Mike’s Typo

Novelty helmets - as they are called - are growing in popularity.  Heck, we even sell them.  And, we’re always looking for - well, just the right look.  A brit bike friend sent this link along.   (Follow the link and then search for “skull helmet.”)  He thought it was more appropriate for our bad-ass, open-throttle, hell-raisers.  Warning: these helmets aren’t DOT or Snell approved.  Oh, but I think the point is, “who cares?”  We’re goin’ straight to Snell anyhow.

As the hills south of Santa Cruz burn, there is lots of newz and lots of helpful information on the Internet.  The Santa Cruz Sentinel, with their awful (new-and-improved) web site, are covering all bases by providing the Evacuation Checklist.  When I saw this I thought, “this could be handy.”  Think about it: you’re in a panic trying to concentrate on what you should do/what you should take/how much time you’ve got to get out.  Having a list could really focus your attention, right?  Ok.  So, here is the list.  Obviously the person who prepared this wasn’t faced with having to evacuate any time soon.  But, for those who like to be prepared, this is a great list.

Is it right to categorize this under “stupid stuff” and “safety”?

How many articles have we read about the homeless problem and drug trade ruining our streets. I’m all for making help available to those who want to improve their lives. But, too many times I see the results of ignoring the homeless and/or allowing the problem to grow and fester. So, I had to chuckle when I came across this article, originally published in the LA Times. An inventive bar owner in Atlanta came up with a solution to rid his environment of homeless and the drug trade. The R2D2ish robot, nicknamed “Bum Bot” is sounds like just the contraption to have. Maybe if Sharper Image had picked up on this trend they’d still be in business.

Wanna see Bum Bot in action, here’s a YouTube video.  Here’s another video courtesy of CNN.

Remember that show? Well flipping through the channels the other night my remote got stuck on Cops. Ok, I’m not embarrassed to admit that show can sucks me in. I can’t explain it. But what got me this time was a segment on car theft. Millions of cars are stolen and fenced each year in the US. Sounds like an opportunity for technology, right? You bet. So, cops in various places throughout North America have a new weapon - the remote car. Call it a bait car. As the story unfolds, they park this bait car in an area where it will attract a car thief, then watch as the car is stolen. Remote cameras catch all the thief’s movements in the car. Undercover police follow the car and then when they are ready to apprehend, the hit the remote and the bait car shuts down. Thief’s reaction - priceless.

Here is a link to an article about this technology. Also, a link to a Dateline NBC show on a bit more elaborate effort to break into the world of car theft and fencing. Wish I could point you to the episode of Cops. Anyone finds a link, let me know. In the meantime, enjoy the Dateline show.

The who was Eliot Spitzer & Kristen. The what was - well, you know what. The when was a very tack Valentine’s Eve. So, that leaves the where. Leave it to the NY Times to do a story on the where of Eliot’s transgressions. Seems this was Eliot’s “unlucky” 13th visit to the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The Mayflower is a mere stones throw from the White House. And, while it is one of “the places” to stay in Washington, the NY Times lends a different perspective on the why of the where. Read here.

There’s a couple of ways to look at this whole Societe Generale mess. One of course is to look at the cumulative effect of the “rogue trader” combined with the bank’s aggressive position in sub-prime mortgages gone south. One week they announce a $7 billion hit and then a week and a half later they come clean with an additional $2 billion hit. Believe it or not, and it’s hard to, this is real money. Somewhere north of $9 billion. Whose money is it anyhow? Where did it go? Who has it now? $9 billion gone. It had to go somewhere. Someone is richer for it. Wouldn’t you just love to see a flow chart of where the money went? I’m sure the people of France would. Could their be a government bailout far off?

Here is another way to look at this. Rogue trader, also referred to by the bank’s chairman as a “terrorist,” is a diversion of convenience. They knew all along what this kid (and he is a kid) was doing. In fact, they were party to the cover-up. So, bank decides to clear $7 billion dollars worth of bogus trades just days before it plans to announce the biggest sub-prime losses in all of Europe. Coincidence? Sure smells like skunk to me. Read this story in the NY Times. It will give you a little better perspective on the plot line.

This is all fun to follow. The intrigue. Right up to the point where you remind yourself - $9 billion of real money.

Leave it to Animal Planet to bring us a worthy alternative to the Super Bowl tomorrow. As you surf the channels around 3pm looking for the Super Bowl you just might stumble across Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl IV. It’s billed as 3 hours of puppies on the gridiron goin’ for the goal. I admit, I watched the trailer. This is going to be pretty darn funny. I’m going to tape it. Or, maybe if the Super Bowl is a blowout in the first quarter, I’ll just jump over to Puppy Bowl. I’m thinking the commercials aren’t going to be as fun.

A three hour Puppy Bowl. I can imagine by the third quarter those pups are gonna be draggin’. The action might be too. Probably be some animal rights activists up in arms about 3 hours being “cruel and unusual.” I’d go alone with the “unusual.” Who thinks of these thing?

Article and trailer can be seen here.

Oh, one last thing. Half-time is a cat show. Sounds like they’ve got it all covered.

