T. Boone Pickens is a well-known and legendary Texas oilman, a crusader for shareholder rights, a philanthropist, and a corporate raider. His deep pockets have been used for conservative politicians and causes, and today his official website has gone live - www.pickensplan.com - with his concept called the Pickens Plan.

The Pickens Plan focuses on cutting America’s demand for foreign oil by more than a third over the next decade, and he is bankrolling the largest public policy advertisement campaign to get this message across.

“We’re paying $700 billion a year for foreign oil. It’s breaking us as a nation, and I want to elevate that question to the presidential debate, to make it the No. 1 issue of the campaign this year.” - Source: T. B. Pickens, USAToday

How do you protect something that exists merely on the basis of faith? Where can we safely put this faith and for how long? Are we putting faith into something we want to believe in or the hope that we can compel the right actions to take place? Can one’s mind and heart turn into an opportunity to establish faith?

I once gave a lesson of faith, which echoed the truths that had been placed on my heart.

People can come up with every theory, hypothesis, or logical reasoning to not have faith in gravity. Educated people could use legitimate reasoning to discuss and disprove our faith in gravity. Yet, we live our lives and use the experiences that we know and feel, with no proof to understand. Our time on Earth is marked as a lifetime of proof of what we know, and with no absolute proof, we are compelled to have faith in gravity. We look around our daily lives, and people walk through doors. People do not walk through windows. Under no circumstance, with every ounce of coherent reasoning, can we disprove one’s faith in gravity as we never see people walk out windows. At the end of the day, while one could find continuous reasons not to have faith in gravity, there is no valid argument as they walk out the door and not a window.

History has shown us that in the past, people considered the Earth to be flat. From where we stand and see things in life, we look around and know only what we can make sense of. People would see the flat horizon, giving them the belief that we were living in a flat world. Watching the sun set would show a flat line that would not be seen again until the next morning’s sun rise. For that time period, people would continue to think the world was flat only because they could see the horizon being flat. Logic and reasoning were additional convincing factors; however we know today that the world is anything but flat. It comes to perspective, stepping away from logic and having faith. No amount of arguable facts showing the Earth is flat will ever amount to any truth. At the end of the day, the Earth was indeed as round as it had always been.

We can believe anything we want to believe in. We can choose to put our faith where we think it belongs, even if that means believing in the things that we think will work. If our perspective is wrong, then those same reasons and feelings will limit the right things we have our faith in. To rely on the same, proven logic will result in a misguided thought process in thinking the future will ever change. To keep things the same, after what time has shown, is like convincing that gravity will not work in the future.

Gravity is similar to attraction, just like attraction is similar to love. If we have proof to disprove our faith, then we should discard that faith. If we take a step back and see everything that is happening, we can believe in what will always be true and that gives us the belief and the faith.

Have faith in the things that work, and give up faith in the things that don’t work.

My cast is unofficially off. The doctors expect me to continue wearing it until its official removal in a couple weeks, but I have shorted my time into it and my hand continues to heal. My own physical therapy is bringing back the strength and motion that it once had, yet I understand that I will never come close to regaining where I was at before my motorcycle accident.

My motorcycle is ready to ride once again, and I sat on her and she felt good to sit upon. Putting my right hand on the throttle grip felt natural and right, proving to me that I am physically capable of riding. I can throttle and front brake accordingly, and I have no reactionary problems in the event I needed to be quick about something.

The new dillemma is I still have metal sticking out of my hand. Once I go see the doctor in a couple weeks, a few of these metal shards should be removed which would allow me to put my hand back into a glove. At that point, weather dependent, I hope to ride once again. It’s been a long time.

Then the next question is will I continue to ride motorcycles, in light of the events that caused my injury? I am undecided, rather waiting to see how life plays itself out. I look at it as I have ridden the last 12 years covering 165,000+ miles on the street, telling me I could hang it up and close a chapter in my life. Closing chapters can be just as hard as starting the next one.

