Independence Day Motorcycle Rally

Soon we’ll be throwing our legs over the saddles, cranking up the bikes, and departing for the Hollister motorcycle rally.  As in years past, we were looking for a summer road trip.

After some discussion, we decided on the Hollister Rally, our third visit to this event.  Many are probably of the history of this a small town out in the boondocks of central California.  

Inland from Monterey and south of San Jose and the Bay area, in 1947 Hollister was the location of the now (in)famous “riot” that served as the basis for the Marlon Brando film “The Wild Bunch.”  By popular myth, it is also viewed as the birthplace of the American biker culture.  

In ’47, the bikers were World War II vets, joining together in various clubs, or “gangs” as the press called them.  However, like today’s veterans, they were not gangs, but like-minded and similarly experienced veterans associating with their brothers.

For that weekend in 1947, the American Motorcycle Association sanctioned a Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister.  Reports differ widely and dramatically, but it is understood many more bikers showed up than expected, with riders coming from all over.   

Some reliable reports indicate a few guys got out of hand, though the press (the fore fathers of the mainstream media?) wildly exaggerated the situation.  Though some bikers roared up and down the town’s roads, and drank in all of the welcoming bars, various sources indicated afterwards that it wasn’t as bad as made out to be by a largely absent press after the fact.   

For good or bad, truth or fiction, the legend of the Hollister riot began.  Indisputably, however, the American biker image began to take shape and the foundation for the biker life style was laid. 

The Hollister Rally had been taking place off and on over July 4^th for a number of years.  After attending two previous rallies, we’d read about issues plaguing the events.  Apparently, the rally didn’t occur for a few years, then suffered some problems during half-baked attempts to resurrect it.  Lately, however, it seems to be back in is previous well-organized and successful form. 

  

Hollister is about 45 miles southeast of San Jose (do you know the way to San Jose?) and about halfway between I-5 and the Pacific Ocean, off Route 101 and southeast of Gilroy.  So this year we will drop anchor in Gilroy.  What do you mean you’ve never heard of Gilroy?   It is only the garlic capital of the world!   

Hollister is a really, really small town in one of the warmer parts of central California.  Thankfully the weather forecasts are for decent temperatures during the rally.

One important aspect of the biker life style is recognizing the dramatic differences in operating a bike with one or more other riders.  When driving a car, following someone to a destination, it is relatively straightforward and easy.  Just get behind the other guy, maintain a reasonable distance, point the car, and go.  Step on the slanted peddle to go and rectangular pedal to stop.  Most often other drivers see you and you see them.  Nothing to it, right?  On bikes it is a totally different proposition. 

For example, while physically possible to ride side-by-side on most freeways, it isn’t necessarily safe to do so.  Consequently, experienced riders often ride in staggered formations, leaving fore and aft and side-to-side space between the bikes.   

Safety is paramount when on a bike, because from a frontal or rear perspective, a motorcycle is about one-third of the width of a car.  From the side, a bike is less than 50% of the length of an average car.  So a good rider pays attention to riding safely. 

Another factor is the impact of heat on the motorcyclist.  Riding in the heat is miserable.  Though probably wearing a light t-shirt, the sun and heat from the bike and the pavement beat on you.  And your head is encased in a helmet, which retains the heat.  The air moving across your body at freeway speeds provides some relief, but there comes a point where it is just absolutely miserable.  There is no other way to describe it.  Therefore, planning travel times and routes to avoid excessive heat is important. 

Packing for a road trip also deserves some specific comment.  Again, it isn’t at all like grabbing a couple of suitcases, throwing in everything you think you might need, and stuffing them into the back of a car.  On a bike you are limited to a small bag strapped to the sissy bar and a couple of saddlebags.  Not a lot of cubic inches, so good judgment is paramount.  Since it is likely you’ll encounter various weather types, clothing for cold-to-cool-to-warm-to-hot is needed.  

 This includes short and long gloves, helmet, goggles, and chaps (leather leggings to cover the legs).  And the leather jacket.  Add to these bulky items the shaving kits, parts/tools/oil for the bike, and ball caps, there really isn’t much space remaining for much more than basic attire, comprised of the ever-present blue jeans, skivvies, socks, shirts, swimsuit, and some half-way decent attire to wear when going out for a bite to eat.  With practice and experience, you can judiciously pack for a motorcycle road trip. 

