Another Hobby of Mine

I'm sure you guys have figured out by now that computers, and tech gadgets in general, are a hobby of mine and I enjoy working on them as much as motorcycles. To me, there is very little difference between putting in a jet kit and assembling a computer from scratch. That being said, I recently "gained possession" of an older laptop that had been hardware locked. Now this is different than the typical Username/Password protection when logging into a computer, different than a BIOS lock at the post screen, this is actually an EEPROM chip on the motherboard that must be "activated" with a password to even get the computer to begin the boot process. This is typically done with computers belonging to institutions/corporations and loaned to employees which I assume this one had at one time. Once I discovered it was hardware locked, I decided to see if I could "crack" it. A quick search on the internet determined it was hopeless without calling the manufacturer, proving ownership and receiving a "master unlock code". As that was not possible, I dug in further and found there was a "paperclip" method for shorting out the EEPROM chip and not to bore you with the details, it was successful! EUREKA! Method did require complete disassembly of the laptop which was fairly interesting as there were dozens of tiny screws of various sizes and lengths to keep track of and I had to short the chip out while powering up the computer. Interesting.

The Fix

So Much I Don't Understand

There are times when I like to think I am a fairly well-rounded individual and know a little bit about most everything but then I run across something like the below and realize there is an entire world of crap out there I know nothing about and have never given a second though to.

NFL Playoffs

If there is another passion I have in life that rivals my love for motorcycles, it would have to be football. I still remember the excitement of getting my first Dallas Cowboys jersey in 1973 and have been a fan of the game, at any level, ever since. I have watched more football in my life than any other sport and feel I have an extreme understanding of the game which makes it that much more enjoyable to watch. I have really enjoyed watching Brett Favre make a comeback this season and would love to see him get another Superbowl ring before retiring. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to an awesome afternoon of football and finding out who will be playing for the Ring! My predictions, Baltimore 20 - Jets 10; Vikings 35 - Saints 28. That would leave us with 2 wily veterans in the Superbowl which would be something to see!

For Your Enjoyment

I was down in Lake Jackson visitng my parents over Christmas and took a picture of the last official "Hickl Family Portrait" which Mom has prominently displayed in her entry foyer. It had to have been taken somewhere between 1983 and 1985 and I thought you guys would get a kick out of it. Notice that Greg is sporting a real mullet and I the infamous "permullet". Nice!

A New Year and Things to Come...

First off, a HUGE "thank you" to Douglas for putting together the "2009 Hooliecrew Year in Review" video. It's so very nice to have a quick 10 minute clip to bring back all the memories and to whet the appetite for all the rides to come. I know how much work went into putting the video together and it makes it that much more special to me. I must have watched it a dozen times already and my ass-crack gets bigger every time! If only we had something similar for every year we have been riding together.

On another note, I suppose it is official, the Hooliecrew will be visiting the great state of Tennessee the 2nd full week of May and I for one can't wait! It will be nice to trailer up and to have access to some fun toys to play with so everyone better brush up on their xBox360 MotoGP 2009 as I am going to give you all an ass-whoopin'! Plenty of good roads and all the time in the world to explore them. Now if I could only find a vehicle that got more than 10mpg, I'd be all set.

Work is going well, meaning we have plenty of it, and for that I am grateful. We are picking smaller remodel projets across all client groups which is messier and less profitable work, but it is enough to keep everyone busy and to stave off any lay-offs for the immediate future. The 10th of January was my 10 year anniversary at Scott&Goble and it is so hard to believe it has been that long... until I look in the mirror that is! LOL. 011000 - 011010 (SGA's Digital Man)

Finally, Cindy bought be a ContourHD sportcam for Christmas and the weather cleared up enough for me to get it mounted and take some video today at lunch. See link to video below and let me know what you think. I have it mounted to the right radiator guard and the angle looks about right. Kind of neat to see the suspension working and will be cool to see how much the forks compress in some of the downhill hairpins. The video was still uploading to YouTube at the time I posted this blog so quality will not be maximized for a few hours as Google does its magic. I am also posting the 2009 Hoolicrew video for any visitors to the blog to enjoy. Look forward to seeing you guys and would love to get some e-mail banter started about the trip. Where to stay, what to see, etc.

