FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK   |   SUPPORT OUR TROOPS   |   THE LATEST ISSUE   |   MAGAZINE ARTICLES   |   THUNDER OVER LOUISIANA   |   LOUISIANA BIKER EVENTS   |   EVENT PICTURES   |   LEGISLATIVE NEWS   |   BIKER FRIENDLY DIRECTORY   |   BIKE NIGHTS   |   LINKS   |   CELEBRITY & MASTER BUILDER LINKS   |   CONTACT US    MAGAZINE ARTICLES A.B.A.T.E. of Louisiana Presents ABATE SAFETY REPORT WAKE UP CALL The legislative session has finished and motorcyclists did not fare very well at all in 2011. What happened??? It seems Louisiana motorcyclists find ways to define and segregate ourselves by brand, age, geography, club affiliation, culture, race, creed and sexual preference. Okay the last few aren’t as important to bikers but old school versus sport bikes is almost a barrier. We must UNITE to speak with a voice the clowns in Baton Rouge will hear and let them know we care and we are watching. The comment heard most from our contacts in the legislature is it appears motorcyclists don’t care what happens in the Legislature. Comments opposed to our viewpoint were present in greater numbers and that is OUR fault. We couldn’t take time in our busy day to call or email our representative or senator to let him know what we want. For ABATE members, there is no excuse for this. Our website has been updated throughout the session to keep you abreast of the latest developments and had links established to email house and senate committee members on bills and links to look up your representative and senator and find their phone number, office address and email address. For non-members, the information is free to all on our website. A US Mail letter to the legislator’s office with your voter registration number will get you a response. But you must write first. I had people tell me we didn’t do enough; there should be form letters on our website to cut and paste. So where do we go from here? Let’s take a page or 2 from one of the more effective state MROs in the country, the Texas Motorcycle Riders Association and their late leader Sputnik have a tried and true formula to improve our political standing. The following 2 paragraphs are from their web page and are a guide to follow. EDUCATION In order for us to become effective in our endeavors we must educate the biker community as how to work within the legislative process. This process can be as simple as registering to vote or how to run for a political office and win. We have simplified the process into five steps. These are the basic guide lines on how to get involved and to what level you wish to proceed. By no means is this intended to be a detailed do’s and don’ts document, just a basic how to get started and get yourself through it guide. FIVE STEPS TO FREEDOM Each trip begins with one step. The reason so many people fail to accomplish goals is they attempt to do everything at once. How about if you humor an old brother and try it this way one time. As I tell my bro’s, don’t look at the big picture, just do your part, one step at a time, and the whole will come together just fine. Try it. To learn more about the five steps, follow this link, http://www.tmra2.org/5steps.shtml and maybe Louisiana motorcyclists can earn the power and respect our friends in Texas have exhibited. ABATE of Louisiana will represent ALL motorcyclists in Louisiana, but we need your help. If you can’t become a member, unite with us for the political clout we all need. It’s time to WAKE UP or SHUT UP!!! Be Safe, Charlie Toth Executive State President A.B.A.T.E. of Louisiana, Inc. CHAPLAIN’S CORNER THE HOLIDAY SEASON This is the time of year that we are busy planning for the upcoming holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year celebrations. Even though we are very busy, we need to remember to stop and focus on the reason for the upcoming holidays. Ah, Thanksgiving Day – conjures up visions of turkey, family, friends and football. Being thankful for the things that make us happy is easy but being thankful for life’s adversities – well, that just doesn’t seem natural. God whispers in our soul and speaks to our heart but when we don’t have time to listen, He has to throw a brick to get our attention. The brick could be considered an adversity; it may cause damage, physical or emotional, but it does get our attention. We need to be thankful because it shows us that God is there for us and will do what is necessary to keep us in His will, under His wing and safe. His love knows no boundary. We all know that listening is easier but we are human – need I explain! The next, Christmas Day – the visions connected to it are the decorated tree, family, friends and presents. But the real reason for the day is to celebrate the birth of Christ. The birth of Christ shows us just how much God loves us; His Son was born to die for our transgressions; now that’s a