Where is my book?

I wanted to save some money on textbooks this term and I decided to buy a used textbook through Amazon.com.  I bought one used book for a writing class I had nearly a year ago and was satisfied with what I got and how much money I saved. Sure, it was a little beat up and had some underlining and highlighting in it, but it was perfectly usable.

So, on Friday, December 11, I found the book that I needed, correct edition, apparently in "very good" condition, and it was a hardback to boot, instead of the paperback that seems to be what most college textbooks are now. Instead of paying nearly $100 for a used book through the college bookstore (and more than $130 for a new one), I paid $34 (incl. shipping). And I'm still waiting. I figured the holidays would slow down the delivery a bit, but when it still hadn't shown up today, I started to get a little worried. I emailed the store I bought it from (not actually Amazon, just selling through their site) and asked where my book was. They sent me a tracking number from the USPS for my package.

It WAS shipped from Chadler, AZ (just outside of Mesa/Phoenix) on December 14, so the store was right on top of getting it to me. Three days later (Dec. 17) it had travelled about 400 miles and it was processed in Bell, CA (basically Los Angeles). The book was headed my way. And then it took the scenic route. It's next stop was on Dec. 22 in Springfield, MA, which is about 2900 miles from it's last stop in California. The next day, my book made its way down to Jersey City, NJ. This is around 150 miles from Springfield, just across the river from New York City. By Sunday (Dec. 27), it had blasted nearly another 2900 miles across the country and ended up in Federal Way, WA (between Seattle and Tacoma).

My oh my. Well that makes a lot of sense. What should have taken only a few days and would have travelled about 1500 miles to get to me (even that seems like too far) has now gone nearly 6400 miles, crossed the country twice and is only 150 miles away now.

No wonder the USPS isn't making any money.

I want my book.

Update 12/29/09 - The book showed up this morning. I'm happy.

Who are you going to believe...?

I hate I-5

After nearly 40 trips to Medford in the last 3-1/2 years, I have come to some conclusions. First, most of the 275 mile trip sucks the big one. The scenery is sort of nice, in an interstate kind of way, for much of the way between Cottage Grove and Gold Hill. Other than that, I know of no redeeming value of this stretch of road. Second, I have determined who the biggest jerks are and who the speeders and inconsiderate drivers are according to what kind of vehicle they drive. This is by no means a scientific finding, only my observations while driving on this road.

Most big rig drivers are considerate. I have no problems with the majority of them. It is somewhat disturbing though to see many of them talking on cell phones while driving.

Most vehicles from Washington state, regardless of the type of vehicle, seem to excessively speed and drive like jackasses. I'm not sure why this is, but the majority of the time, this seems to be true.

Nearly every vehicle from California seems to drive AT LEAST 15-20 mph over the speed limit. And they don't seem to understand that the far right hand lane is not really meant for passing.

Now for the vehicles that seem to break the most laws and are the most inconsiderate. There seem to be a few types that account for most of stupid behavior and speeding. They are almost always newer (less than 5 years old), except for POS cars driven by teenagers and young adults. Most of these older cars are nearer to cities that I-5 intersects. The most common offenders include SUV's (big surprise), pickup trucks (usually 3/4 ton or larger), luxury-type cars, inexpensive cars (like Scion or Kia) and sports cars (although to a lesser extent than the others).

The worst cities to drive through are Portland (obviously) mainly because of the amount of traffic, particularly if you are caught in rush hour(s); Salem, which seems to have a fairly high number of assholes per capita; Roseburg, which is a pretty small city, but makes up for the small size by having the largest number of jerks and morons in the entire state; and Grants Pass, which is another small city that seems to have a lot more inconsiderate drivers than seems possible.

I'll be glad when I no longer have to make this drive.

Bitch session is over.

A Reading Experiment

I like to read a lot. I like to read all kinds of different things. I read a lot of non-fiction. These all came together, much like a horrible car crash, or maybe a circus freak show, two days ago at the North Portland branch of the Multnomah County Public Library. I reserved three books over the past few weeks that couldn't be any different in their political and social strata. But the subjects all deal with belief systems. I've just started reading these books and I am going to try to get all three read in the next week or two. Regardless of my own personal beliefs, I like to keep up on many different views of things.

Persecution: How Liberals are Waging War Against Christianity by David Limbaugh. The author is Rush Limbaugh's brother and so far, this book reads like a Fox News show. I wish this book didn't have that fear-mongering feel to it, because I think it might prevent me from finishing this book. I'll give it my best shot.

So Help Me God: The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State by Forrest Church, who is a thirty year minister and earned a doctorate in church history at Harvard. This appears to be an honest and factual accounting of the religion or non-religion of the country's first five presidents and the role that religion played in politics. This one is going to take a while to get through. Good thing I like history.

The New Athiesm: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason by Victor J. Stenger. This is the shortest of the three at 240 or so pages. The title pretty much says it all.

More stuff I've been watching

The first season of The Wild, Wild West, when it was still in black and white and a little darker and less campy. This remains one of my all-time favorite TV series. I was disappointed when the movie with Will Smith came out. But not as disappointed as when Blues Brothers 2000 was released. What a horrible piece of garbage that was.

Black Dynamite - This is basically a spoof of blaxplotation movies of the 1970's. I laughed a lot while watching it. Not for everyone.

Food Inc. - Documentary about the modern food industry. Not very fun or glamorous, but you really should be more informed about the food you eat.

The Man With the Golden Gun - Continuing the Bond films, one of the better ones with Roger Moore, mainly because of villains and the locations.

Frontline: Poisoned Waters Stay informed about real news. Watch any of the PBS Frontline shows and you will learn things.

It's cold

My stupid car.

The weather here is really cold (for Portland). It's been in the teens and twenties at night and low to mid thirties during the day. Cold snaps here don't usually last very long, but this one has been going on for about five days and isn't expected to change much for at least the next week.

Exactly five days ago (same day the cold started), the heater in my car stopped working. Great timing. I finally had some time two days ago to look into it. I had just enough time to tear the dash apart, look for a manual online and download it, test the fan speed switch, and get a piece of jumper wire from my friend. My flashlights are over at my other friend's place (with the Harley) and I had to stop because I could no longer see what I was doing. Yesterday, I had school and a thing I had to go to for my unemployment and got home just as it was starting to get dark (I hate daylight savings). Hopefully, today I can figure out whats wrong and get it fixed. Or at least order parts if I need them. I wanted to drive to Medford next week, but I'm not willing to do that without a working heater/defroster.

I don't even have a stereo, as I had to remove it to get to the heater controls. I guess that's the least of my worries, but I miss OPB and NPR.

UPDATE
It's fixed! Hooray! It turned out to be a loose connection on the blower motor. I have heat again.

UPDATED UPDATE
It's acting up again. I need to look at this some more.

UPDATED UPDATED UPDATE
Got it working, lost 2 bolts, will it last?

