The Next Hot Trend In Bike Customization

Danny Davidson of Williamson County Choppers has mastered the art of etching bikes. It takes a lot of skill - and a few beers - to steady one's hand enough to work the engraver on these large scale surfaces but it definitely pays off.

While there is some amazing paint going on - and my personal fav is Mike DuSold -- the etching is going to come on strong. And I'm not the only one that is seeing this trend. Alan Lee of Gangsta Cycles has pulled in Danny for the new bike that is being built that is slated to be on the cover of the new Art of the Chopper book.

If you happen to be in Austin this weekend for the Republic of Texas Rally (ROT), be sure to stop by Coyote Ugly on 6th Street as Danny will have one of his bikes there on both Friday & Saturday nights.

Also at Coyote Ugly displaying custom builds will be:

• Denny Garley of TC Custom Bikes
• Jimmie Lee & John Coen of Three Two Choppers
• Scott Arndt of Scott's Hardcore Kustoms

Photo = A Thousand Unspoken Words

I saw the photo.

Why that one?

Did you know I would recognize it immediately because certainly out of the 1000's of photos you've taken there are so many that have better placement, contrast, or even a better subject matter.

After seeing it, I kept hearing this song in my mind and I think you'll know which key lines keep resonating with me....

Type O Negative

This is my blood. Supposedly it is universal and is the ideal match for everyone -- evidentally, the "medical community" is re-evaluating that to see if it is indeed true. I have no idea what would have spawned the "things that make you go hmmmm" moment for them, but alas, it has.

It seems that when you know someone's taste in music, it gives you some insight into them. So for the forseeable future - or until I get bored - I will share with you some songs that I am quite fond of.

To kick things off and keeping with today's theme, we have the lovely song "Cinnamon Girl", which is a Neil Young classic but has been fantastically covered by Type O Negative. Crank up the speakers LOUD!

Feel

This is a very good video that came out a couple years ago -- good music, great lyrics. I've never understood America's taste in music -- Robbie Williams is one of the biggest stars in the world but very few in the US knows who he is and that's a shame.

Kick back, relax and watch this video:

Angry Kid - Stinky

A few years ago, I was turned onto Angry Kid. This is one of the first clips - only about 1 minute long and it's still one of the best.....enjoy!

1 Cup Humanity, 1 Cup Profanity

Be sure to stop by this kewl site as they will be moving on tomorrow!

It's Official -- The Egg Came First

It's a question that has baffled scientists, academics and pub bores through the ages: What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Now a team made up of a geneticist, philosopher and chicken farmer claim to have found an answer. It was the egg.

Put simply, the reason is down to the fact that genetic material does not change during an animal's life.

Therefore the first bird that evolved into what we would call a chicken, probably in prehistoric times, must have first existed as an embryo inside an egg.

Professor John Brookfield, a specialist in evolutionary genetics at the University of Nottingham, told the UK Press Association the pecking order was clear.

The living organism inside the eggshell would have had the same DNA as the chicken it would develop into, he said.

"Therefore, the first living thing which we could say unequivocally was a member of the species would be this first egg," he added. "So, I would conclude that the egg came first."

The same conclusion was reached by his fellow "eggsperts" Professor David Papineau, of King's College London, and poultry farmer Charles Bourns.

Mr Papineau, an expert in the philosophy of science, agreed that the first chicken came from an egg and that proves there were chicken eggs before chickens.

He told PA people were mistaken if they argued that the mutant egg belonged to the "non-chicken" bird parents.

"I would argue it is a chicken egg if it has a chicken in it," he said.

"If a kangaroo laid an egg from which an ostrich hatched, that would surely be an ostrich egg, not a kangaroo egg."

Bourns, chairman of trade body Great British Chicken, said he was also firmly in the pro-egg camp.

He said: "Eggs were around long before the first chicken arrived. Of course, they may not have been chicken eggs as we see them today, but they were eggs."

Harley Owners -- Get A Life!!

< Stepping onto my soap box >

Let me preface this rant by saying I was raised around Harleys; I ride a Harley; its the only kind of bike I've ever been interested in. I like the way my Low Rider handles and I like her sexy, raw sound.

BUT, if you throw an item into a black wrapper and paste a Harley logo on the front -- don't count on me buying it.

Recently, I've been on the look out for a concise, yet detailed road atlas that would properly highlight many of the little roads in Texas and the surrounding states. Road atlases are available that provide this - but they are mammoth. A person would have to be driving an RV to open it up -- completely impractical for a normal bike with normal saddlebags.

So yesterday, the spring 2006 edition (isn't it almost summer?) of Enthusiast came out which is a publication for those of us that are members of HOG (Harley Owners Group). On page 9 is a half-page vertical ad advertising the Rand McNally Harley-Davidson Ride Atlas of North America with much hype.

Sounds like what I'm looking for yes? Wrong. I get to the Harley dealership today and with the exception of a few additional pages it's the same damn road atlas that comes as part of your annual HOG membership package.

