WetLeather Motorcycle Rider Information

This website is a supplement to the WetLeather community, which exists primarily in e-mail. The WetLeather Community is a Greater Pacific Northwest-centric collection of unique individuals who mostly share some characteristics like warped senses of humor and social propriety, unusually high appreciation for the shared joys of cooking and the results thereof, and a penchant for two wheeled locomotion. Anyone is welcome to subscribe to the WetLeather e-mail list. The list is where the party is, not this website. It is intended for socializing as well as advice and questions. Featured topics have included: riding partners, places to sleep, restaurant recommendations, sleeping partners, places to ride, beer recommendations, T-shirt preferences, parties, panties, pantries, pastries, pasties, patsies, waffles, wheat, rain.

A guide for site users and contributors.

Security and Access Control

Snail-mail:
WetLeather Organization
P.O. Box 15263
Spokane Valley WA 99215-5263

click here to send email

It's a fast-moving group, so traditions develop rapidly. Some appear to have no rhyme or reason, while others have a well-known derivation...

Clerical Titles

• Bill Johns is known as da Pope. The precise origin of this isn't clear, but has something to do with his founding of The Gather and association with the BIMC (Illuminati). Check out page 62 of the Pricipia Discordia
• Carl Paukstis was canonized "Saint Carl" at the 1996 Gather in Republic. The WetLadies Chocolate and Mischief Society made gracious gifts.
• Shannon Kelley was elected Cardinal in a special ceremony at Martin & Carol Golding's house during the Goat Roast, 2001. However, we generally refer to her as the "Finance Minister", for her masterful financial skills WRT The Gather, Pasta Veloce, and other WL events.
• Fryer Martin (Golding) got his appellation after the inaugural Fish Fry, when we all got to witness the wonders of his zillion-BTU outdoor propane cookers. This name was cemented at the second Gather when he used those cookers to produce begniet for breakfast.

Nicknames

• The Wizard — H Marc Lewis
  Owner of micapeak.com and provider of all services for WetLeather, he is known as for his web page proficiency.
• de Judge — Mike Johnson
  In the early days of WetLeather, nearly anything requiring judging on WetLeather, e.g. the cookoffs previously mentioned, were judged (at least in spirit) by Mike. First rule: Don't Hurt de Judge. Second rule: I can be bribed.
• Dr. WetLeather — Bjet
  In the tradition of The Usenet Oracle, he wakes up once in a while and provides us with insight into everyone's current psychological problems and musical recommendations.
• Truffle Boy — Mark Morrissey
  Provider of chocolate truffle treats for WetLadies.
• Jeopardy Boy — Tim Surdyk
  http://www.wetleather.com/pictures/jeopardy/
• Goat Boy — Kevin Burgess
  Nobody knows why. It is mpossible to imagine.

Acronyms

The history of WetLeather is rooted in the history of GPNDG and owes much to the Denizens of Doom "motorcycle club".

That first Gather was a great success, with about 30 attendees from as far away as Chicago, including several of our friends from the People's Republic of California. Shortly after that first Gather, there was much rejoicing and story-telling and bench-racing on the GPNDG mailing list from attendees and envious non-attendees. Some folks who were on the mailing list only for directions and announcements were not happy with the growing mail volume.

"WetLeather", "WetLeather.com", "wetleather.com", the "wet rider" symbol of the motorcycle rider under a raining cloud, and the logotype including the wet rider symbol with or without the sytlized representation of the word "WetLeather" are trademarks of Carl Paukstis. The "wet rider" symbol and the logotype are Copyright 1995-2006 Carl Paukstis

I have no intention of being a jerk about trademark issues, etc. but: I invented the name; I started the mailing list; I do all the work; I get to make the rules. As always: I don't enjoy making rules at all, and will make only as many as I feel are necessary for everybody to get along and have fun. Since WetLeather is my creation, I want to maintain some semblance of control over use of the name so that I have some recourse in the unlikely event that someone tries to use it in a way I find undesirable.

To the greatest possible extent permitted by law, Carl Paukstis disavows, disclaims and renounces any and all warranty, obligation, liability, or responsibility for any action, failure to act, debt, guilt, sin, or other consequence which may arise from any usage, failure to use, or indirect consequences to subscribers, their employers or employees, agents, heirs or assigns, common carriers, or any other entity which may in any way become involved with or impacted by WetLeather, its mailing list, web sites, members, subscribers and associates.

You, the user, by registering or continuing your registyration, agree that the value of the group discussion , images, opinions and other material you receive from WetLeather is fair and just consideration and compensation for the obligations and limitations imposed on you by these terms and policies.

Carl Paukstis doesn't promise you that anything at all will happen. He warns you that anything at all MAY happen, and it's all your personal responsibility, not his or anyone else's.

I don't like rules. I tend to think that most things in life work better with more flexibility and fewer rules. I like to rely on a few guiding principles and the fundamental good nature and judgement of people. Then we can take care of isolated problems on a case-by-case basis. I believe that a lot of tolerance and a little common sense are more comfortable for everybody than a bunch of rules.

That's the way I try to run WetLeather. My favorite analogy is that of a somewhat boisterous ongoing cocktail party, with myself as the host. I provide a place for people to gather (electronically), and the group itself sets the mood and tone of the gathering. My duties as host are fairly simple: I make sure that the facilities work; I occasionally provide some refreshment in the form of added services; at times I try to stimulate the conversation; and I insist that guests be at least moderately civil to each other here in the main room.