present! John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” God’s love is unconditional; His grace immeasurable. He will never leave nor forsake you. Then there is New Year’s Day. Depending on how you spent New Year’s Eve will have a definite effect on how you see this day! Although food, family, friends and football are what most of us will enjoy. Family and friends are the constant throughout all of the holidays; don’t forget to tell them you love them – and do it often. Happy Holidays; we love you! God Bless, Pastor Woody & Kathy Biker Church Amazing Grace Motorcycle Ministry www.AmazingGrace-mm.org Breaking Bread on America’s Back Roads So… you want to do a biker foodie show where two guys ride around looking for the most unique food and experiences America has to offer. How do you cast that? You go to Texas and find Bill & Paul. Talk about the perfect pair! One is a long-time certified Harley-Davidson mechanic with his own shop. The other is a classically trained chef. Both ride, love food, and have been great friends for more than 20 years. Being Texas’ best motorcycle magazine (really, the only one that covers only Texas and/or Texas-based riders), we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring their story to our readers! “You know you’re making waves when you appear on South Park,” says Paul Patranella as he entered the shop the place was buzzing as we arrived to do our interview with America’s “Hairy Bikers”. They were spotted on the popular adult cartoon, South Park just the night before. So we were whisked away to a computer station to watch the snippet a friend had recorded for them. The scene: a young kid sitting in front of the TV, his dad telling him to change the channel to something more educational. The TV switches to the History Channel showing previews of upcoming shows and highlighted were Bill and Paul of History Channel’s new show, “Hairy Bikers”. The comment from the cartoon kid… “eewww”. If you’ve seen the show and enjoy Bill and Paul, know that they are the same in person as they are depicted on TV. These are not seasoned actors playing a part. These are down-home, Texas bikers from the Bryan/College Station area, doing what they love to do – ride and eat; meet and greet. Bill owns Bill Allen Motorcycle Company located on College Avenue in Bryan; just a couple miles away from Aggieland (my alma mater). He is a Mechanics’ Institute Florida alum and specializes in servicing Harley-Davidson motorcycles. His work ethic is obvious – he cares about the motorcycles he works on, cares about his customers, and is serious about doing “top notch work”. When asked about his shop, he told us about opening day – September 11, 2001. The only thing to be said… it was a rough opening day. He is an admitted foodie, being the more adventurous “taster” of the two. Paul is a classically trained four-star French Chef, having attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin. He’ll tell you the truth… “The law was on my [his] heels” as he headed straight to Austin after graduating from high school. His pedigree doesn’t stop there. After selling his own Bryan-based restaurant, he took a spin at the George Bush Presidential Library as head of catering. Yes, he’s served the former president and Barbara Bush, considering it one of the highlights of his career. Today, he has a bait and tackle shop in Bryan, where much of his family works with him. He brings the show culinary takes on the food they are presented. He’ll be the first to tell you he’s learned a lot of cooking techniques from this new show that differ greatly from his culinary education; what Bill calls “backyard cooking”. These two did not know each other growing up, but you’d swear they’ve known each other forever. Well… I’m guessing for some of our younger readers, 20+ years IS forever. When asked how they met, you can’t tell a better story! Bill is in a “punk rock” band, Street Pizza. He’s been in the band for more than 20 years (yes, there are still punk rock bands out there!). Neither man can tell you exactly their first meeting, but their first memory of being friends was at a party where Street Pizza was playing. During a break, they were out on the patio in line for beer. The place was on a lake and the water was lapping at the un-railed deck. Bill remembers Paul at the edge of the deck with a fresh beer. He heard a splash and turned to find Paul climbing back up on the deck with a cup full of lake water. Being the friend that he was, he got Paul a fresh beer and they kept on partying. So where does the “biker” come in? They both grew up with bikes. Bill recounts memories of wanting a small bike back in the 70’s… back when “Boys Life” magazine had an ad for a 50cc Indian. The price was out of his reach, so he worked to save up enough money to buy a one-out 80cc Suzuki dirt bike and remembers riding it until it had no compression