Overcoming Writers Block, Anger & Fear - Strong Motivators

Have you ever been so busy, so overwhelmed that you can't think straight?

That's where I am and have been for months.
I have struggled with writing of late, not that there haven't been many a topic that caught my eye, upset me or affected this community of riders.

I sit down at my computer, determined to write and the words just don't come and when they do they are such a mish mash of thoughts that even I can't really follow them.  So I shut down the blogger platform and go to work on one of the hundreds of  other tasks that are pulling at me.

Some of what's been going on with me is that I am tired.

Tired of politics, tired of hatred, strife, sadness, injustice. I have been focusing on the positives and I sure don't find a whole lot positive in the news. Facebook isn't much of a help either unless of course it's funny animal videos. I have been attempting to look forward, to happier times, imagining myself at some of the rallies I want to go to, the time I will get to spend with friends and the places I want to ride and experience. I have been looking for all of the good things to celebrate like sunshine, and spring, riding and loved ones...

Over the last few weeks there have been so many sad, hurtful, desperate situations....
We lost an RCMP Officer on Vancouver Island last week, a tragic and senseless loss.
We have already had numerous motorcycle crashes and fatalities.
Flo Fuhr from the Conga For Breast Cancer died suddenly while in Mexico.
Friends with cancer, heart disease and other critical illnesses that all need help.
Friends loosing their jobs and their sense of purpose.
Attawapiskat First Nation peoples attempting suicide by the hundreds, protests and sit ins taking place.
Bombings in Europe.
The leaders of our nations around the world seem hell bent on destroying it, so do groups like ISIL et al.

My heart and my psyche are aching.

It's hard being a "Journalist" who champions the under dog and takes on controversial topics when you are in the kind of mood I am in - I just really don't want to hear, see or read negative, hurtful or hateful things.  I don't want to be party to adding more of the same into the universe.

It's lead to writers block.

Then I came across something that got my dander up, something so ridiculous and so potentially devastating for our community that I had to speak out:

Westboro Baptist Church intends to protest at Motorcycle Rallies.

According to the article, Westboro Baptist Church spokesperson Lisa Greer is attributed with saying:
“these (motorcycle rallies) are a haven for inappropriate sexual activity and rampant drug use.” Greer explained to Kansas ABC affiliate  reporter Dan Walters, “Several motorcycle clubs across the country support the American soldiers and veterans who blindly fought overseas to provide homosexuals with the right to openly and legally commit sins against Jesus Christ – our mission is to educate.”

According to Greer, the Westboro Baptist Church has already made arrangements to attend the following motorcycle rallies – Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Rolling Thunder, Bikes Blues and BBQ, Love Ride, Laconia Motorcycle Week, Indiana Boogie, Laughlin River Run, Mrytle Beach Bike Week, and the Redwood Run. Greer told reporters that contingent upon budgetary allotments, the organization may also attend additional rallies throughout the year. End Quote

What is wrong with people?

I know that you have free speech but seriously there are times when just because you can say it doesn't mean it should be said.

Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should.

What in heaven's name are these protestors, these so called "religious" people thinking?
How many soldiers funerals have they protested at? How many lives has their venom touched?

And what will the reaction be from the motorcycle community?

These people are doing to our community what so many reporters, police officers, politicians and naive riders do to our community - they are tarring us with a brush that is not ours to wear. They are profiling us, judging us, finding us guilty of a perceived "sin".

I pray that my brothers and sisters who decide to attend these events ignore Westboro - don't feed them any anger, hate, hurt or other emotion. Don't give them any power or ammunition or PRESS by reacting to them.

IGNORE THEM - PLEASE for the sake of everyone in our community - IGNORE THEM.

WE DON'T NEED anymore bad press.  We don't need lives destroyed over narrow minded, bigoted people. DO NOT GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT. ATTENTION.

I need some time on Doc and soon, riding always soothes my soul and allows my thoughts to settle down. I am looking forward to riding with Eric Lobo and doing an interview with him. Hopefully that will happen sooner than later!

Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest, presented by Community Futures of Alberta, is almost at it's end and we find out the official word on April 21st about which community is is going to be crowned "Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community of 2015 - Two Hills Alberta or Moncton New Brunswick... Please check out all of the wonderful sponsors that are making Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest a reality and give them some LOVE!
Visit www.riderfriendlycontest.ca

My Beaver Mascot - Road Trip Rita is holding a contest called Beaver Shots.
So, what are Beaver Shots you ask? Surely Rita couldn't be suggesting anything inappropriate could she?

