I want to know how I can become CEO of Harley-Davidson

I just finished reading in the news that the CEO of H-D got 6.4 million dollars in pay for 8 months on the job.

Holy - I can't wrap my head around how someone can make that kind of money in this economy. I would love to earn that kind of a wage at any time - how about you? I wonder sometimes at the salaries paid to people. You must be one hell of a negotiator in order to make that happen.

Obviously I need to go back to the drawing board! How about you?

In other news: 
The Hells Angels are involved in a "ping pong" match if you will and they appear to be the ball. It looks like B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Leask and the RCMP/Prosecution have some sort of fundamental disagreement happening. Justice Leask was harshly critical of the RCMP's million dollar informant in the recent trial of John Punko and Randy Potts and one of the acquittals that Justice Leask granted has been overturned - all to do with the same investigation. Hold on taxpayers - as the feud between the RCMP and the Hells Angels always rapes our pocket books and doesn't generally net the convictions to justify the expense!

Motorcycle Experience with David Hatch is back on Sunday morning and Biker TV is on the air Sundays on A Channel at 10:30 AM beginning on March 27th.

The fight over a dirt track facility is proving really nasty and the Native Community is beginning to look like bullies in a dispute over the Popkum Motorcycle Park. Typical of bureaucracy - the people who thought they had a valid contract and have sunk their whole life and then some into the facility are being stonewalled because of the Indian Act - the RCMP won't help them recover their property - I feel for these people - the article leads one to believe that they are being royally screwed...but that's just my interpretation - what's your take on it?

If you are riding today - please be careful, ride like no one can see you and they are all out to get you. Respect with that right hand would be really appreciated too...

Have a good Saturday folks!

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP - A.I.M.Can
www.aim-can.com
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

So how old do you have to be to have a choice?

The passing of Duncan grandmother Sandra Hunter after a crash involving a left hand turning vehicle and the (proposed) changes coming to BC's helmet laws has me asking some questions - some tough questions - ones I have opinions on but no answers. (And no I do not know if Sandra was wearing a beanie or a DOT - it just got me thinking about rider safety issues is all)

In BC wearing a beanie has long been a cause for boasting amongst many in that motorcycle community.

The law that appears to be changing that could go in to effect soon. Read the letter and article from Adele over at BCCOM.

Insurance costs and health care costs (And rider fatalities) are two of the biggest reasons that the powers that be want to enforce stricter helmet laws now in BC. The more popular motorcycling - the more accidents.

So, the question is at what age are you old enough to choose the risk level that you are comfortable with?

Then the next question HAS to be - looking from the social and political stand point - who should pay if you sustain serious head trauma and you have exercised your "right" to wear a beanie or go helmet less? Hospital stays are expensive and taxpayers who don't ride probably don't want to pay for your hospital stay - at least that's the case in most US states...so I would think it would be the same here in Canada.

Looking at this issue and trying to treat adults as adults - give them their right to choose and look at the non riding portion of the populations' concerns over health care costs - I say the solution that's the best, the most fair and equitable to everyone would be a case where if you want to ride without a helmet or only wearing a beanie then pay an extra premium and have a special sticker affixed to your license plate.

I also think that if you ride without a helmet or wearing only a beanie that part of the "cost" for exercising your "right" to not wear a helmet or to wear only a beanie should be having to sign your donor card.

Now I know that some out there are going to pound their chests and go rah rah rah but guess what folks, the reason I parenthesized the word Right - is remember the Charter? YOUR RIGHTS STOP WHERE THEY INFRINGE ON ANOTHER...so what that means to you is - if someone else, some other tax payer is paying for your hospital stay - you are infringing on their rights if you got there because you were not wearing a helmet (referring to head trauma here folks).

So - in attempting to look at both sides of the issue I think a fee for non helmet wearers and manditory signing of your donor card are the best way to go.

At least you won't infringe on the rights of others and who knows - the organ donor waiting list might become a lot shorter thereby benefiting many others. I am trying to find the silver lining in what I consider to be tragic loss. Perhaps some good could come out of the tragic - Just a little something for everyone to consider...and perhaps have some discussion over.

In other news:

Darlene Jackson underwent surgery yesterday and is reportedly doing well. There is no prognosis as to whether she will regain use of her legs or not yet but she was back in her room and squeezed her auntie's hand so...our prayers go out to you Darlene - stay strong and get well - we want you back on a bike and loving the wind...Darlene's family are hosting a fundraiser for the single mom to help out with the expenses she will face while waiting on insurance etc so if you can help out that's be fabulous. You can join the prayer ring on FB at Prayers and Wishes for Darlene Jackson:http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=351426449143

Michael Bilodeau, 21 learns his fate soon - he was charged with making an unsafe turn in an accident that saw drunk rider - Allan DeVogelaere, 44 loose his life. According to accident investigators the fact that DeVogelaere's blood alcohol level was 1.5 times the legal limit - NO rider could have avoided the crash.

The Motorcycle Ride for Dad's Cross Canada Run should be the biggest of it's kind if not just in Canada, perhaps in the world...