and wouldn’t even start. And eating? “Who doesn’t like food,” they both say. And they believe that sitting around a table full of good food is the great equalizer. They enjoy riding the back roads of America, finding new folks to talk with and regional foods to try. Along the way, they make a lot of new friends… all through “breaking bread”. The History Channel sets up the locations to visit, but Bill and Paul aren’t always satisfied with sticking with the schedule. But that’s probably why the show works so well. The producers let Bill and Paul get away with some unscheduled stops and detours along the way; let their personalities shine. Quite often, they get off the bikes, walk up to strangers, and just start talking. In one episode, they park on the side of the road, walk out into a field to discuss local produce with the farmer picking lettuce. Not only do they learn some of the history of the area, they walk away with a Dutch oven (promising to return it), and some of the local produce they, themselves, pick. Additionally, they’ve gone off with just the camera crew to do some local riding, such as the Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina and the Natchez Trace in Mississippi. They’re not ones to miss out on great riding when it’s so close by. Their excuse, “we need riding shots, too!” Walking away with “gifts” seems to be one of the unique aspects of the show, but there are so many more. Bill and Paul are introduced to local fare, using local ingredients. They learn about the area, how the dish they try developed, and how it relates directly to the history of the area. Additionally, the History Channel adds subtitles with related historical trivia. Not only do the guys learn about the recipe, they help from the very beginning – harvesting and hunting for the ingredients all the way through to cooking and eating. Often, there’s a challenge thrown down between Paul and the cooks they’re visiting. Paul says, “It is always a tie.” At many of the scheduled cooking stops, the guys use ingredients they received at previous stops along the way, like wheat they helped harvest at one place to brew a local beer at the next stop or fresh frog legs they use in a Redneck Gourmet cook off. Many times they try foods that are not in most folks’ daily diet, such as “Lamb Fries”, fried lamb testicles. Bill says, “Yummy, but they must be well done”. And we can’t forget about the nutria they hunted and cooked. If you’re not familiar with nutria – it’s a 20 pound Louisiana swamp rat. I won’t recount here Bill’s description of the aroma when cleaning that “varmint”; you don’t want to know. What they bring to the screen most of all is their unique and fun-loving personalities; they’re just plain fun to watch! We asked about a favorite experience from the show. They had a hard time choosing just one for many reasons. They feel all the folks they’ve met along the way are now friends and are a little uncomfortable choosing. We won’t say this is their favorite, but when asked to provide a sample of what they experienced, they offered the “Guerrilla Cuisine” episode. After learning a little more about it, I have to admit, I would love to try it out! Guerrilla Cuisine, founded by Jimi Hatt, is a South Carolinian event company that specializes in exclusive one-of-a-kind “Low Country” food, music, and art events. Each event they plan features a different set of popular local chefs, local live music, and local talented artists. An email goes out to over 2,000 members for an event. A limited number of tickets are sold on a first-come, first served basis; keeping the numbers at an “intimate” level (20-50 depending on location). Ticket holders are not told where the event will take place until 24 hours in advance. They receive an email with the address, directions, and more information about the event they’re going to partake in. “Hairy Bikers” crashed one of their events in August. The featured chef was Nathan Thurston from Charleston’s The Ocean Room, along with four other chefs that created an exceptional meal. The “old school menu” included Frogmore Stew, Geechie Boy Mills’ “Big Grits”, Keegan Filion Farms Heritage Pork Liver Mush, and Coconut Layer Cake. The event was held on the private Crosby Family dock. Paul added that when they ran out of crab for the stew, they simply went to the edge of the dock and caught more. Both Bill and Paul enjoy learning new things, meeting new folks, and simply enjoying what the American way of life has to offer. This is probably what the producer, Dawn Fitzgerald, saw when she first met Bill. Ever wonder how to get your own reality TV show? You be the right person(s), in the right place, at the right time. Bill organized a ride to a Junk Gypsy show filming (coming soon to HGTV) by their friend Amie Sikes, Junk Gypsy founder. They know Amie from her time attending Texas A&M University (yes, another Aggie). During the shoot, Bill left their mark on Dawn. It wasn’t too long after that initial meeting that Dawn contacted Aimie for Bill’s phone number. She had been looking for the right bikers to cast for the American version of “Hairy Bikers” and liked Bill’s style. She asked Bill if he cooked. He said “no, but my riding buddy Paul does.” He went on to explain Paul’s background and the experiences they shared on the road. The show is very popular in the UK. But simply bringing that show to the US wasn’t going to work. The basis of the show is all about exploring the best of what the country has to offer, with a historic twist. You can’t do that in America with British riders. It needed to be cast with “good ole boy” American bikers! Dawn had considered others, but Bill and Paul seemed to be perfect. They helped by providing Dawn with some video of them interacting and riding. Additionally, the producer sent a film team down to do a test reel to make sure this was the team. The entire process took about a year before they hit the airwaves. The first episode aired October 14, 2011 and the entire series is 12 episodes long. It isn’t all fun and games. Most people don’t realize how much work goes into filming a show. Bill, Paul, and the crew put in what Paul calls “doubles”; 14-16 hour days. There were 11 travelers, going a total of 8,000 miles, visiting 46 cities, in just 65 days. That’s two months away from home and family, working like crazy. To top that off… only about 26 seconds of every hour of film is used. Calculating that out for a 30 minute show, it comes to just shy of 24 hours of filming to get a single episode. When asked about recovering from this grueling schedule when they got home, Bill quickly answered with “it was two weeks before I was right.” I asked what their normal riding is like and Paul said, “riding from bar to bar.” Sounds like our kind of riders! But they also both add that there is nothing better than getting paid to go out and do something you love to do. Bill comments “I’m just taking it as it comes and feel blessed”. Paul added, “We get to do what we love most… ride, meet folks, and eat!” They have the time of their lives in the show, you can tell. They’ve gone shrimping, lobstering, crabbing, giggen frogs, boar hunting, and more. And you can go along with them. Visit HistoryChannel.com for more information on their show and tune in Fridays, 10:00 p.m./9:00 p.m. Central to watch Breaking Bread on America’s Back Roads BACK ROADS BIKER RECIPES Chile-Lime & Shrimp Stuff Avocado Paul Patranella – “Hairy Biker” 8 avocado cut in 1/2 and scooped out 1 pound shrimp peeled and cut up into small pieces 2 shallots minced 4 cloves garlic minced 3 Serrano chilies minced 1/2 stick butter 1 bunch cilantro 1 lime juiced Lightly brown butter i 1. n skillet over high heat 2. Quickly add shrimp, followed by the shallots and garlic, stir and toss quickly 3. Cook 1 minute then add lime juice to de-glaze a little, add the chilies and toss 4. Cook 1 minute and remove from heat, chill 5. Add to avocado and add chopped cilantro, re-stuff avocado husks A Biker Beverage Bob Cooney, TRM Owner/CEO - Houston Bud Light - bottle 1. Chill 2. Open 3. Serve 4. Dispose of bottle when done Biker Road Kill Chili Shelly Horan, Owner/Editor - Houston 2 pounds Ribeye or Sirloin Tip Roast (or road kill, if you dare!) 2 cans stewed tomatoes (chopped) 1 can tomato paste 1 can Rotel tomatoes (drained) 1 each green bell pepper, red bell pepper, red onion Cumin (1/4 cup or to taste) Garlic (2 Tablespoons) Salt/pepper (2 teaspoons each) Tabasco – I like the Chipotle flavored (2 teaspoons) Cayenne pepper (1 teaspoon – makes “mild” – increase for more “alarms”) Shiner Bock Beer (half bottle or any dark beer) 1. Cut meat into small, bite sized cubes. Brown (to a very medium rare) & drain. 2. Meanwhile… start the stew base in a large pot: • Add all tomatoes and tomato paste • Chop veggies and add • Add seasonings (to taste) 3. Add meat to stew base 4. Stew on low for 1 hour for eating that evening or stew for 30 minutes and place in fridge to reheat next day. Makes makes about 8-10 servings. Don’t forget the beer… it helps tenderize the beef. Cajun Crabby Sticks! Crazy Al #55, Feature Writer - Fort Worth 1. Take a head of celery and cut your sticks about three inches long. 2. Take Imitation crab leg meat (the long ones) and slice into strips. 3. Place the crab meat into the celery sticks. 4. Take (whipped) cream cheese and spread it to cover the crab meat. 5. Take large olives and slice each in half. Place into the cream cheese. 