Seems he wants me to send him his deposit back on the 20-0-8 Rocker C he’s suppose to take delivery of later this month. I’m like: “Why, Wes, that grand jury laid down for you. You’re not the felony we all loved you for.” He’s like, “Dude, yeh, my lawyer did a number, but now I gotta pay all this back tax that I swear is optional.” So, next question. I’m thinking, should I ask it. Oh, what the heck. “How much, Wes?” He’s like, “17 man.” I’m thinking, WOW, he got off light. There are double-fine zone tickets that are more than $1700 now. Maybe I should try this no-pay-taxes-’cause-I-don’t-believe-in-it thing.

So, I’m a bit miffed. I mean here’s a guy who’s pulling down how many thousands everyday from just movie rental royalties and he’s pullin’ his deposit for a bike I moved him up (I mean way up) on the list to get. Maybe it was the fruitcake I sent him for Christmas. I don’t know. But, this is eating at me.

Then, I get up this morning and open the paper to this article and see it’s $17 million he owes in back taxes. And, they tack on interest and penalties to that. I pretty sure that interest and penalties thing is something north of 10%. So, if my math is right we’re talking another $170,000. So, I guess that $1,000 deposit will come in handy.

I’m thinking that it would have been a whole heck of a lot cheaper to just go along with the gov and pay the taxes when they were owed. But, whatta I know.

Lightbulb moment: Aw, shit, since he’s been hidin’ out in Florida these past few months, he’s probably gonna buy that bike from ‘ole Brucie (Rossmeyer). First Steven Tyler, now Wes. That’s it. I’m canceling my Daytona trip. And, I’m taking Brucie off my Christmas fruitcake list!

I’ve always sorta pulled for Gavin (Newsom, SF mayor). He seems like such a ditz who was somehow mis-packaged at the baby factory. Kinda a Monday or Friday baby. Know what I mean? But, something about him just makes you root for him. I mean after all he’s the mayor that has put the “soap” into SF Opera right? But, he’s finally been outdone. Not by one mayor, but two.

You’ve got the guy in Detroit who is text message crazy and didn’t have any idea that someone might have record of his explicit love messages (hundreds, by the way) to his Chief-of-Staff. Ok, so that’s just plain stupid. On all fronts. No sympathy there.

But, I love this one. Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, mayor of a small, eastern Oregon town of 500, has one-up’d even Gavin. Her MySpace page featured pictures of her posing in lingerie on one of the city’s firetrucks. Doing a bit of due diligence (purely editorial integrity stuff), I went looking for the Honorable K-G’s page. Seems it’s NOW only available to her friends of which I’m not one. Falling back on my investigative reporter skills, I was able to uncover a shot of the mayor on the truck from what appeared to be a reputable Internet smut site. (All in the name of good investigative journalizm.) I’m no expert, but it sure looks like underwear. It sure looks like the mayor. What’s more, that looks a lot like a firetruck. I think she’s toast.

I think we need to round up all these nit-wits - the mayor from Detroit, our Oregon hottie mayor, and how about that bathroom Senator from Idaho - and buy them a one-way ticket right out of office and onto the July 5th flight to wherever that plane is going. (Read Mile High Club post.)

I was flying back (on a plane) the other day and the thought occurred to me: “wouldn’t be great to be sitting here nude?” I mean you’re sitting there, your clothes get all bunch up and you get uncomfortable. You get uncomfortable and you get a little testy. Plus, really you run out of things to look at. So, “nudity ok here” would solve all the problems, right? What would Richard Reid have done if he’d been on a nude flight? You’re probably thinking, the air was a bit thin in that cabin Mike was in. Confession: I made all this up. The thought has never crossed my mind that it would be great to fly nude. Further confession: I’ve never ordered anything over the Internet in the nude either. Call me old-fashioned - I can take it.

But leave it to the SF Chronicle and once again Wired to really get the juices flowing (get you “thinking” that is). Seems the Germans are big on nudism. Didn’t know that. But, it’s in print so it must be true. The term, if you’re interested is, Freikorperkultur. No there is no “e” on the end, and yes the o should be one of those with the two dots above it. I’m sure it matters, but really how many of you know the difference between the double-dot o and a regular o? I’m probably going to get lots of email on this. But, anyho. So this freik…. literally translates to “free body culture.” Again, big in German. Or, so they say.

It appears that this is a “holiday travel companies” that is chartering these flights. The first is scheduled for July 5. There are a couple of key details. You must remain clothed in the airport. So, I’m guessing after the plane is in-flight and levels off the Captain will announce it’s safe to move around the cabin and…. Oh, and this. For safety reasons, the crew will remain clothed. Ok, if it’s unsafe for the crew to disrobe, how is it safe for the passengers? I’ve got more questions than answers. If you do too, link over to the article.

See you in Germany on 7/5! Reserve you spot today.

Oh, one more thing. Seems this is NOT an original idea. It was done back in 2003 by Naked Air on a flight to Mexico. Supposedly, the Naked Air web site has pictures. I wouldn’t know since I haven’t checked it out. Let me know if you find any!