Apr
20
2009

Motorcycles Are Back On The Road!

Why didn’t I post this on my biker blog? ‘Cause motorcycle safety is everyone’s business. The motorcycle driver, the passenger, and the cars on the road…we all share the responsibility of the road.

That being said here are ten things EVERY car & truck driver (as well as passengers) should know about motorcycles:

  1. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don’t “recognize” a motorcycle; they ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at intersections.
  2. Because of its size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It is also typical to misjudge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.
  3. Because its smaller, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots (door/roof pillars) or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car (bushes, fences, bridges, etc). Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you’re changing lanes or turning at intersections.
  4. Because its smaller, a motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Don’t assume all motorcyclists are speed demons.
  5. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say 3 to 4 seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without any visual warning.
  6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders, (especially beginner riders) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle’s signal is for real.
  7. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.
  8. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle’s better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don’t expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.
  9. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can’t always stop “on a dime.”
  10. When a motorcycle is in motion, don’t think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

The more road responsible everyone is the better our roads are.

Bookmark and Share
[del.icio.us] [Digg] [Google] [LinkedIn] [StumbleUpon] [Windows Live] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »
Powered by Bookmarkify™
Written by Karl in: Biker,Travel |
Apr
08
2009

Is Twitter AOL Chat Redux?

As most of you know, I work in the IT industry. My colleagues range from Sr. Developers to very good hardware techs.

I use twitter on either my personal laptop and/or my iTouch at work (I DO NOT use it on the company’s PC) and so our team sees me and one of our wiring guys tweeting and we tell them about the interesting/funny things we read.

So one of our techs asked yesterday “Isn’t twitter just AOL chat for the 21st century?” which of course is what this post tries to answer.

In trying to answer, I first need to define what “chat” (or internet chat actually) is.

Internet chat is a pretty straight forward. Like it sounds it’s talking in real time using an application. It’s talking to someone right now as opposed to e-mail which is delayed by when the recipient is able to read and reply.

Chat is also different from voice applications like, say, Skype where you’re now talking like you would on your phone. That makes the conversation a true voice conversation.

So what the heck is twitter and where does it fit in all this?

Simply twitter is exactly like it’s acronym (didn’t know it was an acronym did ya?): Typing What I’m Thinking To Everyone Reading.

It’s micro-blogging.

With most blogs, if the blogger talks about going to the grocery store, getting a latte, or buying shoes, who would read it?

So…what the #@$%!  is Micro-Blogging?!?

Micro-blogging is mainly quick updates that contain a specific number of characters. It’s a popular component of social sites like Facebook where you can update your status.

So…micro-blogging is for those who want to blog but don’t have time, patience, a website, etc. to blog.

This is where twitter fits in. It’s a great way to let everryone know what you’re up to without spending a lot of time writing an detailed post on a blog.

OK, so now that we’ve pretty much gone around the mulberry bush, it’s time to answer the question. Is twitter just AOL chat for the 21st century?

No…not really.

Twitter is lots of things to lots of people. It’s a way to keep in touch, for a company to promote business, the celebrity to keep fans informed or to build up a fan base.

Twitter is a social messaging tool. It’s a marketing tool, business tool, news reporting service and personal updater.

UPDATE: 4/8/09 22:47

While you CAN use it for chat, it was never really designed to be a chat tool and is severely limited for any real time conversations.

WHEW! NOW I hope I answered the question!

Bookmark and Share
[del.icio.us] [Digg] [Google] [LinkedIn] [StumbleUpon] [Windows Live] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »
Powered by Bookmarkify™
Written by Karl in: Internet |
Apr
03
2009

A Good Friend’s Musing Of The Ted Stevens Case

I can truly say that there are a very few people I call intelligent, concise and well spoken in the same sentence.

For Dave, his insights in many areas are always a breath of fresh air in a sea of people with self importance issues.

I am looking forward to his continued musings which in his own words say it best: ”I don’t bother to blog often, but when I do, it tends to raise an eyebrow or two…”

So hopefully you’ll enjoy his words as much as I do (say…that rhymed!).

http://bigdavegrizzly.blogspot.com/

You can also follow him on twitter: http://twitter.com/bigdavegrizzly

Bookmark and Share
[del.icio.us] [Digg] [Google] [LinkedIn] [StumbleUpon] [Windows Live] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »
Powered by Bookmarkify™
Written by Karl in: America,News,Political Correctness |
Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes

Powered by WordPress | Theme: Aeros 2.0 by TheBuckmaker.com