As of this writing, our routing north through L.A. is undecided.  Hitting the I-210 to intersect SR-134 and ultimately Route 1/101 (Pacific Coast Highway) is preferred, even though a longer distance, because it avoids the perpetual mess of I-405.  However, temperatures through the inland empire are forecast to be in the 90s and possible low 100s, definitely something to avoid.  The alternative is timing our departure to miss the worst of the 405.  This can mean, nevertheless, hitting slow – if not stop and go – traffic, another pain on a bike.

OK, most of you have done stop and go traffic and know it’s a bitch.  But unless or until you do it on a motorcycle, you have no idea just how much of a total bitch it can be.  Clutch in, clutch out.  Feet up, feet down.  Oh yeah, motorcycles don’t stand by themselves when stopped.  You either have to put down the kickstand (unrealistic in traffic) or put one or both feet down.  It becomes a pain really, really fast.  Add to that the fumes from the cars and trucks around you, the heat, and discomfort and it is not what “Easy Rider” looked like.  When possible, plan to avoid heavy traffic and stop and go conditions. 

When on the road like this, you can’t carry on a conversation with your buddy.  Wind noise and distance make it impossible.  So you are left with your thoughts, together with paying close attention to the road conditions and other vehicles.  In a way it is a type of solitude in the midst of everything going around you.  It is easy to get mentally lost in the beauty around you, when conditions permit, which are heightened because of riding the bike.  As previously described, you aren’t encased in a car, with climate control and a stereo.  You are pretty much one with the environment.  But in traffic, it is imperative to remain focused on the task at hand. 

Once we get to the coastal area of Santa Monica, etc., the route and ride will be much, much more enjoyable.

Not too long before we are enjoying that part of the ride.

Dismal and challenging times (that we will survive)

Dang, it is hard to keep smiling these days.  If the stock market reaction to the Brexit vote isn't enough to get the stomach acids churning at full force, then the continual, nay perpetual, bad news about the two presumptive presidential candidates should.

Ridiculous statements from each, unsupported by facts.  Inflammatory as well.

A previously undisclosed State Department email reveals once again Clinton's arrogant, if not manic pursuit of personal secrecy.  The email was most definitely official state department business, but did not make it into the 55,000 pages of printed emails Clinton ultimately provided (only after information about her personal server came to light). 

Trump's outlandish comments from Scotland reveal once again an inability to take matters seriously or understand the impact of his statements.  Can't the man think before he speaks?
 
Egad!

From where I sit, a cold beer and relaxing with my bride are in order this evening.

The stock market will rebound.

The country will survive whoever is elected president.  (It's not absolutely certain either Clinton or Trump will be the one.)

Our country will survive

Five months to go until the 2016 elections.  It hardly seems possible the political choices could be any more dismal.

For differing and similar reasons, the presumptive major party candidates for the office of the presidency are simply unworthy of the position they seek.

This leaves our nation facing a quandary for which no clear palatable, reasonable, or (dare it be said) sane alternative presents itself.

Legions of woefully uninformed, ignorant, greedy, and/or inept voters will certainly cast their ballots for one of these two.  Unless some cataclysmic event arises, one of them will be elected to serve as the next President of the United States of America.

At this point, one could start forecasting all the doom and gloom that will befall our nation.  It matters not which individual is elected, because the strident supporters from the other side can provide long lists of reasonable and unreasonable predictions.  Perhaps some of the gloom and doom, regardless of who is elected, will come to pass.  But it isn't reason to flee the country.   

A singular strength of our nation is its ability to survive.  It has survived the Civil War, multiple world wars, political scandals, slavery, economic recessions, the Great Depression, housing booms and busts, civil unrest, riots, 9/11, reconstruction, impeachments, Vietnam, high unemployment, the Dust Bowl, assassinations, Watergate, and countless other challenges.  It has survived its previous exceptionally poor choices for president.  

It has survived.

We cannot accurately predict what form survival will take in response to this new challenge, but survive the country will.  

