Born To Ride News

Dennis Hopper Dead at 74

Published May 29, 2010| TVGuide

LASVEGAS – JUNE 14

: Actor and chair of the CineVegas creative advisory board Dennis Hopper poses for a portrait during the 11th annual CineVegas film festival held at the Palms Casino Resort on June 14, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for CineVegas) *** Local Caption *** Dennis Hopper

Dennis Hopper, the Easy Rider director best remembered for playing whacked-out characters during an acting career that spanned six decades, died after a long bout with prostate cancer. He was 74.

Hopper died Saturday morning, the office of his agent, Liz Dalling, told TVGuide.com. No immediate details were released.

Critics and fans often said no one did crazy roles better than Hopper. For a long time, those roles reflected how he was living.

The Dodge City, Kan., native was a bit of prodigy, appearing in feature films such as Rebel Without a Cause, Giant and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral by the time he was 21.

After making Rebel and Giant together, James Dean and Hopper became fast friends. When Dean was killed in his Porsche in September 1955, Hopper was devastated.

Much of the work he did in the ’60s was generally undistinguished — until he directed 1969′s low-budget Easy Rider, in which he co-starred with Peter Fonda and a still upcoming Jack Nicholson. It was a huge success — both at the box office and as a talisman for the turbulent times, leading to other anti-war, anti-establishment films. The movie was nominated for the top honor at the Cannes Film Festival, (where it won “best first work”) and Hopper received an Academy Award nomination for original screenplay.

Hopper’s next directing effort, however, 1971′s The Last Movie, bombed.

Hopper then went on a colossal bender that he subsequently wasn’t shy about discussing.

In 2001, the actor/filmmaker/artist talked about being sober for 18 years — and not only from booze. He did various hallucinogens and narcotics. “I only used to do cocaine so I could sober up and drink more. My last five years of drinking was a nightmare. I was drinking a half-gallon of rum with a fifth of rum on the side, in case I ran out, 28 beers a day, and three grams of cocaine just to keep me moving around. And I thought I was doing fine because I wasn’t crawling around drunk on the floor.”

In the wake of that, he was quoted as saying: “I should have been dead 10 times over. I’ve thought about that a lot. I believe in miracles. It’s an absolute miracle that I’m still around.”

Before he kicked his habits, Hopper offered a memorable performance as a nutty photographer in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.

The 1980s saw a comeback by a clean and sober Hopper — culminating with David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, in which he played an off-the-deep-end criminal. In 1986, he played a sad alcoholic in Hoosiers, offering a performance that brought him an Oscar nomination for supporting actor.

Dennis Hopper starts experimental treatment for prostate cancer

In his limited TV work, Hopper received an Emmy nomination for the 1991 HBO film Paris Trout, an adaptation of a Pete Dexter novel. More recently, he played a drug-addled music producer in the Starz premium channel’s spinoff of the Oscar-winning movie Crash.

Hopper also made a name for himself as a photographer and artist, and his works were exhibited around the world.

Dennis Hopper’s wife wants full custody of daughter

Married five times, he recently filed for divorce from his wife of nearly 14 years, Victoria, with whom he had a 7-year-old daughter, Galen. He had three grown children from his previous marriages. One of those marriages, to Michelle Phillips, lasted eight days.

Hoosiers
The Last Movie
Easy Rider
Rebel Without A Cause

 
Blue Velvet
Apocalypse Now
Giant
Gunfight At The O.K. Corral
Dennis Hopper
Francis Ford Coppola
Jack Nicholson
James Dean
Michelle Phillips
Peter Fonda
David Lynch
Paris Trout

General Richard Myers is Keynote Speaker at Rolling Thunder, Inc.’s 23rd Annual Memorial Day Demonstration, May 28-30, 2010, in Washington, DC

Neshanic Station, NJ – Gen. Richard B. Myers, USAF (Ret.) will be the keynote speaker on May 30 during Rolling Thunder’s 23rd annual Memorial Day weekend demonstration May 28-30, 2010, in support of POW/MIA and veterans’ issues. Gen. Myers was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2001 until his retirement in September 2005.

