Hi Dan, thank you for your reply! Dan: > I run a small motorcycle repair shop. We've always (affecctionately) > referred to Japanese bikes like Hondas as "rice-burners" on account of > the noises the engine makes. Many died-in-the-wool Harly riders tend > to use that as a derogatory term though. >
> Ahem. Excuse me while I choke on my coffee. Until 1969, Harleys were > manufactured entirely in the United States. Now they are assembled at > 4 plants, still in the US, but using parts made globally. > > That aside, the Japanese used W. Edward Deming's theories to produce > high quality products by requiring rigid adherence to conformity. > Continual improvement was his mantra. He stressed thinking of > manufacturing as a system, not just as a series of parts being put > together. His ideas have been pretty much universally adopted these > days. > So I am guessing that the litany of common knowledge has to do with Mr. Pirsig's concept of ritual as an emptying out? The bad coffee reference is giving me difficulty however. I'll keep reading in hopes of finding that. > Dan: > Celebrity is the word to use. The BMW confers a higher source of > celebrity that the rice-burner does not. It is all about status. > Ah! While it is obvious that celebrity and status is not what perceived value is all about, your framing it in those terms was very good. When your characterization is correct it fits so well into the: one person's delusion == insanity several peoples' delusion == minority opinion many peoples' delusion == religious orthodoxy Dan: > Though I work on motorcycles I do not ride. I associate with many > bikers though during the course of my business. There are your basic > Sunday afternoon riders who ride Goldwings. And then there are your > Harley enthuisists who wouldn't be caught dead on a Honda. Most bikers > (who live the life, so to speak) fall into the latter category. > > It is the force of celebrity that drives people to ride the bikes they > ride. Your doctors and lawyers ride big expensive Harleys because they > can afford it, while a biker does the same but is known as > "Harley-poor." They tend to live in a hovel, collect cigarette butts > to roll their own cigarettes, and dress in second-hand clothing, all > to afford their bike. It is a status symbol. > Interesting divisions. > Dan: > I think once you get through LILA a couple times you'll come to see > what I am saying in a better light. > That is my plan. I hope that it provides illumination! Thanks again, -Alec Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
