Internet Explorer - what a pain in the....

For those of you who use Internet explorer and are trying to view www.beltdrivebetty.com - you will most likely be getting an Operation Aborted Error - Internet Explorer can not display the page.

IE has some fundamental bugs in the way it is handling certain things on our site and this is a common problem on many news sites - it's the type of code we run.

Anyway - a simple fix is to download the Fire Fox Browser: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?from=sfx&uid=0&t=306

Until we can peg the one small piece of code that is causing this issue - it's the only fix we have.

Your patience while we work this problem out is deeply appreciated....

Have a good one...

Belt Drive Betty

Interesting Tid Bits

While researching a few things that I wanted to include in the phone book I came across the fact that 10 years ago there were 319,183 Registered Motorcycles and Mopeds in Canada.

Fast forward 2007: 522,433

It's amazing how fast a community can grow and I have to tell you there is a ton of information out there but it is so hard to find.

It is my hope that www.beltdrivebetty.com will be able to alleviate some of that problem; by creating a web ring where solid info can be found - We have been contacting as many riding clubs as possible - making sure their links and information is accurate and we are getting all of our news feeds sorted out slowly but surely.

Check the site out often because you just never know which new component or tool we are going to have installed, or what new things there will be to do, read, see or hear.

We are getting there!

Anyway - the old slave driver tells me it's time to quit procrastinating and get some more work done....

Stay safe and warm.

Belt Drive Betty

People, why such anger?

I was on the Myrtle Beach forum on Topix today, looking to see what's going on with the bike weeks scheduled for May of 09.

The anger, frustration and down right hostility is incredible.
The racism is so palpable it's sickening. The lack of compassion or understanding is frightening.

Why do people think they need to be cruel to each other in order to get their point across?

There is absolutely a polarization of opinion and the hatred is heating up. I am afraid there is going to be a racial war and a rider versus non rider war down there if cooler heads can't prevail.

I have never seen anything like it. I hope that when it comes our turn to have to defend our lifestyle and our rallies that we can do so with some common sense and civility.

I for one think that what is happening down there is deplorable - on pretty much every front.
There are very few people who are even attempting to be civil.

I lived in the US for 5 years in another lifetime - a lot of that time was in the deep south - and I for one couldn't live there again.

Obama has a potentially much bigger problem than the economy to worry about when he takes office.

President elect Obama is going to have a racial war on his hands in the region of South Carolina the way the rhetoric is heating up down there - that is a distinct possibility - and potentially a war between riders and non riders.

He is going to have to walk a fine, fine line. I see in him flashes of Kennedy (JFK) the same kind of charisma, eloquence. Given time, I think this man has the potential to bring common sense and consideration to the table and get folks to calm down. I just pray that this man isn't cut down during his presidency the way JFK was.... America's history shows that it has not always been kind to really good presidents. Can you imagine the civil war that would start. No let's not go there....

I have been working on the phone book and I have to say for a first try I think it's going to be a great resource for all of us. In a few years as more people get on board with adding their favorite rider owned or friendly businesses to the book it is going to be phenomenal.

Anyway, the slave driver I work for tells me it's time to start working on Thursday's edition of the Busted Knuckle Chronicles...so I'll sign off wishing all of you lucky SOB's that are living where youcan still ride to have a really safe day and the rest of you - have a great Sunday....go polish some chrome!

Belt Drive Betty

Somedays

As you can tell from my earlier post I was feeling a tad frustrated.

Ali and I - We've been working such long hard hours to bring this community some good communication tools and as much solid information as possible. And I think I am just a bit over tired.

I know that there will always be the odd person who will not pay their bill for advertising in the paper. I know you can't win em all - it just hurts when you let friendship get in the way of business or vice verse.

I enjoy the work I do. That in and of itself is a large reward.
I enjoy giving back to a community as great as this one is. So yah, once in a while I spout off, get it off my chest and then pull up my big girl panties and get on with it.

Forgive me for being a wee bit human today?

BDB

Pit Bull wanted....

I have come to the conclusion that I need a business manager as I am quite obviously too trusting of people.

I need an office manager/business manager to run all things financial around here.

I have far too many people who owe me money and guess what, the ones who owe me the most are people I thought were friends so I never made them sign anything. A hand shake or a hug was all that sealed the deal.

Yah - I need to learn how to CMA (Cover my ass). Its a sad testament to humanity that your friends are the ones who rip you off, use and abuse you and then when it comes time to pay their bill...I am sure many of you have been where I am.

Since Grande Prairie is the worst place to live when you are trying to find staff I guess I am going to have to invent some one to be my business manager.

