Samstag, 13. Februar 2016
Freitag, 12. Februar 2016
Birmingham's underground biker scene: A night with the Vikings Motorcycle Club
The main event was supposed to go down at midnight, but the Vikings were still smoking cigarettes and ripping on one another in anticipation as the minute hand clicked 5, 10, 15 minutes past 12.
C-Note and Fast Black stood in a dank, dark hallway, cracking jokes to kill their nerves as they awaited their “wet-down,” the icy baptism into the Vikings Motorcycle Club they had looked forward to for years.
The Vikings are one of the largest and longest-running majority-black motorcycle clubs in Alabama, founded by a handful of friends in Birmingham in 1977 and now boasting over 100 members here and scores more in a half-dozen chapters from Pensacola to Norfolk, Va.
A two-day visit by AL.com over the last weekend in January marked the first time the crew’s Birmingham chapter allowed journalists to witness a Vikings initiation ceremony, providing a rare inside look at life inside a quirky, often misunderstood subculture.
Word that the moment was finally at hand made its way deep inside the biker crew’s windowless headquarters on Birmingham’s west side just after 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 31. C-Note and Fast Black ran out into the warm night, stripped to their undershirts, knelt down on the asphalt and braced for the icy deluge.
Someone gave the signal to begin and the spotlight-flooded driveway erupted in a torrent of water, ice and fizzy Bud Light as a series of full-fledged Vikings members drenched the men in honor of their acceptance into the club.
After several minutes of this freestyle waterboarding, when the Vikings members had run out of ice and put down the hose, C-Note and Fast Black leaped to their sopping wet feet, liquid dripping down their faces and arms. They wiped the water away then proudly led a rousing rendition of the club’s motto, their first time reciting the rallying cry as full-fledged Vikings:
“Together we stand / Divided we fall / We do it together / Or not at all / We love our brothers / That I declare / I am a Viking / That I swear.”
Sunday stunting
Vikings HQ kicked back into gear late Sunday afternoon. The sun hung low and red in the sky beyond the tree line and most of the members’ hangovers had finally worn off.
The music wasn’t quite as loud, older family members and kids dropped by, some in their Sunday best, and the laid-back vibe was interrupted only by the routine drollness of an organizational meeting.
The day was more about actually riding than Saturday, when the focus was mainly on partying and the bikes sat largely untouched out front, occasionally sparking conversations about transmission troubles or a set of slick new tires.
Sunday also brought out the stunt riders.
The long stretch of skid-marked asphalt that runs from the rundown Central Gardens apartment houses past Vikings HQ and far beyond serves as a raceway and stage of sorts for the Vikings, who sped from one horizon point to the other and back dozens of times over the course of the day. Every Viking knows that span well, but the stunt riders beef up their runs with various, often death-defying, tricks.
Some stunt riders specialize in the wheelie – yanking up on the handlebars at high speed to lift the front wheel high off the road to bring the bike as close to a perpendicular angle to the ground as possible without wiping out, alternating between pumping the back brake and throttle to maintain the proper position.
The premier wheelie rider was the peerless Jeremy “Lee Boi” Lee, who spent half an hour cruising closer to “12 o’clock” – as bikers describe the perfect wheelie – than one would imagine possible.
One friend joked that he once picked up the front wheel in Birmingham “and didn’t put it down ’til he got to Tuscaloosa.” It somehow seemed almost believable as he rode by on the back wheel with both legs hanging off the same side of his bike, waving peace signs and hollering at gawking onlookers.
Another stunt rider archetype excels at an altogether different set of maneuvers.
Ray “Djay Dirty Red” Square is known as one of the best at burnouts, in which he burns through his tires while allowing the bike to stay in one place, kicking up shreds of melted rubber and sending giant plumes of white smoke billowing into the sky.
He is also a master of the donut, a popular trick in which he leans heavily on the front wheel and accelerates hard in a way that guides the bike through a series of tight concentric circles, again sending his signature smoke clouds high into the air.
‘It’s like a family’
Claude “C-Note” Hardy’s uncle is a Viking, his cousin is a Viking and so are many of his friends. On Saturday night, C-Note finally became a Viking himself, more than two decades after he first hopped on a motorcycle in elementary school. He had been around the club all his life, and the wet-down was the final trial before he received his black leather Vikings vest.
If the initiation process sounds more like a lighthearted college fraternity hazing ritual than the brazen coronation of a new gang member, that’s because the whole atmosphere of the Vikings biker club – and that of much of the Birmingham biker scene – is more Sigma Chi, than 1960s-era Hell’s Angels.
Every Sunday, the Vikings throw a party. Every last Saturday of the month, they throw a bigger party. And they go to other crews’ clubhouses for parties in between, all the while riding their choppers together as frequently as possible.
For Derek “Buck-50” Smith, a member of the Montgomery chapter of the Vikings who was in town for the festivities Saturday night, the club is more than just a social organization, something more akin to a brotherhood.
“For me it’s tradition because my dad is a Viking. It keeps us away from the outside world negativity. We come here, and it’s a problem-free environment; it’s like a family,” he said.
“People think we’re a gang riding around looking for trouble, but it’s really about love for the bikes. When you’re out on the road all your troubles go away. You can say motorcycles are our drug. When you’ve got all your brothers with you – oh man, that’s even better.”
Still the Vikings know how to get down, and get down they did Saturday night.
