By Michael, on November 9th, 2006
News sources today report George Allen will not request a recount and the Democratic Party now holds majority power in both houses of US Congress. Maybe habeas corpus will be fully restored in a few months.
There are a few surprises here, Rush Limbaugh is relieved about the election outcomes. Say what? you ask? Well former link now broken: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_110806/content/rush_on_a_roll.guest.html Rush said:
The way I feel is this: I feel liberated, and I’m going to tell you as plainly as I can why. I no longer am going to have to carry the water for people who I don’t think deserve having their water carried.
…
Now I’m liberated from having to constantly come in here every day and try to buck up a bunch of people who don’t deserve it, to try to carry the water and make excuses for people who don’t deserve it. I did not want to sit here and participate … in the victory of the Democrat Party by sabotaging my own. But now with what has happened yesterday and today, it is an entirely liberating thing.
Get the full context of his comments (what did I delete with the ellipses?) on Link now broken: href=”http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_110806/content/rush_on_a_roll.guest.html Limbaugh’s site scroll down to the photo of Rumsfeld to get the full context.
By Administrator, on October 18th, 2006 Back In The Saddle, again. Over the past couple of months I’ve spent a large number of mornings driving to work. Every evening I wonder why I’m driving. Those wonderings are intensified as traffic slows. As my teeth grind I admire my tolerance for self abuse. Driving is not fun. Yet the next morning the time of truth would arrive and I’d get dressed and grab the keys.
Go figure.
By Michael, on September 25th, 2006
For most people the joy of the bike lives in its newness. The pristine paint, the shiny hubs and rims, the cogs and chainwheels as yet without the grime of road grit or chain grease all fit together, bringing the bike closer to the platonic ideal of bike. Mix the unblemished physical entity with one’s projections about how nice it will be ride. How comfortable! How responsive! How wonderful! Mix that physical best as it will ever be with the anticipatory emotive narcotic and one has a touchstone to bliss. It’s pretty nice. As a new bike owner myself, I know the feeling, and it feels good.
There’s another benefit of new bike ownership that is not evident to the casual observer or buyer. But spend a weekend with a couple of hundred miles riding your new bike and the other benefit will become painfully evident. The bike serves as a matchmaker. “Self, meet long neglected portions of your anatomy. Long neglected portions of anatomy, meet the self.”
Hurts so good. I’m going to ride more today.
By Michael, on September 22nd, 2006 From the press release:
Portland’s own Trash Mountain Boys to play Car Free Day on Saturday, Sep. 23rd.
Per custom, the Boys will show up uninvited for an acoustic busking show at or
about 2:00 pm.
The group, known for its small fame and dubious notoriety, has been referred to as “the most self-deprecating band in the business”.
The TMB set will feature their song, written for the 2004 Car Free Day, CarFree/CareFree. Other hits include the encyclopedic and pandering My Bikey Town, the wistful and lurid Road Pizza, and the crowd-pleasing Bunny on a Bike.
Donations to the Boys’ Help Stamp Out Sobriety NOW! Campaign will be accepted. (Note: suggestions for more and longer set breaks will be most effective if accompanied by donations to the Campaign.)
Potential groupies may preview the set at the band’s website Click on the trash, then choose the electric version [shout out to Rev Phil on drums] or the “Renn Fayre 2006 live!” acoustic version with “you can understand the words” recording technology.
By Michael, on September 12th, 2006
Been awhile, eh? In the past few weeks I’ve,
- ridden a 200K with 7970 feet of climbing, a personal best
- ridden a 200K with not much climbing, but at the highest average speed I’ve ever done
- spent a week in Minnesota
- ridden a “permanent” 300K (meaning solo), temps hit 100°F/38°C making for a personal best temperature ride
- had a fabulous time at the Oregon Star Party
- drove to Vancouver BC to ride a 400K brevet, didn’t get enough sleep, got lost on the way to the start, didn’t pack my night clothes, and after two apple fritters decided to abandon at the 200K point. Had to figure out a return to the starting point. Fun…
- started building up a new bike, a Kogswell P/R “a modern all-rounder”. The P/R stands for Porteur/Randonneur. My build will favor the randonneur potential.
- Read some wonderful books including Elanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland and Over the Hills by David Lamb.
- In cahoots with my sweetie threw another Potato Tomato Party. It was quiet this year with less than three dozen people attending
- Had a birthday
Now a return to normal life.
By Michael, on August 5th, 2006
The Los Angeles Times has a story on the decimation of ocean habitat. This is the most fear inducing story I’ve encountered in decades. The summary line at the start of the story reads Runoff from modern life is feeding an explosion of primitive organisms. This ‘rise of slime,’ as one scientist calls it, is killing larger species and sickening people. Through out the world effulent, for example untreated sewage to fertilizer runoff, is feeding noxious bacteria and algea. These life forms suck the oxygen out of water and exude poisons killing all other ocean life forms in the area.
By Michael, on August 1st, 2006
Surely, you’ve marveled at them. While driving along the coast highway, or on some Sierra byway, suddenly you spot a few bicycles ahead draped with packed bags, the riders jouncing off their seats to invest body weight on a pedal push as they crank their way slowly uphill.
As your car whisks by, you twist up the stereo, or the air conditioner, then glance at your companions and say (or think), “Whew! I could never do that.”
That type of sighting highlights the steep slope any prospective bicycle camper must face: Mount Perception.
Emphasis added there. The writer of the article, Bike camping isn’t as hard as it looks from the San Francisco Chronicle, Paul McHugh provides a nice introdution into getting over the most difficult challenge in bike camping: getting out there the first time.
By Michael, on July 30th, 2006
The Rivendell Bicycle Works folks occasionally print a page of tips for happier cycling. Go, read them now.
My edits to that version of the list include:
Signal your approach to pedestrians, especially if they’re old. A bell is better than “On your left!”. “Good Morning” or “Afternoon” or “Hello!” in your most friendly voice is even better. Old people, or boomers who busted their hearing with loud music might not hear the bell.
At least once a year change something on your bike to jostle your complacency.
If you ride with groups slip to the back and join the conversation there once in awhile.
Set your bike computer so you can’t tell how fast you’re going. Use duct tape if necessary.
Bark back at the dogs, moo at the cows.
Count the critters on a ride.
Listen for the wing beat of a bird as you ride alongside it.
Sing like you’re in the shower, if you don’t sing in the shower use this as a chance to sing.
Volunteer to ride with someone who doesn’t ride or doesn’t ride very often. Don’t tell them how to ride, just be there. Well, maybe remind them to stop at stop signs and the like.
In other news, on each of the last three weekends I’ve ridden between 118 and 189 miles. The three rides were randonneuring events. All involved new conditions for me. One featured concentrated climbing, another high heat (100°F/38°C) and distance (the 189 miles), the third was riding as part of a team. More on them later after I collect my thoughts.
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