As chairman, Gen. Myers was the United States military’s highest ranking uniformed officer and in this capacity, he served as the principal military advisor to the President, Secretary of Defense, and National Security Council during the earliest stages of the War on Terror. Gen. Myers has participated in the Rolling Thunder Memorial Day events for several years, usually riding his motorcycle at the head of the motorcade that travels from the Pentagon to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool each year for the Sunday program.

Other speakers for the Sunday program include:

• Rolling Thunder Executive Director Sgt. Artie Muller
• Former Green Beret, Operation Enduring Freedom veteran and U.S. Senate candidate from Arkansas Trevor Drown
• Veterans’ activist and long-time Rolling Thunder supporter Nikki Mendocino
• Dolores Alfond, national chairperson, National Alliance of Families of POWs/MIAs
• Johnie E. Webb, deputy to the commander for public relations and legislative affairs, Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command (JPAC)

 Providing musical tributes at the Sunday event once again will be internationally known singer/entertainer Nancy Sinatra, along with the U.S. Army Band “Downrange,” country singer Gordon Painter, and the Loch Rannoch Pipe & Drum Band. The weekend lineup also includes the traditional Friday night candlelight vigil at the Vietnam Wall and the Saturday “Salute to Our Troops” program at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, followed by a reception honoring families of POWs/MIAs, Gold Star/Blue Star families, and wounded veterans, at the Hyatt Crystal City (8 p.m.).

A new addition this year is the inaugural ride of the Rolling Thunder Inc. Flame of Freedom, which will be transported via motorcycle escort across country, beginning in Taos, NM in early May, arriving in Washington, DC on May 27. The Flame will be used at the candlelight vigil to escort Gold Star families as they walk along the Vietnam Wall during the remembrance. Complete event details will be available in the online press room at the Rolling Thunder Inc. National web site. Click here to get more information about the Flame of Freedom.

This year, Rolling Thunder is emphasizing the urgency of keeping their mission and messages current in the face of competing national issues. “With the economic recovery and healthcare reform taking center stage, the POW/MIA issue is one that nobody in our government wants to address anymore. If they keep dragging their feet, sooner or later anyone who was captured alive will have passed away. But for their families, there is never any closure. Searching for and returning remains is a valid mission but there is too much evidence that live POWs were left behind, particularly in Southeast Asia, and we shouldn’t give up efforts to find them,” said Rolling Thunder National Executive Director and co-founder.

“As a case in point, for years we have been trying to get legislation passed that would create a House Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. In the 110th Congress we had nearly 300 co-sponsors and in this session we have nearly 250, yet the resolution has not come to the floor for a vote. We do not understand why this bill is being blocked,” he added.”

About Rolling Thunder

Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder®, Inc. is a class 501 C-4 non-profit organization with over 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States. Membership comprises men and women with 40-45% being non-veterans with the balance being veterans from all wars and peacetime. Although many of its members ride motorcycles, a person does not have to own or ride a motorcycle to be a member, just the time and willingness to be an advocate for our troops, veterans, and POW/MIAs. For more information about Rolling Thunder, visit the organization’s web site at www.rollingthunder1.com/index.html.

Information for Media

Program details and background information, including Rolling Thunder’s message points, will be available in the online press room and are updated as needed. Members of Rolling Thunder’s national media committee will be available at event locations throughout the weekend to assist working press with interviews, photographs, and any other needs. For more information or to schedule interviews in advance, please contact Nancy Regg, national media committee chairperson, at (908) 310-3268 (cell) or nregg2@comcast.net.

Join Roaring Toyz at Atlantic Beach Bikefest!

WIN $250 in Roaring Toyz Credit!

Get our new Signature Series Swingarm

Check out the custom Roaring Toyz Kawasaki Z1000

Myrtle Beach Black Bike Week has transformed into Atlantic Beach Bikefest. Join Roaring Toyz for the Memorial Day Weekend event that is still the biggest sportbike rally in the U.S.!

Roaring Toyz will be featuring a display of our best custom sportbikes, including the new Kawasaki Z1000. Kawasaki commissioned this build so we could design aftermarket parts for it, so pick up a few things for your own Z1000 at Bikefest. Atlantic Beach Bikefest will also feature the debut of our first customized BMW: the new BMW S1000RR with a new billet single-sided 240 swingarm, PM Element Platinum-Cut wheels, a Brocks Alien Head exhaust and a fresh new paint job.