Members of other clubs from across the metro area – the Steel City Ryders of Ensley, Birmingham’s Midtown Iron – joined in the revelry, as did a contingent of Viking Queens, women who have been accepted as members of the club either via marriage or mutual admiration.
But on Saturday night, club loyalties and personal differences were the furthest things from anyone’s minds. R&B boomed late into the night, and the party raged on for hours as the bikers stayed up laughing, telling road stories as they celebrated the newest Vikings.
An equine encounter
Motorcycles weren’t the only form of transportation some Vikings hopped on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 31. Willie Wright, a friend of the club in understated ranch hand garb, came by after the meeting in a pickup truck hauling a small horse trailer.
The members standing outside Vikings HQ slowly made their way over to a grassy area next to the parking lot, where they were greeted by the odd sight of two stark-white horses and a Shetland pony, all ready to stretch their legs after being cooped up clown car-style in the trailer, much to the bikers’ amusement.
Only a couple of the bravest among the bunch took turns climbing a small step stool and mounting one of the two towering horses, slowly guiding him across the ground.
When a Viking with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth yelled “whoa, hoss” in an attempt to get his maned companion to ease down from a slow trot to a lumbering walk, he elicited belly laughs and shouted jokes from his brothers – “he wants to know when it’s his turn to ride you!” – most of whom didn’t dare take his spot on the saddle.
These men’s men, many of whom have no qualms about breaking 80, 90, even 100 miles per hour on the highway, or coming within inches of disaster in high-speed wheelies, were humbled by the gentle steeds.
The whole affair reached its climax in a surreal scene straight out of an absurdist film when Wright rode off on one of the horses, while a friend rode the other. Ten-year-old Cornelius Amison, who arrived at Vikings headquarters with Wright, tagged along on the thick-maned Shetland.
The odd riding party made it less than 50 yards before the ornery pony bucked the boy off its back and made a run for freedom, galloping off toward Central Gardens, clumsily juking out Wright and quickly disappearing from sight.
Shocked drivers were already snapping cellphone photos of the frightened beast from inside their cars when Wright caught up with it at the gas station on the corner. Disaster had been averted, and the animals were loaded back into the trailer.
“Now that’s something new,” one Viking remarked as he headed back to the clubhouse, shaking his head.
‘Since 1977’
A member of the Vikings since 1981, Roger “Mr. D” Davis of Birmingham is the national president of the club. He has dedicated much of his life to the organization, and says that tradition and camaraderie have defined the experience of Vikinghood since the club’s founding 39 years ago.
“We’re family-oriented. We got a lot of togetherness. We enjoy hanging together, riding together, being together. We come together and if someone’s got a problem we come together to help them out,” he said Saturday just before midnight. “We still say our same motto that we’ve said since 1977. It’s the same motto.”
Vikings’ day jobs range from municipal worker to advertising rep to motorcycle salesman, but all club members have nicknames, usually bestowed on them long before they earn their leather vests.
Gravy is a restaurant chef. When he was a little kid, Chase famously liked to run away from his mother as soon as she took off his diaper. Shorty is vertically challenged.
The nicknames are a big part of the tradition in which the Vikings organization is steeped, but Vikings business manager Charlie “6 Pack” Allen has a few words of wisdom for new members who don’t want to end up with a moniker like Big Baby for life.
“I tell them to come up with a nickname yourself, because you don’t want no one else nicknaming you,” 6 Pack said.
Even the headquarters building is deeply important to the members. Though it’s not the original home of the Vikings, it is a massive, impressive space.
The front door is emblazoned with the yellow-and-black Vikings logo and motorcycle trophies are displayed in the only window, which has been blocked from the inside to keep light from entering the warehouse.
The whole property is surrounded by barbed-wire fencing and signs warn that it is a “Private Club” for “The Vikings Club Members Only,” though the site is intimidating enough to the uninitiated that these protective features are likely unneeded.
The interior walls are slathered with black paint and decorated with plaques bearing members’ names, and the space features an assemblage of booths, tables, TVs, projection screens and pool tables, all of which get heavy play during the Vikings’ frequent parties.
The memorabilia, traditions and rituals are an essential part of the Vikings experience, but at the end of the day, Chase says the club is about family, fun and riding motorcycles.
“It’s like a tribe,” he said. “You can’t choose your real family, but this is your family you can choose, so you can’t go wrong.”
‘Just ride’
Motorcycle clubs have gotten a bad rap for the better part of a century, and in previous generations, they often deserved it. Certain “outlaw” motorcycle gangs have long engaged in organized crime and violence, and the image of the teeth-gnashing, knife-wielding, bearded biker looking to break the jaw of anyone who looks at him wrong is deeply rooted in the American psyche.
There is still some mystique and inevitable danger associated with motorcycle clubs, and the leather, beards and loud hogs do little to suggest otherwise. But in fact many motorcycle clubs in 2016 are – perhaps unexpectedly – dedicated to charity work and the Vikings are no exception.
Not to be mistaken for Canada’s Vikings biker crew, an unaffiliated group with a history of violence, the Southeast U.S. Vikings regularly lead clothing and canned goods drives, send toys to children’s hospitals and raise money for community members who have fallen on hard times.
“We’re not an outlaw club. They got a different kind of atmosphere, a different kind of rules and regulations,” 6 Pack said Saturday night, though he added that the Vikings always get along with any outlaw clubs they run into. “A lot of these guys here are trying to find something to do to stay out of trouble.”
