Internet Yard Sale!

In the hopes of slimming this life of mine down even further, I've been posting some of the bikes from around the shop from time to time. Well, here they are in one nice, consolidated episode for you ADD types. I've got 2 mules on the block right now, and a couple more to come after Born Free. Get 'em while they're hot and if you're brave enough, make an offer for the pair. Interested? Hit me up at sales@eternalcombustion.com and let's chat!

First up is the '56 Panhead - She's got an original numbers-matching '56 motor slung in a 70's era Paughco straight-leg frame and narrow-ass springer up front. Spool hub 21" graces the end of that up, out and raked neck. No messy bar clutter on those short Z's either, since its got a foot clutch and jockey shift. Newly rebuilt S&S Super E carb provides the go and a OE drum out back provides the stop. Beautiful flame-job on a Wassel tank, and matching job on the fender out back as well. The bike was originally named "KINK" back in the day and had a super paint job that unfortunately didn't stand the test of time. What did stand the test, is the imprint of a fine naked lady handcuffed to the sissybar that remains on the seat to this day. It's got a clear CA title and good numbers.


You want it? 11K takes it!

Next, we have the reincarnation of the Puta de Oro from EDR / Flyrite fame. She's been reskinned and sits how you see her here. It's a 2006 Flyrite by title and is powered by an S&S genny shovel that reports in at 93 cubes. Plain and simple, it freakin' rockets its ass down the road. Light, light and light are the words that describe this beast the best. Fired by a Morris mag with full auto action and sipping fuel from a custom sporty tank with insane paint from Chicago Chris. Spool hub up front on a nice, new 21" rim wrapped with a Bridgestone classic rubber to lead the way. DUAL DISC REAR to make sure you stop when you decide that's the prudent action. This is one of the only dual rear disc setups we've run across and it works exceptionally well. Custom Flyrite frame done with a single downtube leading to a mild wishbone style lower set of tubes slung under the power plant. Simple and sweet. Brass accents all around set it off along with a classic italian solo seat and P-pad and a Ford spare tire ring to keep the rocks from hitting you in the back of the noggin. Clear and current title and registration in the wonderful state of California, and ready to go when the money flows!


This one's 10K OBO.

DMV theft update...

For any of you who were outraged or burdened with the same theft by the DMV that I mentioned back a few posts ago in Anarchy Burger, I've got an update for ya. I talked at length with the State Franchise Tax Board official and was pleasantly surprised to get someone who not only had answers, but understood the entire issue for what it is - wrong!

Now, there's no clear-cut, awesome, get out of jail free path here, but at least I found out this - You call the DMV on the main number at 916 657 8120. Press '1' for English (I know, I know), then listen to the entire spiel that the recorded voice spits out. At the end (yes, you have to wait till the end), press '0'. It's not an option, but do it. Then on the next menu, press '1'. This should put you with a person that can assist in getting the cash back that they stole, providing you state that the vehicle was either 1) not in your possession and liability any longer, or 2) that you had a non-op in place and NO INSURANCE on it.

I was told that they will refund the money taken or apply it to another vehicle if you have others with delinquent fees. We'll see if this works out. I got tired of waiting for the operator yesterday, and I'll try again Monday.

Just doing my part. See ya out there!

You need to calm down!

Lately, as you can probably imagine, I've been receiving a lot of input from people both positive, and what I'll call "constructive". The latter of the comments have been almost solely centered around me needing to just breathe and calm down so I can focus on the good things in my life. Hmmmm.

It's hard for me to formulate a response that will bridge the obvious gap in how one person chooses to live and how another chooses. To me, statements about me needing to be calm and smell roses and the like are based primarily in two things. First, the speaker wanting me to have a better life filled with happiness. Awesome! I like this. I like that there are people out there concerned with my well-being for sure, and I'll do my best to keep these people around. The catch is that the second reason they say these things is because they are identifying my life through their own understanding. We all do this. We have very little other than our knowledge of own experiences to guide us through this place, so it follows that we would take those personal references and use them to form our understanding of other people too. This simple fact can cause all sorts of issues as every single one of you knows, whether you choose to "get it" or not.

