drew95gt

This sounds like a good time. It’s only about 15 min from my Dads place in WV so I might try to make this. Good reason for a road trip. 

Used to be pretty active on here but life (aka kids) kinda took me off of two wheels for a while.  Just wanted to reintroduce myself and say that I am glad to be back on OR and glad to be back on two wheels as I picked up a '99 Honda VFR.  Looking forward to getting back into riding and talking with you guys!

~Drew

Having extensive experience with Rotties (owned one and my ex g/f had two that I was around all the time), I would venture to say that if that dog was truly out to take down the cop...he would have.  Rotties are very protective by nature which makes me see this as the dog coming to the aid of his master, not some vicious attack by an out of control animal.  The dog didn't understand what was going on, he just saw three guys coming after his owner...I hope that if anything happened like that to me that my dog would have my back as well. IMO, the owner is just as much at fault for not securing his pup as the cop is for using deadly force...so I guess they are both assholes.

Part of the problem is when you look in the foreign SUV market they tend to hold their value for a good while...i.e Toyota, Honda...etc.  Shop domestic..or even Korean.  The newer Hyundai SUV's are nice with great styling, good gas mileage, and good warranty. The newer domestics have come a long way as well in terms of build quality and value, but they don't hold resale as well so if you flip cars often you will take a hit on trade in.  I was in the market for a used SUV recently as well, and I found that for what I was looking for buying new made sense.  I ended up picking up a 2013 Dodge Journey (the post re-design model) and have been very satisfied with the vehicle...but I may be a bit biased as I have always been a closet Mopar fan.  Good luck with your vehicle search!!

The one nice thing about consoles, at least from my brief experience with PC gaming, is that the number of hackers and cheaters tends to be FAR less than on PC.  Each game may be different I guess, but it stands to reason that the more tightly controlled architecture (both hardware and OS) tends to make it harder for hackers to exploit and easier for people to catch those using these exploits.

The 250's are awesome bikes...I would love to have another one. I had the older style (2004) and honestly the only thing I didn't like about it was the styling. I think I would be perfectly content with a 2008+ 250 or a new 300. They are so light and fun on the twisty back roads.

People give Magz a hard time, but unless you have actually met him (I have) you have no idea what he is really like. He is the one that introduced me to OR after I met him through a mutual friend at a party here in Marysville. He is actually a good guy...even if I don't agree with a lot of his political rantings and gun control arguments lol.

So it's bad to reference a tragic death to point out that tools designed for causing death are dangerous?

So the only time we can reference guns is in a positive light? Noted...

Guns aren't designed to kill people, they are designed to protect people...big difference. They are also designed for hunting, which provides food for people. Not to mention the whole competitive sport shooting scene. It is a multi-purpose tool that in the wrong hands or in the hands of someone with the wrong training has the potential to be harmful. Nuclear/biological/chemical weapons, on the other hand, were designed for the sole purpose of killing on a large scale...these are the weapons that should be banned and targeted by lawmakers/law enforcement. Crazy people don't need guns to kill a large amount of people, just look at the Boston, Oklahoma City, and WTC attacks (any of them). Besides, if a criminal wants to get a gun, they are more than likely not going to go through legal channels...thus, the majority of gun laws tend to only affect law abiding gun owners.

I smoked a pack a day for about 15 years and I quit cold turkey. It was tough..especially after meals or when having a few beers with friends because I really enjoyed a cigarette at those times. I just made up my mind to quit and did it. Haven't touched one in years and can't stand the smell of them now...makes me gag. My wife is still a "social" smoker and I can smell it on her if she goes out in the garage to have a smoke, but like I said it kinda grosses me out and definitely doesn't make me crave one. I still enjoy some Copenhagen snuff from time to time, but I can go without no problem. That was actually one way that helped me get over the nicotine cravings was dipping occasionally. At the time I didn't like the taste of snuff that much so I would only do it when I was jonesing for some nicotine...which broke me of the habit of having a cigarette in my mouth all of the time. The E-Cig may work for you because that was the hardest part for me about quitting was not physically holding the cigarette...just a habit thing.

