Carbon4Carbon

Stuff in my head

2011-11-02T22:14:00.001-07:00

• Duck football
I will never get tired of beating the Huskies. Never... Ever. So that said, this game scares me a bit. I think the Ducks will win and I think they will win big. But unlike years in the past, they will need to score a lot of points, because I think that the puppies have the talent to move the ball, but not enough to stop it. I think it will be close at the end, and I even think the Ducks will trail at some point… maybe even by two scores.
But I think there is just too much talent on both sides for UW to win it (unless Oregon beats themselves) and we will continue on this collision course with Stanford. But there is this sinking feeling that this game will be like the Arizona game of two years ago, or like the Cal game of last year... A too-close-for comfort road win.

• Goodwill

I was at goodwill today. A couple of things:
- who buys lingerie there? For-realz.
- what is it about forced teaming and that place? By "forced teaming" I mean the tendency of someone you do not suddenly thinking you are best friends based solely on the fact you are in the same building at the same time. This is something that I find very unsettling no matter where I am. Just because we're in line together does not mean I want to talk to you. Because I don't. I want to pay and go home. That's it. I don't want to talk about the weather or how the Ducks played or what I think about #OccupyAnything. I am not your friend and don't call me "bud" or ask me about my phone. I honestly like to be left alone most of the time and being chatted up is something I don't like… especially when you act like we're long lost brothers...

ESPN

Watching right now… and I was thinking of a few things, such as:
- as much as I can't stand Stuart Scott, I really like Stephen A Smith
I'm sorry, Stuart is unwatchable.
- boy, can this four letter network hype up an event. I know the LSU-Bama game will be huge, and this will be a great game. But it's amazing how they ratchet up the hype machine when there is no NBA Monday through Friday. I know that football is king in this country and there is no debate there. But if you take a major sport out of the picture, they have to fill in the gap somehow and right now thats this game… and next week, if Oregon gets past the puppies, the hype machine bears down on Palo Alto for the Ducks and Stanford.

OL… that's all got now.

Boise

2011-10-28T10:02:00.001-07:00

So, we drove out to Boise for my father in laws b-day. It's a big one… 70. And all the kids and grand kids are here.
The funny part of it is that they have totally drank the KoolAid with regard to the Boise State Broncos. … All Boise State this and Boise State that.
I read this article in the Boise rag here, titled "the bottom line." And, basically the whole idea is about what other papers are writing about the Donks… because the town has this massive complex about being respected. The whole gist of the article was how Boise City College will play in the BCS, about how they make it to the Natty
(and since I can't link to the article you just got to trust me here)
Now, my point has been that this year in particular there are too many teams that are too good and if they win out, they will jump the Donks. This includes:
• Oklahoma State
• Clemson
• Stanford
• LSU/Alabama (the winner in this game is in. Probably LSU)
And lurking behind are some surprising unbeaten teams who will jump BSU because they are in a power conference… teams like Kansas St. and Houston. I think Houston is in the Donks boat, so let's write them off. K-State will not make it because they have too tough of a schedule.
Now, the article main point is that the remaining schedule are way too rough for these top three unbeaten teams to remain so… and conversely, it is too easy for BS Who… Which is precisely my point, thank you.
The writer makes a point of this… Stanford "will" lose to either USC, Oregon or in the Pac12 championship game… Okie State "will" lose to either Oklahoma, Baylor, or Texas Tech… Clemson "will" lose to South Carolina, Georgia Tech or Va. Tech… He just takes it as a given that this will happen, because the teams they face are too good, the chance of them running the table is too immense and of course BSU will win our because they only have a down TCU the rest of the way… and I have been making this point all year… beating this drum non stop… only one of those teams needs to catch fire and they will jump to the front of the line. For me, that team is the "other" OSU, the Cowboys of Okie St., who have experience at all the skill positions and have been very focused in all their big games, and why should that change now?
The other point he makes is that same old trope about how "proven" the Donks are because they win one big, out of conference game a year and smack around an inferior conference slate of D-2 talent. And, uh, I hate to tell you this but you still can't use that Fiesta Bowl win from five years ago to plump up the weak opponents that fall on their swords week in and week out. No more than I get to use last years gag job against Nevada… you have to use this years results, and the fact of the matter is that Georgia (the best team they played all year) is middle of the road SEC team that is not the Matt Stafford Georgia from four years ago… again, you have to use this years results. This is pretty evident… and you would think that is basic assumptions we can all agree on.
If we can learn anything about the new Pac12 is that its real hard to make the jump to major college football … ain't that right Utah?
Look, I do think that the Donks are good. Very good even. But I do not think they are elite, they could not do it week in and week out in a power conference, and we saw that last year.
I also think that a one loss Oregon whom only has a loss to the best team in the nation will jump… especially if they find a way to go Stanford and win big there. If they pull that one of, that would be. Impressive.

Autumn

2011-10-23T15:19:00.001-07:00

Great colors today here in the C.O. Awesome fall day for riding... Not awesome for running errands. I have found that when you have to work 50 hours a week, it cuts into the riding time. I'm not complaining at all… I'm just saying.
We have guests for dinner tonight and I had to find some Ox Tail.
Not what one has in mind when you think "gettin' some tail."
I crack myself up.
But I need to get my fat butt on heh bike soon… and that is a fact.

Back

2011-10-23T10:17:00.001-07:00

I was gone for awhile, I realize that. No excuses, although I can trot out a few… a broken arm didn't help. And I was working a bunch. And when I was at work, I was on the computer all the time… so, I didn't want to be on it at home.… I just wanted to relax (plus... It's hard to extricate my boy off the computer…) so, blogging just didn't happen.
The big news is that I got a pretty sweet new toy ... An iPhone 4S. And one of the apps is blogger.
In fact I'm blogging from the phone right now. ANC it is very easy. The best part is the auto correct is ver intuitive… basically it guesses your word as you type if you make a mistake… like when I just typed "mistake" I originally jabbed in there"mistjsk" and it knew, based on the surrounding letters, what I meant to type. Now, I don't even worry about spelling it right… it just corrects it as I go along.
Which iz nice when you have sausage fingers like me.
So, I guess I will try to do more posts, but they will probably be shorter… and if I need to flesh out an idea I will do so on the computer upstairs.

China Hat

2011-08-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

I had to take the car to Les Schwab because it is having tire/alignment issues. While there, I noticed an article in the Bend Bulletin that perfectly crystallized for me why the Federal Government is too damn big.

See, there's this kid who was on China Hat road recently, and he noticed all the trash. And, since he's a civic minded think global and act local type, he decided to do something about it. Basically, he tried to set up a group of his friends to go out and pick up all the trash. (you might have noticed that the link is to the bendbulletin.com, the story itself is hidden behind the pay wall. Way to go Bulletin...)

So, this kid... he contacted the Forestry Department, a division of Depart of Agriculture, and asked for permission to do a good deed that no one could possibly disagree with. Of course the Forestry Department was so happy to have this lad help out, seeing how their bosses, The Feds, are running something like $16T in debt.

That is where you are wrong, wrong, wrong.

The Federal Government, citing concerns of liability (that great catch all which no one can really argue about, since we live in an inherently dangerous world) said no. They said maybe next year he can do it, they have to do a study and make sure it can be done safely.

Now, I guess you can say you don't want to have someone cut their hand on a broken beer bottle, or something. But the fact of the matter is, the Forest will stay dirty and polluted and ugly in the name of liability.

And this is where I get a bit angry. Look, I am a Tea Party type... not because I want to see old people eating dog food because I want to see reforms to entitlements, and not because I think that Fat Cats need a tax break and should not pay their fair share... but I'm Tea Party because the Federal Government is too big. End. Of. Story.

And if you ask me where I should make cuts, I would say the Forestry Department. Because the fact of the matter is they clearly have one too many stupid beaurocrats sitting around doing worse than nothing... because this is worst than nothing, because doing nothing would mean that kid would be out cleaning up the forest, and well... we just can't have that.

In typical liberal, knee-jerk ad hominem thinking, most Democrat Idiots would say something like you hate the forests because you want to see cuts to the Forestry Department! You're an evil ReTHUGlican who wants to pave the forests and put in pay parking lots! Something along those lines.

So, clearly, the obverse must be true. I mean, if you love the forests and want to see the FDA fully fund the Forest Service at current levels, you clearly think that there is nothing wrong with the USFS, you think it's humming along just right.

But who really loves the forest? The brainless idiot, thousand of miles away from the local forest, the person who's default position is NO, the pencil shoving jackhole who only see liability where others see doing the right thing? Is that loving the forest?

I would say that I love the forest more because I want to empower local kids to do the right thing, and disempower (and I do not care if that is not a word) the faceless desk jockey who thinks trash in the forest is OK because that means, at a minimum, no one will sue over it being ugly, but they might sue if they get an owie cleaning it up.

After all, they don't see it. They live where? Portland, maybe. DC? I have no idea, all I know is that they don't care. It's not their forest, they just see a piece of paper come across the desk, and they ask a simple question, can someone possibly sue me?

The Federal Government does not care about what is happening to you, you do not donate huge chunks of money to congressmen or the president, you are not a full time activist (and those are the types that do sue, make no mistake about it) The USFS, the FDA, is all about CYA. That is all that matters. That is the only thing that matters... that and growing the budget, hiring more beaurocrats and increasing their regulatory influence.

And, like I said, the broken bottles and the bags of trash and worse (trust me on this, I ride my bike on China Hat quite a bit, and it is bad. I've seen junked cars, washing machines, mattresses, broken TV sets, and more. That's just from the first 50 feet from the roadside) these things, they won't sue.

I challenge anyone out there to tell me that I'm wrong here. I dare you. You know I'm right, you know that the Federal Government is too big to care, too big to make a difference for the good in your local area.

We need more of these types of kids, less of the professional wet-blankets who job is to tell others what to do, or what not to do.

Looking back at it, this kid has learned a very valuable lesson. Never, ever ask for permission to do the right thing.

Smoking

2011-08-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, I used to work at a shelter home for kids. This was the early 90, some 20 years ago. (and, as I think about, those kids probably have kids who are in the system... and that is how it works, and that is why I no longer do that sort of thing because it is so depressing) I was thinking about this because back then, we let the kids smoke during breaks from school. Of course, looking back on it that was insane. But the thing I want to bring up is that it was done because we sort of took a "well, they're addicted" attitude about it, and had a de facto don't ask don't tell approach. In fact, it was very much a matter of if the kids didn't say anything about it, and we didn't find cigarettes in the house, we wouldn't do anything. But if we found 'em in the house, or found lighters or matches, they could get kicked out of the house. This was transitional housing, and the kids really needed to live there or it was living on the streets. So, they had an incentive to follow house rules. Unfortunately, at the time the rules were as long as I don't see you smoke, it's OK.

And the thing that I remember is that all the kids smoked. Every. Single. One. The kids who didn't smoke when they came in did in about two hours. All the kids did it because the kids who were cool did it, and all the girls did it and you got to hang out with the cool kids and cute girls and everyone smoked, OK, so just stop talking about it!!! (one kid actually said that to me)

Not everyone smoked, I didn't. I grew up in a family of smokers. Smoking took my parents from me... Dad in 1990, Mom in 2005. All my siblings and all their spouses smoke as far as I know. I didn't start because, as funny as this sounds, not smoking was a form of rebellion for me. Most kids, they rebel against their parents and they hang out and smoke and drink. Not me. See, that is what my parents did, and I certainly did not want to be like my parents, and that meant I would never smoke. Plus, I watched my parents smoke and try to quit time and time again... only to fail. Sometimes they went weeks, sometimes only days. But when all the family smokes, and you have cartons laying around the house, and you have nothing to replace it with other than alcohol, you smoke. When literally the first thing you do when you wake up is light a cigarette and then you light the next one from the one you are currently on and you have a constant daisy chain of one cigarette after another, and then the last thing you do is put out a cigaretter before falling asleep... well, you see why it is so easy to plow through three packs a day.

And what got me thinking about this is that smoking is something you do as a kid, that's when you start. I think very few people start in their 20's, and fewer still in their 30's. And there was a thread on Facebook with a friend, and I was thinking about this and ruminating it in my mind and I was thinking how true that is... that the whole, brilliant idea of selling cigarettes as the most rebellious thing in the world was the most genius marketing tool every developed. And the thing is, it was never overt, it was never a strategy of the manufacturers to do so. Some did, sure, but the whole thing that kids everywhere will pick up smoking because it is rebellious is so reinforced by the fact that almost all sane people who are older than 25 realize how stupid it is, and thus this reinforces on all the adolescent idiots that it is so self-evidently rebellious because everyone... and I mean everyone... tells me "not to do it."

And the funny thing is, the more people talk about how dangerous it is, how it will kill you, and how you need to stand outside in the rain to do it... how every message that we send to kids is this is the equivalent of killing yourself (and it is, let me point that out...) just reinforces the idea that it is inherently anti-social... thus rebellious, thus cool because you're an MFer and you don't care and this will show them!!!

And I honestly think that at this point... if we just shut up we will see smoking drop off. But we can't do that, because we have to get the message out that smoking will kill you. And I believe that with all my heart...

Here is another thing that I was ruminating about, and I mentioned it on the thread at FB. Kids, especially adolescents do not think they will die. It is more than thinking you won't grow up in a Peter Pan sort of way. They actually think they are bullet proof, that they can do anything and they will not face the consequences. Part of it is that they get caught up in the moment and they don't think. Part of it is peer pressure, sure. But most kids, when you ask them when the hormones and the adrenalin cool off, they realize how dumb what they did just was. But it's actually getting past the cycle of reinforced stupidity and carelessness that is so hard. And with regard to smoking, they see the consequences all around them... they see the old lady having to smoke through the hole in her throat, they see the leathery old man shuffling with a full oxygen tank next to him, they see all that.... but they never think that will be them. Some of them think that they will quit when they get older, when they settle down. They don't realize how hard it is to do that. Some just think they will never, ever get old. That they look at older people and we might as well be Aliens from a different planet.

I think part of it is that most adolescents do not think they will get old They have no concept of time, of how in a moment you go from 18 to 44. It is literally a flash, and you do not see it coming. I was that way. When I was 19, 20 or so... I didn't think I would grow old. I distinctly remember conversations I had with kids about growing old, and some of these kids in the shelter really did not think it would happen to them. They thought they were immortal, they actually lived their lives that way.

I remember once talking to a kid who said he didn't want to grow old. I asked, "well how old do you want to be when you die?"

I dunno.... 30... maybe 35. I just don't want to be all wrinkly and old.

So, I tell you what... on your 30th birthday, I'll come and find you and drop a burning slug right into the base of your skull. It will be quick and painless, you won't feel a thing.

How can you say that? You want to kill me?

NO... you want to kill yourself. By your lifestyle, by your choices. I'll just do it in a time that is agreed upon, on a day that you have decided would be a good day. You want to die, not grow old... I'll just help.

But that's wrong. You don't do those things...

You're right... but you do. You make choices everyday that will impact you. I asked how old you want to be when you die, and you live every day like you want to die right now. Live like you want to live to be 100, and make good choices.... and you actually might get there.

But I don't want to be all wrinkly and old and grey.

Who does? But there are worse thing.

Like what?

Dying at 30 from a meth overdose, or at 55 from lung cancer. Just consider the alternatives. You really think that acting like a kid forever is gonna work? Heck no. You will get to the point where you want to live to 100, and see your grandkids have kids, but you won't because the choices you make now will hold you to an early death and you will have no one to blame but yourself.

I cannot tell you how many times I had that conversation. I literally had kids tell me that they want to die at 21, that growing old is stupid... but by the time they realize how stupid that idea really is, it is too late to effectively do anything about and they become prisoners of their choices. So, good luck trying to quit smoking at 30 if you did it half your life, and no amount of stories of lung cancer or pictures of dead babies will stop you from that drug. It won't happen. I mean, I watched my dad cough up blood and lung tissue into the sink, holding his cigarette to the side and then taking a deep drag as soon as he stopped... blood on his chin, his thin grey hands shaking, sweat pouring from his brow.

And all I could think about was how this moment is in a direct line to when he was 12 and he took his first cigarette.

ATM

2011-08-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

Willie Lyles and Texas A&M (hereforth known as ATM, because that is how it looks on the helmet) are two parts of the same story. Here's why.

The only reason that Oregon was so hasty to get into bed with Willie Lyles is because Oregon was desperate to tap the Texas recruiting area. The core of the Oregon offense for this year is Texan: Darren Thomas at QB and pretty much all the RB's. The biggest reason that Oregon wanted the Pac10 to go 16 and gobble up the Texas contingent of the Big12 was because we want to make a presence in the most important recruiting area in the nation. That is a fact. The two most important areas to get talent, from an Oregon perspective, are Texas and SoCal. We will continue to do great in SoCal as long as USC and UCLA are down (when they have bad years, we clean up down there, which is why the Mamba choose Oregon over U$C) Oregon doesn't need Texas to have a bad year to do well in recruiting Texas, because the wealth of talent is so deep. That is why LaMike came out of a small school and UT didn't even notice, because the sheer volume of great players is what matters.

Now, the thing is the UT is gonna have it's own TV network, and a lot of the other Texas schools are chaffing at that and they want out. Which is why ATM, who has historically been as good as UT and wants desperately to get back to that level, is looking to go to the SEC. Now, if that happens, I totally see a run at the rest of the Texas based schools... and not Texas. I see Texas going independent, because they are sorta acting that way right now. They see themselves as being the Big12, and that all the other schools are just accessories.

But a Pac12 with Baylor, Rice Texas Tech and TCU makes sense. Do we need Texas for a total expansion into that market? We could even jettison Baylor and Rice (who, with SMU are the weakest of the D1 schools in Texas) and add Oklahoma and Oklahoma State to the PAC, go to 16 teams, and be a stronger conference because of it. I see Texas going independent, and then the PAC going 16... with an East/West split, and the West would be the original Pac8 of the WA, OR, and Cali schools. The east would essentially be the old Big8 minus UT. That would be awesome, because then you play six division games (for Oregon, that would mean missing one of the other non-beaver schools on a rotating basis) plus two of the other conference, and three non-cons. That would mean a trip to Texas and SoCal every year, and that would mean, my friends, Recruiting Gold.

I mentioned at first Willie Lyles... we wouldn't need street agents like that A-hole to force our way into the Texas talent pool which the UT has locked down, because we would be playing there every year.

I see this happening, and I see it working. I like a Pac16 that adds Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Okie State, and TCU. That's a good get. That's strong conference, and that's good for Oregon.

I would prefer Texas in the conference... but let's be honest, they're gonna go independent.

Early Riding

2011-08-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

I swear to you, my right elbow hurts all the time. I have an enflamed (inflammed? flaming? Inflammatory? I dunno. It hurts.) tendon in my right arm, and it just plain hurts. I need to go see the doc about it, and soon. But on my days off, I got stuff to do. I need to ride, I need to do house work. But I'm sitting here, I just mowed the lawn and edged and did the hedge trimming, and it hurts, it's throbbing it hurts so much. And, at this point, if it wasn't for the fact that I write with it and I need to shift my rear gears with it, I would lop it off with a dirty Leatherman.

So, I went out and rode yesterday, went out with the nooners. It was Dr. Doug, Jurgenator, an old dude I can't remember his name, and me. We gave the drop to Gramps on the climb, and I was able to hang on till OB, but then I came off pretty fast. That will happen when the other two guys are getting ready for Master Nats and you ride two days a week.

So, that has to change. I need to get out in the morning. I need to get up early and crank out some miles before work. Two hours, and that means I need to get up around 0530 and on the bike by six, and home by eight. I tried to do that today, but I got up and hit the couch in a hurry, crashing till about 0700. I was totally whacked. I could not do it, and I don't see doing it till I get to bed much earlier the night before.

The thing is, I need to get out there at least twice. That's it. Just eat some miles for breakfast, keep the legs going around and spinning, not really killing a tempo or climbing or anything, but just riding so that when I do ride on Sunday and Monday, I have better fitness on me.

Talking about it is easy, but doing it is hard.

Gotta do. Less talk, more do. Gotta sleep tonight, not stay up and watch SportsCenter.

Bowling For Soup

2011-08-07T22:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it is really cool when you find out someone you really like and respect likes something that you like. That happened today, and it went sort of like this.

First of all, I like Adam Carolla. I think he's a very funny guy, and his podcast is fantastic. I used to be the guy who listened to talk radio all the time in my car. But the problem was, the best shows were on in the morning. And it always seemed that the time I was out driving, I didn't like what was on. I like Jim Rome, for example. So, if I had him on during running errands time, that was OK... but then what if he had an interview that I wanted to hear, and I was at the store? I would sit there in the car till it was done. I couldn't pause it, couldn't rewind if I missed something. I remember running into the store, doing my business, and running back to the car... tying to get things done in the commercial break.

But those days are over. I now plug my iPod into the car, I listen to a podcast and I pause it, stop it, fast forward it even. This is one of the reasons that my iPod is my favorite thing that I own after my bike.

So, I like to listen to Adam's show. It's about an hour and a half long, and it's pretty free form. It mostly consists of Adam ranting about stuff that bugs him. Sometimes it gets spicy, and I don't listen to it when I drive the kid around. I will listen when I work on the bikes in the garage, but if the kids come out, I will pause it because he might say something I don't really want to explain. Sometimes he rifts on stuff that bugs me, like him being an atheist. Or maybe he has a guest I don't find compelling. That's OK, I've dumped entire shows because I didn't like the material. But for the most part, I find it terribly funny. I laugh out loud, and laughing hard is a good thing. Most don't do it enough.

