I Have Moved!

I have moved. Well, not physically. Because of a new incentive program at Examiner.com, and the fact that I live about 80 miles from Portland, I have been moved from the spot as Portland Motorcycle Travel Examiner to Eugene Motorcycle Travel Examiner. If you have the old page bookmarked, please bookmark the new page as that is where you will find my new stories. There hasn't been anything new posted lately, as life is happening at a rapid pace around me.

Currently the Portland Motorcycle Travel Examiner link is still working, but I am not sure how long that will be.

Review Ideas

I am going to look into doing a restaurant review of Nearly Normal's Gonzo Cuisine in Corvallis. It is a hidden little restaurant on OSU campus that specializes in alternative foods (organic, vegetarian, raw). Although I have not had a lot of experience with these alternative foods, I am willing to give it a try. I would like to talk to the owner(s) if I can get in contact with them. I would also talk to wait staff and maybe a customer or two. I think that this would also make a good story for The Commuter.

Freedom Isn't Free, but It's Worth the Price

What: The Team Oregon Basic Rider Training Course

When: For availability of classes and class time, see the Team Oregon website

Where: At 20 places across the country, including LBCC

Why: It is now required for anyone under 21 getting an endorsement

The freedom of the open road, with no metal cage surrounding you, allowing you to experience the sights, sounds and smells of nature. How much would you pay for this experience? If you are under the age of 21, you will have to pay $155 for the Team Oregon Basic Rider Training Course.

With the rise of gas prices, many people are looking to motorcycles as an alternative form of transportation. The downside of this is the increase in untrained riders. Oregon has found a way to prevent untrained riders from hitting the road.

According to the Team Oregon website, if you are 21 or younger, you will be required to take the BRT course to get your endorsement. Beginning next year the age goes up to 30, and so on, until by 2015 it will be required for everyone to take the class in order to receive an endorsement.

Jason English, who got his endorsement through the DMV, says that he thinks this new law is a good idea. He had wanted to take the class, but his schedule had never permitted it. “I hate hearing about someone who goes out, gets a hot new sport bike, then lays it down in a patch of gravel the first time they ride it.” He feels that the skills taught in the class are worth the money. Especially since those skills can save your life.

As someone who hasn’t turned 21 but wants to get his motorcycle license, James Weber is a little upset that he has to pay to take the class. Even though he has been riding since he was a teenager and feels comfortable on a bike, he will still pay the money so he can get his license.

The class is taught at 20 places across the state, including LBCC. Not only do you get a set of skills that will save your life, but with completion of the class, you get a discount on insurance, and the ability to truly enjoy the ride. With the requirement to take the class, Oregon is trying to make it safer to be on the road with the growing number of newer bikers.

References:

Jason English - Licensed Rider

James Weber - Unlicensed Under 21 Rider

Team Oregon Website

Feature One Ideas

I think that my first feature story is going to be about the motorcycle safetly class that is offered on campus at LBCC. As of this year, the legislation has been changed so that any new riders under the age of 21 must take the class. Starting next year, anyone under the age of 30 will be required to take it before receiving an endorsement, and so on until 2015, when anyone who is looking to get their endorsement will be required to take the class.

Some sources would be anyone who already has their endorsement (Is this a good idea), an instructor, maybe a student that is planning on taking the class. Also the MSF website and anyone representing them.

New Year's Day and Not a Sammich in Sight

It was New Year's Day. I woke up a little on the groggy side. I, like a few other Americans, engaged in the ritualistic consumption of alcohol to ring in the new year. Also like many others, I performed a little over consumption. This of course caused me to inspect the toilet closely and tell it that it was my new best friend. I am glad that my toilet was such a good friend, as it didn't mind me curling up and passing out next to it for a couple of hours. Just to make sure that there was nothing to clean up on the carpeting.

I don't get hangovers very often. Not drinking helps to prevent the hangover from happening in the first place. However, when I do wake up with that sour brewery feeling in my tummy, I usually want food. I usually want greasy food. My normal hangover fare is the Chicken Fried Steak Platter from Shari's. However, this morning the thought of anything that resembled grease was making my stomach turn a little. So I decided that a nice cold sub sandwich was in order. University Hero is what I decided sounded the best, as they have the best bread.

I finally got my stomach to cooperate enough to actually drive without the though of puking out my window and headed to University Hero in the Timberhill Shopping Center. Closed. On the best day of the year to have a sandwich, National Hangover Day, they were closed. My heart (and stomach) sank as I went back to the car.