I have learned that nothing in life is certain, but our will can take us farther than our minds can imagine. I am at peace with walking away from motorcycling. One thought process keeps me riding for at least one more year on the street, which would provide me the last opportunity to take one more long cross-country motorcycle trip. I would love to ride to all four corners of the contiguous United States, taking 1-2 months to do it, and my motorcycle is more than capable. Another thought process has been retiring off the street and taking my hobby strictly to the race track. The track would provide a minimized risk environment, and would keep my motorcycle fix where it needs to be.

Either way, I still have some time to see how things pan out. Winter is on its way, and my life has a lot happening. I am thankful that the cast is finally off, so that I can get back to typing. Along with getting caught up on work, I am granted with the ability to get back to my involvement within the various forums and communities online. It’s good to be back a part of PNW Riders, as I am emotionally attached to the great community of riders we have on there.

This picture has been my avatar for over a year on PNW Riders, it was taken in May of 2006 as I sat on top of Spiral Highway, which is on the border of Clarkston, Washington and Lewiston, Idaho.

I am a big fan of Dan Neil, an automobile columnist for the Los Angeles Times, as his humor and observations show an astounding method to keep me reading with enjoyment. I have always loved to read, especially reviews, but he takes it way further. You will catch yourself feeling as if you’re right there, understanding all the better as it makes sense. It wants to make sense too.

Jafar turned me on to Dan Neil after reading his piece on the Ducati 999, and I give credit to Keith for finding this recent column on the all new for 2008, Mercedes C300. Keith and I have had discussions on German automobile engineering. My Mercedes 190E is old school, but runs like a champion. I have always felt that Mercedes has awesome engines, with the problems being more on the electrical side, and when things break - they are definitely expensive!

Dan Neil not only reviews the new Mercedes C300, but he takes into account what Mercedes is facing as they try to improve their image in regards to quality. Dan Neil does indeed enjoy the new C300, yet reserves judgement on the improved image of Mercedes build quality - well, read it for yourself and enjoy every bit of it too.

Review of the Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport

Plagued by reliability issues, the company is doing damage control with its new C-class.

By DAN NEIL

October 24, 2007

On average, the angriest e-mails I get are from former Mercedes-Benz owners on the occasion of my saying something nice about the company’s products. I imagine an irate reader pounding away at his keyboard in the wee hours of the morning, with a shiny Lexus in the driveway and a Stuttgart-made knife still quivering in his back.

Allow me to gloss: “I can’t believe you raved about the [insert gaudy hunk of German schteel here]. I bought a Mercedes a few years ago and it was a total piece of [insert colorful metaphor here]. I took it back to the dealer [exponential figure times] and finally got sick of them looking at me like I was speaking a foreign language [English?]. So, when did you go on the company payroll, you toadying, Hun-loving shill?”

Dear Mom: Thank you for your recent e-mail. . . .

What energizes these missives is a sense of betrayal, and in a perverse way — and wholly unwelcome, I’m sure — the galled, bug-eyed fury of disappointed buyers is a tribute to the expectations attached to the Mercedes-Benz brand. It is also, I believe, a measure of the hollowness of luxury and mass-class branding in general. When the plaid patterns on a Burberry’s handbag don’t line up; when Coach boots come marching out of Chinese factories; when Breitling, Baume & Mercier, Bulgari and Breguet all sell the same watch losing the same time with Swiss precision, consumers can only hope that Mercedes-Benz — which can fairly claim to have invented the automobile — would be a redoubt of quality.

In the last decade, it’s been kind of a slum. Last year, Mercedes and Consumer Reports went all pistols-at-dawn when the magazine listed many MB models as least reliable in their respective categories. And the company has fared no better with J.D. Power’s pivotal dependability ratings. All of this, I’m sure, has occasioned a calm and orderly procession of engineers and executives off the rooftops at Untertürkheim.

This background is necessary to decode the new and ubiquitous ads for the 2008 C-class. These ads portray the heroic lengths the company has gone to to develop the vehicle: the seven years’ worth of road-pounding chassis development, the brakes fit for Autobahn duty, the doors that support the weight of a 200-pound man. Why? “Because we promised you a Mercedes-Benz, that’s why,” says the earnest spokesman. Just in case you thought you had ordered a BLT.