Almost done

It's finals week! I took my econ final on Monday. I think I did pretty good, but won't know until probably next week. I finished the test in just under an hour and was the second one done. Whatever that means. I am pretty confident of getting an "A" in this class though. A lot of people I've talked to don't seem to like economics very much. I thought it was interesting. But I think most things that I don't know are interesting. Funny how that works. I even got a book from the library about economics ("Freakonomics") and am reading it now. It's more about incentives and the things people do to get what they want (most of the methods covered are illegal). During the second to last class, we had a guest speaker. He talked mainly about Henry George and the Georgist theory of economics. Very, very interesting, especially his view on taxes. I'm now contemplating reading George's book "Progress and Poverty".

I am so glad that I'm done with my speech class. I still hate public speaking, but I'm probably better at it than I was before this class. The last impromptu speech turned out to be pretty easy. She gave us each three topics, two of which were based on out other speeches, and one that was a random topic. We had about 2 or 3 minutes to prepare and then give a 2 to 4 minute speech. My topics were: cars, motorcycles, USA. I combined cars and motorcycles and talked about the different costs between the two (gas, new purchase, insurance, and maintenance). It was really easy to do more than two minutes. I also got a much better grade on the previous speech (commemorative) than I thought I would. I'm positive I got an "A" in this class.

Tomorrow is my last scholarship class. I already know I got an "A" in the writing class and don't even have to show up. I'm also confident that I got an "A" in the other one, and only have one last assignment - goals presentation. I don't think I would have to do the assignment, or even have to show up, to still get an "A", but we turned in our notebooks last week so the instructor could grade them and I want to get it back.

I wish I could stop stressing out so much about my grades. I seem to do just fine, and frequently better than I thought I would. If I could just relax a little more I think it would help me a lot.

I have a three week break until the next term starts. I'm signed up for 13 credits and am having a hard time not signing up for another class. Maybe I will try to get in a one credit PE class or something.

Quote(s) of the day

Here are two quotes that I'm using in my speech on Thursday.

"Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." - Hunter S. Thompson

"Cars lie to us and tell us we're safe, powerful, and in control. The air-conditioning fans murmur empty assurances and whisper, "Sleep, sleep." Motorcycles tell us a more useful truth: we are small and exposed, and probably moving too fast for our own good, but that's no reason not to enjoy every minute of the ride." - Dave Karlotski

Do I really have time for this?

The fall season of new TV shows is in full swing. I find it almost hard to believe that I'm watching this many shows. I still don't watch on an actual television. I watch these on Hulu.com, which makes it way easier than it should be.

V - Much better than the original and it has 2 actors from Firefly (one of my all-time favorite TV shows).
Lie to Me - Great acting by Tim Roth; with Kelli Williams (drool).
House - Should be getting old, but it still holds up, Hugh Laurie is great and Lisa Edelstein is smokin'.
Family Guy - Rude, crude, and still funny; Stewie is the best.
American Dad - Much like Family Guy; Roger the alien cracks me up.
The Office - I tried not to like this show, but that no longer seems possible.
30 Rock - Great writing, Tina Fey is the hottest nerd ever, and Tracy Morgan is one of the funniest actors on TV right now.
Sons of Anarchy - Another show I really wanted to hate. Katey Sagal is by far the best thing about this series. She's no Peggy Bundy anymore.
Fringe - A fairly good substitute for the X-Files (did I really say that?)
Bones - The only "detective" show I want to watch. Great characters who I actually care about.
The Daily Show - It's sad that one of the only remaining news anchors who actually engage in honest political debate is a comedian.
The Colbert Report - Funny and satirical stuff, I really liked him in Strangers With Candy too.

The Four Agreements

I've slowly been reading a very interesting book called "The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom". I'm finding that these four things are speaking to me in a powerful way. I think I have a long way to go before I can fully incorporate these into my life, but they have already had an effect on the way I look at everyday life. If everyone could follow these (highly unlikely that this will happen), I believe that our world could be a much better place. I'm just trying to change myself for now.

1) Be impeccable with your word.
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2) Don't take anything personally.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dreams. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3) Don't make assumptions.
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama.

4) Always do your best.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstances, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Quote of the day

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. (John F. Kennedy)

A Brief History of Socialist Plots to End the American Way of Life

Into the home stretch

Only 2 more weeks of school before finals week. Yay!!! The last few weeks have been pretty hectic and the next two look to be quite a bit easier for the most part. I did pretty well on my 2nd economics midterm. I got the lowest possible score to still be able to get an 'A' on it. She hasn't told us yet what the average and median scores were because a couple of people still haven't taken the test yet. We should know on Monday though. But, from what the instructor said, it sounds like the majority of the class did a little worse than the first test. I think I may have gotten one of the higher scores in the class. There is a lot to remember. Despite some of the boring aspects of this class, I'm enjoying it. I spent a little more time talking to the instructor after class today. I think I'm about the only one who has done this. It can't hurt, and I am genuinely interested in the material she has presented. I think a recommendation from her is going to be easy to get. I have pretty much decided that I'm going to take the second econ class, Macroeconomics, with this same instructor next term. No new books to buy and I already know what she expects.

Speech class still sucks. I gave my persuasive speech last Thursday. I thought I did alright until I watched the video of it. Stinkaroo! Although my powerpoint presentation was solid, the information I presented was good, and I had all the required peer reviewed sources, it didn't go very well. When I was working on my speech, I kept throwing away my ideas and had to start over way too many times. Consequently, I didn't have nearly enough time to practice my speech and it showed. I basically read it off of my note cards. I hope I can do better on my last speech, which is a commemorative speech (no research or sources neccessary). As long as I can get it written quickly (my biggest issue) and have time to practice it, it should go alright and I may be able to still get an 'A' from this class. It is a lot harder than I expected it to be. I'm glad I got this one out of the way early. And we still have to do a improvisational speech on the last (finals) day. I have no idea what that is going to be like. Sucky, most likely.

My scholarship classes have been kind of a drag, but I'm glad to have this knowledge now. Hopefully I can use it throughout college life. I basically only have to organize my portfolio, rewrite one short essay, and figure out what my last short essay is going to be about. It's rather difficult to write about yourself on the subjects that they want. Especially in only 150 words. My last one needs to be about a personal accomplishment and the strengths and skills I used to achieve it. This has been a lot harder than it sounds. I started writing about some motorcycle stuff I did, but it didn't seem very appropriate. I don't really feel like I have any personal accomplishments that fit the requirements. I'm stumped. I've got 2 more weeks to figure it out. That SHOULD be more than enough, but it has evaded me so far and I've had a lot more time than that. But, I have no doubts that I will get an 'A' from both of these classes.

Registration for next term starts on Friday. I want to take 4 classes, but I'm pretty sure that it would be too much for me. The three classes I'm considering are a total of 13 credits (12 is considered full time) and that's probably plenty. I think I have pretty much decided that I'm going to take EC202, Macroeconomics; ESR171, Environmental Studies - Biological Perspectives; and I am going to retake MTH111C, College Algebra, as I am not very satisfied with what I got out of this class over the summer. Even though I got a 'B' in it, I think I probably deserved a 'C' and I think I need to know the material better than I do. I started to feel a bit lost by the middle of the 8 week term (non-summer terms are 12 weeks). I still don't really know what my ultimate path for college will be and I think that I need to know this stuff better if I want to have the option of taking trig and calculus classes in the future. I want to do better than just getting by. Plus I already have the textbook, so I will only have to buy one new book for this term.

