Waning Crescent Sun

 

The smoke from multiple forest fires made the eclipse slightly odd to look at. But the sun is so bright that it's clearly visible through the glasses.

Unusual event.

 

Compromises

File this photo under the category: If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them

I figure how bad can the federal government be if they hire the Man in The Van? And How bad can The Man in The Van be if he gets hired by the Federal Government?

The size of the gvt. is a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because it's too big for any given administration to change and it's a curse because it's too big for any given administration to change. At this point the government is not only too big to fail, it's too big to reform. It's too big to do anything to except either work for them or pay them taxes.

The Federal Government has its hands in every aspect of the 'free American life'. Every aspect. Every pie has a few fingers in it. There is no realm too private for the Government to get involved with. It bears no resemblance to the framework of the revolution of 1776.

Democracy, I decided, is a muzzle that owners put on otherwise good citizens to keep them slaves. Democracy is a "Comments Box" in the DMV that no one ever opens. That's not a pretty definition but it's where my observations lead me. Democracy placates the poor so they do not revolt in the same fashion as those who revolted in 1776, but it still enables abject poverty. If you scratch Democracy then you get Feudalism. This is by design because the rich do not want to be overthrown by their own slaves. Who can blame them? But I still feel that the existence of abject poverty negates any status of democracy. You can't have one and the other at the same time because obviously the poor are not represented equally, thus they don't participate equally. You could argue that's the fault of the poor for not advocating their cause, and that's the point where I'd argue there is no democracy that punishes people for failing to advocate their cause, which is simply an obvious desire to live comfortably. Feudalism punishes the poor...Democracy asks them to wait for 4 or 40 years and maybe they will get lucky. If a democracy can produce people who walk on fresh skulls to get their Mocha Latte Frappe then there is a problem.

It's a great contradiction that I feel I'm a Republican at heart (advocates small government) who must vote liberal because I know other "Republicans" are the biggest threat to unrepresented citizens. Do I vote Republican to reward thieves? Or do I reward Liberals for presumptuously assuming I can not make adult decisions? It's a pickle with no good answer. Liberals insult my intelligence and Conservatives would eat their Young if it could save a buck. I can't win so I joined the big Team and will see how this plays out.


I'm starting to sound like Eric Hoffer.

The poor on the borderline of starvation live purposeful lives. To be engaged in a desperate struggle for food and shelter is to be wholly free from a sense of futility.

Eric Hoffer, "The True Believer", 1951

Reality

3 tire levers

 


So, I knew the Exciter needed new tires. I sort of dreaded changing them by hand but the only motorcycle shop in town has a 'pro-'merica' manifesto on their front door. You know, "We love them migrants but y'all need to assimilate to fit in. Y'hear? Don't expect no welcome greeting if y'all can't speak 'Merican." Such a load of bullshit. I was dizzy reading this attempt by some grease monkey to write philosophic stuff. It's good to see the average black collar wage slave defending his poisoned culture with a rant but it puts me in a position of deciding how much I want to pay this idiot's dental bills with my patronage. I decided to buy a longer tire lever and do it myself because if this asshole could point out something 'Merican worth assimilating then I might actually believe the immigrants should abandon their own traditions to replace them with ourn. But there is no way a grease knuckle motherfucker in bumfuck Pacific West Potville between Stonertown and Meth Junction is going to come up with something worth keeping. Is it the weekly homicides or the opioid addiction? The faux Mexican food or the faux Italian food? The diabetes junkie dialysis or the Methadone clinics that the immigrant from Somalia should assimilate? Which is it, you toothless wrenchhead?

friction pad fell off

I don't want to delve too deeply into the details. I do the work on my own vehicles because most people are incompetent idiots with high ideals of pre-packaged ethics. Forget I mentioned it.


I took the tires off, pried the rubber off, sanded down the rust of 30 years...and pried the tires back on with new rim liners and new tubes. Not a big deal once I started to use both knees as two extra hands. The longer lever worked with the two shorter levers.


The big surprise was that the brake shoes had plenty of meat on them, but the rear brake shoe had lost the friction pad. the glue wore out. I'm glad I don't use the rear brakes much because the friction pad could get caught under the one that is attached and lock the whole tire up if I'm not careful. Well, everything else looked good. I don't use the brakes much on these hills since I don't drive fast. I'm not disappointed. It's an old bike and I'm glad I had the excuse to order some more parts to keep this thing running right.

slick new tires