The vast majority of the Birmingham chapter’s members are black, but there are a couple of white Vikings, and as members are quick to point out, they don’t discriminate against anyone.
“If you got a bike and you got a club color, you don’t have a skin color. Your color is what’s on your back,” Vikings member Daniel “Big Baby” Morgan of Birmingham said inside the club’s headquarters as a blown-up photograph of the late Vikings founder, “G.I.” Joe Jordan, looked on.
“We only got one rule: Just ride.”
Birmingham"s underground biker scene: A night with the Vikings Motorcycle Club
Donnerstag, 11. Februar 2016
Silicone Wedding Band by Knot Theory (Black with Gray / Grey Line, Size 9.5-10) ★8mm Striped Band for Superior Comfort, Style, and Safety
Product Features
- ★ SIMPLE SLEEK DESIGN – Designed by award-winning Knot Theory, who won the thumbs up of world’s top men’s style authorities including GQ Magazine and AskMen.com. Your ring has a sleek 8mm beveled design and won’t look like a mini tire or rubber gasket!
- ★ FITS YOUR ACTIVE LIFESTYLE – Made from precise stainless steel molds and 100% hypoallergenic silicone rubber, your ring is so comfortable that you can keep it on during gym workouts, weight lifting, basketball, baseball, crossfit, climbing, diving, water sports, and any activity you take on.
- ★ SAFE FOR PROFESSIONALS AT WORK – Firefighters, law enforcement, engineers, electricians, mechanics, military, and athletes can prevent finger injuries and degloving with this soft, flexible, non-conductive ring. Safe everyday alternative to metal rings.
- ★ SYMBOL OF ETERNITY – Your wedding ring is engraved with our infinite knot symbol, also known as the love knot. Your wife will fall madly in love with you all over again!
- ★ THOUGHTFUL GIFT – Looking for a meaningful gift? This is the ideal ring for the active man in your life! Perfect for a wedding, anniversary, birthday, or Father’s Day!
Click Here For More Information
Silicone Wedding Band by Knot Theory (Black with Gray / Grey Line, Size 9.5-10) ★8mm Striped Band for Superior Comfort, Style, and Safety
DC based designer, Brett Johnson presents during New York Fashion Week Mens
In addition to the established names presenting during New York Fashion Week, it is always refreshing to see new and upcoming artists get their chance to shine among the greats. One such designer was Brett Johnson, who had his first presentation during New York Fashion Week Men’s last week.
Barnette R. Holston, Jr.
Barnette R. Holston, Jr.
Creative director and founder, Brett Johnson started his label in 2013 and has come a long way from his initial beginnings of customizing Nike Air Force Ones. Honing this shoe experience, Johnson got a taste of designing and set out to create a clothing line to express his own design aesthetic. The initial collections focused on outerwear and were available online. Not longer after, Johnson was selling his line through trunk shows at Neiman Marcus and Stanley Korshak.
For his Autumn/Winter 2016 presentation, Johnson has fleshed out his line adding a full collection of relaxed and casual tailored sportswear. “I was inspired by the leisure lifestyle of influential men and the historical references to the American West found in their off-duty, sartorial choices,” said the Washington, DC based designer. This sophisticated casualness or Sprezzatura was the name of the collection.
Underneath his quiet demeanor lies a confidence that shows in his designs. Johnson blends the ruggedness of the American West with the modern sophistication of city life. Standouts included his western style jean jacket in supple leather or his fox fur lined topcoat that artfully blended the best of both worlds. In addition, his knitwear such as his oversized cardigan with toggle closures shown both ¾ length and full length was topnotch.
But Johnson also stays true to his roots. Bomber jackets, topcoats and travel jackets have been mainstays in his collection and are still represented in this current mix. What sets these pieces apart is quality of the fabrics. The collection, hand crafted in Florence, employs cashmeres, nubuck leather, suede and high-performance nylon. And while they may be made in Italy they still have a decidedly American appeal.
DC based designer, Brett Johnson presents during New York Fashion Week Mens
Group seeks to make treatment of men a key election issue
The treatment of men in Irish society should be a general election issue, according to campaign group Men’s Voices 2016.
Arguing that Ireland has become “an increasingly cold place” for men, the group is asking all candidates to consider what it calls the unequal treatment of men and boys and to agree to take up issues of male equality if elected.
Responses so far from outgoing TDs and other candidates have been “positive” and all will eventually be posted on the group’s website, mensvoices2016.com, a spokesman said.
The organisation’s concerns fall into two broad categories. The first is what the group calls the “generally negative message on men and maleness”; the second relates to the focus of family law and consequent operating of family courts.
The group was formed some 18 months ago and has a small core of 12-15 activists. Group spokesman David Walsh, a retired mathematician from NUI Maynooth, said maleness and what it is to be a man were being overlooked in society, with unhealthy consequences.
These include the facts that the male/female suicide ratio is about four to one; boys have fallen behind in education, with university intake now about 60 per cent female to 40 per cent male; and up to 85 per cent of homeless people are men.
Male underachievement
The group cites a 2012 University of Ulster report, Taking Boys Seriously, in support of its arguments. The report is the result of a five-year longitudinal study focusing on male underachievement, barriers to learning, experiences of violence, transitions and the construction of masculinity. It was commissioned in response to concerns about boys’ underachievement and wider issues about male health and wellbeing.