Of course it’s a Mercedes-Benz. But what precisely does that mean? At its best, the brand stands for over-realized, over-engineered, survive-the-apocalypse quality that, to the extent that it conveys luxury, signifies that rich people are also smart. That’s the “promise” to which is referred. That is the compact between company and buyer, recently abrogated but now, the company insists, back in force.

So, is the new C-class — in the deathless prose of the ad — a Mercedes-Benz? Well, it feels like one. The moment you touch the door handle, you register the lubricated heft, the mantle-of-the-Earth solidity of Mercedes’ biggest and best products. Fall into the stiff, low-bolster seats and the familiar comes at you in waves: The optional COMAND nav/audio/vehicle controller interface is the same as in the S-class, only the central rotary knob is a smaller, knurled aluminum wheel. Much of the switchgear is identical to that of the higher-end vehicles. I was fairly unexcited about the C-class interior until I saw it in person; the grade of materials is richer and more appealing than it looks in photos. This is an organized, serious interior with lots of evident deliberation behind it. Sightlines are excellent, and it’s especially nice to be able to see the hood stretching out with small audacity like the S-class.

In the U.S., the 2008 C-class comes in three flavors: C300 Sport and C300 Luxury — both with the 3.0-liter, 228-hp V6 — and the C350 Sport, powered by holdover 3.5-liter, 268-hp V6 mated to the seven-speed automatic. A six-speed manual is standard in the 300 models, and 4Matic all-wheel-drive is an option in all three cars. I tested the rear-drive C300 Sport with the seven-shifter and — inspired by the commercials — abused it about as hard as I could. More about that in a moment.

You can call it lines of force, graviton waves or celestial harmonics, but there is something deeply Benz-like about the C-class’ interior ambience. It’s not simply the deeply muffled interior and wind noise levels, but the timbre of those sounds. The thing sounds like it should have European air woofling through the air ducts.

It also looks like a Benz. Styling an entry-premium car is one of the trickiest exercises in the business, because the big expressive gestures of a luxury car don’t easily translate to a smaller car. The C-class shares the S-class’ stiff-necked formality — the level hood, the upright grille, the classic roof-line arch. All in all, very like an S-class, Sire. But it doesn’t look like it’s wearing its dad’s suit, the Cadillac CTS. The Sport model gets the big, three-bar grille with the three-pointed star in the center. The Luxury model gets a more traditional grille with the three-pointer as a hood ornament.

The new C is capitalized in various dimensions. Compared with the outgoing model, the car is 3.9 inches longer overall (182.3 inches). The wheelbase has gained 1.8 inches (108.7), and front/rear track are up over an inch. The biggest gainer is the trunk, which now measures a competitive 12.4 cubic feet.

The C300 isn’t drunk with power, but with 221 pound-feet of torque from 2,700 to 5,000 rpm, and a quick-witted adaptive transmission with seven gears in the transom, the car always seems to be on the right foot. Zero-to-60-mph accel is about seven seconds, and the car’s high-speed cruising has a light, effortless Zen to it. I took the car out for a flog up through the hill country to Kern County and came away thinking the larger engine option (and diminished fuel economy) couldn’t pay for itself in adrenaline. For those who simply must drive the nail all the way through the 2 by 4, MB will soon offer the C63 — the same car, plus about 300 more horsepower.

You’ll note, I haven’t mentioned BMW, the perennial bogie in this segment, pursued by Audi, Lexus and Infiniti like witches during the Inquisition. The C300 has terrific road manners: lots of raw lateral road holding from the 17-inch Continental tires, firm and composed ride with excellent transitions from corner to corner, a comfortable understeer that, with a lift of the throttle, translates to an easily catchable oversteer. This car has no bad dynamic habits. It might not be as much kinky fun with the road-to-neuron connection of a BMW 3-series, but I would be surprised if the Benz can’t hang with the Bimmer around a short road course.

Overall, I’ve got no complaints. In fact, I think this is an excellent automobile and a credit to its breed. The C-class feels precisely like what you would hope, as if Mercedes had invented a shrinking ray and turned it on an S-class.

