Lest We Forget

Today I hope you will take 1 minute of your time to pay your respects and give thanks to the men and women who have served this country in the various theaters of war around the world.

I don't care if you have to work today or whether you are driving somewhere...one minute, that's all that is being asked of you - compare that to the ultimate price many of our soldiers have paid - they and their families have sacrificed that you and I may stay free....

It is because of them that you have the right and freedom to be who and what you want to be.

Lest we forget....

I watched with interest last night the Dragon's Den. It featured the young man that Glenn Roberts from Motorcycle Mojo first introduced us all to, the young man who built the Uno - Ben Gulak from Milton, ON.

While the concept of the Uno is cool - it has some serious issues - I was really taken aback when the Dragons agreed to fund it - I think they were more interested in the young man himself and his brain - the other thing that seriously pissed me off about them backing his invention is that the R & D plant is going to be in the USA...I thought the Dragon's Den was Canadian.

I wish them all well, I do not see a serious market for the Uno given it's obvious potential for safety issues. I don't see it being comfortable to ride and for the average commuter - where do you put the mail much less a quart of milk?

No - I don't think the Uno is the next great thing - but I think the 16 year old who conceived it and the 19 year old they saw last night - Ben Gulak - I think that he's what they invested in.

If you are into green machines check out our lifestyles page - Motorcycle Reviews & News....there are some pretty cool green machines out there with far, far more potential in the market place than the Uno!

I have a lot of work ahead of me today before I head to the Cenotaph....

Please - if you are one of those lucky dogs who lives where you can still ride...PLEASE - Ride like they are out to get you and can not see you! Stay Safe.

Belt Drive Betty

Little Things...

I just put this Thursday's newspaper, The Busted Knuckle Chronicles, to bed and I have to tell you how pleased I am. It looks WONDERFUL.

It's a little thing to some but a huge thing to me that the paper is so full of Rider Powered News that there was NO room for my editorial! It's pleasing to see it start to really happen that this community - from Coast to Coast is writing this paper - sharing their news with the rest of us.

I am putting it out there right now - If your riding club has a news letter and you want to share stories from it to the broader community - send them in! This week's newspaper is a pretty great representation of where we are growing to with this newspaper and the web site....

Provincial Sections!

I really want to increase the size of the paper so that we can provide the news to you in provincial sections.

I'd like it to go to 16 pages - Consistently...

I see it being broken down this way:

BC - 3 pages
AB - 3 pages
SK, Manitoba, YT, NWT - 2 pages - shared?
ON - 2 pages
QC - One page
Atlantic Canada NB, PEI, NS, NL - 2 pages - shared - One page
Front Page - Special Events, News - Stories
Thoughts/Word search - One page
File 13 - My editorial - One page

In order to support one page I need to fill 1/3 of the page with advertising.

This allows for 2/3 of the page to be content IE: Events Pages, Posters, Stories, Articles, Important Information....

What do you think of this idea?

Your thoughts and feedback would be deeply appreciated....

Have a great one!

Belt Drive Betty

A nice quiet Sunday

Well for once there's nothing much at all in the news and since it's build the newspaper day that suits me just fine.

It's a big job laying out the paper every week and one I enjoy thoroughly.

I want to bend your ear a bit about getting involved here. Come on over and join www.beltdrivebetty.com we'd love to have your input and feedback.


We have tons of ways for you to get the message out about your riding club, your town or your business.

We'd love to have you submitting you clubs news to us! We'd love to get to know your town and it's people so how about getting involved?

Anyway - I am going to build the newspaper so you have a great day and I'll chat at yah tomorrow!

If you are lucky enough to still be riding - please ride like everyone else around you is blind and can't see you....

Stay safe and have a wonderful Sunday...

Bel Drive Betty

Your thoughts?

Have you read the news about the Edmonton bus driver who was fined $600 for failing to proceed through an intersection safely and killed a 21 year old rider?

"Judge M. Allen refused a crown request to suspend Annie Stenbeck's license for three months, saying she would lose her job and her only livelihood if he did.....Allen noted Stenbeck had no criminal record and has a long history of community service. She is also very active in her church.....Allen noted that had Delano been in a truck or a car rather than riding a motorcycle, the collision would likely have resulted in a fender-bender rather than a fatality."

Read the article: http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=fd3beef9-0725-4c30-9994-4648ff5e21ac

I have some HUGE issues with this Judge - how about you?

