Sometimes I run across videos that I have to embed here because I find them so profound or so important. This is one of them. Check it out.

from www.zeromotorcycles.com

I’m finally putting some effort back into updating MotorcycleNewsGuy (my motorcycle news site) because, despite what seems to be a difficult economy for motorcycles, there really is a lot of innovation going on out there. I especially love what we’re seeing in alternative-fuel motorcycles, which don’t get nearly as much love here in the US as alternative-fuel automobiles do. And that’s a shame, because a 2-wheeled vehicle tends to get even better mileage per whatever than a 4-wheeled vehicle, and they tend to release even less carbon as well.

So today I’m saluting Zero Motorcycles for bringing out a colorful new 2010 product line of all electric motorcycles for both street and off-road riding. I’d love to get a test ride on one of these soon.

Oh, and you can take a look at my (admittedly weird) MotorcycleNewsGuy post on Zero Motorcycles if you like. MCNG has an odd voice, but I definitely enjoy writing as him.

No, no, get your filthy mind out of the gutter. I’m not talking about that boy-girl stuff. I’m talking about what happens when you see an opportunity for multiple things you’re passionate about to come together. When you have that “holy crap!” moment and realize that it not just a possibility, but there exists a concrete realistic opportunity to do something that you could really potentially love.

And that’s what happened when I found Zero Motorcycles. They’re hiring for their marketing department, and holding a position like that for a company like Zero Motorcycles would be one of those jobs that would be more than a job – it would be something I would wake up every morning looking forward to. Here’s why:

Zero Motorcycles is pretty new company based in Santa Cruz that designs and manufactures electric motorcycles. They’ve got off-road bikes and now a street-legal motorcycle – and the bikes are light, quick, cost almost nothing to power, and are absolutely part of the future of transportation and of motorcycling. And the company embodies much of what I’m passionate about – 1) motorcycles, 2) new technology, 3) a startup with the opportunity to create a premium brand, 4) green technology, and 5) fun! This is a company creating a product for people to love, play with, enjoy, and experience the world in, and they’re doing it in a forward-thinking, environmentally friendly way.

I would rock a job with Zero Motorcycles. There is just so much potential there to be absolutely amazing, and to bring a stunning product to the world.

Check it out-

Movember. Wow, who would have thought growing a mustache would be so frickin hard? About halfway through I was seriously wishing that I was training for a marathon. I mean, I got a lot of grief from women. Maybe they would be been nicer if I was raising money for breast cancer research instead of prostate and testicular cancer research. But hey, cancer is cancer and any time you’re raising money for ANY kind of cancer research, it does have benefits overall for every type. And given that 4 of my grandparents and 1 of my parents all died from different forms of cancer, it’s something that’s pretty important to me.

So a huge thank you to all who supported me or donated money. It was actually a pretty cool experience, topped off by a gala party last Thursday night with a whole lot of other Movember participants (and Mo Sisters.)  I didn’t know what to expect, going to a party in SF with a bunch of dudes sporting staches, but it was actually a blast and hilarious to boot. People were going all out for the costume contests and for the “Man of Movember” grand prize. The crowd was good, everyone was into the whole thing, and for a Thursday evening it kicked ass.

But wow, does it feel nice to be clean shaven again.

As we as a society move further and further away from the idea of Thanksgiving – I mean, people now call it Turkey Day – I figured I’d put some thoughts in about thankfulness and why it’s important. I think that generally we don’t allow ourselves to take the time to think about what’s important in life and to appreciate what we have. Today for me is serving as a reminder that every moment doesn’t need to be filled with stimulation, or productivity, or exercise. I don’t have to pull out my phone to check email when I am sitting at a red light. I can pause, and maybe even spend some time with my thoughts.

It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of our daily lives, and let the flow of moving swiftly from one thing to another be a strong guiding force. In fact, I think that modern society often demands this – a kind of expectation that things will always be busy, and that things should be busy. But when we are always focused on where to get to next, and what else to do, or what we should be doing, a kind of tunnel vision can envelop us that cuts us off from the interesting, the novel, and the beauty inherent in so much of the world. I can certainly get lost in the momentum of things as well, and I want to make it a priority to give myself the chance to be productive and feel good about what I am accomplishing, but also to be able to just sometimes pause. Stop and know that not only is it ok to slow down for a bit, but that to stop, to experience the world, and to notice is healthy. It’s what we’re here for.

So even though we’re a couple days past Thanksgiving now, I’m thankful for the world, for the people that make it so interesting, for the wind that is blowing the yellow, red, and brown leaves off of the trees on my street. I’m thankful that every day I can, if I choose, find something novel and new to try, to see, or I can find new people to meet.

Alright, enjoy the rest of your weekends.

Since I said I was growing a mustache this month, I figure I might as well put an update or two on here, so that at the very least I can look back on this site in a couple of years and remember how goofy I looked.

Yeah, that’s me at about 10 days in. On the plus side, I’ve received $100 in donations, so at least there is worth in this. I mean, $100 won’t cure cancer, but every amount helps fund needed research into ways to fight cancer. If it means I look funny for a month, well, I just think about all the people who go through chemotherapy and lose all their hair, and then it really doesn’t bother me to be growing a mustache at all.

Earlier today I stumbled across a website celebrating what it calls “Movember”, which is the whole month of November being dedicated to the growing of mustaches.  Yeah, it sounds pretty weird. But the whole point of it is to join up, grow your stache, and raise awareness (and money) for prostate cancer research. And really, when it comes down to it, growing a mustache and raising money for prostate cancer (and testicular cancer) research are both awesome things.

I’ve always wanted to have a reason to grow out my stache. At my last job I used to shave every day. As soon as I quit, I think I went almost 3 weeks without shaving. Now, my facial hair doesn’t grow very fast, so the result wasn’t amazing or anything, but it was satisfying in a manly, chicks-can’t-do-this sort of way. So yeah, I’m growing a stache.

I guess my other motivation comes from my grandfather, who passed away earlier this year due to prostate cancer. A really high percentage of men end up getting prostate cancer but it really doesn’t get as much attention as some other cancers.

Hopefully events like Movember help change that a little bit, and do a little bit of good.

Oh, and if you want to join my team, it’s called Stachetaculous and you can join up at http://us.movember.com/

Here’s my day 1 photo (fully clean shaven for the first time in a couple months):

Yeah, that’s what I’m doing right now. While my dinner gets cold. Just felt like I should write something. Are you as bored as I am by this? Yeah, thought so.

I’ll try again tomorrow.

I find this performance of the Jackson 5 to be amazing – an absolute showcase of the talent Michael displayed even at a young age.

There’s a little comedy bit at the beginning of the clip – skip to the 1:20 mark to see the music start.