So, I was listening to Adam today, and it was a show from a day or two back and he had on Bowling For Soup... which is the band that does the theme song for Phineas and Ferb, and that was when Adam said that Phineas and Ferb was his favorite cartoon. I felt a sort of kinship since I totally love that show also.

So, it was pretty fun when he was talking about how he would watch it with his two kids, that he knew the words to so many of the songs on the show, and how it was not only funny but also witty as well.

And, like I said, it was fun to know that someone who I know who is famous and is well known also likes something that I like. That was pretty fun.

And the band, Bowling For Soup, sounded like a fun group. They played other songs they have done, and talked about their upcoming album. I might have to check it out, maybe get it on iTunes or something.

PC

2011-08-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

I have come to the conclusion that I pretty much hate my PC computer. I really do.

See, I have this new job now, and we all use Apple there. They have nice iMac's, and they are so fast and so easy to use. But a lot of the folks there have Mac Mini's, and those things are just as good. And I get frustrated when I come home and I have to use this ponderous PC. This thing is a piece of crap, and it is the last PC I will ever buy.

About three years ago, we bought this Dell. I remember thinking that we could get an Apple, but the desktop versions were about twice as much as the PC desktops out there, and I was thinking that I could get a decent enough PC and be happy with it.

And for a while I was, and it was fast and worked just fine. But not so much anymore. Like most PC's, it has slowed tremendously, and I have a feeling it has a virus or malware in there. The computer did crash once, and we lost everything on it, needed to go get it restored at a local shop. But I have to tell you, this thing is a clunker, I really do not like it at all.

I will get an Apple next time, and probably a Mac Mini. Those things cost about the same as a good PC tower, take up about a tenth of the space, and fast and stable and you never hear of virus or malware problems with Mac like you do with PC's.

I used to be a big time Mac guy, that was my preferred computer back in the day. Then I met my wife, and she was all PCish, mostly because her father did a lot of work on 'em. So, because I thought she was pretty cool, I sorta converted to PC. But at the time, early 90's, PC's were dominant and Mac's were a boutique brand and had this loyal following. I won't get into the whole Mac v. PC thing, but I have totally come around... and I am totally sold on Mac's now, I have totally drunk the KoolAid. I am a firm believer in the Mac, and I will buy one some day.

I wish now that I would have knuckled down and got a Mac those few years ago. But I can't go back in time. I just hate this cludging PC, it bothers me so much. Everyday, we have a problem with it. And that is how the old PC it replaced was like. It got to the point where that computer would crash all the time, and we had no choice but to get a new one. And now, I feel like I'm stuck with this one till it gets to the point where it crashes everyday, and we gotta get a new one. But when that time comes, I will get a Mac Mini. No. Doubt.

Theft

2011-08-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

I have been the victim of petty theft in the past (once, hilariously so... maybe I can get to that today, we'll see) I have had my car broken into a couple of times. The good news is that I have never been a stereo guy, and the there is literally nothing of value in my car. Once, the only thing of value was tossed on the floor as my vehicle was ransacked. I had something like four totally full Dutch Brothers punch cards, and the punks who rifled through my car ignored 'em. That's something like $20 in coffee drinks.

But last week some time, I had the steel bench from the front garden stolen. This bench is nothing special, it cost $50.00 at Costco this spring. And the fact that it is so plain and so unassuming and so common is the reason I won't ever see that one again. Mostly, it's the principal of the thing. I'm annoyed that someone would steal something so awkward, and that makes me think it was not a kid thing. They will steal stuff that kids want. What kid wants a bench? This is awkward to carry, and I have a feeling it was just tossed in a van as they drove by one day. Maybe they took it to the pawn show and pawned it for ten bucks or they sold it on craigslist. I have no idea. My neighbor was also hit, the thiefs tried to steal a bunch of solar powered lights, but all the lights were sorta staged under a tree, as if they sat them there and then were startled in the theft process or something. I don't know.

Do I need to nail down everything now? I was thinking about that, thinking that I need to drill into a big rock (the bench sits in front of a very sizable rock) and put a cable around the leg and then sink an anchor bolt into the rock. But what a hassle. Why should I have to do that? Why is my life made more complicated because of the selfishness of the jackhole who did this to me? I know it's a small thing, but it was mine. We paid for it, we bought it so our garden would look nice. The whole thing makes me angry. I mean, I'm trying to make this neighborhood look nice. I take care of my yard. I weed, I mow, the wife buys pretty plants and she knows where to put them. I like to do this, I like to make my house look nice, and mostly for the edification of others, so when they see it they think that we care about how it looks.

I even take care of the weeds that grow between the curb and the street. I do the little things. And this bench was a little thing that made the yard look nice, and it was more important that some junkie got his fix. I actually hope that guy died from a bad shot of meth mixed with rat poison, that would be nice. And, no, I don't feel bad for thinking that.

Sometimes, I have zero faith in most people. I used to work in Juvenile Services, in Juvenile Detention Centers in Eugene and in Anchorage, AK. I say used to, because I got so jaded and started to just despise people, I was tired of the endless debris of human waste, it never stopped and I never saw any good from what I used to do in that job. I remember once a kid asked me why do you hate me? I told him I don't hate him, I hate everyone. I got to the point where no one measured up and I didn't like that feeling.

That is why that is my former job.

Anyways... the whole thing bugs me. It is the small things, and I feel like this is how it all begins, this is how anarchy settles in. In a nice neighborhood, where it all slowly goes downhill, and before you know it, it's all overgrown with weeds and the paint on the houses are all peeling and you have cars on blocks, shot out windows, etc. Sorta like how Detroit looks now. But there was a time when that was a nice part of town, and people liked living there. And I don't want to live in a place like that...

Ponderous Pines.

2011-08-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

I saw that sign on a development when I was riding. I sorta did a double take, because I don't think that is what the developers had in mind. I'm sure they mean Ponderosa Pines. But I found it funny.

I didn't follow the Debt Deal too closely this last week. Mostly because it is, at it's heart, a joke either way. The best example I can give is that the somehow I am supposed to be all excited because Congress Critters decided to chomp the bullet on this one and agree to over $2T in cuts. That's Two Trillion... in the next ten years. Now, the reason that this doesn't move me is because this is the same gang that added $4T in expenditures (debt) in a two year period. Also, we have $15T in total debt. That's right now debt, and forgive me if thinking that $13T in debt ten years from now doesn't make me happy. Because do you really think that Congress is not gonna find a way to spend less in the next ten years? You have people who are highly skilled at one thing: Spending other peoples money. The Debt will go up, and it will go up sharply. And if you think otherwise, then you kidding yourself.

The whole thing makes me ill because it's foolishness at it's heart. The way that the government does business is not how you or I do business. I mean, if I have $50,000 in debt, and I decided that in the next ten years, I will only have $45,000 in debt, should I be excited about that?

I'm reminded of how advertisements tell you that you will save X amount of dollars if you buy now. But you still spend money, that's problem. What I mean is, if I go out and buy a new car for $20,000... do you really think my wife will be impressed that I saved $10,000 on this car due to the smoking deal I got? No, because I still spent a huge chunk of change. But that is how Congress does things. It's a spending thing, and the fact of the matter is that we spend way more that we make, as a country, and we have over-promised everything. I hate to tell you, but there is no Social Security, there never has been. I feel sorry that those retiring right now believe that they are gonna get a retirement, but they won't. We don't have the money, it does not exist. Don't get mad at the Tea Party for pointing out the obvious, get mad at the leaders who promised you a sweet deal retirement, when they totally knew it didn't exist... but they sold it on you all the same to get elected. That, in my opinion, is evil...

So, I'm gonna post separate posts when I would normally post all the things I want to write about on one post. Why? Because I want to pad my stats. I want to have more posts up there. Stat Padding is a time honored tradition. I mean, if Oregon rolls up New Mexico and puts up 60 points, that is Stat Padding. That's all right, we all do it from time to time. Who cares?

So, this is one of many to follow...

Facts

2011-07-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

Facts are a strange thing. And one thing that I like to say is that you are entitle to your own opinions, but not your own facts.

So, let me see if I got my facts straight...

OK... where to start... So, let me see if I got this straight... Obama and the Democrats have an overwhelming majority in all three branches of our government for two years, and in that time they pass a One Trillion Dollar stimulus package that was supposed to save the economy from disaster, keep unemployment at 8% and make everything all right. And not only did it not do anything good, if the Democrats simply did not pass that one single bill, we would not even be having this Debt Ceiling Crisis Dance.

Is that right? Did I get that fact right or not?

I mean, it was the Democrats who controlled congress for two years, in overwhelming majorities to the point that Republican input was disregarded, and the single most important thing on their minds was passing Universal Health Care... and not getting us out of economic mess. And correct me if I'm wrong, but the Democratic controlled House didn't even bother to pass a bill to deal with the growing debt bomb we were facing? I mean, it's not like 15 Trillion Dollars in debt developed in January. Am I right about that?

So far, do I have my facts right or not?

The Democrats did nothing to stop this runaway train of debt, and now it's the fault of the Tea Party Caucus? The Team Party is the one left holding the bag here because this is one giant game of musical chairs, and they happen to be the last ones standing when the music stops?

Does that make sense to anyone?

All this week, all I heard was how the president was saying we need compromise, we need to come together and meet in the middle. And all I see on the news are people, like Obama, talking about Republicans needing to come and compromise on such a great and growing crisis... all the while acting as if Democrats don't even exist. They totally ignore that they control 2/3 of Government, and somehow it's the Tea Party Extremists who are evil...

I was at work the other night, and MSNBC was on (and let me say this straight up, that Rachel Maddow is a good looking guy. Really, he is...) and one of the commentators was saying how evil it was for the Tea Party to hold America hostage... Evil. You know who said this? Al Freakin' Sharpton. The same guy who has blood on his hands from the Freddy's Fashion Mart fiasco... the same guy who incited a race riot that led to the death of eight people called the Tea Party evil.

Really? Al Sharpton... of all the people.

The whole debt thing disgusts me. There are plenty of people on both sides who are to blame, and the Tea Party is just trying to bring some sense to the government. The fact of the matter is, if you zero'd out all discretionary spending, you still don't have enough money to pay for entitlement programs and keep the basic government running. By this, I mean that if The Pentagon got exactly butt-kiss next year, not a single dime, and if we spend zero on pork, and nothing on the TSA or the FBI or FDA or any other TLA (that would be three letter acronym) in the government... we still don't bring in enough money to run basic government functions and pay entitlements.

Entitlements need to be reformed, and that is a fact... and not just me licking my lips because I desire to see my mother in law eat cat food because she wont get an SS check.

See, it's spending problem, not an income problem. I get sick when I see Obama talk about the cost of tax cuts, as if that money rightfully belongs to the Government and the Government alone. I get angry, because the fact of the matter is, if you confiscated all income over $200K, you still will not pay for the debt that was incurred just this year. There are not enough people to tax, they don't exist.

Also, let me say this, you might call them The Rich, but I call them employers and bosses. I want to create more employers and more bosses, because that means we have more workers and that means more jobs and that means a better America.

We are at a point where I think that this irreparable, that we have gone past the Rubicon and that we will never go back again. And a part of me thinks that was the plan for Obama all along... That he truly believed in the Cloward-Piven strategy of governing, and that this is what you get.

Floyd

2011-07-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

When I had dinner tonight... which consisted of two hot dogs and BBQ sauce from Trader Joe's... I sat down to watch the Mariner game. They were playing the Yankees, and they were on rain delay. The local Roots network had an interview with Floyd Landis.

(the reason I can watch some baseball and eat hot dogs doing it is because the rest of the family is out on vacation in Canada. That is why I am totally acting like a bachelor)

I almost didn't recognize Floyd, he had longish hair and it was flopping in his face, Bieberesque. I get disgusted with Floyd, mostly because he is a liar. I would have had more respect for him if he would have come out and said, yes I cheated and I am sorry. But, no. Instead, he tried to bamboozle everyone. He was figuratively yelling from the moutaintops that he was innocent. He wrote a book that was all lies, he going out on tour getting handouts for his defense, and the whole time he knew it was all a lie. And then he comes clean, he admits his guilt. I actually think he is telling the truth right now, I do. But he is a liar, and I think he's trying to take down all of the cycling world if he can't be seen as a Tour champion. The whole thing makes me mad, because the way he acted was so wrong, everything about it was wrong.

Like I said, he should have just admitted he cheated and then it would not have been all this drama afterwards. I would have had more respect, just say that things got out of control and that you are sorry you lied. Same deal with Tyler Hamilton. I don't know what the deal is with guys who get caught, they think that they can game the system and get back on the bike. I just hate it. And I wish that they would just go away, because all the lying is tiring and they are this relic of a gone era, and the sport has moved on past them. And I'm tired of 'em.

So, my wife and kids are in Canada on the family farm in northern Alberta. I'm all alone, but I'm working a bunch, so I'm not really lonely. I do have the dogs and the cat, the keep me company. I have spent the last few days watching season 4 of Mad Men, which is one of my favorite shows. I just keep to myself and I don't do much. I did go out today and go to all the bike shops in town that I haven't been too in the last year. I usually go to Hutch's on the eastside since that is the closest shop to me, but the fact of the matter is that I hardly ever go to shops. I have all the tools I need, and when I do need to buy stuff like tires... I still am marginally employed by a large outdoor related retail store. Which one? A large one. So, does it matter that I only work there about three hours a month? That's enough to keep a discount going... and that is all I want from them. I don't need much, really I don't. I need things that break down, like tires, chains, etc. Otherwise, I got everything. I wanted to go to the shops, just look around see what's new. I was shocked by how no one really cared when I walked in the door. I went to every shop in town, six different shops, and the almost universal disinterest was surprising. And not one of these were busy, most of the time I was the only one in there. Only one shop said anything to me when I came in, and even then never checked in with me. At least the animosity to the customer was universal. Maybe I can blame it on being a hot day. I don't know. It was hot.

Cadel Wins

2011-07-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the Tour is now over... and that was a good one. I have to say that it was one of the best I have ever seen. I would put it in the top five of favorite Tours, it was that good.

So, real quickly... what are my top five Tours? Well, obviously number one is 1989. That is the best Tour ever, and I doubt it will ever be matched. 89 is like the Apple Macintosh ad at the 1984 Super Bowl. You know how before the Super Bowl they always talk about how great the ads are you always see a run down of the greatest SB ads of all time, and I always want to say wake me up when there is a better ad than that Mac ad. Because it's true. That is without a doubt the best ad ever, and the '89 Tour was the best ever.

For those who don't know, LeMond beat French hero and former two time winner Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds on the last day time trial. LeMond trailed by 50 seconds going in, and no one gave him the chance to win. But the Tour that is year is more than how he won on the last by improbable odds, it's the whole three weeks... how eventual third place finisher and defending champion Pedro Delgado was late by nearly three minutes to the prologue TT, and then gagged in the TTT days later, and spent the rest of the Tour clawing back time. We don't remember that, but if Pedro was paying attention that day, he would have won. I also remember how the race was back and forth, with Fignon and LeMond trading the lead four different times. I also remember how the best team in the world at the time, PDM, won everything but the race... they won the other jerseys and many stages, but no one remembers that, they remember the great come from behind win.

But the fact of the matter is that the Tour has not had a final day TT since then, and that says something about the race. If you change how they do business in the race, then you are a monument to how the sport developed, and that is true of LeMond.

The second best race, in my opinion was probably 2003 when Lance When He Was Lance won his fifth in a row. That was a battle, back and forth, with many great moments... the Beloki Corner, the Luz Ardiden Incident, the TT where Ullrich crashes on a wet corner. It was a great race.

Thirdly, I might put 1987 in there. That was a great race, where one singular athlete rose up and had the greatest season ever. Stephen Roach won that year, the same year he also won the Giro and the Worlds, and it has never been done since. The actual Tour that year was still magnificant, with plenty of drama.

Fourthly, I would probably put 1999, when Lance Was Lance. Why do I say that, When Lance Was Lance? Well, I think that back in the day, Lance was a great racer, and I was totally a KoolAid drinking disciple of his, but lately... not so much. He was a great champion, but his act post first retirement, the comeback, all the rumors... I have totally soured on him. But back in the day, when he was Lance, I was a big fan, and that 1999 race was epic.

And then I would slate the 2011 race in there. I might think more of it in the years to come, but I still think that it was a great race, and the result was very worthy. Cadel is a worthy champion, he was the strongest rider who did all the work not only chasing down Andy on the Galibier, but doing it the next day and chasing down Alberto on the Alpe. He was the most consistent everyday, for three weeks. He was never farther down than third after the TTT, and he had a great team that kept him out of trouble.

I said it was deserving, and I believe that. There have been undeserving winners in the past. Marco Pantani, as much as I like to watch him race, did not deserve to win in 1998. That was a terrible Tour, with half the field quitting because of all the drug related shenanigans. Another undeserving winner, probably the most undeserving in the post war era, was Oscar Periero. Oscar won in 2006, when Floyd Landis was DQ'd, and that race was a total disaster. It started with most of the top riders not even starting because Operation Puerto was blowing up at the time, and guys Basso and Ullrich and Mancebo were all tossed out of the race right before the start. Also tossed was the entire Liberty Seguros team, a team with Vinokourov. It was just a total clusterfark at the start, and it got worse from there on.

I mean, a race where a guy like Periero losses something like 12 minutes one day, then gaines 14 or 15 or so the next just shows you how much in flux that dang race was in. The whole race was missing The Patron, Lance. There was not a single guy who the peloton could look to and say, that is the guy. All the main guys were out, and you had a race of Sergeants and Privates going out because you had no Captains and Generals.

Well, back to this race. It was fantastic. Cadel was very deserving, he was very strong, and he was very decent and humble in victory. I am very happy for him, becaue he really struggled for a long time, and many years where he was very good but didn't perform because of injuries or he had a team that was indifferent to him. But not this year, he was the strongman of the Tour, and he worked when no one else wanted to or could. He was the only one willing to take control of the race when it needed to be done, and he went out and systematically won it.

Andy... I think he would have been a deserving winner. But he will have many good years ahead of him, and I have no doubt he can win this race some days. But he left it on the road. If he doesn't gag in the last three Km of the Galibier, he probably wins. That is where he lost the two minutes he needed to win, and he knows it. I find it amazing that a race that is three weeks long and around 3000 Km of racing, it all comes down to two or three Km of road in the alps.

It was a great race, and I look forward to next year. You know that the Schlecks will improve their game, and they will probably have a stronger team. Alberto will be back, and Cadel will do his best to defend his title. I hope that Hincapie returns to set the record for most Tour appearances, and I hope that Chris Horner has one last shot at it before he retires.

Love this race, I really do... and I look forward to the next one.

The Alpe

2011-07-22T19:48:00.001-07:00

First of all, let me just say that the Mariners up in Seattle are just plain gawd awful right now. That is one horrible baseball team that had a tough time scoring runs, and now have a hard time keeping the other team in the yard. They are bad.

So, now I turn my attention to cycling. The stage today was a good one, and it was a perfect example of leaving it short. Alberto Contador did the right thing by attacking from way out, since it was a long stage, and he needed to toughen it up. And there was a period of time that I thought he was gonna pull off a gutsy win, getting over the Alpe and winning where he wanted to win more than anything.

Do I think that he was a bit cheeky with the timing of the move, and how Cadel lost his wheel? Not really, it was more unfortunate timing for Cadel. And, remember... I have been really hard on Alberto for the last year, I do not think that was a bad attack at all. That was bad luck for Cadel, and he knows it.

I think that what Contador did was what he had to do, and he left it a big short. There was 5K of too much road in front of him, and to see him struggle up was painful. That was a beaten man, and you could slowly see it coming, inch by inch... the head lagging, the shoulders rocking, tongue out, the bike not staying on line, in and out of the saddle as if he was trying to make a deal with his rubbery legs. Just painful to watch. It hurts, because every cyclist of every level knows exactly how it feels.

And I mean that. Look, I might like basketball, but I will never know the feeling of dunking the basketball or draining an NBA three in front of a skilled defender. Same with baseball, I will never know the thrill of going yard in a big league park.

But I have been on major climbs, some as hard as Alpe D'Huez (for example, the climb up to Bogus Basin in Boise is, in my opinion, as hard and long as any climb in the world. It is that good... and I've done it a couple of times. The same goes for the climb of La Canada in San Mateo, CA. That is as good as it gets. Same with Bear Creek or Wolf Creek in Eugene) and I might be as fast or as strong as these guys, but I know the feeling of being totally and completely drained by the effort of cycling. So, as Alberto hung his head and tried to convince his body to give it five more clicks of The Good Stuff, I know that feeling very well.

I have been a big critic of Alberto in the last year, I think his attack in the Tour last year was the most bush league, chicken bleep attack I have ever seen. I also think the guy is very cocky and full of Alberto. Alberto is the biggest fan of Alberto. The whole El Pistolero thing bugs me (a friend of mine says he finger bangs when he crosses the line. But I wont say that because this is a family blog... oh wait...)