Happy New Year Hoolies!

Friends just left and wanted to wish all of you a Happy New Year! Looking forward to spending more time with you guys this year, especially our trip to Tennessee. Hope you enjoyed your night and spent it with those important to you. UFC 108 Saturday night, woohoo!

Chuck

Welcome to Hell. Enjoy your stay.

There's a number of good riding days coming up in the next week.
Zero is the first number that comes to mind.

Santa's New Ride

That's my boy !!

Sweet Potato to White: "What now, bitch?"

I had a hankerin' for fried eggs and hash browns today. I was out of regular potatoes but had some sweet potatoes I had bought just before Thanksgiving for 25 cents a pound. They were going to go bad, so I made do. They tasted decent with some Cholula hot sauce on them. I ate them all!

Other clever captions welcome. Bring them on.

Happy Birthday, Ride Leader!!!

Homeless Man Gets a Second Lease on Life

When we found met with Douglas, who prefers to go by his street name - Stinky Squid, he was living in the sewers of downtown Kansas City, MO. Sewer dwelling by night and pan handling in front of local sex shops by day, he was often barely able to scrape up enough food to make it to the next day. On the rare occasions when one of the sex shop owners would pay him $5 to "mop up" the back rooms, he would use that money to buy some cheap mexican food and a hot McDonalds coffee.

But Stinky's luck changed this week when a local charity found him pan handling and saw potential in a heap of flesh that most would consider no more valuable than a cosmetics lab test chimp. The charity workers first treated Stinky to a delicious mexican feast, complete with horchata and sopapillas. Stinky ate until he nearly puked. Then they deloused Stinky, gave him a haircut and a shave, and provided him with some nice clean clothes from the local thrift store.

When asked about these miracle workers who pulled him from the gutter and restored his long forgotten sense of dignity, Stinky replied, "I can't thank them enough. They're angels....every last one of them. I can't count the number of times a stranger has kicked me in the balls just to see me vomit or gotten on my back and tried to ride me like a horse. People do that for some reason....mount me like a horse that is. I'm not sure what that's from. It started about three years ago. All of the sudden like three times a week someone would hop on my back and try to ride me, slapping my ass with a 'Kiddy Up!!!'. There for a while back in 2008, it was almost daily. Maybe there were some videos floating around on Youtube....maybe that's why it got so popular....I can't really say. My point is, it sucks getting ridden like a horse and none of these people tried any of that monkey business. They're angels I tell you."
Well said, Stinky. Well said.

2006 BMW 330xi

Couple of pics of the new car I snapped while at the cabin. Car is a 2006 BMW 330xi, the "x" designator indicating all-wheel drive. 3L I6 pushing 255hp through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Car has less than 30K on the odo, a year left on factory warranty and 2 additional years through BMW once that expires as it a certified pre-owned vehicle. The car is an absolute hoot to drive and would love to really run it through its paces out in the hills of Arkansas, something I couldn't do with the precious cargo I had onboard over the weekend.

Tilt Shift Photography

Been playing with a post production process emulating tilt shift photography today as it is all the rage in iPhone apps at the moment. Although tilt shift is typically achieved with a special camera lens, it can be "faked" with image editing software. Below are several examples of some images I produced today. I don't find any of them exceptional and did it just as an experiment as tilt shift photography is typically used to make wide angle shots from above look "miniaturized", a category into which none of these photos fall.

The boat still floats

It's been a while since the boat has seen the water. Made a quick trip out to the local spot to see if it still floats, threw the fishing poles in the boat just in case. The boat motor is still has a few issues. The alarm triggers after about 3 minutes after its up to speed. Not a cooling issue, I've check all that out...(and no it doesn't have a radiator on it!) The oiling system is also hooked up to the buzzer. Once the buzzer sounds, kill the engine, wait for about 3 or 4 minutes, and off we go. As long as we keep it under about 2K rpm, no issue. The book says that 'old' oil or a clogged filter can cause this. I have no idea where this filter is, not yet anyway.