America's Socialist Agenda?

I am really amazed at the number of people who don't seem to understand how many socialist programs and institutions there are, and have been for a very long time, in our country. Socialism, fascism, nazism, and other terms seem to be thrown around a lot (mostly by the GOP and Faux News) without really knowing what they mean. Actually it seem very likely that organizations DO know what these terms mean and are cashing in on the fact that many Americans don't. Our country has , and will continue to have, many socialistic type programs. And our country is generally better off because of them.

1. Police departments
2. Fire departments
3. Departments of Transportation, highways, and bridges
4. Public libraries
5. The Armed Forces
6. Federal Employee, Civil Servant, and Railroad Retirement Systems
7. FDIC insured banks
8. Social Security
9. Unemployment Insurance
10. Medicare
11. Medicaid
12. Veteran's benefits
13. Food Stamps
14. National School Lunch Program
15. US Dept. of Agriculture
16. Public schools

And this list could go on and on and on. There has been so much misinformation and outright lies being spread about "socialism" that seemingly intelligent people's brains seemed to have stopped fully functioning. Maybe we should get rid of all of these socialistic programs. Let me know how that goes for you the next time your house catches on fire, you try to cash a social security check, or you want to pay for your healthcare with Medicare or your Veteran's benefits. Lost your job? I hope you saved some money. Someone is breaking into your house and trying to rape you? Too bad. Live with it. You can bitch all you want about how the government is ruining our country (I actually agree with this statement, but for different reasons), but I would love to see how people react if these things were taken away from them because our government is no longer paying for them.

Tales of the Past - #1

I've had a lot of adventures when riding my motorcycle(s). Many times when they were happening they weren't very fun, many times they were. But, when I look back on them, there are very few that I would want to do differently (except maybe the speeding tickets).

One of my fondest memories of riding is from several years ago. I LOVE riding in the Cascade Mountain Range. One of my favorite long rides goes from Estacada (about 30 miles SE of Portland) down to Crater Lake while staying within the confines of the Cascades. This particular trip I was alone (which is my usual MO) and returning from Medford to Portland. I had mapped out a route using Google Maps and one of my numerous Oregon atlases, partly one that I had never been on before. I was looking for a way to get from Hwy 138 (east of Roseburg) to Hwy 58 without taking the long way around using Hwy 95 (boring!!!). There was a paved road shown on the maps (Forest Service Road 38) that looked promising. And it was. I really love riding the forest service roads in Oregon. There is usually very little or no traffic on them, they are fun to ride (lots of curves!), and are unbelievably scenic. I kept to the main paved road and rode and rode, enjoying myself to no end. The signage was pretty poor, but the road kept going. I took a turn on a paved road that said "Hwy 58 thataway" or something Eventually, I had no idea where I was. No more signs that I recognized as the road I was supposed to be on. I decided to just keep going as I didn't feel like back-tracking the 70 plus miles I had come on this road. I stopped on a ridgetop and took in the sunset. I can't remember enjoying a sunset more than this one. I was lost, had no real idea how far I had to go to get where I wanted to be and was loving it. I pushed on and about 10 miles or so later, the pavement ended. Oops. I was now past the point of no return. If I went back the way I came, I would likely run out of gas before I got back to the highway. Now I was heading down a horrible gravel/packed dirt road that had lots of potholes and ripples. Just what I wanted - NOT! I had no real choice but to continue and hope for the best. Pretty quickly the road started to go downhill. Riding a big heavy street bike downhill for 10 or so miles on a crappy gravel road is not something I recommend. It seemed to take forever, but suddenly, without warning, I came to a paved road. It was completely dark by now. What a relief! I still was unsure where I was and headed in the direction I thought I should go. I eventually came to someplace that I could identify and headed back to Portland.

Looking back on this ride, I still don't really know where I was. I'd love to do it again. Being lost and in a potentially disasterous situation added so much to this trip. I'm a bit of a Luddite when it comes to motorcycling and have refused to get gadgets like a GPS or even music for riding. If I had one, I may have never had this experience. This may not sound like much to you, but I wouldn't exchange this ride for anything.

I was somewhere in here!


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Be careful what you wish for

I generally don't post my political opinions, but can no longer stay silent. I'll start here.

Sarah Palin is bad news. Full of excuses, misinformation, and not much real knowledge. Just one example is the title of her book "Going Rogue". I haven't read it, but I assume that it would just make me mad. Look up the definition of rogue. Obviously Palin didn't before she started using the term. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says this -

rogue - noun
1. vagrant, tramp
2. a dishonest or worthless person: scoundrel
3. a mischevious person: scamp
4. a horse inclined to shirk or misbehave
5. an individual exhibiting a chance and usually inferior biological variation

Palin is obviously not a vagrant or a horse. It would not be fair to say she fits the last definition, as much as I would like to. And it would probably be overly simplistic to say she is mischevious. However, she does fit the description of a dishonest person. Those who support her should look past their own biases and find out who she really is and what she stands for. It's not pretty. I am a supporter of and voted for Obama. That doesn't mean that I agree with everything he does. I actually think that he has done some pretty stupid and not so honest things, but he was a far superior choice than any of the other candidates we had to choose from. You want a more divided country? How about more laws based on emotional appeal rather than facts or realities? Then vote for Palin. But don't let me hear you complaining when she screws things up even more than they already are. She is even less informed than Bush was. And that's a hard thing to do for someone who wants to be president. Again, look at the facts. And don't just cherry-pick the things that support your own views.

The Republican party has changed drastically in the last 20 years, and not for the better. They no longer to stand for less government or fiscal conservatism. I really think we need to abolish the party system and vote for candidates based only on their past records and their stance on issues. And not just a couple of issues. We need to look at what they stand for and what they will do for our country. And religion needs to stay completely out of politics. It has become worrisome that people vote based only on what a candidates religion is or what their religious beliefs are. What ever happened to seperation of church and state? Until recently, no presidential candidate even considered using their religion as a basis for their platform. All this seems to do is drive an even larger wedge between citizens. We are no longer a united people. Can't we all just get along? Morals are personal. Don't push your morals on me. I don't push mine on you.

Our country can't afford a president like Sarah Palin. Maybe I can move to Canada or France or something if she gets elected. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't want me, or others like me (those who actually try to use critical thinking) here anyways.

Politics make me so mad. An honest politician? Where? Show me!... Please.

Move along. Nothing to see here.