NO, calm down...here's what she's looking for...

If you take the time to stop, snap a picture and share it with Road Trip Rita, you could earn yourself a GAS CARD!

Visit: www.beltdrivebetty.com/BeaverShots  - to enter your photo....you must be a registered member of www.beltdrivebetty.com to enter - but hey, it's free to be a member.  Apparently our contest link is broken - we'll have it fixed shortly!

Until next time, please, dress for the slide and not the ride, ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you and brush up on those skills...let's have a safer rider season that what it's started out as.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

5 artists, 4 Ural Motorcycles and Adventure

What do you get when you take 5 people in the 30 year old age range (29-32), all artists sharing a similar dream and vision?

You get an adventure that involves four, 650CC Ural motorcycles with sidecars from the 80's, a trek across some of the most challenging terrain in the world, all in the name of learning the truth about culture, language, hospitality, differences.

These young people all wanted to learn what it was really like in places like Kazakhstan  Mongolia, Eastern Russia, Georgia and more...they wanted unfiltered truth seen through their eyes, their perceptions not that of some media person.

These people are artists. They are not from a motorcycling background.

They became riders, mechanics and through their free spirited souls they became expanded beings who view problems and challenges in a different way than they did when they first left the safety and security of their studios.

Their journey so far has put them in situations where they had to go without food, chase a floating motorcycle down a river, express their needs to people they couldn't communicate with in any normal fashion, experience the foods and cultures first hand away from the tourism industry.

Their ingenuity, their resolve is enlightening, inspiring and uplifting.

Their journey is far from over. Two years, 25,000 KM's on very old Ural Motorcycles (1980's) with sidecars, is behind them, but the third and final phase is ahead of them...

Right now they are in Vancouver BC and getting ready for the most challenging and difficult portion of their journey.

These young people are planning to put pontoons on all of their motorcycles and float down the Kolyma river to reach Chersky.  Below is their prototype in action.

Crazy? Brilliant?  Would you do it?

These young people are looking for sponsorship and support.  They were late 20's when they started this thing, think about that.  They come from a generation with an entitlement attitude and yet, here they are, challenging themselves, learning, growing and through their writings, photography, video and sculptures, they have the opportunity to teach many about respect, self reliance, community, creativity, ingenuity - resilience and LIVING.

For information on sponsorship/partnering opportunities you can contact Efy directly at info@leavinghomefunktion.com – or by telephone at  1 +49) 172 5726976  or visit the SUPPORT section of their website.

Please, if you can in any way help these young artists see this life altering journey through, I encourage you to reach out to them. Individual gift, business support - they could surely use it all.

At the very least, please follow their progress via their website and their Facebook page.

Have a blessed day and get out there and LIVE your passion, your dream...LIVE IT.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

When does Humour go too far?

Lately we have begun seeing a commercial from the Canadian Real Estate Association that depicts a bunch of "motorcycle club" members from the Satan's Undertakers who ride up to a house just purchased by a couple who didn't use a Realtor.

Here is the commercial:

While funny on the face of things, this commercial perpetuates the stereo type that "Bikers" are bad neighbours. 

Now the vests these guys are wearing all have a 1% diamond on them, and you and I who ride, know the difference between a 1% club, a traditional outlaw MC and a riding club  - RIGHT?

But does Joe Q Citizen know the difference? To be honest, I doubt it...most riders don't know the difference anymore.

And there in lies the problem. How many people who are already intimidated by motorcyclists thanks to the main stream media, the 1% clubs and the police services and the way the 1% clubs are portrayed and spoken about - how many are going to watch this and have their fears further entrenched?.

To me, commercials like these are ill advised. Though they may be funny on the surface, the underlying message is not so funny and it hurts all who ride as it perpetuates the outdated image of our community.

Commercials like this add to the social barriers and the stigma that can accompany riding a motorcycle.

I was doubly surprised by this commercial because of the fact that the Realtors host their own charity rides. Lots of Realtors ride.  Here is the link to but one of them: Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation Motorcycle Ride for Charity

So I reached out to the association, and had an email conversation if you can call it that, with a man named Pierre Leduc.

Here is my email to him:
Dear Pierre Leduc,

I am writing about your unfortunate parody commercial that shows a Bike Gang - see attached video.
For an organization that has a charity fundraising ride involving Realtors who ride, I am quite surprised that you would choose to use the Biking Community as an example of bad neighbours.  While on the face of it, it is funny, it is commercials like this that stereotype our community and enforce the social barriers we currently face.

