Looks Aren't Everything

 

Especially when it comes to motorcycles.  A motorcycle can visually be absolutely stunning and at the same time ride like a brick.  And the "Captain America" motorcycle from "Easy Rider" is a good example of this.

If any of you have been following either my blog or my Facebook posts for any length of time, you'll know that in my personal opinion "Easy Rider" is the second worst motorcycle movie ever made.  It's second to a movie called "The Born Losers" which was so stupid as to nearly defy description.  The only good thing about it was that it introduced the character of Billy Jack to the world, but other than that, the movie was a total waste.

But I digress.

As for "Easy Rider," the best things about the movie were the soundtrack and the motorcycles.  The rest of the movie was pure crap.  (Again, my opinion.)  The movie came out in 1969 so the rock and roll of that era plays a prominent and important role in the movie.

But the best thing about the move were the  bikes, specifically Peter Fonda's bike which is called the "Captain America" bike because of the star spangled paint job on the tank.  It's an absolutely beautiful bike, a classic 1960's chopper with the raked front end, no front fender, great big tall sissy bar, and lots of chrome.  A classic and simply beautiful bike in every way.

And according to Peter Fonda, it was a beast to ride.  In an interview he gave right after the movie came out, he said that the next day after the first full day of filming where they did nothing but film scenes with him and Dennis Hopper riding their bikes,  he was so sore he could hardly move.  He said it was "the worst riding bike I've ever been on," and that says something.

If you know anything at all about motorcycles, one look at the bike and you'll see why Fonda said what he did.  But I'm guessing most of you don't know what I'm talking about, so let's go over the reasons why the "Captain America" bike rode so bad.

First, there's the rake and length of the front forks.  For those of you that don't know, the 'rake' is the angle of the front forks measured from the upright of the frame, and it's determined by the length of the front forks.  The longer the forks the more drastic the rake.  And one of the bad things about choppers with long front forks is that they are very difficult to control at low speeds, and they have the turning radius of a cruise ship.  Any time you increase the overall length of anything with wheels, you're going to increase the turning radius.

Next, there's the lack of both a front fender and front brakes.  The lack of a front fender means that if you have to drive on a wet road or ride in the rain, all of that dirty water from the road is gonna get thrown straight back at you, and trust me when I tell you that really sucks.   And the lack of a front brake is, in my humble opinion, nothing short of stupid.  70% of a motorcycle's stopping power is in the front brake, so why would you NOT have brakes on the front wheel?  

Then there's the ape hanger handlebars.  The higher the bars the harder it is to control the bike, and the faster your arms will go numb from lack of circulation.  And one of the factors in this bike that makes it worse is the distance from the seat to the bars - it's a long way, and in the picture you can see how Peter Fonda's arms are stretched almost all the way out due to this factor.  

Last but not least, this bike is a rigid frame bike, which means there are NO shock absorbers on the bike anywhere.  What that means is that you will feel every little crack, bump, and hole in the road that you encounter, and you'll feel them up your spine all the way up to the base of your neck.  Ride a rigid frame bike for a few hours and I guarantee you that the next morning your back is going to be so sore you won't be able to move.  This is why most bikers from the '60s who rode rigid frame bikes now have back problems so bad they can hardly walk, much less ride a bike.   

But all of that aside, you have to admit that the "Captain America" bike is one gorgeous piece of machinery and is easily the most recognizable and iconic motorcycle ever made.  Would I ride it if given the chance?  Sure, just to be able to say I did.  But it would be a short ride, I can guarantee you that!

Unfortunately that will never happen, because both bikes in the movie disappeared after filming was complete, and to this day no one knows what happened to them.  

But at least we have pictures!

Deo Vindice 

IHC 

 

 

Things That Amaze Me: The Demand for Reparations

 

Of all the stupid ideas that anyone on either side of the political spectrum has ever come up with, the idea of reparations to black people for slavery has got to be #1 on the list.  (If not #1, then #2.)  

At this point let me give anyone who's reading this a warning:  you may not like some of the things I'm going to say.  I'm going to say some very disparaging things about the people who support the lunatic idea of reparations, and that covers both black AND white people.  So if you're gonna throw the "racist" accusation at me, you can just shove that up your backside right now.  Besides, the truth ain't racist.

So, having said that, let's get at it. 

To me, reparations is nothing more than a "get rich quick" scheme devised by a certain segment of the black community and supported by a certain segment of the white community (spelled L-I-B-E-R-A-L-S), a way to get money without having to actually work for it.  It's just another manifestation of the victim mentality that some in the black community have been practicing for literally decades, and it's only getting worse.  To me, there is nothing more insane for anyone regardless of color to have to pay anyone else regardless of color a monetary fee in any amount for an act that may or may not have been committed by someone's ancestor to another person's ancestor more than 160 years ago.  Comedian Rob Schneider summed it up best when he said (and this is a direct quote), "It's like paying child support for a child you never had with a woman you never fucked."

And he's 100% correct.  

But let's say that this stupid idea comes to fruition as it has in Kalifornia.  Let's look at some of the stumbling blocks that are invariably going to be in the way of implementation of this moronic idea.

Who would actually pay?  All white people?  Or just the descendents of those whose ancestors did actually own slaves?  And how do you prove who owned slaves and who didn't?  And who pays for this research?

Who would actually get the money?  All black people?  Or just the descendents of those whose ancestors were actually slaves?  And how do you prove whose ancestor was a slave and whose wasn't?  And again, who pays for this research? 

How about black people whose ancestors were slave owners?  Would they have to pay reparations as well?  They did exist, you know.  And Sunni Hostin, she of the diarrhea mouth on "The Veiw" can verify that as someone traced her family tree and found that she's descended from a black slave holder.  Additionally, the wealthiest slave holder in South Carolina as of 1861 was a freed black man who himself owned more than 100 slaves, more than anyone else in the entire state.  And yet again, who's going to pay for the research?

How much would the payment be per person?  Certainly not the FIVE MILION DOLLARS EACH that the state of Kalifornia just approved.  So how do you determine how much is paid?

How would the money be paid out?  Would the payments be made to one central agency and then the payouts be handled from there?  If so, who's gonna pay for that to happen?  Because nothing is free, you know, despite what the libtards want you to think.  And how can you guarantee that 100% of the money is paid out and not absconded with via fraudulent means?  (This would especially be true in Kalifornia and Minnesota.)

But let's get back to the basic fact that reparations is a stupid idea.  Nobody in this century owes anyone else in this century anything for something that was done two centuries ago by their ancestors.  And don't even start with the "systemic racism" shit because that dog won't hunt.  Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that's bullshit (which leaves out most liberals and anyone supporting the idea of reparations).  

And if that's not enough for you, there's this:  Approximately 330,000 Union soldiers died freeing the slaves.  And that number includes black soldiers as well as white soldiers.  As far as I'm concerned, that debt - if there ever was one - has been paid in full with the blood of those dead soldiers, both black and white.

The fact is this:  the demand for reparations is nothing but greed, pure and simple.  It's a way for those in the black community that are too fuckin' lazy to work for a living to have someone hand them money for doing absolutely nothing.   

And that's something I will NEVER support, regardless of who's trying to pull it off.

So here's the bottom line that a lot of people aren't going to like, but it's the truth:  reparations will never happen.  Never.  And those in support of this stupid idea better get used to it, because no amount of pontification, yelling, screaming, and protesting is going to change it.

And that's the truth.

Deo Vindice
IHC