We’ll have a wide inventory of exhausts, swingarms, mirrors, and the rest of your favorite Roaring Toyz parts for sale. Come check out our new Signature Series swingarms. These complete kits have everything you need for installation, right down to the engraved axle cover plates. You’ll be able to check out our Outside Drive 330 swingarm kits, too. And best of all, the Roaring Toyz crew will be on hand to install parts for you on site!

You want more? Enter to win a $250 Roaring Toyz credit! Just sign up in our display area for a chance to win cash for customizing.

Where the Party’s At: The heart of Atlantic Beach Bikefest is at 30th Avenue South and Ocean Boulevard, and Roaring Toyz will be right there in the middle of it. Bikefest officially kicks off at noon on Friday, May 28. Things get started at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and the party lasts til 2 a.m. On Monday, hang out with us from 9 until 3 p.m.

Parking Tip: 30th Avenue South will be shut down to provide FREE parking for bikes. Park your ride at the hottest spot in Atlantic Beach.

We want YOUR photos on Facebook! Join the discussion and show off your Roaring Toyz ride on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/RoaringToyz

 Are you following us on Twitter yet? Keep up with the latest news and parts. http://twitter.com/RoaringToyz

2010 Americade tops the list of summer riding destinations

 PICKERINGTON, Ohio — It’s a fair bet that 50,000 motorcyclists can’t be wrong. Every year, thousands of road riding enthusiasts eagerly throw a leg over their motorcycles in pursuit of some of the finest riding in the Northeast at Americade — the best touring rally in the nation.

Americade, the American Motorcyclist Association’s (AMA) Grand National Rally in 2010, returns to the idyllic town of Lake George, N.Y., June 8-12. The annual week-long event is a longstanding favorite among motorcyclists, and the 2010 event is shaping to be Americade’s best-ever.

With participation from 14 motorcycle manufacturers, the largest TourExpo trade show to date, boat tours on beautiful Lake George, whitewater rafting, hot air balloon rides, a host of informational seminars conducted by top industry people and nearly $100,000 in door prizes up for grabs, the week’s biggest challenge may be narrowing down the choice of things to do.

Those who need even more options can add these additional AMA goodies to the mix. First, there’s an AMA-sponsored Vermont Mini-Tour that awards one prize each day to a lucky rider during the lunch stop. Or how about prizes for the first-, second- and third-place AMA members participating in the charity poker run?

“We are looking forward to a fantastic, fun-filled, non-stop week,” said AMA Road Riding Manager Dave Hembroff. “We’ll have a special AMA booth in the TourExpo area and we encourage everyone to drop by and learn more about the AMA. We want motorcyclists to understand how being an AMA member helps us all preserve and protect the motorcycling lifestyle for this and future generations.”

To learn more about Americade, visit Americade.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations.

The Florida Museum for Women Artists in historic downtown DeLand, Florida, is pleased to present the historically significant exhibition “Illustrating Orchids”.

The exhibition presents the art of two botanical illustrators whose work is the epitome, not only of scientific illustration, but also of the creative perfection that makes the works great art. Blanche Ames Ames (1878-1969) and Marion Ruff Sheehan (1924-1998) used their extensive artistic abilities to document the form and structure of the numerous genera of orchids. Working in ink and watercolor the artists made precise renderings of the dissected orchids before them. Each of the women teamed with their husbands – prominent scholars of orchid study. The exhibition includes original ink drawings, original watercolors and lithographs made from the originals.

The works are from the collections of the Botanical Libraries of Harvard University, the collection of Thomas and Marian Sheehan The exhibition will be on display to the public at the Florida Museum for Women Artists from Saturday, May 8 through Sunday, August 29, 2010.

The exhibition will be enhanced by presentations about the artists, orchids and illustration.

