Ducati Multistrada 1200S in Stealth Matte Black by Motorrad Maehr

I am highly anticipating some updates to the Ducati Multistrada 1200S for the upcoming 2012 model year; maybe an additional color option to the newly popular high performance adventure tourer. Ducati has already released the stunning 2012 Multistrada 1200 Sport Pikes Peak Edition this summer, and what a paint job! I actually got the opportunity to sit on the Multistrada 1200 that won the Pikes Peak Race back in 2010 at the New York International Motorcycle Show. While I was there, I asked the Ducati North America reps why don’t they just make this stunning race replica as a special edition, and what do you know, they did! A great decision on Ducati’s part in my opinion. Pictured here in a YouTube.com video is a customized Multistrada 1200 by Motorrad Maehr in a sexy matte black paint job; with a contrasting glossy Ducati logo, blacked-out engine guard and passenger pegs brackets, matching racing gray forks, and a full Arrow exhaust. What a looker, I LOVE it! I don’t always like everything to be stealthed-out, but it is dam cool. Straight jet-black non-metallic is always classy and you can’t go wrong with that color combo. The current Multistradas are painted in metallics, which is ok, but not really my taste though. Ducati does offer other motorcycle models in matte black paint jobs occasionally, but I would flip if they decided to add this matte color option to the Multistrada line-up for 2012. However, companies always seem to be a year or two behind my creative vision for their products.

As other manufactures go, I requested BMW to make a special edition paint for it’s M3s, never thinking they would actually execute. On BMW’s 2011 M3s they offered a special edition satin paint called Frozen Black and Frozen Gray, which looked awesome, but I found out from the head of the BMW M Race Division, that you can’t wax the paint and you must wipe off bird droppings asap or it will cause damage to the satin finish. Less time detailing is good for me. Also, I requested black rims on the M3 as an option, because who wants to spend their weekends always cleaning their wheels, and besides black just looks tougher. The ultra high performance BMW 2011 BMW M3 GTS in Fire Orange came with black rims, so that was a success, thanks BMW keep it up! Actually, there are now three motorcycles by Bavarian Motor Works that I requested specific dark and cooler color schemes to help enhance their motorcycles. I like to call them factory customs; the 2001 BMW R1200C Stiletto Special Edition, the 2010 R1200 GS Triple Black Special Edition, and now the 2011 F800 GS Triple Black Special Edition, and maybe the long hall adventure guys will see a Triple Black version of the big R1200 GS Adventure as well, we will see.

Back to this stunning Ducati Multistrada 1200 customized in stealth matte black paint… Whoever executed the paint job, did what looks like a factory job, nice style. It definitely sets out the individual rider from the cookie cutter pack. I could definitely see Ducati offering this color option in the future, but I can’t always wait around for companies to eventually offer a cool color or paint job, and when they do it is always at the end of the model run. My suggestion is to offer it sooner to the public and more often.

This evening September 15th, 2011 around 6:30 pm we had a power outage here in Port Jefferson, NY. After seeing a local LIPA truck near Mather Hospital earlier, I assumed they were fixing the lines, so I ended up going outside to see what was up and bumped into two neighbors that came out for a walk to see what was happening as well. It is amazing when the power goes out, people actually talk to each other, go figure. We were talking about the power lines and the damage from hurricane Irene and how burying the power lines would potentially lessen the occurrences of power outages and in the process preserve nature’s views. We were talking about nature and local wildlife, deers and such, and my November 11th 2008 at 11:30 pm amazing sighting of an eastern cougar (mountain lion) on our property here in Port Jefferson. I will call him the Port Jeff Panther, or the Puma of Port Jefferson, or Casey the Cougar after yours truly. I did report this amazing sighting to New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation, but nothing came of it to my knowledge, I hoped he would have been be protected and re-released into the wild. I was mentioning to the guys about the recent mountain lion sightings in Greenwich Connecticut and the one cougar that was hit and killed by an SUV in June across the Long Island Sound in Milford Connecticut this summer; Google it.

As I was looking up at the power lines talking about what would appear to be strange unusual sittings of large cats, low and behold, as I was saying that, I witnessed what appeared to be a small Pterodactyl. You say what? A small dinosaur bird, I swear it kind of looked like it. It was not a hawk, as I have see plenty in Southern New Jersey, some very large that cast huge shadows when flying above, what a sight! But this wasn’t even close; this had a huge wing span of over 5 feet. It was darkish brown and looked like it could have been a pelican. A pelican right above the treetops that swooped and glided above and over me and the neighbors, of course the older guys were facing the opposite direction and were too slow to turn around and see it. I was like “did you guys see that” and I chased it, then it flew out of view over the trees. Holy cow! What was that? A huge bird that looked like a Pterodactyl or pelican? Unreal, and I told the guys they needed to pay attention to their surroundings even in suburbia, and always look up; you never know what you might see.

After we went back to our houses and once the power came back on, I hit the computer and did a little research to find out what type of bird it was. Turns out, it was most likely an Eastern Brown Pelican, cool! What they’re doing on the North Shore of Long Island, I don’t know, but maybe global warming and climate change is to blame, and maybe the hurricanes off the Atlantic coast has brought them this far north extending their range. Why am I seeing these unusual sighting you ask, well I am known for my keen eye and my situational awareness. Just keep your eyes pealed; you never know what you will see, but first you need to get off the computer and go outside.

