GOBBI

I am highly anticipating some updates to the Ducati Multistrada 1200 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.

Success! BBC America: Top Gear UK on Cablevision – request granted. Thanks Cablevision 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.

The best show on television by far is the original Top Gear UK. Unfortunately, here on Long Island NY, Cablevison our local cable provider does not carry the BBC America in their channel line-up. So to get my Top Gear fix, I have to travel to New Jersey and Pennsylvania to view it on Comcast cable.

I’ve been making requests to Cablevision for years now to carry the BBC America channel, for their great programming and fantastic television shows.

Top Gear has been on the air for years now, and is the premier show for car enthusiasts and speed junkies. They showcase pretty much every car and transportation vehicle on the planet and it’s incredibly entertaining. The rapport between the hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, James May (AKA: Captain Slow) and Richard Hammond is authentic and hilariously funny.

I know there is now an American version of Top Gear airing on the History Channel, but it doesn’t quite stack up the United Kingdom version and seems more like a cheap knock-off. Despite slight improvement with the second season, I still would rather watch the original genuine UK version.

So Cablevision, this is a programming request, please bring the BBC America to your channel line-up, ASAP!

Playing soccer my whole youth life until high school varsity, I know the game and I know intensity and creativity, and I also know bad coaching. Style of play has always been the issue for me regards to the U.S. National Soccer Team over the years. Most of all it is the federations mentality and American style of coaching that is has limited the U.S. game. The same-old, same-old just wasn’t cutting it anymore. We have good players, and the coaching well I feel was not ware it needed to be to meet the expectations of the American fan base. I think the coaches and staff did there best, but to me and other U.S. fans of the game that was just not good enough with the caliber of players we have at our disposal, but I thank them for their service. I have been calling for years that we need a European coach with a different style of approach to the beautiful game, so we can take our play to the next level. Finally someone was listening, and they made the daring decision to hire a great player in his day Juergen Klinsmann from the 1990 World Champion German National Team. About fucking time we got some one that will bring some fun, intensity and enthusiasm to our play.

Sometime things need to be shaken up a bit, aggressive changes need to be made and implemented. Making safe decisions creates predictable results, it take balls for a company whether it be a product or a brand, or an organization or U.S. federation to really make daring calls for change and actually to implement them without hesitation.

Regarding the U.S. team roster, sometimes players need to be placed in different positions and younger players need to be given their chance to step it up especially when the veterans are not delivering. We need a team of guys with desire and passion for the game to step it up on the pitch and be more agressive, and maybe it is time to look at other U.S. players that are not currently on the national team and bring them aboard. We can’t always wait to the last ten minutes of the match to finally score goals or make subs. The refreshing change at the helm is a welcome one, I think for once the U.S. National Soccer Federation has finally got it, lets hope good things are to come of the style change.

Maybe in the future if it is in the cards, I would like to see one of my U.S. soccer heroes Alexi Lalas coach the U.S. National Team one day.