“This report goes into a lot of detail into what is happening to boys at school,” said Dr Walsh. “They believe boys need separate attention. Boys tend to be a little more raucous than girls at schools and are not as well-behaved in some instances. But they need rough-and-tumble play, not a sort of unisex approach that suppresses their natural behaviour.”
He said boys and adolescents needed to be helped learn and understand what it means to be a man, which is different from being a woman and is not about being macho or aggressive.
“There are views of masculinity that are more positive than what you might call the more macho stuff. You don’t have to be a lamb to be a real man but you don’t have to be macho violent either,” he said.
He said there was a 44 per cent increase during 2015 in the number of boys inflicting self-harm compared to the previous year. “That to us is a striking manifestation of some malaise going on with boys. There’s something bothering them and it needs to be discovered and articulated,” he said.
Family law
Men’s Voices 2016 is also critical of the focus and operation of family law.
“The acute injustices suffered by men in family courts have their roots in structures, attitudes and legislation formulated without any account being taken of the needs and interests of men and fathers,” the group said.
It also claims men suffer the consequences of false allegations of rape and child abuse. It says Ireland has one of the highest European rates of false rape allegations “yet our law provides no deterring repercussions for false accusers”.
Domestic violence as an issue is focused almost wholly on women which does not reflect the evidence, according to Dr Walsh.
“UK statistics suggest that about 40 per cent of victims are men,” he said.
The issue of men being the victims of domestic violence “is consistently ignored or trivialised”.
Dr Walsh also said the recently signed but not yet ratified Council of Europe Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence was “gender-specific and a highly discriminatory document”.
Group seeks to make treatment of men a key election issue
Carlisle Events Plans American Flag Display Built With Ford Mustangs
Mustang Flag Display Planned for 21st Annual Carlisle Ford Nationals: Over 150 Mustangs will be used to replicate Old Glory
Photos By: Courtesy Carlisle Events
The annual Carlisle Ford Nationals is right around the corner (June 3-5, 2016) and this year the Carlisle staff have something special in store for one of America’s most popular performance cars—a Mustang-based American flag! Carlisle Events will put together the flag display on the northeast side of the fairgrounds using more than 150 different red, white, blue, and silver Mustangs of all years.
Creating a display of the American flag using cars is certainly not new, nor is it even new to Carlisle Events (they’ve been doing it for Corvettes at Carlisle for several years now), but it is new to the Carlisle Ford Nationals. The work entailed to line up the cars and get the flag pattern correct is no small feat. The red and white Mustangs will make up the Old Glory’s stripes, with the blue cars becoming the star field. Lastly, the silver Mustangs will act as the flag pole.
The display will be built out and using 57 red Mustangs, 51 white ones, 35 blue ones, and 10 silvers to round out the flag on Friday June 3rd. Flag trivia: The white stripes signify purity and innocence, and the red signify bravery and valor. Old Glory is also home to 50 stars on a blue field representing vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
Implementation will run between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. with the display itself in place until approximately 4 p.m. The four-hour build will ensure the flag is properly laid out, with the payoff being a true salute to not only the U.S. itself, but to one of Ford’s most iconic cars—the Mustang. The flag display is free to anyone who has registered for the show field; however, for an additional $20 (payable onsite) a package will be available that includes a poster, shirt, and time-lapse DVD of the process. Registrations are ongoing for the flag and the event itself. Details are available on www.carlisleevents.com or by calling (717) 243-7855.
Carlisle Events Plans American Flag Display Built With Ford Mustangs
WantDo Men"s Fashion Casual Lightweight Jacket Khaki US Medium
Product Features
- Cotton and Polyester
- Double Button Closure
- For spring & falls
- High Quality
WantDo Men"s Fashion Casual Lightweight Jacket Khaki US Medium
Mittwoch, 10. Februar 2016
The Manteen - Stainless Steel Water Bottle, Great Gifts For Men!, Keeps Your Beverage Hot or Cold, Double Walled Insulated
Product Features
- Perfect for golf, camping, fishing, the gym, the office, and travel
- You can put beer in it…..
- Great Gift idea for that “hard to buy for” man in your life
- Double Walled 18/8 (304) Stainless Steel to keep your beverage hot or cold all day
- 17oz Large Caliber Design, BPA free, Sweat Proof
Click Here For More Information
The Manteen - Stainless Steel Water Bottle, Great Gifts For Men!, Keeps Your Beverage Hot or Cold, Double Walled Insulated
What Hillary Doesn't Understand About Being a Woman
Today is not a good day for Hillary Clinton. Her 20-plus point loss to Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire is noteworthy not only because of the overwhelming rejection of her candidacy in a state she won eight years ago, but also because she lost the women’s vote. Fifty-five percent of female voters in the New Hampshire primary broke for Bernie Sanders. If being the first women president is part of the appeal, why aren’t women buying it from Ms. Clinton?
Look no further than the previous weekend a decisive one in the world of politics, and reflective of what a campaign feels is the best message to send voters in the final hours before an election to see how the misunderstanding is manifesting. In a campaign appearance with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Albright tells the audience “there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other.” This coupled with feminist icon Gloria Steinem’s comment that young women are supporting Sanders because, “that’s where the boys are,” tells everything about why Hillary is again on the brink of election failure.
Hillary and the other feminist leaders of that groundbreaking generation have failed to understand that women do not want to succeed in a man’s world as a man–rather women want feminine power to be embraced as equally important and necessary as being masculine. Hillary, Madeleine and Gloria deserve our gratitude for their tenacity in opening up opportunity for women in “a man’s world,” and they accomplished it by being tougher, stronger, smarter and more ambitious than their male counterparts. The challenge is that women today don’t want to be overly-masculine, they want balance, to express their feminine power and it valued for its own sake.