There may be pain involved, but at the other end, our country will be better for its survival. 

We will endure the next months of hyperbole, insults, shrill voices, unfounded claims, stilted polls, expenditure of outrageous sums of money, ridiculous pronouncements, outright lies, clever misrepresentations, and perhaps even legal upheaval.  Then the election will be done.

Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and remember that our country has survived worse and will survive this.  

An unwarranted victory lap

Following is a news report about comments POTUS made in Elkhart, Indiana, during his so-called victory lap, as he tells America how much better our nation, our citizens, and the world are since he took office.  In this case, he was discussing the economy.

Obama, speaking in Elkhart, Ind., had lamented the “primary story” he claimed Republicans are telling about the economy – one that focuses on how “moochers at the bottom of the income ladder” are squeezing middle-class families.

“We have been hearing this story for decades,” Obama said. “Tales about welfare queens, talking about takers, talking about the ‘47percent.’ It's the story that is broadcast every day on some cable news stations, on right-wing radio, it's pumped into cars, and bars, and VFW halls all across America, and right here in Elkhart.”

Obama continued: “And if you're hearing that story all the time, you start believing it. It's no wonder people think big government is the problem.”

His rhetoric is wholly unconvincing, in addition to taking an insulting and uncalled-for-shot at veterans.

If the nation is indeed so much better because of his time in office, then why are vastly more people out of the workforce than in it?  Why was the jobs report for May 2016 so dismal?  Why is the economy cited by voters as their number one concern?  Why is the national debt approaching 20 trillion dollars?  Why is the stock market performing tepidly and is currently below its high mark?  Why aren't savings accounts paying reasonable interest?  Why are health care insurance carriers departing Obamacare?  Why are health care premiums and co-pays dramatically increasing?  And the list goes on and on.

The most telling indicator though, is that voters from both the left and right are damned angry at his big government and its overreach, as indicated by the backlash prevalent in this year's election cycle.

Action speaks louder than words

People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do. ~ Lewis Cass

On Memorial Day we hear and read a great deal about honoring those who fell in service to our nation. This is as it should be.

Some allowed their comments to spill over to the general topic of veterans. For this, these commenters can be forgiven. At the end of this national day of recognition, hearing and reading their comments about veterans, I come away with an observation about POTUS.

 

When deeds speak, words are nothing. ~African Proverb

Watching several speakers on television and reading comments of others, many used the opportunity to decry the on-going issues with the Veterans Administration. During one such broadcast, the aforementioned observation came to mind about POTUS.

 

I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts. ~John Locke

It occurred to me that POTUS has said a great deal about the issues with the VA and veterans. But in my view, he has done very little. Though professing concern, in comparison to social issues he supports, POTUS has been notable for his lack of action. On social issues he has shown a proclivity to sign Executive Orders and to issue Federal Regulations. By some count, thousands of pages of the two.

 

Well done is better than well said. ~Benjamin Franklin

Setting aside for the moment the illegality of his Executive Orders and Federal Regulations, what is telling is that in spite of lofty rhetoric concerning issues with the Veterans Administration and care for our veterans, POTUS has chosen not to take the same approach in addressing them as he has with social issues, climate issues, the environment, LGBT issues, international security, and other matters not involving our veterans.

 

A promise is a cloud; fulfillment is rain. ~Arabian Proverb

A minor epiphany, but a revelation nevertheless. By his actions, POTUS demonstrates his lack of care for veterans and their concerns.

Actions speak louder than words.

Memorial Day 2016

Memorial Day 2016 will see thousands of bikers converge on Washington, DC to participate in Rolling Thunder.  Starting with staging in the north parking lot of the Pentagon (brings back memories of being one of the first in and last out of that lot during my time there 1993-1997).

Once the ride begins, it will be hours before the last bikes cross over the bridge into our nation's capital.

Along the route, the riders will pass Marine Staff Sergeant Chamberlain, nicknamed "The Saluting Marine."

Some will have ridden thousands of miles to participate in this uniquely American expression of patriotism. 

Like those in Run for the Wall.

Lest no one ever forget our fallen, POWs, or those for whom there is no accounting.

Lest we forget

Lest we forget.