To focus on my particular situation, I've come to learn that what appears as anger or stress and would be damaging to some other people is pretty much a cathartic medium for me. I use the energy I get equally from the good and bad (or at least try my damnedest to) to try to achieve some sort of progress in my life. It's why I'm constantly changing things around me. If I run into a situation where I feel uneasy or threatened, or whatever bad crap you want to put there, I do get angry. That's OK with me. That anger allows me to focus on the situation and sort through the BS to come up with a solution that works to avoid it later. I guess you could say, that for me, anger is tied to activism. I don't always mean activism like picketing the war or tossing molotovs at the police either. Things like changing jobs, locations, personal habits, and even your underwear can be considered activism too, as they can have profound effects on your life, and sometimes with very little effort. I choose to take my anger and turn it inward to use as fuel for that activism. Get it? Maybe not, but that's OK too. Doesn't always work. Sometimes, I simply get pissed and start shitting all over the world around me as a defensive mechanism until I can regroup and get some alone time to focus on what's really going on. It's been a long journey for me to get to this point, and it will be even longer, assuming the sun comes up again tomorrow.

So, how do we learn to look at people through their own eyes? How do we learn to stop placing our ideals and experiences into their actions? Sounds easy right? Well, I'll toss out a book that I believe everyone should read before they turn to dust, and preferably sooner than later. It's called the Five Love Languages and I can't say enough about it. Yes, that's a link to a sales site for the book. No, I don't get a kickback. No, I haven't gone gay and squishy either. I know, the site and the book sound like most people's version of hell, but I beg you to give it a look. Forget the whole premise of this being a vehicle of making your love life better (unless of course that's one of your big obstacles right now), and use it as the tool I believe it truly is. A few years back, this book opened my eyes to exactly what I've been rambling about here today - that each person literally speaks a different language that defines them. Trade the word "love" with "life" in the title and the book is spot on. Think about how many times you've run into someone and tried fervently to explain how awesome a movie you just saw was, only to have them say "Eh, I thought it sucked". Sound familiar? Now think of how many times you refuted them by saying "No way man, it ruled!" You're just not speaking the same language. Believe it or not, some folks just don't get the same kick out of 'Teenage Vampire Aliens Want Your Makeup' as you do. It has nothing to do with right and wrong, it simply shows the differences in the "languages" we speak.

You'll have to read the book to get the whole picture, but hopefully you're seeing some piece of it here. My life and my choices in it define my language. That language is what I speak in all my further experiences and choices. There are a million languages out there and not all of them can be understood by one another, so you have to start learning the languages of those you choose to keep company with. Sound daunting? It is. It means you need to step outside your own understanding and spend some time seeing it through others' eyes. Then you have to either commit to speaking their language when around them sometimes, or you deal with sucky movie comments forever.

Me? I'll just keep getting angry about what I view as wrong, and happy about what I view as good, and hope that someone out there learns to speak that language with me. So the next time you see me and I'm spewing garbage about the collapse of American financial institutions or about how cool a Panhead is versus a RoadkingGlideDeluxe-a-tron, just remember that I'm not from around these parts and you may have to listen a little harder before realizing I'm having a good time. I invite everyone to give it a try. I'll try harder to do it for you too. A million of us "getting it" wouldn't hurt, although I don't think I have enough popcorn for us all...


See ya out there!

I ain't skeered!

Ok, I never thought I'd utter that phrase in that manner, but it fits for this one. No, I'm not going to run out and buy a lifted truck and sticker it with bad copies of Calvin pissing on a fordodgevy logo and No Fear BS. This is about something I saw out there in Social Magnificence land yesterday and thought was fascinating.

It was an article that you can find HERE by some guy named Mark Morford, and it was a reaction to yet another article (or email - HERE) that was being passed around as we are prone to do these days. The funny thing is that instead of actually offering anything of important rebuttal or even a tidbit that people could take to counter the email in question, it simply lambasted the "conservative" and "religious" nature of the offending digital message. Not too long ago, I wrote that as long as this type of "journalism" (both pieces in question) is allowed to permeate our lives, that we'll remain in this stalemate of junk information and complacent non-activism.

The fact that the author used a reference to the difference between Liberal and Conservative brain size and function is also quite odd. I can only assume that he used this article as the foundation for his argument. He's basically taking the liberty to use factoids that have very little basis in real, scientific proofing to further an agenda to debase someone else's thoughts. Sounds exactly like what the author of the email he was attacking was doing doesn't it? Both use common tactics and shaky facts to push an idea they want you to cling to so you feel good about joining their club.

