Sunday is for Rest

Few things are more restful...

Or energizing than car shopping. The local Cadillac dealership has the fully loaded CTS in black with the 304hp Direct Injection V6. What a great looking automobile!

Focus

I have to ask myself, why isn't this fine American muscle car in my garage?

Lack of Focus

Time to re-focus... now that GM is trying harder than ever to move cars. And I am doing more traveling... and as Les Brown pointed out, I am too old to take my shoes off every time I want to go somewhere!

-ski

P.S. I also want to pay cash... so that has slowed the process somewhat.

Passion Part II :: Baker Smith

"Ball Girl" video staged

I was correct when I talked about the passion that the ball girl YouTube video sparked; just not about the real creative genius behind the scenes.

Baker Smith at Harvest Films

If you watch any TV, you have seen his work. Classics like the Toyota "Meteor" commercial... or the Fox Sports "Nail Gun". And soon it seems, a Gatorade commercial with a ball girl catching an amazing baseball hit deep into foul territory back at the wall... which suggests to me, that I need to get off my comfort zone and make something happen!

To be that spark that creates something worthy...

The question remains: "What are you passionate about?"


-ski

Fastest House :: Habitat for Humanity

Great video on Critical Chain Project Management

I understand the puzzled looks that I often get when talking about the power of focusing on the constraints in business. For me, when the light went on, it was simply "You don't know, what you don't know."

This is a "Homes & Garden" sort of video showing a Habitat for Humanity home constructed in world record time. Just under four hours. Yes, a house built and ready for "move in" in 3 hours, 55 minutes, and 59 seconds.

Those that have read Purple Curve Effect know my passion for Habitat... and Critical Chain Project Management. But mostly for results...

What are you passionate about?


-ski

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Habitat for Humanity
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Bring the Passion

Ball girl makes amazing catch How serious are you about your work? Anyone following baseball ever so slightly (as I do), has heard the expression, "Bring the heat!" Now, consider, "Bring the Passion." If you are in business for yourself, you simply have to love this clip. She gets my vote for MVP and she isn't even on the team! You cannot pay someone enough to bring this kind of enthusiasm to work... you might not even have this much energy yourself, for your own business. Why not? Having recently read Josh Waitzkin's book, The Art of Learning (and re-renting the movie about his early chess days), I was reminded of his fishing trip before the last scene of the movie. It is where he realizes (and his teacher confirms) that he cannot beat the kid expected to win the tournament. If you have not watched Searching for Bobby Fisher recently, may I suggest you do so? I guess I just did! The rounds of speed chess in the park were as important to Josh's growth as the "book learning" his teacher was spoon feeding him. The edge in that final match (of the movie) came down to passion. Creative energies. I wrote a ton in Purple Curve Effect about never giving up. Guess I should have used the "P" word more often! My hat is off to that young lady. Passion What drives you? -ski ---- Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah www.throughput.us +1 330 432-3533 tag: Ball girl for MVP ©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Mobilizing Minds :: A Review

Great title for a book

Subtitle: Creating Wealth From Talent in the 21st Century Organization

Even better. However, as you already guessed, I was disappointed. Maybe if you are running a Fortune 500 company you will have the required five (5) years to reinvent your organization along the lines described by Bryan and Joyce. Maybe.

Pro

The concept of "rents" is given a place on the center stage, as it should. The authors define rents as "excess returns after paying for all costs including the costs of capital." My readers will recognize this as "throughput"... which I constantly refer to as, "Money in your pocket now, and more money in your pocket in the future."

My crude definition addresses a number of issues, some of which where addressed by Mobilizing Minds. They use the term "performance metrics." In the introduction a plausible course is set before us: today's companies "need to be designed so that they can mobilize mind power as well as labor and capital." Amen.

But as the authors recount years of research and game plans that will take a business five (or more!) years to adopt and integrate, they miss the mark. First, there does not seem to be any understanding of complexity and it's inherent simplicity. While Eli Goldratt is right that one does not need structural or organizational restructuring to implement simple changes that will effect huge and almost immediate benefits, he fails to appreciate (as the scientist, perhaps, given to proving theories rather creating lasting results) that his methods while brilliant (even though nine out of ten times, they are simply common sense) do not last.

Enter H. William Dettmer and his landmark book on Strategy: Strategic Navigation. And Tony Rizzo's Total-Matrix process (basically, it is engineering applied to business). But I digress...