This woman - who DRIVES FOR A LIVING should have been charged with driving with undo care and attention causing death and she should have gone to jail. But because it was someone on a motorcycle that was killed - in the Judges words: " had Delano been in a truck or a car rather than riding a motorcycle, the collision would likely have resulted in a fender-bender rather than a fatality."

Her ability to earn a living, her ability to enjoy her life is being protected - yet she took a life - because - "She didn't see him"

I Googled the area to ensure my memory of the area was accurate and it is....


View Larger Map


So - was it raining? On May 5th, 2008 it was 19 degrees with no rain...
There are no obstructions here...I don't know if the Sun was a factor...

Given what few details we know- how do you feel about this situation?

Talk to me....

And if you are one of the lucky one's to still be riding, keep it your self k...
It's minus 12 here with snow - so don't be rubbing it in...OH and RIDE LIKE THEY CAN'T SEE YOU....stay safe.

Belt Drive Betty

This and that...

We say goodbye to Sean O from New Brunswick.

I am unsure what caused him to close down his blog and pull away from the community entirely but there you have it, that's what's happen. I do know that he was discouraged by the unwillingness of those in his area to promote themselves or to let him help promote them. Perhaps that had something to do with it. I also know his health isn't the best.
So as I said - I am unclear as to the why and he did not elaborate.

I for one will miss him.
He was trying so hard to shine some kind of light on what's going on in his area.

I know how discouraging it can be to get people to work together.
People are fearful, uncertain, skeptical, protectionistic - and in some cases rightfully so.
People are busy, stressed and stretched.

We all need to understand that there are certain common causes and information that we need to share as a community.

I have been around for 5 years going on 6 and in that time my message, my mission has not changed - in order to have our voices heard, in order for our community events to be successful, in order for our business community to be secure and be there for us when we need them (for services and sponsorship) - we have to support each other, we have to communicate with each other.

The fact is there are close to 522,433 registered motorcycles in this country.
(Stats Canada 2007)

If you look at our Riding Clubs Pages - amassed through a whole ton of research and data entry -
Between Web Sites and Forums there are over 350 riding clubs and their chapters on the web.
An Update - 1pm Friday Nov 7th - Over 371 Riding Club Sites/Pages or Forums!

If you look in our events calendars you will see that at the peak of the season - not including sporting events - that there are over 900 events...

Our community is growing by leaps and bounds and there are new clubs and groups springing up everywhere, old clubs and groups closing down and moving...If anyone doubts what I say look at the CAV and how they have grown - they are up to 47 units - last year we only had links to 21 Units!

If you are a busy person - like most people - you don't get to your favorite sites all of the time - when they move they forget often times to tell people.

How does someone new to riding find what they need?

I want to make it simple and easy for people to connect, to find what they need.

That's it - that's all.

www.beltdrivebetty.com is here to be a giant repository of information on the Canadian Motorcycle Scene - If you want to know what's going on, if you want to find a club or chapter that suits you - we are trying to provide you a one stop place to find the right one.

I don't want to mow any one's lawn. I want to shine a light on it - I want to help grow what you do. I want your club to get the exposure to grow, I want your community event to get the exposure it needs to be successful.

I am a rider - our web mistress is a rider - every one who works with us either as a volunteer, a club reporter, moderator or sales person...heck even the man who prints the Busted Knuckle Chronicles is a rider.

We all got together through a common desire - to see the community we love, the community we live in - the Canadian Motorcycle Riding Community - be strong, successful and here for a long time to come.

If you are lucky enough to be still riding - you suck (Which means I'm green with envy)

Please ride like they are out to get you.

Belt Drive Betty

Some interesting things I've read....

When sifting through the news today I came across an interesting editorial by a man named LJ James.

It was on the topic of the Mongols loosing the right to wear their patch and the potential ramifications to other groups and communities. I do not know much about the history of the man who wrote the article other than he is a member of an MC. 1% or Outlaw - I know not.

No matter his membership and the viewpoint from which he writes, he brings up some concerns and questions that I think have some merit and validity that will be overlooked and discounted by many because of the patch he wears. Here is the link to his editorial... http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=49606286&blogID=443277492

As I said, one has to look at what he says and understand the perspective he has on this subject, and even though he slightly exaggerates the rate about things like "We hear about Drug dealers, Rapists, Murderers in the National Football League and in Major League Baseball everyday."
He still makes some points that warrant looking at.

Read it for yourself and then tell me what you think. I for one can see some situations that could arise and none of them are very savory. What's your take on what he's saying?

Then there's this piece entitled "Lousy Cop" I came across it when reading A Cops Thoughts Blog.