6. Here is the magic! Take Cajun seasoning and sprinkle on top of each stick. The combination of these flavors is odd. But the outcome is awesome! Shrimp Scampi with Pasta (of your choice) Brian Scott, Correspondent 12 oz. to 16 oz. of thawed, raw, shelled, deveined shrimp 2 tablespoons of olive oil 2 teaspoons or minced garlic 1/2 (4 oz.) stick of butter 8 oz. pasta of your choice 1. Cook pasta as instructed on package 2. In large skillet, add butter, garlic and olive oil; Cook over medium heat 3. When the garlic in your pan starts turning brown, add your shrimp in a single layer. Fry the shrimp on each side about two to two and a half minutes then turn over and cook the other side 4. When your pasta is done, drain in colander, don’t rinse 5. While the pasta is still in the colander, add the shrimp to the top of the pasta then pour the remaining garlic, butter and olive oil mixture from the pan over the shrimp and pasta in the colander then mix 6. Serve while hot Feeds at least two hungry people but as many as four. Mississippi Sin Dip James Williams, Sales - New Braunfels 16oz sour cream 8oz cream cheese, softened 2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup chopped ham 1 green onion, chopped 1/4 tsp hot sauce 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce Salt Pepper French bread loaf 1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, except French bread; stirring until well blended. 2. Cut a thin slice from top of bread loaf; set slice aside. Using a gentle sawing motion, cut vertically to, but not through, bottom of the loaf, 1/2 inch from the edge, to cut out center of bread. Lift out center of loaf. Fill hollowed bread loaf with the dip. Wrap loaf with foil. 3. Bake dip at 350° degrees for 1 hour. Serve with reserved bread cubes, crackers, or potato chips. Ham and Potato Bake Laura Mae Benson, Sales & Correspondent - Rosharon Canned Ham (diced) Canned Diced Potatoes (drained) Onion Soup Mix Canned Carrots (drained) Chopped Green Peppers Garlic Salt and Pepper Grated Cheese 1. Brush heavy foil with butter. 2. Add veggies and diced ham. 3. Seal the foil into pouch. 4. Put on hot coals, turning often. 5. Bake for about 25 minutes. 6. After opening pouch, sprinkle with cheese. This can be assembled beforehand hand kept chilled until ready to cook. NEWS BYTES THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at http://www.ON-A-BIKE.com NCOM NEWS BYTES 10-06 Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists COURT ALLOWS RAID ON RIDER ED FUNDS The Illinois Supreme Court may have opened the door for states to reallocate hundreds of millions of dollars from dedicated funding to balance their budgets. In a recent 6-to-1 decision, the state’s high court upheld a prior circuit court ruling that backed the governor and Legislature’s ability to take money from hundreds of special state funds to offset budgetary deficits, a practice commonly referred to as “sweeping”. Motorcycle riders sued former Gov. Rod Blagojevich after he swept $1.2 million from the Cycle Riders Safety Training Fund (CRSTF) to pay general state bills after a 2004 law passed by lawmakers allowed him to do so. A portion of the fee for an Illinois motorcycle license goes into the CRSTF, which ABATE of Illinois argued was only to be spent on motorcycle safety education. “Clearly, the fee charged by the state for motorcycle registration and licensing is state revenue, and therefore the portion of this state revenue which the General Assembly has allocated to the CRSTF is also public money,” wrote Justice Anne Burke in the majority opinion. Burke rejected the ABATE lawyers’ argument that the special fund was tantamount to a special trust fund. The state Supreme Court concluded that the legislature cannot create an irrevocable trust with public money because this would place an unconstitutional restraint upon the legislature’s plenary power. Sweeping special funds was a controversial way to deal with budget deficits during the Blagojevich administration, and although the court’s ruling opens the door to more such sweeps, current Illinois Governor Pat Quinn opposes fund sweeps and has worked to end the practice. MICHIGAN REQUESTS YOUR SUPPORT FOR HELMET FREEDOM Michigan may be on the verge of repealing their mandatory helmet law as Senate Bill 291 appears destined for the governor’s desk, and ABATE of Michigan has issued a “Call to Action” requesting the help of all motorcyclists in their freedom of choice efforts. SB291 passed the Michigan Senate 24-14 in late June, and is now back for a “concurrence vote” after passing the House 69-39 on Nov 2nd, so a favorable vote will put ABATE’s hopes in the hands of Governor Rick Snyder who has not indicated whether he will sign or veto the measure. Two previous repeal bills were vetoed by then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm. “Governor Snyder prides himself on being all about business and helping business,” said Vince Consiglio, President of ABATE of MI, adding; “A letter from a ‘FREE’ State may help him realize Michigan loses motorcycle money every day of the summer with a mandatory helmet law.” Under the bill, motorcyclists 21 and older would have the