Or do I?

Look, there is a reason that Bill Dettmer and Tony Rizzo are friends as well as clients... they have found the missing the link relative to their area of focus. When I discover someone has the answer to any problem that I am wrestling with, I fire off an email. Make a phone call. Jump on the motorcycle. And get in their face! If you hold the key to my challenge, you can expect a knock on the door.

Life is too short!

Harland David Sanders (KFC's Colonel Sanders) was the exception... we all cannot wait until we reach the age of 65 to start our empires! There is perfect balance in business as in life, or what Sir Isaac Newton called harmony. Mobilizing Minds has some great passages that shed much light on the mentality of larger corporations, but the suggested action plan is misguided (in my not so humble opinion). Few organizations have ten years to study the past, then design a plan that takes five years to implement.

Con

Yes, I only work with privately held firms. So, my mileage must vary. But there is a better solution, and it is called Constraints Management Model (CMM). Dettmer took the best of Goldratt's Theory of Constraints (TOC) and Colonel John Boyd's work (including but not limited to the OODA Loop) and gave us the key: navigation. Bryan and Joyce talk of working the plan backwards. Great. But the framework laid out in Strategic Navigation is light years ahead of anything else to which I have been exposed. And Dettmer freely admits that he only scratched the surface.

Enter Rizzo and his Total-Matrix process that introduces one of the major missing elements: the primary system. Not to mention the true invariant of business systems: information!

Sorry, I got lost in the moment. Was Mobilizing Minds worth the cover price? Yes. It confirms a lot of challenges facing businesses in the 21st century. It talks of the importance of talent. However, there are significantly better solutions. Regardless the size of your company.


Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
Throughput.us LLC
(330) 432-3533

©2008 Throughput.us LLC

Eli Goldratt's Newest Book

Clarke is Johnny on the Spot (again)

I too have an advance review copy of Inherent Simplicity from Eli Goldratt. It is different. Yes, it is a business novel like the The Goal and Critical Chain. However, with numerous references to Goldratt's Viable Vision offers, it seems a "little too inside" to me... but again, there is at least one nugget of profound thought, and therefore, it is worth buying the book.

Plus, surprisingly, there are references to other business gurus!

Through an unusual marketing effort, I may have access to some free copies when the final version hits the street in August. Interested? Drop me a note.

-ski

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Eli Goldratt's Inherent Simplicity
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Delighted Customers?

Our guest blogger is Carol Dickson-Carr of Managing Personal Resources, Inc. in Richardson, TX. A Six Sigma guru applying holistic thinking in order to "get things done!"




In the process improvement world of Six Sigma, the word Kano is associated with customer service—exceptional customer service—if you’re in the right quadrant!

The use of quadrants and matrices in business to gauge where you are is not uncommon. I immediately think of Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow Quadrant and Stephen Pierce’s Cycle of Success I heard about at the Dallas World Internet Summit. And in both cases, there is a most desired quadrant of the four to be in.

Noritki Kano’s model is based on customer expectations, which are always changing right along with technology. There are levels of quality in a product or service that people expect implicitly (i.e., working windows & tires on a car) and explicitly (i.e., good mileage if it’s a compact car). And then there are the bells and whistles associated with unexpected or “exciting” quality. In this day and age an example might be an SUV that gets 100 MPG! The following graph shows how to capture what I just described graphically. This is also known as the Kano Model:


That was a tangible product example.

Let’s look at a recent real life service example: The Unscientific Informal Grocery Store Focus Group…

My husband went out to a local grocery store this weekend to grab a few last minute items he forgot to buy earlier for a barbecue we hosted yesterday. When you go to a grocery store you expect a certain level of service, right? This may include speedy checkout in the 10-items-or-less express lane, for example. He was in a hurry, and the lines were long everywhere and not moving. He guessed that everyone was doing their Saturday shopping at once, but the reality was that the computer servers were down and no one had made an announcement to the customers who were waiting. He eventually had to ask, and then he ultimately ended up leaving to get his items at another grocery store.

This is an example of being in the lower left quadrant of the Kano Model. You don’t want to be there!