WTF?! Slap a black cover and put a Harley logo on it and now it's suddenly worth $35?! Honestly, I can go to Barnes & Nobel and buy the 2005 Rand McNally spiral bound road atlas with a laminate cover for the bargain bin price of $5.99. Roads don't change that much from year to year so to save $30 I'll buy a year old atlas.

It's like the HD Cleaning Bucket with Multi Pocket Apron for a mere $60. Take a good look at this photo -- see all those bottles of "product" around the exterior? They MUST be empty. See, everyone I know that has this bucket all say that by the time you put the product into the apron, it's too heavy and falls off.

Also, let's consider the Snap-On Tools H-D Tool Kit for a mere $200. I confess to not being a mechanic but doesn't common sense dictate that you could go to Sears and buy what you need from the automotive / tools department for about $25?

I'm a firm believer in capitalism -- but within reason. I have no problem with Harley licensing their name and logo but again, within reason and be a little more realistic with the pricing. Just because we own a Harley does not mean we are rolling in copious amounts of cash OR if we have the available cash, we have it because we don't squander it on silly things at outrageous prices.

A couple years ago I was on a ride with a local HOG chapter and one of the members made this crack about if people can't afford to participate in most of the events, they shouldn't have a Harley. I think that was the last ride I attended. I had just had it with that pompous attitude. A lot of great people have a Harley because it's their passion or they've dreamed about it all their lives. They may be cutting corners in other areas of their life like not having cable tv or eating out as often so that they can afford their bike.

I just wish that so many Harley owners -- and yes I do mean "owners" because most of them sure as hell aren't "riding" so could never be classified as a "biker" -- would stop acting blonde when it comes to any do-dad that is wrapped in black and plastered with a Harley logo.

< Stepping of my soapbox >

He Who Laughs Last -- Thinks Slowest

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Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter. "You don't?" I replied. "We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply. "So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?" "That's right." So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets

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I was checking out at the local Target with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those "dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the "divider", looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, "Do you know how much this is?" I said to her "I've changed my mind, I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK," and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.

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A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy."

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I recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. "Do you need some help?" I asked. She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?" "Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk."

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Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?" "Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.

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I was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in "Twister." I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the "cruise control" and then went in the back to make a sandwich.

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My neighbor works in the operations department in the central office of a large bank. Employees in the field call him when they have problems with their computers. One night he got a call from a woman in one of the branch banks who had this question: "I've got smoke coming from the back of my terminal. Do you guys have a fire downtown?"

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Police in Radnor , Pa. , interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine. The message "He's lying" was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the "lie detector" was working, the suspect confessed.

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A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and it should be fine, the mother says, I just gave him some ant killer..... Dispatcher: Rush him in to emergency room!

Life is tough.... It's tougher if you're stupid

Rolling Stones Lyrics

Rolling Stones Music Video Codes

Music Video Codes by VideoCure.com

Why I Hate Summer....

Summer -- is hot.

Summer is the time of year when people wear shorts that bunch up between their legs so the rear view of them leaves you wondering, "Don't they feel all that bunched up material between their legs?"

Summer is also the time of one of my ultimate pet peeves. I hate flip flops. I hate sandals. I hate thongs. I hate mandals. Whatever the hell you call those canvas - plastic strip straps of half-ass footwear that people wear that expose their nasty ass feet and ugly toes -- I can't stand.

If someone could see my eyes behind my sunglasses they would see me looking at disgust at whomever is walking past me in their noxious flip flops with that horrifically annoying sound -- flip FLOP flip FLOP flip FLOP. It makes me want to be an Iraqi and whack someone in the face with their shoe.

When that big statue of Saddam-ass came toppling down on CNN a couple years ago I got quite the giggle out of them whacking the statue face with their nasty, dirty sandals.

Since then, usually in the privacy of conversation with The One, I will make a crack about, "I beat'cho wit my cho!" He usually responds with an immitation from The Birdcage -- "It's da choos -- da choos!"

Hey - I never said I was politically correct.

By the way -- yes it's summer -- keep your nasty feet covered. Nobody wants to see your long lanky hairy toes gripping to dear life to a 1/3" thick piece of cheap black rubber.

A Midget In Texas....

A midget in Texas went to the doctor because his testicles hurt and ached almost all the time. The doctor told him to drop his pants. The doctor stood him up onto the examining table, and started to examine him. The doc put one finger under his left testicle and told the midget to turn his head and cough, the usual method to check for a hernia.

"Hmmmm" mumbled the doc and, as he put his finger under the right testicle, he asked the midget to cough again.

"Hmmmmm, I see the problem" said the doctor again, and reached for his surgical scissors. Snip-snip-snip-snip on the right side, then snip-snip-snip-snip on the left side. The midget was so scared he was afraid to look, but noted with amazement that the snipping did not hurt. The doctor then told the midget to hop down off the table and pull his pants up and walk around the examining room to see if his testicles still ached.

The midget was absolutely delighted as he walked around and discovered his testicles were no longer aching.

