Save the World, Save Fuel, and Save Money

I am slowly getting used to paying 50 bux or more when I fill my motorcycle's fuel tank. No, that's not true. I am not getting used to it. I am getting to hate it more and more every time it happens. And heaven help the pump jockey who comes the uncooked crustacean with me about taking my helmet off when he's extracting – more then 50 bux for each liter of fuel from me.

Not amused. Not happy. Time to get sensible and look at ways of saving fuel – even on a motorcycle. Here are some ways of doing just that, arranged in no particular order. And yes, I know that many of them are obvious – but I'm prepared to bet that you (like me) have been ignoring them anyway, because after all, motorcycles use little fuel, don't they?

Well, these days even that “little fuel” costs a lot of money, so it's time to give the fuel use a bit more attention. I give you hereby my top 10 ways; if you have any others you can always post them by using the comments option under this article.


1) Tune the beast, and by that I don't just mean getting the carburetion right (although that helps). IF you have fuel injection, make sure the jets are clear. It's amazing how much crap fuel there is out there and even partially blocked jets lead to excessive usage. So does a badly set carburettor.

2) Check your choke. It can easily happen that wear, accumulated grease or simply stretched cables are affecting the way the choke opens and shuts. Even a slight “leak” here can cost fuel and affect spark plugs.

3) Clean or replace the air filter. If the engine doesn't have equal access to fuel and air it will start drinking more heavily (I'm the same, actually). This is pretty easy to sort and should be something you do regularly, anyway. Dirtbike owners tend to be better at this than roadbike people, for obvious reasons.

4) Get your tyre pressure right. Properly inflated tyres give you safe handling without wasting fuel. How many of us run around on under-inflated tyres just because we can't be bothered checking them? Or we do not have the right equipment to check the tyre pressure? Lots, including me. Till now! Motorcycle and tyre manufacturers often recommend a range. If you're going to do a lot of freeway kilometers you might think about taking the pressure to the upper limit of what's recommended. If you're going to hit the back roads and need good handling, it's better to not go too high with the pressure.

5) Go forth smoothly. Remember the big scare about the way luggage racks increase fuel usage in cars? Well, if you have (unnecessary) pannier sticking out the side of the motorcycle, especially soft ones, or if you wear flubbed jackets or subject your motorcycle to any number of other non-smooth looks, you're slave to the same effect. Trucks save enormous amounts of fuel by just fitting a fuel scoop and tidying up the covers over their loads.

6) Change up early. Stay in the motorcycle's effective rev rang, but resist the temptation to rev out before each gear change. If you make a habit out of changing early, you will reap the benefit of improved kilometers per liters; I know, I've worked on this one and it's quite noticeable. Don't rev the engine out unless it's really necessary. Don't lug it, either.

7) Look after lubrication. If things are turning smoothly inside the engine and gearbox, it takes less fuel to spur them on. Make sure you're using the correct lubricants and change them regularly – at least as often as your manual requires, ideally even more frequently.

8) Check the chain. A staggering amount of power is robbed by a poorly adjusted chain and that power needs to be made up by burning extra fuel. So adjust the chain properly and while you're doing that make sure that nothing else, such as brake pads is dragging either.

9) Think “economy, not all the time, obviously. You don't want to lose the fun of riding because of some humorless concentration on squeezing the last bit of power out of every drop of fuel – but keep it in mind. A friend of mine wins economy runs on his – Harley Davidson Sportster and one of his tricks is to ride on the white line at the edge of the road. Less rolling resistance, you see. No, I don't recommend you to do this in normal riding, but it's just one of the things to keep in mind.

10) A warm engine is happy engine. If you are going to work the motorcycle hard, make sure it's fully warmed up before you do. All the various bits and pieces will be slipping past each other in a nice , warm film of oil and resistance will be minimized.

Feelings do not change facts…

Ever strived to distinguish your feelings from the facts….??

In any situation, there are things you can control and things you cannot control.
Focus your attention on what you can control rather than on what you cannot control.

