I am writing this letter after the devastating hurricane Helene hit the state of Florida. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to everyone that has been affected by this horrible storm. We hope everyone can keep their spirits up and rebuild and rebound from this. We at Full Throttle are doing all we can to help those in need. There is a benefit happening at Quaker Steak and Lube on October 6th and we will be there doing all we can to help raise funds and supplies for anyone who needs it! God Bless and Stay Safe. There are some great events coming up. First, we would like to discuss Cotee River Bike Fest re-scheduling their event from October to Mid-January due to the storm and how close the area was damaged. We all believe this is a great decision, the weather, although could be cold, is a better time of the year to host this huge three-day event in Downtown New Port Richey.
Biketoberfest is October 17th – 20th in Daytona Beach and Full Throttle has 4 bike shows in Three days! We are very excited for the shows this year as we think it’s going to be a great event. First is Thursday October 17th at The Cabbage Patch. This is a 12-class bike show with registration from 11am till 3pm and bike show awards at 4pm. The bikes park right in the middle of the event near the coleslaw wrestling mound. We have 1st and 2nd place trophies in each class and a 4 ft best in show and judges’ choice trophy as well. Our next show is the SAME DAY in the evening at Grandview Live. Registration is from 8pm till 11pm with awards around midnight or 1am. We also do an audio show at this event where we have been talking with Robey from Urban
Rides Magazine where he is helping make it a much bigger and better audio contest. Our Next Bike show is on Friday and is one of the largest and best bike shows in Daytona Beach, It’s the Boardwalk Bike Show on Friday October 18th. We usually get around 100 – 150 bikes in the show for Biketoberfest and we love seeing the different kinds of bikes that show up! We line them down the boardwalk and it makes for a great day and a great picture on top of the boardwalk itself. There are 18 different classes of bikes to enter, and you get a discounted entry fee if you are there early between 8am and 10am. Awards for this show are around 5pm. We have 3 trophies in each class and multiple other special trophies with a six-foot best in show trophy and a $500 cash prize! Our last show is our newest show and is at the Winghouse on International Speedway Blvd. on Sunday October 19th. This is a 12-class bike show and there will also be a Winghouse Bikini Contest after the show awards at 5pm! You won’t want to miss the photo opportunities and bikini contest! We hope to see everyone in Daytona Beach for Biketoberfest, safe travels.
Our last bike show in October is going to be at Thunder Beach in Panama City Beach Fl. Full Throttle hosts the Best of Thunder Beach Bike Custom Bike Show at the Crossroads 15238 Front Beach Road. Registration is from 10 am till 3pm with awards at 4pm and after talking with Robey again from Urban Rides Magazine, he will be putting on an audio show during the day there also which will make this a huge event!!! Thunder Beach is a great event, and we love doing the bike show there and of course all the areas of the event like the Harley Dealership, Frank Bown Park and of course Ms. Newby’s.
Let’s hope there are no more storms coming our way here in Florida! Be safe be smart don’t drink and ride and we will see you in Daytona Beach for Biketoberfest! Much love to all!
Pasco Diva Angels, who are we? We are ladies first and bike riders second! When it comes to motorcycle groups, people love to categorize you based on who you are, what you do, what you look like. However, the Diva Angela are a network of female riders and enthusiast. We have the utmost respect for each other, and we have rules like any other motorcycle collective. We’re a community built around women who love to ride.
Pasco County Diva Angels are made up of beautiful women who gather for camaraderie, friendship, group rides, and most importantly, we come together to help our local community.
Giving back to our community is our biggest goal! Throughout the year, we hold multiple fundraising events to raise funds, and in turn, we give it back to our local charities. Since 2005, we have donated over $20,000 to our local charities! All from the hard work of so many amazing women and friends!
McKay VFW Post 7987. You can continue to help by visiting warriorwellnessprogram.org. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.
Come visit us! Meetings are held once a month on the 1st Friday at 7 p.m. We are always looking for new members and encourage you to sit in with us!
We are fortunate to sponsor, participate in and volunteer our time for so many charities and this year is like no other! The Pasco Chapter is raising money for the Warrior Wellness Program by hosting a luncheon on Sept 14th at Chester
For more information, you will find us on all social media sites @DivaAngelsPasco, email us at divaangelspc@gmail. com today! Check out all Diva Angel chapters at http://www. divaangels.org to find the local chapter near you; We are a 501c (7) not for profit organization. Ride safe and rubber side down, COME RIDE WITH US!
Angela DiBlasi
“TANgie”
Media Director
Halloween, is here. Believe it or not, those who celebrate it will likely be judged quite severely and arbitrarily by the religious out there. I personally don’t particpate to the extent some will but I do like to indulge in the entertaining shock-value of my alter-ego persona of sort. Even my children I know silently question the sincerity of my faith because of the way I do halloween. Each year I simply wear white zombie lenses, a classic black suit and fangs. Not complicated. Not cumbersome and, always always a success frightening people.
Halloween with its eerie ambiance and playful disguises, offers a unique lens through which we can explore the complexities of human nature and spirituality. On this night, people don masks and costumes, transforming into, saints, devils, ghouls, witches, angels, and other fantastical beings. It's a time when the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, and the hidden aspects of our personalities come to the fore. But what if the real monsters aren't the ones wearing the costumes or roaming the streets in search of candy, but those who hide behind a facade of piety and righteousness?