Ironically for Hillary, the two men she has faced in Presidential primaries are more balanced leaders than she. As I often wrote about during the 2008 election cycle, now-President Obama expresses a more balanced leadership approach than Secretary Clinton and so too does Senator Sanders. Balanced leadership is not patriarchal with the assumption that I know better and will take care of you–the current underlying theme of Clinton’s failing message. Rather balanced leadership is about the understanding that everyone is a part of the solution that we must do it together because what happens to one of us happens to all of us.
This past weekend’s message of toughness and damnation are the wheezing gasps of a belief that feminine power is not as important as masculine power. Women under 50 live in a different world because of feminist trailblazers, one in which fighting, anger and repudiation of others doesn’t resonate with them. They feel the connection, they long for true equality and they know it will be achieved not in spite of men, rather in cooperation with them.
It may well be too late for Hillary to understand this and it is unfortunate. Her experience is important, although not as much as believing that her feminine power is the key to being her best.
This Blogger’s Books and Other Items from…
What Hillary Doesn"t Understand About Being a Woman
Best collection of old motorcycles in Vietnam: in pictures
VietNamNet Bridge – The most unique, old motorbikes in Vietnam are owned by Mr. Duong Minh Chinh, from the northern province of Bac Ninh.
Chinh is known as the most famous antique collector in Bac Ninh. He has a special passion for old motorbikes and cars. Minh currently is the owner of a valuable collection of old vehicles.
Chinh has a set of seven old motorcycles, which are the rarest in Vietnam because they were previously used by Vietnam’s former king Bao Dai. The vehicles are well maintained and have original registration papers.
With 20 years collecting antiques, Chinh also owns many other valuable collections, such as the collection of the stone items of the Phung Nguyen era or the set of ancient traditional paintings of Vietnam.
Belows are Chinh’s unique motorcycles:
Thanh Van
Best collection of old motorcycles in Vietnam: in pictures
Dienstag, 9. Februar 2016
Silicone Wedding Band by Knot Theory (Black with Gray / Grey Line, Size 8.5-9) ★8mm Striped Band for Superior Comfort, Style, and Safety
Product Features
- ★ SIMPLE SLEEK DESIGN – Designed by award-winning Knot Theory, who won the thumbs up of world’s top men’s style authorities including GQ Magazine and AskMen.com. Your ring has a sleek 8mm beveled design and won’t look like a mini tire or rubber gasket!
- ★ FITS YOUR ACTIVE LIFESTYLE – Made from precise stainless steel molds and 100% hypoallergenic silicone rubber, your ring is so comfortable that you can keep it on during gym workouts, weight lifting, basketball, baseball, crossfit, climbing, diving, water sports, and any activity you take on.
- ★ SAFE FOR PROFESSIONALS AT WORK – Firefighters, law enforcement, engineers, electricians, mechanics, military, and athletes can prevent finger injuries and degloving with this soft, flexible, non-conductive ring. Safe everyday alternative to metal rings.
- ★ SYMBOL OF ETERNITY – Your wedding ring is engraved with our infinite knot symbol, also known as the love knot. Your wife will fall madly in love with you all over again!
- ★ THOUGHTFUL GIFT – Looking for a meaningful gift? This is the ideal ring for the active man in your life! Perfect for a wedding, anniversary, birthday, or Father’s Day!
Click Here For More Information
Silicone Wedding Band by Knot Theory (Black with Gray / Grey Line, Size 8.5-9) ★8mm Striped Band for Superior Comfort, Style, and Safety
Montag, 8. Februar 2016
UM International plans to export motorcycles from India
UM International plans to export motorcycles from India
Zicac Men"s Casual Fashion Pullover Sweater Assorted Color Knitwear (M/Asia Tag XL, Wine Red)
Thickness：standard
Sleeve style：regular
Technics：computer knitted
Style:British style
Collection：Cardigan
Pattern type ：assorted colors
Color: Wine Red, Navy Blue
Asia Size (Men’s): L(US:S):XL(US:M): XXL(US:L)
Asian L (US:S):shoulder : 16.54 “/ 42 cm Bust: 38.6 “/ 98 cm Length:25.98 “/ 66cm Sleeve : 24.4 “/ 62 cm
Asia XL (US:M):shoulder : 17.3 “/ 44 cm Bust: 40.2 “/ 102 cm Length: 26.7 “/ 68cm Sleeve : 24.8 “/ 63 cm
Asia XXL (US:L):shoulder : 18.1 “/ 46 cm Bust: 40.9 “/ 104 cm Length:27.6 “/ 70cm Sleeve:25.2 “/ 64 cm
Package Including:
1 * Sweater
Please check with your more detailed size before bidding, please allow 2-4 cm deviation, due to manual measurement
Product Features
- Soft fabric, comfortable to wear
- Pullover
- Pattern type :assorted colors
- Good gift for him,your love or yourself, bring him a warm winter this year
- Asia size tag ,please check our size chart and choose the US size directly
Zicac Men"s Casual Fashion Pullover Sweater Assorted Color Knitwear (M/Asia Tag XL, Wine Red)
2 New Boutiques For Those Fly Fashion-He-Stas
With men becoming increasingly fashion-conscious, these two locations bring their upscale and fashion-forward designs to the table.