The doctor said, "How does that feel now?" The midget replied, "Perfect Doc, and I didn't even feel it. What did you do?"

The doctor replied, "I cut two inches off the top of your cowboy boots."

When Is A Burger More Than Just A Burger?

So in the adventuresome world of Battle of the Blogs, there is one die hard player that I respect. No matter how many times he gets kicked in the doodads, he gets right back up to battle on.

I've yet to figure out if he votes like a fiend thereby accumulating the credits he needs to battle on or if he had parental figures replenishing his debit card so he can buy his credits. Alas, a mystery for the ages.

Today I saw on his blog that he is the top of the worst battlers on Battle of the Blogs. I felt sad for a brief moment and then perked up -- it's better to be the best at something than nothing at all. I mean honestly, if he were in 11th place, no one would notice. But being the best of the worst means he's at the top of the list and a screen capture of his blog.

Burger Boy -- more power to you. Your posts are offensive at times and other times they are thought provoking. I for one enjoy your blog and I have become quite credit rich in voting during your many battles.

Long live the Burger!

Why Do We Care About Barbaro?

There are scores of thoroughbred horse races run every day at tracks throughout the country. But the Triple Crown races draw in the everyday, casual observers by the thousands.

The possibility that a horse could take all three is enthralling. It's a human interest story starring animals that happen to be athletes of incredible power and speed.

But we have another kind of human interest story to talk about today.

Barbaro suffered severe fractures of the right hind leg at the beginning of the Preakness Stakes race on Saturday, and the race became one to save the horse's life.

Many times — all too often — a horse suffering such an injury is put down right then and there. And the dreaded green curtain was brought to the track so that the public would not have to witness the horse being euthanized.

But the curtain was turned away, and a team of veterinarians went to work.

These humans were only interested in helping this magnificent animal survive — a gallant and praiseworthy effort.

So, what can we take away from this awful occurrence?

I, for one, love animals and believe they should all be treated with dignity. But wouldn't it be nice if we all took such an interest in the people around us who need help every day? The sick, the homeless, the lonely. To love the unlovely. To give a sense of worth to those who feel worthless.

To me, this is the lesson we can all learn from Barbaro and those who cared for him this past weekend:

A little bit of human interest can go an awfully long way, even for people.

White Trash Wenches

And now for an update on some white trash wenches -- and of course, we begin with Britney Spears. Britney, who is knocked up yet again by sometimes hubby aspiring (c)rapper K-Fed, was trying to be oh so stylish in NYC this week.

Wearing jeans that were too long, with spiked heels that were too tall and thinking she could multi-task by breathing, walking, holding her cocktail and oh yeah, holding kid all at the same time, discovered that she cannot handle that many activities at once.

As she began to tumble forward and thereby bouncing her 8-month old babies head back and foward and back and forward, her bodyguard stepped in to save the child. But alas - she didn't spill a drop of the drink!

I can only hope that if I had a child I would have the presence of mind to drop the damn cocktail and focus on protecting the tot.

And now to that terror trio known as the Dixie Chicks - God help us all. Now I can't stand country music to begin with. But you add these bimbettes to the mix and the most sedate Texan just wants to bitch slap their asses.

So many deserving bands deserve a shot at stardom and these wenches just throw it to the wind. The turn their backs on their roots, but I for one remember when they were out on the streets of Deep Ellum playing for coins being tossed into a hat.

They hate Bush -- suck it up. They hate Republican Texans -- well why the hell live in a Republican state? They think they are all that and a bag of chips -- well that bag has been open for a long time in the rain.

They talk about which of their nannies is going to "get some" on the summer tour -- ugh. Just low class white trash.

Leave it to Kinky Friedman to mock them properly.

Where's George ?!

I have a silly confession -- I like www.WheresGeorge.com. I guess it makes sense because I like spending quality time with my money.

I take a bright Sharpie (usually fuschia) and write along the top www.wheresgeorge.com and enter it into the Where's George database. It's interesting to see the travels your money will take when someone takes the time to enter the bill when it reaches them.

Give it a try!

Childhood Life & Colour Blindness

"Considering who your parents are, it's amazing you turned out as well as you did."

What is the correct response to a comment like that? I have no idea. I guess it would be ok if I only heard it once but I have heard it many times - almost verbatium from each person.

I am the only child of only children -- mother was the spoiled little rich girl, father was the bad boy Harley rider from the wrong side of the tracks. I essentially grew up hanging out with my grandfather, Howard, at his offices in Casa Linda Plaza, which he owned. He began building it when he came back from WWII on some of his father's farm land. He built each corner as he had the money to pay for it. Contrary to what you see on King of the Hill, Casa Linda is not an apartment complex but a shopping center.

The offices were on the 2nd floor of the only 2 floor building in the Plaza. My first job was being perched up on a bar stool at the window to the lobby to collect rent checks. I was about 3 years old. I would announce each check by what I knew the person by -- so Vaverns Bakery translated to "The gingerbread man", the manager of M.E. Moses Dime Store was "The bubble lady," and so on. (I had this weird fixation with "store bought bubbles" as I called them and super balls when I was a kid -- I was a cheap kid compared to kids these days).