In many communities, religious individuals are often seen as the moral compass, guiding others with their teachings and judgments. They and their parishioners are quick to point out the flaws and sins of others, often based on superficial appearances. A tattooed arm, someone who smokes or curses or someone who enjoys a drink, a short skirt, or a different way of worship can become grounds for condemnation. Yet, beneath their holy exterior, these same individuals more often than not are all guilty of the same sins harboring darker secrets.
Consider the story of Reverend James, a well-respected figure in his small town. Every Sunday, he stood at the pulpit, delivering sermons on the virtues of humility, charity, and forgiveness. He was known for soft personality, his stern stance against what he deemed immoral behavior. He often singled out members of his congregation for their perceived transgressions. To the outside world, Reverend James was a paragon of virtue but at dinner table with his family, he and his family had no issue speaking openly about Joe’s indiscretion.
However, behind closed doors, his life told a different story. Reverend James and many of his own family members struggled with their own demons—gossip, greed, envy, and hidden addictions that gnawed at their souls. His and their judgment of others was a
way to deflect attention from their own shortcomings, to maintain the illusion of righteousness. The very sins they condemned in others were the ones they battled within themselves. His own daughter committed adultery. One of his step son now deacon dealt with pornography.
“$890 billion is donated annually to the western Christian Church. Of that money 44% goes to salaries, 6% leaves the institutional walls for outside purposes such as missions and, six percent is
stolen internally by church staff. Pastor Kenneth Copeland according to Forbes has a net worth of over $750 million dollars. He flies a very nice private jet, makes around $50 million a year and has an 18,000 square foot home that should have a tax bill of $150,000 but he doesn't have to pay taxes on it because that home is in the name of the church. The money that's being donated to the majority gets absorbed by church leaders, staff fundraising and, in many cases feeding the lifestyle of some of these pastors” ~IG religiousbusiness
Here are some wellknown pastors in North America who have been involved in scandals:
Ted Haggard - Former leader of the National Association of Evangelicals, caught in a scandal involving drugs and a male prostitute.
Jim Bakker - Televangelist involved in financial and sexual misconduct.
Jimmy SwaggartTelevangelist caught in a scandal involving prostitutes.
Bill Hybels - Founding pastor of Willow Creek, resigned after allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power.
James MacDonald - Founding pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, fired for creating a culture of fear and financial mismanagement.
Tony Alamo - Sentenced to 175 years in prison for pedophilia and marrying an underage girl.
Eddie Long - Accused of sexual misconduct with young men in his congregation.
Ravi Zacharias - Apologist and author, posthumously found to have engaged in sexual misconduct.
Carl Lentz - Former pastor of Hillsong NYC, fired for moral failures and leadership issues.
Mark Driscoll - Former pastor of Mars Hill Church, resigned amid allegations of bullying and abusive behavior.
This hypocrisy is not unique to those pastors. Throughout history, additional countless religious leaders and devout followers have been exposed for their double lives. The bible is filled with them. Other faith’s leaders I shall not name are also plagued with human hypocrisy. The televangelist who preaches against adultery while engaging in extramarital affairs, the priest who condemns theft while embezzling church funds, the devout follower who speaks of love and compassion but harbors deep-seated prejudices—these are the real monsters hiding behind the masks of piety.
I am not attacking faith here. I am merely raising the question of moral accountability from those who hold high grounds. If they truly genuinely practiced what they preached, this world would be very different.
Halloween, with its tradition of donning masks, serves as a metaphor for this duality. Just as people wear costumes to hide their true identities, so too do some religious individuals use their faith as a mask to conceal their true selves. They judge others based on appearances, yet their own hearts are filled with the very sins they decry. They look good externally but deep down they are rotten haters of self who hate and condemn others to forget so they can feel better about their own vile issues.
This is not to say that all religious individuals are hypocrites. Many genuinely strive to live by the principles they preach, and their faith is a source of strength and goodness. My ex-brother in law turned pastor at First Baptist Church in Leominster, MA I would say is a good living example of that. He and his wife were the only ones (other than my father in law) I knew their faith was not a mask. I’ve been blessed to meet a handful like them. However, the danger lies in the tendency to judge others harshly while ignoring one's own flaws. A rampant fact in churches. It is a reminder that true righteousness comes from within, not from outward appearances or the condemnation of others.
As we navigate the spooky season of Halloween, let us remember that the real monsters are not necessarily the ones in costumes, but those who hide behind a facade of virtues while harboring darkness within. Let us strive to look beyond appearances and recognize the humanity in each other, understanding that we all have our own struggles and imperfections. That God (if you believe in
God) is the judge. No one else.
In the end, Halloween teaches us a valuable lesson about the nature of judgment and the importance of self-awareness. It reminds us that the scariest masks are not the ones we wear on October 31st, but the ones we wear every day to hide our true selves. By acknowledging our own flaws and striving for genuine goodness, we can move beyond the superficial judgments and create a more compassionate and understanding world.
So, as you carve your pumpkins and don your costumes this Halloween, take a moment to reflect on the masks you wear in your own life. Are they hiding your true self, or are they a reflection of who you aspire to be? And when you encounter others, remember that their outward appearance is just an infinitely small part of their story. Beneath the surface, we are all human, with our own fears, hopes, and struggles. Let us judge less and understand more, for in doing so, we reveal the true spirit of genuine religion—love, compassion, understanding, humility and forgiveness.
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway.
~Mother Teresa – “Do it Anyway”
Sources: IG religiousbusiness, Web, Research www.facebook.com/ floridanighttrain - IG FloridaNightTrain