It's crazy how busy I've been in school the last two weeks.  And I feel like I haven't really gotten that much accomplished. I have to give my third speech tomorrow and I barely know it. I was having a really hard time deciding what my topic was going to be. It's a persuasive speech using a problem/solution style and needs to have at least three sources that are peer-reviewed journal papers. What a pain. I suppose I would be better prepared if I hadn't kept throwing out my ideas because I thought they were crap. I finally settled on home energy conservation. Kind of bland, but it's something I know about. I wanted to do something a little more controversial but couldn't decide on a topic soon enough, so I'm stuck with what I have. I recall having some of these same worries for my last speech and that turned out just fine (I got an 'A' on that one), so this one will most likely go alright too, except I will be reading off my note cards a lot and that won't help my grade. We'll see. I still hate public speaking. I'll be glad when this class is over (only about 4 weeks to go).

I took my second mid-term test in my economics class on Tuesday. I think I did a little better on this one than the first one (just missed an 'A' by a couple of points).  And I already have nine of the twelve required papers done. One more a week should be easy. And the instructor seems to like me and many of my classmates think that I'm one of the smart ones in the class. I don't feel that smart. I think that I just work harder than most of them.

I haven't had time to work on any more of my essays for my scholarship class. Luckily, the writing instructor doesn't have set deadlines on them. As long as we get them all done before the end of the term we are OK. I only have two more to do and maybe some rewrites on the others. I didn't get all of the work for the other scholarship class done this week, but the one I didn't get is only worth 5 points, so that's not a big deal. I've done everything else so far and it looks like I'll get an 'A' in that class even if I don't do most of the remaining assignments (which I will do).

It would be great if I can keep my GPA up with all 'A's' this term. I lost my 4.0 last term with the 'B' in math and don't want to drop below a 3.5 or I could lose my standing in Phi Beta Kappa. Even if I got a couple of 'B's' this term I think I would be alright, but I don't want to drop any more than I am now (3.86).

It's been raining here a lot. I guess it's that time of the year. It's kind of funny how people get mad when you point that out. A lot of people here have SAD (seasonal affective disorder - winter depression/blues) because of the large number of days it can go without having sunny skies. I'm generally OK with it, but it would be nice to have more sunny days in the fall and winter. At least we don't get much snow and it rarely freezes here. I suppose you can't have it all.

I'm going to work at the Community Energy Project again on Friday. Matt (home install supervisor) is going to train me on door weatherization.  I also told them that I could work more hours over the three week winter break. I only volunteer on Fridays right now. I have no idea yet when I'll be able to work next term. I won't know until I find out what classes I'm able to get into. I would like to volunteer for more hours if I can.

It's late now and my brain is feeling very tired. It's been a long week. I'll try to post again this weekend.

The Granddaughter

This one makes me laugh

 

Adorable

 

This one is way too cute

 

Latest books and movies

I can't sleep. I've been lying in bed for hours. I've been to the bathroom. I've drank water. I got something to eat. I tried reading. That almost always works when I'm in bed. Not this time. I just can't get to sleep. So I thought I might as well do something.

Here's a list of books I've been reading and movies I've watched since my last update. Most of these (except the Ian Fleming books) came from the library. I've been hitting the James Bond stuff up a lot. I've been a fan for a long time and have already seen all of the older Bond movies numerous times. Some more than others. Sean Connery's Bond is the best. There are some good Bond movies with Roger Moore, but his Bond doesn't have the same impact for me. It probably comes from seeing the earlier Bond movies on TV at a fairly young age and being enthralled by them. The very first Bond movie, Dr. No, is my favorite. The Moore ones are sometimes much sillier. I do like The Man With the Golden Gun with Christopher Lee. He was one of the best Bond villains. And it had Herve Villechaize! I think that one of Moore's best. And Live and Let Die was pretty good and has the best theme song. His earlier ones were more of what I expected Bond to be like. The books are quite different from the movies. I remember trying to read them when I was younger and I didn't really like them then. I do now. There is more Bond ahead, as the library has many more DVDs and my housemate still has about five or six more Bond books to read. The library probably has more, but I may get burned out on them before I get to that stage. So many books, so little time.

    BOOKS

• Dr. No (Bond)
• Thunderball (Bond again)
• The Man With the Golden Gun (more Bond)
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service (even more Bond)
• Great and Minor Moments in Oregon History (not Bond!)
• The Fastest Motorcycles on Earth: The History of Land Speed Record Motorcycles  (for speech research and for fun)
• The Four Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book (reading now - amazing little book)
• View To A Kill (reading now - Bond, of course)
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad (reading now)
• Great Jobs for Environmental Studies Majors (just browsing)
• Green Careers: Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future (just browsing)
• Poverty and the Environment: Understanding Linkages at the Household Level (not started yet)

     
    MOVIES

• Dr. No
• Firefly (TV series on DVD)
• Fast Times At Ridgemont High
• From Russia With Love
• Thunderball
• Diamonds Are Forever

Big Giant School Update!

So I think that I've pretty much decided that I am going to change my major to environmental studies. I saw an academic advisor today and got some information about transfer degree requirements for PCC and Portland State University. I changed my mind on some of the classes I'm going to take in the fall. I'm going to take my second of the two required chemistry courses, CH 105. I'll also be taking Statistics I  (MTH 243). And an elective that sounds interesting, Environmental Science: Chemical Perspective (ESR 172). There is a series of 3 of these ESR classes (with field trips!!!) that also include Biological and Geographical. I may try to take the other two in the coming terms. I'll also take the Biology (2 req. - BI 211, 212, 213) and the Socialogy (204) classes later. And there are 3 other ESR classes required that I will need to take soon, but they are at other campuses. I am looking forward to these classes, but not the commute.

My speech on Tuesday about motorcycle land speed records went pretty well. Better than I thought it would. Everyone has to bring a VHS tape for recording their own speech. I still haven't watched mine. I need to soon because we have to evaluate ourselves.  We also have to evaluate 2 others in the class. I've almost got those both done. Part of that is saying complimentary things about the speaker and their speech and one of mine was painfully horrible. She was so nervous. It was painful to watch. I felt bad for her. I think the whole class was. I hope she does better next time. Our next speech is a persuasive one. I'm thinking about advocating tiered operator licensing for motorcycles, much like Germany and some other European countries. And/or charging more to register larger cc bikes. And mandatory training to get an endorsement. I'm not sure yet though. I changed my mind numerous times for my first speech. I'm trying to stick with things that I am familiar with and know more about than most people. It worked for the first one.

Because of what we've learned and done in my scholarship classes, I completed my first application for the PCC Foundation scholarships. It's all done online, except for sending recommendation letters. I faxed two of those today from the Career Center at school. I will probably revise one of the 500-word essays. I have until Friday, Nov. 6 to do that. I'm just waiting for feedback from the writing teacher, which will happen in class on Thursday. You could only apply to two (or three if one was less than $900) of these particular scholarships. I applied to one that is $2000, but there is only one available. You need a 3.5 GPA for it, so I think my chances are better than normal. And I applied for another that is $1000 and has 25 awards, so that one seems like an even better chance. OSAC scholarships come next.  I'll probably end up applying for 15 or more scholarships. I should get at least a few out of that. And I will have the matching funds from NAYA in about 3 or 4 months. With my contributions that will total $3000.