So today, while hanging out with friends and Vietnamese food, we all sat around with our cuisine after a swim and talked about what we all believed fell under those various levels of quality in a grocery store. Here are a few of the thoughts we came up with:

Basic Quality Category: What we take for granted (implicit): a climate controlled building, working cash registers, shelves for groceries…

Expected Quality Category: Explicit expectations: Quick checkout in the express lane, fresh food, courteous staff…

Exciting Quality Category: Above and beyond: Free groceries, four-for-one specials, random cash awards of $X for the Xth customer who walks through the door…

You get the idea

But keep in mind that there is always going to be competitive pressure to stay on top of innovation. To quote Tom Pyzdek, “Today’s exciting quality is tomorrow’s basic quality.”

So what are you doing to excite and delight your customers?

–Carol Dickson-Carr

And on the Sabbath...

"... God created the small block Chevy"

Growing up in Ohio (what some have called, Rustbelt Central), we took the automobile very seriously... I recall writing this slogan over and over in study hall during my high school years. Probably even during class.

Think about it: what could be more restful or relaxing than building a Chevy 327ci small block engine? Having rebuilt two in my youth, few activities have done more to get my spirits up. And such it was reading Josh Waitzkin's book, The Art of Learning.

Slowing down time :: Just one of the chapters

Thanks again to Tim Ferriss for pointing out this work of art. It pays to have have smart friends... even if that friendship is based solely only on reading his blog.

I would suggest that most American's know Josh from the movie made about his early years: Searching for Bobby Fisher. As Paul Harvey says, "Here is the rest of the story." And it is a great story. But it is more than that, it is a owners' manual of sorts for those seeking to increase their effectiveness. In business? For sure. But it is more than that, it is a guide to overcoming each and every roadblock that one might face. Yes, in life. And business.

As I have mentioned on more than one occasion, there are seven books that I consider "must reads" in order to make the most out of business adventures. Waitzkin challenges me to expand that list to eight, or drop an otherwise exceptional book. In the next few days and weeks, I will be sharing that list publicly, and only then, will I make my decision.

In the mean time, while you are relaxing over that small block Chevy rebuild, pick up this book. As much as I wanted to jump to Eli Goldratt's newest book, Inherent Simplicity, I stayed the course and was rewarded nicely.


-ski

P.S. Need help changing the world? For me, it starts with me, and this book has become a catalyst in my search for answers on how to be more effective. Your mileage may vary...

P.P.S. It was Ferriss' great post on bad multitasking that led me to the book... I trust for those readers now in their fourth year on my blog, that you have eliminated the deadliest virus known to success. But I digress...

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Josh Waitzkin
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Friday is More Biz Planning

Make the Plan Clear — Habakkuk 2:2

The clock ran out on Thursday before this exciting new business plan was completed...but it will be simple, clear, and complete.

Where is your biz plan?

Do you have your objectives up on the wall for all to see? I recall while working for the Town of Hilton Head Island (first as DBA and then MIS Administrator) that we posted the town's vision on the council's chamber walls.

If you cannot see the goal, you cannot hit it. Pretty simple advice. Next up, how many obstacles are you placing in your path? Let me reiterate: what are you doing to shoot yourself in the foot?

I just quoted a great project (for my vBuzz dot org enterprise) for a worthy cause... but a quick review of the main web site highlighted a number of self-inflicted wounds. Nothing fatal. If corrected quickly.

Come on, no one said business is an individual sport (and no one seems to have the guts to tell Kobe that basketball is a team sport). If you do not own my book, I am not sure if you can make it in the business world. Without my seven tips, and without making them your own, the world can be a very hostile environment. But I digress...

Back to the finalization of one of the world's greatest business plans...

-ski

P.S. Need help on your biz plan to make the world a better place? Call me.

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Purple Curve Effect
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Thursday is Biz Plan Day

Pro Forma... Cashflow... Marketing Plan...

How do you attack the amazing adventure of launching a new business idea?

For me, it starts with the gem of an idea for a better mouse trap. The idea gets under my skin over the course of several days or weeks, or in today's case, years!

Want to create results in just ninety days (90) once you decide to forge ahead? Buy my book, Purple Curve Effect. It is the best tool on the market that I know of for achieving results. As Bill Dettmer pointed out, "It is a quick read." Unlike his texts... which helped to frame my thoughts. In other words, you can gain a "quick to read" book, full of H. William Dettmer's insights, without having to work nearly as hard to read it! But I digress...

One of my steps for business creation: involve others

I can hint that I have assembled a great group of professionals for this next biz adventure... and one that is sure to make international news. But first, back to the task at hand: creating a worthy biz plan.

So what does your Thursday look like?

