Evolution of a forum

[baylensman]

I've been a member of multiple forums over the years, its the best way to get in contact with folks with the same interests. Many of the forums i've belonged twin the past began slowly then turned into a fun rocking place with lots of good information. My favorite ever was "tom's cats and aero birds" (mid 80 cougar.thunderbird forums) but it like most of the others began to decline as more and more of the cars reached the junk yards or became trailer queens and show cars.

 

I love this group and I hope we stay active even as our bike age. To think my bike was still under factory warranty when i joined this forum! and its now 12 years old!

[Freebird]

I agree 100%. The success of this forum so far has been the fact that some true friendships have been made over the years. We still have a good number of active members and add new members on a weekly basis. The new additions haven't kept up with the loss of members though. That loss is primarily based upon members who have moved to other bikes or, even more often I think, have given up riding as they have gotten older. The good news though is that the goal of this site was never to have the more members than any other such forum but that the members here be respectful and helpful to one another.

 

We have picked up some new members lately who seem to fit in here very well. I don't think the new Star Venture is selling like I had hoped it would but we are seeing a few owners of the new bikes join us.

 

Another factor is Facebook. I personally don't like the Facebook experience near as well as a categorically organized forum but there is no doubt that Facebook has played a huge role in the demise of actual dedicated forums. Some feel that it is a better choice because it is completely free. Yes, it is free to the users but make no mistake about it, Facebook makes many millions of dollars by exploiting users information to their advertisers. This site might or might not do better if it was totally free to the user but I plastered ads all over it. Back when we were really booming here, I have been told that I could really have made some money on it if I switched to an ad based system. The fact is, I turned down about $40,000.00 for this site from a company that wanted to monetize it with ads. The members here voted long ago, and a couple of times since, to keep the ads to a minimum. I promised long ago that this would be OUR site, NOT my site and that I would always do my best to consider and when possible, uphold the wishes of the members here.

 

So, considering that this site is, I don't know, somewhere around 15 years old? I think it has aged fairly well and I took forward to many more years of gathering with my old friends here and making some new ones along the way.

[cowpuc]

Great thread Bay, thank you for crankin er up brother and THANK YOU Bossman Freebird for jumping in and sharing your take on the ups and downs of club life = YOU my brother are GREATLY appreciated!! Concerning the Face Book matter. I am probably alone on this but watching our Face Book page and Face Book in it's self leach long time members from here - many of them being dear to myself - was/is, has been heartbreaking. While I do have a Face Book account, I am actually quite apposed to Face Book as they tend to be kind of sneaky. One of the things that I have always loved about our site is the fact that we are a "for pay site". IMHO, the goofy little $1 a month club dues keep a TON of riff raff at bay (no pub intended Bay) as a lot of people actually do better when they got skin in the game and most creeps aren't gonna pay a dime to do their nasty deeds. Truthfully, another IMHO's, I do not think the getting old factor is that big of thing for loss of long time friends and a reduction in activity on the site. I think our involvement, as a club, with Face Book has been the number 1 cause of loss of activity here = IMHO, it has served as a dividing of the ranks. When our Face Book account first started, the question of linking activity there directly to the club house was broached. Unfortunately, that never happened and, kind of like in any relationship, no contact = loss of bonding and eventually, loss of interest. It would be interesting now that VR Face Book has been incorporated for a good spell to know whether or not those that jumped ship at the beginning are still active on the VR Face Book page. My guess (and this is just a guess) would be that our Face Book has also taken a hit as people find out what Face Book really is all about. I know one thing for sure, I sure miss the good ol days in the club when the halls and walls were echoing with the sounds of spirited livelyness.. I do join you though with shear excitement at the amount of new members coming onboard and LOVE the questions and life they bring.. Freebird,, are you open to questions and suggestions about things we/you may be able to do to assist the newbie"s in their plight to plant roots? If so, here may be something to think about,, maybe, maybe not. One of the things I have noticed on the newbie welcome page is the amount of responses that the new comers write to their being welcomed by yourself.. Long ago I surmised that your greetings were actually a computer generated greeting and that the newbie sign on may have thought you were actually talking directly to them. I may be wrong in this and maybe you are actually hand typing all those greetings? If so, my apology for misreading what I have always thought was going on. I often thought to my self what my feeling would be if I responded in kind to an open greeting and got no further response to my response, again IMHO, first encounters are often a make it or break it deal. If I am correct and the new member welcome page is set up with a computer generated "Hello and Welcome to VR", I wonder if, somehow, any responses to that initial greeting by the new member could be automatically forward here to the Water Hole so they could be exposed to those who dont make a habit of hanging out on the new member greetings page?