Can you please tell me why you did this? Why would you hurt our community in this way?

Here is is answer to me:

Ms. Charbonneau,

Thank you for reaching out.

This particular advertisement fits in with an ongoing series of commercials, using humour to highlight some of the potential pitfalls of not using a REALTOR® when buying a property. Over the past few years, we’ve had new owners woken up in the middle of the night by a SWAT team, another couple having to stay in a seedy hotel due to closing date mix-up, while another couple discovered they had purchased a haunted house when a bus tour stops out front as they’re moving in.

Our ads have been recognized by the advertising industry, and have won a number of awards.

You may be surprised to discover that many REALTORS® and CREA staffers are also riders. For example, we use our website and blog to promote the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation Motorcycle Ride for Charity.

I am pleased that you do see the humour in the ad. Rest assured that we are not using the biking community as an example of bad neighbours. We were sure that by having the gang wear ‘colours’ with the gang name ‘Satan’s Undertakers’ that it was clear (at least to us) that this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill neighbor who likes to ride a Harley, but rather some organized criminal enterprise.

I hope you find this explanation addresses your concerns.

Warm regards,

Pierre Leduc

Pierre Leduc
Media Relations / Relations auprés des médiaspleduc@crea.ca

The Canadian Real Estate Association / L'Association canadienne de l'immeuble
200 Catherine Street, 6th Floor / 200, rue Catherine, 6e étage    Ottawa, ON K2P 2K9
Tel/Tél: +1 (613) 237-7111    Fax/Téléc: +1 (613) 234-2567

www.crea.ca     www.REALTOR.ca     www.REALTORSCare.ca    

I asked for further dialogue and was shut down completely.

I am disappointed with the interaction with the Canadian Real Estate Association.

I do not think that they truly understand how damaging to the riding community commercials like this can be. I think the commercial is short sighted and derogatory.

Is the commercial funny? Yeah, on some levels, is it the smartest or funniest commercial in their series? No.  Is this commercial ill advised? I think so.

And that's how I see it - what say you?

In other News, Two Hills Alberta and Moncton New Brunswick will be duking it out for the title of Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community, 2015 - final voting begins at 11:59:59 MST on April 1.

www.riderfriendlycontest.ca is the place to cast your vote.

Have a blessed day and if you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Unofficial Results of Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest

The unofficial results in the Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest are in!

It appears that in the west, Two Hills Alberta won out over Kaslo British Columbia by a small margin. The tally was 8664 to 8589.

By far this was the most aggressive of the two contests with over 30 lead changes between Two Hills and Kaslo.

In the east, Moncton New Brunswick won out over New Liskeard Ontario, 331 to 302.

If the results we have at the moment stand, then the following communities will be awarded $2,500 marketing packages:

Kaslo BC, New Denver BC, New Liskeard Ontario and Digby Nova Scotia.

Two Hills and Moncton will then go head to head in the final round of voting.

The winning community will be called Canada's MOST Rider friendly Community 2015.
They will win a $35,000 Marketing Campaign and the runner up community will win a $10,000 Marketing Campaign.

So which community is going to have a Welcome sign similar to these?

We find out on April 21st when the winners will be announced on YouTube!

To vote or follow the contest register at www.riderfriendlycontest.ca

The final round of voting begins on April 1st at 11:59 PM MST and ends
on April 18th at 11:59 PM MST.

We could not host this contest without our fabulous sponsors.

Our presenting sponsor is Community Futures of Alberta. They offer amazing support to small business in rural Alberta. Loans, business planning, mentoring and so much more!
Visit them at:

Our Media Sponsors - the people supplying either ad space, radio time, articles/features, TV etc:

Kimpex

SmartBiker Magazine

Biker Radio

Reality Radio101

The Hog Radio Show

East Coast Biker

Adelle Laudan

Northern Horizon

Belt Drive Betty Media through their properties:
Ride Like a Local in conjunction with EastLink TV, Busted Knuckle Chronicles dot com, Belt Drive Betty dot com, Canadian Motorcycle Events dot com, Rider Friendly Business Association, Belt Drive Betty's Blog and BKC News Bytes dot ca.

Special thanks to:
Suzette Boothby Bedard - Our Translator
Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage

If you are blessed to be riding today please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Things are heating up!

Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest is about halfway through the second public voting phase. Over the last number of days we have seen a horse race between Kaslo BC and Two Hills Alberta erupt.

When I checked in this morning at about 8 am,  the race in the western "conference" was just as tight as it has been from the beginning.