I think this person needs to be part pit bull, part Maxine - someone who just doesn't really care who you are...you are going to sign a contract first.

Right now I am sitting with bad debt from people/businesses totalling almost $7,000
Thank goodness I have a husband that pays the bills or I'd be living in a cardboard box.

It is sad - when I look back over all of the security changes we have had to implement on our site because of spammers and dishonest people.

I look at how I have had to change the way I do business - paperwork out the arse to deal with because everything now has to be in writing.

Yes I need a pit bull for an office/business manager so if any of you has one you can recommend - contact me please!

If you are lucky enough to live where you can still ride - PLEASE stay safe out there.

Otherwise have a great Friday

Belt Drive Betty

Progress...

We are making progress but we have had a small set back. We are having to completely redo our events calendar. I don't understand half the terminology used when it comes to the web site but the general gist is that the new content management system and upgraded calendar didn't like the info coming from the old one and it messed up the tables. Soooo hopefully we'll have that fixed by next week. Then we can start updating and adding all of the 2009 events - man it's gonna be a busy summer based on what I am seeing.

Anyway - I need to get back to work, almost finished BC and hope to have the Yukon & NWT phone book information complete by tonight.

Then the three prairie provinces and if all goes well we go to the printers by Monday/Tuesday!

Have a Wonderful Thursday and I'll chat with you again tomorrow.

Ride like they are out to get you if you are fortunate enough to live where you can be riding.

Belt Drive Betty

Things that make you go hmmmm

I was doing some research on the Uno - I wanted to find out more about it. I went on to the Dragon's Den web pages on the CBC site and was reading the comments about the funding of the Uno and there were a ton of opinions similar to mine - great concept, safety issues, insurance and approval issues. Some say it's an improved version of the Segway, others say Bombardier's Embrio which won Business Week's 2003 Design Awards for its category.

The Uno is fueled differently from the Embrio (pictured here) but they are very, very similar to each other.

To see the Uno: http://www.the-uno-tomorrows-transportation.com/


I was highly puzzled by this astute group of people on the Dragon's Den deciding to fund the Uno.
If you have watched the show - they evaluate businesses and their viability and then decide whether they will fund them or not. Now if you sell 20% of your company for 1.25 million dollars that means the company is worth 5 times that - in the case of BPG Technologies - Mr. Gulak's company that designed the Uno that transcends to 6.25 million dollars.

I am not puzzled any more. Brett Wilson - one of the Dragons is on the board of directors for BPG Technologies Inc. Whether he became a member of the BOD before the Dragons Den show about Gulak's invention or after is not clear. But I was right - the funding of Gulak and the Uno has a whole ton to do with the brilliance they see in this kid and I quote from the BPG Technologies web site: Brett said, “I invested in UNO because it is an exciting project but my investment is also a call on the creativity and genius of its inventor – Ben Gulak. I really do expect UNO to evolve considerably from its prototype to whatever commercialization version becomes – and I am excited to be a key investor in this stage of the evolution of Ben Gulak and UNO.”

So there you have it - I give full kudo's to the kid for securing the funding and I have NO doubt that he will go far...he's obviously brilliant - but - what does this do to the credibility of the Dragon's Den show?

If you watch the show - they are pretty hard on people who have business concepts and valuations that appear off....

Anyway - enough musing.

I was at the cenotaph with hubby yesterday and was pleasantly surprised by the number of children who were present. It seems that more and more young parents are getting it.

I am not sure about the indoor service in Grande Prairie or how well attended it was - I never go to indoor services. I guess it's a throw back from my younger years. I remember my dad who served 7 years in the RCAF saying "Our soldiers put up with all kinds of horrible conditions no matter where in the world they are deployed. The battlefield offers few amenities - so if they are willing to sacrifice their lives and comforts - you can put up with the cold for an hour - it won't kill you. Its a showing of respect." Those words, that attitude has stuck with me all of these years.

While at the cenotaph I recalled Cpl Mike Starker of the Canadian Veterans MC who was killed in Afghanistan in May...I had met Mike in Calgary in January...I can only imagine how JD, Mass, Anthony, Dave were feeling yesterday....

Keith from Saskatchewan wrote me saying " I realized how much we as a crew(scooter people) outcasts, have to be thankful for! Our veterans history made us what we are today! The way they broke ground to make biking a freedom for all to enjoy! Just in a grateful mood for what I am today, and have been thinking bout my Dad the last couple days, he wouldn't talk about it(war) I still wonder why at times but we as a family always gave him the freedom not to!
Asked once, left it alone!"

Many people have a reason to remember - what is yours?

Please, if you are lucky enough to live where you can still ride - Stay safe, ride like they are out to get you...

Belt Drive Betty