Where Do I start, where does it end?

With all the doom and gloom amongst us, the economy, the political mess and health care fight, the Afghan war and on and on. Just got word that a mutual friend of a friend has Cancer, this after a family friend had a cancerous kidney removed and is still recovering! My faith in most things is very troubling to me, here I sit entirely content and as of today all family are in good health and living good productive lives! I scratch my head in wonderment as to the chaos going on around me, knowing tomorrow it could be our turn for the bad news ,or the trajedy, knowing full well there is no antidote for trouble free living! Watching the news today and all of the political mess of the left versus the right, the open minded versus the closed off religious right. People are dying while we wait to pass a good health care bill and yet we are most intrigued with the bottom line and the insurance companies need to make their money by the Billions, people are dying without insurance to pay for health care and we drag our feet while Americans die for the bottom line. Even read where Frank Schaeffer spoke of some of the madness on Maddow and on court TV having to testify in a case where a religious family prayed for their daughter to recover from Pneumonia instead of taking the sick child to the Hospital, it is against their religion to seek out medical attention, As Frank mentioned, where are the death panel protesters now, this type of mindset is very prevalent in the radical religious side of the fence. Mr. Schaeffer would know, he was a Evangelical prodigal son and got out of that life and became aware how ridiculous that mindset really is, now he shares in books and in various pubs nationwide. But to get back on topic, the crumbling of society is a scar proposition. where will we be if health reform does not pass, watching Republicans celebrate for one, meanwhile the people they are elected to serve go further not-served and chalk it all up to lies and fear mongering and instilling excessive doubt for any change whatsoever! People are a fickle beast, on one hand they want to believe everything they hear and can spread a rumor in a heartbeat, but when life and limb are at stake they do what they do again, listen and believe the firs bit of nonsense they hear. The people are spreading hate and fear and deceptive rumors of killing old people and fascism,communism and socialism, if only they could believe in realism they would be a dangerous breed for sure. I salute Mr schaeffer for his devout stand on his life change and realization that sometimes we are wrong and can make the change and improve our lives for not only ourselves, but many others that cross our paths. It's understandable that people all have different fundamental belief systems and ideals and a position religiously, politically and socially, but common sense sometimes needs to override the status quo and what one normally does is not always applicable , one size fits all is long gone and this ever -changing world requires free thinkers who can adapt and think on their feet and help save not only the youth of America, but the rest of us as well

State of my Status

All is well in the Saurusland motel these days, school is back in session and things are pretty good at this time. My dodgers are doing great and need a few piece of the puzzle to get where they need to be, high school football is in swing and the boy is playing for a rival high school now but at least playing, might have to go see him play a game once my anger subsides a bit! The golf game is getting better and the swing is becoming a more consistant smooth affair. The Prozac crew has met a few times here recently and always a good time for sure, the board is going strong and keeping it real on a daily basis. my Blog here has bee a little slow, my laptop took a dump and is in the shop being repaired as i write so hopefully can make additions more frequently and keep my shit updated, so stay tunes and hope all are doig great and that postivity has enveloped your world, cuz my shit is signed sealed and delivered daily to wherever i step... yeah i have it that good, thank Goodness! be good , be strong , be yourself and fuck the Masses

Retirement Of Mat Mladin!