But I do respect his talent. Alberto is the best pure climber out there. He has an uncanny ability to change tempo and put his rivals into check. You have no idea how hard that is. A lot of guys can go steady and hard for a long time, and one of the best to ever do that was Ullrich, who was the greatest grinder I ever saw. He pushed huge gears, but he just could not suddenly change speed. He would be very good at chasing guys down becasue he was so steady, but he just could not suddenly change tempo. Not like Alberto could.

Most climbers are grinders. Cadel Evans, Levi, Ivan Basso, Andy Schleck, the great Miguel Indurain, etc. And it is actually very rare to find the guy who has sudden bursts of speed that put other guys into crisis, they are very rare climbers. Lance When He Was Lance, Alberto, Pantani. Marco Pantani was the best, ever. He was so good at jumping a gear and flying down the road, like he had a motor. Then again, he was juiced, but they all were back then, so it makes no less compelling.

Watch the difference between Alberto and Andy. When Andy accelerates, it seems a mile or two slower and with less suddenness. Alberto, especially when he was in top fitness, he exploded down the road. And you only need to do it for about half a Km, and then settle into your tempo. If you can do that, you can win big races. All it takes is about half a click of blinding speed, you get around a corner, and you settle in and you can be gone. It doesn't matter if the guys behind are riding at the same tempo, that sudden burst got you down the road... which is where you want to be. And Alberto is so good at that, when he is on song as they say.

I wanted to say that the thing that made me the happiest was when he tagged that guy wearing the doctor smock. He got him right in the face, and it was awesome. That dude totally deserved it. I am so sick of all the dang attention whores in the race these days. These idiots run alongside the riders, not because they are fans but because they know they will get on TV and they seem to try to outdo themselves each year. I mean, if they were fans, they would watch the guys riding, not watch the camera. Guys running alongside, their pants pulled down with their butt crack to the riders, that is so disrespectful to the riders and to racing. It makes me ill. They care more about posing and getting on TV than anything else and this needs to stop.

And what that guy did to Alberto was flat out wrong. I don't care what you think, you don't interfere with the riders, and that guy was putting his stethoscope right in Alberto's face. And Alberto popped him, and that was a good thing.

Mariners

2011-07-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

But I do respect his talent. Alberto is the best pure climber out there. He has an uncanny ability to change tempo and

Win or Die Trying

2011-07-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

There is a beauty in cycling that those who do not ride have a hard time grasping. And it's not in the scenery, although it was outstanding today. It's not in the spectacle of the race, although it was on full display today. And it's not in the victory, which was a very beautiful win. No, the beauty in this sport... and I have told friends this before and they look at me like I'm a buck toothed moron... is the pure beauty of abject suffering.

Suffering. Yes, you read that right.

That is what made today's stage of the Tour so awesome, so epic, so gobsmacking great that I was cheering on a Luxembourger who was born when I was in college. Suffering is why I was rabidly cheering this gangly, ugly horse-faced dope, Andy Schleck. Suffering on a scale that leaves me without words or proper adjectives to do it all justice.

Cycling is all about the mountains, and the mountains is what make the races great, and great mountain races mean great suffering. Andy Schleck suffered wildly for 60 plus Km, and it was as beautiful as freshly brewed coffee.

Suffering is why I still get out on the bike and kill it whenever I have the chance. You want to know how my ride was? I told my wife once, when she asked me that, It was great. I suffered like a rented mule. And she just looked at me like I the stammering fool I am after the business end of two hours of climbing and dying on the roads.

Suffering, as a goal, is precious to me when I get on the bike. I love that feeling. Love it and hate it, because as I anticipate the sufferathon on the bike, I know it will hurt. It hurts my legs, my lungs. It hurts me to my blood, as I feel my legs cramp, the sweat pouring over my head, my body feeling flush as I pedal harder, with more labored effort, wondering if I will make it... just a bit more... over that hill... and then back home.

Suffering is the cruel mistress of cycling. And, oh how we love it when she hurts us bad... and today, Andy Schleck suffered in ways that I only imagine, ways that are unmentionable. And it was so awesome.

I loved that stage of the Tour today, it was everything I was hoping it would be and more. If I was to ballpark that one going in, I would definitely had said a break would go clear, and it would probably stick all the way to the end, maybe one or two climbing specialists getting free range at the Cul De Angle. They would build a big lead as the Big Six looked at each other and decide to settle it on the Galibier. That would have been the safe bet, to save it all for the last climb. And then as the unknown specialist claims the Queen Stage, a minute or to later, a favorite would pop through the mist and claim a minute or less over the others as they strung out on the climb. I would have picked Contador, as he has shown great form, and I was doubtful of the Schlecks, and I thought it was too long and too stiff of a challenge for Evans to break through, but he would still lead Contador. I would have also predicted that Voeckler would get dropped hard. I would have said that Evans would lead it by the end of the day, that Schleck and Contador would be close, and we would probably look to Alpe D'Huez tomorrow to sort it all out further.

Not how it all went down, huh?

I was walking the dogs today, and I was thinking about when Lance Was Lance, and how back in the day, he had a very simple, effective plan to win the Tour. He would be the best TT rider, but then in the mountains, he would line up his Pain Train of US Postal and they would lay down this amazing tempo and the group would go from 20 or so down to three by the end. Guys would fall off the back, like a sack of rocks falling out of a pick up truck on a dusty country road. Before you know it, it would just be Lance When He Was Lance, his pilot Roberto Heras, and Joseba Beloki or Jan Ullrich. And then Lance (when he was Lance) would pop around Heras and Beloki, ride the last mile on his own in devastating fashion, and win by a minute or two.

It was brutal cycling. Brutally beautiful... in that it was amazing to see how well oiled the Pain Train really was, but it was brutal all the same. The fact of the matter was, you knew what was coming, you knew there was nothing you could do to stop it, and you knew it would work. It was as efficient and brutal and as calculated and as cold as an Army Ranger sniper. You could not stop it, you just hoped you could be the last one to hang on... the last one to die on the road.

What it was not, was audacious. Andy was audacious today. That attack was stupid, it was doomed to fail, because just two days prior, Andy got gapped off, and he had to fight to get back on the descent just the day before. It was a fool's bet. What the heck was he thinking?

It was a gamble, and it was Andy Schleck taking all his chips, pushing them into the middle of the table, and saying Watch This.

(actually, he took his chips, Frank's, Trek's and all of Team Lay-O-Pard. IF he leaves it five clicks short, and he nearly did, then he looks like a fool's fool. It would be a total Beaver Move. That's what I would have called it.... beaverin' it. Thank goodness he didn't go full Beaver and crap his pants all over the road...)

Look, no one goes on the attack 60 clicks out. Unless you are a down GC rider with aspirations to win the stage. And even then, the leaders, the Heads of State, let you roll off the front because you are no threat to the overall. Not a contender. That is not what a guy who wants to win the race does, not the guy sitting in third overall. That just does not happen. EVER.

I think that the others let him go because it looked so doomed, he had no chance to make it stick. But that was not only fine riding, it was pitch perfect team tactics. Lay-O-Pard got two guys down the road, and all Andy had to do was hook up with 'em, and they would pull till they were totally spent, and that is what happened.

When Andy caught his teammate,Maxine Monfort, it was on. Monfort went all out on the decent, and was the perfect pilot fish for Andy. He is clearly a better descender, and he led him down the Izoard very deftly... and they even built time, he actually extended his lead on the descent. In the valley, Monfort was GoreTex Windstopper out there, Andy didn't hang his can in the wind at all, didn't waste precious resources to ride across the valley to the final climb. That was the key part of his escape. If Andy didn't have his teammate out there to do that crucial bit of work, Andy leaves it five clicks short, and he losses time to the others.

And let me tell you something right now, Andy and Max did one of the most explicitly perfect descents I ever saw. They literally used every inch of the road, and there were times that if they strayed just a bit, they were going over the edge and would Beloki themselves right out of a career in bike racing. It was that amazing. That was a pro descent. You cannot do that, I cannot do that... only top level, elite cyclists can do what they did on that descent. I literally covered my eyes at times, it looked so knife-edgedly risky.

He then caught the last of the early breakaway on the last climb. I kept adding up the Km's, wondering how much he needed at each point. Would four minutes at 20 be it? At 10 K, would three and a half hold? For so much of the climb, he was matched stroke for stroke with Cadel Evans. Then near the top, Evans started to shut it down bit by bit. Then they flashed to Andy, and he was wavering hard, his head was hanging, his shoulders rocking, he was taking up way too much of the road, he was standing too much and not happy at all in his tempo, he looked like he was gonna leave it short. At five to go, that was when I was worrying. At two to go, he was spent, and it was pure guts that got him over the hump, and in the last K it was burtal to watch. He so nearly left it all on the road, and I did not think he was gonna make it. But that last K or so, he lost a minute and a half... and I have a sneaking feeling that he would want that time in hand for the final TT on Saturday. Less than a minute will be enough for Cadel to make up, and I think that he can.

And I actually think that Cadel can still win this. He was obviously the best climber on the last mountain, and he did all the work. No one helped him. Not even Voeckler. I know that Voeckler is the scrappy journeyman having the ride of his life... but come on. He is the leader, he needs to show some sense of pride and leadership and actually work and not be content to follow the wheels every ding dang day. That was lame. I do think his ride has been impressive, but work for that jersey, earn it. Same with Basso. You don't get a free ride, Ivan. You need attack now and then as well, set some pace. Cadel did it all on the toughest mountain in the race, and no one came to his aid.

But I want to mention the pain they went through. The contorted faces, the grimacing, it was super intense. Just looking at them you could tell they were dying for every inch of the road. That was amazing to watch, just pure drama. Pure Suffering. I loved that...

But man, give it up for Andy. He won, and he nearly died in the process, you could tell the effort was that taxing.

It was amazing to watch, and I am so glad I got up to watch it all.

Descending is hard...

2011-07-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

For a stage that had only a Cat 2 ten miles or so from the finish, that stage today was a lot of fun to watch. Although it might not have had a big impact on the overall outcome of the race, just watching that last descent was worth getting up at ungodly hours in the AM.

I really thought that this stage had potential, because Sestrierre has been epic when it appears in the Tour. They don't run up that mountain too much, but when they do it is usually a fun one. I think back to when Claudio Chiappucci did his epic ride in 1992, when the crowd parted in front of him at just the right moment, and it looked like the Red Sea pulling back for Moses (or, at least how I envisioned how the Red Sea would pull back. I might be old, but I'm not that old...) Then I think to when Lance was Lance and he won his first Tour, and he stormed up in 1999 in a torrential downpour. That was fun. And these are just examples off the top of my head.

But that climb was too far from the end to have an impact. Also, and I didn't know this, there are multiple ascent paths to Sestrierre, not like Luz Ardiden or Alpe D'Huez where there is only one way up. And I guess the path they took this year was a bit easier.

That last climb, they need to do that one again. First of all, it was very narrow. You could only get three guys across. It was the width of the Alton Baker bike path over in Eugene... but it was going uphill, with switchbacks... but, then again, at the bike path in Eugene you have to dodge hippies and anarchists, so I don't know which is harder.

The attacks came at the top, which made total sense. The road was not steep enough or long enough to put even Voeckler into crisis, but it was narrow enough to mean you were not getting around anyone till the bottom. That descent was very tricky. I liked it when two different guys flew right into the same carport. That was crazzzeee!

But give this to Contador and Sanchez: They knew that no one was gonna come over the top of them on the descent, and if they killed the descent and took some calculated risks, they would have a gap. Then take that gap, and TT it to the the line and steal back some time. That was a great tactic, and they nearly pulled it off.

I have no idea what the gap was to Schleck at the bottom of the climb, but they had a sizeable gap. The only problem was, they had about three clicks to close it down. Contador and Sanchez, and then the Schleck group. The Schleck group was bigger, and they got their act together real fast and shut it down, and lost almost no time (maybe a second? I don't know for sure) And as good as Contador is a TTer, he was on his own, and got no help from Sammy. But I think the Schleck group worked together pretty smoothly.

Not the same can be said about Voeckler. His descent was a disaster, and he was lucky he didn't Beloki himself out of the Tour (Joseba Beloki famously crashed out on a descent in the 2003 Tour, never to race again) when he caromed into the carport mentioned earlier.

But, really, other than Voeckler getting down like an old lady in a walker, there was no change in the overall. But it was exciting to watch all the same.

I titled this piece because getting down the mountain is not easy, it's a very hard thing to do well. This is a skill that took me a long time to perfect, and now that I'm better at it, I feel I can say what makes a good descender.

First of all, there are two types of descents. The first is fast, the second is technical. Fast descents, you pull yourself low and narrow over your bike, and you clock fast times. Up to 100Kph, which is around 60Mph. I've done that, and it is scary. That sort of speed on a bike is not natural. Even now, I can clock around 50 coming down Bachelor, but it puts a good fright into me. Part of it is being older and having kids, and not wanting to be picked up off the road with a spatula. I can pull myself low, get really narrow (fortunately, I have a natural head start in that I am a very narrow person, if you know what I mean and I think you do) and I see 50 on the computer and I freak. I don't want that to be the last thing I see, especially just out for a training ride. In a race, I will take more chances. Because it's racing, and you do that.

Technical descents are twisty, with decreasing radius turns and what not. That is a different skill all together. There is a technique to it: Load the outer leg, lean into the turn, counter-steer. And this is not exactly a this-then-that process, but rather you do it all in one smooth motion.

Loading up means you have the outer leg down, the inner leg up (...duh...) and this helps you to lean into the turn, like your falling. At the same exact time you steer away. Literally, you steer counter to the direction you are turning. So, on a turn going to the right, you steer to the left. It's slight, very much so, but you will push away with the inside hand, pulling slightly with the outside hand. The outside arm will be bent, the inside one mostly straight. When I first learned to do this, it felt so awkward... then I perfected it, and I remember the first time I ripped down Bear Creek over in the Eugene area, and it was the perfect ride... it felt like my bike was now freebasing the asphalt, and I was mainlining pure speed. I felt a bit scared, because I didn't know I could go that fast on a turning road.

And that was actually the time, and I remember this, that I said to myself I need to do this all the time. That was when I went from being into cycling to being addicted.

I really cannot wait for tomorrow's stage, this one will be truly a spectacle. The stage ends on the highest point ever to see a stage finish, and just a few days ago it was snowing up there and there was a real question as to wether or not they would be able to pull this one off. This better freakin' be a decisive stage, and there better be attacks and counter attacks, and lots of grown men looking like they might die from lack of oxygen/lactic acid build up. Not that I want any one to go Tom Simpson and keel over, but I do want to see monstrous efforts put forth on what will be a monstrous climb.

Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!!!!!!!

Rainy Tour Days

2011-07-19T21:30:00.001-07:00

If you were to ask me yesterday how I think today's stage of the Tour would have played out, I would have said expect a breakaway to stay clear through to the line, and expect the top six to stay together all the way over the top and to the line, with no changes in GC.

And, I was right to a certain extent. I expected a break to stick, but I didn't expect to see Edvald Boaasan-Haggen and Thor Hushovd to be the ones making the dash for the line. These guys are considered sprinters, not climbers. But, then again, Thor really surprises how good of a climber he is. I also didn't think that Garmin would send two of the three to the line, and that was a great move to get Ryder up there. I knew that Garmin would deliver the win, and I thought that it would have been Thor. That was a well played, well executed victory for Garmin. Garmin is flat out having the best Tour ever for them and they are the best team right now in the race. With four wins, they match HTC... who have Cav, a stage winning machine. But to win sprints and hilly stages and the TTT, and have a guy there at the end for the mountains and GC... half the teams in the race would kill to have half their results.

The top of the GC was shaken up a bit, and for the good. I was shocked to see how well Contador attacked that last mountain. That was a well timed, well executed attack and it was reminiscent of how great he has been in the past. That was the Contador of old. It totally got the Schlecks flat footed, and the only GC guy to really answer it was Evans. Evans counter attack made the Contador attack stick, and without Evans I think that Contador would have been reeled in. And, although the attack was money, it was really Evans who benefited the most from it.

That stage today was bad for the Schlecks, for Andy especially. I was watching the Tour wrap up show tonight, and they mentioned (and by that I mean Bob Roll... who can be a stammering idiot at times) that Andy is great descender, one of the best. I have no idea where they get that idea. Last year, in the stage where Contador attacked Andy when Andy dropped his chain, it was near the top of the last climb, and the fact of the matter is that Andy lost most of the time on the descent.

The same thing sorta happened today. Andy lost time on the descent. Part of it was that no one was gonna help him out, he was on his own to tug back the leaders. But Andy let the gap open up, and he is NOT a good enough descender to get that time back. He wasn't last year, and he ain't this year. Andy is tall and skinny, and us tall skinny guys do not get down the hills fast. The short, compact riders like... oh, I don't know... Alberto Contador and Cadel Evans... they get down fast, generally, and that was true again today.

And stop telling me how it is rainy out there, and cold, and this is not for the liking of Andy Schleck. The last time I checked, it was raining on Alberto Contador as well. It also rained on Cadel? really? Didn't know that.

Look, I like Andy. I want him to win. I also think that he is a class act, a guy who is good for the sport. But he is not showing an ability to make his attacks stick, he has yet to find the climbing legs to seriously put Alberto into the red zone, and he just does not look like a rider really to get into the kill zone and take control of this race.

On the other hand... I do think that Cadel can do that. I was really impressed with his attacks today, he countered beautifully. I did not think of Cadel as an attacking type of rider, but there he was, putting time into the others when it was there to do be done.

I think Cadel is my choice to win it all. Mostly because he has time on Contador, and all he has to do is follow Contador, and I don't think Contador can drop Cadel. Cadel's team is money right now, they are riding flat out for him. There have been times in the past when Cadel was the team leader, and his team seemed totally disinterested in helping him win the dang race... I'm thinking of his Lotto days. There was a time when Lotto looked at Cadel as just an outsider, and he went into the race with zero help.

Now, it's totally different. He has the attention of a good team, and the presence of George Hincapie and his experience on how to deliver a big win is just crucial. I totally see Cadel as holding the cards right now. He can get this done.

Tour Update

2011-07-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I will be writing quite a bit today. I haven't had an update on the Tour in a while, and I need to do that.

The biggest problem with not blogging is because I have been working... and at work I type all day in front of a computer. After eight hours of that, I want to relax and not do it. Thus, no blogging. But I will try to do it more. They might be short posts, but I will try something.

The Tour is in full effect, and this is the second rest day. The third week is upon us, and that means the Alps, and that means more climbing.

What do I think of the race so far? Well, I am a bit torn. What I do see is that the Schlecks and Contador are really marking each other. Neither are able to dump the other, so they have settled into a sort of nega-racing, where they just sorta make sure the other doesn't get away. Well, I can understand why they do this, but they run the risk of letting another guy sneak away with it... and that guy right now is Voeckler. He actually was riding very well on Platue De Beillee (and I have no idea if I am spelling it right and I have no inclination to look up the right spelling. Let's abbreviate it to PdB.) and he was not dropped, as just about everyone thought would happen.

What I do know about this race right now is that Voeckler is riding over his head, and if you can't put time into him because you are too busy watching the other guy, then you just might gift wrap this race for him. And that is a fact.

The race is gonna be really hard in the Alps, and if Voeckler hangs on, then you have to give him credit. It's not like this year has only two mountain top finishes, like they have done in years past. This year, in fact, the buzz was that the race was really, really hilly and was a very stiff test. If Voeckler walks away with the win, and that is still highly doubtful because he is not exactly a TT whiz kid, then he will totally be deserving. That is something that the Schlecks and Contador need to consider.

I do think that Contador is showing weakness. I have seen a dramatic regression over the last few years. Two years ago, he attacked and rode guys straight off his wheels. He would put minutes into guys and it would be game over. Last year, he attacked, and Andy Schleck would stick to him like glue. He couldn't shake Andy. In fact, the only time he could give Andy the drop was when Andy was giving his chain the drop, if you know what I mean. Now, Contador has to follow. I saw no significant attack on PdB, and the attacks he made on Luz Ardiden were quickly covered by the Schlecks. In fact, he lost time on the Luz, about half a minute. Contador has been nega-racing in the second week, and it has meant three things: Voeckler still has the jersey, there has been six or eight guys finishing in his group (where in the past, it would have been one or two) and he has yet to make a significant move toward victory. He looks weak, and if he wasn't already a Tour winner, and coming off a victory in Italy, then I would say that he was not a true contender... if this was Alberto Gomez, journeyman pro, I would understand that. But this is Contador, the most explosive climber out there right now. Where's the fire? Where's the light touch on the pedals, the massive attack on a decisive climb? I have yet to see it.

So, who do I like so far? I like the Schlecks, I think that Frank is showing better form, and he has proven himself to be a great climber, but Andy has the pedigree. Andy let loose a blistering attack in the last 500 meters on PdB, but it only got him two or three seconds. Andy seems to want to keep it all in check, like he's waiting for the Alps. And maybe the Alps are more to his style than the Pyrennean climbs. I understand the whole thing about the one-two punch, of attack and counter-attack, but they ain't exactly pulling if off right now... I mean, if Andy attacks, then when there is a regroupment, Frank needs to go immediately. Not ten seconds later, or half a click. They need to have repeated attacks, over and over again. They wait too long between attacks, and the effect is lessened. They let Contador recover, they let him get on a wheel. The fact of matter is that PdB was a total fiasco for the Schlecks, mostly because the others were too negative in the racing, but still... if you have a strong hand, then attack. So what if you drop Frank, you need to go for the win when you have the chance. I felt like Andy held back, but what do I know?