-ski

P.S. As an aside (on the vBuzz dot org front), I just captured a great podcast with small business owner, Bob Wood at Old West Antiques dot biz... check it out.

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Purple Curve Effect
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Richard Branson

Branson's book is most interesting

I never really knew that much about Richard Branson. But his passion for adventure caught my attention recently around his efforts for space travel. His business successes have not gotten as much play in the states as our business leaders like Steve Jobs or Carly Fiorina.

At least in my not so humble opinion.

His accumulation of wealth is an amazing tale of persistence. Having taken Virgin public, and then when he reported the doubling of profits in that year, the stock market rewarded his shares by doing almost nothing! Seems that was the seed for Branson to then take the company private!

He shared stories that had to be painful to live, and more painful to re-live. I almost cried with him as he told of selling off Virgin Records to save his airline, Virgin Atlantic. Had it not been for the dirty tricks of British Airways trying to destroy Branson (as they apparently had done to Freddie Laker and others), selling the music company would not have been necessary.

It is so frustrating to see businesses (and the management directing them) as well as entrepreneurs portrayed as crooks in all manner of TV and movie plots, that when it really does happen, I simply shake my head in disgust. A good portion of the United States of America's ability to skirt recessions and continue to raise our standard of living is based on the efforts of the small business owner. But I digress...

This is a great book. Read it to understand how focus and the winning attitude created one of the world's greatest success stories. I picked up a nugget or two that I cannot wait to apply!

-ski

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Richard Branson
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Seven Second Soundbytes

The Seven Wonders of the World in Spain Segovia's Aqueduct Seven is a powerful number The root of the word "seven" means perfect or complete or satisfied. Presenting recently at a Lean Six Sigma workshop, I mentioned that while Colonel John Boyd had a reading list of over 300 books for his acolytes, mine is just seven books. As a number of them were mentioned during the hour presentation, very few heads were nodding in acknowledgment of these works of art. As Thayer and I discussed this fact over the phone (on my drive out of Detroit), she suggested a book be written (by us) on the key soundbites from each book. Great idea! Where to start? Easy, start at the beginning! But who gets to decide where the beginning, begins? Me. If you were rushed out of your house at the midnight hour, with the ability to grab just one book from your library, it ought to be Purple Curve Effect — SKI's Through on Command! Why? It alone offers the quickest path to success. Just 90 days for would-be entrepreneurs. Yes, just 90 days. So, over the next few hours (maybe 24 or so), I will write the "heart of the matter" down from PCE and share it with our readers. If you have read our book (Thayer and I wrote it in 2003, and published it in April 2004) and would like to share a "guest blog" spot talkling about how it has changed your business philosophy, please drop me a note or pick up the phone and call me. I cannot emphasize the importance of acquiring this book and then actually READING it from cover to cover. The PDF is just three bucks (US Dollars)... and the paperback is on Amazon dot com from just $14.95USD. Of course, it is only important if you are not having the success that you would like to experience. If your present lifestyle exceeds your wildest dreams, you might could skip reading my book. On second thought, go ahead and read it anyhow... then give your copy away to someone less successful. If you simply do not have the three bucks, let me know. I will give you a copy. This book will change the face of business forever, if, and only if, it gets into enough hands. Like your hands. Yes, that seems a bit "over the top." Sorry. The truth hurts at times. Have you heard the story of TOCreview magazine? I created this international business magazine, full color, 64 page, saddle-stitch binding, complete with contributors, advertisers, subscribers, and staff in just 95 days. Yes, you read that correctly. Over a thousand copies of the premiere issue were mailed around the world. What impossible task have you completed? How long did it take you? Get off your excuses, and pick up a copy of this book. THEN READ IT! Together, we can make a difference. Right where you are standing. Then, in the world. -ski P.S. I am serious... this book holds your answer to quick yet lasting success: ---- Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah www.throughput.us +1 330 432-3533 tag: Got results? Get Purple Curve Effect! ©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Winchester Repeating Arms Calendars

Luke Short's Old West Antiques dot biz
Hits the "mother load" with collectibles

Disclaimer: Luke has hired yours truly and vBuzz.org to help alert collectors of this great new offering on his Olde West site.

These items will not last long!

For the collector putting together that special room to highlight their collection of Winchester Firearms, one or more of these calendars or the Winchester "73" Wood and Plaster display will be the crowning touch that pulls the grouping together. Sure to impress the gang on their next visit!