Living by principles, as I see it, requires a constant mindfulness and critical assessment of individual situations as they arise to discover which principles are applicable to the situation and to what extent. Simply overlaying a principle onto a situation without that careful consideration turns it back into a rule, imo. It’s the thought behind the principles that differentiate them from rules. I don’t
mind following rules. The principle that it’s best to do what others need you to do in a situation covers that.

Treat all family members (including animals) the way that you would want to be treated. This covers a multitude of areas such as property, feelings, privacy, etc. I believe that this is a good basic philosophy for all areas of life; marriage, parenting, employment, neighbors, friendships, even just driving down the road.

One of the biggest causes of relationship difficulties at home or a work is one person attempting to control another. Not only does the mind function poorly when dwelling on things you cannot control, relationships cannot prosper when one person attempts to inappropriately control the other.

Although optimum mental and emotional effectiveness is obtained by focusing approximately 90% of your attention and energy on what you can control, there are also things you cannot completely control that require your attention. Goals or plans involving other people or external events, for instance, are important to think about even though you cannot entirely control the outcome. For example, you may set a family goal to improve communication by speaking in a kind manner. Although you can control your contribution to the goal, better family communication requires the efforts of others, whom you cannot control. Some people are so aware of and involved with their feelings that they lose sight of what the facts are and whether or not their feelings are supported by the facts. Such individuals tend to base their opinions and decisions on how they feel, often without considering all of the facts in the situation. To them, what they feel represents what is real.
Attempting to reason or communicate with someone who believes that what they feel determines
what is real is an exercise in frustration. They tend to give their feelings more credibility than the facts, regardless of how much evidence you give them.

For example,

1) Although Norm and Sue are living beyond their means, when Norm feels He can afford to get married, financial facts cannot convince him otherwise. Since he feels good about the whole relation, he “reasons,” it must be all right…!!

2) When Norm makes her feel she can/is eligible/can afford to get married to someone else in spite of she loving a second person …facts don’t convince her really but the feel good factor about the first relation makes her reason “extra marital must be alright…!!” When you are able to distinguish the facts in a situation from your feelings about the facts, you will be in the best position to objectively and sensitively examine all available information.

Amen..God save our lives ..!!

Wives gone amoral…?? Plz STOP

The affair: Maybe you’ve considered it. Maybe you’re in it. Today’s women are acting on the urge, more than ever before, a new survey reveals.

One in five married women has had a fling — the highest numbers ever recorded, according to one group of researchers. In fact, the numbers of cheating wives now equals the statistics on cheating husbands, according to a studyby Tom W. Smith with the National Opinion Research Center.

In these Sex and the City days, that’s hardly startling. “Society has given women permission to be sexually active, and it’s perfectly clear why women do it … it’s for the same reasons men do.

The workplace, working out, the Internet — women have more sexual opportunities than ever before. With better salaries and no children, the stakes seem low if they are caught.

For more insights, I asked WebMD readers about their indiscretions. Here’s what some shared:

“My ex-wife cheated and left me for her boss,” writes one male. “I took part of the blame myself. To be fair, I didn’t pay her enough attention or affection. Though I didn’t know why at the time, I was very closed off and introverted. I don’t think I knew how to be in a good relationship.”

A woman writes: “Yes, I have cheated. I am not proud of it, but I got married young and hubby wasn’t paying any attention to me. I worked 12-hour days to come home every night to be by
myself. The morning came when he went to work and I left for three days. Can’t say I had a miserable time but now that I have kids, I wouldn’t do it again. We went to counseling and now are happy with two kids.”

Another woman shares her story:
“I have been the “other woman” for a married man. We used to meet almost every day while she was at work and we would just walk around the park where no one would know. One day … he told me he had fallen in love with me. … It remained sexual for about four months. I finally ended the relationship. I felt guilty lying to his wife … and I wanted a real relationship.”

What Married Women Want

For some cheating wives, the affair is truly all about sex, says Nadine Kaslow, PhD, a family counselor and psychologist at Emory University School of Medicine.

“When they were dating, there was passion, they want that passion back. If they’re physically attracted to someone else, they may act on it,” she tells WebMD.