I really think that Cadel Evans is in a great position, but again... did he attack at all this last week? I didn't see it. I dont think I have ever seen him on the attack. In fact, he's just a stronger version of Levi Leipheimer. Like Levi, he is more of a tempo rider. Levi and Cadel like to get a tempo and then just grind it out. They lack explosiveness on the climbs. They don't need to be explosive, because that is not their style, I get that. But right now, all I see is a guy who will follow and hope to grind the other guys down.

I think that the biggest loser on PdB was actually Garmin-Cervelo. They thought they would be bad-ass and set tempo at the foot of the climb, but all that did was roach off Christian VandeVelde, and then you saw Tom Danielson get dropped later on. They should have let the Schlecks and Contador and Evans and Voeckler do all the early work. Reserve CVV, follow wheels and plan the attack for later in the climb (am I advocating nega-racing afer complaining about it? Well, for Tommy D, I am. Because it is not his respnsibility to set the race tempo, that belongs to guys who have won or who are considered challengers for the title. I know for those who do not follow racing, this seems contradictory... but the fact of the matter is that there are unwritten rules of racing, and the responsibility for tempo belongs to those who have aspirations to win. That is why HTC rides at the front all day in the flat stages.)

That was a gutsy move to get to the bottom and rail tempo, but did it flick anyone off the back? Did they gain any advantage at all? No and no. I still think that Danielson will finish in the top ten, maybe the top five, but he could have improved his lot if he took a more tactical route on PdB.

I think that a lot of writers are seeing the stalemate on PdB as frustrating, because it was not decisive, as it should have been. This is good article, and I'm pretty much echoing what I read there.

All I'm saying is that as of right now, no one has taken responsibility for leadership of this race, and that has been frustrating. As a fan, I want to see attacking... and I'm not seeing enough of it from enough of the riders.

Pay to Play

2011-07-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Currently, on the front of ESPN.com, there is episode about paying college players. And this has been a long discussed idea, no doubt about it. But it ain't gonna happen, ever. Not unless and until we radically restructure college athletics. And by that, I mean that you separate it from colleges totally and run it in the same way that Association Football is run in Europe. Or any sport, for that matter. See, over there everything is professional, and if you want to play pro football at fifteen years of age, you do it. You might do it in a lower division team, or have your rights owned by a higher division team as you hone your skill at a lower division, but that is how you do it.

But in America, since all lower level athletics except for baseball are associated with colleges, you have a problem and that problem is Title Nine.

The reason for Title Nine is that since colleges take federal money, in order for the sports at the schools to be legal, they need to have the same number of scholarships for men as for women. I don't want to argue the merits of T9, and I think there have been great thing about it. For example, it has given the gals a leg up, and that has been a direct line to the development of, for example, the Women's World Cup team that just lost to Japan. Without T9, we most likely would not have had the opportunity to get world class women athletes developed. So, for that I appreciate it.

But, on the other hand, there has been a total decimation of men's sports. There is a reason that Oregon, for example no longer has men's swimming, wrestling or gymnastics as a scholarship sport, and until recently didn't have baseball. There are only a handful of men's sports on full scholarship at Oregon... Football, Basketball, Baseball, Track, Cross Country, Golf. That is it. For the women, they have Basketball, Softball, Track, Cross Country, Golf... Soccer, LaCrosse, Volleyball and Stunts and Gymnastics and Tennis. Those last Five are there for gender equity, to balance out Football.

Now, real quick... of all those sports, which ones actually are revenue generating? The answer is Football and Men's Basketball. In fact, Baseball breaks even.... and all the other's lose money. It's not even close, and it's the same deal for all schools. Football is the money maker, and all the others sports are supported by these two money makers. Even Track and Field is a money loser at one of the premier schools for it.

Again, I'm not here to argue the finer points of women v. men sports. I will only say that it is a fact that Football pays all the bills, and I'm OK with that.

What I do know is that it is a non-starter to talk about paying the football team money. That will not happen. In the eyes of the law, and of those who enforce gender equity, the Heisman Trophy finalist RB would have to get paid the same amount... and by same, I mean the exact same amount... as the gal who is a back up, walk on Lacrosse defender. She might never get on the field, she might only be used in practice, but she would have to get paid the same as LaMichael James, and that is that. As long as they receive a scholarship from a school that receives federal aid, paying the athletes any amount of money would have to be the exact same, regardless of sport or gender, or whether or not anyone watches or even cares about that sport.

When I was in Eugene last year for a bike race, I had a bit of time, and I went to the Cas Center to get some t-shirts and gifts for the kids. While there, the women were playing soccer. I don't remember who they were playing, but I do know this: The place was not half filled, it was free to attend.

The day before, a sell out crowd watched Oregon beat the tar out of New Mexico.

Look, Gender Equity and Title 9 is the law. I actually think it has done good things for womens sports in this country, but if your gonna tell me that the gal sitting on the pine is the same type of athlete as Darron Thomas, or has the same type of impact as him, well you're wrong.

But that is how the law sees it, and it is why you will never, ever see colleges pay their athletes. Not now, not ever.

Or, as I said, there is an absolute titanic shift in amateur athletics in this nation. And that is more likely to happen than seeing football players get paid. The first day a law that says Football players get paid and not Women's Soccer gets passed... the next day, there is a lawsuit, and that is no-brainer win.

Luck

2011-07-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged in a while, because of work... 'natch. But I need to say some things about the Tour before tomorrow.

The Tour is a cruel mistress, and the fact of the matter is that luck, for lack of a better word, is often a very deciding factor in the race. In fact, I have long thought that the most amazing thing about LA winning seven in a row was how unbelievably lucky he was. In fact, if you go back to the 1999 Tour, his first win, there was a moment of luck that started it all.

In that Tour, they were crossing the Pont De Saint Nazairre, the same place they started stage one of this year, and the thing about that causway is that it is under water at high tide. So, they were crossing, and this road is insanely narrow, and often covered with seaweed and what not (and, really, absolutely no place to have a bike race) and there was a big stack up, and over 2/3 of the Peleton got gapped off by the crash... but LA was in the front, and he got two minutes on Alex Zulle and Fernando Escartin. Sure, that was a small amount in comparison to the fact he won by seven minutes overall, but at the time it was critical. He basically started the mountains with a headstart, and things might have turned out differently if the gap to Zulle was narrower. Who knows?

Of course, the greatest example of luck was when he went cyclocross in the 2003 Tour, on that descent that ended Joseba Beloki's career. That was a moment of pure luck that was totally unexplained.

So, why do I bring this up? Because of bad luck, bad positioning, and bad timing, a big crash happened in the Tour, and Bradley Wiggens cracked his collarbone. In the same crash, Chris Horner concussed himself, and might not start tomorrow, and Levi Leipheimer lost three minutes. His Tour is never coming back, he has no chance to win it all now, because he will start nearly five minutes in arears to Contador and Schleck.

It's painful to watch, because you know that is how it is... bad luck happens, and often to the wrong guys. On stage one, I thought that the two minutes that Contador was losing was gonna be potentially decisive, but now who knows? Compare that to finishing last and losing nearly 20 minutes, getting your bell rung and breaking your nose, and that is the day that Horner had. There is bad luck, and then there is Chris Horner luck.

It is too easy to say just ride at the front. The thing is, every one knows that, everyone wants to be there, but when you have 190 guys all battling for the front, not everyone can be there. So, guys get nervous, they fight for position, and then the road narrows, the wind kicks up, and before you know it... you got a gap, and you got 80 guys chsing and losing tree minutes.

I feel sad, because I want to see it decided on the road, and not ON the road, in having dudes strewn across the pavement, like a bomb went off in the pack or something.

Well, tomorrow will be a good day... there are more hills than in any stage this year so far, and a cat 2 right before finishing on a cat 3, and the GC guys will probably stretch the legs for the finish. I expect to see Schleck and Contador and Evans up there, and if they aren't then they ain't winning it this year.

I will predict that Rigoberto Uran will win. He has talent, he has the green light from Sky and that team is desperate to prove they are players in this race. He might have enough space to make a run at it.

But expect all the big riders to lay down some markers tomorrow, and that will make the race interesting. Expect change in the Yellow as well, as I just do not see Thor holding off Evans for another day. I do think that Evans will be in Yellow, he is riding very well right now.

Tour

2011-07-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged in a while, because of work... 'natch. But I need to say some things about the Tour before tomorrow.

Of course, the greatest example of luck was when he went cyclocross in the 2003 Tour, on that descent that ended Joseba Beloki's career. That was a moment of pure luck that was totally unexplained.

I feel sad, because I want to see it decided on the road, and not ON the road, in having dudes strewn across the pavement, like a bomb went off in the pack or something.

Tour, Stage 4

2011-07-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

The nice thing about having cable (finally.... after all these years...) is that I can get up early in the morning and watch the race. In the past, on a big day, I would go down to a local coffee shop (Thump, it's downtown and it's a really good place. If you're ever in Bend, check it out. Good vibe, great coffee, good people. Small TV, though. My TV is much nicer. My coffee isn't as good, but it's good enough) I would get up early, grab some food and drive there. And I always felt obligated to buy a muffin or a cinnamon roll with my coffee, since I was taking up real estate on their chairs and all that.

But not any more.

Today, I just rolled out of the rack, and turned the TV the VsHD and watched in my jammies. That was nice.

The stage today was not an epic stage, like you will see in the later part of the race in the Pyrenees and the Alps, but it was a hilly finish in the last 2K. The majority of the race, a small break got free and they were reeled in before the start of the main action. The last two K were pretty illuminating, and I will try to give my initial thoughts on what happened. So, let's go through the Stage GC real fast:

#1 Cadel Evans. His team did a monster job of keeping him at the front to start the climb, and he delivered. This sort of short, intense climb is perfect for a guy who is more of an all-arounder like Evans. He timed his final jump exactly, and delivered the victory. The thing I thought was great was seeing George Hincapie so happy for Cadel. That is what a team rider does, he does his job and then trusts his captain to deliver. He delivered. Cadel is perfect for these types of finishes because he is so strong and can grind and kill himself for two clicks... now, let's see if he can do it for 20, because in the past he couldn't, and that is where the race is one. But, for now, he left a marker on the road, and that was what was important for today.

#2 Alberto Contador. His attack half way up caused the main split of ten or so guys that finished the day. The thing is, it looked like a typical Contador attack, but it was covered in a hurry. There was no counter, and I was hoping to see a counter from Andy Schleck or someone to see how Alberto responded to a counter move, but it was a more tactical finish, so that's OK. I was surprised how fast everyone came back to him, and how much he seemed to suffer at the end. He did not seem easy in the saddle in the last two K. But, again, this is not his type of hilly finish. Two K is tactically different from 20 K. You tack on 15 more at the same steepness and toss in a few turns, and Alberto runs away with it (typically...) but this was so short and so straight (and, believe me, when the road turns, it gives you something to work with. You attack turns a bit differently, and I hope to answer why in a later post as this Tour goes on... But today was a straight shot, and that was a different animal all together for the riders.) Alberto found himself on a hill totally custom made for an Evans or a Gillbert.... power riders who can grind, not floaters (and Alberto is a guy who floats on his pedals, with a fast cadence he pedals very lightly) who spin up hills when guys are totally tanked. No one was tanked or red-lining that finish, they recovered too fast to let a gap get out.

#3 Alexander Vinokourov. Vino is in the classic opportunist position on the day. He didn't initiate any attacks, he only covered, and his team did very little work to get him to the front. He was third on the day, but his actions didn't tell me he had anything to look forward to in this race, as I think his best days are behind him.

#4 Rigobeto Uran. Watch this guy, he will be a revelation this Tour. He is all talent in the climbs, and his ability to sneak into this finish and cover the big guns was eye opening. He will be a true up and comer in this race, and his position with Sky is strong, he will be Wiggins go-to guy in the mountains, and Bradley needs that. He needs an ace-card when it gets tough on Luz Ardiden. Uran is that Ace card.

#5 Philippe Gilbert. This was a stage the Gilbert wanted really, really bad. His team worked really hard all day long, and he was in the perfect position to deliver, but he just could not anticipate the move by Evans at the end. He missed, and that was a tactical error by a guy who should know better and should have been the favorite to win in the end. If you told me the guys who finished in the top five, and didn't tell me the order, I would have pegged Gilbert. But he just played it wrong, that's all. I don't feel bad for him... he has a stage win. Today would have been icing on his cake.

#6 Thor Hushovd. Truly, having the Yellow Jersey makes you a notch stronger, and Thor demonstrated that today. For another stage, Garmin gets to keep it, and that is nice. I think that Thor killed himself to keep that jersey, and it paid off nicely. Garmin continues to show they are the best team out there.

#7 Frank Schleck. This should have been Andy. I am a bit worried that Andy didn't cover Alberto at the beginning, that was a tactical error and I now have doubts about his ability and fitness for this Tour. Frank was riding for Andy, probably thinking that Andy was on his 6, but Andy was no where.

#8 Sammy Sanchez. In the thick of things, like any GC contender needs to be. Nothing to note, but just there at the end. Something alot of team leaders and GC guys could not do.

#9 Jurgen Van Der Broeck. VDB is the climbing specialist for Omega-Pharma, and should be team leader in the mountains for GC, not Gilbert. He followed wheels, had no gaps, and was there. Again, lots of guys could not do that.

#10 Andreas Kloden. The highest placed Shack rider. He covered, which is what I wanted to see from Horner or Leipheimer. Their absense was not good.

#11 Bradley Wiggens @ :06. This is where the gap was, six seconds. Wiggens needed to be there, and I think he just missed out because he had the wrong wheels. Also at six back was Ivan Basso. He cannot lose anytime to Contador and hope to win, he raced poorly today.

At eight seconds back, we had the main group of riders and the rest of the GC guys, and their specific finishing order is not of note. We had anyone who has any idea of winning this race or even finishing on the top ten, guys like Cunego, Horner, Andy Schleck, Levi, Danielson, CVV, etc. But I am dissapointed in all of them, because they finished eight back and left doubt. Notably, Andy and Chris. You cannot do that. Not in this race, not when you have a chance to drop a marker. That was not good. That will leave them with doubt as we enter the big climbs at the end of the week.

Of note in this group is Tejay Van Garderen. The fact that he was there at the end with all the big names, in his first Tour, and as a support rider with the role of riding tempo for long stretches and yet still being able to finish the stage says a lot to me. Much like Uran, look for him to have a good Tour and be one of the revelations of this race.

I still like Andy to win this race, and I think that Alberto will be there at the end... but his two minute gap is substantial. I have seen countless guys lose this race in the first week. The classic example is Pedro Delgado in 1989, when he missed his start in the prologue and had a massive hole to climb out of, eventually finishing third. But he would have won that race if he was mentally dialed in and didn't go idiot in that first week. Alberto was stupid to be in the middle of the group on the finishing climb of the first stage when it is nervous and sketchy and everyone is killing themselves on Day One. What was he thinking? He needed to be at the front, not floating in the middle like he's racing Paris-Nice. It remains to be seen if that error costs him the race or not, but right now it's a big hole. These guys are usually too good to get that much time back on them. On the plus side, there are lots of tough climbs in this race, probably the most climb intensive race I have ever seen. On the downside, there are not enough TT's to get back time. It has to be won on the mountain, and at that point the truth will be known.

Well, we have flat stages coming up. Let's all pull for Tyler Farrar and Garmin. I would love to see him get another and win the Green Jersey. No American has ever won a Green Jersey, and I would love to see that.

Well, gotta go... That was a good stage, and I hope it's a harbinger of good for the rest of this Tour.

The Tour Begins

2011-07-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long time since I blogged, and I need to get back at it and pick it up again.

My daughter has been blogging more than me, so I have to get this done.

There is a lot to blog on, lots going on with the things I like to write about. First of all, I do have a new job and it has been going on for a few weeks now. But there is nothing to blog about even if I could. I sit at a desk all day, in front of a computer. My employer doesn't want me to say who I work for or what I do for who I work for. Fine. I can handle that. I mean, they write the checks, so they get to call the shots. I'm not bothered by it, and I won't complain. But I do know that at the end of the day, I get so tired, I just want a nice cold glass of water and chill in front of the TV till I hit the hay. And after sitting in front of the computer for eight hours, I don't really want to do it again for another hour or so. Even if I am blogging about Cycling or the Ducks.

The family went White Water rafting this last weekend, went out of Maupin. I don't know what to say about this if you have never done, but you should. It was awesome, and we had such a great time. It was hot, which was nice. Hot where if you got wet, and if you do this thing right you should get very wet, you don't mind at all. I got very wet, got dunked, got soaked, all that.

The kids loved it. My son went for the third time, and my daughter was finally heavy enough to go. You have to weigh 50 pounds to do it. She's been so upset that she is so skinny... a problem I don't think she will be complaining about when she's a teenager, by the way. I'll be complaining about it, because having a drop dead gorgeous daughter is gonna drive me nuts. But, you know, she takes after he mom... sowhachagonnado?

She got tossed out of the raft on the hardest part, on Oakspring. We went into and out of the big hole, and then I hear that she was swimming, and I see her in the water... all helpless as a new born kitten, and the look of fright in her eyes was hard for a father to comprehend. I felt powerless to do anything about it, a feeling I hope I never have again to be honest. I motioned to her to get on her back, cross her arms and push with her legs, we'll get her out. We did, the guide did her job of getting her out and into the boat safely. I was relieved to see her safe, but she was panicked and crying, and can you blame her? She took a while to get over it, but she did... and she wants to go back, she still had a great time.

Then we jumped off a cliff. Actually, it's more accurate to say that I dropped her off the cliff. I was supposed to toss her, but she sorta dropped, and I wanted to drop her farther out than I did... a couple of more feet would have made the wife happier. But she wasn't dashed on the rocks, so no harm no foul, huh? I then jumped after her, and we floated to the rendezvous point. She was braver than her brother at that point as well. I actually think that jump was harder than anything else she did.

I did the swimming part, where you go down some fun rapids in deep water, then swim back to the boats. The rapid part was fun, but I had a very hard time getting back to the boat, and had to hold onto the rope and get dragged back in. I was fighting the current, yes, but I'm not a very strong swimmer at all. It was a lot of work.

We had a great time. We camped for three days and two nights and the best thing about being two hours from home is that you have a very short drive back, and it was all good. Warm showers for all...

The tour started the first day of our trip, so when I got back I got caught up on the race. I missed the Team Time Trial totally, and that was a bummer. I love that race, and they hadn't had it in the Tour for a while.

So, I got caught up to speed on the race today. Day one, Alberto Contador missed out at the end of the stage and lost a minute plus, then lost more time in the TTT. So, now he's two minutes down on the main GC guys like Leipheimer/Horner, Basso and Schleck. I see this as payback for his jackhole move in the last tour when he attacked Andy when he had a chain malfunction. Payback can be a heck of a thing, and if Contador loses by the exact same amount he lost on stage one, then that is fine with me.

I'm not a big Contador fan at all. He comes across as arrogant and full of himself, and that is saying alot in that most pro athletes are that way, and cyclist who can win the Grand Tours are more so. I have heard that Lance Armstrong is one of the biggest A-holes around, and that is part of the reason he was so single minded about winning the tour. I'm just saying that Alberto can off as being cheeky and condescending to Andy, and there is one time he game Andy a playful slap on the cheek last year in a what do you know sort of way, and it came off as Andy get it rubbed in his face. I don't know if Alberto meant that or not, but I just don't like him at all. I do like Andy, I want him to win it. But if not him, than anyone but Alberto.

So far through three stages, it's been all Garmin/Cervelo. This has been the breakout year that Garmin has been looking for ever since they busted out on the scene as Slipstream/Chipotle about four years ago. They've been steadily building up, steadily making strides in Europe, since then. Every year, they get better and better, and the core of the team that has been there since day one are now seeing it all pay off for them. The first victory, of Hushovd putting on the Yellow Jersey for leading the race was huge, but to have it happen on the day they won the TTT is even better. The win in the TTT makes it very clear that this team is the best, that they are all on form, on song as they like to say over there, and then to back it up with a very good, very emotional win for Farrar today was just one more example of how good this team is.

Everyone is looking up at Garmin/Cervelo right now, and they deserve it. Also, this is great for the sport. There is no other team out there who has been as outspoken about clean racing as Garmin. Jon Vaughters, the team director, has made it very clear: This team is clean, and this team is racing clean. They proved you can win had stages clean, like the TTT, and they proved they can sprint clean, like today.

And today's win was a tactical masterpiece. They absolutely played it perfect. They had everyone there with five to go, and you could see Team HTC struggling to line up The Train for Cavendish, and they fell apart big time with the left-hander in the last K. Garmin knew it was there, and they positioned their guys perfectly, taking a very fast line inside then out... the end result being that they had three guys in the end, and Hushovd led it out for Tyler, and it was a lot easier than he let it be. There was no doubt, especially when the second and third guy had to come from all the way back and they were gassed by the time they hit the line. Perfectly played by all involved.

I have to say that I have no problem with Cavendish. Some guys don't like him at all, but I do. I think he's very motivated to win, and he is very outspoken and very emotional all times and in all his interviews. I like that. I think he has the best finish in the sport, and if there is a better than one click view to the line, he will usually deliver it. Today, that last turn did him in, he had a bad line, lost a wheel, and it was over. There was no closing that big a gap in that short of a time.

