Why Women Find Biker Boys Sexy

We’ve all heard that women want a guy who’s tall, dark and handsome. Although maybe it’s time to update that to “tall, dark, handsome and on a motorcycle”. It seems that for many women, a guy with a bike has a special kind of bad-boy appeal. In fact, in a recent Match.com survey, “motorcycle” was the second most-popular term that single women used when searching through online profiles. To understand why it is that a Harley, Ducati (my ride of choice) or any other crotch rocket or chopper bike ranks so high, Dr. Kate Wachs, a Chicago psychologist and the author of "Relationships for Dummies", says, "Motorcycles are still perceived as rebellious, tough and strong. Unlike in the past, they're now much more socially acceptable." Like tattoos, motorcycles are often the hidden fun-factor in otherwise respectable citizens. Here is the full story on their allure and why women find us biker boys so damn sexy!

Above is my weapon of choice, a Ducati 999r powered by a Testastretta engine.
Top speed of just under 200mph and 0-60 in less than 3 seconds!
Mine is black...and sadly did not include the hot blonde.

Guys with motorcycles have a little extra oomph.
There's no doubt about it. A motorcycle signifies a little extra ingredient in a guy - a little extra testosterone in a world of sensitive men. Sensitive metrosexuals are great, but some women still like a little cave with their man. A man on a bike exudes independence, self-reliance and fearlessness. He has nothing but leather between him and certain harm. Clearly, he freely embraces risks and has a lust for life. Of course, this little extra oomph can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he's more masculine than the average pencil-pusher. On the other hand, you need the tough-boy exterior balanced by a kinder, softer side when you're off his ride. Almost all bikers are sweet, big-hearted and intelligent men.

Guys with motorcycles offer instant invigoration.
Riding along on a bike, you can feel the wind in your hair which makes a lot of women swoon. Riding a motorcycle is always a mood-booster even when you are in a bad mood. There's nothing like that kind of wind blowing in your face and the freedom to get on and just go. It's also a no brainer that the rumble vibration from the bike between her thighs helps things too. ;)

Guys with motorcycles thrive on spontaneity.
A guy with a bike is no doubt the sort of boy who’s likely to say, "let’s go for a ride" on the spur of the moment. If the mood strikes to head for the hills, the seashore or anywhere else, he’s likely to seize the moment on his bike. Plus, he’ll take his date along for the fun! With a motorcycle, you're guaranteed two things: speed and convenience. So you can go wherever your whim and wheels want to take you. Another benefit, it's a lot easier to find parking close to a restaurant, making dinners out all the more convenient.

Guys with motorcycles are the only match for girls with motorcycles!
Tons of women have motorcycles themselves and are avid riders, that's why they search for biker guys to complement their sassy self-image. Just remember this...between two motors, the wind and neither of you wanting to get too distracted from the road, motorcycle riding doesn't exactly make for meaningful conversation. Make sure you've got other things in common besides four-stroke engines, otherwise you might be headed for a relationship ditch.

Guys with motorcycles make even the most empowered women feel girly.
In this day and age, women are the masters of their own destiny. No longer do they look to men for power, permission or affirmation. As great as that is, there's a part of many women that like to be a li'l lady once in awhile. For many, the back of a guy's bike is the only place she will let a man (literally) take the front seat. She won't mind giving up her independent power to wrap her hands around his middle and put her trust in him. It's a little taste of being old-fashioned. That's a great feeling, at least for a little while.

Dating a biker dude gives a woman an excuse to tap her wild side.
If you’ve ever wondered about what your bad-girl side would look and feel like, this is the opportunity to find out. You might not be hopping on the back of a Ducati in a skirt and heels, but if you did, I would still love it! Although you can also shine in jeans and a tank or tee. At any age, a woman looks sexy and rebellious on a bike even if in real life she just dropped off the kids at soccer practice.

So there is some of the good doctor's shrink advice on why women find biker boys sexy. Of course I added in some of my own remarks and did a little editing in case you couldn't tell, but overall I tend to agree with everything Dr. Wachs said. So now the burning question...I'm off for a ride, who's coming with me? Just grab your stilettos and jump on! ;)

Giving Away The Stash Of One Spammer

For a kid from New Hampshire, it seemed like the American dream come true - a successful new business, money pouring in, a hot car and loads of cash...and all of this before he turned 21! Only one problem, his wealth came from flooding e-mail boxes with spam. One spammer's misfortune could be an Internet user's dream as AOL plans to give away a fully-loaded Hummer H2 and nearly $100,000 in cash and gold bars. The online service received the loot through a provision in the CAN-SPAM act, which allows courts to seize property obtained through profits from the sending of unsolicited e-mails. In addition to seizing the spammer's assets, AOL also won a $13 million judgment against the company and will donate the seized computer equipment to schools in Northern Virginia. The property will be given away through the AOL Spammer's Gold Sweepstakes, which will run through August 19th. Participants will be able to enter once per day by answering a question on computer security and safety.

