Looking Back Part 1

 I pulled out the old memory cards that have the 5000 or so photos of the motorcycle trip I  took back in 2010. My motorcycle took me to some amazing places. I was free ! Now I'm missing that freedom. It seems I had so much more when I was young. Didn't have a care in the world when I set out on this three month motorcycle ride . All I knew was I was heading west and going north into western Canada before heading south along the west coast to Northern California. There were only two places that I had really made plans to visit, Bob's place in Montana and Robin in Bend Oregon. Other than these I was just out there going where ever the road took me. People would tell me about places and I'd go . I went old school using road maps. Still using them today. GPS just doesn't cut it for me. I love getting lost and finding my way back. I found some amazing places this way. Well, now I'm an old man and I still have this drive to explore. Money is tight, family pressure is always an issue, and this damn leg injury makes me wonder if I can actually still do it on the road.  All this garbage goes away when I start going through the photos and my brain tells me I really need to get out on the road again. So, I have been slowly fixing up the Moto Guzzi. Got her running real well now and the next phase of that project is the suspension .I'm going to ignore the leg thing and the other crap that is making me think I can't do what I know I can do. Fuck it , I'm going to start to focus and finally make this happen. I gave up on finding a riding partner to travel with. It could be a good thing but on the other hand it could stifle my freedom out on the road. So going it alone is what it's going to be. The big question is when ? I'm 75 years old and if it kills me so fucking what ! Here are some cool photos from the 2010 ride  

You miss this turn you go off the cliff ! These next two photos are what riding is all about

So here we are in November of 2024.These photos were taken 14 years ago .I've traveled plenty since then . In 2014 I rode up to Eastern Canada, you know, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Been up in the Adirondacks plenty of times riding as well as some other places. So I know I can do it it's more about getting the confidence I need to do it. This will come as I get the bike in order and do a couple test trips loaded and out on the road. I need one more real road trip before I leave the asylum. This is really where I need to be !

I need to see the sunset in the Pacific at this beach one last time.I found true inner peace while I was here .   I was able to have a clear picture of where I wanted my life to go while here. Although that plan didn't materialize it still set me on a better path forward. There were so many plans in my head like opening an art gallery in Ft Bragg California  using my vintage motorcycles as displays to attract other bikers to the place. I had such great plans when I was out on the road. The road frees the mind !

Life Has Been Crazy Lately

 

 

It all started with a phone call at 7:30 AM when my wife called telling me her car died.I went to where she was and determined that the fuel pump quit.Now this was an educated guess at this point. So we had the car towed home where I could work on it.Ordered a new pump and pulled out the spark plugs.They were worn so I got new ones. Tested for spark in all 4 cylinders and had it so I put all that back together and jacked up the car to remove the gas tank which is where the fuel pump resides in this car.While under I see major rust out in the rear portion of the frame.Stopped working and thought about it for a day then decided to junk the car.So,now we start looking for a replacement car on Craigslist. First one looked good,a 2000 Toyota with just under 120000 miles on it for 2500 bucks.Test drove it and it all felt good so we tell the guy we'll take it. We go to the bank to get the money and call him when he tells me he sold it. What a dirt bag ! Then we look at another one.Looks real nice in the ad but when we show up it is a different car than what was pictured in the ad.A total piece of shit that was a basket case.Then we see this  2009 Hyndai Sonata . We go and it's nice.The guy is a private guy who flips cars for his living.He wants 2600 for it.It runs good. He has all his dealer papers and the car had a Maine title.We bought it put 4 new tires on it ,had it aligned,I did a 4 wheel brake job, replaced the whole exhaust system, did an oil + filter change, replaced the engine air filter and cabin air filter,  then changed the transmission fluid and now we have a decent car for around 4000 bucks. It was a lot of work for me and I had to ferry my wife to work for a week or so 80 miles a day but I'm past it now and she's in a good car. While I waited for parts to be delivered I did manage to go riding on my motorcycles. Got three of them inspected last week so now I only have three more to go and they are set for another year. It hasn't rained in a month here in Long Island other than a scattered sprinkle in some places other than my neighborhood. There are small and not so small wild fires happening all over the place. The Earth is fighting  back and the human race will lose that battle for sure. Nature always wins in the end. So, here we are at the end of 2024 It's November and I've been riding a motorcycle in a T shirt ! This is crazy, usually I'm all decked out in my leathers and it's 50 degrees F out not 75. Well, the year I was born there were 2.5 billion people on planet Earth and now in my short 75 years of life there are over 8 billion. The problem that our idiotic so called leaders refuse to even recognize is starting to take us out. I'm glad I'm old !Well, I did my bit. I didn't reproduce.  But this didn't change anything because when we were all going on about zero population growth in the 1960's and 70's the forces of greed took over and shut down those who opposed their agenda. How are they supposed to make money hand over fist with a limited supply of customers and slaves.  Yup, debt slaves keep the machine going so the parasites at the top can live the good life. Soon the constant wars over oil will be replaced with wars over water rights and food will be something that many will start going without. I feel bad for the kids. We are leaving them a world that is so messed up that we can't fix it. Well, nature will fix it just like she fixed it when the other extinctions took place in the past. I wonder what she will replace us with.