Tyler Farrar is a local kid, he is NW born in Washington and he was racing in Cascade just a few years ago. What is there not to like about his win today? It was a good win for Tyler, for Garmin, for clean racing, for America... and it was the first time an American had won on the Fourth. Good all around.

I would love to talk about The Ducks, but right now... I want to talk about things that make me bit happy. Some day, soon, I will talk about what is going down. But I want to reserve judgment and wait for the process to play out. I still trust Chip Kelly, and I think that what has gone down will diminish my respect for the job he has done, but it does leave many wondering. I think that you have a big time coach who is trying to get around a rule that is a grey area in regard to recruiting and getting kids to sign on the line that is dotted. But my wife wonders why you need to be in the grey at all, why even bother. Why not stay in the cut and dry "white" part of the rulebook... well, because in the big time world of college recruiting, you have to try every thing possible that is legal to get the right kids in. Do I think that Will Lyles is telling the gospel truth about what went down? No, because I think he has his own rear to cover? Do i think that Chip is all right in this story? No, but I do think that he did what he thought was right at the time and I think that he let the athletic department's compliance division give him the go ahead and he followed their lead. I think that there will be a price to pay for all this, and I do think that we might lose some scholarships and maybe a one year bowl ban, but I think that Chip is safe in his job. I think it sucks, because I want to win clean, I don't want to be seen as the USC of the Pac12-North. I think this is a black eye on the best season in Duck history by far, and that hurts. It really does. I also think I wrote way more than I wanted to, and thinking about it makes my head hurt a bit. I hope it all gets cleared up soon, because watching my Beava Believer friends eat this up is more than I can take.... they Schadenfreude must be sweet to them, because it is all they got.

Gotta roll.... the Fireworks will start soon.

Dad's Day Misc.

2011-06-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day, the Mariners delivered a dandy of win. Complete Game shutout by Vargas over Hamels, one of the best pitchers in the National League. That was a sweet game. Good to see Ichiro swing the bat as well, he had two more hits. Since he sat out friday before last, he has been the Ichiro of old, which is the hit machine we need him to be. Good win today.

Chone Figgins was oh-for the day, and is now flirting with Mendoza numbers. That guy is so bad. Ackley continues to be the real deal, and he lined up another first: First Triple. He'll be good. Anytime you step into the league and can hit right away, getting a hit in your first at bat and homering in your second game, and you hit in your first three games that says alot. He can play.

In cycling, Levi won the Tour De Swisse. Start the bandwagon for Levi winning the Tour now. But I don't see it. He did a good job in a shorter stage race, and I think that in terms of ten day races, that is totally his wheelhouse. He can ride big mountains and TT for ten days, not for 21. Not for the Tour.

I had a decent ride today, but it was a struggle due to the wind and the lack of fitness/medication. It was good to get out, and get some climbing in. That was fun. Then I came back and the kids and I took the dogs to the dog park. There is really no difference between dogs at a dog park and men in prison. There is a constant competition to determine who is the Top Dog, the dogs group up in gangs (by size) and there is a lot of "back scratching" if you know what I mean and I think you do.

McIlroy won the US Open today. That was a nice win for him, and I was pulling for the kid. He totally seems likeable, someone you can get behind and root for. I like him because he is a great golfer, he plays fast, and he has a short memory if he plays poorly. Plus, he's a bit pudgy and goofy looking. Not like Tiger, who looked like he was cut from granite. Rory looks like a golf addict, a kid who just wants to play.... not band waitresses and waste his talent.

I would love to see Tiger make a comeback and have Rory give him a run a big events. That whole dynamic, that pitched battle between two totally different people, would be good TV.

And I hate golf, which is funny... because I would totally watch a battle with Tiger and Rory on the final day of the Masters, that would be fun.

Gotta roll. My Awesome Wife made Kahlua Pork for dinner. And for dessert? Creme Brule. You cannot do better than that for Father's Day.

Best. Father's. Day. EVAR!!!!!111!!

Mariners

2011-06-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I hate to beat a dead horse and all... but here we go.

I was on Yahoo today, and I read an article that had a link to this article about 15 Amazing Celebrity Workout Tips. I can sum up all 15 right now: It helps to not have a job, but to have a personal cook, assistant, trainer, gobs of money and all the time in the world. Goodness, how often do I need to say this, but it is all about resources and time is the biggest one of all. When you only work a few weeks a year (and, really, can anyone tell me the type of work the average Kardashian does? Their jobs seem to amount to Being Kardashian. That's a far cry from being a full time mom who also works full time)

People are out of shape because they lack the resources to do anything about it, I think. Sometimes it comes down to setting yourself up to fail, that happens to. But if you have a history of not working out and you get tired at the end of the day and you work and you have kids and you don't have a history of working out or getting into shape, it's tough to do it. I feel the one thing that I benefit from is that I have been riding the bike for over 20 years, and if I had to start now, I would not do to well with it. We're all creatures of habit, and we all do things that are easy for us to do. Of course, I have a good dose of genetics on my side, in that I am naturally skinny and I can eat and eat and never seem to pack on the pounds. The flip side of that is a chemical imbalance in my brain that leads to depression and anxiety often. Also, I'm bald.

I'm just saying it's hard work to work out, to lose weight and get back to where you were 20 years ago. If 20 years ago you had a tight body and now you feel and look frumpy, do you think you can undo 20 of bad habits in two weeks? No, that will not happen. But it also won't take 20 years to turn it around, but in two years you can. These things take time, you can do it, but it's never instantaneous and it definitely doesn't help that all the celebrities who the magazines and websites want you to pattern yourself after all have resources that you or I don't have. That's not a fair fight. And the magazines know that.

Well, enough of this rant.

The Mariners had a good outing last night against the Phillies, the best team in the National League. It helps that they had Pineda go six without allowing a hit. They got some early contact and built a small lead, that made it easier for Pineda to work efficiently. The Mariners also played the bullpen just right, setting up League to come in and work a good ninth inning. Not a perfect inning, but an efficient one all the same.

The called up Ackley, and he should settle in at second. The big problem with the Mariners is the dead weight known as Chone Figgens. He can barely hit Major League pitching, and made some mistakes in the field last night (like missing pop up along foul territory, and then crossing over to his left and interfering with Ryan for a grounder that could have ended it in the eighth. Ryan had a better play on the ball.) Figgins needs to go, he's a liability. I don't know if Ackley can play third, or if you put someone else there, but Figgy needs to roll out of there. He's dead weight.

But I was reading his page at Wikipedia, and when Figgins was a free agent he was considered the most desirable third baseman out there. Man, that is so strange to think because he is so bad right now.

But at the time, the Mariners were looking to replace their third baseman (whom I cannot remember right now, but he has the same last name of a cyclist, I know that...) And this guy was a great third baseman, till he came to the M's. He was a Dodger, if I recall correctly, and was an all star who was just killing it in his free agency year. Same thing happened with Figgins. What is it about 3rd Base and coming to the Mariners and totally sucking.

Tour Coming

2011-06-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Tour De France is less than a month away (it might be more like three weeks or less, I dunno) and I think the top contenders are still Contador and Andy Schleck. I would say that Ivan Basso would round out my top three. I bring this up to mention that there are no surprises in cycling. The sport is too hard for someone to come completely out of the blue and podium, let alone win it all... unless that guy is on drugs, of course.

In cycling, as I said, it is too hard to sneak up on the competition. The races are too long, too demanding, to do that. The fact of the matter is, we know who will win the Tour, who will be on the podium and who will challenge who. These riders are known entities, and for anyone who follows cycling, the only surprise will be how it shakes out at the end.

But there will be surprises. For example, the chuckleheaded dingbats who do the ESPN SportsCenter show will be surprised if Tejay Van Garderen wins the Time Trial, because he's a young American (I was gonna say that if Tejay wins the prologue TT, but then I found out that there is no Prologue TT? This has to be the first time I have seen the Tour not start with some form of TT, instead we have an opening road race, which HTC will probably win to put Cavendish in yellow. Then the next day is the Team Time Trial, and I would not be surprised to see Garmin win that and have control of the yellow jersey for the next week)

But I was talking about expectations and surprises. There is talk about Levi being able to do well, and he won't. There are too many really hard mountain stages, his climbing style is not explosive, and he's only getting older. I also do not see Chris Horner winning, but would not be shocked to see him win a mountain stage, even maybe get on the podium. But he won't win. He has never won anything this big, and his ability to be the highest placed American and in the top ten last year was very circumstantial and outside the boundaries of what he was able to do his entire career. He can win a stage, and to even do that would be amazing.

Every time there was a true surprise in the Tour... the result was dubious at best, and outright discredited at worse. Starting with Lance in 1999 (and I won't get into that right now at all...) you also had Beloki coming in third in 2000, and that was totally unexpected. Well, what do you know... he was doping. In second that year was Ulrich, and he was second in 1996 and won 1997 and he was on the juice those years, unexpected and out of the blue and on the juice.

Goto 2002, and you have a true shocker with Rumsas coming in third. He did nothing before and nothing since, and has been in the clink for drugs.

In 2004, Vino went from a good to above average road race who did very well on individual stages and was seen as more of a stage sniper than anything else and came in third. Yes, he was on the juice when he tried to turn himself into a Tour winner.

I would say that the trajectory of Landis to Tour winner was unexpected, as he was more of a roller and a support rider with decent climbing and TT skills who suddenly was all world in both when he won. And he was on the stuff.

In cycling, it is too hard to surprise people and then transform yourself into a Tour winner suddenly, it is not done without good pharmaceuticals. So, that means the winners and podium placers are known to us today, probably Schleck and Contador. I'm pulling for Schleck, I think he was robbed of victory last year, and I want to see him put the beat down on Contador.

Struggles

2011-06-17T22:28:00.000-07:00

Went out for a solo ride after doing things this afternoon, and the reason why I went solo was because I totally missed the nooners. Which is fine, because I have totally been struggling lately.

The struggle (and I don't know how much I mentioned this... I have a feeling I already have gone into great detail. But I will do so again anyways) is that I feel I'm something like 20% off. I feel like my max HR is off, my AT is off, my ability to recover is way off, and I totally attribute this to the new medication. It's getting to the point that I have been thinking about going back to my doctor and looking for a remedy that will return me to my performance expectations.

I mean, look... we all have performance drop offs as we get older. My max HR when I was 24 was something like 220. I could rail all day back then, and I would regularly ride at around 185, recover at 170 in less than a half minute (basically, the time it took to filter to the back of the double paceline) and then go again for a good four hours. I was strong for my time, and I was a solid 3 back in the day, I didn't get dropped on any climbs, and was a solid finisher with anyone when there were hills.

But at 44, you have to expect a drop off. Last year, I was maxing out at 195, and my effective AT was around 170, and I was recovering at 160 pretty quick, around a minute or so. That was last year, and I was finishing rides, like Horse Ridge and the Nooners. Right now, I max out at 170 and have to recover at 150 and it takes all ding-dang day to do that. I have a struggle to ride over 150 for extended periods of time. This is a precipitous drop, and it has left me working my can off to even hold wheels I used to drop this time last year.

I had a hard time at Horse Ridge last weekend, and I barely stayed on the group for the first half of the ride out, and I got solidly whacked off the back while on The Snout when we were rolling back. That just did not happen last year. I hate this phase I'm going through right now. Sometimes, I don't want to ride, because I know how much I struggle on each and every hill. My heart beats so hard, I gasp for air, I look down at my monitor and expect to see 190... and I'm at 160, which should be my tempo HR, but I'm just out there dying and scuffling and trying so hard to finish a solo ride.

Today, it was the same deal. I did The Loop, which is the Sunday course from the CCC on Johnson Rd., OB Riley, and Archie Briggs. This is about as hard of riding as there is in town. I fighting it on each climb, and I think that the only thing that I could take solace in was that I was breathing better when I was maxing out. I tried to slow down the breathing, tried to make it more deeper and get more oxygen to my muscles. I was breathing really shallow the last week, and there were times I was almost ready to pass out I felt so winded at my max. But I felt a bit more recovered as I slowed down the breathing, so that was nice.

The Horse Ridge ride is tomorrow, and I am not looking forward to it at all. It's a tough ride, and I will be fighting it the whole way. The good news is that the majority of strong riders are at the Elkhorn stage race. So, it might be a small group. Hopefully, that will keep it all together.

I don't know... I'm just struggling right now, struggling to make cycling work. I don't want to stop the medication, it has been a big benefit for me. But I need to find where cycling will fit into my life. I am certain now that I will not get licensed for the year, and I won't do Cascade or any other race, and my thought it that I might just do a Gran Fondo or a hard century and that will be that. But we'll see.

It's just tough right now for me, and I didn't think it would be this hard. But cycling is hard, and I gotta get through this.

Summer?

2011-06-15T09:10:00.001-07:00

I haven't Blogged in a while, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy. I've been really busy. For example, I am now am employed by The Real Ghostbusters. Which is nice. What is extra nice is that I don't have to wear that massive backpack for corralling ectoplastic entities... no, no, no. We have an app for that. If fact, you can either use an iPhone (or iPod Touch, if you have Wifi) or an iPad. You know how technology just gets smaller and smaller... same deal here.

Looking forward to this job. Should be fun.

Anyways... been riding the bike. It's been nice and all, been working hard on the suntan. I still ride with knee-warmers though, even if the weather has been around 70 most days. First of all, I have weak knees given to strain and tendinitis from overuse. Gotta keep those buggers warm. Secondly, I am still trying to stretch out that right leg, and I think the knee warmers work well. Thirdly, and this is the dumbest reason to wear warmers, I still haven't shaved down. I have very hairy legs, and when I get on the bike, I feel self conscious around other riders that I have hairy legs. Very hairy, too. Very. Drives me nuts. I like the look of clean shaven legs when I ride, but the effort to shave down is a bit of a hassel. And if I shave now... will my new work of ghostbustin' get in the way of keeping up the training? Why shave for a week or two, then have to work and not ride and yet still keep up the shaved look? I don't know. We'll see.

Well, I watched the NBA finals as much as I could this year. I was happy to see Dallas win, or more accurately... to see Dirk get a ring. I like Dirk, I think he's a great player and a great guy who is very humble and very personable. In many ways, he is the opposite of the type of late 90's early 00's post-Jordan NBA player that I really hated (as exemplified by Marbury, Iverson and Sprewell. Guys who mostly seemed interested in getting cool tat's instead of working on their game and elevating their performance)

Speaking of guys who have lots of tats and no rings, lets talk about LeBron. I think that LBJ has the potential to become a transformational player, someone who dominates the league. But seven years into his career, he still shrinks from the biggest moment. You are starting to see the true LeBron: Great regular season guy, average playoff guy. In the final, in the fourth quarter and in the moment when the game was on the line, this was so true.

First of all, he treated the ball like it was a hot potato. There was one possession, when the game was still close enough to win, that he stood in the same spot at the 3 point line, was passed the ball and immediately swung it over to the top of the key. He did this not once, but twice. On the same possession. Like I said, he treated the ball like it was coated in E-coli. Also, he didn't move. Not an inch. All I know is that it is really easy to guard a guy who doesn't move. Even JJ Berea could figure that out.

True, this is one possession, but it was one of the deciding possessions in the game. Crunch time in the playoffs, that is what we remember... not some mid February blow out of Denver where he scores 30 and has two dunks to end the game. Who cares. Championships are all that matter, and he totally shrunk from the responsibility.

Afterwards, he said that he didn't care about the critics who were happy he lost, because (and I'm paraphrasing here) he will go back to his own life and live it how he wants, and that we all have to wake up to our same boring lives. This is true, I will still wake up a 44 year old balding father of two who loves cycling and the Ducks... and I will also wake up with as many rings as you Bron. Don't forget that.

Right now, the big controversy at Oregon is over Cliff Harris "borrowing" a car, speeding at 118 mph on I-5, and not having a valid liscense. I have no idea how this ends, but I have a feeling it does not end well. (and let me say that ten years ago or so, this would be no matter at all. I think it would be a footnote, but not in todays world of insta-news and internet hyperactivity. Which sucks. But you have to realize the ground rules here, and these new rules mean you have to walk a tight line when you are a big time player in a big time program)

The first thing you need to know is that this is a hyper vigilant time in NCAA related matters. Oregon already has an investigator sniffing around the program, and this is just another thing to sniff at. Also, with all that is going on at Ohio State and borrowed cars and such, this is actually very serious in light of that.

So, here's my prediction: Cliff "Cash" Harris will sit out the LSU game. That is harsh, because that is the biggest game of the year, and probably the biggest opener of CFB. But if I know anything about Coach Kelly, he will make an example of Cliff and that will be that. I also would not be surprised to see that Cliff does not play at all this year. The NCAA could lower the boom on him, and that would be the end of that.

Worst case scenario, he is done for the year and other things come out of the department and the department gets a minor violation, like the loss of two or three scholarships. Best case scenario, he misses the LSU game. I really think that will happen, and the fact of the matter is this is one of the reasons I dreaded the opening with LSU... you don't have an easy game to transition you offense into, like we did against New Mexico last year. Last year, we also sat LaMike against UNM, and that was good. Uggg... the whole thing just bugs me, because Cliff has to be smarter than that, and he is a key element with our D. If we lose Cliff, we might finish 8-4. But, I would rather finish 8-4 and be happy we have a clean program than finish 12-0 and get Ohio State'd.

If you know what I mean, and I think you do...

Horse Ridge

2011-06-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Went and did the Saturday AM Horse Ridge ride. I knew when I showed up and saw Ian a Autin Boswell sitting on their TT rigs, that it was gonna be a sufferfest. I might as well ride with the Schlecks.

So, there was about 18 as we rolled out, and that was a good sized group all things considered. It was a bit cold, windy and overcast. I wore knee warmers and arm warmers, and it did not feel like mid June at all. There was also a race over in the valley, and there was a separate group that was gonna climb up to Bachelor and then go through Sunriver.

It was tough going, and I didn't make it through the first half of the out part of the ride. I knew what it was gonna be was a series of surges by the Boswell Kids, and I was able to hang onto three of them, but the fourth sent me off the back really fast.

I just cannot ride this year like I did last year. Last year, I could run the HR up to 180 every day, and not really suffer till I started to tag 190, and I then could let it drop back to 165 and recover pretty quick. Now, when I hit 180, I am tanked and I am totally shot. I need to recover for a long time at around 150. That is a big drop off, and while I fight through the recovery phase, the group rides away into the distance.

I thought I was gonna have to solo it all the way back, but I got swept by a group that built to about six total. We rolled along, but it was a pretty disconnected group that would take long pulls, gap off the others, and would break up and reform and then break up, guys would go down the road and gap off, and not look around to see if they were gapping each other. It was a bit frustrating, because if we all took shorter pulls, worked a true double pace line, we would be more efficient.

The whole group rejoined at the top of Horse Ridge, and then I knew I had to do one thing: Get over The Snout, and I could roll back into town. That started with getting down the hill with the front guys, descending like I normally don't. But I did, I got down there, and when the group got together and there was a surge on The Snout, I tried so hard to hang in there. I could see the summit about 500 meters or so down the road, and I was in the middle of the group. There was a surge, and I got a small gap and I could not close it at all... again, I was totally gassed, and I needed to slow the motor down a bit. But by the time I recovered, it was all over.

Again, the same group of guys were together on the roll back into town. There was guy who was a good climber, but a poor cyclist. When I say this, I mean that he had no idea how to paceline and work together, and not just muscle his way down the road. I tried to tell him to smoothly transition and come over on both ends. You should ease your rear wheel across as soon as the guy in the front of you eases his front wheel away. It should be seamless and you should spend almost no time at the front.

You definitely should not crank hard and drag a line of riders out in front of you. I mean, it looks like your a bad ass rider, but you are not working when you do this. I was frustrated, because your just making harder on the guy behind you who is trying to paceline the right way. To be effective, you need to transition seamlessly. We didn't do that.

We ended up giving him the drop, because he was working so hard in our group. Like I said, there is a hard way and an easy way to get down the road... paceline and work with us, not against us, and it will all work out OK.

I don't know what to do about how I feel, is this the new normal? Do I get dropped on all the rides I do now, because I don't have the ability to keep riding at a high HR anymore? Is my effective max HR diminished by the medication? Same with my extended recovery times, in ride? It sure feels that way to me.

I don't like it at all, but what can I do? I feel better on the medication, and that is more important than feeling good on the bike. I don't know what to do about it all, but I want to ride like I did last year, and feel strong when I go to these rides.

It just never feels good to watch the group ride away from you, getting dropped sucks.

Bachelor

2011-06-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

I would have to say that the best way to ride up to Bachelor is to do it with a group. Doing it solo is way too mind-numbing. I hate that. So, the noon group did Bachey today, and it went a bit better than the last time I did it, although I still struggled.

We went up with nine of us. The newbie blew off the back almost immediately. I hate to say it, because I could see it coming. I don't mean to be hard on the guy, but if you are new to the sport, it will eat you up and toss you to the curb so fast, especially with good climbers. The guy was new to the sport, and he was probably packing a few too many lb's for climbing 20 miles non-stop. But I think he probably learned a hard less today... climbing is hard.

But I do give him a lot of credit for sticking it out and doing the ride, on the way down I saw him still chugging along. That took guts.

