Nothing crazier...

[Van]

Acually, smackie, it's those armco guardrails lining PCH in certain spots that'll really do in a motorcyclist. Came upon the aftermath of one of those poor souls one late afternoon during a group ride. Like an idiot, he'd gone and lost his head. Literally.

I never understood it, either. It happened on a long stretch of nearly straight road. Just a gentle lefthanded sweeper, if that, but there it was, a vivid crimson slash on the asphalt that stretched for a good fifty yards beyond the obvious crash site in the armco railing. How in the fuck did dude manage to crash there?

In any case, the armco decapitated him while his passenger came away with nothing more than some roadrash on her forearm. She told us about it a month later at our usual breakfast joint. She was riding her own bike by then.

"I really don't know what happened. I have no idea why he screwed up so badly there. It's not like I ever had the chance to ask him..." was her sighed explanation.

Todd, I lived in Sepulveda near that Tommie's on Roscoe Bl in 1983 and '84. By '94 I was living in a condo on the beach in Port Hueneme before moving up to Sacramento in April. I was on a '94 Honda VFR then. Never owned a GT750 so nope, that wasn't me. The only Suzukis I've ever owned were a '96 GSX-R750, an '01 SV650, an '03 GSX-R1000, an '03 V-Strom 1000, and an '04 SV1000. Oh, and we also got Susan a GS500 back in '95.

Angeles Crest Hwy, Mulholland Hwy or Palomar down by Mikey's neck of the woods would be perfect spots for a California TT. Besides the same litigious roadblocks we'd encounter anywhere in America I see only two problems with these locales: deer, and dickhead locals. The deer problem can crop up anywhere. These are mountain roads, often in unincorporated areas. The dickhead locals issue is more specific to Angeles Crest Hwy, where the locals grew so tired of people using their main thoroughfare as a racetrack that they began sabotaging certain blind corners with handfuls of thumbtacks and/or marbles in an effort to scare riders away. I don't know how kindly they'd take to seeing their little slice of heaven immortalized on TV as the perfect public raceway, which would only draw even more motorcyclists up there.

[socal]

PCH, Angeles Crest certainly. Mikey's to Dins's in T1B TT is where it's at. Smackoholic and Wags get their shot at California and U & L redemption. Divide it up in circuits or just make it a Cannonball Run-style straight through.

Don't worry TTB, no grass clippings for that $54K SUV.

[Van]

smackie, in all seriousness, why don't you go to the IoM TT? You live in Connecticut. It's really not that far from you. Five hours ahead. BFD. I'm sure you'd have a blast taking in the whole Manx experience, plus you could rent a bike and take a leisurely lap of the Mountain Course.

Get your ass over there. That would make for a PET well worth reading.

[Diego in Seattle]

Seems like I saw IoM TT showing on some hd channel like HDNET or somewhere up there on the Comcrap dial. I'll see if I can refresh my memory later as to what channel it might have been.

An eastern CA to OR course would be epcot, but the cost of putting on such an event would be prohibitive. :(

[Van]

Just can't envision the lawyers here ever allowing it. I also can't imagine what the insurance premiums would run for the promoters of such an event.

Maybe Zyclone could get it done.

[Van]

It is, and you absolutely should.

[Van]

There's no better way to spend time with your wife on a vacation. It's not like a car trip where the destinations are the goals and the only things you generally remember. When you're two-up on a bike with helmet-to-helmet communication, the journey matters at least as much as the destination; in fact, the planned destinations almost become secondary as the entire trip becomes a continuous destination.

Rent something comfortable, kick back and take it easy. You don't have to haul ass. You can pick your spots and enjoy little adrenaline rushes here and there without having to go fully mental. I guarantee you that the next time I do it I'm going to slow down and make sure to smell the roses.

[M2]

A Steve McQueen redo... from his famous chase scene in the movie "Bullet".


I give you...


The Streets of San Francisco



ULTIMATE URBAN PLAYGROUND; SAN FRANCISCO

[Moving Sale]

I don't know what the fatality rate is at those speed-skiing competitions, but a fortnight at the Isle of Man or Estonia TT usually results in at least a death or three.

My point was that your thread title is hyperbole. Russian roulette with a glock is one example of something crazier. TT racing is crazy and I've seen it many times, but so is speed skiing (which I've done) with no brakes or horsepower or wheels or steering on a track that is a few inches wide and made of H20 is pretty crazy too.

[smackaholic]

I don't know what the fatality rate is at those speed-skiing competitions, but a fortnight at the Isle of Man or Estonia TT usually results in at least a death or three.

My point was that your thread title is hyperbole. Russian roulette with a glock is one example of something crazier. TT racing is crazy and I've seen it many times, but so is speed skiing (which I've done) with no brakes or horsepower or wheels or steering on a track that is a few inches wide and made of H20 is pretty crazy too.