Well, my next step was to head onto campus (OSU) and try Big Town Hero. Closed. I was beside myself, not understanding how these food places could not be open on what had to be the biggest hangover cure day. I could understand if I was attempting to procure this gift of gastro intestinal relief at eight or nine in the morning. But I was sandwich hunting at 11:30 in the morning.

I don't like Subway. I was starting to get depressed when that looked like my last hope for anything resembling a sammich. Then as I was driving towards the Subway shop, I remembered Togo's. I wasn't holding my breath that they would be open, as everywhere else was closed too. However, I was pleasently surprised when I saw the "Open" sign in their window. Finally, there was to be something to help me feel better, and I didn't have to go to Subway.

With a large ham and turkey with cheese in hand, I headed home to eat, drink (soda for caffeine) and doze when I could. What a way to start off the new year.

Stop the Insanity

If you know these people, or you came across their MySpace profiles, you would probably be touched by their seemingly desperate cries for help. One of them, Sean Allen, is the father of Corben, a seven year old boy. Asha Stormberg is Sean's girlfriend. They are claiming that Corben's mom, Sandra Amerman is abusing and neglecting him.

Sandra has a two year old son, Caven, who has Lycensephally. Although it is true that Caven is slowly dying, Sandra has made sure that Corben gets counceling. This may be a bummer of a situation to be in, but it is by no means abuse. They are also claiming that Sandra never feeds him. They even have pictures "proving" how starved he is. In the "before" picture, Corben is lying on a couch in a fetal type position. In the "after" picture, he is standing with his back to the camera, squeezing his arms together to accentuate his shoulder blades. He has never been refused food. He is a thin child, but so is my seven year old son. A sudden growth spurt will do the same.

When Sean last had Corben, he threatened to keep him, despite the fact that Sandra has sole custody of him. When he did bring Corben home, he didn't even bother knocking, he just barged right into her house like he owned it. He then started yelling at Sandra. As he was standing in the doorway, my wife showed up to help out her friend.

She had been called down there by Sandra, and wound up asking Sean to leave. He refused and even took a step towards my wife, telling her to stay out of it. She put herself in a defensive stance, but according to her, Sandra, and Corben, never once did she lay a hand on him. Once he got back to Portland, he called the police to say that my wife had pushed him, and beat him up.

My wife is no black-belt in karate, and Sean outweighs her by close to 80 pounds. He was also in a blind rage. When he finally did leave, he kicked a couple of garbage cans and the fence. When the police showed up to talk to Sandra, there was so much concern that Sean would show back up and tak Corben, the Corvallis Police actually put a 24 hour watch on her house.

Both Sean and Asha have posts stating how horrible a person Sandra is, Asha even calling her a "bitch ass." However, on Sandra's MySpace page there is nothing about the situation at all. On her Facebook there are only a couple comments about the whole thing, neither one of them negative, and one of them just saying, "Poor Corby."

Now obviously, anyone reading this is going to assume that I have some bias, and they would be right. I have an interest in not seeing Corben get placed into a situation that he doesn't deserve to be in. I believe that Sean and Asha are mean and hateful people that don't deserve to ruin this poor child's life.

Please feel free to comment and let everyone know what you think. Not that our opinions really have any affect on the outcome of anything, but it would be good to know what people think about the situation. I have included links to their MySpace pages, so feel free to peruse them. If you are a friend of Sandra's, you can check out both her MySpace and Facebook page, as she has them set to private.

'Tis the season for lights, right?

As the turkey leftovers are being put away and the waistlines are returning to normal sizes, it is time to go out and see the dazzling decorations in the area. Going to see the lights is something that families look forward to every year, as the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas marks the peak of light season, the local area seems to be a little dark this year.

True to tradition, the Pastega family still has the light, sound and action display around the Pepsi Bottling Co. With animatronic displays featuring cartoon characters along with the OSU Beavers, the Pepsi Display has something for people of all ages in the car. Located at the north end of Corvallis, near Highway 99, you can’t miss it as you drive past it.

However, one display that was just as impressive is no longer being lit. The light display was put up by two private houses in a horseshoe shaped driveway along Peoria Rd. The neighbors had decided last year that they weren’t going to put the display up any more. Now except for a few small light displays, Peoria Rd. now sits dark.

The other place to go see some rather impressive light displays is the hill on the outskirts of Philomath. However, this year there is only one house that has a display worth driving five or more miles to see. Usually most of the hill is lit up with a brilliant collection of multi-colored lights. The hill outside Philomath sits in the dark as well.

Perhaps it is too early in the season for some people to have their lights up, or maybe with the economy people just can’t afford to have their lights blazing this year.