Then it was 8, and they were all solid climbers. There was Dr. Doug, who won the Masters State Championships... the Jugenator, who is a constant figure at these rides and has no weakness it seems... there was the guy who I will call Downtown. Downtown gets that gloss because when we worked a moving job recently, whenever he saw something cool he said it was "downtown." Like as if Downtown is the epitome of cool, and who am I to say that it isn't?

Also out there was The Inventor. This dude is literally an inventor, and has developed numerous toys over the years... there was Julio, who was crazy strong... The Quadfather, who is a fantastic climber and has great legs. And I don't mean that in a wierd way, his legs look great. They seem bigger this year as well... SheasBeast, who is a good friend of mine and is built like a linebacker but can climb and descend as well as anyone I know. He was one of the main instigators today.

So, as we rolled out past Widgi, I was just hoping to hang on longer than I did the last time, which around the 9 mile mark. That was when I paid attention, and I think I fell off the back sooner than that, probably around 7.5 Early on in the ride today, SheasBeast went to the front and just railed. So, I got on his wheel, and we had a small gap. I just wanted to be up near the front, because every time I turned the pedal in the group was a pedal turn not spent chasing. But Sheas was flying, and it was hard to hold his wheel, and we doing like 23 at this time, going up.

The group then caught up to us, and we relaxed the pace a bit. I noticed that the Newb was not there. I stayed on the second wheel for as long as I could. We got to a point where I was breathing really hard, in a sort of 6/8 rhythm, and I was suffering, so I gave it a bit of gas and came around the leaders (Quadfather and Jurgenator) and went to the front,but then I filtered to the back almost as fast, I was a bit spent. My HR was around 180, and one thing I noticed on this medication is that I do not recover nearly as fast as I used to. Last year, I could ride at 180, be tanked, then settle down to 160 and then pop it back up to 180 pretty quick. I just cannot do that. As I was tanked, I needed to take an extended time back at 160 to recover, and that was it. I was done, I was off the back, and I was chasing. The good news is that I came off at mile 12.5, and I was chasing.... I didn't totally pitch it in this time like I did the last time because I didn't have the legs to do it.

So, I also saw The Inventor and Jurgenator come off as well. Jurgen said he was done, and he was going home. The Inventor kept at it, but he was off my wheel.

I tried to keep a good tempo, and that would have been around 10 plus mph, which is a far cry from the 14 we were doing. But I didn't know if the others would slow at any time, or if they would wait, so I wanted to keep going strong.

At one point, I knew that we would come to Meissner and the view up a really nasty part road would be right in front of me, and if I didn't see anyone, I was gonna turn back at Meissner. But I did see SheasBeast and Quadfather circle back to pick up me and The Inventor, and we tried to roll on up the road and try to catch the others up the front. I stayed on the wheels, but I wasn't pulling at all here, I was dying to just stay on Robert's wheel.

The effort paid off and we caught the others on that hill I was talking about. As we caught, I came off the back... then caught on, then off the back again, then back on. I was giving a lot of effort to stay with these guys, but I kept coming back on. I think I came back like five times on that hill, I really wanted to finish with them. The last time, SheasBeast attacked to get to the ODOT station at the top, and I couldn't go, but at least I tried...

When you come off a wheel on a climb, you have to give all your effort to get back on immediately, because if you don't you will never see that group again. I don't know how many times I have saved a good climb because I literally killed it to get six feet of road back. All I know is that it's easier to get six feet of road back than 60 yards. That gap will never come back.

So, when Sheas came down after hitting ODOT, we pegged the descent. I was totally on his wheel, I was gonna let him open up a wind hole for me to ride through. I know that descent is fast, and I have screamed down it before, but never this fast. We hit 45 mph at times. We were flying.

On a few flats, we leveled off, even had some headwind that slowed us way down. But most of the time, we just rolled super fast.

We caught a gal coming down, and she stayed on our wheels all the way. At the bottom of the main climb, we came past Widgi, and I pulled through thinking I could take a honker of a pull then get back on. But I just killed it way too hard, and I got gapped off by SheasBeast and Wonder Woman. I mean, I just had no answer at all, and that gap got out of control immediately, and I never saw them again. I just made a mistake, I should never have pulled through then, and I couldn't get back on because I just don't have the legs, but descending with Robert Sheasby (real name...) makes you feel like you can ride across any gap, and I don't know why I thought I could. I hate the flat at Widgi anyways, it's always windy and it's always hard for me on the descent. But I buried myself there, and I couldn't get a wheel and I got the drop instead.

Oh well.... It was still a fun ride, the weather was awesome and we rolled pretty hard. All over, a good day.

Nice Tuesday

2011-06-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

I went for a ride today, and it was very nice... very nice indeed. This is what we should have been having in March and April, and the fact that we had to wait until June to get it is a bit annoying.

Well, what happened on the ride? I didn't do the Nooner, because I need these longer warm ups to get moving. So I decided to do what I will call the Catch-Nooner, where I head out hoping to catch what ever dudes started the nooner and then finish the second half of the ride with them, because I need that extra time to roll at my own pace. So, I did that. But I didn't latch on with that many nooners, there were only three out there. Most of the guys out here these days save it for Tuesday night, which is the Hammerfest Ride.

Hammerfest is the biggest group ride of the week, and you usually see a dozen plus pros out there when it's going strong. I'm sure that since today was the best Tuesday night of the year, you probably had up to 30 guys and gals, and I bet that ride was fast. I have finished the Hammerfest before, but I usually finish in the second group. I've done Hammerfest and been with the leaders to the last hill, and then the pros hit the gas and I get dumped. I don't mind, because I have also done days where I get dropped about half way through and then struggle in. That ride is hard, and good. Good and Hard.

When I was rolling out, I saw three guys in front of me, and I was steadily closing the gap to them, unlike last time. It went from 40 to 20 to five seconds, and I almost got 'em when a trucker flag me over, because he was looking for Hwy 97. I didn't want to shine him off (like the three who I was chasing did) so I gave him directions.

But the problem is that I forgot that there was a two turns to tell him about. I felt so bad, because as soon as he left, I totally remembered the turns. It's funny, because I think of the road differently when I ride as opposed to when I drive. I felt bad because the guy was relying on me, and I don't want the guy to have a bad impression of cyclists or for him to think that I purposely misled him. I just hope he found the road OK.

So, I mentioned yesterday that my back was totally killing me from playing Bump with a buncha kids. The pain was much worse this morning, and I only felt good either laying down, sitting or riding the bike. I was really worried that the pain would be too much to ride, but the fact of the matter is, I felt great on the bike. The position put no stress on the back, even when climbing and sprinting. But when I finished the ride, I just wanted to rest, even sleep. It just hurt.

I feel alot better right now. Of course, I did have a rum and OJ. That seemed to help a bit.

Field Day

2011-06-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

I posted my status on FB as saying that I played two hours of Bump with grade schoolers and that should count as doing intervals. I stand by that assertion.

That was tough, those kids worked me. I mean, part of it is that I'm old and broken down. There are days like today when I feel every bit of my 44 years of age. I was totally hobbling by the end there, and my back is still sore. As is my neck, my ankles, my elbow, and my shoulder/rotator cuff. Other than that, I feel great. Ibuprofen helps alot.

The last time I played basketball was over 11 years ago, when I was in Alaska. I used to get into a regular pick up game, about three times a week. We ran for about two hours, and it was good work, and we played with some good players, guys who played D2 ball in college, that sort of thing. But I stopped because I was having continual rotator cuff problems, and it got pretty bad. Plus, my son was still small and I thought that I would have less and less time to play since the family was growing. So, as my shoulder hurt more and more, I just decided to give it up.

Till today.

The reason for playing was that my kids/wife's school had Field Day out there, and they needed another adult to run an activity. Last year, I hated it because it was in the gym and it was loud and I was doing trampolines or something like that. Anyway, it was too much of a distraction for me and it stressed me out.

Today, we were outside and it was a lot more fun. I felt great for the first hour, than I started to get winded and my back started to tighten up, and it was all downhill from there.

Bump is a fun game, and kids love to play it. Back in the day, when I worked at a shelter home, and later at the Lane County Detention Center, we played it all the time. I got good at it, not because I can shoot great, but I can bump like champ. I did a great job of setting kids up, getting 'em guessing where it's going, and eventually running 'em all around the gym. I was never the best shooter, but I was was almost always the better bumper. And it's Bump, not Basketball, the games are that dissimilar.

At first I thought I was gonna do WallBall, which is another game that I used to play with the kids all the time and I was totally aces at this one as well, I was a much better WallBaller than anything else out there. In fact, I will go so far as to say that I was the best WallBaller I knew, I could kill it all WallBall. But that's like being the tallest midget, in that who really cares.

I let the small kids win and get me most of the day, but the 5th graders had to work at it. I would not throw those games, and if they beat me they really were estatic. They all thought that I could dunk, but I played it off saying that I was being easy on them. I couldn't dunk because I hurt so bad, but it didn't stop me from bluffing that I could at any time.

All around it was a good time, we had fun... that's what matters.

Earlier, we walked around the Butte. I brought the dogs with me, and they were the stars of the show. The kids loved 'em, kept calling 'em puppies. But they're fully grown dogs, and it's like calling me son.

There was an article on velonews.com about how Trek is sticking with Lance for the long haul. Well, they really have no choice. For better or worse, Trek is linked forever with the outcome of the Armstrong investigation. If this all blows up and Lance admits he was a cheater, then that is the end of Trek as we know them now... the biggest bike company in the country. They will slink back to the pre-Armstrong era of Trek, when it was more of a regional player than a national power.

Part of what will keep Trek in the national conscious is that they gobbled up a lot of smaller manufacturers and consolidated their positional advantage to the others. They took in Bontrager, Gary Fisher, Klein, LeMond (now divorced).

You don't realize that prior to Lance, Trek was a non-entity in the world market, and bit player in the USA. At the time, Specialized was the biggest US manufacturer, and Schwinn was probably bigger than Trek (they were probably third) and since then Schwinn went down the toilet in spectacular fashion. There was even a book written about how myopic and arrogant the Schwinn company became, and that eventually led to bankruptcy.

In stepped Trek, who rolled the dice and came up a winner when they took a chance on a small team (US Postal) with a questionable leader (Lance) and an even sketchier future. It ended up being the best gamble ever, but there were risks involved.

The biggest being that there is no way to extricate Trek from Lance, the two are synonymous. There will forever be a linkage with Lance, and if it comes out that he was a doper, than that will hurt Trek, no matter how hard they try to hitch their wagon to the Schlecks and Team Leopard. With Lance, it is all or nothing and this gamble can still go bust, but there is no way that Trek can sell out LA with out selling out themselves. They're stuck.

But if I was you, I wouldn't buy their stock any time soon, no matter how good The Shack and the Schleck's end up rolling, because the Trek brand is wobbling around right now.

There Is No Title For This Post

2011-06-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Today was a bit more cloudy than yesterday, but it was still warm. There were threats of rain coming, so I avoided the west side of town, as that is where it seemed to be raining at the time I left. That meant riding east, and that meant Dodds, and that meant a slog on the worst ride around here. Dodds is a Dud, I hate it, but I got low and aero and gutted out a ride in the wind and called it a victory when it was all said and done. I got the ride in, and I felt better about it when it was all said and done.

I still think that I won't race this summer. I do need something to plan for, something to aim for, and I think some long organized rides would do it for me. Need hard ones, too.

First of all, next month is the Tour Deschutes, and they have a 100 miler that goes to the summit of Old McKenzie. That should be a cranker of a ride.

Then, at the end of the year is the Gran Fondo Hood River. Again, a ride a lot like the Tour Deschutes, as there is a long climb to the base of Mt. Hood. Gran Fondo's are a new big thing now here in the states. Basically, it's a very hard and very challenging century that is run like a race. You show up and seed yourself according to ability, and you have pro's and Cat 1's at the front, and beginners and rank novices at the back, and in between there are guys like me. Guys who like to race and rock hard, but not show up to a fund-raising ride and just cruise around and take it easy.

That is the feel at the MS 150 ride. I have done that a few times, and I like doing is since my wife has MS, but so many of the people who show up just show up and doink around, and there are very few who show up to do the century and to ride it hard, with pacelines and all that. The first time I did the MS 150, George Hincapie was the honorary captain, and the riders who showed up with and rode with him were all pretty serious. George pulled off and only did the 50 miler, but those who were in that group and were doing the century, they tried their best to pull hard and work it. That was a lot of fun, it was a hot day and we earned that century. The Gran Fondo will be like that, but multiplied by a thousand, in that there will mostly be riders looking to rip.

The last time I did the MS 150, it sorta sucked, because I really had to ride all alone, there was no one to really ride with, and all the guys I did ride with were all weaker than me and I tugged them along till we got to a hill and then I rode them off my wheel. It was frustrating, because there was no one there who could challenge me, and I want a challenge when I ride. That's why I want to do the Gran Fondo this year.

I still might do the MS 150, I just don't know. It looks really hard, but I don't want to do it alone again. Plus, the second day is a straigt up out ride, and you take busses back to the parking lot when the dinner is over. I don't know about that.

Some rides I won't be doing are Cycle Oregon (sold out, plus it costs like nine bills to do) and the Two Rivers ride, which is local. That one is next week, and they say that they are still gonna do it. But they plan to go up to Old McKenzie and that road still has 200 inches of snow on it. Good luck with that one.

There is this article about who liberals in America are pissed. No, that is the title of the post, not my description. But I will save you the effort of actually reading it and tell you why these leading lib's are angry. They want to control you, they aren't controlling you, and that makes them a bit peeved. There... I summed it up pretty good for you.

So, I played at church last week. There was a period before the first service started, and this service is blended with a mix of new songs and old-timey type hymns. Playing these hymns can be a challenge. Anyways, during this break before the first service, the violin player mentioned that she read an article in the paper about Tim Tebow. I wanted to mention two things about this.

The first thing is that all she knows about Pro Football and Tebow is what she read in the paper, and how Tebow is a big time Christian, and this was really a great thing to find out about for her. She was gushing about his character. Tebow is a great guy, and if you went by character he is what the NFL needs. No one will doubt his character, his commitment to the game or to Christ. The thing about Tebow is, I don't know if he has NFL ready talent to match. But I do respect the guy for ability to live his Christian life... and touch the heart of an old lady here in Bend.

The second thing is that this gal is really, really good at violin. I mean that. She has a hard time getting around, she needs a walker, she needs assistance to get to her chair, and there are times I wonder if she will make it this week. But there she is, week in and week out. I don't think she ever misses. She struggles to open her case, but when she does, she plays like an angel. She is effortless when she plays, and when she does play the way her hands remember the strings and the bow is amazing. There are times when she plays like someone half her age... and then whe she's done, she puts the violin down and she struggles to get it back in the case and she struggles again to get to her walker.

But I would reckon there is a lot of struggle with her life, as she has lived a very long time. I don't know how old she is, maybe she's pushing 90. She is a fantastic violin player, and to see her give her service to God in that manner week after week is amazing.

I hope I play the drums half as well as she plays the violin. In many ways, she is an encouragement to me.

Wind Sux

2011-06-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

There is a saying in the bible, and forgive me if I get this wrong, but it goes a bit like this no one knows where the wind comes from or where it goes to. Am I close to right? Anyways, I do know. I know it comes from where I am pointing my bike, and it goes straight into my face. For two hours. All alone. And it sucked.

I usually look at a trip on the bike as either an out and back or a big loop, or more correctly a big rectangle. If it's out and back, I head right into the wind and hope to catch a sweet tailwind on the way back when I'm crushing a big gear and I'm happy to be heading home. If it's a big square, I head into the wind to start, and hope that I only have half a windy day to deal with, and that most of the ride will be wind free, especially coming back.

On some occasions, the wind never stops. You start into a ripping head wind, and even the descents feel like a struggle since the wind is right in your face. The you turn 90 degrees, and it feels like the headwind just lightened a tiny bit. This is a side wind that feels like a headwind and it is the nastiest thing for a cyclist. Especially all alone, and I was today.

I left late, since I had stuff to do. I would normally like to do the Saturday AM ride, since it's big and fast. But my legs are dead, they really are. I blame it on lack of conditioning and lack of effort during a really cold and windy and wet spring. This is the first weekend of June, and I should have rippin' legs, getting out and just tearing it up. But I don't. Part of that is my fault, and part is that my medication is still affecting me. I need a good 45 minutes to feel it, and that is a mighty long warm-up no matter how you cut it.

And today was no different. As I rolled out, I came upon another cyclist, he was going through the roundabout ahead of me, and we found ourselves on the same road heading out. I tried to get to him, but his gap to me kept going up... first five seconds, then fifteen, then 30 then a minute, then I stopped trying, it was not a good trend line (I would time him as he passed a tree or a mail box) and I was killing myself to get there, out in the wind, no help at all. If I did get to his wheel, I could have ridden with him the rest of the day, but if you don't close a five second gap immediately, it's gone. I couldn't do it.

I feel so heavy legged right now, and as I mentioned it seems to be because I have had a rough spring, and I have new medications. I have no intentions of racing this summer if I still feel this way, because why bother? I want to compete, but killing myself is not in the picture. Maybe I will just do a Gran Fondo or something like that. I do need a goal to shoot for, because otherwise I won't ride at all. But right now, paying for a license and race fees is out of the question.

We'll see... hopefully, things will get better.

June Misc.

2011-06-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

Just randomness...

The Mariners are swinging the bat lately, and that has made for some interesting baseball from 'em. The only one who seems to be struggling is Ichiro. But you know that he will get with it soon, he'll come up to his level, he will.

It has been fun to watch the Mariners... I used to hate baseball, because the only teams on were the Yankees, it seemed. But watching my team has been a good diversion.

My son is pretty much all done with grade school. Sometimes, I am just shocked by how much he has grown. He is turning into quite the young man...

I went out to do the Nooner today, and only two others showed up on a windy and deceptively cold afternoon for this June 3rd. I was not too stoked, because I know I was the stronger of the three and I would be hanging my can out in the wind most of the time. Plus, I was tired. The whole medication thing.

There was a time when I was thinking that I was gonna just ride home and call it a day. I hated the way I felt, and I didn't want to ride at all. I had no mo-jo.

Well, I flated. Not even out of town, about two miles into the ride, maybe less. Probably less. I fixed the flat, using the only two cans of CO2 I had, and I headed home to rest up and do some cleaning. That flat pretty much said to me "just don't..."

So, I didn't.

I have generally no respect for the advertising world, because it is their job to distill the essence of their products down to the least common denominator, in order to force the product into the subconscious of the viewer in less than 30 seconds. Sometimes, they are successful in doing that, and the ad is fun and well done. For example, the ad where the kid just cannot destroy the pinata of the VW. The look on his face is precious, of total angst and fury at failing to complete a task that any child should complete... but he can't, because it's a VW. I love that ad, it's very good. But, most of the time, they fail... badly. Horribly. Cringingly.

Now, there is an ad that just bothers me to no end, and it is the prefect example of a sort of contempt that most advertizers have for the buying public. The ad has a crew that resembles the Mythbusters, and they're gonna launch a rocket at a wireless hotspot of some sort, and there are three people that are trying to download stuff in the process. Of course, they all succeed at the download, but what they download annoys me to no end.

Let's stipulate for a moment that the ad is on it's face true, and that they did indeed download all that stuff in a matter of seconds.

The first dude downloads solitare. Is he aware that pretty much every computer has solitare on it? That downloading solitare is the equivalent of buying bottled water? Great, you got solitare on your phone. Maybe he downloaded it so fast because no one wants it? Just saying.

The second person, she downloads Gulliver's Travels. I am certain she got this on her tablet or phone precisely because no one else downloaded it. Did you see that movie? That was pretty much unwatchable, and now you have it on your phone? You are either the lamest person in the world or... or... well, you are the lamest person in the world. That movie was horrid. To even waste ten seconds downloading the digital equivalent of dog crap is laughable. She should have said "I got a 88 minutes of fecal matter... I mean, Gulliver's Travels."

The last person got a photo. That is about the only person I actually believed. The only one of the three who sounded serious, because the other two morons downloaded junk.

Sometimes, the depression is really bad, but with the medication it feels manageable. I totally know that if I didn't take the Lexapro, I would be a heap of a mess on days like today.

The other day, I was at work (I'm back to work, for what it's worth) and I was just feeling it, and it was a terrible feeling. I know that in the past, I would have worn the look of someone a bit angry, surly and just generally not fun to be around. But at least I feel that right now I can manage through a day and deal with things, and that's a big step... but still, it's a constant fight. I fight it, and I win more often than not. But it's constant, it never ends and I guess it never will be totally over. Some days are better than others, some are not.

I know I'm going through a rough patch right now, just gotta get through this.

Nerves

2011-05-31T17:10:00.000-07:00

I went out for a ride today, hoping to avoid any rain coming our way. I knew that was gonna be a hard one, since it's been raining so much lately. But I need to get out, and I haven't been out all week.

So, I went out after the any nooners would have gone, and I went in reverse thinking I could catch any remnant. See, since I've changed medication I get so tired and I really need a long warm up. The nooners usually roll out of town pretty easy as a warm up, but this is about fifteen minutes of riding, and then it is on. I need a good half an hour, almost 45 minutes to get my motor going. So, if I ride solo and catch the last half of the noon group on Johnson, then that's a good ride right there.