Sunday, May 30, 2:00pm, Presentation on the Life and Work of Blanche Ames – Mr. T. P. Plimpton, Ormond Beach Landscape Architect, gives a presentation about the life and works of Blanche Ames whose botanical works are included in the exhibition. Mrs. Ames is Mr. Plimpton’s grandmother. Mr. Plimpton will discuss not only the works in the exhibition, but also his grandmother’s fascinating and productive life, such as her work with women’s rights, architectural designs and oil paintings and her inventions. Registration is strongly suggested.  Event is free with your museum admission.

Saturdays, June 12 and 26, 1:00 – 3:00 pm, Orchid Plant Evaluation and Repotting Workshop – Ever wondered what type of orchid you own or how well it is growing? What attention does your orchid need? Does the plant need to be repotted and how do you do that? This is the workshop for you. John Isaac, Wisperwood Orchids and David Swoyer, NovaFolio Orchids, will give a brief introduction to orchids at 1:00 pm. Those with questions and who need to have plants identified should participate then. At 1:30 they will demonstrate how to divide plants and repot.   Event is free with your museum admission.  Then they will repot for anyone paying a fee of $5.00 ($4.00 for members) per plant. Pots and mix will be provided for the paid repotting. Repotting will be done from the registration list on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration is strongly suggested.

Sundays, June 20, 2:00 – 3:00 pm, Walkthrough of the exhibition with the Curator – David Swoyer, the curator for the exhibition and orchid aficionado, will conduct a walkthrough of the exhibition discussing the history, science and aesthetics of the works; the types of orchids in the images; and the careers of the artists that made the works. Registration is strongly suggested.  Event is free with your museum admission.

The Florida Museum for Women Artists is a 501(c)(3) organization. The mission of the Florida Museum for Women Artist is to identify and promote women artists and educate the public about women in the arts.

The Florida Museum of Women Artists is located at 100 N. Woodland Blvd. Suite 1 in DeLand Florida. 

Gallery, Museum Shop and Café hours: Tue-Thursday: 11am to 6pm, Fri-Sat: 11am to 7pm, Sundays: 1pm-5pm Closed: Mondays and major holidays. 

http://www.floridamuseumforwomenartists.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/entry-form1.pdf

    He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, “We have an H.R. on this flight.” (H.R. stands for human remains.) “Are they military?” I asked.
                   
    ‘Yes’, she said.
                   
    ‘Is there an escort?’ I asked.
                   
    ‘Yes, I already assigned him a seat’.
                   
    ‘Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early,” I said…
                   
    A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.
                   
    ‘My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,’ he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.
   
    I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.
                   
    We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. ‘I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board’, she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia.
                   
    The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do.. ‘I’m on it’, I said. I told her that I would get back to her.
                     
    Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher.. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
                   
    Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:
                   
    ‘Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.’
                   
    I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, ‘You have no idea how much this will mean to them.’
                   
    Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.
                   
    ‘There is a team in place to meet the aircraft’, we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, ‘Take your time.’
                   
    I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, ‘Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.’
                   
    We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.
                   
    When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of ‘God Bless You’, I’m sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
                   
    Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
                   
    I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .
   
    Foot note:
    As a Viet Nam Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they we were treated. When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.
                     
    I know every one who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Waterproof and Full-Featured Construction for All Riding Conditions

MILWAUKEE (2010) – Built with a vast array of road-ready features, the new men’s Steadfast Functional Jacket (P/N 97298-11VM, $275) from the Harley-Davidson^® MotorClothes^® line is aimed at serious riding. It’s constructed from extra-durable, 600 denier waterproof-nylon, with a waterproof fleece zip-off hood. For added comfort it comes with a padded back waist, action back, power-stretch side panels, a removable kidney belt and adjustable cuffs/waist. For added protection there’s lightweight, removable body armor at the elbows and shoulders, with the option of adding more at the back. Six pockets, zippered air vents and ample 3M^™ Scotchlite^™ Reflective Material complete the package. Available in S – 5XL and Tall sizes.

The Steadfast Functional Jacket is available in July at most Harley-Davidson dealerships.

For additional information on Harley-Davidson MotorClothes products, see your local Harley-Davidson dealer or visit harley-davidson.com. To find a dealer near you, call 1.800.LUV.2RIDE in the U.S. or Canada.