Today in History

Anyone out there remember whats important about today?


The event that forever changed our Nation and our World. BMS...

Read More... Collapse...

Guardian of Brothers

The night slowly turns to dawn as the sunrise crawls cautiously over the barren black path. Calm embraces the moment as a gentle breeze quietly ruffles the landscape. The air is crisp and chases the warmth from the skin. Off in the distance a rumbling can be heard, stirring both creature and man alike. All eyes face the East in preparation of the suns warming embrace. And yet the rumbling grows ever louder and breaks the eerie silence. And from the East a glint of light breaks the horizon. Dancing in unison with the sunlight as it shatters the darkness. And then another glint flickers along the horizon. All too soon the horizon is alive with flashes as the rumble gains strength. And just as quickly the flashes cease and they form a looming shadow cascading through the countryside.

The shadow gains momentum as it descends upon the unknowing people. The rumbling transforms into a dull roar as the shadowy beast advances. The wind carries an ominous odor, familiar yet strange. All eyes are still affixed upon the sun, mesmerized by the shadowy beast emerging from the horizon and the sun devours the crisp air. Nervously they shuffle in place frozen by indecisiveness.

The sun and the shadowy beast close the distance rapidly. Finally from the shadows an image appears, bringing with it a soothing calm for the people. For in this image waves gallantly the colors of red, white and blue. As the beast’s image shatters into fragments, the ten riders began their formation. The ominous smell is quickly recognized as a mix of leather and fuel. The senses are alive and working spontaneously to process all the information. The rumbling increases as these brave guardians of the patriotic brethren thunder past on steel horses. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table returning triumphant from battle and weary from the ride maintain formation until their ceremonious journey pauses. From this day forward a bond has been forged. Acknowledgement of this bond is unspoken, exchanged only by a hand shake and the familiar gaze within their eyes. A sense of honor and respect envelops the crowd, intensified by each handshake. And when the honor, respect and gratitude is validated, the guardians climb upon their steel horses. As the guardians thunder into the distance escorting their new brethren, the rumble turns into a ceremonious cannonade. The final journey home of our patriotic brethren will be forever engrained within the memories of both fellowships.

From this day to the ending of the world we in it shall be remembered. We lucky few, we band of brothers. For he who today rides by my side and stands by these courageous brethren with me, shall be my brother. And he who rides with foot pegs down, shall forever be embraced by our fallen heroes, patriotic and guardian alike. Let no man paint abstract lectures of this bond nor cast stones upon glass houses. And with this, no man shall break the bond between the guardians and the patriotic brethren.

Read More... Collapse...

Missing a Friend

Some of you may be aware my brother was in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. It was a hard time for me. Communicating with him abruptly stopped several times and I had a very hard time with it. He was ok and in his smart-ass-younger-brother way chided me, explaining he "had a job to do" and would be out "working" some times, “Don’t worry” He said.

Now I (and we) have a friend in Iraq. The communication with him is not as constant, I still worry, looking almost daily for updates from him, from the sand box.

Last night these pictures were received from him.

(click image for larger view)

His sacrifice is without equal, pausing a personal and professional life to fight for a cause that many in America have lost the taste for. Yet he is there, they all are there. Through hardships we cannot imagine.

This is an excerpt from a recent e-mail.

When I came over here a lot of the literature spoke about the insect problems and other creatures. I had not seen any since arriving here. That is until last night! Holy crap! Every nasty pesky bug on the face of the planet came out. It's so bad that you walk away from all light sources because the ground crunches beneath your feet and they are pelting you as you walk. You do not turn on the outside light around your pod because of the bugs. You enter in the dark close the door and then turn on your inside lights. They are still all over in the daylight too. One kid got stung by something and his head blew up like pumpkin. He's going to be alright.

It's 14:30 (2:30 pm) and the temp is 92. It's supposed to reach 96 today. 105 attacks so far! [mortar attacks on the base he is in]


In the event he should read this;
Know, my friend, that you are missed.
You are continually in my thoughts and prayers.
God’s peace, God’s speed and my He keep you safe.

The silence of you not riding is much worse than the silence of your ride.

Read More... Collapse...

Mission Accomplished

Staff Sgt. Bradley King, who was killed April 2 in Iraq, was honored with a funeral procession by the Indiana Patriot Guard Riders. The Marion Chronicle Tribune covers the story as well as the Indianapolis Star.

I am proud and honored to be part of this organization!

Read More... Collapse...

Biker's Zen (Wise Words From the Road)

Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.

Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handlebars
to the saddle.

Life may begin at 40, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 110 mph!

You start the game of life with a full pot o' luck and an empty pot o'experience... The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck. If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.

Midnight bugs taste best.

Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.

Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you.

It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.

The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rearview mirror.

Never be afraid to slow down.

Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.

Sometimes it takes a whole tank-full of fuel before you can think straight.

Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone.

Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.

Never do less than forty miles before breakfast.

If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride.

A bike on the road is worth two in the shed.

Respect the person who has seen the dark side of motorcycling and lived.

Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders pick a direction and go.

A good mechanic will let you watch without charging you for it.

Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night.

Always back your bike into the curb, and sit where you can see it.

Work to ride and ride to work.

Whatever it is, it's better in the wind.

Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway - it's an attitude.

When you look down the road, it seems to never end - but you better believe it does.

Winter is Nature's way of telling you to polish.

Keep your bike in good repair: Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking.

People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently.

Sometimes, the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes.

Good coffee should be indistinguishable from 50 weight motor oil.

The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

The twisties - not the superslabs -separate the riders from the squids.

When you're riding lead, don't spit.

A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 am to drive his pickup to the
middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down.

Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt @ 70 mph can double your vocabulary.

If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can't stop at every tavern.

There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.

Don't lead the pack if you don't know where you're going.

Practice wrenching on your own bike.

Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't.

Don't argue with an 18-wheeler.

Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit.

A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith, and use up a lot of fuel.

If you can't get it going with bungee cords and electrician's tape, it's serious.

If you ride like there's no tomorrow, there won't be.

Gray-haired riders don't get that way from pure luck.

There are drunk riders. There are old riders. There are NO old, drunk riders.

Thin leather looks good in the bar, but it won't save your butt from "road rash" if you go down.

The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside.

Always replace the cheapest parts first.

You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze .

Only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window.

There are two types of people in this world, people who ride motorcycles, and people who wish they could ride motorcycles.

"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end."

Read More... Collapse...