long way

I am just going to take a minute to show the proper way to beat yourself up. It's all in the finish.

Looking at my latest entries with a little scrutiny and I realize that I haven't take the time to formulate good thoughts; complete in every part and cohesive in composition. I frantically throw some rough words together because I have too much I feel I need to be doing. The (cough) writing is weak. I tell myself that I will revisit the verbal wreck and give it some prose but I never do.

Shame. Shoot.

I think I am going to check out a yoga deal at the gym. I need to teach my body how to relax and maybe my mind will follow suit. I have taught my body how to work. I enjoy the uncommon task of moving a unit of dirt by wheel barrow for a few days. And I still enjoy the day to day garbage of figuring out the pricing structure of some companies iPod case that is one-of-a-million. I tend to believe I prefer the former but it doesn't pay as well. But the point is i could be doing a better job by taking the time to relax. So I am just going to show up at a couple class sessions and pick up some skills. Some stretches or whatever that I can do on the floor of my living room by myself. It may help me focus a bit in the day, but moreso I am looking for an answer to my penchant for late nights of just wanting something to do.

Yeah, don't get me wrong. I am still a conservative independent- I have just been moving faster than anyone else in the party. I am not looking for Oregon-style spiritual enlightenment. I have already found That. I just need a tool that gives me the ability to focus on It.

Breakdown on Chronic(what)cles of Narnia

The four kids all represent the parts of a person's personality. The
little boy in us gets us into trouble, temptation is easy to deal
with because that part of you lives for the danger in all things,
good and bad. It is his ability to live in danger that gives him the
audacity to believe he can defeat the witch and his irreverance for
the outcome that allows him to try. It is the younger brother the one who lives for danger in all he does, who finally has to be the one to concur the mental side of sin by making the decision to "want" to defeat it, shattering the scepter, the only real power that the witch has. But its the older wiser brother who has to do the battle physically to make the decision definitive.

The older brother defeats sin through good choices and doing the right thing (maybe reading the Sword and having it with you at all times is the key to success). Sin is the wolf that obeys
the White Witch and finds it's fate by the Sword which allows the younger brother to escape once the little punk finally understands that he needs to get away.

Let's see if this works. I just uploaded video from my camera phone and my powerbook made things real easy. Bluetooth on, discover phone, grab video, and upload to blogger with one last click.

What an amazing turn of events tonight. great dinner with my very lovely wife. No kids so I invited her out to see an eclectic show at Viva l'arte or hear some DJ's spin down out Somedaylounge. Either would have been great, but she is leaving for the weekend and had to pack for her 7am flight to Napa Valley for a wedding so i dropped her off back home and headed out. I am looking forward to being daddy 24/7 and be completely on my game but beforehand I wanted- no needed to go out.

I was supposed to meet up with the Trueb brothers who were heading up the Carolines but now the other brother's project TAT is what is being rehearsed. I wish they could have come down to experience this night with me.

I went down to the Odditorium while TAT finished rehearsing and got to have the Warhol's play for me alone. I got to catch the tail-end of the perfection that happens every time I hear them live. But this time there was no one around but me. The stage was a perfect 30 ft away and nothing but floor betwixt me and a heavy wall of the best of new and old classic sounds from the PDX quartet. I sat down and they were kinda jamming something new. Then they launched into 2 concert level songs that seemed like Courtney was doing it as a favor just to me. At least I would like to think so. Phenomenal. Sometimes I can't believe my undeserved good fortune on this earth.

There were others when I first showed up. Rob was in the library listening to his master that he got back today with Sarah Jane. His stuff alone could have made my night. I had to let the Truebs know that it wasn't a scene i could squeeze them into but that I may meet up with them later. Shortly I went in to feel the Dandy Warhols and found myself immersed in the most amazing live show ever. But just a random Thursday for this crew.

I am truly blessed, and that is all there is to say.

After a few different jams I wandered around back and found the remnant perfection on display from The London Police show at the Wonder Ballroom surrounding an inviting circle of couches and coffee table. It was so dimly lit that it turned out black as my camera phone peered around the 2-ton velvet curtains that divided the two areas. It was the perfect place to lay on the flat concrete floor listening to the most amazing live music in my life and just stretch my back and relax. My girls and I will have a much better weekend thanks to these guys and their personal venue they let me into.

Well... Just take a look at the crappy phone vid below.

The amount of sugar in Coke

We have cut out the Big Gulps and Super G's that use to be [part of
our daily routine and have noticed dranatic changes in the way we
feel and how well we sleep. (weel my wife noticed the better sleep.
Could be her new found passion for running as well.

But I just ran across this video of someone cooking down a can of
coke to the sugary syrup. Pretty glad I just drink my jack D with
water or pellegrino now.

Must See This!!!! The Amount Of Sugar In Coke - More amazing video clips are a click away

Regan's quote of the morning

"I weally want to go skiing in daddy's pack-pack."