I wasn't exposed to kids too often and when I was sent to kindergarten I referred to everyone as "those childrens". I had trouble relating to kids -- but I was fine in an adult environment. I never threw tantrums -- I would negotiate because that's what I saw from what I perceived to be my peers -- the adults.

The homelife was nice. My grandfather had a big house on 2 acres a couple streets from the Plaza. There was a big pool and cabana -- every Sunday was the get together and at least 50 people would show up bringing steaks, beer, cole slaw and deserts. Howard would man the grill and I still vividly recall the sound of the frozen crinkle cut fries as they hit the hot oil in the french fryer.

The yard was perfection at all times with lots of roses along the fence lines. Sammy took care of the yard and I think I only heard him speak on 2 ocassions. Oatha had the primary role of driving my grandmother - the fact that Oatha had no license and didn't know left from right didn't deter anyone. He was given that role after my grandmother drove through the front window of the liquor store with me in the front seat and wiped out the entire front display of liquor, she wasn't allowed to drive anymore. Howard solved that one by coming down to the store with a thick wad of cash -- no police, no insurance, no fuss. I was fine -- they had me up on the counter with a handful of pink Double Bubble.

Not only could Howard make problems vanish by just showing up with his wallet, but he was also connected like nobody's business. Every Christmas he would deck out the Plaza with banners, wreaths and pipe in Christmas carols. I remember one evening he got me into the car and we drove up to the Plaza - there was a huge crowd gathered and TV crews (this is the day when the mobile tv vans first became popular). He drove slowly and then headed towards the back of the Plaza -- it was dark and quiet away from the crowds and kind of spooky. He comes to a stop and gets me out of the car and there before my very eyes was friggin Santa Claus with sled with reindeer.

Howard had set me up with a one-on-one private meeting with the fat man. I was stunned - not by meeting Santa Claus which rocked -- but that my grandfather was so well connected he could pull that off because that had to have taken some clout!

After the meeting we drove out front and watched the official entrance of Santa to the crowd. I was just giddy that whole night.

In the house was Jesse who was wonderful -- everything was immaculate and she was a great cook. I think every recepie began with "..first you take a dollop of bacon grease..." Since the house was at the end of a very long culd-de-sac, I would sometimes walk up to where the street curved as it crossed over White Rock Creek. One day I heard some teen age boys harassing Jesse and calling her derogatory names having to do with her being black. I was about 5 years old when this happened and they hadn't seen me walking up yet, but they got a taste of my wrath when I yelled out, "You leave my Jesse alone -- she ain't black she's cocoa brown!" I took Jesse by the hand, madder than hell at those mean boys and walked with her to the house. I may have been 10 years younger than those boys but they had enough sense to not mess with "Mr. Howard's granddaughter."

For a very shy child I could have one helluva temper when someone I cared about was being treated in a poor manner.

That incident was my first exposure to the concept of "the colour of our skin makes a difference?"

Another recurring incident was when my grandmother and Jesse would get into disagreements. My grandmother and I would come back from the Plaza and I would have a new bottle of store bought bubbles. Jesse would have a fit and say, "Now Miss Mary - you cannot keep buying that child bubbles. We can make our own right here out of the dish soap." But she kept buying them for me at a whole whopping 0.29 a bottle.

Another big bru ha ha was one day at NorthPark Neiman-Marcus. I absolutely had my heart set on these pink fuzzy bedroom slippers. Naturally they were the last pair and they were already snug on my feet -- but I wanted them. Finally my grandmother said to me, "Now honey, I just don't have $8 to buy you those slippers."

As I stood there in the middle of the Neiman's shoe salon, I put my hands on my hips, cocked my head and said, "You mean to tell me that my grandfather owns all of Casa Linda Plaza and you can't afford to buy your only grandchild a pair of $8 slippers?"

My Aunt Anne about choked from laughing, my mother was dumbfounded and the sales guy was stunned. Aunt Anne said she would buy the slippers but after that my grandmother relented and I remember her muttering, "My God and she's only 5."

Like I said, I didn't have tantrums -- I negotiated.

Another incident I recall was when I was about 7 and I was sitting outside my parents house on the porch with 2 friends having a nice little tea party. I don't recall what started the disagreement but I sat there stunned as my two friends began screaming at one another. One called the other one a "honky" and the honky girl replied by calling the other girl a "nigger". I had no idea what a honky or a nigger was but I knew it couldn't be good as I sat there in the midst of my ruined tea party.

In retrospect - it's weird what you forget and the amazing details you can remember from other events.

Show Mercy She Did Not Die In Vain

Mercy was a 10 month old pit bull when she was viciously attacked, stabbed, doused with gasoline and lit on fire. Remarkably, she lived and was found by a passerby who took her to Operation Kindness, a no-kill shelter in Dallas.