Concerning the new bikes low sales.. I think you may see some HUGE changes in that as Yamaha continues to drop prices on left over 18's = LOTS of great deals out there!! From what I have been told by our local dealers, there is no such thing as a 2019 as Mom Yam has stopped production and, according to the folks here at one of our local shops, Yamaha may just be doing some more updating on issues regarding top end failures. I was told recently that a redesign on the lifters may very well be in the works = quite possibly Roller Lifters may be coming. IMHO, this should make the engine a lot more durable for long distance riding - especially for doing so in high temps. The word internally at at least one Yam shop is that 2020 could see this improvement. For those who love the air cooled, push rod V-Twin mode of CTFW, this could result in a substantial increase in being willing to lay out the long bucks for the big Yam:happy34:

Edited March 25, 2019 by cowpuc

[Snaggletooth]

Oh damn.... another reminder of my age. I bought my '84 back in 2006. Found this forum shortly after that in early 2007 I think. Seeing the amount of info on these bikes I quickly signed on as a member. That '84 was intended as a project bike to entertain myself and get in a few road miles during the process. I remember wondering which one would die first....... the bike or this forum. Well here I am. Still riding my '84 and still a supporting member here. Neither one has ever let me down. Both outstanding support systems for the mind, body and soul. Which reminds me..... I need to renew again. Not done yet.

[Patch]

I've been a member of multiple forums over the years,

 

I love this group and I hope we stay active even as our bike age. To think my bike was still under factory warranty when i joined this forum! and its now 12 years old!

 

 

Without reading the replies to this posting I have something to say///////

It is not about the whatever's it is about the members,, Freebird put together a club as much as a forum. I enjoy enjoy tech chit when it comes to combustion pumps, that's not to say I don't enjoy metal work as well... What makes these clubs work is the membership and the willingness to share, read and listen. Remember this and this club will live on.

I for one may have and do have other things on the go, in these days my time is limited but even tho at this late our I checked in to catch up... Your input is relevant so spread the word, we are mature, experienced and open to no particular brand, rather just good intellect!

Patch

[Patch]

I agree 100%. The success of this forum so far has been the fact that some true friendships have been made over the years. We still have a good number of active members and add new members on a weekly basis. The new additions haven't kept up with the loss of members though. That loss is primarily based upon members who have moved to other bikes or, even more often I think, have given up riding as they have gotten older. The good news though is that the goal of this site was never to have the more members than any other such forum but that the members here be respectful and helpful to one another.

 

We have picked up some new members lately who seem to fit in here very well. I don't think the new Star Venture is selling like I had hoped it would but we are seeing a few owners of the new bikes join us.

 

Another factor is Facebook. I personally don't like the Facebook experience near as well as a categorically organized forum but there is no doubt that Facebook has played a huge role in the demise of actual dedicated forums. Some feel that it is a better choice because it is completely free. Yes, it is free to the users but make no mistake about it, Facebook makes many millions of dollars by exploiting users information to their advertisers. This site might or might not do better if it was totally free to the user but I plastered ads all over it. Back when we were really booming here, I have been told that I could really have made some money on it if I switched to an ad based system. The fact is, I turned down about $40,000.00 for this site from a company that wanted to monetize it with ads. The members here voted long ago, and a couple of times since, to keep the ads to a minimum. I promised long ago that this would be OUR site, NOT my site and that I would always do my best to consider and when possible, uphold the wishes of the members here.

 

So, considering that this site is, I don't know, somewhere around 15 years old? I think it has aged fairly well and I took forward to many more years of gathering with my old friends here and making some new ones along the way.

 

Rubbish,,,,,,, you are in it for the money,,, and we all knows it!

A half dozen bikes, beautiful house, glorious wife, ....... need we say more;)

[Freebird]

LOL...yea....living the dream . That's why I still work everyday at 64. . I know my windfall is coming though. Now where did I put that lottery ticket.

 

Seriously, I appreciate all the kind words. Love this place.