So, head on over to Old West Antiques and tell 'em "SKI sent me!"

-ski

P.S. Mighty proud of your own collection, but always looking to upgrade? Be sure to visit Luke's "Consignment Corner"...

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: vBuzz.org is a member of the Throughput.us LLC organization.
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Awaken uncommon sense

Put SKI on your next program

Business is never boring... your event speakers should not be boring... and everyone attending my session of the recent Quality Expo in Detroit will attest: SKI is not boring!

My speaker BIO will hit the highlights, and yet nothing (short of attending one of my sessions) will prepare you for my passion for results that I pour into every speaking engagement. Not convinced? Call me for references.

Learn why throughput is defined as more money in your pocket. Learn the key concepts required to quickly correct cashflow in your business (large or small). Learn the "short list" of gurus ready, willing and able to come on site (your site!) and make a difference. Sooner rather than later.

There is no recession. However, specific industries are being pounded. Yet, there are homes being sold. There are people buying new cars. Understanding the vantage point necessary for success, your success, is just a phone call away.

Call me.

-ski

P.S. No, I am not seeking "keynote only" engagements... my message is too important to reserve for such lofty (and more random) opportunities.

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Jeff SKI Kinsey
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Still time for Detroit Expo

The clock is ticking...

Hope to see you in Detroit tomorrow for session 202 on Leading Lean Six Sigma Projects for Quality Manufacturing. My presentation is my tribute to the power of focus, supercharged by Colonel John Boyd's OODA Loop.

-ski

iPhone 3G :: Twice the phone :: Half the price

You had to see this coming... The fact that I would be promoting the new iPhone 3G. As Director of Manufacturing for American custom motorcycle OEM Red Horse Motorworks (back in 2004/2005), I was able to double production and cut WIP (inventory) by half. Seems that concept makes a lot of sense to Steve Jobs. More for less I love it! -ski P.S. Yes, Red Horse went bankrupt late last year (or early this year). American Iron Horse closed the doors too. Its tough to make money when you are focused on the wrong goal. But I digress... ---- Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah www.throughput.us +1 330 432-3533 tag: New Apple iPhone 3G ©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Road Trip :: June 2008

What great weather

I love it when a plan comes together, like my round trip (Ohio/Hilton Head Island) of over sixteen hundred miles on the vRod. Launched at 9:15 am last Thursday, got back at 11:00 pm last night.

Zero rain

Great business meetings on Friday morning, Sunday afternoon and Monday morning.

Plus, worked out (in my head) the best presentation ever on Leading Lean Six Sigma Projects... hope to see in Detroit on Thursday.

-ski

P.S. There is still time to attend... in fact, if you are one of the GM 16000, you need to be at my session!

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: GM 16000
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

An Icon Passes on to his Reward

Bo Diddley will be missed

Wednesday is Primary Systems Day

Tony Rizzo on Primary Systems

Just to set the record straight, I did not compare Tony Rizzo to Sir Isaac Newton.

I was simply relating the mental image that raced through my mind's eye as Rizzo related his discovery of the Primary Systems concept for businesses.

As Malcolm Gladwell pointed out in his book, Blink!, we simply "know" things within an instant. A gut reaction triggers the effort required to do the research to prove (or disprove) that feeling. Since Rizzo shared the details of the value in applying engineering practices to the business of business, my mind has been racing.

For me, this is profound

I have been working business models out in my head for days, trying to quantify this new (to me) discovery. Oh yea, disclaimer: Tony Rizzo is a client. I profit from his success in the Total-Matrix arena. Had Tony not went out of his way numerous times in the past seven years on my behalf, I probably would have sat back, and let him evolve without my input. But I cannot.

My blogs over the past three years have one common theme (IMNSHO): throughput. Which is defined as "money in my pocket now, and more in the future."

Like blogging about my love for the new 2008 Cadillac CTS with Direct Injection 304hp engine! Or the Harley vRod. Or the Apple iPod touch. Or Tony Rizzo. It is not about compensation. It is not about working the angles in order to benefit personally. It is about promoting "stuff" that brings passion to the forefront. Results. Beauty.

Of course, when someone offers me compensation to say what I would have said anyway, that makes perfect sense to me. Like the consultant that Earl Nightingale talked of that shared the power of the list with a client. After sharing the idea, the consultant told the business owner to use the idea for 30 days, then send a check of any amount if the idea had any merit. It did. He did. The business owner sent a check for $25,000.00USD (back in the 1970s as I recall, when that was a lot of money!).