As expected fishing was pretty slow. Several boats were out passing the time of day and we didn't see a fish caught. We drifted up to a shell reef that's about 2 foot deep and dropped the anchor. Just on the other side the water drops to 28 feet. I was throwing plastic in the shallows when the fish hit. Quickly hoisted the anchor, cranked up the boat and took after the fish as it headed for the deep water. After about 10 minutes or so, we landed the fish....a black drum...kin to the redfish. The fish is in the 30 lbs class. My fishing reel is spooled with 12 lb test! After the photo opportunity, we released the drum to fight another day.

The Traveling Roadeo

The Traveling Roadeo, or "7 states and 2300 miles in 4 days".

I needed another motorcycle like I needed a hole in my head, but heck, what does "need" got to do with it!!!

Jody and I left my place at 0500 on a Thursday morning with the intention of making a marathon road trip to Tennessee to pick up a new 2008 CBR1000RR and get a couple days of riding in the Tennessee mountains.

Along the way we hooked up with a few OA members - zrxrob, Luke, Thunderbolt, smart3900, and eatmoretwinkies.

Along the way we made a couple of "night time strafing runs" in the dark back to the hotel in Chattanooga after a day of riding braving the 40 degree temps and indiginous wildlife along the way.

All in all it was a good trip, albeit on a very tight schedule.

Tennessee and Georgia roads rock and so does the new CBR.

I am nowhere near articulate enough to put into words how good the new bike is to do it justice.....so I won't even try.

Unfortunately, being on such a tight schedule did not allow much time to stop and take pictures.....and believe me there were a lot of scenic opportunities worthy of stopping........but we just did not have the time.

So, here are the few we did take.

Jody and Joe on the Cherohala Skyway

ZRX group ride

luke, zrxrob, thunderbolt, and jm1

Radiator repair at Signal Mountain

Radiator repair in Cleveland

Thunderbolt on the Cherohala

ZRX group

At the hotel in Chattanooga

Fresh from the dealership at the hotel

Am I High?

I bit the bullet today and bought another ZRX1200 for no other reason than I just wanted it, damn it !! Is that so wrong? Not if you are a member of the Hoolie Crew !! Now we all have at least two bikes draining our meager resources. I keep asking -What Just Happened? Did I really just commit my son's college money for a motorcycle? No-I tell myself-just the next 20 Christmas presents from my wife !!

But don't we all deserve to indulge ourselves once in this crazy mixed up world? I feel better now-the oxycodone is starting to kick in.

Enjoy the pics !

Outsourcing for tires...

I've decided to try Chicom rubber for my next rear tire. Yes, Mr Union Vice President is going global ! The price is too good to pass up-$127.00 delivered for a 190/17 Shinko R005 Advance. Good looking tread pattern too. I'll post a review if I ever get my bike back together-waiting on paintwork and delivery on the tank.

Flight 1549 Recreation

Ran across this reading my WIRED magazine online. ExoSphere3D has gathered all available data and recreated the entire flight of Flight 1549 from takeoff to Sully's spectacular ditch in the Hudson. See embedded video below. I am sure you guys realize that if you hold down the CNTRL and the ALT keys and then click the video, it will throw you straight into YouTube where the video is easier to watch.

It's that time again...

Well, as Daylight Savings Time comes to an end and I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark, it's officially PC gaming season! Below are a couple of videos of a game I have started the season with. Incredible stylized graphics, interesting storyline and spectacular soundtrack. First video is an official trailer and is a little "glammed" up for marketing reasons but the second one is very close to actual game-play footage, being a vignette of the armor class I am playing. We have come so far from the Beyond Castle Wolfenstein I started on in 1984! See gameplay footage in last video.

I recently acquired some new photo editing and management software and I came across this pic while it was scanning using a face detection program. Anywho, that's not really the point. Point is I came across this pic and thought: "Where the bloody hell were we in this pic?" Since I found it out of context, not knowing any of the pics that came before it in the folder, I just couldn't place it. And by looking at the people in the background, it looked like we were in an old folks home. Hence the caption. I mean no offense, Dick. Just thought it was a funny pic. I apologize in advance.

Facebook Follies

Oh, the agony of Facebook and hometown heroes living "back in the day"! Don't get me wrong, I had a great time in High School but it wasn't the high point in my life like it seems to have been for so many on Facebook. "The Hustlers"? Seriously? Makes me think some of the coaches had some things they were hiding or just didn't get the irony.

