YOU saw a bumch of people leave? Tsk. Tsk. Sitting in Atlanta where you counting the Southern Baptiste C&*)))))Q - A.K.A SBC compadres to be attracted to Alabama?
re: White Rock Got RockedI agree with Panda's assessment; whaaat? I also agree that there is definitely a level of religious hypocrisy in Dallas unmatched by any other place I've seen.
On Mototrcycles: Go with whatever trips your trigger. I myself am looking at Triumph Bonnevilles, having had my share of Harleys and a chopper that almost cost me a marriage. I like the BMW's but there is as much a caste around them as there is around Harleys. Likewise Ducatis, which are beautiful, but troublesome.
re: White Rock Got RockedDoug, Thanks for the compliment. To say my background is eclectic would be an understatement. My undergraduate and first Master's degree are in the realm of Communications and Instructional Design. In 1991, I was lucky enough to land a job with a consulting firm that provided regulatory strategy to telcos. I was hired chiefly because of my research and writing skills. Osmosis is a wondeful thing and I eventually became familar with networking. I also finshed an MBA.
I then worked for a few vendors in SS7 and optical transport. My job titles never reflected my actual duties. I mainly worked in Marketing and Strategy, but usually got pulled in to fight fires, improve processes or take on a task no one else wanted.I used to call myself "Chief Monkeyboy." (BTW Panda, I've trademarked that so don't even think about appropriating it.)
I know if I had a few million dollars in the bank, I'd probably go to work on a PhD and become a professor. I'm fortunate the State can't make you commit suicide for corrupting the youth anymore.
BTW, I like the mean streak, and there are numerous Harley riders here with full faces lids and armor.
I looked into the PhD route (B-School) with a desire to teach. I also have an MBA (from Duke). Due to some good contacts I was able to meet and/or talk with the heads of depertments at three of the top business schools in the country.
The feedback was pretty consistent: Tier 1 schools are not interested in older applicants (I was 45 at the time), regardless of background. Their objective is to produce PhDs that will some day bring fame and recognition to the school (and big donations).
This is the way that they look at it: If you start at 45, you are pushing 50 when you get your PhD. Nobody in the academic world will take your work too seriously until you get tenure 5-10 years later. The odds are that you won't keep working more than 10 years after that, so your chances of winning a Nobel prize are slim. From that perspective alone, you are not a good investment for the school.
Qualifications as a potential teacher are also a non-issue. Ones area of research interest is all that matters. Because the vast majority of PhD candidates are so young, the current research tends to be oriented towards things like Internet commerce or the effect of E-bay on the global economy.
From my experience in selling to carriers, I was interested in research on marketing to the informal organization that exists in large bureaucracies, something that would cross the boundaries between markeing and organizational behavior. Not much interest on their part.
The recomendation was that I look at second and third tier schools who would be more interested in the value that my background would bring to the teaching environment and more willing to let me do research on something that was not "in vogue."
About that time, I got offered the opportunity to teach at the high school level and decided to follow that path.
re: White Rock Got RockedGood advice. The PhD is only one of a number of things I've considered. My wife tells me I have too many interests. I believe she may be right. I would be more interested in continuing the existing research in group pyschology and authoritarianism, something COMPLETELY unmarketable, except to a pundit. Then again, art history/Arts management is interesting. In the case of arts management, it really amounts to professional fundraising, not something in which I am interested. I guess it is a bit of existential discontent gnawing at me.
As others have said, go with what floats yer boat.
MSF is highly recommended, good on your wife for suggesting it.
lots of harly-types do ride ATGATT (all the gear all the time), but the price points are still ridiculous for what is highly massaged 1930's technology. Ducati or BMW will give you the same for less money. :)
If you're into handling, Cruisers are not the best choice. Of course, handling is a realtive term, as I'm coming off CBRs, Ducatis, and now ride a BMW ( older= slower=live longer).
You might also want to consider a sport-touring bike, like the Honda VFR, BMW K1200 GT, or a yamaha FJR1300. The honda blackbird also fits this mold- bigger, relatively comfy, nimble, with motors that won't quit when it comes to power delivery.
If you are set on cruisers, I agree wholeheartedly- go metric. I would even suggest finding something used. The UJMCs as we call them, are everywhere.
Don't forget proper footwear and riding pants when gear shopping. Ever had a cruiser slide along the pavement with your ankle underneath it? Not good.
I am set on a cruiser. I've ridden CBRs (in the 80s) one BMW, but never a Ducatti. I realize that you can't flick a cruiser like you can a sport bike or some standards. I have no desire to drag my knees on the pavement.
The MS is the closes handling to a sport bike for a cruiser, and it is fast enough (not as fast as a warrior or VMax, but I don't need to go 140 mph).
My brother rides his fat-boy mostly protected (full face helment, jacket, boots), but he is one of the few Harley riders that I know who did not buy it to make a statement or for the "lifestyle". He's never joined the HOG. He fell in love with the looks.
One thing that Harley does well is ship the bikes "finished". One usually has to do a few modifications to metrics to get them "right". FOr some, however, customizing their bikes is part of the fun.
For me, I just did my homework and the MS was the bike that came out on top for my criteria.
re: White Rock Got RockedRegarding message 72, Coolhand what are you talking about?
WRN actually did use FPGA's to get into the market. They would not have had a product at all if they had waited on their ASIC's! It is probably true that the focus on cost reduction was misplaced so early in the development, but exactly how did WRN focus too much on technology?
Enjoy it, it sounds like you know what you're doing for certain.
I might disagree with your interpretation of "finished". A lot of Harley owners I know end up spending another 2-5K on Screamin' eagle accessories to get the motor HP up to acceptable levels :)
VMAx's are scary- fun as hell in a straight line, but the pucker factor in corners wears out the seat pretty quickly.
All in all, the Kawi will probably be a better ride- cetainly much more reliable, and cheaper to fix if it does fail.
YOU saw a bumch of people leave? Tsk. Tsk.
Sitting in Atlanta where you counting the
Southern Baptiste C&*)))))Q - A.K.A SBC
compadres to be attracted to Alabama?