There's the real truth. As long as we believe and support a system of life where two groups sit on opposite sides of a river and toss rocks back and forth, we will miss the flowing of the real important stuff right at our feet. Yes, fear-mongering is bad. Tapping into the bad stuff and using it as a mechanism to control and direct people's actions is no better than simply enslaving them and forcing them to do your bidding. But, pushing the reality of bad issues to the side and telling people to look the other way is equally as enslaving. It's simply another form of control. "Don't worry, we got this" doesn't make me feel any better these days.

I trust that people are actually smart enough to figure this stuff out, but I'm continually proven wrong. This self-proclaimed liberal, Mark Morford is spreading the fear of conservatives equally as much as the email was spreading fear of events and situations that may or may not exist in the world right now. What's the difference? One is saying the world will end, and the other is saying that Conservatives will end the world. I see very little difference. One is wrapped in clothes of darkness and fear and is easy to point the evil finger at, while the other addresses happiness and "love making" to make his agenda seem pure and white and good. Somewhere in the middle is the gray area that we need to dig into and figure out. Not all good guys wear white, and not all bad guys wear black, that you can bet your life on.

I say pay attention to the things that are going on around you. See them for what they are. Realize that there is very little that is sustainable in the world around you at the moment and then realize what that really means. Ok, here, I'll tell you - It means that we CANNOT continue the way we are going and be successful. Period. Unsustainable manufacturing, fuel consumption, food production, economic abuse and water usage are at the top of the list, but there are a ton more. Yes, there are bad things happening. Yes, there is still plenty of opportunity to fix it all. No, it won't happen by sitting on your duff watching TV and pretending that as long as you focus on happy stuff that it'll all be OK. Don't get me wrong, there is also a lot of good going on. Embrace that good when you are lucky enough to participate in it and use it as the energy that will drive you to ACTIVELY overturn the bad things as well. But you have to get out there and pay attention, and commit to making these thoughts important to you.

Go find real data and not editorial dribble. Believe what you want, but when you stake your claim, go do something about it. Don't just sit and wait it out. Don't pretend that blaming conservatives or liberals will fix anything. Don't believe that only seeing the good makes all the difference. Talk to friends, family, coworkers, enemies, or whomever you can and get to spreading some sort of action, even if it's simply getting brain cells moving around. Remember, focusing on the bad things and actually working to turn them into something better, is the only method to actually achieve the "good life" you keep saying you want.

See ya out there.

Anarchy Burger...

Hold the government, please. There, I made an old punk rock reference for you 'tards that can't get out of the 80's.

I'm angry again. Shocker, I know. I've picked up a lot of new readers since starting to post about full-time RV living, and I'm not sure if they're all ready for my rants, but I don't really give a damn.

"Why you mad today?"

Glad you asked. Today I got a notification from my wonderful bank... wait... I didn't get a notification actually. I had to find this out on my own. Silly me, thinking the bank would actually be proactive in letting you know something.

Anyway, I found two transactions on my account today that were simply listed as legal hold transactions. Totaled over 300 bucks. No idea what that is, and since calling the bank is only outdone in level of effectiveness by calling your congressman, I decided to pay a visit to the local bank building. After sitting around for a while, the nice lady (she was actually pretty nice) told me that it was the state of California that had snuck into my bank account without warning and taken the first 225 dollars. Then, because that wasn't enough, they also came back and took another 100 bucks for the service fee of stealing my cash in the first place. No authorization needed! It's the state. They do what they want.

She went on to let me know that it was the Vehicle Registration office of the state that took the funds and gave me the number associated with the transaction. Being the patient man that I am, I waited all the way home to call and find out what the fuck was going on at our great capital building. After bouncing around on hold forever, I finally got a woman who proceeded to tell me that I was charged for back registration on a vehicle that hadn't been registered for over two years.

Well, it was news to me that you have to register vehicles that YOU ALREADY FUCKING SOLD! Sorry for yelling, but you see, I don't own said vehicle anymore. It left two years ago. Amazing woman of brains at the state then proceeded to tell me that they did indeed have record of my affidavit of sale (release of ownership form from your title) for said vehicle, but that it never left the system.