But then, I don’t own one. The question has never been, can Mercedes blow up the skirts of an auto reviewer like me. Obviously, they make savagely cool and desirable cars. But can those cars be trusted? That is the C-class’ mission. To paraphrase Poe’s raven, Mercedes, take thy knife from out my back.

dan.neil@latimes.com

–

2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport

Base price: $31,910

Price, as tested: $41,085

Powertrain: 3.0-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 with variable-valve timing; seven-speed automatic transmission; rear-wheel drive

Horsepower: 228 at 6,000 rpm

Torque: 221 pound-feet at 2,700-5,000 rpm

Curb weight: 3,527 pounds

0-60 mph: 7 seconds

Wheelbase: 108.7 inches

Overall length: 182.3 inches

EPA fuel economy: 18 miles per gallon city, 25 mpg highway

Final thoughts: A better class of C

Source: Los Angeles Times

Barry travelled from Kirkland, WA to Clarkston, WA to pick up his new 2007 Honda CBR 600RR from Mac’s Cycle, and the opportunity to break in a new motorcycle presented itself as good subject matter for a ride with some friends and a video to produce.

 I will be entering into the video podcast world, with the help of Barry - more on that another time, for now just enjoy this cool video:

I think the most annoying thing about everything is having my hand and wrist immobilized in a cast for a few weeks afterwards - talk about putting a damper on my lifestyle. Yet, I am thankful for my overall health and know the issues with my hand and foot should resolve in due time.

I love cheese tortellini.

After thinking on this for a couple days, I’ve decided to pitch “The Adventures of beansbaxter” as a possible television movie/series. So, with tongue firmly in cheek, I give you the treatment of the pilot episode. I’ve taken some liberties with a few of the details, along with adding comments (like this) on possible product placement/sponsorship opportunities. Beans, if you decide to pitch this I get a writers credit and 15% of the merchandising gross. I can see little “beansbaxter” action figures on the shelves of Wal-Mart.

Opening scene, a deserted highway, a motorcycle rider speeding down the road raising a dust cloud. (Kawasaki is unlikely to sponsor the show, would you consider riding a Harley? Or maybe a Vespa? Scooters are cool right now.) The narrator speaks.

“A single man, fighting for the glory and safety of America, riding alone against the forces of evil. Searching for injustice, and pursuing the perfect stuffed french toast.

“This week, on the Adventures of beansbaxter, the intrepid rider leaves Sturgis in pursuit of his favorite IHOP waitress, last seen duct taped and stuffed into a car trunk headed for Colorado.”

Beans pursues on his mighty (Are you sure you won’t switch to a Harley? How about a Honda?) ZX-10. Slowly gaining ground on the fleeing kidnapper. Suddenly, the fiend turns onto a deserted back road and disappears over a hill. Unseen, he dumps several bags of sand on the road then takes off. As Beans crests the hill his bike begins to slide. Despite his heroic efforts, he has a monumental high side and is tossed 30 feet into the air (We don’t have much budget for special effects or stunt people. Any chance you would be willing to re-enact the crash?) Landing hard, in a cloud of dust, he hops to his feet only to stumble and fall on his badly damaged foot. Crawling back to his bike, dragging himself with his one undamaged hand, he finally reaches his saddle bags.

Pulling a roll of duct tape from his bag he quickly creates makeshift splints and stops the bleeding by creative use of duct tape. Reaching into a secret compartment on his bike he retrieves his top secret communicator. Unable to reach his headquarters due to jamming from his enemies, he is forced to rise from the dust, push his bike to the nearest help, all while hopping on one foot.

Coming upon a closed fuel station, Beans breaks in, finds items he needs to make repairs to his bike, then leaves money and a note of apology. He fixes the damaged window with duct tape then leaves in pursuit of the kidnapper. (Would Jafar consider playing the head of the enemy syndicate?)

Switch scene to a high tech headquarters, lots of computers and flashy lights. A red light slowly flashing on a screen. No one sees it.

Back to Beans, slowly rolling into a driveway somewhere in Colorado. A helpful person catches the slowly tipping bike as Beans passes out from the pain.