 

Let their actions speak for themselves

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Protesters at Trump rallies have stomped on the American flag. 

Burned the American flag.

And repeatedly flown the Mexican flag.

 Let their actions speak for themselves.

Inspiring students

While out cycling this morning, I came to a stop while passing Fletcher Hills Elementary School.

Why?


Because I could see and hear students and staff standing in front of the school by the flag pole, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.



Quintessential way to begin the school day. The scene had a Norman Rockwell quality to it, at this neighborhood school located east of San Diego, California.



The lilting voices of the students as they finished, pledging, "...one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all."




This inspirational scene is pure Americana and makes this old veteran proud.



All middle schools, high schools, community colleges, colleges, and universities should begin each day in the same way.

Marine Corps brotherhood on bikes for a great cause

Last Saturday, beginning in a little town about 20 miles north of Camp Pendleton, the Brotherhood of Marine Corps Riders (BMCR) hosted their 12th Annual Semper Fi Fund Poker Run.

Registration took place in the parking lot for the Chopper Gallery in Temecula.  On the initially overcast morning, the prevalence of Marine Corps and veteran patches was uplifting for this gray beard retired Marine.

Just as was the banter common among and between Marines.  

This morning the banter was familiar and comfortable, as the gathered Marines are also bikers.  While no excuse is really needed for a real biker to throw a leg over the saddle, dropping down $20 for the entry in a poker run supporting the Semper Fi Fund was a no brainer for these Marines.  Semper Fi is short for Semper Fidelis -- Always Faithful -- the world renowned motto of the United States Marine Corps.  What could be better than riding with fellow Marines in support of the indisputably best military charity?

In addition to registering, getting the first card for the poker draw, and grabbing a fat pill (also known as doughnuts), it was shaking hands, slapping backs, and acknowledging one another.  Then it was time to crank up the bikes and head onto the route for the next four stops, drawing a card at each and ending up in Winchester for a BBQ lunch.

Riding along some of the best biking roads in region, as evidenced by countless other bikes we encountered, my favorite stop was the Round Up, located by an RV park overlooking Lake Henshaw.  Nice little restaurant that seems to cater to bikers, since it is open only Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

From there, it was only two stops to the Wild West Arena, where the lunch was superb (beef, ribs, salmon).  Predictably, my poker hand was miserable, but it didn't matter.  I had spent the day riding with my best friend since grade school and shared the event and roads with fellow Marine bikers, all in support of the Semper Fi Fund.  Doesn't get any better than that. 

Hollister - the original motorcycle rally

My best buddy and I decided we’d attend the Hollister Rally this year. We've been before and are looking forward to returning.

It's likely many are unaware of the history of Hollister, a small town out in the boondocks of central California. Inland from Monterey and south of San Jose and the Bay area, in 1947 Hollister was the location of the now famous “riot” that served as the basis for the Marlon Brando film “The Wild Bunch.” By popular myth, it is also viewed as the birth of the American biker culture.

The bikers were World War II vets, who joined in various clubs, or "gangs," as the press called them. The American Motorcycle Association sanctioned a Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister that weekend in 1947. While reports differ widely, it is generally agreed that many more bikers showed up than were expected, with folks coming from all over. Some reports indicate a few guys got out of hand, though the press wildly exaggerated the situation.

Though the bikers roared their bikes up and down the town’s roads and drank in all of the welcoming bars, various sources indicated later that it wasn’t as bad as made out to be by the press after the fact. For good or bad, however, the legend of the Hollister riot had begun. Inarguable, however, was the fact that the American biker image had begun to take shape and the foundation for the biker life style had been laid. The Hollister Rally has been taking place over on and off over July 4th for a number of years.

And the term “1%’ers” actually has its origins in the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) sanctioned Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister that weekend in 1947. As discussed earlier, there was a so-called riot that received plenty of bad press. To counter the bad press, the AMA published an article declaring 99% of its members are law abiding and only 1% were the outlaws who created the problems. In protest, some of the groups cut their patches into three pieces, which now have great significance in the biker world. Thus began the definition of the one percenters. It has become synonymous with outlaw. Other, more conventional biker clubs use one-piece patches, which usually identify a riding club, AMA sanctioned club, political action, or biker rights club.