option of riding helmetfree if they have two years of experience or have taken a safety course, and if they buy at least $20,000 in medical insurance. “Please urge Governor Snyder to support adult choice,” requests Consiglio on behalf of ABATE, by contacting Governor Rick Snyder, State Capital, P.O. Box 30013, Lansing, MI 48909 or call (517) 373-3400 or e-mail Rick.Snyder@michigan. gov. BIKERS RALLY TO RESCIND UN-FAIR POLICY “The State Fair of Louisiana, for a minute, mind you, adopted a discriminatory position toward bikers by posting signs that would not allow them to attend the fair in their traditional biker gear, some of which is protective gear,” said Mary Baker in an article in the Examiner newspaper, adding that “…bikers everywhere contribute to charity in a way that not many other segments of the population do… And, they definitely make an impact on the local community, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars at local establishments including restaurants, theaters, bars, parks, and small businesses. That is why it is disheartening to hear of discrimination based solely on appearance.” Upon being alerted of the fair’s new anti-biker policy, Facebook exploded with messages like this: “ALERT/INFO: The State Fair of La. has adopted the policy: NO COLORS… Signs are now being posted at all gates. NO BIKER COLORS of ANY KIND. Please pass this on to ALL BIKER friends and family. MC’s are being Discriminated against. To Complain:::: Call State Fair of La. Let Your VOICES be heard.... Repost!!! Don’t support the fair...” You can imagine that bikers, their friends and family were livid. They began to complain about the discrimination with phone calls to the Director of the State Fair, and his offices. The result: Before the end of the day, this message by the representative for Independent Riders, Northwest Louisiana, was posted on Facebook: “UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE... WE HAVE WON !!!!! Just received a call... And the State Fair of Louisiana has now changed their policy. THE SIGNS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND ALL BIKERS ARE WELCOME AT THE FAIR !!!!!! Never, never, NEVER underestimate the power of a close knit FAMILY !!! Thanks to all who made calls and helped !!!” Louisiana State COIR (Coalition Of Independent Riders) Commander Lionel “Nite Train” Bailey reported that the US Defenders and COIR conducted a phone campaign and not only have the Louisiana State Fair officials rescinded their No Colors policy, but even offered to organize a Bike Night to a Blue Oyster Cult concert. LAWMAKERS OVERRIDE GOVERNOR’S VETO OF RED LIGHT BILL The Illinois House voted 94-21 and the Senate voted 45-6 to override Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of the “Dead Red” bill supported by ABATE of Illinois that would allow motorcyclists to proceed through malfunctioning red lights. As written, House Bill 2860 sponsored by Senator Gary Forby (D-Benton) and Representative Daniel Beiser (D-Alton), specifies that a motorcyclist would be permitted to legally run a red light “after a reasonable period of time,” but Quinn vetoed the legislation with the request that a two minute wait time be amended to it. The law will now go into effect on January 1, 2012, and according to Sen. Forby; “A measure I sponsored (HB 2860) will now become law after I was successful in overriding the governor’s amendatory veto. The bill allows motorcyclists to go through a red light if it fails to change to green because the switch hasn’t been tripped, or didn’t recognize the motorcycle. To alleviate a few of the concerns some of my colleagues raised, I introduced a “trailer bill” that requires motorcyclists to wait 120 seconds before proceeding through the red light. For those of us who have been stuck at a light without it ever changing to green, we know how reasonable this legislation is. This situation happens more than many people think and is a growing concern for bikers at outdated intersections. In fact, 360 rear end collisions occurred with motorcycles that were slowed or stopped in traffic in 2010. If bikers are trapped at a light, this bill gives them an opportunity to safely proceed through that signal, because otherwise they don’t really have much of a choice. 