I found it incredible to read. I know many of you have heard the video or read the poem "Just a Biker" if not you can see it on our web site at www.beltdrivebetty.com

"Lousy Cop" is written in more of a conversational style and it brings home something about human nature that we all must examine in ourselves...escpecially when you look at all three perspectives and see the similar vien and thread in them all - While "Just a Biker" is more about dealing with our safety - the feelings and impressions of being discriminated against are very evident.

How is it, we can know how it feels to be discriminated against and yet - we discriminate.

I know I have. Having been a rape victim, I can tell you quite frankly that I have discriminated - I have in the past tarred all those who wear red or yellow stripes down their leg as potential threats to me and treated them as adversaries. I based my attitude on how one of the 90 or so thousand Canadians who wear those pants treated me.

It took me a long time to be able to deal with that segment of our population in a rational manner. I had to learn to look at the individual rather than the clothing in order to come to a place where I didn't blame or mistrust every one them - especially the males.
Today I am a rape survivor. I no longer look through the glasses of the victim I once was.

Today I have adopted an attitude of always striving to remove preconceived notions out of my head when dealing with people from different communities.

How many times are our assumptions about other people wrong or off? I know that I have harshly judged a person who didn't deserve it. I did it because one person from his community hurt and insulted me. I had to get over it - I still have to remind myself at times to look at the person - not the clothes.

There are other things that I do and sometimes say thoughtlessly...and I have hurt the feelings of others needlessly - I hope that someday I will get to a place where I am always balanced in my approach to dealing with others.

So where does prejudice and discrimination come from?

Fear of the unknown and personal experience.

We tend to ridicule and fear things and people that we don't understand.
We also tend to tar entire communities over the actions of one. And when we see similar actions in others of that same community - well we tend to put the tar on just a bit thicker. 1 bad experience leads to mistrust....two or three makes us get out that old tar bucket and point accusatory fingers at entire communities - 10 or twelve experiences of similar nature get us up in arms....why? Because we internalize everything. We look at it in the microscopic - we don't look at the big picture.

We forget that the guy next to us is JUST as human as we are - he is just as susceptible to making mistakes as you or I....

It is one of the hardest challenges we face as human beings - learning how to open our hearts and our minds before we judge some one - when we learn to judge the individual by using our gut and not preconceived notions - When we do decide a person is a threat to us we need to realize it is the individual who is the threat - not necessarily the whole community.

There are situations where judging someone in an instant is more than acceptable behavior, its called survival. But there is a difference between the two and common sense needs to be used. But again, as part of the human condition we are ruled by our emotions more often than not and therefore we do not approach certain situations from the position of logic.

When you figure that there are 6.7 billion or so people on this planet and you accept that most of us are going to make mistakes or have had bad experiences that will taint our interactions, none of us is perfect or living without some kind of baggage......

How we deal with each other as individuals is what's reflected around us in the world....

Its human nature.

From one extreme to the other and even in the middle - there is fear, anger and contempt towards those who have caused pain. Here I have given you the example from an MC Members point of view, from the every day riders point of view and from the police services point of view- read them all and then tell me something - are we really all so different from each other?

Its minus 12 with 4 Cm's of snow on the ground here so I am NOT riding.
If you are lucky enough to still be riding, please - Ride like they are out to get you.

Belt Drive Betty

Holy Cow!

I just completed the BDB Club (Bikers Discount Buying Club) Members Listings for November.

We now have 93 business partners! It's been a great exercise in laying out the phone book of Rider Friendly Businesses!

Have you downloaded and printed off your savings card? Why not?

It's located here: http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/Motorcycle_Media/busted-knuckle-news-home/bikers-discount-buying-club
Scroll down to the bottom of the page!

Our classifieds section has been reinstalled and we have a ton of new items for sale including some great motorcycles!

The link to our classifieds section is: http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/Motorcycle_Media/busted-knuckle-news-home/classified-ads

Every day you will be seeing changes, some will be subtle and some will be in your face but pretty much every day there will be something new to see or do on the site.

www.beltdrivebetty.com A Motorcycle Riders Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Department all rolled in to one!

If you aren't a member or you don't log in you will never know how much wonderful information you are missing out on! Join us today - it's free!

Snow here in Grande Prairie will preclude us from riding for a while! 3 cm of the fluffy white crap has landed! UGH.

How do you feel about "President Obama"?

I for one see so much of JFK in him. I think he is going to make a great President and look forward to the changes he plans on bringing not only to the USA but North America and the WORLD! Congratulations President Elect Obama.

If you are lucky enough to still be riding - Please ride like they are out to get you.

Belt Drive Betty