She dug around a little bit and then came back to inform me that they had also taken money out of my state tax return this past year for another vehicle I don't own any longer. Same deal. Notification of sale on record. Never left the system.

They never left the system.

They snuck into my bank account and tax return to steal money to register a vehicle that they admit I don't own any longer.

They refuse to give money back.

Let that sink in.

I've paid for two vehicles to be registered in California when I no longer own them and I'm pretty sure that they aren't even in the f'ing state.

They refuse to give money back.

It's my responsibility to inform the state.

I DID INFORM THE STATE!!! YOU JUST TOLD ME YOU HAVE THE FILINGS ON RECORD!!!

WTF?

All total, it's over 500 dollars that I've "paid" this year for nothing. Nothing.

This is your state. This is your government. This is what is happening, because every office that can collect funds is being pressured beyond belief to bring in the cash. Forget one hand talking to the other. Now, not even the fingers on the same hand recognize what the others are doing. Think it's time to start worrying?

They came into my bank account without warning people. I have no record of any notice from the state, and I keep pretty good records.

Let that sink in again.

Time to get small and get ready people.

Opens your eyes even more...

To get out on the road actually "doing it" that is. Spent the last week in Sonora as you may know and after doing the rig thing even that short of a time, it's already evident that my list of "must haves" can, should and will get shorter. Yeah, I know I didn't hit every encounter you might need to prepare for, but snow, rain, sleet, sun, cold, hot, and everything in-between counts for a ton. Added a few things that I'll be needing and realized quite a few that would just be there for the ride, and I could use the extra space, so they lose.

Great friends and good times were had to help solidify my outlook on this whole shebang. Swap meet went over well, and the DTMC boys should be proud of the outing, especially for a first-time gig. Hopefully, they'll put it on again and give me even more reason to visit that neck of the woods. Truly gorgeous part of California that makes you forget the smog-ridden armpit that the LA surroundings presents.

Onward to the Hoedown and then bounce around the Southern end of Cali for a couple months until Born Free is in the rear-view. After that, who knows. I'm putting the schedule together now and will post it once I have a better feel for the in-between stops and such. 

See ya out there!

The Rig Life - And so it begins...

Here I am in Sonora on the first journey with the new rig and I have to say, it's pretty freakin' amazing. Great campground that I picked on a whim, and even though it's been snowing today along with rain all night, I can't complain.

Rig's checking out pretty well. Only a couple little service issues to take care of once I'm back in civilization. When you jump out and purchase a thing like an RV on the pre-owned (why they don't just say used is beyond me), there are always the "oh shit" kind of thoughts that float around the brain like - "what about roof leaks?" or "what about roof leaks?". You can tell I was a little more than concerned that after spending its entire life in Arizona, I might have a unit that needed some help in the area of cracked or disintegrating seals and such. It rained like hell last night and not a drip, so I guess I can start putting that fear to bed and get on to the next.

Tail gate on the garage is a little higher than I would like due to the axles being flipped on this unit. Previous owner hauled gyrocopters and didn't have to worry about high-centering a bike on the trim I guess. He also took the thing to the wilds and parts-unknown, so the axles needed to be higher than normal. A good thing considering I'm mating to a HDT hitch up front, but a total drag when offloading scoots. Gotta come up with a fix for that pretty quick.

All-in-all, this quick excursion has immediately solidified all my harping on reduction as being a real deal. I sit here staring out the window to a great view with everything I need literally within reach. Tons of space in very little space at all. Really puts it all in perspective.

For those of you heading out to the DTMC swap, hit me up and I'll give ya the tour!

Is this livin...

Or what? Seriously. Here's my home for the week -

This is my back yard -

And these are my neighbors -

Come out to the DTMC swap meet and I'll tell ya all about it. Don't be mad.

Loaded...

I got 12 in the clip...

And one in the chamber...

Who wants some??

More or Less...

Like I said earlier, you have to make sure to keep an honest list of the important crap when you plan on getting loose of the bonds and heading out to the World's Edge. My list expands, then shrinks, then expands, then shrinks again. It's a real pain in the ass. Seems like every time I think I got it figured, I look around and realize that something I "needed" doesn't fit, or something I didn't think I needed becomes necessary, and I have to find more space.