I did a bit of research and found the LA Times carried a story estimating 60,000 bikers enjoyed the three days of the last Hollister we attended.

60,000 bikes at an average cost of $20,000 each equals $1,200,000,000. Over a billion dollars, just in bikes alone. What an impressive display of American consumers in action. Impressive by any measure. And it isn’t the largest motorcycle rally. During the same research, I checked out Sturgis 2010, also known as the Black Hills Motorcycle Rally, which we attended. According to Motorcycleusa.com, Rally Director Brenda Vasknetz estimated 600,000 people attended Sturgis in 2010. There are far more couples at Sturgis than at Hollister, so I needed to come up with a way to approximate the number of bikes. For general purpose and based on personal observations, I assumed 85% of the bikers were solo, leaving 15% having a passenger. Based on these estimates, that works out to 555,000 bikes. Using the same figure from above, 555,000 bikes at an average of $20,000 per bike means there was over eleven billion dollars worth of bikes at Sturgis in 2010. Now that is really impressive!

Wonder how many bikes will be heading to Hollister this year? We will be there and look forward to the rally. Hope to see fellow veterans and Marines walking and riding the streets.

A dangerous time for the nation

We all need to be concerned about recent reports stating the size of the active duty Army will soon be at the lowest point since before World War II.

All Americans should correctly look at presidents and politicians over several years and from different political parties as shouldering the blame for this situation.  We are told budgetary concerns are driving the lower, dangerous force levels and not mission ready aircraft and ships.

Smallest Navy, smallest Army, severely aged and inoperable Air Force aircraft, and half of Marine Corps combat aircraft not mission ready.  These are not the measures of a force in readiness to defend the nation.  

And our warriors are worn out and frustrated.  We are breaking faith with the less than one-half of one percent of the nation who voluntarily serve in our military.

Again, we are told this is a budget issue.

Feckless and reckless spending and equally reckless policies and decisions, by multiple administrations and Congresses, have not only created an enormous national debt, they have placed our military forces in a dangerous status.  A status of which others inimical to the country may choose to take advantage, much like what occurred leading up to World War II and Korea.  

This is indeed a dangerous time for our nation. 

Sunday time in the saddle

Lifelong friends are in town for an extended stay. So we took advantage of the nice weather for us guys to hit the road on our Harleys, leaving the gals to chat and catch up. The destination was Descanso, so we stopped in at the Descanso Junction Restaurant for lunch.

If you've not been there, the motif is decidedly western.
 
But as we bikers like to say, it's not the destination, it's the ride. And on this day I was riding with my best buddy since our grade school days, having first met back in the late 1950s. Avid bikers, we have rolled together to Sturgis, Hollister, and other interesting places in the western United States. Sometimes our wives have shared the adventures. At other times it has just been the two of us.

Today was the first time we have shared the road since September 2014, so just gearing up and mounting up on the bikes was great. It wasn't a long ride by any means, as we headed out east on I-8 for a relatively short trip. After passing Alpine and climbing into the local mountains, the temperatures dropped, so we were happy with the decision to wear full leathers.

Running at freeway speeds as the traffic thinned, we climbed a few thousand feet as the freeway headed towards the state line. Taking Exit 40, we were soon parking the bikes at the restaurant.

It is one of those places that is just plain comfortable, with food at decent value. While enjoying our meal over cups of coffee, we mused about all the similar places we have visited during the rides we've shared over the past 16 years. Local watering holes known for their decent food at decent prices. Like the one outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

For these two gray beards, all was right in the world this afternoon. On the Harleys with best friends and sharing a comfortable ride to enjoy lunch and conversation.

Make military service a mandatory requirement for eligibility

We need a change to the eligibility requirements for high level elected federal offices, such as President, Vice-President, members of the Senate, and members of the House of Representatives.  Due to the extraordinary impact these individuals have on all facets of national security, to be eligible for these crucial offices, the laws should be changed to require satisfactorily and honorably completing at least three years of active duty in the nation's military.