I would think that regular downhill competitions are more dangerous than the flatout speed competitions, since the downhill courses have all sorts of off camber turns and jumps. I assume your typical speed event is straight and smoove.

[Van]

No American has represented yet-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sn ... _accidents

Kind of shocked and a little dissapointed, actually....when you look at the sheer numbers.

Lots of bragging rights for the limeys.

Six fatalities during last year's event. What other modern, government-sanctioned sporting endeavor would ever be allowed to endure following such a death toll? (Edit: I'm sure TVO will be able to come up with some third world event that involves even more annual carnage. Granted.)

Nope, there's no way in hell something like that would ever fly in America.

The other thing about that list that was amazing: competitors who died during the parade lap! C'mon, it's just a fucking parade lap!

When you can die simply from participating in the opening ceremony of an event, you know you've got something more than a bit psychotic going on.

[Van]

I don't know what the fatality rate is at those speed-skiing competitions, but a fortnight at the Isle of Man or Estonia TT usually results in at least a death or three.

My point was that your thread title is hyperbole. Russian roulette with a glock is one example of something crazier. TT racing is crazy and I've seen it many times, but so is speed skiing (which I've done) with no brakes or horsepower or wheels or steering on a track that is a few inches wide and made of H20 is pretty crazy too.

Fine, TVO, yes, playing Russian Roulette is even crazier, and my thread title does contain hyperbole. Happy now?

Speed skiing, however, does not rate, not compared to competing at the IoM TT.

[Derron]

Russian roulette with a glock is one example of something crazier.

Please try it and let us know how it works out.

[Derron]

Read TVO's post carefully. Even more crazy than crazier is playing Russian Roulette with a Glock. See, glocks are autoloaders, not revolvers. Put one cartridge in the chamber, and you get a 100% chance of "winning."

Crazy, man.

Don't be telling him that shit..we want him to try it..to prove it can be done..

[Van]

Glock or revolver, playing RR with either is still crazier than racing the IoM TT. Since that's the pressing point he somehow felt compelled to make, I'll give it to him regardless of the type of weapon.

Hooray for TVO pointing out the painfully obvious!

[Diego in Seattle]

A race down PCH is undoable for liability issues, but also practicality ones as well. It's one thing to close off several streets in one part of town is one thing; to close off a major highway for a long distance (PCH or 395 in eastern CA) would be nearly impossible to pull off. But it sure would be cool to watch.

[Van]

So, like I said, let's do it on Mosquito Ridge!



Beartooth Pass near Yellowstone...





...would also be ideal, as would Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

[Van]

Because Hwy 101 is nowhere near PCH through most sections leading from San Simeon to Big Sur. If someone lives in, say, Lucia, they pretty much have to be able to use PCH to get in or out.

Still, BFD. Probably about nine people live really close to PCH over that entire stretch of road.

[Diego in Seattle]

I can tell you that some people have kittens just because we're blocking a road for a minute or two while we escort a fallen soldier & his/her family to a church or cemetery. Blocking a huge area of road for hours if not days for a race would cause some people to go into full meltdown.

[Van]

You've got my vote!

And btw, they aren't kidding about those views from the Lucia Lodge. Fucking amazing, but then so were the $7.50 per gallon gas prices there, and this was quite a few years ago. Talk about your laws of supply and demand, they've got you by the shorthairs at their one station and they sure as hell know it.

[ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2]

My point was that your thread title is hyperbole.

The hook is the point of any subject line, you diminished fuck weasel.

[Smackie Chan]

Hooray for TVO pointing out the painfully obvious!

Maybe not painfully...

[smackaholic]

[quote="Moving Sale]My point was that your thread title is hyperbole. [/quote]

Imagine that, somebody busted out a little hyperbole on a smackboard.

Do the interwebs a favor. Climb on your big wheel and roll it off one of them 800 foot high cliffs along big sur.

[Van]

Smackie, with apologies in advance to TVO for possibly engaging in further hyperbole, "Suicide is Painless" has to be the weirdest song arrangement ever penned. You've got these stark, cynical Goya-level lyrics describing one of the darkest subjects possible, only they're sung in a Beach Boys-style happy vocal melody replete with pretty harmonies.

Those lyrics bespeak Metallica. The vocals evoke Mike Love. Wtf?

Interesting note, which I'm sure you already knew since you always know everything about anything to do with music: The lyrics to "Suicide is Painless" were written by Mike Altman, the then-fourteen-year-old son of Robert Altman, the director of the M*A*S*H movie.

Supposedly Robert Altman claims that he only made $70,000 for directing the movie while his son went on to earn over a million dollars for co-writing a song that is merely played during the opening credits and then sung again during one other scene.