By Amy R. Partridge
Perched right next to big-sister Angela’s in Rye, Fred’s offers comparably upscale designs for fashion-forward fellas.
Photo of Fred’s By Tykischa Jacobs
The long-held cliche of a couple’s shopping excursion goes like this: Man sits in chair, waiting miserably (holding purse and multiple shopping bags), while woman darts in and out of dressing room, trying on endless options. Sound familiar?
With men becoming increasingly fashion-conscious today, however, the game is changing. While there are still plenty of men who prefer to sit on the shopping sidelines (or even better, stay home entirely), men’s boutiques are coming into their own and gaining in popularity. This trend is evident here in Westchester, where two well-regarded women’s shops recently branched out to add stand-alone men’s boutiques to cater to the demand from Westchester’s male shoppers.
“Boys and young men want trendy brands and style as much as their female counterparts,” says Barry Cohen, co-owner of the Lester’s chain of stores, which branched out in September by adding a 2,000-square-foot men’s store to its Rye Brook location (18 Rye Ridge Plaza, Rye Brook (914) 908-5688; www.lesters.com). The decision to open a men’s shop with a curated mix of casual clothing, activewear, premium denim, licensed team-sports products, and dress wear has apparently been well received. “Dads are loving the new fashion attitude also because it’s fresh and convenient. We’ve been welcomed with traffic from all over Westchester, Connecticut and beyond,” he adds.
|
Lester’s in Rye Brook caters to the young male, too.Over in Rye, Angela and Fred Guitard, owners of women’s boutique Angela’s of Rye, have had similar success with their recent expansion: a new men’s shop called Fred’s (22 Purchase Street, Rye (914) 305-4320; www.fredsinrye.com), which opened in November. The shop sells men’s jeans, dress slacks, casual pants, sports jackets, ties, shoes, cufflinks, and outerwear by high-end brands, including Ferragamo, Rag & Bone, VK Nagrani, Herno, Moncler, and other Italian luxury labels. “Fred’s is a nice marriage to Angela’s, and so far we are off to a healthy start,” says Angela, who notes that they decided to open the store after “seeing a void in Rye for a men’s sportswear store that could service my clients’ husbands.” She adds, “Men are definitely caring more about the way they look and dress. Their wives and significant others look great—why shouldn’t they?”
2 New Boutiques For Those Fly Fashion-He-Stas
Superdrug Men's Health 30S
By submitting your email, you agree with our Terms of Service. You also consent to your personal details being used by Westfield Corp to send you email, mobile and other electronic communications and for all other uses we have listed in our Privacy Policy.
Superdrug Men"s Health 30S
Why American Drivers Have Stopped Buying Small Cars
It’s like we just went back to 2000.
In the mid-2000s, gas prices and environmental concerns deflated the robust SUV boom had dominated since the late ’90s. Suddenly, a Hummer or a Ford Expedition was considered gauche, or even an ethical liability, and small and hybrid cars began taking over.
That all seems to be over right now, thanks to extremely low gas prices and the rise of crossover vehicles, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The casualty list of small cars is staggering. Fiat Chrysler is canceling the small Dodge Dart and mid-size Chrysler 200, Ford is pausing the Focus, and Toyota is killing off the small, fuel-efficient Scion brand entirely (selling the remaining stock as mainstream Toyotas). Other models have moved production from Michigan to Mexico, to cut costs in the tough market.
Back in 2009, the Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told the Free Press, “if you don’t have a competitive midsize sedan, you’re a nobody.” But such days are decidedly over, for now at least.
With fuel costs no longer nudging consumers towards small cars—their “practicality quotient” only works when the savings is palpable—consumers are flocking to crossover vehicles, small SUVs, and pickup trucks. This sentiment has devastated electric cars and hybrids as well; the Cadillac ELR was just shut down, and sales of the Toyota Prius have plummeted.
For the industry overall, however, this is a boon. Big cars have a higher profit margin than little ones. At the same time, continued strong sales for big, gas-powered cars stokes our reliance on fossil fuels, a habit that takes time to wean off. This is a cycle that’s happened before: After the 1970s gasoline crisis, fuel economy was suddenly a national concern, but once gas prices retreated this concern was quickly forgotten and the SUV became the standard.
Small, fuel efficient cars will most certainly return to a heyday, however. If the circle has indeed been completed, we’ll come back to our little hatchbacks when gas goes back to $4 a gallon.