Two Hills was in the lead with 2,689 votes and Kaslo was on their heels at 2,683 votes.

It's 9:50 am as I write this and for about the 24-5th time, the lead has changed yet again with Kaslo at 2,713 votes and Two Hills at 2,711.

Things are starting to heat up out East too.  Moncton New Brunswick is holding on to a slim lead with Digby Nova Scotia closing the gap.

One of the most rewarding things about this contest has been seeing all of the articles and hearing the various radio interviews that these communities are generating.  These little communities that don't tend to get a whole lot of notoriety are all garnering some great press.

The one thing a lot of rural communities struggle with is how to catch the attention of tourist.
They don't have big budgets and they have a shortage of man power to help them get the press and attention they need.

A contest like this truly does give them all a little shot in the arm, some notoriety, and instills a sense of community pride in the riders and other community members. The voting proves it!

These communities are vying for the title "Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community 2015"
The top prize is a $35,000 marketing package that will be put together for them by using the inventory provided by our sponsors.

TV, Radio, Print Media, Digital Media, Social Media - they get it all and all from other riders who own media outlets!

Which communities are going to slug it out for that title? Well, we'll know in about 14 days time.
Only one community from the West and one from the East will meet up in the next round...

But PLEASE remember folks, places like Kaslo BC, have their faction who really don't like the constant rumble of bikes and I just hope and pray that the selfish few don't ruin it for the rest of us.
Loud Pipes, among many other things, annoy many people in the places we want to ride most, so PLEASE ride with respect. Remember we all have to share this earth. Consideration and respect, please riding with both at the fore front of your mind.

We, all riders, have a lot to be grateful for in this country. We are blesses with so many place we can ride to that do truly want our business.  In many of these places we riders make new life long friendships...Blessed - that truly is a good word for this community of Riders here in Canada.

In other news, a couple of local businesses here in Grande Prairie have some stellar offers on the table right now...

There is a Mastermind being held in Grande Prairie on March 18th for anyone who might be interested, $49 for this three hour seminar.

One of our advertisers, Happy Trails RV is giving away $1,000.

All you have to do is like and share their post on Facebook and fill out the form:

And our Rider Friendly Business Partner, Bear Creek Funeral Home is celebrating the achievement of Eunice Friesen - and her volunteer recognition award.

If you are blessed enough to be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, and please consider dressing for the slide, not the ride.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest - Special Announcement!

Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community Contest has been a lot of fun so far.

It's been interesting to see the healthy rivalries that have shaped up and to watch the good natured kidding on Facebook.

Holly Sorgen, Executive Director of Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region made the special announcement yesterday on YouTube regarding those who are going to move on to round 2!

Here is the announcement:

The communities that did not make it through to the second round were:
West - Fruitvale BC, Nisku AB and Kamloops BC
East - Manitoulin Island ON, Port Dover ON and Summerside PEI.

Those communities all won banner ad packages from Belt Drive Betty Media worth $1,500 each and emails to the person who submitted the nomination have gone out.

The communities moving on to round two are:

WEST - Two Hills AB, New Denver BC and Kaslo, BC
EAST - New Liskeard ON, Digby NS and Moncton NB.

Only 2 communities will survive this round of voting.

The four communities that do not move on will all win media packages that include banner ads on www.beltdrivebetty.com, radio interviews on The Hog Radio Show and a small write up in SmartBiker Magazine.

Good luck to all of the communities and may the MOST Rider Friendly Communities move on to the final round....the journey to becoming Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community continues on March 5th when voting officially begins for the semi finals!!!
Have a wonderful day and if you are blessed enough to be riding, please remember to rider like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

DANGER, Riding Season is here and almost here...

Riding Season is ALMOST HERE in the north of Alberta, but many places are already riding again.

I can not say this ENOUGH.

You NEED to ride like EVERYONE AROUND YOU is BLIND and CAN NOT SEE YOU.

YOU WILL encounter MANY Drivers LIKE THIS....  

WILL YOU BE READY TO REACT THE RIGHT WAY?

You MIGHT encounter a driver like this....

What will you do?

There will be occasions when you come up against this....

WHAT will you do?

THERE ARE PROBABLY times you might come across this...

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Some of the things you should AVOID - NO MATTER HOW TEMPTING IT MIGHT BE....

Riding smart, staying alert, being extra careful in heavy traffic, taking a refresher safety course, these are the things that will help you survive to ride another day.

WATCH THIS VIDEO - TO ENSURE YOUR SKILLS ARE SHARPENED - PLEASE...

THANKS FOR WATCHING!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider