Whenever you run into a vintage motorcycle at a show or museum, do you daydream what it would be like to be one of those hardy bikers back in the day? You would be concerned about kick starting “Betty”, and making it to and actually back from a trip.  Just think – grabbing a handful of non-mesh gears, slapping that cable clutch and working that collection of bolts up to top cog and holding on for a ride out there on the edge. Our biking forefathers really loved their machines to put up with all of that and find the fun and excitement that has spurred on the industry to what it is today.

 I have always stood there in front of those 2-wheeled time machines and wondered what it would be like to not just own a vintage motorcycle, but to actually ride one full-time.  Not just to a show or something, but to experience what it would be like to ride and maintain one of these historic motorbikes on a daily basis. 

There are some problems with living this dream.  How could you rely upon such a vintage collection of nuts and bolts, all the while knowing that as you ride the bike its rare vital parts may need replacement?   This is the main reason many relegate these vintage bikes to a shelf just for looking at. I am proud to say that I have found a way to actually own and ride a vintage classic motorcycle in the Chang Jiang 750.
 
 In 1938, BMW introduced a milestone motorcycle design with their R71 twin opposed cylinder “boxer” design 750 CC flat head, air cooled, shaft drive motorcycle. In its day, this was a monster machine; powerful, reliable and designed with utilitarian usefulness in mind. During WWII, this motorcycle played a key role as a 3-wheeled side car military machine, as well as a 2-wheeled personnel mover.  At the end of the war, the Soviet government adopted the exact design right down to the shaft drive train, building the Knieper and Ural motorbikes. These hardy bikes were used extensively in the Soviet-block countries, and then in 1957 the Chinese government adopted this design and used an aircraft manufacturing plant to pump them out by the thousands. In 1989, the production ended, but not before over 1.6 million faithful reproductions of essentially the same motorcycle that started it all came off of their assembly line.

The CJ750 became a standard transportation machine in China, used by the military, commercial businesses, and individuals for everyday riding.  This machine has withstood the test of time, and is still here in very much the same design as the groundbreaking bike circa 1938.

There were 2 versions of this ride. The original flat-head design sported only 24 HP with 5.7:1 compression.  Later there was an overhead valve design that upped the HP to 32, with a little more compression.  Neither bike compares to the speed and performance of today’s motorcycles, but hey, that’s OK. It’s not the speed but the style of the ride that turns me on. Top speed is determined on how long you want to hold that speed, mine likes 45 to 50 MPH, not something bikes of today need to be concerned about competing with, but again I’m not looking to go fast,  I’m interested in the total ride itself.
 
The CJ750 can be totally restored from original 0-mile motorcycles that have been packed away and brought to a reliable riding condition.  This can be done so inexpensively that riders can have a vintage reproduced classic for well under $10,000 – totally restored and ready to ride. These machines are still in use in China as daily transportation and for commercial deliveries.  There are many new and reproduced parts available both in China as well as here in the USA. Several companies offer these bikes and parts for the enthusiast, so it’s not like you have a vintage bike that has parts that cannot be replaced, or one that is too rare and expensive to ride. There is no problem in riding your vintage style motorcycle every day, take a trip with one and feel what it was really like to have bugs in your teeth, oil on your boot leg and the noise of a vintage motorcycle ringing in your ear.

I have a small 4×8 trailer to bring my fun machine with me to the beach or places I like to ride, it even gets looks as a trailer queen but the stares really start coming when we load up and go for a ride, side car packed, goggles on, gloves and brain bucket and boots. You never see the back of heads when you pass, only eyeballs looking and fingers pointing as you motor past. Travelling up A1A is a religious experience for all bikers and we sit and take in all that a beautiful day on a motorcycle in that place has to offer.  And most everyone that passes us give a thumbs up.  We are enjoying our ride, and they are enjoying looking at us. This, to me, is what riding a bike is all about. It’s not getting there, but the ride that interests me. It’s not the smooth, powerful, fast ride but the enduring “all that is needed to get where you are going and back again”. It’s the being one with a mechanism designed over 70 years ago, piloting that vintage collection of metal parts. It’s the real “retro” ride I seek and I have found it.

So, for a relatively small sum of money, you too can experience all that it is to own and ride a historic motorcycle. If what you seek is the real thing, what it’s like to have a piece of history and make it work for you, look into the CJ750 motorcycle. I have imported 3 of these machines for friends. You can start your exposure to this exciting niche by reading about them on the internet– do a Google search, or visit my web site www.gmccoop.com and read what I have done with these classic scooters.

With the population of the world growing larger by the minute, certain resources are becoming scarce, causing people to learn how to conserve and recycle. In other words, many people are turning to alternatives. Cars are being run off of fuel made from corn. Some are even run straight from electricity, which leads me to the point of this article: People are even turning to alternative sources of energy to power their homes, with wind power being one of the most popular!

So, how do you make wind power? Obviously, you will need a wind generator, which is basically a typical windmill. This is something that anyone can build right from scratch, using supplies that can be found at your local hardware store. In fact, you could build a windmill for less than $200, and even cheaper if you decide to incorporate recycled parts into your windmill.

Of course, in order to build a windmill properly, you will need to find a great set of instructions, because let’s face it: I don’t think the bulk of us could just figure out how to build one without having some sort of instruction to follow!

Having a great blueprint to follow will ensure that your windmill will be built properly and in perfect working order. Without a good set of instructions, you might not be able to figure out what problems you may have if your windmill doesn’t work or breaks down. You will also know what you can expect from your windmill, such as what you can power and the amount of power you can generate.

If you in search for instructions on how to build your own windmill, check out How to Build a WindMill. It is a complete guide that provides full, detailed instructions on how to build your own windmill!

Robinson’s scathing critique of mindless consumerism begins with one of the funniest monologues ever written, and Grant instantly claims his role with manic perfection. A time bomb of repressed anxiety, Dennis blossoms in righteous protest against his profession, only to find his evil boil growing dominant, worrying his wife (Ward’s performance is charmingly sympathetic), and inevitably seizing control. The movie’s message is obvious and heavy-handed, and Robinson’s blazing wit grows increasingly bilious and urgent, but you can’t blame him for sniping at easy targets. As corporate synergy and rampant commercialism reach insane proportions, How to Get Ahead in Advertising grows more relevant than ever, holding a mirror to the grotesqueries of capitalism in extremis. –Jeff Shannon
How To Get Ahead in Advertising – Criterion Collection

There could not be a better way of looking good than wearing designer shirts that have been planned and designed by renowned designers. However, you should know what to wear  – and when  – if you want to look really good in designer shirts. The majority of men today like to be well-dressed before they face each day.

Before we discuss the right men’s designer shirts for different occasions, let us take a look at what designer clothing is. It is actually a line of clothes that is prepared by professional designers keeping a particular section of wearers in mind. They use attractive fabrics with new innovative designs and different colours. There are designer clothes that are meant for special or formal occasions, while there is other clothing that is designed to be worn only as casual wear.

Mixing up the two is usually disastrous. Coming back to men’s designer shirts, these consist of several types. There are designer shirts that can only be worn with formal suits. Such shirts are meant for formal meetings in the office, and other occasions such as office parties and gatherings that require a formal dress code. Formal designer shirts can also be worn to work for a professional look. Such shirts can either be plain, embossed, or even striped.

While some of the formal designer shirts have light tones, there are others which come in darker shades. Next in line are casual designer shirts. As the name suggests, these shirts are not at all formal in nature, and usually have innovative and catchy designs that are more for a relaxed mood.

Such shirts can be worn while shopping, partying with friends or just chilling out with peers. These designer shirts can either be teamed up jeans or shorts. These shirts have creative designs that are often bold and are often worn by young men. However, those advanced in age but still young at heart too may not mind wearing them once in a while. When teamed up with shorts these give a beach-wear kind of look, which looks great.  As far as men’s wear is concerned, there are designer shirts for every occasion.

All you have to do is go and pick one that suits your personality and your pocket from  the store nearest your home.

As with people, there are things that you need to look for in your cat to recognize if they are sick or not. Below is a list of symptoms that might trigger some concern.

• Unexplained weight loss
• It’s hard for your cat to breathe
• Your cat is constantly throwing up
• Really bad diarrhea
• The cat doesn’t want to eat or drink
• Abnormal inactivity
• Lumps on the body
• Blood in urine or not urinating at all
• Abnormal behaviors
• Sneezing and hacking
• Abnormal aggressiveness
• They aren’t using the litter box

If any of these behaviors catch your attention you should take your cat to the veterinarian.

No matter how clean you keep your cat there is always the chance that some little parasite is going to call your cat’s body its home. If you are keeping a good eye on the health and well being of your cat, you might be able to determine when one of these pesky parasites are moving in.

Listed below are some of these parasites that you need to keep a look out for and how to treat them if they invade your cat’s body.

• Ticks or Lice: Ticks and lice can be a very annoying problem for you and your cat. In order to determine if you cat is suffering from ticks and lice; you need to check your cat’s body. You can decipher a tick because you will either see the parasite or will feel it like a bump on your cat’s skin. You can actually remove these yourself if you know what you are doing. You just have to pull the tick out with tweezers, but don’t break the body while doing so.

After the tick is removed you should clean the area with an antiseptic. Lice are much easier to remove; you might notice your cat scratching a lot and find that these pests are the cause, just use a spray or powder to send these parasites packing.

• Fleas: Fleas are a common problem with cats. Again, you can find these parasites with a quick examination of your cat’s body, this can even be done while grooming your cat. Fleas are not something that you can get rid of on your own; you will need your veterinarian’s assistance for this.

You may also need to look over your cat’s environment to see if there is a particular reason they contracted the flea infestation. Make sure that after you have treated your cat that you do a thorough cleaning of your cats thins, wash beds, vacuum, and use other flea killing products to help clear these pests out of your home and away from your cat.

• Ear Mites: Ear mites have been mentioned earlier in this article because they are quite common in cats and can lead to many other health problems. This is why it is recommended to clean your cat’s ears on a monthly basis. If your cat’s ears begin to look a bit questionable and are not pink and clean, but waxy and icky smelling, your cat might have ear mites. You should take this concern to your veterinarian and have your cat treated right away.

• Mange: Mange can be transmitted by a variety of different mites, but you should be wary because this is something that humans can be affected by as well. If you cat begins to lose fur in patches, bleeds, or has issues around the ears, nose, and ears, you cat might have mange. You need to get your cat to your veterinarian right away if this is a concern for your feline friend.