Success!!! BBC America: Top Gear UK on Cablevision / Optimum TV – request granted!

BBC America on Cablevision / Optimum TV – request granted!

Thanks Altice USA / Cablevision / Optimum TV for finally providing the BBC America channel to your cable consumers here in New York State, the media capital of the world, supposedly. For years we were denied the BBC America channel, which features the best show on television, the original Top Gear UK and the newly added James Mays Drinks to Great Brittan. Before I had to go out-of-state just to catch up on old episodes on Comcast – On Demand. I since have requested multiple channels, such as Outdoor Life Network (OLN) now know as Verses, so us cycling enthusiasts could watch the amazing live daily Tour De France coverage from the live global feed and the Dakar Rally, and HD Theater to get the Isle of Man TT yearly Motorcycle Race. Other channels I requested were the Green Channel, Style Channel, Science Channel, and the History International Channel, Rai Italian Channel which eventually Cablevision delivered on. This all took a long while to make these programming channel requests and to finally get them in the channel line-up. Cablevision as a company and cable provider is extremely slow to act when it comes to providing their loyal subscribers with new and up-and-coming Channels.

But if you want to create change and awareness for your community, so that it leads to action and a better quality of life and in this case quality programming, you need to take action and be persistent and go through the right official channels in order to get your concerns and requests voiced. After making multiple phone calls, I decided recently to write a blog about it here on the GOBBI Blog regarding the channel request and bam! What do you know, it worked! Instant results.

I am thrilled to report that other recent Requests & Suggestions regarding local matters made by yours truly have also been met with success!

The Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson finally went Green by implementing a Recycling program in the heavily trafficked business district, which is frequented year round by locals and tourists alike. This will help keep our environment and village clean from the ever-growing carelessly discarded plastic bottle epidemic. I already see results with the new strategically placed solar recycling receptacles. Also lobbing for the New York State Bottle Bill helped out; now all water bottles sold in New York State are $.05 redeemable. Hopefully that will make a big dent with the cans and bottle that are strewn everywhere along Long Island’s roadsides and beaches.

I can’t forget the addition on all Port Jefferson Village downtown storm drains “Do Not Pollute – Runoff leads to the Long Island Sound” medallions, courtesy of New York (NY) County Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher [Suffolk County]; thanks Vivan!

Another request I made, which is finally underway, was to update the infrastructure and repave Route 112, a neglected New York State main roadway. Along with updating and repaving the road, the addition of bike lanes and signage for the two-wheeled crowd, so that we can all share the roads safely, are finally coming soon to Port Jefferson Station, Terryville and Coram. Another request met was the installation of shiny new larger more legible eyelevel road signs that are super cool; thanks NY State (Highway Department) lets continue these upgrades to all other New York State and Long Island roadways.

Port Jefferson’s Post Offices – Updating, request granted! Two local Port Jefferson and Port Jefferson Station Post Offices recently had a nice coat of white paint that really brightened up the neglected and dingy highly trafficked post offices. Also I requested recycling receptacles, and well the U.S. Postal Service Consumer Affairs Dept. delivered, so thanks, it make for a more present postal experience.

And two more request granted: Port Jefferson train track crossings repairs have been made on Main Street; thanks LIRR. And I don’t want to forget a 5-year long battle to get a local Port Jefferson Village road, Pine Hill Road, which was in desperate need of new drainage instructor and repaving, is finally under construction.

So basically, you can make a difference if you put the effort in and talk to the right agencies to improve your town and community. Hopefully the improvements listed here will create a domino effect on Port Jefferson’s Main Street, with the infrastructure improvements hopefully it will bring back businesses and improve quality of life for all.

A song that caught my feelings today was Kid Rock’s “Slow My Roll”. The lyrics spoke to me, it is time to not always be ware the action is but to seek out quality over quantity, instead of just skimming over the surface. Sometimes taking on other peoples issues, and trying to better your community may need to take a backseat no matter how passionate or helpful your intentions are. That time may be better served tending to yourself; it may be time to just – slow your roll.

Kid Rock “Slow My Roll” | 2011, Live in Graceland, Memphis, TN

Kid Rock “Slow My Roll”
There’s a new day on the horizon
There’s a rising in the air
Somewhere somebody’s tryin’ to tell me they care
So I’m a lift my head to a new day
Plant my feet on the ground
Look at life in a new way and what’s goin’ down
Cuz today’s the day, I’m gonna take things slow
Try and change my ways, forgive and let all that go
Tell the ones I love, what they need to know
I’m gonna turn around, settle down
And slow my roll
Mixin’ lonliness and whiskey
Heartache and cocaine
Livin’ life like a gypsy, lost and ashamed
So I’m a look to the Lord as my witness
Rest my hat on a shelf
Trade these boots for forgiveness and find myself
Cuz today’s the day, I’m gonna take things slow
Try to change my ways forgive and let all that go
Tell the ones I love, cuz they need to know
I’m gonna turn around, settle down
And I can’t believe 16 has long since past
Ciz I’m tired of runnin’, and never looking back
And I won’t survive if I live this life this fast, no, no
And today’s the day, I’m gonna take things slow
Change my ways, forgive and let all that go
Tell the ones I love, what they need to know
I’m gonna turn around, settle down
And slow my roll
Slow my roll, slow my roll