The Earth is alive. it's a living being and we are just a small part of it's body. From where I'm standing it looks like humanity is like an infectious virus that is making Earth sick. But, Earth has a good immune system that will fight us off in the end and we will be eradicated like any other common virus that attacks the body. Earth has been here 4 or 5 billion years , us about 250000 or so years . A blink of an eye in geological time . Look how we have managed to destroy the paradise we were brought into in what amounts to a fraction of a second since we became " industrialized " and pushed the American Dream on the rest of the world  coning them into thinking we are making their lives better when in reality all we are doing is allowing a handful of super rich dirt bags to suck us and our planet dry for their own personal greed motivated  gain . Oh but wait, we have the answer, go buy an electric car and this will solve the whole problem . Yeah right

Now It's November

 It's hard to believe but summer is a memory now and we are almost in winter. The circus we here in the US call an election is finally over.The winners and losers are always the very rich and the dirt poor. For the rest of us nothing really changes but the price of gas . The whole system is rigged. Both of the political parties are owned by the same billionairs and their corrupt corporations. They lock out third unowned parties so the only choice the dumbed down public gets is corporate plan A or corporate plan B which happen to be the same crap in a different box. So,I don't bother to take part. Went to the last car show of the season this past Sunday.It was a beautiful day but then every day for the past 6 or 7 weeks has been a beautiful day pretty much.The drought is getting bad .Climate change is starting to really change the way we live.All these crazy storms and wild fires.I'm glad I'm old. Starting to make a plan to build a new bridge over the brook on my property upstate.Another casualty of climate change. I'm also hoping that I can finally get to my wagon and start selling off some of my motorcycles. Age is making me come to terms with the weight of having all this stuff but for now I still go to car shows and the beach, ride my motorcycles and drive my old cars.Life has been pretty good to me so here are some photos of the car show and the beach

Yesterday I went to the beach. It was an incredible day.I was able to go riding in a T shirt in November ! This is crazy and I know it's not a good thing but at my age I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Today is another beautiful day.Gonna rake some leaves this morning before I head out riding on one of my old bikes.Maybe today I'll ride a 2 stroke or my old reliable Moto Guzzi 850-T.

The Service Continues

 So yesterday after a nice hour or so test ride to check out the rear tire and brake work I did the front brake pads. It went very well and I was out riding it all afternoon seating the new brakes.You know, it takes a few miles before they really mate with the rotors. After around a mile I had pretty good brakes and 10 or 15 minutes later they were great ! So I rode for a few hours and enjoyed my bike and the great weather we are having.Today I'm going out on it and search  for a shop that will do the inspection so she's all legal again and I can ride her on the high way and anywhere else I want.Once I get this one done I'll take the BMW K100 in and get it done as well so I can focus my attention on my four two strokes that also need new stickers.It's a lot of work having to deal with this for six bikes and four cars but I'm a motor head and this is just the way it is.Today is a beautiful day here in NY . It's cool out only in the 50'sF but that's great riding weather so with a bit of good fortune I'll get inspected this morning and head out lookin for adventure on my 1975 Moto Guzzi 850-T.