Mercy's story made the international news because she was as gentle as could be to all that strived so hard to save her life.

Regrettably as her burns covered 60% of her body, her little heart finally gave out.

More than 1,500 people attended her memorial service and her final resting place is in the gardens at Operation Kindness.

Her attacker has been arrested and is in jail -- now you are being asked to take a few seconds and sign a petition to send a resounding message to the District Attorney that the harshest sentence possible is the only thing deserving of her attacker. While only 1,000 names were requested, there are now 17,775 signatures on the petition -- please add yours.

Sign the petition here please.

Will Someone Bitch Slap Pete Doherty Already?!

I come from a music background - I can't sing and I don't play an instrument but my past is the world of the business side of entertainment. I am jaded by what I've seen but I am accustomed to prima donna men that need their eye liner sharpened just so, must have 4 perfectly quartered strawberries in their cereal, order up limosuines at 3:00am just so the liquor can be raided and on and on.

All of these whims are a small price to pay when you live on the road for months at a time. I think it gives them a sense of normalcy in a chaotic environment. And when they go on stage and the band is tight, all the lighting and sound is flawless and they hit that "golden moment" of the perfect groove and the audience goes mad, it makes it all worthwhile.

Sometimes the boys act up in front of a camera or cause a "disturbance" at a hotel that is sure to be picked up by the news wires -- but like the old saying goes, "the only bad publicity is no publicity", it's all in a days work.

And then you have a complete and total schmuck like Pete Doherty.

Alot of Americans don't know who Doherty is -- hell, most Americans don't even know who Robbie Williams is and he's the biggest recording star everywhere else in the world.

Doherty is from a good family, excellent education, very talented songwriter and is going down in a blaze of glory before the international press. I can't even think of how many times he's been arrested. Last month he was pictured injecting a passed out girl with some unknown substance. He's also bartered his cell phone -- with private text messages from his sometime girlfriend Supermodel Kate Moss - for a quick fix.

But his stunt in Berlin 2 days ago is far and above the worst I have heard -- EVER. And if it weren't for all the confidentiality agreements in my life, I could tell you some doosies. But this one takes the cake.

Doherty's band, Babyshambles had completed a gig and they were backstage being interviewed by MTV Europe. Doherty couldn't be bothered with it -- he was in the next room, door wide open, shooting up in front of everyone. He then proceeds to walk into the interview room with a white towel and sits down on the sofa as the interview is going on.

Then it happens -- out of no where he takes his syringe out that he just gave himself a fix with and shot the entire vial full of his blood at the camera. It was all caught on tape. Doherty's blood all over the gear and the crew. He thought it was hilarious -- the crew was in shock.

The crew sanitzed the equipment and themselves and proceeded on with the interview -- true professionals that went above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion.

Since Doherty is hell bent on self-destructing, I have a bad feeling he's going to be one of those that takes down someone else before he succumbs. His own family is at a loss as to why the British courts haven't locked him up yet -- what a strange and twisted way to live ones life.

Anyway, on a more positive note, as I mentioned Robbie Williams earlier, here is a link to one my favourtie video's of his. The UNCENSORED version of "Come Undone." And definitely check out his album Escapeology -- it's one of the best albums to have come out this century.

ATTENTION VOTERS OF BLOG EXPLOSION:

NO Sympathy Votes for the Burger Boy!!

Vote for ME Please!!!

Jolly Roger Shopping

Now for one that rides a Harley, I'm not much into skulls -- I think it's a bad vibe to send out - I also have a weird aversion to anything with aliens or alien heads. But these "skull themed" things are quite wicked and deserved to be shown.

First off, we begin with a brief Jolly Roger history: No one knows the origin of the name "Jolly Roger" for the pirate flag. It is thought to have come from joli rouge (pretty red), a wry French description of the bloody banner flown by early privateers. Whatever the derivation, the flags were meant to strike mortal terror in the hearts of the pirate's intended victims. They often featured skeletons, daggers, cuttlasses, or bleeding hearts on white, red, or black fields. The skull and crossbones motif first appeared around 1700 when French pirate Emanuel Wynne hoisted his fearful ensign in the Caribbean -- embellished with an hourglass to show his prey that time was running out.

Now that you kinda, sorta know the origin, here are some fantastic items that embrace that mindset -- get your Platinum Card out:

Pictured on right: After being given only 30 days to live, Corum Watches owner Severin Wunderman made it his mission to discover everything he knows about death. But that was years ago, and since then the ever clever Wunderman has adorned many of his timepieces with his visions of skulls. Corum limited-edition Vanitas watch is an affordable $35,000 and can be found at Bachendorf's or Neiman-Marcus.


Pictured upper left corner: Dior Fine Jewelry skull ring with diamond grill designed by Victoire de Castellane; $2,800 at the Christian Dior Boutique.

Pictured upper right corner: Anti-establishment jeweler Loree Rodkin's diamond skull bondage ring; $15,400 at Neiman-Marcus, Stanley Korshak.