Time to move to mexico

Much safer in Mexico with the cartels, crooked cops, and roadside bandits. Canada is better...worse weather but better everything else.

Nice bike...love the new styling. I can't say enough great things about my 650, they are darn near perfect street bikes.

As long as you are careful and aware of the power of a 600 you should be ok. That being said, I started in a Ninja 250 and am glad that I did...I actually kinda miss the bike.

Try performing a sync with your iPhone/iPad/iPod whatever it is that you play the music on and see if it will let you select the hidden albums from the music section then. Other than that, I would check on iCloud. For the illegally downloaded stuff, you should be able to retrieve that music from the original .zip files under the music or downloads section of windows explorer. And I know this doesn't help now, but in the future consider buying an inexpensive external hdd to store your music on and update it every month or so...it's cheap insurance when you have a lot of time and money invested in your music/movies.

The docs are the only ones I feel at least earned their hefty salaries. Like you said, they put the time for the schooling/residency, etc.

I have no idea why we value entertainment in this country so much that singers/actors/pro athletes are the highest paid people. In the old days we would've just thrown them in the ring as slaves and they fought for their lives, not for a wage. Not saying that is the right thing to do, but how did the tables get so turned that we value a song/movie/sporting event more than educating our children who are the future of this country?

Answer this question and you are getting close to solving the fundamental problem with this country. I would be willing to bet that the majority of Kobe's cash flow comes via endorsements and advertising as opposed to putting a ball through a hoop.

Lots of motivation here, great job to all of you that lost weight. I started packing on weight in college and went from a 34 waist jeans to a 42. At my heaviest I was around 310 but I'm down to around 290 now just by cutting out soda and mild diet changes. I have been looking for a workout that I enjoy and will stick with. My schedule working 12 hour 3rd shift is a huge deal I have to overcome as well as a hectic family life with 3 little ones. I know those are just excuses and I have to make the time to make the change. Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress here, it is very motivational to see others succeed in their goals that are similar to my own.

Sweet bike. I would gladly give up my Ninja for one of those.

A few simple rules:

Personally, I ride like I am the invisible man. No one can see me, and I expect everyone to be an idiot. Pay close attention to everything around you, and learn to read situations before they become a danger. YOU AND ONLY YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY! IMO, all these lights and reflectors fool riders into a false sense of security. News flash, you could put stadium lighting on the front of your bike, and you will still be in danger of not being seen. Period. No amount of noise/lighting/horns is a substitute for riding skill and overall situational awareness. Defensive/reactionary riding will get you killed. Ride with a controlled aggression, a little faster than the average traffic, put other vehicles where you want them to be. For example, if you are constantly getting passed on the highway you are not in control of your surroundings and you should speed up. There are situations that result in accidents that are completely out of our control. It happens. But, most motorcycle accidents could be avoided by better situational awareness and overall skill, not big bright lights and loud pipes. Don't rely on inanimate objects to save your ass.

A few simple rules:

1. Ride faster than traffic

2. Never hang next to any vehicle, either pass or fall behind if need be

3. Every vehicle at every intersection is going to cut you off

4. Expect every vehicle to change lanes right in front of you, see #2

5. That car approaching behind you at a light will rear end you. Never stop directly behind anything stay to the side Leave a little space and watch him in your mirrors.

6. Your throttle will get you out of more situations safely than your brakes ever will.

Sounds like a lot of work? It is, but your life is probably worth it. Once you've done it for awhile though, it becomes second nature. It will greatly improve your cage driving skills as well.

Good post and good ideas to practice. The only one I don't do regularly is #1 because these idiots around here drive 10-15 mph over the speed limit on a regular basis on the highways...which may be fine if you are in a tan minivan, but 15+mph over on a bright red sportbike makes you a cop magnet.

+1 to all of those that suggested the MSF course and a Ninja 650 as a good starter bike. The 650 isn't just a good starter bike, it is a good street bike period. I would recommend a Ninja 250 as well if you have never been on any kind of bike/quad before as they are VERY forgiving and still pretty fun to learn on. Be sure to buy some decent gear as well! Welcome to OR!

