Like millions of other Floridians I am the progeny of snowbirds, each side of my family hailing from vastly different cultures above the Mason-Dixon Line. For every son of displaced Yankees like me, however, there is a Florida cracker who looks at the secessionist roots of his rebel forefathers with pride. Throw a few million Cubans and Carribean expats into the mix and you can see why our twenty-seventh state is one of the most diverse melting pots in America. It should surprise no one why the first major motorcycle rally of 2011 attracts so many half-baked fruitcakes to Daytona's sun-kissed shores.

In his book "The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pick-Up Artists," Neil Strauss describes the process of "peacocking" in exquisite detail. For anyone who's never donned an Affliction shirt, gladiator helmet or feather boa to pick up chicks, peacocking is just what the name implies. For ten days in Daytona Beach, motorcycle-mounted peacocks converge in full force. The style and intensity of their plumage varies widely, but the behavior is unmistakable.

A casual stroll down Florida's Atlantic coast highway reveals chopper cocks utilizing everything from neon lights, outlandish apehangers, tassled leather and fringe denim to bag their prey. Women of the species flock to this shit like crows to carrion, and the circle of life continues. When such garish displays fail to bear fruit, peacocks chum the rising tide with alcohol to catch the legal limit of sluts and whores. The whole crazy scene is enough to make a member of the Audubon Society turn in his binoculars. Almost. Painfully absurd though it might be, nearly 250,000 masochists keep coming back for more.

Two dedicated malcontents who are trying to put a new spin on this bird-brained scene are Taber Nash and Chris Callen. Several years ago this fabricator and magazine publisher launched the Limpnickie Lot to present chopperdom's greasy side to the masses. Men like Pat from LedSled Customs, Larry Pierce from Garage Company Customs, Tim and Jeff from Papa Clutch, Jeff Chochran and many others followed their lead, and a cultural shift was engaged. Bedazzled bikers who make up the bulk of the Bike Week crowd seem to be responding to the Lot in a positive way, and this fact alone makes the endeavor a success. Kudos, Chris and company for trying to shape the battlefield in a new way.