Every day during the period a $1,000 prize will be awarded with the grand prize drawing at the end of the contest. The grand prize winner will receive the 2003 Hummer H2 and nearly $85,000 in cash and gold bars. All of the loot was seized from a then 20-year old man following a successful campaign to shut down and sue the spammer. At his height, AOL claims the man had 40 computers sending out millions of spam e-mails per day. In on day in January 2004 alone, the spammer generated 100,000 complaints from AOL members! Last year AOL ran a similar contest which gave away $47,000 and a Porsche Boxster which was seized from a spammer.

AOL is trying to send a strong message to spammers, letting them know that they will find you and sue you. AOL will do everything it can to make sure its members end up with any money you made as a spammer. Now this is only the second case example and for every spammer that goes caught, there are millions more left untouched. But hey, it's a start and I can actually I say I like what AOL is doing in regards to hurting the spammer where it really hurts - deep in his pockets. So for all that spam you put up with daily, some of you may actually benefit from it and win some great prizes...expense paid via the spammer himself. Payback is a b*tch!

***UPDATE***
You don't need to be an AOL member to enter the "AOL Spammer's Gold Sweepstakes", it's open to everyone. For official rules and how to enter, just visit www.aolhummer.onlinepromo.com There you will also find some tips on how to block and deal with unwanted e-mail. Good luck!

Couple Married By Blog

That title is no joke. "To have and to hold" has turned into "to have and to blog", as the unthinkable seems to have taken place. Word on the Internet has it that 2 bloggers by the name of Eric and Kathleen were married by blog! Can you feel the love floating in the blogosphere? Apparently, there's a little known law governing informal marriage in Texas - leave it to the south (sorry, couldn't resist the little good natured jab). For a marriage to be legal, the law requires a public declaration of the marriage with local witnesses. Since there are blog readers in Texas, Eric and Kathleen's public posts meet those requirements. I know, I know, contain your laughter and pick up your jaw. Of course Blogger.com can't take full credit for their love union, it seems that Blogger as well as Moveable Type was their blog ceremony of choice. A "wedding announcement" on Kathleen's blog gave this explanation...

"The state of Texas has a little known law governing "informal marriage". For a marriage to be legal, we must publicly declare that we consider each other as spouses and this fact be known to other residents of the state of Texas. We got our certificate this afternoon and have now fulfilled the requirements as there's bound to be a Texas resident or two amongst our joint readership. Feel free to witness our marriage here."

Then came the virtual ceremony via the blogs. I'm not kidding when I say Eric and Kathleen's blog vows went like this...

"I promise to love, honor, and obey cherish you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and wealth, in times of sorrow and times of joy. I will be your friend, your lover, your confidant. I promise to never stop trying to become the patient, understanding man/woman you deserve."

Ok so they are sweet vows and nicely stated, but I don't think I'm the only one who thinks that tying the knot via some blogs is really, I mean really strange! I have no idea how old they both are, what their occupations are, how they met, how long they have been together, their previous marital status/kids or any of that junk. I'm assuming they both reside in Texas and hoping they live happily ever after. Now would be the time I guess I should say congratulations you crazy (let me emphasize the crazy) kids. Now for the links you have been waiting for. Eric's blog powered by Blogger and Kathleen's blog powered by Moveable Type. See, even competitive blog services can bring people together - aww. All I can say is that I hope they don't consummate the marriage thru their blogs. That's wouldn't be fun at all. Some things in life there is just no substitute.

That's Totally Me On A Billboard

This is really funny and I'm sure those of you that know me in "real life" will be laughing at this. A fellow blogger by the name of Sharon was nice enough to inform me that my photo is plastered on a billboard ad that she passes everyday on her commute to work. She risked life and limb on my behalf just to take a snapshot of this and prove to me that the billboard does in fact exist so I could see it with my own eyes. After she sent me the image, I can confirm that yes that is me. Seeing is believing and reading the slogan is priceless.

They make me sound like some lame surfer dude with the "totally" comment. Plus I'm not even using proper English on the billboard - it's "I have" not "I got". I guess they think I will look cool and hip if I speak in Moron. I've learned that Webster's Bank, which is using my photo in their ad, uses the slogan "totally free". It is their catchy way to announce they do free checking and free online bill payment. So I guess I should be totally stoked then, right? Actually I do think it's kind of cool and a little frightening at the same time to see my head so HUGE! I hope they photographed my good side...wait, do I have a good side? My backside is my good side perhaps? Ha-ha. Ok that is enough ego tripping for one day. Don't worry, I won't let this big head billboard go to me head.

The billboard is located in Hartford, Connecticut on I-84 East just before Exit 48 as well as a second one there in Farmington. There could be more in Connecticut or even in other states. If you spot any more sightings of my mug, let me know. I think it's kind of interesting to see where these are turning up and what companies have decided to use the photo. I've already seen the photo used for advertising purposes by Match.com, AmericanSingles, MSN/Hotmail, Best Buy on some home theater box and a few other places that I can't remember. It was actually taken a couple years ago so I'm a little surprised it's still being used as much as it is lately. I do get some "royalties" from it, but I still need to keep my day job. One thing that I am happy about is that I had enough brains at the time to sign papers stating that my photo could NOT be used to market Viagra, condoms or be the poster boy for some AIDs or STD campaign - ugh!

Not only does Sharon have to look at my ugly mug on her commute in, but she also has to see it outside her office window. If that isn't enough, she even got a postcard from the bank with my photo on it in her mailbox at home! I swear, I'm not stalking her. I just enjoy watching her drive into work, observe her inside her office and be present in her home when she least expects it. Well I hope this post made everyone laugh and to Sharon, thanks again for taking your life in your hands for the sake of snapping this photo for me. Also, I'm sorry that everywhere you turn, there my mug is. I suppose the least I can do for all you have been putting up with is to plug your blog. It's www.sharons1stblog.blogspot.com

I Blog, Therefore I Am

If you're a blogger or comment on blogs, which you probably fit into one of those categories if you are reading this, then this info might be of importance to you. Blogger will have a downtime of 1 hour today (Wednesday 9/10/05) at 6PM Pacific Time. The scheduled maintenance is being perform for a major database upgrade. Perhaps we can except some good additions and changes? I would think so because in addition to the scheduled maintenance, Blogger is asking you to participate in a short survey that will help them to help you. They want to know about your blogging needs so they can better their service. I've already taken the survey and basically they ask you to rate their service and give feedback on what you would improve. To take the survey, sign in to Blogger with your account and follow the user survey link in your Dashboard. Now before you cuss and ask why you would want to take a survey, let me say this....

As an extra incentive, Blogger is offering $500 gift cards to 3 lucky respondents! How about that? I bet you are singing a new tune now. So go participate, even if you don't win a gift card, your input is helping make Blogger a better place for all. By the way, don't ask me where the gift card is good for, I didn't research that heavily. If you feel your survey input goes unnoticed and you don't win the $500 gift card, perhaps you can make yourself feel like a winner by picking up this Blogger tee (as shown above). Just a little swag to show you are part of the blogosphere...or to show that you are a big dork. You pick - enjoy!

Lastly, I want to mention something in regard to a post I did back on 07/12/05 Post A Secret, An Outlet For Anonymous Voices. Yesterday on MTV there was a "Spankin' New Video" being aired by the group "The All-America Rejects". The title of the song was called "My Dirty Little Secret". The reason it caught my ear was because it was a catchy song, but more importantly it caught my eye because the video uses the EXACT same postcards and idea from my post! You can check out the lyrics here and watch the video here (MTV will upload it soon) to see for yourself. So there you go, 3 different blog news stories combined in a single post for today. Amazing, isn't it?

Daylight Savings Time Change Could Resurface Y2K Bug

Do you remember a few years back when the most talked about issue in technology was the Y2K millennium bug? To refresh everyone's memory, the year 2000 problem was a flaw in computer program design that caused some date-related processing to operate incorrectly for dates and times on and after January 1, 2000. It turned into a major fear that critical industries (electricity, financial, etc.) and government functions would stop working at 12:00 AM, January 1, 2000. This fear was fueled by huge amounts of press coverage and speculation, as well as copious official corporate and government reports. All over the world companies and organizations checked and upgraded their computer systems.

The preparation for Y2K had a significant effect on the computer industry. In the end, significant disasters such as nuclear reactor meltdowns or plane crashes did not occur, but the number of non-critical Y2K errors encountered on January 1, 2000 was extensive. Due to the lack of disasters and the faulty "end of the world" expectations, the public largely but perhaps wrongly, regarded the Y2K passage as a non-event.

So now fast forward to present date and time. Today there is talk of another similar Y2K bug. An energy bill that was singed into law just yesterday by President Bush could have ramifications for technology. Beginning in 2007, Daylight Saving Time will start three weeks earlier and end a week later. However many gadgets automatically adjust for DST using a system that has remained unchanged for 18 years. That could mean problems such as DVRs recording an hour late or your telephone company billing incorrectly. Adding to the problem is Canada. If they don't approve the changes as well, software would have to create two zones for Canada and the United States. Technologists say there is not much to worry about, however, as most issues will be minor inconveniences and will not pose a major problem for consumers.

I am waiting for the day when I can say goodbye to the old reminder phrase "spring forward, fall back". I wish there was no such thing as adjusting your clock. When you think about it, it's silly we have kept with the DST as long as we have. The only real benefit and reason of DST to being with was for farmers. These days farmers don't even follow it in terms of when they rise for the workday. So what do you think of the US doing away with DST? Could it ever happen? Is it a good idea or bad idea? Is this possible DST bug going to be a small price to pay for the possible later on convenience of NOT having to turn our clocks, or is the whole bill singing just another frivolous change that will only complicate and make the US even less compatible with the rest of the world? After all, we are the only country that doesn't use the metric system. It's no wonder so many countries hate us - we like to be difficult. ;)

If You Make It, They Will Crack It

If you run Windows as your operating system, then you run (or I might say SHOULD run) the Windows Updates via the net. It's your go-to source for the latest security patches and other fixes for Microsoft's Windows platform. Well the other week you may of noticed that Microsoft is trying yet another step hoping to overcome and deter software pirates from bootlegging their software, in particular Windows XP. It's called the "Microsoft Genuine Advantage". The goal was that when a user went to the Windows Update website to download and install the latest patches, that before you could get access to this, your computer was scanned to see if you were running a legit/legal copy of Windows. If it was legit/legal, then you could proceed to use their Windows Update site as usual. If it was illegal/pirated, then you were asked to call a number to report where you got your software from.

Microsoft thought that by doing this, those people that somehow "didn't know" they were running illegal/pirated versions of Windows could report to Microsoft where they obtained their copy. Then in exchange for this "tattle tale info", Microsoft was willing to send you a legit/legal version of the operating system. Seems like a good idea to stop software piracy in theory right? Well it didn't work, of course. Numerous measures have been taken not only by Microsoft, but by just about every software maker around to try and stop pirates. Obviously their efforts are failing if you look at how big of a problem software piracy is and will continue to be.

On average, the software industry loses about US$11 to US$12 billion in revenue to software piracy annually. Of the billions of dollars lost to piracy, a little less than half comes from Asia, where China and Indonesia are the biggest offenders. Piracy is also a big problem in Western Europe, where piracy losses annually range from $2.5 and $3 billion dollars. Piracy rates are quite high in Latin America and in Central Europe, but their software markets are so much smaller that the dollar losses are considerably lower. About $2 billion in piracy loses come from North America. The piracy rate in the United States has been relatively constant at about 25% over the past few years, which is the lowest rate of any country. This means that one in every four copies of business application software is used illegally. The large dollar amount in losses is attributable more to the fact that there are so many computers and computer users in the United States than to a high piracy rate when compared with the rest of the world.

So the "Microsoft Genuine Advantage" was recently cracked within 24 hours after Microsoft released their latest "anti-piracy" step. The crack was simple and can be done by anyone. Naturally you are wanting to know how to crack it right? Well of course I will tell you being that I enjoy sharing some of my underground info here. To disable the mandatory validation check of your Windows XP license, there is just 1 step.

Before pressing "Custom" or "Express" buttons
paste this text to the address bar and press enter:
javascript:void(window.g_sDisableWGACheck='all')

This will turn off the trigger for the key check. You will no longer need to verify your serial number to Microsoft. Let the piracy battle continue, but I can tell you who will be winning for a long, long time. Hackers = 1...Software Companies = 0

***UPDATE***
Right after I posted this, I tried the exploit myself and it's no longer active. Microsoft has fixed the JavaScript string. Of course there is yet another crack to get around the Windows Genuine Advantage program. Using the file "GenuineCheck.exe" in Windows 2000 compatibility mode generates a valid authorization key for all systems running versions of Windows XP. As of right now, this exploit is still active, but I'm sure Microsoft is actively working on fixing it too. If you would like detailed instructions along with screenshots of how this is done, visit www.sinhack.net/GenuineAdvantage