An officer and a gentleman. 8/11/2008
“It is by no means enough that an officer be capable … He should be a gentleman of liberal education, refined, manners, punctilious courtesy, and the nicest sense of personal honor … No meritorious act of a subordinate should escape his attention, even if the reward be only one word of approval. Conversely, he should not be blind to a single fault in any subordinate.’”
John Paul Jones (1747 - 1792), Continental Navy, U.S. War of Independence.
All animals are equal 8/7/2008
Voted Best Joke in New Zealand.
Bruce walks into his bedroom with a sheep under his arm and says: ‘Darling, this is the pig I have sex with when you have a headache.’
His wife is lying in bed and replies: ‘I think you’ll find that’s a sheep, you idiot.’
Bruce says: ‘I think you’ll find that I wasn’t talking to you.’
Disability. 7/8/2008
How many of your senses do you use when you ride? Sight? Most definitely. Touch? Yes, when you feel the vibration of the engine, the movement of the suspension on the road, the scrape of your kneeslider as you lean your bike over. Taste? Well, not really, unless you accidentally swallow a bug.
What about hearing? Very important this one. The ability to hear is something many riders take for granted, but how many times do we realise we use it as part of our arsenal of riding survival tools? I know I use my hearing as an early warning system for traffic approaching from behind, or as a monitoring system for how the bike is performing and the engine is behaving.
And although some of my senses are gradually deteriorating with age, my eyesight for one thing. My arms are no longer long enough to allow me to focus properly. My hearing, after half a lifetime spent around things that make very loud noises, no longer registers anything above 16,000 Hertz. But I still have possession of them. Just don’t mention anything about my mental faculties, that’s another issue for another time. Motorcycling is dangerous enough as it is, and having your senses working overtime is a necessary survival tactic.
So, here I am, standing up, having my senses fully functional. And today I was eternally grateful I could do so, because I met a man who could not hear, and could not speak.
No biggie, says you. You can still see and smell and taste. I have friends with disabilities too. Well, this guy is a little different. Actually, very different.
You see, Vladimir, with his disability, is riding around the world on his motorcycle.
Ouch! 6/30/2008
Happy Father’s Day 6/16/2008
He taught me the meaning of honour, of standing by my word, and what I believed in. He taught me that losing gracefully is the mark of a gentleman, and sometimes is better than winning. He taught me how to speak the English language properly, and to respect all languages, and the written word. He sometimes lived his life too safely, refusing to take risks, but taught me that decisions have to considered carefully, and to weigh the implications. He taught me that alcohol is something to be savoured, not to be consumed in excess. He taught me to mind my manners, and to be polite to everyone around me, irrespective of their station in life. He taught me how to calculate the averages for poker and blackjack in my head. He taught me that a man is measured by his name, and the reputation attached to it. He gave me his sense of ethics, and that honest work is always rewarded, though not in the way I might want. He taught me how to play tennis, and gave me a lesson in humiliation and being humble when he whupped my ass in straight sets when he was 70, and I was a young officer candidate.
I carried his coffin and scattered his ashes in the sea a month ago today.
Happy Father’s Day Grandpa.
The price of pleasure. 6/4/2008
Is now RM2.70 a liter.
The government just announced that the price of fuel is going up 40% at midnight tonight. Aside from the huge queues from idiots topping up their tanks $20 worth of petrol just to take advantage of the price hike, I wonder how this is going to impact car drivers. If you ride a bike to work, on a regular basis, you’re already ahead of the game. Bikes are way more fuel efficient than cars, tuned superbikes excepted.
However, motorcycles imported into this country are still subject to a 100% import duty, and pay disproportionately more in yearly road tax than a car, based on engine size. Considering the fact that bikes are more fuel efficient, take up less road space and parking space, do a lot less damage to the environment and infrastructure than a car, I think some sort of break is in order, don’t you?
And no, don’t whinge to me about salaries. I haven’t had a pay rise in well over a year.
Pop-up dog… 6/2/2008
… goes for a drive.
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