Last night I mentioned my 1980 Yamaha XS1100 Special. Here's a pic of the bike. Four cylinders, four carbs, shaft drive, mag wheels and stupid fast. Enough low-end torque that if I jumped on the throttle it would throw me back in the seat. It was considered a "naked" bike because it had no fairing or saddle bags. I had leather bags that I put on for my trips, as well as a backpack-like bag that strapped to the sissy bar. Every summer I'd take a solo camping trip - load up a change of clothes, a sleeping bag and bivy tent and hit the road. One year I rode to Colorado and back for a convention of XS1100 owners (it's considered a classic bike). Twice I went to West Virginia and one year Pennsylvania. The objective was remote areas with twisty roads and good scenery.Look what I found on eBay!!!
Get rid of the fairing and saddle bags and there's an incredible bike. This one has fewer miles and is in better shape than mine...for an opening bid well below what I paid for mine. And mine needed new carbs when I got it. (Mouse pee isn't good for aluminum carb bodies.)
I want it!
I asked Pam if she thought it was a good idea. She said no.
Bummer. 'cause that really is a sweet bike.
I'll ask a couple more times. She'll still say no, but that makes getting a new interior kit for the VW a slam dunk.
In case you ever wondered, yes, pastors sometimes have motivational issues when it comes time to write a sermon. Remember sitting down to write a paper in college and really wishing you were out on the quad playing catch with the rest of the students?
Today the President ordered the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act. That federal law allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages sanctioned by another state. So, for example, if a same-sex couple married in State A, which has legalized such marriages, moves to State B, which has not, State B is not required to recognize them as married as might otherwise be the case under the Constitution’s “Full Faith and Credit” clause. Also, DOMA stipulates that the federal govt. will not recognize same-sex marriages as it would pertain to issues like income tax filing status, etc.
President Obama has decided DOMA is unconstitutional, thus his directive to the Dept. of Justice.
Well, alrighty, then. If the Executive Branch declares a law passed by Congress as unconstitutional I guess we can save all that money we’re spending on the Supreme Court.
I wonder how much attention this action will get in the press now and, more importantly, in 2012. I wish I knew enough about civics to understand what happens next. If no defense is put up against a suit challenging the law is it automatically nullified?
I got six miles into my 19 mile afternoon ride when I came upon a car pulled over on the shoulder. But not just any car, a 1930 Ford bucket rod with a Buick V-6 (a no-no in the hot rod world). He had just pulled off the Loop 303. He said it suddenly started making horrible noises and overheated. “The radiator fan is electric so I don’t know why it would overheat.”
I asked about the (missing) fan belt. “It was just hanging there when I pulled over so I took it off and put it in the trunk.”
OK, without a fan belt the water pump isn’t working, which means no water is circulating through the radiator, whether the fan is spinning or not.
“Yeah, I guess that’s right.”
It took us the better part of an hour to get the belt back on. As often happens with a custom build nothing is where is should be. In this case the tie rod ran right under the flywheel and it took both of us to get the belt back on the pulleys - me laying under the car pulling down on the tie rod while he pulled the belt into place. But we got it done, it fired right up - sounded good, too - and he was on his way.
I climbed back on my bike and gave a hardy, “Hi, ho, Silver. Away!”
1 comment:
I disagree with the notion that the U.S. Supreme Court retains sole and final authority over what is and is not "Constitutional." If you read your Constitution carefully, you will find it implies that all branches had equal say in determining what is constitutional. In fact Article III, Section 2 outlines the Supreme Courts only original Jurisdiction:
In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.
As you can see, Congress has the explicit power to limit the appellate jurisdiction of the U.S. Supreme Court. Congress could pass a law excluding "judicial review" of Congressional Acts from the Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction.
Futhermore, I once heard distinguished scholar Richard Epstein argue that the Presidential Oath of Office required in the Constitution gives the Chief Executive authority to examine whether the laws he is required to execute are Constitutional or not. Therefore, I would defend Obama's right to determine whether or not executing a Congressional Act puts his administration of the law at odds with the Constitution.
Debating the merits of DOMA is another story altogether.
Mike H.
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