[Marcarl]

My mother taught me and then reminded me that as I got older I was to make sure that the old and infirm were properly looked after, she said that I was never to forget about those older than me and to keep in mind that even though they might still look real good, that was not always the case of things on the inside. She said something about hearing and speech, shaky limbs, eyesight, memory, etc.

So I guess I have to stick around, even though I don't ride a Yamaha right now, just to make sure that somebody is looking after all the mellowing on this site, along with the fact that I have more friends here than anywhere else. So you guys just can't leave!! OK??

[cowpuc]

My mother taught me and then reminded me that as I got older I was to make sure that the old and infirm were properly looked after, she said that I was never to forget about those older than me and to keep in mind that even though they might still look real good, that was not always the case of things on the inside. She said something about hearing and speech, shaky limbs, eyesight, memory, etc.

So I guess I have to stick around, even though I don't ride a Yamaha right now, just to make sure that somebody is looking after all the mellowing on this site, along with the fact that I have more friends here than anywhere else. So you guys just can't leave!! OK??

 

You got friends here?

[Prairiehammer]

Concerning the Face Book matter. I am probably alone on this but watching our Face Book page and Face Book in it's self leach long time members from here - many of them being dear to myself - was/is, has been heartbreaking. I think our involvement, as a club, with Face Book has been the number 1 cause of loss of activity here = IMHO, it has served as a dividing of the ranks.

 

Puc, only supporting members of Venturerider.org are allowed to join the VentureRider Facebook page. And I monitor it as an administrator and remove members from the page who have allowed their VentureRider.org supporting member status to expire.

And if you check out the VR Facebook page, you will undoubtedly note the relative inactivity there.

OTHER Venture related Facebook pages (there are at least two that I know of) probably do siphon off potential VentureRider members, but not the "official" VentureRider Facebook page.

Edited March 29, 2019 by Prairiehammer

[Prairiehammer]

@Snaggletooth where the heck have you been? HOW have you been?

[cowpuc]

Puc, only supporting members of Venturerider.org are allowed to join the VentureRider Facebook page. And I monitor it as an administrator and remove members from the page who have allowed their VentureRider.org supporting member status to expire.

And if you check out the VR Facebook page, you will undoubtedly note the relative inactivity there.

OTHER Venture related Facebook pages (there are at least two that I know of) probably do siphon off potential VentureRider members, but not the "official" VentureRider Facebook page.

 

I am probably wayyy wrong on this PrairieHammer but it seemed to me that the months following the introduction of our VR Facebook page were months that were clouded with members who were regularly participating here on the home site priorly to that time, then many jumped over to our Face Book page and began participating there instead back here in the Club House.. Not even sure I am saying this right,, sort of like those folks who went Face Book VR left the home site here where we are talking about this and many very rarely or never did come back and even check in.. It would be an interesting study to see if there is any merit in what I am talking about, a pointless endeavor probably but one that would be interesting.. I know people are going to choose what fits their needs and I in NO WAY blame them for not having time to do both (I got 24 hours a day to live too and my choice of where I spend my fun time at the key board is, generally speaking, right here at home in the club house - I simply dont have time to do it all either) VR home and VR Face Book - I just have this gut feeling that VR Facebook actually created a division in the club activity and time together.. Make any sense? Freebird, if you get a second,, it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on this (or any other club members thoughts for that matter) if you would be willing to share them..

[Patch]

This can be a touchy topic and may cause disagreement but,,,, while this club started as a second kick at the can for Venture riders...... I don't see or feel that this is a Venture or even a Yam club!

Take Snag, I've seen elsewhere on other forums back when I was more active... What was it like a year ago he said Hello it's been too long?

 

My point is that forums have to grow, Don and I chatted about this once sharing some experiences... What I prefer to see is that we be known as a gear head hangout; and why not aim for that. We have a verity of solid experience to share. What I personally don't appreciate is reading a complaint (how I view them) about a bike and we just jump to the most likely... verses putting the new member through a proper troubleshooting experience that makes best use of his time money and forum!