Edmonton's city council is pushing for stronger/clearer laws on Noise Pollution

Have a fabulous day. Tell the people you love that you love them because you never know if today is the day you or they don't come home. Never take them for granted and please, ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, that they are out to get you and use come consideration when riding - that right hand doesn't need to be cranked - 99% of the time - save it for when it means something - a driver drifting you way.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor- The Busted Knuckle Chronicles
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP - A.I.M.Can
www.aim-can.com
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

My heart hurts

Accident victims - one is Darlene Jackson - in critical condition, paralyzed and fighting for her life.

The other is a unnamed woman from Vancouver Island, hit by a left hand turning vehicle.
Two lady riders separated by a good chunk of this huge country who are so tied together - they have no idea how many people are praying for them and wanting to reach out to help.

I am asking every rider I know to become a member at large of the Alliance for Injured Motorcyclists Canada - until there is a chapter in your area. The more riders we have in a network across this huge country of ours - the better.

Fees are only $20 per rider or $30 for a couple. Funds help injured riders and their families in their time of need. We of course want chapters in every city, every province - we want and need active volunteers to assist with motorcycle pick up and hospital visits, fundraisers and other tasks that can be such a burden to someone who is injured. Oft times their families aren't riders themselves and so the importance of certain things isn't foremost in their minds.

If you are interested in becoming an A.I.M. Can member - please contact either myself or any of the active chapters to join. We'd love to have you.  And if starting a chapter is something you are interested in - again - please get in touch with me and I can guide you in the process. Please, say a prayer today for the two lady riders - prayer is such a powerful thing when done by many...and when you say that prayer - pray that their families have the strength and understanding they need to get through this too.

In the news today...

Piaggio and Ducati  - a potential merger

Edmonton's Mayor has put in a formal request to the province for Noise Pollution Laws

The Saskatchewan Sport Bike Group has a fun way to spend some time this weekend all lined up and they'd love you to join them

Port Dover has some big plans for their water front

I hope you enjoyed the newspaper today - all of the community's prime stories and articles are in the Busted Knuckle Chronicles...

If you are riding - PLEASE remember that everyone around you is either out to get you or blind - ride accordingly and please use some respect with that right hand.

www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP - A.I.M.Can
www.aim-can.com
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

And the winners are...

In my humble opinion all of the bikes are winners - I wished we could give everyone a prize!

Although we faced some obstacles in explaining exactly how the gallery handled the rating vs voting thing - I think you will all agree that the bikes that won were worthy - like I said I think they all were.

Please visit our Show n Shine Page as the Winner's Gallery is now live.

You can send out e cards of your favorites or post them to your Facebook...
A special thanks to all of our sponsors - without them NOTHING that we do is possible.

If anyone knows which lady rider when down on Vancouver Island yesterday could they get in touch with me - PLEASE?

Have a good day everyone - I am going to bed for a nap - been at this since 1:30 am


Wanted to ensure everyone got emailed as to the prizes they won and the gallery got turned on for viewing...

If you are riding today - PLEASE - Be Careful.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor- The Busted Knuckle Chronicles
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP - A.I.M.Can
www.aim-can.com
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

Our Beat the PMS Blues On Line Show 'n' Shine and other interesting tid bits

Voting for this year's show 'n' shine ended at midnight on March 6th. Because of the challenges using the new gallery and voting system at the beginning of the show 'n' shine - we had tacked on a few extra days to make sure no one felt cheated.

We are the first group I believe to ever host an on line show 'n' shine and it is challenging. We have done this three times now and finally have a gallery that we like as it makes voting, simple fast and easy.

While we had to educate people on how to make their pictures smaller over all I am really pleased with how this worked and it is the system we are going to use again next year.

We have had a few people upset as they did not like/agree with how the gallery determines which bike wins in each category - but Ali and I are thrilled.

The gallery does all of the work - it takes into consideration all of the votes - and the ratings and it comes up with the math. Ali and I do not get involved in any of the vote counting or winner determinations - the gallery does it ALL!

I don't really like the terminology the gallery itself uses (Top Rated) as I think that is what created the confusion for the two people who have voiced displeasure at how things have gone - but over all for a FREE event, I think most people had a ton of fun and it was a great way to assuage the PMS Blues for a while. For me it was a great way to see the rides of my Internet family! I hope the winner's gallery is done today - we had been optimistic in thinking we could have it done by yesterday afternoon...

The winners are going to be able to send E Cards to all of their friends to boast about their win and say thank you for the votes they got!!!

We will be emailing all of the prize donors and the winners this week so that they can make arrangements for their gifts and next week we will be featuring the bikes that won.

In the news today:
An accident in Pitt Meadows that saw two people killed had speed as a contributing factor. Police have identified both victims but have not released their names.

Cpl. Monty Robinson is scheduled to appear in Surrey at the Provincial Courthouse tomorrow.
If you can attend this peaceful protest rally - please - your participation is far more important than you may realize.

There is an URGENT plea to get involved with voicing your displeasure over proposed changes to our Old Age Security Pension and it's qualification periods. Apparently they are trying to change the time from 10 years to 3 years for an immigrant to be able to apply. Effectively that means that people who only live in our country for three years (age 62), who have contributed nothing to our country by way of economic value can apply for Canada Old Age Pension at 65....read the proposal yourself and then please -write a letter, do something - I would like the pension around when I need it - but it might not be if these changes are allowed.