Why American Drivers Have Stopped Buying Small Cars
Sonntag, 7. Februar 2016
Beverly Hills Custom Fit Car Cover For 2015 Audi S5 Technik Model ( Hand Made in the USA ) - 100% Cotton Flannel Gray Fabric with Mirror Pockets
Product Features
- Beverly Hills Auto Covers? World Leader in Custom-Fit Car Covers – 100% Cotton Flannel ? Offering The Ultimate In Softness
- 100% Cotton Flannel Features Preserves Collector Cars And Delicate Paint Finishes – Recommended For Indoor Use Only
- Woven Construction With Complete Breathability with Flannel Underside Provides Additional Protection From Minor Bumps And Scratches
- World’s Best Custom Car Cover Recommended For Outdoor Or Indoor Storage – Washable In Commercial Machine – Rot & Mildew Free
- Custom Made to Order in the USA – Designed to Hug Every Curve & Contour of your Vehicle – Lead Time 2-3 Weeks
Click Here For More Information
Beverly Hills Custom Fit Car Cover For 2015 Audi S5 Technik Model ( Hand Made in the USA ) - 100% Cotton Flannel Gray Fabric with Mirror Pockets
Long-Term BMW Motorcycles S1000XR Gets New Michelin Pilot Road 4 Tires
WRIST: Marc Cook
MSRP (2016): $19,760 (as tested)
MILES: 12,710
MPG: 38
MODS: New Michelin Pilot Road 4 tires
Because my 2016 BMW S1000XR is getting ridden so much—by me and by the rest of the staff looking for a good time—the 12,000-mile maintenance was due four months after the 6K. This time I leveraged the maintenance to visit some friends at Mamba Motorsports (mambamotorsports.com), a BMW dealer in northern Los Angeles County. The bike went in with a few wants, including the core maintenance, a check on the weeping right fork seal, and my heads-up to check the brake pads; when I’d changed the last set of tires, the front pads looked a little thin. Not enough to change them there and then, but enough to plant the seed that these could be fast-wearing items—along with the recollection that the XR had spent a full day at the track.
The final bill was a little heady, I have to admit: $977. Breaking it down, then: $342 is for the basic 12K maintenance, including 1.5 hours of labor, $58 worth of oil, an $18 oil filter, and a $50 air filter element. Brake pads boosted the price by $316 for all three sets. I’ll keep an eye on them from now on but I suspect that this is the price you pay for incredibly strong brakes with superb feedback. That said, I’m tempted to try some aftermarket options.
Mamba took care of the leaking fork tube under warranty by replacing the seals, and I don’t know what the labor charge would be, but the parts alone would be almost $90. I did get thrown a curve on this maintenance, and it happened even before I’d left the building. Mamba’s Service Manager, Jeff Granados, found me and gave me the bad news about the Dunlop Q3s on the bike. The rear had picked three small nails. A real shame, since I had managed to get the Dunlops to 2,680 miles with plenty of life left. In fact, I’m pretty sure I could have gotten this set to 4,000 miles, which is superb for a very sticky, compliant tire. Not, however, a fantastic wet-weather tire, which is why I had Mamba spoon on a set of Michelin Pilot Road 4 (motorcycle.michelinman.com; $570/set MSRP).
I was out of town when the bike was finished, so Associate Editor Julia LaPalme picked it up for me, returning the R1200GS that Mamba had lent me while the XR was being serviced. (That was an interesting comparison. I’d forgotten just how relentlessly competent the GS is, beautifully composed and un-ruffleable, if that’s even a word.) Immediately after, Mr. MC Garage himself, Ari Henning, borrowed the bike for a weekend blast. This is important because neither of them reported anything strange with the bike.
I was reunited with the XR for only a few moments when I discovered a drywall screw in the almost-new rear tire. Really? Really?? I had our shop guy install an internal patch—yes, in direct contravention of Michelin’s recommendations, sue me—while I waited for a replacement tire to arrive. (Honestly, if it were my own bike, I would probably continue to run the internal patch, but this is an official test of the tire and I want to give Michelin a fair shake.)
The next time I rode the bike it had a nasty vibration, shaking through the bars at any speed above 70 or 75 mph. When I got home, I double-checked that both wheels had balance weights (ensuring that they hadn’t flown off) and did a quick check to make sure the wheels weren’t damaged in any way. All looked good. After a few more miles of this terrible vibration, which was most evident through the handlebars, I started checking the front end. Finding the front balance slightly off, I rebalanced it and rode; a tiny bit better but not cured. I then mounted a known-good front tire; no change. I then rode the XR assigned to Sport Rider magazine, which was really smooth. Enlisting the help of SR’s Bradley Adams, we swapped bikes. He came back the next day saying, “Yeah, that’s a really bad vibration but what’s up with the fork?”
Preternaturally sensitive, Bradley felt like the fork wasn’t using all its travel. Testing the fork stroke on the two bikes side by side in the parking lot did reveal mine stopping early in the travel. I wasn’t sure that this symptom had anything to do with the vibration but it would have to be fixed. Mamba, for its part, said bring it in and we’ll get to the bottom of it, but I’m excessively curious. So I disassembled the right fork leg to discover it had been over-filled with oil. Draining it and refilling to the correct level, 90mm from the top of the tube with 7.5 weight oil, would fix that problem. Oh, in case you’re curious, the right fork leg on the XR has a spring and a cartridge that feels like it has only compression damping; it either has no or very little rebound effect. Most of the damping changes come through the left leg, which has the electronic valves.
Fixing the fork did nothing for the vibration, which reappeared the next time I hit the freeway. Luck was with me, though. It just happened that it was late in the day and the setting sun was just off my left. I don’t know why I did, but I looked over to my right at the shadow of the bike. Clear as could be was the rear wheel bouncing up and down to the same tune as the vibration through the handgrips. Well, there’s your problem.
A few minutes after congratulating myself for finding the problem, I felt incredibly stupid for forgetting a very basic thing: Actions at one end of the bike can strongly influence things at the other end. Worse, I’d had a similar thing happen on my Suzuki GSX-R750 many years ago. Maybe I was sharper then, but I checked both ends of the bike and found the problem quickly. Also, the nature of the BMW, firmly sprung, stiff chassis, tall/wide handlebars all conspired to make the shaking rear tire feel like it was something at the front.