The Major Service On The Moto Guzzi Continues

 Back in the early summer before all this insane weather started happening I had planed to do a major service on my 1975 Moto Guzzi . I bought all sorts of parts that I wanted to change, tires, front fork components,  brakes, a brand new seat that I'm still waiting for, and all sorts of other stuff. So, last week I finally got to it with the carb rebuild and the charging system fix.It seems the front oil seal wore out and flooded the alternator with oil.This ruined the brushes and perhaps the stator as well by soaking the inside with oil.Lucky for me I have a few of these on the shelf so I changed it out and put on a new volt meter up on the handle bars so I can see the voltage as I'm riding now.After that I adjusted the valves and dropped the oil pan to have a look inside the bottom end of the motor.Found that all was good and very clean in there so I put it all back together with new gaskets and oil.Took it for a test ride Sunday and she runs great so yesterday I decided to put on the new rear tire. This job went well and I got to use the new tool I bought to pull the air fill stem through the hole in the rim. It worked ok but I need to get a better one.I went cheap just to try it and now that I know it's worth having I want one that will last.This one already started to show signs that it's breaking.The cable is beginning to break after one fucking use! Well,this is what you get for 8 bucks off Amazon. So, today I ride and tomorrow I do the new front brake pads. By the end of this winter I want this bike in good enough shape for a long cross country trip in case I have some good fortune and can actually afford to go on one. I love doing this stuff. This is the MG on a road trip. Nothing makes me happier than rolling down the road packed into the unknown!

 

Found This On The Internet It's Called "The Crooked and Obscene"

 These links are better than  the other one.

https://swaysuniverse.com/trending-news/trump-towering-literally-43-foot-nude-marionette-of-the-donald-debuts-in-sin-city/

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160818/union-square/meet-man-behind-naked-donald-trump-statue/

A Plug For One Of The Good Guys

 

Reverend Billy Talen

Wed, Oct 2, 10:36 PM (12 hours ago)

to me

Earth Activism in the Wind and Waves   Governments, corporations, militaries:  these are not people.  Their power is based on violent separation from life, domination from afar.  They consistently put poisons into the Earth.  And who defends the Earth?  Individual souls and small groups like families where love grows, or neighborhoods, which can then grow into movements.  But we activists, whatever our campaign, have been unable to change the devotion of major institutions to toxins and war.    So - who defends the Earth?  The Earth defends itself.  The Earth is the only living being that responds realistically to the poisons we put in the air, water and soil.  Look at the Earth now. In the 500 mile path of Hurricane Helene’s destruction, there are completely depoliticized Americans who are looking up at the sky and wondering for the first time, “All this.  Where does it come from?”   Can we create a new kind of activism with the Earth as our teacher?  Maybe we don’t notice it sometimes, but the Earth is already there in our work.  When we think of our activism, we need to see the Earth in the risk we take.  The Earth urges us on!  The Earth is the ultimate activist, putting fierce love into our resistance.   The wind and waves lead us through old walls to a question we have avoided for centuries.  “All this..."

Our Friends From Far Away   The Newest New Yorkers as we call them are moving on with their helpers, the East Village Neighbors Who Care.   They have humanized Earthchxrch since February, as they studied English, ran the kitchen and the sewing machine and created resumes together and prayed and prayed.  This was such an experience for us, and we are so grateful to these compassionate laughing risking-it-all young men and the beautiful community that rose up with everyone caring for everyone.  We were glad to open our doors.  We wish you ease and safety.  You are always welcome here. Image credits:  Brennan Cavanaugh (photo), Savitri D (photo & poster)

Everyone Who Lives Here is a New Yorker Show! Northside of Union Sq, B'way & 17th St Saturday Oct 5th, 1 to 5pm   Artist: Coco Fusco and many more.  RevBilly & StopShopping Choir take stage 4pm

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