 

Not going to tell you folks the whole story on this but to say- Freebird mentioned friends here, well not long ago and over a grand piano island bar I built and where many a good moments have happened with many eu visitors I mentioned this club in passing during a conversation about how we reach out to others and what our general experiences are. Not sure what tripped this fellow about men meeting of the net but certainly I remember well him saying that we as in us here can not consider ourselves friends.. Now I didn't call him a forking moron but the other guy in me did, why because I felt strongly about our purpose here, which is our diversity and willingness to share or general and practical experience!

 

We are a mature bunch and a younger fellow getting into the sport can benefit from our hard earned ways, regardless of brand they ride!

 

Patch

[cowpuc]

This can be a touchy topic and may cause disagreement but,,,, while this club started as a second kick at the can for Venture riders...... I don't see or feel that this is a Venture or even a Yam club!

Take Snag, I've seen elsewhere on other forums back when I was more active... What was it like a year ago he said Hello it's been too long?

 

My point is that forums have to grow, Don and I chatted about this once sharing some experiences... What I prefer to see is that we be known as a gear head hangout; and why not aim for that. We have a verity of solid experience to share. What I personally don't appreciate is reading a complaint (how I view them) about a bike and we just jump to the most likely... verses putting the new member through a proper troubleshooting experience that makes best use of his time money and forum!

 

Not going to tell you folks the whole story on this but to say- Freebird mentioned friends here, well not long ago and over a grand piano island bar I built and where many a good moments have happened with many eu visitors I mentioned this club in passing during a conversation about how we reach out to others and what our general experiences are. Not sure what tripped this fellow about men meeting of the net but certainly I remember well him saying that we as in us here can not consider ourselves friends.. Now I didn't call him a forking moron but the other guy in me did, why because I felt strongly about our purpose here, which is our diversity and willingness to share or general and practical experience!

 

We are a mature bunch and a younger fellow getting into the sport can benefit from our hard earned ways, regardless of brand they ride!

 

Patch

 

and we can learn from them too

[saddlebum]

The good news though is that the goal of this site was never to have the more members than any other such forum but that the members here be respectful and helpful to one another.

I think that Goal has been accomplished many times over and thanks to excellent moderators it has remained a very civil site versus some that seem to thrive on bad language and senseless, sometime vicious insults resulting in useless on line squabbles.

 

A Job well done Don and moderators. I applaud you all.

[Vickersguy]

Warning : Long philosophical post replete with unsubstantiated opinions ahead. Values and attitudes expressed have no official support and have not been sanctioned by management or anyone, actually. Read at your own risk. A small amount of caffeine recommended for those with ADD prior to reading.

 

Cowpuc and Steve G are right on the point. This is a mature forum on many levels. A mature forum is a resource for parts, repair techniques, as well as instruction and support for the newbies. It is mature, in that most of the information about the motorcycles embraced here has been covered, in terms of maintenance and so forth. I find it unlikely we will discover something new about the Ventures that was completely unknown before. Granted, new technologies can be applied, like fuel injection but the core of the vehicle will remain. It is also "mature" in that the average experience of the members here are many years deep and with many members, decades deep. There are more than a few members who remember the Hell's Angles on the cover of Life magazine in 1965, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and such, when both were brand new. Yet our experience, as real and important as it is to us, is as relevant for the young today as Glenn Miller was to us. I've never had a young person rush up to me and ask what it was like back in the days when Hunter Thompson wrote his "Hell's Angels" book or even Robert Persig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Young people often can't be bothered to even read anything longer than a dozen words. In this way, also, this forum is in a mature format. Older folks like us read and write as a life skill and a habit. Young folks do videos. Cowpuc is wiser that he looks, LOL.

"To everything there is a season", comes to mind when I look around here. I enjoy the support, I relate to the stories. I don't know Cowpuc, but he is a brother in a real way. We have a shared life experience, that moment to moment might have been very different but has brought us to the same place. ( I know we could share stories around a camp fire till the sun came up ). But I'm aware that all we've done and all that we've known, is passing into history. It is difficult to accept but impossible to deny or stop.

