I know I've been neglecting the ol' superbike blog a bit lately, but quite frankly, there hasn't been much to write about. Sure, there's been tire testing, there's been the usual meandering of riders from one team to another, and there's definitely been all the boringly predictable predictions that moto writers get tempted to bang-out this time of year (and yes, I acknowledge my own guilt regarding this practice). But aside from the changes at Daytona and the closure of Brainerd, this has been a pretty quiet off-season.

So am I excited about the coming season? Yes. Why? Because motorcycle racing is one of the few things that gives me hope for mankind. In case you just arrived on planet earth, here are a few of the things going on in the world right now that should make you anxious to enjoy the sheer beauty of motorcycle racing:

1. No hockey. Bettman and Goodenow should be ashamed of themselves for what they allowed to happen this year. That loud thumping sound you've been unable to locate is Lord Stanley rolling in his grave.

2. Good morning Iraq! President George W. Bush continues to dump great sums of the US GNP into a freedom effort that will never be fully and permanently realized. Any American who thinks Iraq will ever become a western-style, non-theocratic republic probably deserves to have George Bush squander away his/her hard-earned prosperity. Unfortunately, those of us who aren't stupid are forced to go down with the ship, too.

Oh, by the way, Osama BinLaden is still a free man.

3. Speed traps, gatsos, and the Orwellian surveillance culture. As various local governments across the world continue to spend out of control, they have seen fit to resort more and more often to theft as a means by which to make up their deficits. This story is a pretty good example. I won't go into a diatribe about how most rural and highway speed limits are bogus. You can read more on that fact here.

I know it's all very horrifying, but chin-up, folks. Soon, the 2005 racing season will begin and you can forget for a few months about all the things that are wrong in the world. We may be surrounded by trouble at every turn, but we also have the opportunity to watch some talented racers do their thing. For that, I am truly thankful.