Economics is going OK. Lots of graphs and curves to remember. I got a 43 (high 'B') on the first exam. That was exactly the class median grade and more people got that exact grade than any other. The instructor commented that it was a pretty high average. I did kind of horrible on drawing some of my graphs. I was nervous for this test and didn't feel as prepared for it as I could have been. Right now we are learning about the 4 market models: pure competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly. This is more interesting to me than the supply and demand stuff. I got to talk to the instructor for a while after class on Friday. We started talking about what I used to do and it turns out that I may have worked on her or her husband's BMWs at Portland Motorcycle. And we talked a little about our kids and going to college, etc. I did this because I want to ask her for a letter of recommendation. And it's good to start making more connections with people. I need to do more of that. I loaned her an economics-related book that I read a while back and found interesting. Economics is sometimes called "the dismal science". This book confirmed that. But, I'm realizing more and more that the description fits. Even so, I'm glad that I am learning it.  It would be nice to take the Macro version of this class. She is teaching it next term. I think I'll get an 'A' in this one and would likely do it again in that one. I know what she expects and what the tests will be like and it uses the same textbook (saves $100 or more).  bu it's not a requirement. But it's what's in the news now, I'm interested in it, and I'd understand the current economic situation much better. I guess I could wait on the math. It's the last one required for the transfer degree. I might even try to take an alternative at PSU. They have four different classes that will satisfy the requirement. I'll have to look into this a little more.

Almost 1 a.m.? Really?

What to do?

I'm really starting to freak out about what my major is going to be. I need to make a decision soon. Registration starts on Nov. 20 and I don't want to take classes that aren't going to help me when I make the jump to a 4-year college. More and more I'm leaning towards environmental studies. There is a lot less math involved. I'm finding that the math doesn't really interest me all that much. But the research and investigation side really does interest me. With environmental studies, I'll be much more likely to be able to spend time outdoors during school and whatever job I might get after school. I like the idea of that. I really don't want to be stuck in some cubicle crunching numbers or doing mind-numbing research for some big company no matter what it is that they do. The pay may ultimately be less, but making a ton of money is pretty far down the list for me. I just want to make enough to be comfortable and have enough left over every month to be able to save for retirement. And I want to have a job that is satisfying to me and one where I look forward to going to work. A job where I can feel like I'm actually making a difference. I think I may have already made my decision and am just trying to talk myself into it. I was so excited about the renewable energy thing that I'm a little disappointed in myself for not going in that direction. I also know that no one else will think badly of me if I change. It's all in MY head. Anyways, if I go forward with the environmental studies I think I'll be taking Biology 211, Math 243 (Statistics), and Sociology 204 during the next term. I think I may go talk to an academic advisor on Friday to see if I can get a bit more clarity on this.

Now I'd better get back to actual schoolwork. I still have half a chapter of economics to read for tommorow's class(and understand - that's the hard part. So many graphs!).

I need more time

I busted my ass over the weekend and got a lot of my homework done for this week. But I still haven't practiced my informational speech very much yet.  And I have to give it on Tuesday. Yuck. At least it's on something I know about - Motorcycle Land Speed Records. It will be interesting to say the least. It needs to be 5 to 7 minutes long. I've been having a hard time getting it down to that and have to leave out a LOT of stuff. I'll be glad when it's done. Only two more to go after that. I still hate public speaking, but it's getting a little easier. I'm not sure that I should have signed up to give it on the first day available. I could have had another week to work on it.  It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I am going to try and work on the Sportster some more this week. It's been nearly two weeks since I have worked on it. I'm still trying to solve some electrical problems with the starting circuit. I need to replace some of the wiring going to the starter relay that I repaired quite a few years ago.  I hope that fixes the problem. I will be so happy when I get it going again.

I keep feeling like my head is going to explode. I hope it doesn't. Who would clean up the mess?

No! I am NOT just wasting time! I hope.

I hope this works out OK.  I hate social networking sites but I have come to realize that they are now a important part of the arsenal for my future (doesn't that sound lovely?).  I now have profiles (still very limited though) on Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter (oh the horror!).  Maybe I will even manage to do something on them once in a while.  Sometimes I hate technology.

More looking around

Portland State University has an Enviromental Science and Management Department that looks like it could have some programs for me.  I haven't given up on OIT, I just want to have some options and make sure that I am going to like what I do after I graduate.

http://www.pdx.edu/esm/

An interesting bit of information, at least to me.  The 100 Best Nonprofits to Work for in Oregon. Number 2 happens to be NAYA, who I am working with for my educational IDA.  They really are great.

OregonBusiness.com - October 2009

When Pigs Attack!!!

Do you personally know anyone who has gotten the H1N1 virus (swine flu)?  I didn't until about 5 minutes ago.  Lilly (my granddaughter) was just diagnosed this morning.  Fortunately, Katrina (her mom), has been on top of Lilly's health care.  It took several trips to different doctors (insert derogatory statements about Medford here) for this to be figured out.  She got a flu shot 2 days ago, but it was already too late by then.  And Lilly can't have Tamiflu, so Katrina is making sure that Lilly stays hydrated and her temperature doesn't go up too much.  I'm not all that worried about this.  I truly believe that the seriousness of this has been completely blown out of proportion by the media.  Out nation's love of things that scare us and getting freaked out about every little thing has not helped either.  I do think that people should be informed about things like this, but they should do some actual research. Getting your news/info from Glenn Beck and Fox News does not count.  Try getting your information from credible sources.  That should apply for everything.  And just because someone has the same opinion as you do doesn't mean squat.  Use your brain.  Critial thinking really does work!

Happy Hallowchristweenmas!!!

I iz smart!

I kept getting invitations to join Phi Theta Kappa in my school email. And I kept blowing it off. But I finally went to an informational meeting today. PTK is an honors society for 2-year colleges where the only requirement is that you have a 3.5 GPA or higher. I have that. Apparently this is a fairly prestigious organization that can carry a lot weight when it comes to getting scholarships, letters of recommendation, international travel/service opportunities, and even for helping to get a job or make business contacts later on. It costs $80 to join, but it seems like it would more than pay for itself with the opportunities that it presents. So I will fill out the application and turn it in tomorrow. Here's to the future!

Community Service

I started volunteering at Free Geek earlier this year. My friend, Mary Kate, works there and I thought that it would be a worthwhile thing to do some volunteer work there. Their main thing is refurbishing and recycling computers and other electronic devices. I think it is a valuable and worthwhile endeavor, but unfortunately it just wasn't a good fit for me. I stopped going about 6 months ago and have been concentrating on school instead. But I really wanted to do something else to help out in my community. I considered places like the Multnomah County Humane Society and the Audubon Society and others, but never really felt much of a connection to them, even though I support what they do. Last week, while I was on my way home, I saw the building that houses the Community Energy Project and wondered what it was that they did. I looked at their website and thought that this might be something that I would want to help with. They have various services like a Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and a home weatherization program. Their In-Home Weatherization Program was what I was interested in. This is basically a program where low-income families, the disabled, and the elderly can qualify for free basic home weatherization, like sealing drafts and putting up vinyl storm window kits. I went to an orientation last night and my first day of work will be on Friday. I already feel good about myself.