[Goober McTuber]

More music trivia:

I think Dennis Wilson married Mike Love's daughter. She was something like his 5th wife.

Wouldn't she be his first cousin, once-removed?

[Smackie Chan]

Smackie, with apologies in advance to TVO for possibly engaging in further hyperbole, "Suicide is Painless" has to be the weirdest song arrangement ever penned. You've got these stark, cynical Goya-level lyrics describing one of the darkest subjects possible, only they're sung in a Beach Boys-style happy vocal melody replete with pretty harmonies.

Those lyrics bespeak Metallica. The vocals evoke Mike Love. Wtf?

A better example is Warren Zevon's "Excitable Boy." The music sounds like something from Sesame Street, while the lyrics are more from Nightmare on Elm Street. "Suicide Is Painless" deals with self-inflicted death; in "Excitable Boy," the victims are others. And the music is cheerier.

Well, he went down to dinner in his Sunday best
Excitable boy, they all said
And he rubbed the pot roast all over his chest
Excitable boy, they all said
Well, he's just an excitable boy

He took in the four a.m. show at the Clark
Excitable boy, they all said
And he bit the usherette's leg in the dark
Excitable boy, they all said
Well, he's just an excitable boy

He took little Susie to the Junior Prom
Excitable boy, they all said
and he raped her and killed her, then he took her home
Excitable boy, they all said
Well, he's just an excitable boy

After ten long years they let him out of the Home
Excitable boy, they all said
And he dug up her grave and built a cage with her bones
Excitable boy, they all said
Well, he's just an excitable boy

Interesting note, which I'm sure you already knew since you always know everything about anything to do with music: The lyrics to "Suicide is Painless" were written by Mike Altman, the then-fourteen-year-old son of Robert Altman, the director of the M*A*S*H movie.

Supposedly Robert Altman claims that he only made $70,000 for directing the movie while his son went on to earn over a million dollars for co-writing a song that is merely played during the opening credits and then sung again during one other scene.

Did not know that. Pretty amazing that a 14-yr-old could write those lyrics, though. Another interesting but useless piece of info about M*A*S*H is that it's among the very few movies in which the closing credits are verbal rather than written. If you'll recall, they're announced over the camp's loudspeaker.

[Van]

More music trivia:

I think Dennis Wilson married Mike Love's daughter. She was something like his 5th wife.

Wouldn't she be his first cousin, once-removed?

-Shoalzie

[Van]

Pretty amazing that a 14-yr-old could write those lyrics, though.

My first thought, exactly.

My second thought was, 'If I'm this kid's parent and he comes to me with lyrics like those, we are going to have ourselves a pretty serious little sit-down talk....'

[Mikey]

Smackie, with apologies in advance to TVO for possibly engaging in further hyperbole, "Suicide is Painless" has to be the weirdest song arrangement ever penned. You've got these stark, cynical Goya-level lyrics describing one of the darkest subjects possible, only they're sung in a Beach Boys-style happy vocal melody replete with pretty harmonies.

Those lyrics bespeak Metallica. The vocals evoke Mike Love. Wtf?

Interesting note, which I'm sure you already knew since you always know everything about anything to do with music: The lyrics to "Suicide is Painless" were written by Mike Altman, the then-fourteen-year-old son of Robert Altman, the director of the M*A*S*H movie.

Supposedly Robert Altman claims that he only made $70,000 for directing the movie while his son went on to earn over a million dollars for co-writing a song that is merely played during the opening credits and then sung again during one other scene.

Also, "Painless" was the nickname they gave to the camp dentist, who they were helping with "suicide". In this case, suicide was painless in multiple ways. First, it was Painless (or the Painless Pole) who was committing suicide while the song was being sung. Second, it really was painless because not only did he not actually die, if I remember right they just shot him up with a bunch of morphine and put him to sleep.

[Smackie Chan]

"Painless" was the nickname they gave to the camp dentist, who they were helping with "suicide". In this case, suicide was painless in multiple ways. First, it was Painless (or the Painless Pole) who was committing suicide while the song was being sung. Second, it really was painless because not only did he not actually die, if I remember right they just shot him up with a bunch of morphine and put him to sleep.

I think they gave him a pill he thought was going to put him down for a dirtnap, but it was just a sedative.

[Mikey]

"Painless" was the nickname they gave to the camp dentist, who they were helping with "suicide". In this case, suicide was painless in multiple ways. First, it was Painless (or the Painless Pole) who was committing suicide while the song was being sung. Second, it really was painless because not only did he not actually die, if I remember right they just shot him up with a bunch of morphine and put him to sleep.

I think they gave him a pill he thought was going to put him down for a dirtnap, but it was just a sedative.

Yep, that's right. And didn't one of the nurses come and give him a final "send-off"?