Behind-the-Scenes of an American Legend

Photo by Chhayal

Mon., Aug. 18, 2008

My friends Chhayal and Eric took me on a mini road trip to York, Pa., to tour the Harley-Davidson Vehicle Operations Factory. It was an item on my life list and their goal was to help me cross it off. I was SUPER excited!!!

We pulled up to the sprawling 232 acres of Harley-Davidson property and secured our tickets. The one-hour factory tours are free, but tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Upon entering the H-D facility you walk through a mini museum, a floor room area where there are a variety of motorcycle models you can sit on and a gift shop.

Tour time!!! There were 17 people in our group. Our guide's name was Larry and his security controller sidekick was Ray. Larry has been a H-D tour guide for the past seven years (he was super knowledgeable about the company and motorcycles). Before we could proceed, he instructed all of us to put on our provided safety goggles and headset. Our cameras were temporarily collected, because no photos are allowed to be taken inside the factory. The tour began with a 10 minute video on the history of H-D. Next, we entered the factory. We learned there are approximately 3,100 factory employees. From 1973 to 1998 all Harleys made came from this factory. Today, all Harley Touring motorcycles are made at this location. The tires they use are supplied by the Dunlop Factory in Buffalo, N.Y., (that's right, my hometown!) It was fascinating to see the process of how they blend traditional skills done by men/women with new robotic technology to build such beautiful objects. In Larry's opinion the two coolest jobs at the factory (besides his), are the roll testers and the auditors. The two roll tester guys take each bike and ride them under simulated circumstances for about 1.5 miles at approximately 65 m.p.h to make sure the motorcycles are 100 percent ready before they to go shipping. The auditors pull completed bikes out at random, test drive them on the road and rate them. The scores are then given to the employees so they know how well they're doing as part of in-house quality control. After witnessing these work stations in action, I'd have to agree with Larry, they are awesome jobs!!!

Whether you are a motorcycle enthusiast or not, I would highly recommend taking this manufacturing and assembly tour. It's a guaranteed once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Southern Exposure

Rascal Flatts

Small sample of the lawn crowd.

Sat., July 26, 2008

My friend Chhayal had lawn seats to see Rascal Flatts' sold out show at Nissan Pavilion and invited me to come along. My first reaction was to reply nooooo way! After all, classic /alt rock are in my blood. But being open-minded, I decided why not go see what a live country performance is like.

We met up with a zealous group of 14 acquaintances in the parking lot at the venue a few hours beforehand and tailgated. Making sure our tummies were well-lined to handle our cool summer beverages. Many of the people I spoke with said it was their third or fifth time seeing the band in concert. It was a beautiful summer night -- perfect conditions for an outdoor show. The crowd was very enthusiastic. Taylor Swift was the opening act -- not impressive. Later in the evening after the sun went down Rascal Flatts took the stage and boy what a performance they gave! Even though I only recognized two songs, I shockingly enjoyed myself. Their voices were impressive and their energy was contagious. Overall it was a really fun experience. Would I do it all again? You bet your banjo I would.

For Those Who Have No Voice

Carol Leifer

Sat., July 19, 2008

The Taking Action for Animals 2008 conference put on by The Humane Society of the United States was held at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City this weekend. I wasn't able to attend the overall conference because of previous commitments, but I was able to attend the banquet dinner. The dinner was hosted by comedian Carol Leifer, writer for 'Seinfeld,' 'The Larry Sanders Show' and 'Saturday Night Live' and co-executive producer of 'Rules of Engagement.' Speakers included Congressman Earl Blumenaur (D-Ore.), 2007 Humane Legislator of the Year and Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of HSUS. Approximately 500 people attended the banquet, which loosely began at 7:15 p.m. Vegan fare was served, not my personal taste, but a respectful choice given the circumstances.

Carol's presentation was informative and entertaining. It was obvious she was well-prepared. She gave an update on advancements continuing to be made in California with the closing of puppy mill supplied pet stores. Congressman Blumenaur was up next and although his speech was sincere, it was very looooong winded. Last to speak was Wayne. Similar to Carol, Wayne's speech was passionate and inspirational. He said, "...it's not a question of animal behavior, it's a question of human behavior and not so much a question of animal rights, but human responsibility. ...we don't invent new standards and expect people to conform to them, we remind our fellow citizens what they already know to be true, and seek to hold them to their own standards of respect and compassion."

The 3rd Annual Humane Society Walk for the Animals is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 5 at the Constitution Gardens in D.C. You can bet I'll be there with my rescue dogs in tow!

Summer Pastime

Fri., July 4, 2008

My friends and I gathered at one of their homes for a traditional Independence Day BBQ. There was an endless supply of cold beverages for us to get our drink on and good summer comfort food. It rained and hailed late in the afternoon so we weren't sure about the fate of the fireworks. Shortly after, Mother Nature calmed down. Covered in lots of bug spray -- we headed over to Stafford’s Pratt Park to hear the orchestral concert and watch the professional fireworks display. Midway through there was an unusual surprise aspect when the formation of a red star appeared. A fun time was had by all.

Shiny and New

Tent area for riders to sign up to test ride the demos.

Parking lot of domino configured motorcycles people rode in on.

Sat., June 28, 2008

The Ducati Truck demo fleet began its yearly summer tour of North America visiting Ducati dealerships across the nation. The truck stopped at my fav dealership DucPond Motosports in Winchester, Va., giving riders who were interested the opportunity to get in the saddle and experience Ducati's 2008 model lineup first hand.

Ducati brought 15 models for people to test ride including the new Middleweight Superpower 848, the intense Hypermotard and several others. The turnout was great; 87 riders showed up to admire and take turns test driving the various 2008 Ducati models on the nine mile loop route. Collectively, the test riders logged 945 miles that day!!!

Thanks to Donnie, owner of DucPond, for being a great host.

Expensive Lullaby

I took this photo towards the end of the show;
it represents what I wish the entire concert was like.

Fri., June 13, 2008

If you're superstitious you may chalk up the following concert antics to a freaky Friday incident. I went to see Alicia Keys perform at the Verizon Center with my friend Chhayal. I enjoy AK for her incredible vocals. I was expecting the concert to be simplistic -- focusing on AK's piano skills, accompanied by strong vocals and powerful lyrics. Don't get me wrong, those elements were present, BUT ... there was also a wild '60s style light show, mini movie clips, lots of dancers and credits rolled on the giant screen at the end!!! It was very bizarre. The tickets were pricey -- at one point during the show Chhayal was falling asleep. I turned to her and said, this is an expensive lullaby my friend. The concert was a major disappointment to us both.


IN MEMORY OF: I was very saddened when I received the news from an industry friend that my hometown hero Tim Russert had passed away suddenly this afternoon. Tim was an incredibly smart and grounded individual. I admired him most for his skills as a political journalist and for being a man of great character. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Weekend Ride

Sun., May 25, 2008

People have been asking me about my riding hobby, so here's a mini video clip of me on my Ducati Monster cruising around my neighborhood this weekend. My little sister is the camera operator. I added music for fun.