As I write this this, I noticed the clock on my desk is telling me it is 5:02am EDT. Now 5:03am. I'll leave the house on my commute for work at about 6:00am. By that time the temperature outside will have dropped another degree or so. Right now, it's hovering around 52º F and I am debating in my head if I should wear long thermal underwear. The trip is an hour long and I really don't want to be an ice cube until mid morning.

I had a friend remind me recently that, back when we were kids growing up, back before global warming was a problem, our summers used to be really, really hot. Nowadays, August in Ohio feels more like August in northern Ontario.

I'll nix the long johns, but chaps are a definite must this morning.

Ride Safe!

Live On. Ride On is a campaign for LifeLine Ohio to help bring awareness for organ donation in the motorcycle enthusiast world. It's a good cause and I've had a link and banner on the blog for a couple of months, now.

Organ donation is a topic a lot of people don't want to talk about. To do so, forces one to acknowledge ones own mortality. And some of us don't do that easily.

The link takes you to the Live On. Ride On web site where you can learn more about them. There's only one thing I don't like about the site. It's a minor thing, really, but I wish they'd change it.

The photo they have on the site is a great shot of a deserted highway snaking into the distance with incredible scenery and vistas on each side. The photograph is quality work. But the road is not in Ohio.

Anyway, Live On. Ride On is going to be at some central Ohio events promoting their cause and I thought I'd share them with you.

Flat Track Races Sunday, Aug 16Beulah Park, Grove City, OH

We will have a raffle, Live On. Ride On. patches & t-shirts!

Summer Slam Saturday, Aug 22 AD Farrow Co Harley Davidson, Sunbury, OH

Ride Safe!

Traffic Camera Update:

Across the country, communities have installed photo enforcement cameras for both speed and red lights, all the while chanting the mantra, "It's all about safety, it's all about safety." This may be true. But the financial windfall realized by virtually all communities that install cameras can't be easily ignored.

The small community of Heath, Ohio installed cameras in June of this year and started mailing out citations in July. Over 10,000 citations! And at $100 a pop, those fines would generate in one month nearly 1/8 of the city's general fund.

The people cried foul (especially those with multiple citations in one day!) and the city started it's chant. And then something unexpected happened.

The city of Heath issued a statement saying that the cameras were installed for safety and that they just wanted drivers to slow down, And then they said that all drivers in the month of July that received multiple citations would have all but one dismissed with just a phone call.

Maybe the officials in Heath really did have the cameras installed for safety reasons. It's not really about the money.

Heath, Ohio, a community adjacent to Newark is smaller but has a high traffic area. Recently they installed 10 new traffic cameras for both speed and red lights. The cameras were in place for a month sending out warning letters. The grace period is over.

The little demons have been recording violations for 4 weeks and nearly 10,000 citations have been issued, including to one driver, a resident of the city (Nerkites call them Heathans) that received 6 in one day, on one trip.

Everyone is getting pretty jerky about the cameras, especially area merchants and the city leadership is on the hot seat because the cameras are about safety, not money - even though the potential take for 1 month of fines is about 1/8 the city's annual budget or about $800,000.

Here's an online story...

A few days after returning from the trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota, I noticed the parking permit the attendant had wrapped around my handlebar. I was thinking about whether to remove it or leave it on since it is good until the end of this year.



Chances are I'll not return before it expires so I had decided to cut it off and save it with the rest of my memorabilia from the trip. But just as I was about to get the scissors, something caught my eye. Now I think I'll keep it on there just for the heck of it...