Pictured at top: Madonna, Sienna Miller and Peter Fonda all own Liberty Boots and you can get this stylish pair of Live to Rock boots for $1,400 at Cowboy Cool.

Also at Cowboy Cool are these fantastic belt buckles:

Tommy Buckle, sterling silver; $1,250. (bottom)

Tribal Skull Buckle, sterling silver, $1,150. (top)

I Love A Good Cock Shot -- Part III

So I think I'm pretty much a "good girl". I don't go around chatting up guys online or trying to make a certain someone jealous. And heaven knows, I never thought of this little blog as being a way to meet guys......

....and then this image comes in from an "admirer" who is a businessman in Cannes (Southwest France). I have no idea if any of his info is valid -- but the photo is pleasant and given the fact that he made it quite clear he's a bit of an exhibitionist, this posting shouldn't ruffle any feathers.

As long time readers will know, I love a good cock shot so this photo fits in nicely with that recurrig theme.

And to the gentleman that sent it to me:

Merci de la photo -- elle est tout à fait agréable.

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::::Biker News::::
~ Glencoe Announces Band Lineup ~
~ Doug Klein Checkmate II Pipes ~
~ Vancil Earns His Second AHDRA Victory ~



EVENT: Rock'n The Rally
DATE: Aug. 6 - 10, 2006

DESCRIPTION: A new music festival Rock'n The Rally is debuting
in Sturgis featuring a weeklong line-up of A-list entertainment, such
as Aerosmith, Big & Rich, Sammy Hagar, Cowboy Troy, Keith Urban, Cheap Trick, Gregg Rolie and many others.
The concerts will take place at a new live-music amphitheatre at the Glencoe CampResort.
LOCATION: Sturgis, S.D.
TICKETS/INFO: $50-70 / www.starticketsplus.com / www.GlencoeCamp.com


PRESS RELEASE

NEW ‘ROCK N THE RALLY’ MUSIC FEST TO SHAKE UP STURGIS

Organizers Build $11 Million, 34-Acre Amphitheatre with Plans to Hold Music Fest Through 2016

Sturgis, S.D. — From its humble beginnings to its meteoric rise as one of the top motorcycling events in the world, Sturgis Bike Week will now be considered one of the world’s leading concert destinations with the premier of Rock'n the Rally, a new live-music amphitheater opening in 2006 at the popular Glencoe CampResort.

At this year’s 66th Annual Sturgis Bike Week rally in August, Rock'n the Rally will become the world’s largest outdoor amphitheater, complete with seating on natural grass for 120,000 fans. Construction started last September at Glencoe and more than 1.2 million yards of soil have been moved to create a 34-acre music venue to rival even the most unique entertainment complexes in the world today. The project is estimated to cost around $11 million.

At the inaugural debut of Rock’n the Rally, Aerosmith, American’s all-time rock and roll group, will head a five-day line-up of more than 20 nationally acclaimed acts. Other signed acts include Steve Miller, Keith Urban, Big & Rich, Steppenwolf, Deep Purple, REO Speedwagon, Foghat, Cheap Trick, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Georgia Satellites, Gregg Rolie of Santana, Shooter Jennings, and Cross Canadian Ragweed.

Organizers will be adding bands daily. A complete list of show times and updates can be found at www.GlencoeCamp.com. Tickets will range from $50-70 and will can be purchased at www.starticketsplus.com.

Rock’n the Rally at Glencoe is the brainchild of music festival producers Joe Bufalino, Pat Wood, and Mark Russo of Albuquerque-based Dork Fish Inc, who started developing the idea two years ago with Gary Lippold, owner of Glencoe CampResort in Sturgis.

Current plans include holding the music fest in Sturgis through 2016. This would mean an enormous economic investment for Sturgis over the next 10 years.

“Without a doubt, Rock’n the Rally is staged to be the biggest rock and roll extravaganza ever to hit Sturgis Bike Week,” said Lippold.

Bufalino, who has 35 years of experience producing festivals, added “We are going to create one massive music fest that will transform the entertainment landscape in Sturgis forever. And our goal is to make Sturgis Bike Week a major national tourist entertainment destination on par with a Mardi Gras or the Super Bowl.”

The music line-up includes acts that start at 4:30 p.m. each day. A preliminary schedule includes:

Sunday, Aug. 6………………BIG & RICH w/ COWBOY TROY, Keith Urban, Shooter
Jennings, Cross Canadian Ragweed

Monday, Aug. 7……………..THE STEVE MILLER BAND, Cheap Trick, Fabulous
Thunderbirds, Gregg Rolie

Tuesday, Aug. 8……………. TO BE ANNOUNCED

Wednesday, Aug. 9………… AEROSMITH, Deep Purple, Foghat, Georgia Satellites

Thursday, Aug. 10…………. SAMMY HAGAR, REO Speedwagon, John Kay with
Steppenwolf, .38 Special

About Dork Fish Inc.