Mat Pictured with Wife at Fontana 4-09

It was a sad day for me and a happy day for Mat Mladin, the 7 time AMA Superbike champion retired after Sundays race in New Jersey. For me it was a long 10 year run of following my favorite racer and male athletic figure. Mat was really the reason I got involved in Sportbikes and was always my inspiration to watch and learn. After watching him get nipped at the line by Duhamel in the 99 Daytona race i knew he was my racer of choice. Throughout the years he was not really liked in the pit area as he was the consummate professional, always looking for a way to get faster and making friends at the track was way down on his list of things to accomplish. Mat didn't make friends and even made some fierce rivalries with his win first attitude. Winning his Championships in 99,00,01,03,04,05, now after Ben spies squeaked out 3 straight he gets the crown back in 09. Mats professionalism and get things right attitude was always an inspiration to me ,I enjoyed watching him at the track looking at data ,talking to his crew while other riders were out checking out the girls or laughing with their buds, not Mat he was all Business and went about things in that manner all of the time. The man would always give u straight answers during interviews and at times was fined for his open comments about the way the organization was running things. Looking back on some old video and some DVR material i have saved of Mat it really makes me appreciate the level of dedication and sacrifice he had to endure for the past 18 years of his racing career. Becoming a father in the past 6 years has made thing even more difficult for him to get out and race with the family being put a close second during the race season. But as this, his final season progressed you could see the fire in his eyes go away, he lost Ben Spies to WSB and had no real contender to push him and test his skills, sure there are some damn good racers here now but none that could push Mats buttons to go like the mad worker he once was. With a huge lead and the competition seemingly at his mercy, he started to not win every race, you could see he was going through the motions and waiting for the season to end. With the new organization totally fucking the series up and taking away real Superbikes for slightly more than store bought machines. His team lost their motivation and drive and coupled with No Ben Spies to push them, racing wasn't much fun anymore. But he brought home his 7th Crown and will retire as the AMA's winningest superbike racer by more than45 wins on the closest winner, 82 wins and over 60 pole positions to close out his AMA career. The series is doomed until somebody else picks up the torch and carries it again, Spies ,Mladin, duhamel, Russell,Gobert,Oliver all the great ones are gone and that is what I entered into this great sport was watching the superstars compete against each other. Now I wonder where I'm going to get my racing fix, WSB with Ben spies seems to be it, but he will dominate that series like Mat did AMA and then go the Moto GP and be thrown to the wolves , but he will win there as well. i hope Ben realizes how important having Mat Mladin as a teammate truly was in his developement, to push and to show the level of work that needed to be done every week was a just a glance to the next pit away, although he's never acknowledged this, i believe Ben is very appreciative for having Mat to teach and show him how to win the tough races, every race they raced against each other was a battle and this has helped him overseas. I will miss Mat Mladin every Saturday and Sunday on Speed TV racing for us all, but i guess being able to retire at 37, own 3 homes,2 planes and your own the largest motorcycle supply business in Australia leaves him with something to do and the family to spend all of the time he so graciously shared with us every race weekend. Hope he still Blogs and Tweets otherwise we may never hear from him again, he is a private guy... Thanks for all of the memories!!!

New School Year

Well the kids are back in school and all the shopping has been done, hell week in football over and the regular season ready to begin in earnest here in a week or so. The new school year brings about many beginnings to some new ends for me, the oldest teenager will be going into the Marines in February after a January graduation from school, the younger boy who is attending a new high school for whatever reason is doing whatever it is he does there and playing football. the wife has started her 22nd teaching year as a school teacher and it looks like a good year ahead for her. The the Marine bound boy is determined to become a Marine for whatever reason he assumes that this will make him a man , might do so but what will he learn and what skills will he possess when he comes back to the real world and has to get a job? I tried to convince him that joining one of the other branches of the military would allow him the opportunity to learn a trade or a viable craft in which to apply to the real world when he gets out, but he stands hard on the fact that becoming a Marine is more important because they are the real men in the military. I'm not even going to try to arrange a thought with that mentality but it is what he makes of it and if manly stature is that important to him than hope he gets what he thinks he deserves, just not thinking for the long term is not a good thing and putting your self in harms way for meaningless wars is not something I promote for any man or woman period, let alone my own son. But lessons in life are sometimes learned the hard way and life is reality check waiting to happen and it will do what it is supposed to do.... Reality bites doesn't it? As for me , the job is great the environment in which i work is awesome and the benefits are plentiful. Just entering my 2oth year her at the same job for the Govt is a testament to my fortunes, good job , great pay , easy work and dealing with people all day that need my help. So all is back on schedule, the boys in school, the wife back working and the weather in socal is incredible, the Golf game gets alot of practice and the motorcycle not so much but when It does it really works like a champ. I guess there is something to be said for routine, it allows most of us to get back into a comfort zone and be more programmed form the free for all head scratching freedoms of time and efforts that we all crave when we are working but when we have free time it seems we can't figure out how to utilize it and its more trouble than having a routine and work to be attending on a regular basis. I guess human Nature has a way of catching up to u s and when we ask for something and get it it Isn't always what we truly wanted or needed in the first place, so back to school is a good thing for the young ,it puts the in a place to learn and makes them accountable for 8 hours a day to be committed to something besides them selves and their own self interests, me I'm always at work enjoying the days and enjoying the days end that allow me to get home and enjoy my family and Friends ,the weekends are an accentuation of all of those things and some extra sleep ,some more gym time, golf and all the things we like to do. times are great!