Not that every woman is unfaithful.
“Certainly many women have affairs. But many, many don’t. When you wait to get married when you’re older and more mature, you make a better choice of the appropriate person, and you may be more engaged in the relationship.”

Also, not all affairs are flings, she points out. “Sometimes people develop an emotional connection, an emotional affair, rather than something sexual.”

For most women, aninattentive husband is indeed the biggest problem. His “affair” with his work or some other passion like sports may turn her into a cheating wife. “She doesn’t feel valued, respected, she’s not treated nicely, she feels taken for granted. If she finds someone who helps them feel good about themselves, who does those small things, says the right things, it’s very
seductive, very appealing.

A married couple’s views of their roles may clash: He wants a “traditional” she-cooks-dinner
marriage. She prefers the gym after a stressful workday — not the kitchen. Both styles of marriage can work. “What makes the difference is whether they’re in sync or not. When that’s not resolved, it’s likely someone will be frustrated.

Their emotional relationship can also be problematic. If they’re joined-at-the-hip constantly, they may be smothering each other’s identity. If they are too “distant” and independent, they will likely seek a bond with someone else.

In fact, all couples have problems. But couples who have warm, supportive feelings for each other — and express those feelings — will stay married.

One large study looked at this issue. “Researchers thought they would find those who wanted divorce had more problems,” he says. “But that was not true. All the couples
had problems. The difference was the number of positive statements they made
about each other.”

The happy couples said many more positive statements than negative ones to each other. “Unhappy couples say more negative statements than positive. There’s a very specific
ratio — three positive things for one negative.”

Can This Marriage Be Saved?

If your marriage is getting dusty and rusty — if another guy has caught your eye — think twice, three times, then think again before you act on it. “You need a marriage counselor,
not an affair. Your “need” for an affair has nothing to do with that new guy, he says. “And it’s not about sex, even though it may seem that it is. That person represents the needs that you want fulfilled. This is about problems in your marriage, what you’re not getting from your
marriage.”

“Having an affair always has a negative affect on a marriage. “It erodes trust, people feel betrayed. But it doesn’t always mean they have to end the relationship. I have seen affairs become a painful wake-up call. It takes a long time to rebuild trust. I have seen couples get past affairs, but it’s hard.”

Of course, when children are involved, the priorities shift dramatically to them. “Those couples have a real responsibility to look at their problems, to look at what they’re not
getting in the marriage. It’s a good time to get a marriage counselor involved. Will your marriage weather an affair? “It makes a difference what kind of relationship you have."If the marriage is based on friendship, mutual respect, and caring, it can weather many problems. But after an affair, it’s really hard to build that kind of foundation.”

It may sound un-sexy, but relationships take work. “If couples don’t actively work on their relationship, then they drift apart. One will seek attention elsewhere. It’s a human need.

The essence of “working on a relationship” is to talk more often — and more honestly.
“Unfortunately, couples often get stuck in a pattern … a certain problem keeps coming up, and they are unable to solve it. Frustrated enough, they may look for someone they don’t have that conflict with.” That’s where a marriage counselor can help, he adds.

While parents often say the kids don’t know about the affair, they will know something’s wrong. “There may not be a cold war, but there will be tension.”

Their parents’ bad relationship teaches kids negative patterns — even if they don’t learn about
an affair, she adds. “If there is disrespect or no passion or if parents don’t communicate effectively, it increases the chances kids drawn to repeat that pattern. They have fewer strategies in working out problems, in getting
their needs met.”

If your marital problems have been ignored too long, the worse the prognosis for your marriage. “We try desperately to get to people before they have an affair. An affair complicates things greatly. Then you’re dealing with the lack of trust, the emotional repercussions.”

Before you cross the line, realize that cheating wives gain nothing. If you’re trying to send a wake-up call to your husband, an affair is not the way. “I’ve worked with
innumerable couples, and not a single affair offered anything positive.”

A HUMBLE OPEN HEARTED REQUEST TO ALL THE COUPLES……..

“CHEATING IS THE END OF ANY SANE RELATION AND HUMAN…THINK THRICE BEFORE CHEATING ON YOUR PARTNER”