The Lonely Roadeo

Instead of a complete and total ride report from start to finish, I'll jump around a little a let the pics do most of the talking. This last trip of the year I have dubbed....The Lonely Roadeo. I left KC on Monday before 7:30am, headed for Mountain View. But first a quick stop off at the bank to take out a little cash. Tightwad Bank. Priceless.

The next two pics are of Noblett Lake and Dam in Missouri. Joe, Jody and I passed this little lake back in the spring but didn't actually stop. I stopped this time and took a few pics. The dam was built back in 1938 to 1940 - part of the Public Works program. The sign talked about how long it took them with THREE whole mixers working full time. It's a nice, quiet spot WELL off the beaten path.


This next pic was taken along HWY341 - Push Mountain Road. I was almost to Mt.View, making good time, when I spotted this little gem sitting off on the side of the road. Not sure if you guys are familiar with this bike, but it's a full-time two-wheel drive. The wheels are hollow for storing fuel or water. Very cool. The Rokon Trail Breaker.

This next pic was taken at Bayou Bluff campground on the lower leg of HWY27 in Arkansas. A very pretty spot as well.

This pic of the ZRX on a bridge was taken on the upper part of HWY27, just south of Marshall. I was a wee bit hesitant parking the bike on the bridge considering all the missing boards and the rotting wood. The first time I put the kickstand down, the steel dug right through the wood. I pulled up and planted the kickstand on a knot and took some pics. If you go to the Photobucket location where are the other pics are hosted, you'll see a pic of where my kickstand dug into the wood.

These next two pics were at a place called "Sam's Loop Trail - Chicken Head Wall access." Believe it or not, this incredible spot is located on HWY123, just south of the crazy switchbacks coming out of Mount Judea. There isn't even a sign. I just saw a pull-off and drove back on gravel about 200 yards and there is this place that we've all passed at least a dozen times over the years. It's maybe a 5-minute walk and you're treated to some of the most amazing vistas in the area. I think I stumbled upon it because - with no leaves on the trees - I figured there had to be some way to get out onto this rock outcropping. Take a look at the Photobucket pics.


This last pic is in Missouri. I saw all these bikes and saw a guy working on a bike out in the back, so I had to stop. Just another of the many road-side attractions that I encountered.

Other things slightly worthy of note:
- Here's the ALL the pics:
http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm288/douglaskivett/Lonely%20Roadeo/
Best if you view the pics in Slideshow Mode.
- 1168 miles covered in three days. Two night spent in Mountain View.
- On Monday, I saw a homeless guy pulling a wagon just north of Mountain Home. On Wednesday, I saw him in Yellville pulling the wagon, so I stopped and chatted with him.
- Saw a load of lumber fall from the bed of a pick-up truck in front of me on Push Mountain Road. Luckily missed all of it.
- One kamikaze pass that scared me, the car I was passing, and the car I almost hit head on.
- On Tuesday, after a long day of riding, a guy approached me as I pulled into Subway there in Mountain View. He was from the OA...wanted to know if I was on the board. Board name is "Tattoo13" and he lives in Melbourne on HWY9. Works there in Mountain View.

The Last Emperor

Dick and Douglas are well aware of my man-crush on Fedor Emelianenko and my passion for watching Mixed Martial Arts(MMA)matches of all kind whether it be UFC, Affliction, Strikeforce or the now defunct Pride and K1 highlights. MMA has come a long way from its early days of glorified "human cock-fighting" and has transformed itself into the highest form of combat sports available today combining all the combat skills whether it be Greco-Roman wresting, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Karate, Muay Thai, etc. Without going into too much detail, Fedor is a heavyweight fighter out of Russia who is considered by many to be "The Baddest Man on the Planet" having an MMA record of 31-1-1 with the only loss beeing a doctor stoppage early in his career due to a cut. Plenty of info on him available on the internet if you care to learn more so I won't bore you with it here. To me, Fedor epitomizes how I wish all elite athletes would carry themselves but that is a conversation for another time. Enjoy the fight below before it gets taken down from YouTube.