I'm planning on getting some crash-course time in this coming weekend in Sonora for the DTMC swap meet. I'll be vending, so taking old parts and new stuff too will help figure out how much I can manage easily, while getting some miles under me with regards to tiny-ass-RV living can't hurt either. OK, OK, I know the rig is frickin' huge all things considered, but when you go from your house, no matter how big, to around 300 square feet, you have to stomach some life-shock regardless of your tastes.

Again, I send out the challenge to you that bother to take it to go into your own existence and look around to simplify what you have, what you do, and what you plan on. Doesn't mean you have to wander like Kung Fu, or hole up all hermit style, but find a place that fits for you and start at the beginning. Shed some crap. Quit your debt. Break the mold that the world has you set up in.

I get asked what people should be planning for, and the only thing I can come up with is this - Figure out what your personal worst-case scenario would be and build up a contingency plan for dealing with it. Zombie Apocalypse? Great, figure out what you need to make as many head-shots as possible and go get it. Bank melt-down? Perfect, figure out what to do with your money that gives you things that are still worth something to the people you're going to need to deal with. Basically, find a way to make sure you only have those close to you to worry about, and not some credit collector or flunky from the government trying to get in your pocket when the going gets rough.

Sound far-fetched? Maybe. But look at it like this - If in the end, the world gets all golden-age on us again, the planning you do will only bring success to you as well. You'll be ready for the good as much as the bad right? If you size down and keep making the same or better money at your J.O.B., you'll be sitting pretty and ready for action. But if the planet serves up a shit sandwich in the near future, would you rather look back and say "dang, I should've lost 50 pounds and bought that Zombie-matic 2000 when I had the chance", or realize that you did the right stuff and were prepared for anything? It's up to you. I got my way, you go get yours.

I got packing to do. See ya out there.

Therapy!

Got out for part of the weekend and it was good. Rode down to BFE all by my lonesome after the gang had some early ignition problems, but that was all for the best, and the solo, twisty, ass-chilling goodness was welcome for sure. Got to the campground via some simple directions given by our gracious host Adam, and was just happy that I didn't eat shit on that 11.5 mile dirt dung-pile they called a road. Got the run of the place and best tent spot since I was first one there by about 3 frickin' hours too! Seems the rest of the pack stopped along the way to shoot the shit and wait for stragglers and I just did the same with Adam's pops-in-law and his buddies who were a blast. Got to do the angry American talk with 'em and then on to guns. Good times for sure!

All-in-all, that's the reason we do this sort of stuff. Great time with great people - some new, some old news, but all worth their salt. Best part is that is was a quick in-and-out deal, and nobody had time to grow tired of it. Crazy campfire shenanigans had me laughing till my eyes dried up and I can only hope I added in a few chuckles for the crowd too.

Up bright and early Sunday and shot off with Allen to breakfast at the local Casino, then off on my own again for the twistys up the 79 to home. Hot, cold, hot, cold was the order of the day, and a nice farmer's tan will be in my near future after the burn wears off. Nap time for papa once I hit the shed and then up again to start working on the list of to-dos for Sonora and the Grand Plan.

Got some crap moved out the door on Craigslist and can only hope more gets out of the way soon. Making progress, but now's the time to start loading up the rig for the upcoming swap meet in Sonora with the boys from DTMC. Gonna be more good times and more brain massaging for sure!

I could get used to this...

April Fools!!!

Ok, so this whole thing has been a total joke! I'm not going on the road. Not simplifying my life. Not giving a rat's ass about any of that stuff! I've actually taken a new job at the newly-rebirthed IBM super corporation and intend to take technology into the future by adding in my own flavor of "vintage cool". I hope to make at least a quarter mill each year and spend most of it on needless things to spruce up my new digs. I'm thinking statues of Greek gods by the front gates along with lots of lions in the yard. A pool with dolphins (real) in it along with jungle trees and monkey out back. Sound like a good start? Me too!

I did actually get an email today asking if I was going to unload the master prank news on the world by telling everyone I was just joking, but alas, I'm not. As a matter of fact, I got rid of a couple bigger ticket items yesterday and have more to list today! Anyone need a piano?