As I was rolling out, another rider gave me the catch-courtesy wave-drop routine, where he steamed past me thinking that was that. I was a bit annoyed by this, because I usually do this to much older riders, riders I know are slower than me, but never against someone who is riding at the same speed, the same level. That's sorta wierd, basically saying that you are too good to ride with me. And, if you are, fine. I get that. Say something. Of, if you are Chris Horner, you don't need to say anything. Because you're Chris Horner, and Chris Horner don't need to 'splain nothin' to nobody.

So, this guy was wearing Rudy Project gear, and his hips and shoulders were all rocking back and forth as he did the fly by. He sorta caught me out, at that moment, I was daydreaming and thinking about stuff (what route to take back if I get caught out in the rain, mostly) and he got a good gap on me as we headed down into Shevlin. Rockin' Rudy then hit the gas as we went up and out, but I was on his six pretty quick. I shut that gap down.

Look, if you pro-up and do the fly-by, you had best make it stick on the climb. Leave no doubt, leave that sucker (in this case, me) behind. But it was funny, he thought he was strong enough to give me the drop out of Shevlin, but I nailed it back. Part of me was angry that I was so out of shape and that I needed to prove something, I guess. But I got on his wheel. He was stilling Rockin, all over the bike going back and forth in rhythmic cadence, all hips and shoulders.

This is of remark, because you either roll around on the bike like that because you are totally railing your tempo, or you have a bad fit and are just not comfortable. Because if you watch most cyclist, especially the pros, they are so quiet from the hips up, no wasted movement. But Rockin' Rudy was in the drops just fighting it and looked painful to me.

I was hurting a bit too. My right leg was sore on the inside of my knee, and this totally felt like nerve pain. It felt like a stretched out wire, and I happen to think this is because my right leg is still stretching since I raised the saddle and tad, to compensate for the shorter left leg.

This was hurting the whole ride. I just chalked it up to not having ridden as much as I would like.

At about an hour out, I caught the nooners coming back in. We were just across the highway in Tumalo, and there were all of two of 'em. My good friend Robert and Julio. Robert won the Masters race at Bend Don't Break over the weekend, and he is as strong as a angry horse. I turned around as I saw them, but that was a hard gap to close to Robert, since he's such a motor.

But I got to his wheel, and we chatted a bit. He was riding behind me and he said that my right foot was moving all over the place, that at the bottom of my stroke as I started the back half of the stroke (engaging the hammies mostly) my foot twisted around outside to inside. I said that I don't know, but my right leg has been hurting me today.

But he was right, it was moving all over the place, I couldn't stop it. It was totally involuntary, I could see it but could not feel it at all. I think it was something to do with how my leg is still getting stretched a bit, and Bart did say that I would feel nerve pain for a while as it stretched, because I was so used to riding in that same position for so long.

I was sort of amazed, in that I only raised my saddle about four mm, but that difference was enough to stretch out my nerves in that leg. It was so weird to be peddling along and see my foot twitch each and everytime in the same way and in the same spot in my stroke. I tried to stop it, and I couldn't. I couldn't even feel the movement, it was that involuntary. It sort of shocked me, because I have never seen any thing like that happen before.

Guess I need to back off and stretch more before a ride. My leg feels totally fine right now, so I know there is no damage there. As soon as the ride was over, the nerve pain I felt on the bike was totally gone. It was totally a bike thing. I have this sinking feeling that if I was out on a much longer ride, maybe I would risk serious damage, but since it was only two hours, then it was fine. You cannot mess around with nerves, they just do not repair themselves that easily. If I know anything from MS that is it.

Misc. The Official Start o' Summer

2011-05-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Summer? I heard rumors about it.

While I'm blogging, I have the Mariner Game Cast on ESPN.com. Right now, the Gas Can known as Brandon League is doing his best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory for the M's. They have a tie game late, and the M's have a rough history against he Yankees. So, we'll see how that works out.

They won? Oh.. OK.

I also have Portishead on the computer as I bang away. I have mentioned that I really, really like this band. They are so good, and the thing that I like the most about them is that the vocals are so haunting and sparse. I love that. I know that this group is not everyone's cup of tea, but for some reason, they really speak to me.

And that is what music is all about. Finding a group you like, someone who speaks to your soul in a way that others don't. Rush sometimes does that, Portishead does that almost all the time.

What they do that is so unique is that they are a hip-hop group that samples their own stuff. They don't borrow licks and grooves from other groups. Some do this, and it comes across as recidivist, and reductionist at it's heart. But Portishead actually records original music for the sole purpose of then resampling and re-recording the music in a very hip-hop way. That then makes a very new song sound very old. The technique, as far as I know, is not done by anyone else.

I was able to hang out last night with an old friend from back in the day, Karen. That was a good time of just getting caught up on things, and we could have spent longer, but it was not the best of circumstances... she was in town with her young son, we were pool side at the Motel, it was loud and wet and balls were flying everywhere. I dragged my wife and kids along, the kids got the promise of swimming (although, it was so crowded if they knew that going in they might not have gone) and my wife, bless her heart, just did the best she could to make sure neither of the young ones drowned.

If we went back to 1985, and we were at Shari's with others from our First B Youth Group, we would have been sharing a single piece of pie four ways, drinking water and snaffing on slatines. How times have changed. I could not imagine back then that we would be parents, staring down the difficulties of life in ways unseen. The funny thing is, it seems just like yesterday that we were dumb kids eating crackers and drinking water at a restaurant that is right across the street from where we were sitting. We might have only gone about two hundred yards, but we are light years from that time.

So, we were talking about what went down over the last two and a half decades, seeing how we haven't sat down since then... so, we had a lot to share. Could have gone on and on, like I said. But it was good to see her all the same. She's a good friend.

That's all... this was a post I had in drafts for a couple of days, and I'ma crap it out real quick like so I don't have to think about it anymore.

Bad Parents

2011-05-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

There is this couple in Toronto who have decided to let their newborn child decide what it gender will be. I'm sure you have heard about this story somewhere on the interwebz. I find it highly disturbing, and as far as I'm concerned these parents are abusive and cruel, and only surety is that they will create many billable hours for some therapist 25 years from now. I also think that if we are gonna hand out the B.F. Skinner Nature/Nurture Award for Behavioralist Backassery, these guys will win hands down.
I don't even want to talk about it, but the fact of the matter is that they are bad parents. Is that judgmental? I guess so. I will go ahead and judge. (speaking of which, I was at Lowes today and I saw a fat jackwad with a trucker hat and a sleeveless sweater on and he had a tat that read Only God Can Judge Me. Actually, no. I think that I am comfortable in judging your judgement of stepping out in public attired in such a fashion. I have no problem with that)
Using the children as political tools, posturing as progressives, is bad. In reality, they are hurting the chances of the children becoming well adjusted adults... and turning well adjusted children into well adjusted adults is the prime directive for all parents. At least it should be. You don't use your children to act our your failed dreams and ideals. For example, if I was to push my son into learning how to play the drums or forcing him to sit on the bike for two hour long training rides as I motor pace him. That would be wrong. Did I strongly suggest that it would be cool if he took up the drums in Middle School? Sure I did. Did I take a pair of sticks and tape them to his hands and tell him he couldn't eat till he masters the triple flam tap? Uh, no I did not.
That is no different than what these "parents" are doing. They clearly drank the kool-aid at grad school and think that gender is assinged, and that human nature is a construct of a crypto-fascist paternalist society.
So, one thing that these two are into is unschooling... basically, letting the kids learn what they want to learn and when they want to learn it and how they want to learn it. Crazy, I know. Sorta the opposite of the Tiger Mom thing. Tiger Mom is the new term for the parent who is crazy controlling. I guess, in theory, it sounds good. Just like in theory letting your kids decide their gender sounds good. Sitting around and smoking pot in the dorm and asking esoteric questions is fine and dandy for the average 20-something just feeling his oats straight out of high school, but the fact of the matter is that parents out there have about a zillion years of precedent to fall back on, and theories end up right where they began, as an idea and a cool thought but in practice a total joke. There is a good reason that you were raised as a boy, or as a girl, by your parents. Because it works and it was natural and it was right. I don't have an interesting polemic from some unheard of doctoral thesis to back this crazy idea up, but I have a feeling that parents in Central Africa and Australia and Peru and France and Nebraska raise their sons to be sons and daughters to be daughters because they want them to be Men and Women when they are adults. That is the whole goal: Get them to adulthood well adjusted, healthy and prepared to continue the cycle of life (_cue Disney music_)
Does that sound crazy?
Here's the deal: The fact of the matter is that kids, especially young ones, need structure and usually the more the better. If a kid is left to make all the decisions, then they will eat chocolate cake for breakfast. Kids will natural butt up to the boundaries of what they can get away with, of what they are allowed to do, and if they learn early on that they can get away with anything, then they will... now, follow me here... get away with anything. And that is a bad thing. I'm sort of talking about this craptastic unschooling thing mentioned in the article, but I'm also talking about the gender role business.
I totally think that we send our kids bad messages about roles in society, and there is a part of me that wants to respect that. I think that the Bratz toys are some the most heinous and awful things I have ever seen. I also think that our children are sexualized way too early, and way too often. Children are not allowed to be children enough. There is way too much violence that they are exposed to as well. You have to be very active in how you filter the messages you send to your children. I understand that.
The thing I recoil at is that you assume, foolishly, that you can fight nature and you can dictace terms to how gender is assigned. Gender is not assigned, unless you think that God has assigned it, and in that case I will agree with you. It is as foolish and stupid as thinking you are a giraffe or a goat, not a human. Or thinking you can fly, because the rules of gravity are a construct of a male-dominated scientific culture. It's dumb.
These people are dumb, their ideas are dumb, the way they are raising these kids is dumb. But you don't get a do-over with raising kids, you don't get a mulligan. These are errors that will have terrible payoffs down the road.
I need to stop. I have wasted too much energy on these idiots. I guess they got their press, they got on TV, on the Today Show. They have news articles and programs dedicated to them, some saying effusive praise and some questioning lightly. I still think they are abusing these kids, just in a very subtle and very subversive way.
In trying to be progressive, they have instead become hurtful and reactionary in the exact same way any drunken dullard in a stereotypical trailer park would. No difference, in my opinion.

Misc. Stuff... This Time, 20% Off For All Members!

2011-05-22T22:03:00.001-07:00

A lot of quick hitters that were compiled over the last few days but never collectively earned a post on their own.
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The 20% off comment is a reference to the sale going on at my work.
So, yesterday at work I helped a guy find a bike. No big deal, I do that all the time. In fact, I really like it. That is the part of working for this Major Retailer that I really like. But I was annoyed that he was complaining about paying so much for a bike. But a thousand dollars is a good deal, really. There is a lot of technology in that bike.
You gotta pay for that stuff. I mean, the fork didn't pop out of the ground like a potatoe then harvested by twenty year old virgin poets in the Himalayas. Well, now that I think of that, if that was the case it would be three large for that bike. But I digress.
Technology on the bike costs, and the fact of the matter is that this bike is better than any bike you could have bought twelve or so years ago. I am not making that up. Go to any bike shop, have about a grand to spill, and that bike is better almost any bike you saw in the mid 90's. Better frame, more technology, better components that will last a lot longer. I speak mostly about mountain bikes, but I would say the same for road bikes. And the fact of the matter is, in fifteen years, the bikes you buy then will be better than what is available now.
And that gets me thinking.... What kind of improvements can we expect for the road bike in fifteen years? Well, right now the only thing that is holding back bike jockeys in lab coats is the rediculous 15 pound limit the UCI has imposed on racing bikes. I think we can get a fully equipped road racing bike to weigh under 12 pounds with today's technology, and we can get it under 10 in fifteen years.
I still think that the biggest improvement coming down the pike is belt drive. Use a belt like you see in car engines, like a timing belt. That will be way more lighter, way more durable, and way more efficient than the metal chain we use now. With all due respects to DaVinci or who ever invented the bicycle chain, it is the weak link (so to speak) in the current bicycle design, and as soon as we have a geared bike in the 15 pound range using the belt drive technology, than that will be the standard. We might be five years from that, but when we do... it will be amazing.
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Yesterday was another nice day, and I didn't get out and ride. Why? Well, my friend from work was scheduled to paint the bumper on my wife's car. And I was there to help, and when I say help I really mean stand there and watch as he does all the work. His shop is down in Sunriver, so I could have totally done some rides I never do 'cause they're all out Sunriver way. Like Paulina Lake. I have never done that road, and I heard that's a good ride. But, now I will never know.
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It is much closer to June than I can imagine, and it has been cold and wet and dreary. This is without a doubt the worst spring I have ever seen. Worse than anything we went through in Alaska even. I pretty much hate it right now, and there is no end in sight. But I am also sick of complaining about it all, so I'm gonna stop.
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Yesterday was supposed to be the Rapture. Didna Happen. I'm not surprised, and neither should you be, bro. The whole thing was an embarrassment for all involved and it makes me a bit sad. I can understand how others are making fun of those who were predicting this, those who kept their kids out of school, who sold everything and then were left wanting. It's sad and pathetic.
At work, a co-worker said "well, I guess this proves that Christianity is a lie." I just shook my head. This was as ignorant and embarrassing as those who were predicting the end of the world yesterday.
Also, how is it that when terrorists slaughter 300 in the name of Islam that's a small minority. But if a similarly small minority cluelessly predicts the Rapture this last weekend, you indict all of Christianity and are ready to tar every believer, regardless if they were on board or not? Like I said, it was an ignorant and sad statement, reflecting more on the individual who said it than on Jesus Christ and His believers.
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Now... I need to do the one thing I dread every couple of months... clean the shower.

Sick Of It All

2011-05-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

When I went out riding today (it was a good day, and so I needed to get a ride in) I originally thought I would go on my own and take it easy. Mostly because I didn't ride all week (nasty weather, for the most part) and secondly because I am more tired with my medications. As I headed out, I rode by the Eastside Hutch's, where the Nooners leave from. I saw two there, and said what the heck, and decided to do the noon ride.

I figured that I would stay on a wheel as long as I could, and try to recover between hills... as long as we don't do really sustained climbing, I should be OK till the return trip up and out of Shevlin.

So, what did we do? Bachelor. The longest sustained climb in the area, and it was not nice to me at all.

I tried to hang in there as long as I could, and I think I made it to the eight and a half mile mark, then I came off the back pretty suddenly. The thing that bothered me was that guys who I usually beat handily up this climb just rode away from me. I tried to close the gap to them, but it was not to be. They kept getting farther down the road, and I was done.

I tried to ride my own pace, but it was not happening. At around the 12 mile mark, I could barely go 9 miles per, and I felt so old and out of shape. I turned around at the 13 mile mark, well short of the 20 miles to Mt. B. I had to do that, because if I continued at this pace to Bachelor, I was gonna be doing a four hour ride, and I needed to pick up the kids pretty soon. I needed to be done in two hours.

I felt sore by the end, I felt really leg-tired. I just flat out got killed out there. I don't know, at this point, I don't know if I will get my fitness back for racing at all. I feel very far behind where I should be at. It's frustrating.

The biggest story right now in cycling is how Tyler Hamilton is coming clean with regard to doping, and he's naming names. And by naming names, I mean he's fingering Lance Armstrong. I am not shocked by this revelation at all, the timing is a bit dubious because it's during the AToC. And I have to ask... why didn't you come clean in 2004, when you could have really had an impact on the sport, instead of looking all desperate now that you faced a grand jury? I read somewhere that he's fishing for a book deal. I don't know if that is true or not, and I don't care. I am sort of sick of him and Floyd and all the others who doped... and maybe that includes Lance, and at this point if I read that he did dope tomorrow, I wouldn't be shocked at all. Not at all.

The thing is, it's all disgusting to me now. I used to rail on Baseball because of the rampant doping in that sport, how it was so out in the open and the Baseball commissioner and the Baseball union really didn't want to do anything about it at all. In fact, the union was very active in stopping any and all performance drug testing. I scoffed at this sport because of it, and I was very turned off by how Baseball was coming off at the time. The Steroid Era, everyone called it.

I used to really, really love baseball. It was my favorite sport for sure. I went to lots of Padre games when I was a kid, and I played Little League... in fact, my mom and sister were the coaches and my dad sponsored the team. It was a family affair. I stopped playing because I sucked when I was a freshman and got cut from that team in HS, and I turned to the drums. But I still really liked the sport and watched a ton of games when I could.

I was mostly a Mariner fan once I moved to Oregon. In college, I watched a lot of games with some good friends who were also M's fans. We had a lot of fun cheering on Buhner and Griffey and Martinez, it was a fun time to root for the Mariners, they were a fun team to get behind. They never did anything with it, but I was a fan, and I had fun watching.

Then steroids slowly creeped in and killed any joy I had for the game. That and the cancelled World Series, that was the beginning of the end. In fact, I didn't watch one full inning of baseball last year. Mostly because I didn't have cable at the time, and also because I avoided it because I was disgusted with so much of the sport. Lately, I have been watching some Mariner games (my take: A few good arms, good defense and team speed but absolutely no pop in that lineup at all. Buncha slappys and banjo-hitting journeymen) But my love for the game is nowhere near where it was back in the day.

I was so into Cycling in the last ten years, and I look back now and think that it was all tainted, wasn't it? I don't know what to think about this with Hamilton. I was a big fan when he was racing, right up till he was busted. Then he lied to try to extend his career, bringing out that crap about the twin, the chimera. What a load. He lied to try to stay relevant, but he should have come clean as soon as possible, it would have been best for the sport.

The fact of the matter is that you cannot lie, you will be found out. If LA is lying, and he did dope like everyone else did, then he is a fraud, and not only that but the biggest fraud of them all. Maybe he is so self-absorbed (and from all that I read, Lance Armstrong Loves Lance Armstrong. Totally and forever. XOXO) that he thinks he can cheat all the people all the time. But the thing is, the truth always comes out. Always. He can run, he can dance around but the more he dances around the more he makes the pain for himself when it finally all comes out in the end. If it comes out. There is no telling where it goes from here... but all the leading indicators are that he will eventually take that walk of shame and confess. And, like all the others, it will be a day late and a million dollars or so short.

I am so sick of the EPO era. Really, I am. I loved the racing from back then, it was so dramatic and so amazing, but we had to know it was tainted. How else does a career domo like Bjarne Riis go from riding support to winning the Tour. How else do you have twenty guys finish Flanders all together in a big heap. How else do you see guys big-ringing the Alpe after six hours of racing. In Baseball, it was so evident... I mean, Barry Bonds head grew. His freaking head grew! Of course he was taking HGH, how else do you explain that. The muscle growth on McGuire and Sosa was sudden and immense. They went from hitting 30 homers to 50. There is no explanation for that.... but, hey, that's what the fan wanted.

Maybe the cycling fan wanted to see guys totally crush the hills with little to no effort. I don't know. I want clean racing, and I think we have that now. I think the late 80's were clean, and I think that cycling in general is moving in the right direction right now. But still, I get so disgusted when I think of it. I have DVD's of races that I haven't watched in years, because I know everyone on the race doped, and it's tainted, and I can't watch.

Ego, money, glory. It's a sad story, and it sucks. Dopers Suck. The whole thing sucks. Why can't I enjoy the winning form of one of the good guys, Chris Horner? Why are we now distracted from a good race that is being run clean by these shadows of the past, the era of the EPO? It just makes me ill that we need to even go there again.

But, I guess we have to.

AToC

2011-05-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Been watching some bike racing action lately. Mostly, the AMGEN Tour of California... aka, the AToC. Let's recap:

* The first day was a total wash. I mean that. It was snowed out totally.

* Day two and three were sprinting days. There were long breakaways that did not succeed. In these breaks were Continental pros, from teams like Bissell. That was a good move for them. They got some air time in the biggest race in the USA, and they knew they had no chance in the sprint against top level sprinters who have won Classics and GT stages. It made what was normally boring flat run-ins good viewing. But even for a die hard cycling fan like myself, it was so-so stuff.

* Stage four (which is really stage three) was yesterday, and my man Chris Horner cleaned up.

That was a good stage to watch. In bike racing, may it be the AToC or the Tour or the Giro, stuff gets real on the climbs. Bike racing is all about climbing, and the best climbers are the best stage racers. Not the sprinters, which is fine to watch, but really... it's a side show. In sprinting stages, a good climber can get unlucky and lose a few seconds because of a crash in front of him or something of that nature. Usually, they just finish safely in the pack. In a climbing stage, a good sprinter will get shelled out the back and lose minutes upon minutes, sometimes struggling to even finish in the time limit.

So, it's all about the climbers. And the AT0C became a bit more clearer yesterday with Horner's win. I have to make him a favorite at this point, I think he can and will win it.

On the last climb, there was Garmin's Ryder Hesjedal out off the front, and he had a dwindling gap. Ryder is from Canada, and a pure climber. In fact, I like this guy... mostly because he is tall and skinny like me. But his gap was coming back all the time, and he knew he was gonna get swept up soon enough. Horner had Levi on his wheel as they rode away from the front chase group and after Ryder.

They got Ryder, then Chris just rode everyone off his wheel. He didn't attack, he was working for Levi. But when Levi couldn't hold his wheel, it was all Chris. That was a great display of pure power from Mr. Horner.

I think Levi is showing his age. I also think, and have had this thought for a while now, that he is just not that explosive. Levi can churn out the miles and is a good to great climber, but he doesn't have that ability to suddenly up the tempo and gap people off. Lance was great at that, Alberto is the best at it right now. Chris didn't jump, he rode Levi off. But Levi didn't have (or didn't want to, he might not have wanted to tug Ryder down the road) the ability to jump back to Chris' wheel... and when he didn't, it was a foregone conclusion that Chris was gonna win.