Next scene, Hospital room. Beans, in hand cast and with a brace on ankle/foot limps to closet and begins dressing in riding gear. Nurse and doctor attempt to restrain him. He forces his way out saying, “She’s in danger. I can’t leave her to him!” (Rumor has it that Britney Spears has her agent negotiating for an audition for the part of Beans’ girlfriend/kidnapping victim. We’re still working on the hair thing.)

Once more on his battle scarred and damaged motorcycle (No way on the Harley? OK, we’ll give up the money, but it’s coming out of your share of the profits.) Beans speeds through a blinding snow storm on his way north, after receiving a tip from a homeless man (played by Christopher Lee).

Arriving in Seattle, just as the sun sets, shining on a gleaming white Mt. Rainier (Hey, a guy can hope, can’t he? the clouds have to clear someday.) Beans stumbles into headquarters just as the exhaust system falls from his damaged bike.

End of ep. 1.

So, what do you think? I’m thinking Russel Crowe for the part of beansbaxter. Despite Britney’s request, I think we can do better for the girlfriend. Music is still up in the air, but I’m hoping to have something nailed down by next week. We might be able to get the Possum Mountain Woodchuck Jug Band to do the theme song and first few episodes.

We all know Beans aversion to anything but water, so I was thinking, maybe product placement with Perrier, or one of the new oxygenated waters? Maybe get some riding gear donated for product placement.

They say laughter is the best medicine, and Daniel, I hope you got at least a half smile out of this.

Dave T.

Source: http://www.pnwriders.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48995

In my days of riding, my top 3 longest rides are now:

1) Colorado Springs to Seattle - recent
2) Las Vegas to Bellingham - earlier this year
3) Sacremento to Spokane - 2004

Not only was it the longest, it was the most painful ride ever. I dont think I have ever gone through so much to get back and then be so exhausted.

They had me do more xrays today, this time focusing on the thumb area of my right hand. They said it “looked” borderline broken but its been fine so I dunno what that was all about. I’m in a lot of pain but I’m managing it.

My foot has been just on fire as of late…but the real time is going to be Tuesday August 21 - I am set for surgery. I’ll be in a cast after that and go from there.

My original thoughts were I had just 2 broken fingers, so they sent me to get xrays and then the doctors thought my right foot was broken too. My foot has been swelling up, with pain in the ball part of the foot, and the main joint at the big toe spot. I have been unable to walk on it with any pressure so they wanted me to get that xrayed just to see how it looked.

After reading the xrays, the results came back showing my right foot is not broken, and only one of my two fingers were indeed broken. The second finger was just bruised up, but the end finger had continued to worsen and the xrays show why.

I am no doctor. However, as it was explained to me… the upper portion of my end finger was broken up into many pieces and it is unsure how much concern it went into the “joint” portion of the finger. Tomorrow morning, they are having a orthopedics specialist from the University of Colorado review the xrays and make the determination if the joint is affected. If the joint is/was affected, then they will recommend surgery.

If I was to get surgery, I have to wait about a week to do it so the swelling can come down some. It would also have to be done right at a week, because they said with no surgery, the hand would be healed in about three weeks and I would have to live with whatever it ended up healing as. So tomorrow, I find out about the extent of the damage into the joint area and whether surgery is recommended. If I do need surgery, I will entertain the idea of sticking around Colorado to do it here or getting back into Washington in time to have it done there.

My 2 fingers on my right hand are wrapped up in a joint splint (it’s so hard to type on the right side of the keyboard uggg), and for now I’ll hobble with a soft shoe on the right foot. More bruises are showing up on my shoulder and rib cage, but overall my spirits are very good and I am truly thankful and counting my blessings as it could always be worse.

About the bike…I am actually thankful that I took the dive in the soft sand as it probably lessened the extent of the damage. I am slowly ripping the bike apart looking into it more and more to see the true extent of the damage to make a determination on what to do next.

So tomorrow, I will know the final disposition on my body and my bike.

My body has been aching all day today, and I am amazed at how much the body can do and perform when running on high adrenaline as I was right after the accident. Once that adrenaline high comes down, it brings one down very fast and the up and down experience is amazing in a bad way to say the least.