According to a Fox News Report, "The 2012 election marked the first time in 80 years that neither major party presidential nominee had served in the military.  Two years later, the 114th Congress was sworn in with the smallest proportion of veterans on record. According to an October 2015 Congressional Research Service report, the high point was reached in the 92nd Congress (1971-72) when 73 percent of Congress had served in the military.  Today, veterans make up 20 percent of the Senate and just 18 percent of the House of Representatives."  And, "On Capitol Hill, veterans are even underrepresented among congressional staffs. Justin Brown, the founder of HillVets, told FoxNews.com vets account for approximately 3 percent of congressional staff members, a figure that reflects the high barrier they face."

These numbers reveal the exceptional disconnect between the nation and its military. With less than one-half of one percent of the nation's citizens currently serving in the military, the lack of understanding of the military is astounding, even dangerous.  Moreover, the disconnection makes it all too easy for our elected leaders to send our men and women into harm's way.  For example, the recent POTUS announcement that 250 more members of our military are being sent to Syria. (Can anyone remember the mission creep in Vietnam?)

With presidents allowed to send our military into combat without a declaration of war, under the pretense of spurious and inexact Congressionally approved Authorizations to Use Military Force (AUMF), the seriousness of such action is not debated by those who have actually served our nation in uniform.

Stop this practice and immediately enact laws mandating satisfactorily and honorably completing at least three years of active duty in the nation's military to be eligible for election or appointment to our highest elected federal offices: President, Vice-President, members of the Senate, and members of the House of Representatives.

  

Why should she be believed?

Why should Ms. Clinton's claims about the emails processed through the now infamous insecure personal server be believed?  She has said the following.

Regarding providing emails to the Department of State, she said, "I responded right away and provided all my emails that could possibly be work-related."  However, it was years after leaving office and happened only after the personal email server became public knowledge.

Regarding her supposed and self-defined personal emails, she said, "I chose not to keep my private personal emails."  A strange statement, since they were retained for years after leaving the Department of State and were supposedly deleted only after the whole email issue came to the surface.

Regarding categorizing the emails as work related or personal, she said, "For any government employee, it is that government employee's responsibility to determine what's personal and what's work-related. I am very confident of the process that we conducted and the e-mails that were produced."  Why should the people accept her assurances, after it took years for any emails to be provided?  

Regarding the security of the personal server, she said, "And there were no security breaches."  This seems questionable at best, as she also claimed the sever was physically protected by the Secret Service, which is accepted as fact.  However, physical contact is not required to "hack" a server.  The claim is further called into question by the recent revelation that an international hacker was extradited to the U.S. by the FBI team investigating this matter. 

And, finally, regarding the processing of classified information on the personal server, she said, "I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material.  So I'm certainly well-aware of the classification requirements and did not send classified material."  This has been proven to be absolutely false, with two dozen of the more than 2,000 deemed to contain classified information are so highly classified that they could not be released in any form.

After the above, there is a major matter not receiving the public attention it warrants.  The contents of the so-called personal emails.  Granting that some of the more than 30,000 emails were likely mundane and truly personal does not mean that all were.  Follow the logic: if the emails were so carefully scrutinized, as Clinton has asserted, prior to release to the Department of State (and then only after the issue became public and only in printed hard copy form), how did more than 2,000 containing classified information get released?  Why would Clinton knowingly release emails containing classified information?

Is her claim that she is "well-aware of the classification requirements" to be believed?  With all the thus far released emails containing massive amounts of classified information, the answer must be NO.  Based on this glaring inaccuracy, if not outright falsehood, can the American people and the courts believe her statement that, "I responded right away and provided all my emails that could possibly be work-related?"  No.

The matter not receiving adequate attention centers around the contents of the so-called personal emails.  If the review of work related email did not eliminate thousands of classified emails, we can not expect the review of personal emails was any more thorough or accurate.  Thus we can not believe that the deleted "personal" emails contained solely personal matters.  In party, because we can not believe how Clinton or her people would define personal.  For example, would communications on Clinton Foundation matters with business and government leaders in countries with whom the United States government was negotiating be defined as personal?

It is simple, we can not believe Ms. Clinton.

Let us hope the FBI is able to recover and review the so-called personal emails.  It is highly likely some of them contain potentially explosive insights into Clinton's behavior, judgment, and decisions while secretary of state.