This is where the "Newbies" come in. About the most important thing we can do here is to support the younger folks in their journey. There are fewer new bikies than I would have believed twenty years ago. Computer screens and a risk adverse perspective have isolated many of the young folks into a sterile sort of life. It is sterile too. The young aren't having enough babies to even replace themselves. I'm digressing here. The point I wanted to make, is that the most important thing we can do is to mentor young folks. Share out bike experience. Open their eyes a best we can. It's NOT enough to come HERE and help young folks that show up. They're already here ! Made2care will be fine. We all are supporting him and love to do it. He has the critical skill set and a good attitude. He has the drive, focus and resources. Mentoring young folks "out there" who can't even imagine the freedom and wonder of what the motorcycle world has to offer is the real challenge. I remember kids in the White Mountains of New Hampshire sitting in the car playing games on their cell phones and have to shake my head. If their parents had taken them by motorcycle, that couldn't have happened. If their parents had infused biker values in them, it also might have prevented that kind of thing.

I guess what I'm proposing is to encourage the young. Self reliance. Personal responsibility. A feeling of competence and the knowledge to back it up. Not just a participation trophy. These values are core values to the motorcycle life style. They are central to a life with meaning. Now sailing, flying and extreme hiking, like the Appalachian Trail, also are routes to these same values. All promote that same level of involvement that is centered on personal competence. All are worthy activities. I'd bet there isn't a person here who would debate whether a life spent in front of a computer screen in a big city, actually has value to the person living it. I'm the last of my group. All the guys, every one, that I rode with in the late '70's and early '80s are gone now. Few of them mentored anyone. I was lucky enough to be the neighborhood Dad for some kids, for a few years. I have about 10 kids that are not "mine" to whom I will always be Dad. There is no higher calling.

Some folks might consider this a negative kind of post but it's not. What we do and how we've lived our "biker" lifestyle will last. You can see our values and power every day in the news. I will point out a common experience we've all had. I know we've all seen that nitwit who swings left, almost into the on-coming lane before he makes a right turn. Great grandpa had a long wheel base sedan/touring car in 1928, with wheels that couldn't be turned as far as a modern car. He had to turn wide just to make the corner. His kids and his kid's kids all modeled their driving habits based on how the generation before them drove. Ways of living persist for generations. They persist long after the car and it's driver passed into history. What we've done and how we did it will be modeled for a long time, but only if we keep reaching out to young and vulnerable children we can poison with our vicious biker values. Kidding. Our real and present job will always be to pass it on. Even the folks that no longer ride can do this just by being there for those that might want to know just what it's all about.

 

For those that made it to the end of this missive, I recommend flushing the eyes with cold water for ten minutes and seeking medical attention if the irritation continues. I promise not to write another post like this ever. I can't. My brain gets too conflabercated to write for a week afterward.

[bongobobny]

Well put, Vikersguy!! I agree 99.99837% The only reason it's not 100% is that we all are different in some way...

[cowpuc]

Warning : Long philosophical post replete with unsubstantiated opinions ahead. Values and attitudes expressed have no official support and have not been sanctioned by management or anyone, actually. Read at your own risk. A small amount of caffeine recommended for those with ADD prior to reading.

 

Cowpuc and Steve G are right on the point. This is a mature forum on many levels. A mature forum is a resource for parts, repair techniques, as well as instruction and support for the newbies. It is mature, in that most of the information about the motorcycles embraced here has been covered, in terms of maintenance and so forth. I find it unlikely we will discover something new about the Ventures that was completely unknown before. Granted, new technologies can be applied, like fuel injection but the core of the vehicle will remain. It is also "mature" in that the average experience of the members here are many years deep and with many members, decades deep. There are more than a few members who remember the Hell's Angles on the cover of Life magazine in 1965, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and such, when both were brand new. Yet our experience, as real and important as it is to us, is as relevant for the young today as Glenn Miller was to us. I've never had a young person rush up to me and ask what it was like back in the days when Hunter Thompson wrote his "Hell's Angels" book or even Robert Persig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Young people often can't be bothered to even read anything longer than a dozen words. In this way, also, this forum is in a mature format. Older folks like us read and write as a life skill and a habit. Young folks do videos. Cowpuc is wiser that he looks, LOL.

"To everything there is a season", comes to mind when I look around here. I enjoy the support, I relate to the stories. I don't know Cowpuc, but he is a brother in a real way. We have a shared life experience, that moment to moment might have been very different but has brought us to the same place. ( I know we could share stories around a camp fire till the sun came up ). But I'm aware that all we've done and all that we've known, is passing into history. It is difficult to accept but impossible to deny or stop.