Here are some pics from the day:

I was leaving the Sturgis Bike Rally in South Dakota, en route to Colorado. I was trying to avoid going through Wyoming, so made way through Nebraska instead to work my way south. The majority of my entire trip has been completely off the Interstate, all on backroads, mainly to have more fun, avoid all the RV’s and traffic, and to lighten the LEO’s that I may run into.

Got through that and was another 25 miles down the road, turned off on another backroad to avoid the traffic, and was only 2 miles down this desolate road when it happened again - soft sand replacing the road - only this time, there was zero warning.

The speed limit sign said 50mph, right where the road turned to soft sand/gravel. I was going right around 55 when I saw the road change, but it was too late. The road crested there, so my warning was only maybe 15-20 feet in advance. I hit my brakes very hard, fished tailed the rear, but straightened it out as I hit the sand and gravel. I dont think I slowed down to anything under 40mph when I hit it - the bike dived to the left hitting on the right side and throwing me about 3 feet from the bike. It all happened so fast. Adrenaline and shock combined was making me go crazy.

I’ve been riding since 1996, never wrecked a motorcycle up to this point. Sure, I’ve dropped a bike at a standstill due to stupidity, but I have never wrecked a bike while in any kind of motion. Damn! It all happened so fast!

So here I am in the middle of nowhere, roaming on the ole cell phone, and not enough energy to even lift my bike. A couple fingers on my right hand were blatantly popped out of place, I popped them back into place, but one of them keeps staying popped out. Right foot and knee were sore, not sure of what. Adrenaline was pumping like crazy! I know I went into shock, it was hard to come to any calmness, my mind was going stir crazy!!

I was wearing full gear, and I really mean full gear. I had my Vanson Leathers for my pants and jacket, with armor, Sidi boots, gloves, and helmet of course. I know, without a doubt in my mind, that my injuries would be way worse had I not been wearing all my gear.

I finally got the bike up, pushed it two miles back to a nearby gas station from where I had turned off of. The bike was not starting, and my mind was going crazy trying to think about any troubleshooting things.

I made a few phone calls, asking for medical advice and bike advice. I knew I broke two of my fingers at this point, I dont think I have ever felt such pain in my life - amazing in a bad, bad way!! My right foot was, and is, in such pain that I dont know of what. I really dont think I broke it, but something is not right.

The bike appeared toast and I didnt know what to do stranded in the middle of no man’s land. I kicked all the sand and gravel out of the bike and starting working through it. I did a good visual inspection, looking for leaks or electrical issues that may have been grounded off. The extent of the damage was pretty bad, I’ll probably find out how bad tomorrow - granted, it could always be worse.

Armed with some advil in my stomach, guzzling 2 liters of water, and starting to get somewhat calm, I was determined to see what I could do about riding out of there. Duct tape is my friend - used it to duct tape my motorcycle up to keep it together if I could get it road-ready. I took a couple ball point ink pens, and used them to duct tape to my fingers to keep them straight. I didnt want to take my boot off, because I was afraid my foot would be so swollen up that I wouldnt be able to get it back on. I figured I could deal with that later.

I was able to make the bike rideable using a lot of creativity. I had a problem getting my bags secured back on the bike, so I strapped down what I could and backpacked the rest on my body. Off I went…

My original plan was to goto Cheyenne, Wyoming but then the rain came. This was probably some of the hardest rain I have ever seen and been in. I pulled off at a gas station to shelter myself, but after 30 minutes, it didnt let up so I knew I had to go. What sucked is I was unable to wear a glove on the right hand, so the rain just stung and pierced my hand.

So with my body duct taped up, my motorcycle duct taped up, 2 broken fingers, one very bad right foot, missing one glove, backpack on back, in the downpouring rain, I pushed onward for another 4 hours finally arriving at my final and original destination - Colorado Springs, Colorado. The bike is in the garage, and I finally got a shower, and I’ll be going to the hospital tomorrow morning to get checked out.

The last 4 hours of riding probably wouldnt have been too bad if it wasnt for the 2 fingers and the nonstop rain. It was just miserable and i would never wish this upon my worst enemy.

For now, rest is what I need. I just wanted to let everyone know what happened and we’ll see how things play out from here.