Harry's Ruminations

Somewhere among the repetition, self-deprecation, and muscle-memory, I "got" slow speed handling yesterday. We started the day doing the dreaded "U-turn" excercise, where you have to take the bike into a box that's 10 feet x 20 feet (roughly) and do a U-turn left AND a U turn right, exiting at the opposite corner. Maintaining momentum and engine RPM while remaining in the clutch friction zone was the key. Of course, on the bike, that cold academic paragraph requires a coordination of head, body, hands and feet that requires every part of your neuro-muscular system. In other words, "IT'S HARD" But somewhere around the 3rd try, it became easier. I kept my head turned, and found the sweet spot on the clutch, and around 1/4 to 1/8th throttle. The bike stayed up and I was easily through the U-turns. I'm not saying I'd like to do that maneuver 20 times a day, but it's a useful skill. Then we learned proper cornering technique for a 90...

Home, home on the range... Where the Viragos and Nighthawks play. Where seldom is heard A discouraging word. And you practice FINE-C all day. Well, not all day, just before and after EACH of the 9 exercises we went through in the 6 hours of July heat. I got a Honda Nighthawk 250cc, pretty much like this: Black-on-black, with 5000 miles showing on the odo, and a darling sweetheart of a clutch. So, fact #1--I look like a clown on a Nighthawk. I know because Whitney and Maria arrived at 6pm to spectate, and confirmed it. Anyway, so the course. Our group of 12 riders had a mix of 125cc and 250cc bikes, and we had a mix of people, from experienced riders (one guy showed-up on his GSX-R) down through, well, me. Our instructors are Bob (the ex-cop) and Bruce (the tubby guy who reminds me of my Uncle Arch). They're great instructors, taking us through all the elements: How to get on a bike properly, startup, moving the bike, stopping, quick stops, slow-speed maneuvers, road-speed turn...

Well, this is the week. I'm taking my MSF training course this Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'm excited and a little scared--my total experience on motorcycle is I've read over the manual and tried to absorb what I can, learning many interesting things: Seventy percent of the braking on a motorcycle is done by the front wheel, but you should use both front and rear brakes all the time so you're ready for a "maximum braking" situation. If riding by yourself, you should ride left of the center in the lane to "protect" your lane. Essentially, you're communicating to drivers around you that this is your lane, and they should respect that. Intersections are the work of Satan. Basically, on a bike you have to expect that no one sees you and that they're going to disobey every traffic law, or else you end-up a bug-smear on the front of a Mack truck. Or, as my Dad puts it, "Ride defensively." Been resting on my laurels for so lon...

Such a joyous weekend: Hung-out with Maria Friday night, while Whitney and Cathy went to Mamma Mia . Glad I didn't go, and Ree-Ree and I had a great time blitzing around Walmart, where I picked up my 35mm prints from the photo center. Yeah, that's the last time I try taking pictures without a functioning light meter . None of the pictures were exposed properly, even the ones that should've been Sunny 16 . Cathy stayed with us Friday night and watched Maria as Whitney and I finished staining our fence. Well, we would've finished, except that the paint store was out of stain. We could only get 3 gallons, and it was more like a 3.75 gallon job. Partial score for those scoring at home: 4 dead brushes, 1 dead sprayer, 2 gallons of mineral spirits, 21 lbs of kitty litter, 8 gallons of stain, two 5-gallon buckets, 4 ruined outfits, 4 sunburns, and 1 public throwdown between Bella and myself. Ah, memories! Sunday was quiet--church and then lunch at BD's Mongolian Gr...

Ah, money. The thing to be talking about when the economy's receding, the stock market lost 20% of its value, and inflation's through the roof. Many find themselves in another sort of double-whammy: The taxable stock mutual fund. I was in one of these turds back when the tech bubble popped, and it taught me some tough lessons. First, I sunk thousands of dollars into an American Funds portfolio (yeah, I got sold a bunch of Class-B, back-load shares!). Then I watched that money tank over the next 3 years. Each year, come ~February I got a lovely 1099 form from Ye Olde Mutual Funde for capital gains distributions. So, let's review: 1) The funds had lost money. 2) Despite my money being tied up and steadily decreasing, I was paying taxes on money I didn't have. Now, if your portfolio is in a tax-deferred or tax-exempt wrapper like a 401(k), Roth IRA, or (God help you) Variable Life Insurance, you don't get 1099's and you don't pay taxes that year. However...

Man, I had a good time last night. Yesterday as a whole, actually. I enjoyed some Hawaiian pizza and frosty beverages at Lexington's Mellow Mushroom with Todd, Serge, Varma, Vinnie, Narron, Ildy, and Patrick. Good times, good times. Then I came home and Bella wanted to watch the Whedon masterpiece, Once More, With Feeling . Hehe

How to glorify the self and acquire power... The 48 Laws of Power Though ugly, it's good to read these in a Defence Against the Dark Arts fashion, just to know when they're in use against you. I will absolutely agree with Law 39, having been on the wrong end of it so many times. I allow myself to get so worked-up and emotional, ceding control to my opposition. As for the rest...IMHO, most make me want to vomit, and they're quite possibly a one way ticket to Hell. Practices such as these are lifehacks against the fabric of society--using base human frailty to one's advantage. Demagogues, Caesars, and Courtiers may practice them, but their power is only for a season. The true way is one of authenticity, truth, virtue, altruism, and love. The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Aside from self-control, I see none of those here. But then, I'm a boy scout with no zest for glory at othe...