Dork Fish Inc. is owned by President Pat Wood, an investment and banking consultant and lobbyist, and partners Mark Russo and Joe Bufalino. Bufalino has been producing concerts for 35 years and has acted as tour manager, promoter, agent, and manager throughout his career. Mark Russo has spent 30 years in the industry and has been Lighting Designer, Stage Designer, and Production Manager for acts like Cheap Trick, Tim McGraw, The Judds, and 3 Doors Down. Also onboard is music agent Bobby Lee and product branding and marketing powerhouse Liaison Entertainment Group.

About Glencoe CampResort

Glencoe CampResort, Inc. through its subsidiary Sturgis Bike Week Productions (SBW) is a full service event planning, property management and promotions firm based in Sturgis and specializes in creating and managing unique venues to entertain the hundreds of thousands of riders that attend the famed motorcycle rally every August.

Besides running the 1,000-acre Glencoe site, the rally’s premier campground celebrating its 24th year, privately-held SBW manages and promotes other popular Sturgis venues and properties that include Thunder Road, Kickstart Travel Center, Sturgis Dragway, Sturgis Bike Week Inc, the Sturgis Rally News, three permanent downtown stores, and various vending lots in Sturgis. Billed as the “Glencoe Nation,” it currently employees more than 100 local people that work year round on Sturgis Bike Week activities.

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Can’t Beat An Original

So why even try? No point in messing around with knock-offs when the original is readily available. The Doug Keim Creative Cycles’ (DKCC) Checkmate II pipes eliminate the need for bolt-on heat shields, and feature 1-3/4-inch diameter tubing stepped up to 2 inches. Flawlessly chromed, these DKCC originals will work on Evo, Softail, twin cam, and custom applications. Checkmate II pipes are available as a Custom Chrome Doug Keim Signature Series Part or directly from DKCC. For more information, contact: Doug Keim Creative Cycles, (732) 751-1403, www.creativecycles.com.

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VANCIL EARNS HIS SECOND AHDRA VICTORY AT THE STARTING LINE AT GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Erik Ryder Starts a New Winning Streak in Destroyer

MADISON, Ill. (May 8, 2006) – From the starting line at Gateway International Raceway just outside the St. Louis city limits, riders can see the famous Arch, the 'Gateway to the West.' They can also see the St. Louis skyline and feel the humidity of the nearby river that divides Illinois and Missouri. To say the least, there are plenty of distractions to be found for the riders when it comes to making a pass down the Gateway surface.

You wouldn't know it by the performance turned in Sunday by the Top Fuel class of the Screamin' Eagle AHDRA Championship Series. Doug Vancil earned his second victory of the season, using a quicker reaction time at the start to trump Mike Romine’s quickest pass of the weekend in the final round of competition.

Vancil rode his Vance & Hines Nitro Harley-Davidson to a 6.404-second pass at 208.14 mph to top Romine's quicker-but-losing 6.392 at 220.26 at the Gypsy Rendezvous Nationals Presented by Drag Specialties – the fourth event of the Screamin' Eagle championship season. The race was decided by the .080 reaction time turned in by Vancil versus Romine's .101.

Vancil qualified in the No. 1 spot for eliminations as well, using a 6.429 pass. Romine rode his Salt Lake City-sponsored Harley into the No. 3 spot in qualifying with a 6.494, behind Tak Shigematsu's 6.455.

Erik Ryder took the win in the Destroyer category, ending a two-race winning streak for Tripp Nobles. Ryder beat Don Stratton Jr. in the final round with a 9.237 pass at 140.49, beating the 9.319 at 137.53 by Stratton. Ryder was the No. 1 qualifier of the event as well, turning in a 9.224.

Greg Best earned the victory in the SEP category Sunday. Best turned in an 11.502 to top Dan Norlin's 11.443.

Bon Pannell wowed his hometown crowd, taking the victory in the ET category. He got the win at the starting line after a red-light foul by opponent Jon Binns, and went on to make an 11.709 pass.

The next AHDRA event is the Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga., May 27-28.

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Thursday 13

It's that time again - so here are the 13 things about me. I have worked extensively with bands & motorcycle builders, so since that list would far exceed 13, I am going to focus on just other weird stuff.

I have interesting phone numbers in my cell phone of some people that might be considered famous (#1 - 4) by some or strange brushes with the famous / infamous:

1. Charles Durning - Hollywood actor, TV star, WWII decorated war veteran
2. Daniel Ash -- of Bauhaus, Love & Rockets
3. Roxy LeRoux -- world's tallest Penthouse Pet
4. Tera Heart -- adult film star
5. Dennis Quaid -- once touched my left breast at a USA Fim Festival party -- God only knows why.
6. Stevie Ray Vaughn -- partied in LA together
7. Duran Duran -- my "party after the show" story was told a few days ago on this blog
8. I was laughing with some friends and almost walked right into Elizabeth Taylor at Texas Stadium during a Dallas Cowboys game. She was a guest in Jerry Jones (the owner) suite. I had one this dark purple suede jacket that she loved.
9. Andy Warhol -- dined with him and mutual acquaintances when he was in town for a book signing at a book store on Belt Line in Addison.
10. Jade St. Clair - Miss Nude World -- I once had to fondle her breasts backstage at a strip club. She was convinced one implant was leaking and wanted me to check. I'd never felt implants before in my life and had no idea what I was supposed to be feeling for --- I still don't know!
11. Cocktails with David Bowie in Dublin
12. "Cocktails" with Johnny Depp at the Paramount in NYC
13. Cocktails with Mick Jagger at Downtime in NYC