11 other states already have laws like this in place, none of which have tried to rescind it.” INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SAFETY REPORTS RELEASED Headlight configurations that make motorcycles more noticeable, why drivers fail to give way to motorcycles at T-intersections, and how mirror use influences car-motorcycle conflicts are among the topics researched and reported on in the new January issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention (AA&P), a journal primarily focused on causes and impacts of transportation accidents. The themed AA&P edition is titled “Safety and Mobility of Vulnerable Road Users: Pedestrians, Bicyclists, and Motorcyclists” and consists of a selection of papers presented at an international conference organized by Israel’s National Road Safety Authority. In a report entitled “Recognizability of different configurations of front lights on motorcycles,” the researchers say that “Results of a laboratory experiment have shown that motorcycles with a T-shaped light configuration are more quickly identified, particularly when the motorcycles are in visual competition with other motorized road users.” In “Why do car drivers fail to give way to motorcycles at t-junctions?,” researchers studied differences between novice drivers, experienced drivers, and “dual drivers,” i.e., drivers who also ride motorcycles. They found that dual drivers were better at recognizing motorcycles than either of the other two groups. While the results are inconclusive, the researchers state that “We argue that this is potential evidence for an oculomotor basis for Look But Fail To See errors.” The report “Attention and search conspicuity of motorcycles as a function of their visual context” says that multi-colored, reflective, and white rider outfits consistently made the riders more noticeable than a black outfit. Cars changing lanes without recognizing that a motorcycle is in that lane is a common experience for motorcyclists, and that topic is addressed in “Attending overtaking cars and motorcycles through the mirrors before changing lanes.” Not surprisingly, the researchers found that “Risky maneuvers were less likely to occur in those cases where more time was spent gazing at the mirrors.” Other reports in this issue address other motorcycle-related issues, and can be accessed on a for-pay basis, but abstracts of the reports are available on the journal’s website at www.journals.elsevier.com. MOTORCYCLISTS BEWARE : STATES WITH THE WORST DRIVERS You might believe that your state has the worst drivers in the country, but a newly released report from Carinsurancecomparison.com ranked states according to their safety record to determine where the bad drivers live. Five factors were considered when determining the rankings; fatalities per million miles traveled, drunken driving, the number of tickets issued, failure to obey traffic signals and carelessness, utilizing data compiled from the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (driving fatalities), the National Motorist’s Association (traffic tickets), and MADD (drunk drivers). Here is their list of the 10 states with the worst drivers: #10) South Carolina - Ranked 48th for fatalities and 45th for obeying road signs. #9) Alabama - 46th for tickets. 42nd for fatalities. 41st for obeying road signs. #8) Montana - Highest ticket rate in the country. Also ranked 40th for carelessness. #7) Kentucky - 42nd for carelessness and 48th for drunk driving. #6) Arizona - Arizona ranked poorly across the board. #5) Oklahoma - Lots of DUIs, fatal accidents, and traffic tickets. #4) Florida – Not as many drunk drivers... But Florida has more tickets than any other state. #3) Texas - Texas ranked pretty poor in all categories. #2) Missouri - Ranked in the bottom 10 for carelessness and DUIs. #1) Louisiana - In the bottom 10 in all categories except failure to obey signs. The safest driving state was Rhode Island, followed by Connecticut, Massachusetts, Virginia, and New Hampshire. WEIRD NEWS: SPAIN FINES OVER HELMETLESS TOM HANKS POSTER The Spanish distributor for the movie “Larry Crowne” was fined for a poster showing stars Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Tripictures was given a traffic fine of 30,000 euros ($41,500) for using the film’s U.S. poster to promote the movie’s overseas premiere because the government claimed it promoted reckless driving. The distributor initially thought the ticket was a joke, but in 1985 Spain instituted a law that banned advertisements from promoting reckless driving. Fines are also given to celebrities if they promote the image of poor driving. One example came last year, when singer Shakira drove through Barcelona on a motorcycle without a helmet in one of her music videos. QUOTABLE QUOTE “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” ~ George Orwell (1903-1950) author of “1984” The Joker ’s Wild Two medical students were walking along the street when they saw an old man walking with his legs spread apart. He was stiff-legged and walking slowly. One student said to his friend: “I’m sure that poor old man has Peltry Syndrome. Those people walk just like that.” The other student says: “No, I don’t think so. The old man surely has Zovitzki Syndrome. He walks slowly and his legs are apart, just as we learned in class.” Since they couldn’t agree they decided to ask the old man.. They approached him and one of the students said to him, “We’re medical students and couldn’t help but