This is where the "Newbies" come in. About the most important thing we can do here is to support the younger folks in their journey. There are fewer new bikies than I would have believed twenty years ago. Computer screens and a risk adverse perspective have isolated many of the young folks into a sterile sort of life. It is sterile too. The young aren't having enough babies to even replace themselves. I'm digressing here. The point I wanted to make, is that the most important thing we can do is to mentor young folks. Share out bike experience. Open their eyes a best we can. It's NOT enough to come HERE and help young folks that show up. They're already here ! Made2care will be fine. We all are supporting him and love to do it. He has the critical skill set and a good attitude. He has the drive, focus and resources. Mentoring young folks "out there" who can't even imagine the freedom and wonder of what the motorcycle world has to offer is the real challenge. I remember kids in the White Mountains of New Hampshire sitting in the car playing games on their cell phones and have to shake my head. If their parents had taken them by motorcycle, that couldn't have happened. If their parents had infused biker values in them, it also might have prevented that kind of thing.

I guess what I'm proposing is to encourage the young. Self reliance. Personal responsibility. A feeling of competence and the knowledge to back it up. Not just a participation trophy. These values are core values to the motorcycle life style. They are central to a life with meaning. Now sailing, flying and extreme hiking, like the Appalachian Trail, also are routes to these same values. All promote that same level of involvement that is centered on personal competence. All are worthy activities. I'd bet there isn't a person here who would debate whether a life spent in front of a computer screen in a big city, actually has value to the person living it. I'm the last of my group. All the guys, every one, that I rode with in the late '70's and early '80s are gone now. Few of them mentored anyone. I was lucky enough to be the neighborhood Dad for some kids, for a few years. I have about 10 kids that are not "mine" to whom I will always be Dad. There is no higher calling.

Some folks might consider this a negative kind of post but it's not. What we do and how we've lived our "biker" lifestyle will last. You can see our values and power every day in the news. I will point out a common experience we've all had. I know we've all seen that nitwit who swings left, almost into the on-coming lane before he makes a right turn. Great grandpa had a long wheel base sedan/touring car in 1928, with wheels that couldn't be turned as far as a modern car. He had to turn wide just to make the corner. His kids and his kid's kids all modeled their driving habits based on how the generation before them drove. Ways of living persist for generations. They persist long after the car and it's driver passed into history. What we've done and how we did it will be modeled for a long time, but only if we keep reaching out to young and vulnerable children we can poison with our vicious biker values. Kidding. Our real and present job will always be to pass it on. Even the folks that no longer ride can do this just by being there for those that might want to know just what it's all about.

 

For those that made it to the end of this missive, I recommend flushing the eyes with cold water for ten minutes and seeking medical attention if the irritation continues. I promise not to write another post like this ever. I can't. My brain gets too conflabercated to write for a week afterward.

 

:sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::clap2::clap2:

 

Especially the ""Cowpuc is wiser than he looks"" part:Bunny2:! I guess I underestimated what a bold attempt at staying young at heart could do for a person and never knew that doing so could actually effect ones outward appearance to the point that even though he is bald and grey bearded - he could still look like a kid = THANKS VICK (ya gotta LOVE how I spun that one my friend ).. Indeed,, we could easily sit by the camp fire till the cows came home swapping tales of CTFW and life like a couple old cowboys from days gone by :biker:.

 

Vick,, I really enjoyed the depth of your essay. A lot of it applies to something that happened to Tip and I recently and a discussion that ensued as a result of that happening:

We had the privilege of getting to go see and hear the President of the United States speak in Grand Rapids Mi. We had a GREAT time and were amazed at the amount of people, young and old, who packed the arena where our countries President spoke:usa: - it was truly a beautiful thing. Of course, as normal for any adventure such as this, there were plenty of anti American protesters, both younger and older geezers with grey hair to match that of my own, who were waving flags of support for everything from "We Demand Socialism NOW" to just plain white signs with "America Never Has Been Great" painted on them but we didn't have any issue's with that crowd,, until we got back to Trooper (our brand new car) who was parked in a secured parking ramp that is.

When we got back to Trooper I noticed right away that the anti American way of life crowd had found a way to make yet another way to declare their demands to the world at large. There on Troopers backside was a freshly carved symbol of what Socialism can and does, in its final outcome, produce = total disrespect for ones self and all things outside of that. Trooper had been "keyed" and also fist punched as there was a nice knuckle dent on his pretty blue body.

