smthng's motorcycles & stuff

First, I'm updating my blog so Technorati can snag it... hence the link above (you can ignore it).

Second, I'm moving to my new home on the web.  Don't expect this space to get updates very often.  Go head over to my new blog at http://smthng.info/commsrv/blogs/smthng

See ya there!

• Serenity
• Battlestar Galactica
• Heroes

Hey all,

I was out to Las Vegas on a trip this past week and had an interesting time.  I'll skip all the Las Vegas lights and glitz stuff and tell you instead about a few bits that might interest the two-wheelers out there...

First, we decided to take a day and shoot out to the Grand Canyon and see what the big deal was (pun intended).  It's technically "winter" at the Canyon, so a lot of stuff was closed.  We had the option of going to the South Rim, which was open and had all the visitor facilities running, or heading to the North Rim which has all the facilities closed down for the season, but it's still open to fools like me who want to wander around.  South Rim was a six hour drive, North Rim was a four hour drive, so the North Rim won.  I was hoping to make it to a closer overlook area, but it required 60 miles of dirt road driving and we weren't able to get a Jeep (we decided the rental Dodge Charger wouldn't do so well).

Anyway, the only issue we were concerned about was the condition of Highway 67 from Jacob Lake to the North Rim.  A quick shout out to the Long Distance Riders mailing list got back an "it's still open" so we were out the door and on the way.  The drive was fairly uneventful, but was interesting for us East-Coasters.  Lots of desert, mountains, canyons, rocks, etc.  I'd love to hit this whole section on the bike.  Maybe next time. :)

The canyon was an interesting experience.  From what I could gather on web sites and such, the North Rim is the lesser of all the major viewpoints.  Hwy 67 was a nice run and was indeed clear of any snow or other issues.  The facilities were nice, even though they were closed.  The view was good, but wasn't of the Grand Cayon itself.  Everything there is just so BIG that you can't see much more than what right in front of you.  I forget what two canyons meet at the north rim, but they then feed into the Grand Canyon.  You can't really see the Grand from the north rim, but the other two are plenty impressive enough.  If you have the time, check out the South side, or the 3000 ft overlook on the North that requires a four-wheel drive.  Still, the North Rim is mighty impressive.  If you don't have the time for the other side, you should still take the time to visit the North Rim. 

Sorry about the water bottles in the picture, but they all fell out of the backpack when I was setting the camera timer.  Oops. :)

On the way out, it was starting to snow of Hwy 67, so definately check the local conditions before assuming that it's open.  We took a different track on the way back and went through Zion National Park.  THAT was cool!  Not as huge as the Grand, but you're IN the canyons at Zion instead of just looking down at them.  Definately worth the extra time if you can carve it out.  The light was failing and my cheesy little camera wasn't happy so I didn't get many shots at all of Zion National Park.  The camera was REALLY having a hard time of it and it was drizzling a bit, so I wasn't able to set it up on the tripod.  The 30 or so shots I took all look like they were taken by someone with a bad case of withdraw symptoms.

I'll post up another entry soon with our trip to Red Rock Canyon and our run in with the Motoczysz guys. :)

• Skid Row Nightcrawler bumpers (front and rear)
• Skid Row Engine and Steering skids.
• No-name 2" budget boost
• Cheap seat covers. ;)
• Mastercraft grab handles.
• Garmin Streetpilot 2610 GPS on a RAM Mount system
• Uniden Pro520XL CB
• 4 foot Firestik II CB antenna
• Rock-It Parts CB antenna bracket
• Tuffy Unlimited Security Drawer
• No-name beefy aluminum tie rod (I killed mine at The Cove)
• Poison Spider D44 Rock Ring.
  

 Due to some family issues, I'm back in Florida for a bit.  Ever since I arrived, all I've been hearing about are the aligator attacks that have occurred this year.  Well, I'm browsing around the web this morning doing my daily surfing and I come across a short news story on MSN.  I'm immediately expecting the standard "Alligators are evil monsters and must all be killed", but I was quite surprised that NBC/MSN put the right spin on it.  The problem isn't the gators, it's the people.  We're building in their homes, destroying their habitats and numerous idiots are feeding them.  The individuals who suffered the attacks are most likely NOT the people who are causing the problem and I'm not going to try to imply that the individuals did anything to provoke the attacks nor do I think they were doing anything "wrong" and that they got what they deserved (no one deserves that).  But, people regularly feed alligators.  Developers build instant communities in alligator habitats.  Developers destroy alligator habitats.  THAT is the problem!

Gator are gators... they haven't changed in thousands of years and they aren't about to.  If we don't wise up, leave them alone and start considering their habitats, we deserve to get the short end of the stick.

If you see a gator in the wild (which may now be your back yard or swimming pool), take your pictures from a safe distance and then leave it alone!  They aren't cute, they aren't cuddly, they aren't safe (but they are way cool)...  they will eat your poodle and then come after you.  It's just what they do and we aren't giving them a whole lot of options any more.

Gators rock...  but leave them in peace!

Quote

Gator attacks strike fear in Florida

May 21: Recent alligator attacks in Florida have left many people there frightened and demanding answers and action. NBC's Michelle Kozinski reports.