Follow up and comments on stories we’ve mentioned before:
The Diesel Quad ATV developed for the military by Roush Technologies with plans for public sale through the Arctic Cat dealer network, has been tested for use with biodiesel. It is now approved for use with 6 types of diesel fuel, (#1 DF 1, #2 DF 2, DF A Arctic, JP 5, JP 8 and Bio Diesel). The diesel quad gets 30% better mileage than its gasoline counterparts and with all of the diesel performance news these days, you have to wonder what the aftermarket guys will do with this. Powersports Business
After mentioning potential rotary engines for motorcycles, everyone was noting the advances rotaries have made over the years. Right on the heels of our story is the announcement that Mazda is issuing a recall for 2004, 2005 and some 2006 Mazda RX-8s because of a whole variety of problems with their rotary engines. Some of the problems are supposedly caused by synthetic oils which Mazda specifically says should not be used but there are a whole slew of troubles and engine replacement will be the fix. Rotary News via Autoblog
Jesse James, who gets his fame from building custom motorcycles and all sorts of crazy machinery in his Monster Garage and who The Kneeslider refers to now and then, seems to have made the same mistake common to far too many celebrities of thinking his fame means everyone wants to know about his politics, too. Maybe being married to Sanda Bullock is giving him ideas. He was off visiting troops in Iraq when he goes off in a verbal attack on President Bush that gets picked up by all of the news organizations. Wouldn’t it be nice if celebrities confined politics to their private conversations?
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hoyt says
Freedom of Speech shouldn’t be confined to anything.
Freedom of Press shouldn’t be sensationalized and made into big business or lobbies
Richard says
“Wouldn’t it be nice if celebrities confined politics to their private conversations?”
They have as much right to speak their mind as anyone else.
Wouldn’t it be nice if motorcyclist web bloggers confined their politics to their private conversations?
kneeslider says
Hoyt, please reread what I said and locate in there my desire to limit free speech. And, Richard, what exactly are my politics? I can’t find those in there, either. Some readers seem so hyper sensitive and ready to attack on a moment’s notice they can see whatever they want to see in someone else’s comments.
My point, since it seems so obscure to some, is that there are appropriate and inappropriate places to make political, religious and any other controversial feelings or opinions known. Jesse James chose an extremely inappropriate place to criticize the President. If he wishes to make those statements here at home, fine. He can do so among friends, on his TV show, wherever he wants and people can choose to listen, buy his products or sponsor his show if they wish. It’s a free country with free speech.
What Jesse didn’t consider, and perhaps some others do not as well, is that our military is 100 percent volunteer at this time, the last draftee war was VietNam, different war, different century. By criticizing the President in front of the troops, he was making fools of the servicemen and servicewomen he was supposedly there to support. Their freely chosen committment is to serve our country and the President who is their Commander in Chief. By calling their commander a fool he was saying they were fools to have signed on agreeing to follow his orders. Jesse James can criticize Bush if he chooses, but not there in that way, it shows tremendous disrespect for the troops, and he lost a lot of respect in the process.
This is also a great example of why I try so hard to avoid anything remotely political on The Kneeslider. We get a wonderful cross section of readers here from practically every country in the world, including a large number of military readers. I welcome everyone and I try to make sure everyone feels at home when they stop by. Forget your politics here, keep the discussion on motorcycles, … it’s the point I was making about Jesse James. Motorcycles, good, politics, bad, …OK?
Matt says
I applaud you saying that Hoyt. Freedom to express one’s opinion should be any human’s right, not just Americans’. We as a free people should be doing all we can to ensure everyone’s right to free speech, not just the one’s we happen to agree with. Jesse James should be able to say whatever he feels about a politician, but it’s chicken shit to do it the way he did. He has every right to make an ass out of himself, but he doesn’t have the right to make anyone else listen either. If he’s ostracized for speaking out he has no one to blame but his own pompous ass. People expect to hear this kind of drivel from Al Franken or Michael Moore, as that’s what they do and are known for, but when JJ or the Dixie Chicks act all surprised for springing this kind of stuff on an unappreciative audience that has attended under the auspices of different entertainment they should be open to whatever criticism they deserve.
Richard says
Kneeslider,
Your comment above was much clearer than your original article. There’s a time and a place for everything, and Mr. James doesn’t appear to have picked the best time and place for his comments. However, the statement I quoted (“Wouldn’t it be nice if celebrities confined politics to their private conversations?”) implies a desire to censor celebrities. They have every right to speak their mind, even if they decide to do it while they are entertaining you. For anyone offended, the solution is simple: if you don’t like what they say or do, don’t invite them back.
hoyt says
Since the “pre-emptive” strike jargon leading up to March 2003 went unchallenged to the point it became commonplace & accepted, I’m not hyper sensitive to anyone saying anything. Speak up, don’t confine politics to private conversations.
I would be surprised if the servicemen & women internalized Jesse’s comments because they know their voluntary service will always be held in much higher regard than any commander-in-chief, no matter how effective or ineffective the chief may be.
I’ve only read his comments (as opposed to seeing footage). Based on the comments, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a conversation with people around him, as opposed to standing in front of a hall of soldiers. If it was the former, then this is the press b.s., not Jesse James.
“That’s Not News”
time to ride….
Matt says
hoyt,
You speak much more eloquently than I.
Richard,
I didn’t say he couldn’t say it, I said he just can’t complain about the backlash, or being called an asshat for doing it. The jerk probably didn’t even get there on his own dime (though I can’t back this up, I imagine the USO paid his way and probably even padded his wallet in the process). As hoyt said, this is a voluntary force, not a bunch of college dropouts who are there against their will. Did he think he was doing them, or his fanbase, a favor by doing this?
I have been there, as a Desert Storm vet. I was there because I signed up to be there. What little stateside distractions are able to visit and take your mind off of your homesickness and the discomfort of eating meals from a foil pouch, sleeping on an uncomfortable cot, washing in cold water (when that’s available), getting mail late or never, and being hunted by enemies that are undistiguishable from the people who really need defense, shouldn’t ruin your 30-90 minutes of entertainment. The guy lost his credability long ago, and this just puts another nail in the coffin.
Of course, I may be completly wrong here, and he may have been misquoted, off stage, and by a reporter with an agenda. If that’s the case I’d be happy to retract my criticisms.
God bless the troops. Sorry kneeslider for the rant. I’ll avoid it in the future.
TriumphGuy says
When your public persona includes “Pay up sucker” and “Cash only and (blank) you.” You have shown the world what you think of those willing to turn their backs into a billboard with a WCC shirt or their bikes into a rolling advertisement with a $400.00 air cleaner. It should come as no surprise that this person therefore suffers from permanent foot in mouth disease. “…seems to have made the same mistake common to far too many celebrities of thinking his fame means everyone wants to know about his politics…” That about sums it up.
hoyt says
Before this turns into a Jesse bashing post, don’t forget that this trip was on his dime. If this was a private conversation, do we who know if it was him that instigated it? He very well may have been agreeing with comments started by a soldier. Again, this is not news & yet another opportunity for the world to demand dignified, informative news.
Also, worth noting are these evens:
– Jesse took Monster Garage into an inner-city, minority school and made sure the kids worked on a legit project, completely.
– Jesse took Monster Garage into Folsom prison. Talk about a shot in the arm to straighten yourself out.
I think his comments towards bush are somewhat funny. Generally-speaking, there is also a lot of truth to the comments about the 1st of kin of a successful business owner being a d***head. Time will tell if his son is legit.
TriumphGuy says
“- Jesse took Monster Garage into an inner-city, minority school and made sure the kids worked on a legit project, completely.
– Jesse took Monster Garage into Folsom prison. Talk about a shot in the arm to straighten yourself out.”
IOW This guy is beyond reproach.”I think his comments towards bush are somewhat funny. Generally-speaking, there is also a lot of truth to the comments” IOW I agree with this, so he is REALLY beyond reproach.
kneeslider says
OK, that pretty much covers the JJ comments. If more details of his remarks appear I’ll update this post.
We now return to our regularly scheduled motorcycle blog.