Part of the problem was forgetting this interaction but part was making a bad assumption. I knew the rear tire had been patched and our guy had rebalanced the wheel when he was done. His work is uniformly good, so I’d dismissed the rear tire’s influence because he just doesn’t make many mistakes. It had to be something else. I made the classic mistake of focusing on one piece and not stepping far enough back to consider all the options. Lesson learned. Again.
Obviously, re-balancing the wheel fixed the immediate symptoms while I wait for a replacement Michelin to arrive. I can say that I’ve had a couple of opportunities to ride the XR in wet conditions, and I think I’ll be glad to have the PR4s on the bike through the winter. (Although as I write this in early February, we’re looking at a dry week with temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s…what the hell?) The PR4s get warm quickly in cold weather, obviously move a lot of water out of the contact patch, and feel really confidence inspiring when the pavement is slick. I also appreciate that their profiles have retained the XR’s sharp steering. So far, the XR and the Pilot Road 4s seem like a happy pairing.
One last thing: Suburban Machinery sent me a set of bar-end weights for use with the hand guards (suburban-machinery.com; $84). These weigh 11 ounces each, 2 ounces more than the HVMP bar-ends I’d been using. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference in vibration between the two, but each is far better than the lightweight original bar end. I was able to confirm the benefits of the heavier bar ends while borrowing SR’s stock XR; the difference is truly amazing. Some bikes take hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix the most annoying “features,” so it makes me almost giddy to say the XR’s major shortfall can be dealt with for $80.
Previously In The MC Garage:
Overcoming the early adopter blues.
Long-Term BMW Motorcycles S1000XR Gets New Michelin Pilot Road 4 Tires
I Heart My Awesome Wife T-shirt Couple Shirts Large Charcoal
Product Features
- 100% Cotton Unisex T-shirt
- Comfortable Modern Fit Wash Inside out with cold water
- Print may appear smaller on bigger shirts
- Designed and printed in the United States
- See our store for more great apparel! Great gift or for yourself! Perfect for birthdays, Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Anniversary, and everyday gift ideas
Click Here For More Information
I Heart My Awesome Wife T-shirt Couple Shirts Large Charcoal
Nashville indie rocker Brandy Zdan proving it's not a man's world anymore
30-something Brandy Zdan has a message for her generation’s crop of infamously ineffectual males. It’s that if you’re going to come around you’d better be more of a man than she is. The svelte honey blond singer/songwriter will be performing her song “More of a Man” and others from a new self-titled album at Opolis Sunday evening.
“What that song came from was that a couple of my girlfriends and I are all single gals and we made a list of all the things we can do that some of the men that we were dating couldn’t do,” Zdan said. “Just the manly things, even in terms of making decisions and being decisive. We just end up being manlier than the men we date.” Changing flat tires, carrying heavy amplifiers and fixing a broken bath tub made the list.
“Guys just don’t like to get their hands dirty nowadays,” she said. “I think it’s good for gals to be able to play that role, too, it’s important that we own our stuff. You can learn how to fix almost anything with a YouTube video.”
Zdan grew up on the frozen plains of Manitoba, Canada which undoubtedly contributed to her self-reliant spirit. She played her first show at a Winnipeg coffee house at age 15. Multi-instrumentalist Zdan was half of duo Twilight Hotel that had a Juno Award-nominated disc in 2011. She moved to Austin and played with Americana outfit The Trishas for a few years including their Summer Breeze gig in Norman in 2012. Zdan is now based in Nashville.
“Being from that cold, desolate landscape of the Canadian prairie has always informed my songs,” Zdan said. “There’s a lonely texture to my music that makes me feel connected to that back home.” Living in a different country in multiple cities has been about leaving comfort zones for her.
“That can bring up a lot of things you need to learn about yourself,” she said. “Your art can grow from that. Winnipeg to Austin was a big move, but Austin to Nashville, not so much. I’ve been enjoying the country for around ten years, so I’ve developed community in a lot of cities.” She already had a group of friends in Tennessee on relocating there.
“I really feel like I’ve found my tribe here,” she said. “I like being among working professionals in the business. When you come from a town that doesn’t have a lot of that, even though Winnipeg does have a great music scene, still people don’t understand what it is to go on tour or make a living in the music business. In Nashville I don’t have to explain myself all the time.”
It’s likely those Nashville cats have schooled Zdan on working certain systems to her advantage. Nearly all of her music videos posted at brandyzdan.com involved cooperation with various music organizations.
“You have to make the best of your available resources,” she said. “Finding all the people to book shows, make records and post on social media involves being a multi-tasker and I’ve been given a gift of being able to do that. I have a creative mind for what I want to put forth to the world and you have to work with the right people, not just anybody.” In addition to an undeniably robust work ethic, Zdan has an attractive plan for becoming an even greater version of herself.
“I’m just trying to write better songs and become better at all the things that I do,” she said. “I show up every day in my own office in my own house and write, rehearse on guitar or whatever needs to be done developing the skills I already have.”
Norman is one of the places where Zdan has friends. She played the Deli last November on the night of the Campus Corner shooting but isn’t afraid to return. Zdan’s buddy Kierston White will open her Opolis show.
“It’s a really cute little town,” Zdan said. “I love it and can’t wait to come back.”
If You Go
What: Brandy Zdan in concert with Kierston White
Where: Opolis, 113 N. Crawford Ave.
When: 9 p.m., Feb. 7
Cost: $5
Nashville indie rocker Brandy Zdan proving it"s not a man"s world anymore