Do I promote Tony's efforts to line my pockets?

No. However, that may happen.

Why then?

You might not make it without his insight!

I have launched a lot of businesses. Employed great people (and some well meaning, but not so great people)... guess what: it is never their fault. It is the CEO or President that bears the responsibility for success or failure. Over simplified? Perhaps.

When light dawns over marble head, and one must admit (to themselves, at least) that they are not the smartest person in the room. It helps to have smart friends! Like Tony Rizzo. And if you know Tony, you know that he is not all that comfortable with the praise that I lavish on him. Humble. I like that in my super heroes! {grin}

Seriously, check out his new blog on Total-Matrix.

It's Engineering applied to Business.


-ski

P.S. Know someone struggling with a business model that is not generating enough throughput? Share this post with them. Let them decide as David Letterman asks, "Is it anything?"

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Total-Matrix
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Chief Iron Tail Sold

S O L D

Just a quick update on the virtual buzz activities surrounding this portrait of the American Indian used for the Indian nickle. It sold shortly after our efforts to find the one person on earth looking for such collectibles. Need help finding the one person looking for your services? vBuzz dot org I approach business with a simple thought in mind: "What can I do to help?" Guess what? Two minds are better than one. Call me. -ski P.S. Before the price of success goes to my head (and my rates go up!)... ---- Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah www.throughput.us +1 330 432-3533 tag: vBuzz.org ©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.

Cruising the Open Road

vRod by Harley-Davidson Depending on how well you know the guys you ride with, your level of skill, their level of skill, and your gut feelings, you may exchange bikes with your closest buddies from time to time. Just for a few short miles. Under ideal circumstances. Then comes the real test of a motorcycle Are you excited to get back on your own steed? Since acquiring this black beauty almost two years ago, the answer always comes back, "Yes!" Recently I rode a couple of Victory's — The Hammer and a Vegas Low. Both are a lot of fun. Although at six feet, I do not need a "low" model to reach the ground, I actually prefer them for getting closer to mother Earth. Makes for a more enjoyable ride, at least to me. I owned a Buell Lightning Low and loved it. But jumping back on the vRod after the test ride, it was obvious (at least to me!) that I should hold onto the vRod, as it was a lot more fun. For buzzing around town and short blasts on the interstate, it rocks! This American vTwin is water cooled (the first production Harley so configured) for better performance. The 1130cc engine is redlined right at 9000rpm. And in stock gearing (up until recent years), would do 50+ miles per hour in first gear! There are still four more gears to go... One of the challenges with so few variations from the factory on the vRod, is how should you make your copy different from all the others? Mine is a 2004 (a left over, bought new in Las Vegas) VRSCB "Black on Black" — whereby the frame and portions of the engine are blacked out. The first few years, vRods only had silver frames and polished aluminum tank and fenders. One treatment I used to make mine unique, was to replace the nacelle covers (the leading edge of both sides of the raditor, shown above) in black. If you look closely in this older photo, you can see that they were chrome. A small thing... but it changes the look & feel. Just as Ferris Bueller recommended owning a Ferrari, allow me to suggest you consider the Harley V-Rod for at least one of your motorcycles... you will still need a bagger and something sporty (like the new Buell 1125r!), but pound for pound, the vRod delivers a ton of excitement. -ski P.S. Yes, you heard me correctly, I think most everyone should own at least three motorcycles. The vRod should be one of them. And if you are in eastern Ohio, consider buying it at Freedom Harley in North Canton. Tell Sam and the guys, "SKI sent me!"

Welcome to June 2008

Should google offer a toggle switch?

Here it is June 1st, and my google alert on Jonathan Schwartz is showing me (again) this older post from May 18th?

Maybe there should be a toggle switch in the google alert setup that says, send me new stuff (within say the last 24 hours)... or not?

Speaking of charity (see his post), I have a couple of favorites:

Bono and Bobby Shriver's (RED) Campaign

Habitat for Humanity

Do you blog about your causes?

Should you?

-ski

P.S. A great way to combat writer's block (Hi Ben!)... {grin}

----
Jeff 'SKI' Kinsey, Jonah
www.throughput.us
+1 330 432-3533

tag: Jonathan Schwartz
©2008 Throughput.us LLC. All rights reserved.