Proud Papa

My eldest son graduated from high school last night. For you, readers of this blog, I had a very long post in mind which discussed how it felt seeing my first born child walk across the same football field, wear the same blue robe, and look up into the same bleachers to search for some of the same members of our family who were there for me so many years ago. I wanted to write at length about milestones we pass along the road in our lives, how I'm now entering into a new phase of parenthood, and a bunch of interesting family dynamics which will now be different.

But instead of making this about me, this is really about him. His experiences are not mine. That's perhaps the most jarring realization. After the ceremony, when I finally found him amid the sea of graduates and well wishers, we shared a long and tight hug. I said into his ear "I love you, and I'm very proud of you."

He kept squeezing, and replied simply but with emphasis "thanks, Dad." That made every challenge I've faced in the last eighteen years worth it.

I'm one proud papa.

Is Bono Evil?

Weezer Out-Memes South Park

I loved the South Park skit which featured numerous Internet memes. Weezer took it up a notch in the video for "Pork and Beans."

How the heck did they find the real people? Is there a secret Internet clubhouse where they all socialize?

So Many Miles, So Few Days

For the last few days I've done pretty much nothing else other than riding Val. Goodness gracious, it's wonderful to ride. Do you have a motorcycle? If not, get one. Seriously. You'll thank me. I guarantee it.

After putting another few hundred miles on Val yesterday I stopped by my cousin Rick's house. He's a mechanic and a veteran ... although those two facts have nothing to do with one another, but they both made me think of him as I was kinda near his house on Memorial Day.

Rick pierced Val's baffles. Yep. She's no longer a virgin. It turned out better than expected. Her mid-range powerband sounds deeper, more throaty, and without any appreciable increase in decibels.

Here's how she sounds now (click on the "play" button at the bottom of the movie, not in the center of the image):

Maybe I'll pick up a Glasspack and ask Paul to weld it in. But that's a big scary step. Once I do it, there's no going back. I don't think I'd need to re-jet the carburetors (there are six of them), but I'd be screwed if I do. I know nearly nothing about mechanical things.

"Debadging" Val

I can't tell you how many people will ask me "what the heck kind of a bike is that?" I've never understood why people didn't just look at the huge "Valkyrie" tank badge, but I'm always pleased as punch to talk about my F6.

Today I made it more difficult for the curious folks who are unaccustomed to seeing a six-cylinder motorcycle. I debadged her (removed the nameplate emblem).

I have to be honest with you. I usually screw up things like this, often making it a complete disaster. The project made me a bit apprehensive, but it sounded so simple that I was willing to risk it.

Here were the instructions I found on the web, verbatim, on how to remove a motorcycle badge: "Heat it with a hair dryer. Use floss or fishing line to separate the emblem from the tank with a sawing motion. Clean the residual adhesive with a solvent."

Who knew that badges are only kept in place with industrial-grade adhesive? The only reason I haven't debadged Val before now is that I feared a sizable bill from a bike customizer to sand off a pop weld and touch up the paint on my tank.

From start to finish the whole process took me a half hour. Click on a picture for a larger version.

The required tools. Beer is optional.

First I turned on the hair dryer and hung it upside down by the cord from my handlebar, leaving the hot air blowing on the badge for about ten minutes. Then I began to saw beneath the badge with floss.

The floss kept breaking, so I dug through my fishing tackle.

This turned out to work much better, and the heated adhesive was no match for the line.

Presto!

Removing the residual adhesive turned out to be the most difficult part of the project.

I recommend using more Goo Gone than you think will be necessary. Good. Now use even more.

The final result looks great!

Now I need to save up $500 to have my tank painted with this . . .

Leave your message at the tone . . .

65 degrees + sunshine + full tank of gas + really wanting to ride the Taconic Parkway = G'bye.

Please Punch Me and Film It in Slo-Mo

Possibly the strangest "artsy" website I've ever seen. Presumably the subjects of these short films have given permission to be punched in the face and have it filmed in ultra slow motion. Even stranger, the subjects are both men and women. To use 'net speak, WTF?