Introducing Casey Stratton

Posted on by

Sometimes I think I must be the last to hear of a promising new artist. I’m hardly plugged into the media music machine – I don’t listen to our local radio stations in the car (just NPR or CDs usually), and I don’t watch the media hype shows on TV. Heck, I didn’t catch one episode of American Idle or any of its clones …

But while browsing LiveJournals earlier this week, one writer mentioned an amazing album by an artist named Casey Stratton. I googled him and found Casey’s official (Sony) website and heard samples from his album. Google also showed a Casey fansite with more info and some live songs and demos – real breathtaking stuff. Then I found Casey has a Live Journal, so I’ve been reading that the last few days

I went to Amazon and bought the album, then found a previous album is available through eBay, so I bought that one last night – (they say all money for that goes to the artist).

But don’t take my praises for Casey’s music – go to the Sony site or the LatitudeLine.com site and listen to Casey’s music and make your own mind up. Casey sings with a high voice, known as contralto

Velocity Vintage of Richmond

Posted on by

Outside view of Velocity Vintage in Richmond
Click to enlarge

We went to Richmond to visit Emma’s family over the weekend. Saturday was a slow day, so Emma and I took a trip into downtown Richmond. I wanted to look up a bike shop I’d passed a few times on the way to MCC Richmond, but had never had the time to visit. It turns out that not only do they deal with Ducati and Royal Enfield, and have a great line of helmets and accessories, but they also deal with all kinds of classic bikes. When I went inside, I found out that
Velocity Vintage is like a museum of amazing and collectable bikes.

The bikes are pretty closely packed on the showroom floor – but the following few pictures should give you an idea, though they don’t do justice to the range of interesting machines there!

Continue reading →

Dad, the Air Circus, and the ’24 Harley

Posted on by
Click to enlarge

Dad looking over a 1924 Harley Davidson
Dad looking over a 1924 Harley

I’ve been spending more time with my Dad lately. We’d been distant for many years, but we’ve been on better terms in the last few years.
He surprised Emma and I in August when he told us he’d like to come to Emma’s Ordination down in Richmond (August 28). He enjoyed the weekend and met Emma’s folks – he got along real well with her dad. After the Ordination, Emma stayed with her mom an extra few days, and Dad and I drove back together. On the way home he said he’d like to go see The Flying Circus some time, so we made tentative plans for October.

Continue reading →

2004 VBMC Rally

Posted on by

The 2004 VBMC Rally and show at Ida Lee Park (Leesburg, VA) – Sunday Oct 3rd

It didn’t seem to be quite as many bikes as last year, but what a great day for a show – mid-70s a bit of a breeze and sunny!

As usual, click to enlarge the pictures


Two rides merged into one - Norton Featherbed with Vincent Engine
Two rides merged into one – A Norton Featherbed frame with a Vincent Engine – A gorgeous Norvin Cafe Racer –

More of my pictures follow …

Continue reading →

Ballmer

Posted on by

‘iPod users are music thieves’ says Steve Ballmer, Micro$oft CEO

In a recent article on the Silicon.com website, Andy McCue quotes Ballmer as saying: “We’ve had DRM in Windows for years. The most common format of music on an iPod is ‘stolen’.”

Of course, now that Microsoft has finally entered the online music store market, selling their flavor of digitally “secured” music,
one would think it hypocritical that the M$ CEO would attack/disparage the leading source of legal downloadable music, Apple. With over 100 Millions songs sold, Apple’s iPods and the iTunes Music Store is M$ major music competitor.

One might be tempted to think this is just another campaign of Microsoft FUD – twisting the truth over backwards in an effort to spread Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, as they have done repeatedly in the campaign against Linux and Anything Not From Microsoft …

Of course, there are those who think Ballmer is secretly a fan
of the slick little iPods that are selling so well – http://homepage.mac.com/trianglejuice/iblog/C1683193892/E2045005395/Media/ba
llmersipod.swf

Assault madness

Posted on by

The madness is letting the ban on assault weapons lapse.

I have relatives that own guns – no problem. They are sensible about them, keep them under lock and key, have taken gun safety courses. We’ve discussed guns and I have no problem with folks owning or keeping guns. But Assault Weapons are not in the same category.

How can a President expect ANYONE to take him seriously when he claims to support law Enforcement then he lets a law end that banned automatic weapons like the AK-47, AR-15, MAC-10,Uzi, Tec-9.
What does this say to the average cop when the lawmakers allow bad guys can go out and buy this kind of military technology?
C’mon, does ANYONE think a sportsman is going hunting with an assault weapon – that kind of gun would shred game. Why does a private citizen buy a gun like this?

Other than the “kick” of owning a gun that can pulverize anything you might aim it at (cinderblocks, trees, cars, etc…), the only answer I come up with is as protection against others who might have similar weapons – to prevent finding yourself at the wrong end of a self-defense gap! What can you do when you find a burglar in your home with a gun – why, you simply HAVE to empty your tommy-gun into the blighter, just to teach him a right-proper lesson!

See http://www2.stopthenra.com/

Thanks to
Eat Your Vegetables for inspiration!

Protest signs seen

Posted on by

Protest slogans seen at Deluth News tribune website (among other places)

“Draft the Bush daughters.”

“Evict Bush from public housing.”

“Fellow Christians, We Are Called to “Love Our Enemies” – Jesus Wasn’t Kidding

“Halliburton thanks you for supporting the war.”

“How Many Hijackers Came From Iraq?”

“If We’re Spreading Democracy to Iraq, Let’s Start With Florida”

“Remember when presidents were smart and bombs were dumb?”

“Sacrifice SUVs, not children.”

“Stop mad cowboy disease.”

“The Pro-Life President Can’t Wait to Start Killing.”

“Vote Bush off the island.”

“W stands for Wrong.”

“War begins with Dubya.”

“War is not an energy policy.”