While the Winter Olympics was great for Canada on a number of levels there were some Canadians that it wasn't so good for...read Iron Maiden's letter to see what I mean.

 
It's cold and supposed to snow here today so I won't be riding - but if you are PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is out to get you, blind and can not see you and use respect with that right hand...

Belt Drive Betty
National VP A.I.M. Can
www.aim-can.com
Western Canadian MotoRescue Representative
www.motorescue.ca
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award Winning Web Site

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YOU, make it a great day!

Lord, please keep Your arm around my shoulders and your hand over my mouth! Amen

Contact Me

How to be PRO Active - help us fill in the blanks

I try really hard to get people thinking and talking about the issues at hand but sometimes my frustration and anger over the type of behaviour that causes grief for the rest of us gets the better of me and sometimes I have more guts than brains...if I was a guy I'd sport more black eyes....my father always said I should have been his first born son.

Our community has some issues that are making us targets and have communities wanting to muffle us for good.  The situation in Edmonton is a prime example - I have heard from riders that the tickets are already flowing freely now that bikes are out.


I get frustrated when people don't read what I write but only pick one or two words and then go AHA - witch - she's wrong and then close their minds so I thought I would try something else...

I want dialogue and ideas to flow...so let's try this approach and you tell ME how we should deal with the various situations I set down here. Feel free to tell me about scenarios that I haven't put down here as well and how you have handled them...

1) If a rider who is part of a group you are going for a ride with is riding in a dangerous fashion - high rate of speed, bobbing and weaving in and out of traffic, passing semi's on the right hand shoulder, splitting the middle (coming in between two riders who are riding in proper formation) - what remedies are available to you? Last fall we had just such a situation here in GP - we chose to talk to the rider as we felt there was an opportunity to educate or at the very least make the rider understand that we did not find his behaviour cool.

• Ban that person from being part of your group's night rides - tell them they aren't welcome if they are going to ride in that manner.
• You could ignore the behaviour, shake your head and talk behind his/her back.
• You could shake your head and leave the group
• You could________________________

1 A) Let's say this rider's behaviour is endangering lives - at the very least his/her own - if you have exhausted all other possibilities and if other motorists have not already done so, would you consider calling the cops or would you just shake your head and go your own way? 

What else could be done?

2) Let's say you have talked to this rider and then banned him/her from participation in your group (they are a hard case) but you see this rider exhibiting the same behaviors elsewhere...

• You could warn all of the riding clubs/groups in your region about this rider and their conduct
• You could shake your head, talk behind their back
• You could shake your head and mutter to yourself some people's children
• You could______________________

3) If someone was doing a burn out where it was truly not appropriate to be doing so like during your local toy run...

• You could ask that rider to leave the function
• You could shake your head and walk away and talk about them behind their back
• You could never go to another toy run
• You could_________________________

4) If someone was doing a burn out at a stop sign/set of lights...

• You could shake your head and ride away at the first opportunity
• You could yell out "What do you think you are trying to prove?"
• You could__________________________

5)  If someone was riding their bike in such a way as to set off a couple of blocks worth of car alarms...

• You could - the next time you saw this person, have some kind of discussion about consideration for others
• You could forget about it until the next time 
• You could shake your head and say some people's children
• You could___________________________________

I want you to share with me the creative way/s you have for dealing with those members of our community that have forgotten or do not understand that their actions and behaviors reflect on the rest of us.

In one case I saw a group of riders literally turn their backs as a collective group and draw ranks after witnessing a burn out by a rider in a parking lot. He got off of his bike and went to approach the group - he was all smiles like he had just done something wonderful and they literally in unison turned their backs and refuse to talk to him...he got back on his bike and left...

Stupid laws get put in place because of stupid actions, we don't need any more stupid laws.

What can be done? 
When is it right or appropriate to talk to some one and what do you say?
How can we appropriately police ourselves without risk of loosing our teeth or our sense of community?
When is it right or appropriate to call the police - if ever?

I would love to hear your stories - HOW have you taught others in your riding community that their bad behaviors are costing you and others? I would love your ideas on what we can do to start educating those who don't seem to know better.

Talk to me - don't bury your head in the sand and say it's not my job - don't be complacent - PLEASE get involved - PLEASE....talk to me - let's come up with some concrete ideas folks - if we work at this together we could protect our rights to loud pipes - we could protect our community and its freedoms...but we have to do it as a collective, as a group.

Poet and a whole group are willing to look at starting a rider's rights group - how about a responsible rider's group....

We will be announcing the winners in the show 'n' shine later today!
I can't wait to see which machines have won and I want to thank everyone including our sponsors for having particiapted. It was alot of fun to do!

If you are going out for a ride today PLEASE ride like everyone is out to get you, and everyone around you is blind and can not see you and for the love of all things motorcycles - PLEASE use respect with that right hand...

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP - A.I.M.Can
www.aim-can.com
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

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