On the way home Tip and I got talking about the movie "Saving Private Ryan" and I reminded her about one of the last lines of the movie where Captn Miller whispers with his dying breath into PVT Ryans ear = "EARN THIS - EARN IT". I was telling her of how life had taught me the importance and depth of that little line. That being that, IMHO, if a person doesn't earn his lifes rewards thru hard work, getting up when one has fallen, sheer wholesome ingenuity and taking responsibilty for ones own actions that what ever they end up with for "free" (Socialism) aint worth a plugged nickle and, as a matter of fact, getting life handed to ya for free actually destroys a persons self worth and dignity. Self respect, respect for others and respect for property - either your own or others - is actually a byproduct of having earned ones way thru life .

Edited April 2, 2019 by cowpuc

[Vickersguy]

Another piece of deep hard won wisdom, never ever ever EVER forget to change out your old plugs when you do the valve adjustment, or you will suffer with the damned doing it with all that junk in the way....

[Flyinfool]

Well put, Vikersguy!! I agree 99.99837% The only reason it's not 100% is that we all are different in some way...

 

Some of us are just more different than others.

[Guest divey]

:sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::sign yeah that::clap2::clap2:

 

Especially the ""Cowpuc is wiser than he looks"" part:Bunny2:! I guess I underestimated what a bold attempt at staying young at heart could do for a person and never knew that doing so could actually effect ones outward appearance to the point that even though he is bald and grey bearded - he could still look like a kid = THANKS VICK (ya gotta LOVE how I spun that one my friend ).. Indeed,, we could easily sit by the camp fire till the cows came home swapping tales of CTFW and life like a couple old cowboys from days gone by :biker:.

 

Vick,, I really enjoyed the depth of your essay. A lot of it applies to something that happened to Tip and I recently and a discussion that ensued as a result of that happening:

We had the privilege of getting to go see and hear the President of the United States speak in Grand Rapids Mi. We had a GREAT time and were amazed at the amount of people, young and old, who packed the arena where our countries President spoke:usa: - it was truly a beautiful thing. Of course, as normal for any adventure such as this, there were plenty of anti American protesters, both younger and older geezers with grey hair to match that of my own, who were waving flags of support for everything from "We Demand Socialism NOW" to just plain white signs with "America Never Has Been Great" painted on them but we didn't have any issue's with that crowd,, until we got back to Trooper (our brand new car) who was parked in a secured parking ramp that is.

When we got back to Trooper I noticed right away that the anti American way of life crowd had found a way to make yet another way to declare their demands to the world at large. There on Troopers backside was a freshly carved symbol of what Socialism can and does, in its final outcome, produce = total disrespect for ones self and all things outside of that. Trooper had been "keyed" and also fist punched as there was a nice knuckle dent on his pretty blue body.

On the way home Tip and I got talking about the movie "Saving Private Ryan" and I reminded her about one of the last lines of the movie where Captn Miller whispers with his dying breath into PVT Ryans ear = "EARN THIS - EARN IT". I was telling her of how life had taught me the importance and depth of that little line. That being that, IMHO, if a person doesn't earn his lifes rewards thru hard work, getting up when one has fallen, sheer wholesome ingenuity and taking responsibilty for ones own actions that what ever they end up with for "free" (Socialism) aint worth a plugged nickle and, as a matter of fact, getting life handed to ya for free actually destroys a persons self worth and dignity. Self respect, respect for others and respect for property - either your own or others - is actually a byproduct of having earned ones way thru life .

 

Puc, you hadn't better let Tip see the pic of that beautiful young looking blonde sitting next to you. She's liable to get jealous!

[cowpuc]

Puc, you hadn't better let Tip see the pic of that beautiful young looking blonde sitting next to you. She's liable to get jealous!

 

Awe,,,, I showed Tip what you said Son-Shine and she said = "I always really liked that young man,, what a nice guy":missingtooth:... Personally, I like being married to that

youngen,, she keeps my heart in order and me home at night... Good grief Son,,, I have no idea what life would be like without her and no plans to find out!!

 

Short story Doug? When we moved into our new home here a number of years ago the guy across the street comes walking over, made intro's and then looked at Tip sitting on a porch chair and asked how many other daughters I had :big-grin-emoticon:

She's a keeper that one!!