notice the way you walk, but we couldn’t agree on the syndrome you might have. Could you tell us what it is?” The old man said, “I’ll tell you, but first you tell me what you two fine medical students think.” The first student said, “I think it’s Peltry Syndrome.” The old man said, “You thought - but you are wrong.” The other student said, “I think you have Zovitzki Syndrome.” The old man said, “You thought - but you are wrong.” So they asked him, “Well, old timer, what do you have?” The old man said, “I thought it was gas - but I was wrong, too!” Two priests are off to the showers late one night. They undress and step into the showers before they realize there is no soap. Father John says he has soap in his room and goes to get it, not bothering to dress. He grabs two bars of soap, one in each hand, and heads back to the showers. He is halfway down the hall when he sees three nuns heading his way. Having no place to hide, he stands against the wall and freezes like he’s a statue. The nuns stop and comment on how life-like he looks. The first nun suddenly reaches out and pulls on his manhood. Startled, he drops a bar of soap. “Oh look” says the first nun , “it’s a soap dispenser”. To test her theory the second nun also pulls on his manhood. Sure enough, he drops the second bar of soap. Now the third nun decides to have a go. She pulls once, then twice and three times but nothing happens. So she gives several more tugs, then yells...”Holy Mary, hand lotion too!” If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him? Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They’re both dogs! If electricity comes from electrons, why do morons have such a difficult time finding morality? The wife suggested I get myself one of those penis enlargers … so I did. She’s 22, built like a brick shithouse, and her name’ is Ruby. Dearest Son in Prison: I’m writing this slow because I know you can’t read fast. We don’t live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen within 20 miles of your home, so we moved. I won’t be able to send you the address because the last Arkansas family that lived here took the house numbers when they moved so they wouldn’t have to change their address. This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I’m not sure about it. I put a load of clothes in & pulled the chain. We haven’t seen them since. The weather isn’t bad here. It only rained twice last week; the first time for three days and the 2nd time for 4 days. About that coat you wanted me to send; your Uncle Billy Bob said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets. Bubba locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him 2 hours to get me & your father out. Your sister had a baby this morning, but I haven’t found out what it is yet so I don’t know if you are an aunt or uncle. Uncle Bobby Ray fell into a whiskey vat last week. Some men tried to pull him out but he fought them off & drowned. We had him cremated, he burned for 3 days. 3 of your friends went off a bridge in a pickup truck. Butch was driving. He rolled down the window & swam to safety. Your other two friends were in the back. They drowned because they couldn’t get the tailgate down! There isn’t much more news at this time. Nothing much out of the normal has happened. Love, Your Favorite Aunt, Mom. A man came to visit his grandparents, and he noticed his grandfather sitting on the porch, in the rocking chair, wearing only a shirt, with nothing on from the waist down. “Grandpa, what are you doing? Your “winkie” is out in the wind for everyone to see!” The old man looked off in the distance without answering. “Grandpa, what are you doing sitting out here with nothing on below the waist?” he asked again. The old man slowly looked at him and said, “Well...last week I sat out here with no shirt on, and I got a stiff neck. This here is your grandma’s idea.” A city cop was on his horse waiting to cross the street when a little girl stopped beside him on her shiny new bike. Nice bike, the cop said. Did Santa bring it to you? “Yep, the little girl said. He sure did!” The cop looked the bike over and handed the girl a $20.00 ticket for a safety violation, saying, “Next year, tell Santa to put a reflector on the back of it”. The little girl looked up at the cop and said, “Nice horse you got there, sir, did Santa bring it to you?” “Yes , he sure did”, chuckled the cop. The little girl looked up at the cop and said, “Next year, tell Santa the dick goes underneath the horse, not on top”. \ print this out to subscribe of LOUISIANA Contents of this web site and all original works are copyright protected 2004 - 2011. Thunder Roads Magazine® logo is a registered trademark. No use of the contents of this website is granted without the express written consent of Thunder Roads Magazine LA. All rights reserved. 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