Sprague Rant

I don't get too fired up over the little things in my fortunate little life, but in a dark bathroom at 3 am I spent more than a minute looking for the end of the toilet paper roll only to finally loosen one of the two plies that Charmin wanted me to receive. At that hour of the morning a minute is an eternity.

And then today at work it happened again. Hence the world will now hear my frustration through this-here blog.

Toilet Paper must be unwrapped, then the adhesive end needs to be broken so that you can determine which way to install the new roll:
It should go over the top so that the tag end hangs in front of the roll toward the user.

There I have spoken my peace.

Off He Goes

While I was in the garage this weekend and tinkering with the idea of actually finishing the mobile drill press/tool rack/router table cabinet, a familiar old song from way back in the day came on my iPod as it shuffled. My first introduction to this song was when Toby told me to go find it and said Eddie wrote it about me. Oddly I have spent the last decade a bit disturbed when I would hear it, because Toby and I never got to talk much about why he thought this way. But when I listened again this weekend I realize that there was no intention of his to offend... as if Toby has ever said anything to deliberately offend anyone.

I am reading about it online and the consensus seems to be that Eddie wrote this song about himself. I even found one video from a concert in Katowice where he says the song is about being friends with an asshole and points to himself and smiles. Shoot. But like I said, I don't think Toby meant to offend. Besides, I think he was right.



I know a man
His face seemed pulled and tense
Like he's ridin' on a motorbike
In the strongest winds
So I approach with tact
Suggest that he should relax
But he's movin' much too fast

Said he'll see me on the flip side
On this trip he's taken for a ride
He's been takin' too much on
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes

He's yet to come back
But I seen his picture
It doesn't look the same up on the rack
We go way back
I wonder 'bout his insides
It's like his thoughts are too big for his size

He's been taken...where, I don't know
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes

And now I rub my eyes, for he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
For he still smiles... And he's still strong
Nothing's changed but the surroundin' bullshit
That has grown

And now he's home and we're laughin'
Like we always did, my same old, my same old friend
Until a quarter to ten
I saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted and I know just what is going to happen next

Before his first step, he's off again

He Won't Sit Still

Speaking of loss I have been importing family video footage into the powerbook finally. Just as a safeguard, as if I am actually going to find the time to produce a DVD. i could just hit teh "make magic movie" script, but of course my personality wants to do something so beyond my means that I can't even get the confidence to start it. Once i do I will get it 83% complete an then let it sit in my laptop. I rule.

Chase is the guy who would do it and see it all the way through. He doesn't have kids and his wife is very independent like any self-respecting, well-educated hippie produced from the lower valley, UofO and OSU systems. I am surprised he never followed through with the fishing show we manufactured in our heads while fishing 3-4 times per week when we should have been in class. He is the kind of guy who could make that happen, if he decided that is what he was going to do. We both share the high energy gene that keeps gears cranking well into the morning hours most nights. I haven't a clue what he is going to do now, but I doubt he will just sit still.

Painted Faces- The makep of the story

More tears are shed from answered prayers than unanswered ones.

Fitting that i just watched Capote.

A man who made his life's fame on the death of someone else. Isn't that terrible of me to put it that way. Without reservation, I am merely stating the facts. I don't believe he was as heartless as that sounds, hoever. Actually he seems to be portrayed as one of the most sensitive individuals in history. His heart was definitely in his work as well.

It's amazing people's reaction to death. I am not at the age where I have to think about it (as far as I am concerned) except when it happens to your friend. You know, one of those flukes that you only hear about through a friend of a friend of someone else who went to church with them and she heard some one else praying about the situation. That is the only way to get all the details. Sheesh.

Two day ago Toby and I were running around in the woods in goofy, leaf-patterned clothing. 15 miles of hiking -half uphill and half down. I saw the hind ends of 4 fleeting blacktails. Across the canyon Toby spied 4 elk 30 yards below me straight down the gulch... unbeknownst to me of course. It was a great day none-the-less. We talked of family and future and caught up on the last 6 months the way friends of 20+ years need to at 3 year intervals. Family is such a priority that we don't seem to hang with friends the way we want, but neither of us fault the other because the priority is mutual... If it weren't, reciprocal respect would be lost as well.

If we would have hung out on Sunday the conversation would have bEen much different. During the course of 15 miles and two hours of car ride we had the opportunity to ask about all the extended relationships as well. Toby asked how Chase was doing and I relayed the latest info- blah, blah, married, blah, good kids, blah, great wife, doesn't fish much anymore, but we manage to get out once in a while. It's the same story for us all and none of us are actually complaining. We traded the wilderness of our previous lives for the comfort of family. After I dropped Toby off I got my voice mail and learned that Chase lost his wife that morning- a brain tumor had taken her in her sleep according to the initial report.

Tragedy.

I am lost of further words.