If you are looking to stay cheap look at the Honda Rebel kit from BlueCollarBobbers for some ideas. Maybe a S40 (Savage) or something similar would be a cool starting point if you wanted something a little bigger.

I relocated from West Virginia to the Columbus area for a job...I really miss the roads and beautiful scenery down in WV. It was a little slice of heaven...but there are NO jobs down there and the few that are left pay significantly less than the same job working in the Columbus area.

Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep have the designs I like, by far the best looking American cars IMO however I had a bad experience with my last MOPAR product (2006 Dodge Magnum). I LOVED the looks of the Magnum, but it suffered transmission issues, rear end issues, etc. I actually miss the Mag, wouldn't mind finding an inexpensive R/T model...just wish they were reliable. I may have just had a lemon because I have heard nothing but praise for the 300/Charger which is essentially the same car just different body style. Those Jeep's are sick in the pic, hopefully they bring some fuel efficient diesel models over soon like they sell in the European market.

Dude, I know exactly what you are talking about!!! You're not alone, we had to go through the accusations of child abuse and many court visits as well. Sorry that you and your wife have to deal with that. It's not mentally healthy. Trust me, we have been there and right now things have been calmed with the husbands bitch face ex's bullshit. I keep waiting for the bomb to drop with her again. She went as far as trying to get a protection order twice! Went to jail herself for Falsification. It's costly and it isn't in the best interest of the kid. They don't benefit from a jealous ex! Rant on...it's good to get that shit off your chest! Sadly, my step son will never know what's up her, which is probably best for him.

Tell the wifey if she needs a hand digging I have strong arms and I'll bring my own shovel

LOL the wife might take you up on that. Yeah I had the protection order, supervised visitation, only allowed to visit at the exes house (wife LOVED that one), etc...etc...etc.. Only to be thrown out in court due to lack of proof, because there really was none. It really sucks that the resentment affects the relationship of the non custodial parent and the child and in my case with her and her step mom as well. I know it isn't right to let the actions of the mom dictate my relationship with my child...but you really can't help the way you truly feel. The other bad part about all of this is that the way the system is geared with the courts and children's services it almost seems to encourage this type of behavior. The mom can cry "wolf" all day and I get crucified until I prove there is nothing to her claims.

Ok, guys can do some dumb stuff...I don't get it either, but women are just as bad at times. The whole child support/visitation/custody situation in general is skewed very favorably toward the mother from my personal experiences. I have been going through a tough situation with my ex so I can kinda relate. In my case, my ex is a bit off her rocker and shares a mutual hatred with my wife which makes home life "interesting" to say the least. Honestly, I can't stand my ex at all for many reasons including constantly taking me to court at every whim she gets (to the point where my lawyer said if she keeps it up she was going to go after her for reimbursement for MY court costs), calling child protective services on me for false accusations of abuse (again proven unsubstantiated in court), calling around to my work to find out if I had had to work on the days I had my daughter (and threatening to call the police if I leave her at home with her step mother), sending the police to my house on various occasions where she thought I was not home with my daughter stating that she feared for her safety, going after me for additional support once she found out that I was adopting my step daughter (her bio father bailed on her when she was 6 months old with no support paid or visitation in over 6 years) so that I couldn't claim her as an additional dependent for three years until the next "adjustment", and just generally being as ass telling me how much of a P.O.S. I am and that her "new" boyfriend is a better Dad than I will ever be...in front of the child no less. She has been involved with many heated arguments with my wife...she knows just what buttons to push to provoke her. All of this has led to a mountain of resentment on all parties involved. It's to the point where my wife pretty much wants nothing to do with my daughter and I no longer look forward to the visitations like I used to due to all of the headaches and legal battles. I can just hope that when she gets older she will see what her mother is like and understands why things are the way they are now. I still love her to death, but her mother has sucked all of the joy out of spending time with her. Sorry for the long rant...

My Ninja 650 has been my favorite bike so far that I have owned, I could definitely see the appeal of a Versys since it is pretty much the same bike but with better suspension and ADV'ish styling. I imagine the Ninja 1000 and Versys 1000 are even better for distance touring and two up.

Two sweet rides...really dig the M3