Light as a feather!?

I finally weighed myself this morning. What a surprise! The last time I did this (about 3 months ago) I was really disgusted with myself. I was up to a whopping 285 pounds! I put on a bunch of weight over the past year after getting laid off. This morning the scale said 270. Although I haven't really been eating any better than I was before, I have tried to stop eating out as much. And I am a lot pickier about where I go. I very rarely eat fast food anymore. My new favorite place is Thai Noon on Alberta St. I love their yellow chicken curry. Although these kinds of places are a little bit more expensive than fast food, it is a lot tastier and since I only eat out about once a week now, it's actually a lot less expensive than it was before. No more $5 pepperoni pizzas from Little Caesars or Ultimate breakfast sandwich combos from Jack in the Box. I even eat veggies now (although still not like I should). And I have been trying to walk at least a couple of times a week. Who knew? Eating less crap and a little bit of exercise seems to go a long way for me. Now if I can just get down to under 250. Maybe even 225? I haven't weighed that much since my early 20's. If I could keep losing just 5 pounds a month I could conceivably get to that by next summer.

Computers Gone Wild!

My computer has been acting crazy. I hope something is not going bad, like the hard drive. I need to back up all of my pictures and documents SOON! I keep not doing this and I keep losing stuff every time I lose a hard drive. It seems to be about every three years or so and that's getting close to how old mine is. I'm using my laptop right now. I don't use it that much. I mainly bought it for school (used from Free Geek - and cheap!) and use it sometimes, but haven't really gotten into the habit of using it regularly. I really have no reason not to.

"People don't resist change. They resist being changed." Peter Senge

Oh great! My laptop just started making a funny noise. Not very loud or all of the time, but a noise none the less. Good thing I haven't yet bought the new battery it needs.

Isn't technology great!

Even more GPZ expenses

Once again, I should have known something like this would happen.

I went over to Erik's earlier this week figuring since he had an air compressor that I could quickly and easily change the clutch basket on my Kawasaki. I took the right side fairing off (easy), removed the clutch cover (easy), and took out the clutch springs and pressure plate (again easy). The basket was wobbly (should be pretty much solid) and had contact marks on the outer edge of the basket fingers from the back side of the crankshaft counter-balancer automatic chain adjuster (did you get all of that?). No wonder it was so noisy. Good thing I had those nearly new parts. I started to take the friction discs and steel plates out and noticed that the outer tabs of the friction discs had considerable wear on them. I guess it had been longer than I remembered since I had inspected the clutch parts. So, now that's all going to be on hold again until I decide that I just need to spend the $75-$85 or so for new discs and springs. I can just clean up the steel plates and reuse them. Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. Even if the clutch discs were fine, I couldn't have finished the job because Erik didn't have the 30mm 1/2-inch drive impact socket that I needed, that for some reason I just knew that he would have (I have one in my tool box in storage. Doesn't everybody have one?). It's taking me a while to get used to not working on my bikes in a pro shop setting with all of the tools and supplies I need nearby. I don't like it.

I'm a quitter

I just couldn't do it. 5 classes were just too much for me to handle. The amount of homework I had was unreal. Most of my classes were suffering because I wasn't able to spend enough time studying and doing homework. I made my decision during the last half of trigonometry class on Thursday. I realized that what the teacher was talking about was making less and less sense to me. It was obvious that I was headed for trouble. So I dropped that class today. Today was the last day you could drop a 12-week class and get your full tuition back. It was a big relief when I decided what I was going to do. I was disappointed, but it was the smart thing for me to do. I'm also starting to consider other career paths. I haven't decided to drop the whole renewable energy thing, I'm just weighing all of my options. School is definitely expanding and changing the expectations and goals that I have for myself. And I want to make sure I'm heading in the right direction. I wish I had started this a lot sooner.

What I'm learning in school right now!

Microeconomics - Economic models, supply and demand, price and quantity controls, excise taxes

Public speaking - ethics, speaking confidently
Food quote: "I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food." - W.C. Fields

Trigonometry - periodic functions, sine and cosine functions, radians, graphs of sine and cosine

$$$ for Scholarships - Profile, character qualities, character strengths, happiness, vision for the future

Writing for Scholarships - 150 word essay: Career aspirations and education plans

New and Improved!

I updated the blog editor and can now reply to comments. It's about time!

More bike parts

My GPZ1100 (it's a motorcycle, of course) has over 70,000 miles on it. I haven't always driven it in a nice respectful manner. It occasionally rewards me with worn out parts. A few months ago I put on a brand new rear wheel complete with bearings and a sprocket damper. And I've known for quite some time that I was going to have to replace at least the clutch basket. The noise and occasional shudder from the clutch the last few times I've ridden it have been a pretty clear indication that it was now overdue. It's been keeping me from riding. I finally decided that I just needed to go for it and get the parts I need. I did pretty well on ebay. From a low-mile (less than 8000) Kawasaki ZX-11 (the ZX-11 and the GPZ1100 share many parts), I got a clutch basket with ring gear, bearing, bearing sleeve, washer, drive gear and backing plate. All for $100 including shipping. That's less than a third of the cost of new. Now I just need to find a couple of hours or so to put it in, probably either at Bethany's or Erik's. And it might be due for an oil change.


This is where I want to be right now

I don't care if you don't like it

Here's a picture that I like. The artist, Jeral Tidwell, has some really cool art at Humantree.com

Bali Mask and Skull

Busy, busy

I think I'm going to have very little free time this term. There is a lot of homework that goes along with all of my classes. But so far so good. It's only the end of the first week of school but I don't think I am going to have too many issues. I'm even more excited about my classes than I was before. Even speech. I'm actually looking forward to conquering my fear of public speaking. I'm especially happy that I decided to take the scholarship classes. I think it's really going to pay off handsomely. It would be such a relief if I don't need to really worry about money while I'm in school. And maybe even be able to still have some money stashed away in a savings account.

I'm not sure how often I will be able to post while in school. I will try to continue to post at least once a week.

School starts Monday

My first class of the fall term is on Monday from 11am to 12:50 pm, Tuesday classes run from 11am to 3:20pm, Wednesday is 11am to 12:50pm again, and Thursday is my long day with classes from 11am to 6:50pm, with 40 minute break at 3:20. 5 classes, 16 credits. They say you should allow 2 to 3 hours outside of class for every in class hour for studying and homework. I seem to need 2 to 5 hours, depending on the class. I could potentially be looking at anywhere from 48 to 96 hours a week spent just on school. It will probably be somewhere closer to the middle, like 70-75 hours. That's almost like having two jobs, except I'm paying instead of getting paid. This is so going to be worth it.

I sold my old TI-86 graphing calculator the other day for $35. I bought a lightly used TI-89 Titanium in May for $90 so I didn't need it anymore. Tomorrow I'm selling one of my textbooks that I used last term. Also for $35. I was happy it sold because they have gone to a 2010 edition for the fall term and mine is a 2009 edition. The book cost me nearly $80 used. I tried to sell back all of the textbooks I had from my last two terms. They took one. The cheapest one. I paid about $30 for it new and they gave me $15. And nothing else. I gave my math books to James. I hope it doesn't always go like this. I try to buy used whenever I can and it helps offset the cost of books if I can at least get something for them when I'm done with them. Why does education need to cost so much? And this is just community college. End of minor rant.

I am looking forward to school starting again. Starting new classes always makes me a little anxious though. I keep thinking that part will go away. I'm still hopeful. The classes certainly won't be getting easier any time soon. The classes I plan to take at PCC after this term tentatively include:

CH 221 Chemistry
CH 222 Chemistry
CIS 122 Software Design
CS 161 Computer Science I
CS 133U C Programming
ENGR 211 Statics
ENGR 221 Electrical Circuits
ENGR 222 Electrical Circuits
ENGR 223 Signals & Systems
MTH 251 Calculus I
MTH 252 Calculus II
MTH 253 Calculus III
MTH 254 Vector Calculus
MTH 256 Differential Equations
PHY 211 Physics
PHY 212 Physics
PHY 213 Physics
WR 122 English Composition
WR 227 Technical Writing
General Social Science - 6 credits minimum
General Humanities - 9 credits minimum

This is all in preparation for going to OIT, hopefully starting in the Fall term of 2011. It seems like a lot to do in only 2 years, but I don't think I'll have to take any more in one term than I am doing this time. It will be doable as long as I stay focused on my goals. I can't wait to see what happens!

New EV speed record

This is from the Wired article. Although Killacycle is faster, it can't sustain it's speed for over a mile. Yet.


Mission Motors has always said its electric superbike would do 150 mph, and it appears to have fulfilled that promise with a record-setting run at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Company product manager and test rider Jeremy Cleland set an unofficial record for electric motorcycles when he averaged 150.059 mph during back-to-back runs of one mile each at Bonneville Speedway west of Salt Lake City. The runs, which followed an earlier dash at a claimed 161 mph, came during the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials sponsored by the American Motorcyclist Association. The AMA hasn’t ratified Cleland’s speed yet, but Mission says it’s legit.

“We set this record on our first visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats on poor salt conditions and in high crosswinds,” said Edward West, a founder and president of the San Francisco startup. “And to set it with our production prototype vehicle, not a custom Bonneville bike, is truly amazing. It’s a watershed moment for electric vehicles and further proof that the era of the electric superbike has begun.”

Read more here

I wish I had $69,000 just laying around.

Stuff I've been watching

I pretty much stopped watching TV. I still haven't even unpacked my digital converter and antenna. The DVD player is hooked up and has been used a few times since my move. I watch shows on the internet. Hulu, Surf the Channel, Comedy Central, You Tube, GUBA, Google Video. The public library has a ton of DVDs. There is a lot of stuff to waste time on. Here are some of the things I've been watching lately.

Who Killed the Electric Car? - documentary, it wasn't Colonel Mustard
Idiocracy - very interesting comedy/sci-fi/adventure statement directed by Mike Judge, "Go 'way, batin'!"
Monty Python and the Holy Grail - classic, probably my second all-time favorite
Weeds - HBO soap opera, this series makes me want to punch the main character in the face, it's actually pretty good but I hate this show and got sucked into it and am now waiting for the next episode.
Dexter - awesome Showtime series about a serial killer who works for the cops, sounds dumb but you'll be rooting for him too
Defying Gravity - interesting ABC sci-fi space travel series, I just heard that it's going to be cancelled. That figures.
Sons of Anarchy - I really wanted to hate this show before I even watched it. Instead, I've been patiently waiting for nearly a year for the second season. Now with Henry Rollins!

These two YouTube videos amuse me. I've had them bookmarked for years now. They never get old for me.
Saigon Traffic amazes me everytime I watch it. At first it seems chaotic and crazy and then you realize how flowing and organic the whole thing is (this link seems to take a while to load - sorry, there are other examples but I like this one best).
Slapping Girls is a whole different thing. I'm not really sure what to say about this.

DOH!!!

I was very stupid. On Friday, while taking the clutch out of the Sportster I pulled a really bone-headed move and broke one of the clutch hub fingers. I can't explain why I went through with it. I knew before I even tried what I did, that it was a bad idea and could end with broken parts. Knowing this, Why did I continue? This little piece of stupidity will cost me at least $100.

First EV purchase

I just couldn't help myself. It seemed like a really great price. Tyco Kilovac EV200 Series Contactor for $60.79 on eBay.

Free Money!!!

I just got out of my first meeting for my Free Money!!! Basically, there is a local organization (there are other community-oriented organizations have programs similar to this one) that helps qualified people (generally an income/assets ceiling of less than average for the area you live in) with things like downpayment assistance for a first-time homebuyer, opening a small business, or in my case, education. There are usually required meetings, personal development classes, etc. They are programs that encourage and teach good saving/spending habits. So, I qualified and still need to jump through some hoops to get the money, but I already did some of the things through the Portland Housing Center last year and won't need to repeat them. Anyways, I will save $740 over the next 6 months in a special savings account and they will match it 3:1 and give me an additional $2220 to be used for any school-related expense. And I can reapply again as many times as I want to/qualify for. How can you beat that? Free Money!!!

I Love Lists!

I was wondering what it would be and when it would happen. Know I know. And it's already a full blown obsession. Late nights spent searching for some bit of information or drawing up schematics or trying to read every post I can at numerous forums. Another love/hate relationship. It seems to be what I do.

Here is the latest version of "The Plan".
1. Fix the Harley.
2. Sell the complete engine/drive train. Use this money to finance the EV project.
3. Use Sportster chassis for the basis of electric motorcycle.
4. Build a 48V system.
5. Ride and experiment with the 48V system
6. Sell 48V parts to help finance a 72V or 96V system

#2 could be the sale of the complete bike. If so, obviously #3 would be a different bike. I figure it could be a year or more until I hit #6. I still have a lot to learn.

You may not know (or may not care) what these are, but here is a list of the components that I am currently thinking of getting. I want to use quality proven components but I am trying to do it on a budget of $2500. Nothing fancy with the ability to easily change components and use a higher voltage later on. As always, I promise to not necessarily do anything that I say that I might do. Or not.

1. Four - B and B 12V 50Ah AGM batteries (or similar)
2. Four - Supercharger Elite 7A battery charger
3. 400A, 48V main contactor
4. Magura throttle
5.Alltrax AXE4844 400A programmable motor speed controller
6. Mars ME0708 (aka ET-R) permanent magnet DC motor, 6hp cont./15hp peak
7. Cheap import DC-DC converter
8. Unknown meters as of yet. Maybe a Cycle Analyst.
9. Various relays, diodes, resistors, fuses, switches, cables, wires, connectors, tape, heat shrink, zip ties, solder, etc.

Getting started

Yesterday I took a bunch of tools and supplies over to the garage. I took a few pictures, but it was raining so I stayed inside and didn't get any really nice ones.



I hadn't planned on doing much but decided that since I was there I should do something. I started by taking the battery out and draining the oil tank. There was next to nothing in the oil tank, so I'm sure the engine has filled up with oil. I kept working and drained the primary case oil and took off the air filter. By the time I finished, I had taken off the gas tank, the carb, the exhaust, the clutch lever, and the rear master cylinder and rear sprocket cover. The "updated" rear pulley nut retainer was in the midst of a failure. It wouldn't have lasted a whole lot longer.

I ordered a clutch spring tool from ebay today. I hope it's not a $42 piece of crap. I'm going to try to find a 1-7/8" socket at one of the local used tool places. I may also have to get an adapter to be able to use it on my 1/2" drive breaker bar. And find an old fork tube or something that will fit over the bar for extra leverage. Once I have all the tools, this should go pretty quickly.

School and stuff

I'll be back in school (Portland Community College) again in 2 weeks. Monday, Sept 21 is my first day. I'm looking forward to it. Thinking is fun. Colege gud. I'll be taking 16 credit hours this term (4 days/week) including Public Speaking (yuck), Trigonometry, and Micro-Economics. This is my heaviest load so far. Last term was 12 credits, but over 8 weeks instead of the usual 12 weeks. I blew my 4.0 GPA this last term. It's now 3.86. It was the B I got in math. I don't really like taking classes like this over the short summer term.

I want to try to start walking to school now. It takes about 35 minutes (1.8 miles). That's about how long it used to take me to drive there from the Village. But I sweat like a porcine, so that's always fun. I need to get into better shape. I gained a bunch of weight since I stopped working last fall. I have started walking again. More interesting neighborhoods around here makes it a little easier to want to do.

Soon to be - FOR SALE

Although this is not final, and is a very long and detailed list. I'll put it on craigslist and maybe some of the Harley and Sportster forums.


1991 Harley-Davidson Sportster Deluxe 883cc drive train - $2500 firm

Complete from the carb back to the rear wheel pulley. This is everything you need. Not perfect cosmetically, but not bad either, a little rust and corrosion on a few of the parts

50K+ miles, which is more than most but a lot of parts have been replaced and have a lot fewer miles on them. I will list everything that I can remember.

Includes the following items:

• Engine - cylinders, pistons, rings, wrist pins, cylinder heads – 7000 miles
• 5 –speed transmission – unsure, maybe 20,000 miles, a little bit of wear on 3rd gear faces, pretty typical, works fine
• Barnett clutch plates and discs, new OEM diaphragm spring – 25,000 miles and going strong
• Complete primary drive including cover, new primary drive chain and adjuster – 7000 miles, newer cover with functional Barnett heavy duty clutch cable
• Cam chest and valve train – all stock, works fine
• Some chrome engine hardware – whatever
• S & S Super ‘E’ carb with intake and throttle cables and throttle grip, K & N air filter, high flow modified S & S chrome cover (lightly scratched)
• Complete ignition system – Spyke 50K coil, performance plug wires, Dyna 2000i programmable ignition, Screamin’ Eagle ignition module, works best with Autolite plugs (included).
• Brand new reman starter- 5 miles
• Brand new oil filter – 5 miles
• Super Trapp stainless brushed steel 2-into-1 exhaust with mounting bracket, adjustable backpressure (with plates), repackable , looks great and works even better, still one of the best all-round Sportster exhausts
• Motor mounts and hardware
• Front and rear final drive pulley, front pulley has the fastener upgrade, newer Dayco Panther final drive belt – 7000 miles
• Updated oil tank and battery tray with cables – 7000 miles
• New battery – 5 miles

Will include many stock and/or used but still working parts

Have more higher def pictures and small video available on request

Bike moved

Eric and I took the XL over to Bethany's today. It had leaked a lot of oil on the storage floor. I need to get some floor dry from Erik and clean it up. I have a large drip pan under it now. 55,000 hard miles on a 883cc Harley. I guess that's expected. It's coming from between the case halves (vertically split) mostly. I think. I went back to storage to get tools. Need to go back at least once more for stuff. I might take my smaller top tool chest over for my tools.

I have been thinking about using the Harley for the base for the electric bike. I would sell the complete engine, carb, final drive, exhaust, mounts, coil, the whole works. I might get $2500 for everything and still have a rolling chassis that won't need a whole bunch of work. And I would still have the bike that I have so many memories with. An electric Harley. I like it.

I'll take some pictures tomorrow (Saturday).

My reading list

Here are some of the books I have read in the past 6 or 8 months. School has been taking up a lot of my time this year. I haven't been reading like I usually do.

Elmer Gantry - Sinclair Lewis
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
Prison Profiteers: Who Makes Money From Mass Incarceration? - Herivel and Wright
What Americans Really Believe : New findings from the Baylor surveys of religion - Stark
One Man's Wilderness : An Alaskan Odyssey - Sam Keith
Babbitt - Sinclair Lewis
Chicken : The Dangerous Transformation of America's Favorite Food - Steve Striffler
HTML : A Beginner's Guide - Wendy Willard
To Dakar and Back : 21 days Across North Africa by Motorcycle - Lawrence Hacking
Bonneville : World's Fastest Motorcycles - by Horst Rösler

This is what I'm reading right now.

Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle - Carl Vogel
Hot, Flat, and Crowded - Thomas L. Friedman
Sport Rider magazine - Sept. 2009

The EV Plan

I want an electric motorcycle. Buying a brand new $10000 Zero, or a GPR-S, or one of the other manufactured bikes would be fun. But it's way out of my current budget. I want to build my own electric motorcycle. I'm hoping it will be the first of many. Ironically, part of the plan includes getting the Sportster (ICE - Internal Combustion Engine) running again and then selling it to help finance the first electric bike. I've already started doing research and reading a lot on the subject. The performance and range will be greatly affected by the initial platform. Voltage will likely be between 48 and 96 VDC. Batteries could be lead acid or Optima Yellowtops. Lithium would be nice but is expensive. Probably an permanent magnet DC motor like the ET-R or the ET-RT and an Alltrax programmable controller. I hope to find a bike to convert soon.

Finally! A garage!

I had a few beers a couple of nights ago with Bethany. I hadn't seen her in 4 or 5 years. She offered me the use of space in her mostly empty garage to work on the Sporty and future bike projects. The timing was perfect. With the bike currently crammed into a tiny second floor storage unit with lots of other crap, and barely enough parking space at my house, let alone a place to work on motorcycles, I basically had no idea what I was going to do. It's good to have friends. She has more or less given me free reign of coming and going and will give me a key to the garage door lock. For free! I went by today to look at it and it will be just fine. Plenty of floorspace. A cold water sink. Not much work top space. It could be closer, but at about 8 miles away it's not too bad. I need to find the best alternate route that isn't I-5 though. And I'll have to get used to working on the floor instead of on a lift. I've been spoiled for many years, being able to work on my own bikes in a pro shop environment. Access to air, special tools, cleaners, etc. Regardless of all that, I couldn't be happier to have a garage again. Thanks Bethany.

First post

This is the first post of my first blog. Let's see how long this lasts.