Ruby Tuesday

Yesterday I found out I was a slumlord by Pile of Dog Bones. Alas, I regret that I took such bad care of him during his tenure on my blog. So without further ado -- I invite you to visit Michigan Rafter -- you can find the link to the blog on the right, just underneath the clock.

Also on the right, you will see a new Playboy promo showing an ample breast shot -- for those of you men that are needing your 10 minutes of "oogling" per day for a longer life, I invite you to oogle away.

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On other blogs of note, here are some that I find interesting, intriguing and/or entertaining:

• Travel Italy -- for those of us that love to visit and experience the real Europe, this is a good insiders blog.
• Ghost Boy -- ahh, Horace Finkle, you gotta love him. He's recently dead and has his own blog featuring some great real ghost photos!
• Life in the Corner -- a blog by a 2.5 year old English lad and his various adventures that have him spending ample "naughty corner" time.
• Publius Rendezvous -- you gotta love Reagan to like this blog.
• The Daily Exposure -- John Waller, a UK lad, that takes some fantastic photos. I love good photography.
• Ah Yes, Medical School -- this is the first blog that got me really looking at blogs. A great first hand account of an aspiring licensed doctor muddling his way through medical school.

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Aerosmith's Steven Tyler is not exactly known for his banker boy image. But I confess that someone must have gone a bit nuts with the hot glue gun on his helmet!

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There has been a number of queries to my blog using a variation on "stop invasion grassfire billboard". So here is an update on where the www.Grassfire.org billboard situation stands:

The first billboard is up in Dallas on I-35 (a.k.a. the NAFTA highway)

Other billboards are going up in Southern California, Arizona, South Florida & Atlanta.

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And to finish things off, we have Fat Man news......

First there is Fat Man Walking - Steve Vaught, who today is completing his cross country walk. Way to go!! Check out all the details on his site at: http://www.thefatmanwalking.com/

And secondly, we have Fat Man Dancing -- this is a perfect example of the ONLY thing rap music is good for -- spoofs!


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Sex Tax Deductions and Okie Tattoos

Australia must be quite progressive. The recently released new tax code aimed specifically at those working in the sex trade industry. Some deductions include: dance lessons, condoms and advertising. They cannot claim any expenses to maintain their general fitness or body shape.

You can read the full details at this site: http://www.ato.gov.au/businesses/content.asp?doc=/content/69324.htm

Sex trade -- an interesting occupation. I recall once in high school being asked that tired old question of ".....and what do you want to do when you are out of school?" I think it was for those cheesy yearbook things. I said something along the lines of "dress cool and work at night" so right from the get go I was destined to be an escort or work in the entertainment industry.

I'm not a good enough actress to be an escort.

When I had my loft in Deep Ellum (nightclub part of Dallas), there was an escort that lived across the hall....Chelsea. Supposedly she charged $300 an hour and supposedly most of the guys didn't want sex. While there were some decent looking types in their Porsches and Jags, there were a lot of "oh my God" types pulling up in jalopeys -- trust me, that $300 would have been much better spent on maintaing their cars!

And then there are friends like Tera & Roxy who also have worked extensively in the sex industry but not as escorts. Tera was in lots of films -- Roxy is a Penthouse centerfold. I adore both of them -- great people. I found I didn't judge them about their lifestyle choices because they were open and professional about it. Whereas with Chelsea, she kept trying to con people but she was a lousy con artist so it just made the whole situation pathetic.

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In other adventurous news, an acquaintance, Tigger, has finally had his hard work with the Oklahoma legislature pay off. Tattoos are about to be legal in Okie-land! Those of you in the Dallas area are well acquainted with Tigger as he has owned some of the best tattoo parlors around.

Tigger even made it onto ABCNews.com as you can see in this photo. The story can be read here.

Tigger opened up shop a few weeks ago in Ada and business has been good -- until the DA tried to flex his muscles. But with the legislation, the DA will had better behave himself.

And alas, Dallas will not have such an influx of Okie's descending upon us to proclaim such obvious statements as...

"Gosh, you all sure drive fast here."

"I never realized Dallas was such a friendly place. We got to town and saw lots of rainbow stickers on cars."

Yes -- I actually heard that last comment. Some Ayrian looking boy with blonde hair & blue eyes that swore he was Native American mistook the gay pride rainbow stickers for Texans just being friendly!

I hope that child made his way back safely to Oklanowhere.