I'm proud of the guy. He's a great racer, a great representative for this sport. He has been a very hard working rider for a long time. Not to mention that we went to the same high school and he lives here in Bend when not in Europe. I don't care what VeloNews says... Chris is not a part time resident of San Diego. I saw him on the roads about three weeks ago, after his second place in the Basque Country Tour, and before he left for Cali. He's a Bend guy.

Anyways, that was a good ride to watch. Looking forward to more action to come.

Random Thoughts

2011-05-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sorta mad at Home Depot right now, mostly because we purchased a 4 gallon shop vac from them a few years back. It was on a holiday special, and it was a good buy at the time. The problem? They don't see 4 gallon replacement bags. Oh no. They sell replacement bags for the vacs the have sitting around all day, every day. But those special ones that they had a group of fourth graders in China knock out for Festivus season a few years back? Gotta go on-line and get that.

That is what annoys me right now. And I need a bag, too. I put in laminate flooring in the house last year, and the fact of the matter is that we have two dogs and a cat that are in full on shedding mode and I need to vac every ding-dang day to just stay in front of the gathering hair-ball storm. I don't have time to wait for a week plus to get a bag, ya'all.

I was listening to Adam Carrola's pod cast this morning tooling around the house, and they had a list of the ten least stressful job. Here is a linky link. And what was number six? Why, speech therapist.

I mean, you just sit around and play rock-em-sock-em robots, right?

I will be waiting right here for my wife to comment on that. I'm sure I made her head flip off her shoulders, fly around the the room in an Italo-Irish rage of epic proportions... I'm just glad I'm "working" as she reads this interesting tidbit...

Right now, I'm listening to Xanadu by Rush on Pandora Radio. I really like that song. I have listened to it so many times, but yet have not tired of it.

I am still of the opinion that Bin Laden feeding the fishes is a good thing, and I am very happy that he took that water-nap. I won't be shamed into thinking otherwise by Rosie O'Bloated or any other elitist celebutard out there. I read this article today, and they talked about how the helo crashed and they had to blow it up as part of the mission because they were using a super-secret brand now technology to silence the rotors.

The whole thing got me to thinking about how fragile this operation was, and that was mentioned in the article as well. I also thought about Operation Eagle Claw, the attempt to rescue the hostages in Iran in 1979 (I remember it, I was 12 at the time) The rescue attempt was a total disaster, and there was no other attempt afterwards. Eight servicemen died, they were Delta Force on the very first operation of that unit, and eventually the disaster led to the creation of a unified Special Forces Command and numerous changes to how the US Military operates and trains those tasked with SpecOps. In many ways, there is a direct line from the lessons learned in the deserts of Iran to the successful take down of Bin Laden.

In between, so often Helicopters just flat out fail. People do not realize how fragile they are, especially the really high-tech ones used in the military. I had a friend in Alaska who was a helicopter pilot in both Iraq wars, and he said that his helicopter spent more time in the shop than in the air. He said that those things are on the verge of crashing every time they operate. In movies, we see choppers do amazing things, but in reality it's different.

One of my favorite movies is Black Hawk Down (I think it's the perfect military movie. I used to think that of Saving Private Ryan. But the thing with that movie is that the opening is perfect, up until the the first 30 minutes of movie is over. After that, not so much. BHD is perfect all the way through. Just a stunning movie.... real quickly, go and look at who was in that movie. Pretty much every great actor working today, and before they were big-shot stars. Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom, Ty Burrell. And all these guys were bit actors, basically extras. Ridley Scott knows talent. Not a single Jack Black in the bunch. And, yes, Jack Black is a bad actor.) Anyways, in BHD the whole problem was that Black Hawk crashed when it took a grazing hit from an RPG. These things go down, they go down at an alarming rate.

The SEALs who pulled off the hit on UBL know this, and they game-planned the helo going down. And they still pulled it off when it did go down, and that's amazing. The whole thing is amazing because they knew they only had one shot at it, if they didn't get it done right then and there, they were toast, Bin Laden escapes and he is more of a hero than ever and is given a near god-like status, and there is no chance that Pakistan ever coopeates with us again, and probably the US is forced out of Afghanistan and Obama is never able to recover from that blunder. The whole mission was on a razor's edge, stray either way and it is the worst military blunder of the last 50 years, the worst since Bay of Pigs... and we never recover as a nation or a military power, and in all likelihood we lose the War on Terror. I mean, seriously, it was that fragile of an operation.

In fact, when you think of cover, SpecOp type missions... you don't hear too much about them because most of the time, it's boring stuff like hunting down one individual with a sniper team or it's part of a larger operation like in Iraq. These type of unique operations are extremely rare, and the successful ones even more rare. I would put this operation right up there with the Raid on Entebbe in terms of significance with regard to planning and execution. But it was almost a total failure. What kept it from being a failure? Training, training, training. Also, the US has flexibility, individual initiative and unit discipline as bedrock philosophies within all branches and all strata of the military. That is something that you do not see in societies that are authoritarian and autocratic, like you see thuggish dictatorships. I read a really good book about this once, I think it was called The Western Way of War. No check that... it was Culture and Carnage by Victor Davis Hanson.

Because most autocratic dictatorships are top-down in terms of command and control, and where leaders lead more my fear than by anything else, VDH argues that the western way of war is more decisive and devastating. In the US miliary, he says that a sargeant has as much influence as a Colonel in the Iraq army, for example. He gave one example of how, in Saudi Arabia, the US were training helicopter pilots over there, and the trainers were passing out manuals to the crews, and followed right behind them were the Saudi officers who confiscated the manuals just as fast, because they view knowledge as power and they didn't want enlisted men to the manuals, the officers wanted to hoard the knowledge, as that was the best way to advance their own career. They cared more about how they advanced in the military then they did about having an effective unit... which was the most important issue for the US. I'm not saying that there are not career-minded, self-centered jackholes in the US Army, but I will say that SpecOp units are all about the mission, about getting the job done and not CYA.

Anyways, I'm on this thought because the US is the most devastating military in the history of mankind not becasue we have nicer and bigger toys, but because we have a better military culture, best exemplified by the Special Operation units like SEAL Team Six who did such an outstanding job of ventilating that jackwad Bin Laden.

Soggy

2011-05-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Did not ride today, because I knew it was gonna rain. After church, there were large black clouds all around, and it had that gonna be moist feel in the air. I'm not racing at a very high level anymore, I just race for fun. Those days are over. The days when I rode in the rain for three hours because I needed to get hard, that was when I was 24 or 25... when I was single, didn't have a car or a TV and most of my friends were on the bike as well.

And since I am no longer young and dumb and have responsibilities and other stuff going on... like a wife and two kids, a very large TV and a house with heat and a comfy couch for nappin' on... I am no longer in the mood for killing myself in a total downpour. Oh, and spare me that rigamaroll about appeasing the cycling deities by paying my dues in the sufferfest of groveling in the gutter. Ain't. Doing. It.

I don't mind getting caught in the rain, but I won't start in a cold hard rain. That was what we had today.

As soon as I got home, it started to rain, and it started to rain hard very soon after that. Right Call was made.

So, I worked on the bike a bit. I taped my bars. Black tape, to replace the faded yellow tape. I'm starting to think that anything other than black tape just won't work.

I deep cleaned the bike, made it all shiny and fresh. Gave it a nice coat of Bike Lust. Totally degreased and relubed the chain. It's so sparkly fresh you can eat off it. Though I do not recommend it at all.

I also replaced the front brake cable and housing. The old one was fraying at the clamp. So, I thought instead of a new inner cable, since I have the tape off just replace the outer as well.

I even flossed the cassette. What? Well, I take an old T-shirt and I fold it over and then run that between the cogs of the cassette getting any grime and old grease/oil out of there. Boom. Done and done. The cassette looks brand new. Bike, too. The whole bike looks as good as the day I bought it... except for the scratches on the brake levers from when I stacked up last year. Other than that, and worn tires, the bike is Show Room Ready. I keep a very clean bike, always. I pride myself on a clean ride... a well lubed drive-train and a Pro'd out appearance. If I can't ride like a pro, I will certainly look the part. For me, it's all about caring about the bike. And goodnees do I love that bike...

Since the Blazers have been out of the Playoff picture for a while, who do I root for? Well, in the East, I really dislike the Heat. I do. I get to the point where I dislike certain teams and players, and the Heat are at the top of the list. Mostly, because I don't like the idea of top players colluding together to decide who plays where. I mean, if the owners can't do it, why should the players. Also, this dude Worldwide Wes who seems to have too much influence on where guys play, it seems to unseemly... or so it seems (did I say seem too many times in one sentence? Seems that way.) From an outsiders perspective, and as a fan of a small market team, this part of the NBA... where big name players dictate to others where they will play, irregardless of the fan base who pays the current salary... is the worst part.

I really do think that the NBA is better now than it was ten plus years ago, in the post-Jordan era. There was a time time when there were too many egos and me-first players in the league (Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, and the poster boy for them all, Alan Iverson.) who only cared about the shots they took, about the tattoo's they were getting, about getting the corn-rows to look nice, and caring very little for winning championships. That era of the league was almost unwatchable for me, but I think it's moved beyond that.

Right now, there are some very good, very likeable young guys out there. I really do like D-Rose. His quickness is sickening. He is probably better at this point in his career than Jordan was. He's quicker, more explosive. His ability to change direction off a dead run, to elevate to the rim and finish every freaking play is amazing. Gotta like that guy.

The same can be said for Durant. He's fun to watch, very likeable, very skilled. Although it hurts to think he could have been a Blazer. Ouch.

But, anyways, back to the East. I think I want the Bulls is what I'm saying. I do know that an Alaskan will play in the final.. either Boozer for Chicago or Mario Chalmers for the Heat. Mario is an Anchorage kid, and I have friends who I used to work with who know him well. I do like him, but it doesn't overcome my dislike for LeBron.

I am tired of LeBron. He is an immense talent, I will respect that. But his tanking in the finals last year, and his orchestrated and painful Decision from the summer was weak. I never liked his little chalk cloud act either. That is more of the me-first crap I hate.

So, go Bulls in that one.

In the west, I want to see anyone but Dallas. I hate Mark Cuban, for one reason and one reason only: He produced the disgusting anti-American movie Redacted. Because of that alone, he can DIAF for all I care.

(No Title)

2011-05-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

Still too windy and cold around here? When does it let up?

The Mariners have been the very epitome of The Suck lately. Which sorta bums me out, I want to pull for the Mariners, but when they're not fun to watch, it makes it hard. I mean, I have baseball in low regard in general, mostly because of the Steroid era. But I like the M's, they're my home team. But they don't have a lot there. They have good pitching, they have two guys that are solid in Felix and Pineda. They have good defense, for the most part (although they had some blunders the other day that cost a game) but they have very little pop in the lineup, very little power. The first baseman, Smoak, is the best of the hitters. They have the best contact hitter in the history of the game in Ichiro, but otherwise they are a gang of punch and judy slap hitters who have a hard time stringing together rallies.

But the bummer is that I see former Mariners all over the league having great season. In fact, you could assemble a team of former Mariners and that team would be awesome. The Mariners have a terrible habit of trading away very talented players, especially pitchers, for prospects and minor leaguers who then go about 50-50 in panning out. That makes it really hard to get behind a team that is constantly rebuilding for next year. And next year never seems to come around.

Yesterday, I decided to join the noon riding group, as the weather was alright. We had about four total... which, as I think on it, is exactly how many we had. I don't know why I tossed in that about qualifier, it's not like I had a hard time estimating the turn out.

Anyways, we went riding and I was talking to one of the guys. He asked me if I had been riding much, and I said not as much as I would like. I told him that I was having problems with my energy levels, and it seemed when I go out I have a hard time getting my motor started and I struggle early on in rides. I said that I was on new medications, and it made me a bit tired and feeling weak.

He then asked what medications I was on.

I sorta had to think about that for a moment. I mean, there is still a bit of a stigma when it comes to Depression, or at least it feels like it for me. I don't know how he'll react to it, I felt sort of embarrassed and sheepish to admit that I have Depression, and that I take medication for it.

So, I told him... it was for depression.

And he said "well, good for you. It's good to get help. I know it's hard to admit that"

And then we had a rather lengthy talk about depression. His wife is a nurse, and she was a drug rep for a while, so he was very knowledgeable about it all. Not judgmental about it at all, totally understanding. That was a relief.

It gets me to thinking about how I will handle it when I get back to work. How do I tell others where I've been, why I was out of work for so long. A part of me thinks that it's not their business... and that's true. But what if I tell the truth, tell them that I have had a bout with depression and they then open up to someone and they are able to get help? I guess it's situational, there are some at work I won't tell them anything. Some others, I have already told them and they are praying for me, and they have my best interest in mind and they won't see me as anything less than the good friend I have always been for them.

But I have no problem saying that I have depression. I have a great medication that works for me, I have seen some really good professional help. I'm in a better place. The side effects sorta suck at times, but so be it.

I'm getting help, that's all that matters right now.

Crazy Nice

2011-05-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

I went for a ride today since it was finally over 60 degrees. This has been a cold spring, and we have facts (facts!) to back that up. We have only had one day over 70 here in the CO, and have only had two days above average. There have been 20 days of fifteen degrees below the average. This has been the second coldest spring on record for Central Oregon.

See, I wasn't just belly-aching, it actually is cold.

But today was nice. Unfortunately, it's supposed to be more bad than good. Things get bad, get windy, then rainy and then there is no end in sight.

Today, I just rode the Johnson Road loop by myself, but I rode with a bunch of guys. I went out at around noon, but I didn't ride the nooner, because I felt so tired this morning and I thought I would get hammered. When I was out, I picked up a few riders here and there, and then gave 'em the drop. Not that I was trying to, but I had plans to ride harder than they were going. I feel no need to relegate my riding based on how those around me are doing if I scoop them up on the road. Some riders think it is rude to just ride past someone. But I don't. If I go for a ride and Chris Horner blows by me, then so be it. If I blow by a guy in his late 50's who is tooling around, why should I care? I didn't start the ride with him, and we had no agreement to ride together. We're just sharing the road.

I did find the tail end of an elite group that left around 11 that morning, and it included Ian Boswell. Ian is a very strong rider, he rides for Livestrong-Trek and has been making waves nationally. He will be good some day, and I see a future for him in this sport, for sure. We talked for a spell. He's a really nice kid, really down to earth. He has never gold-bricked people, he never pulls the fame card or acts like he's above everyone. He has a great attitude, and I really put that on his parents. His dad is a class guy, and is one of the most well known local riders.

See, I've met pros and former pros and top level am's who totally act like you are getting in their way out there. They act like when you ride with them, it is a total privilege. I hate that attitude. Ian never acts that way, he's the same easy going kid I first met when he was in Junior High.

So, we chatted for a while. Then that was that. I rode in and called it a day and got down to doing more yard work.

But not before some drama on the way home. I was on Bear Creek, heading toward 27th, when some person in a vehicle leaned out of the window and yelled at me. Literally yelled "HEY" or something like that. Nondescript yelling, just noise, actually leaning out of the car. It sort of rattled me. Here's the deal: That road is narrow, almost no shoulder. I get rattled, ride off my line, and I swerve into traffic and the car behind them is then the threat to me. Also, the whole idea that you are gonna yell at someone just to yell, it sort of annoyed me.

So, the funny thing was that we were both rolling toward a rather busy four way stop. So, I actually caught up to the car and I wanted to have words with this punk. See, I thought it was a total punk move, totally teenagery. But I was shocked to see it was some old lady, practically a grandmother type. She was probably 60 if a day, and she had short hair, was sort of chubby, and had thick glasses. She seriously looked old. I was shocked.

I said what's the deal?

She said did I scare you?

I then said Well, you startled me. I could ride off my line and then that puts me at risk in the traffic. There is not much shoulder here. It showed no respect.

I then shook my head and was generally disgusted. This oldster was with what looked like a younger woman in the car, maybe her daughter, and a much younger girl in the back seat, maybe her granddaughter. And this is how she treats people? Just yelling at them for no reason at all? It was wierd.

Sometimes, I think of these things and I think about how it is really hard to like people in general. Sometimes, we are such a-holes to each other and for no reason.

I generally like Sabian cymbals. I bring this up for pretty much no reason at all. In the drumming world, there is Zildjian and Sabian for the most part. There are few smaller companies, but Zildjian and Sabian make up probably 85 to 90% of the market. The funny thing is, that back in the day Robert Zildjian had a falling out with his brother, Armand. Basically at the time, only the head of the company knew the secret for the cymbal, and Robert sort of got that info out of him and then bolted to form Sabian. For the most part, I think that there are some small differences with Sabian and Zildjian, but they are pretty much the same.

I just think it's a funny story how basically Robert said "say, how are these thing made? Oh... that's how. Hey, I'm out of here to start my own business."

I was watching Anderson Cooper on TV the other night, and I had this nagging question... why is he considered a good journalist? I mean, as far as I can tell he got his job from plain old nepotism, seeing how he is the son of Gloria Vanderbilt, of the Vanderbilt family, which is probably the richest family in the American south. I just never got how they thought he was good. He's a typical lib-journo, though... he's all about toeing the party line, and pushing an agenda. He just seems to do it more ham-handedly than others.

Tiredness

2011-05-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I get really tired. I guess part of it is going to bed at midnite or so and getting up at 0530 to let the dog out and then up at 0600 to get the kids up. That is not a good way to do things. I get that.

But, today, I was totally wiped out. I laid down as I waited for the car to warm up to take the kids to school, and fell asleep for about ten minutes. Felt like an eternity. But when I got home, my first inclination was to totally write this morning off and nap. So... did I?

Well, it was really nice out. Really nice. Lately, it's been nasty. Sometimes rainy, often cold and windy. If I feel tired, I would sleep. Why get out? But today was nice. I decided to suck it up and go out and do something. I took the cat and the dogs outside, let them roam (this was a bit dangerous, as the last time the cat was out with me, he was out all day... but I kept an eye on him. Plus, he and I are good friends now. He doesn't run as far from me as he can, like he did back in the day) I did some weeding and clearing of yard debris. The sun was warming things up nicely, and after an hour I felt great. It was sure better therapy than taking a nap. Because if I did nap, I would feel horrible about wasting the morning. So, mission accomplished there.

Last week, I saw my buds at Rebound Sports Performance Lab to have some tweaking done to my position on the bike. I have a leg length discrepancy, as my left leg is about six mm shorter than the right. Last summer, I had about 4 mm of spacer put on my shoe, and I went back this time to see if I needed more, or if that amount of space evened out my stroke. You see, this is the sort of information you can only get from a computer, as there is no way to know it on your own.

Before, there was a 10% power differential. My left leg was getting full extension, and was actually strong than my right leg. So, what we did was put the spacer in and lift the saddle the same amount, and hopefully this would make it more of a 50/50 power output.

My stroke is pretty round, I have a good spin. But even the best pro puts a lot more wattage on the down stroke, the power end of the the spin. Getting my right leg more power would make me a stronger cyclist.

When I first started this, my right leg really hurt. I was basically stretching the nerves and the tendons in the back of the leg, and these are things that do not stretch easily. I would say it took about two months to totally feel comfortable with the new position.

So, I found out that the position adjustment was complete. The power differential was now about 51/49, and that was close enough to call it a day. No need to put more space in there. We did tweak the cockpit by putting on a shorter stem and flipping it up. This raised me up a bit, but it flattened out the back, taking the "hump" I had out, and allowing me to utilize my core muscles more when I really hammer the watts. At first, I was really against doing this, as I like a long stem and having it sit lower. But that was good when I was 24 years old and had more flexibility. But now, at 44, I need to think things over. Now that I've had a few rides on it, I like it alot. I feel so much more comfortable in the drops, even if it does look a bit dorky... the bike, that is. I lost that low and sleek look. But I need to go for more efficiency here, because I am not getting any younger.

Death at the Giro

2011-05-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have a lot on my mind today, and need to get to it. First of all, the Giro. The Giro, which as we all know is the second biggest cycling road race in the world (and, in my book, is actually a better race than the Tour. But the Tour gets the ink since it's the oldest and most well known. But the Giro is often more compelling and more exciting, and that has been the case for a few years now)

The bummer is that VS. TV is not showing the Giro, but is instead showing the shorter, less compelling, but more local Amgen Tour of California. Bummer. I was hoping for the Giro, but the Cali Tour will get better ratings, and that is all that they really want.

Today, in the Giro a good up and coming racer died. It was was truly freak accident, and it was nothing more and nothing less. Freakish and Tragic, it was the terrible all the same. I hate this because it is such a black eye on this wonderful sport. I love cycling and it can be so compelling and so dramatic on it's own merit, and the Giro was going to be a great battle in the Alps in the last week, but now all anyone will remember is how the guy overcooked a corner a bit and went down to his death. His family is not blaming the Giro (and, trust me here, there have been times when the Tour or Giro or Vuelta organizers have designed a horrendous route that was too dangerous for anyone. There have been times when the riders have refused to ride because of the danger, and this was not one of those days) It was as equally tragic as in 2003 when Beloki skipped his wheel on melting tarmac and Lance had to go around him. Beloki never raced again, he was done. (I mean, I think he raced, but he never was the same. He raced small races and planned for a comeback in the Tour, but he was never the same and he retired shortly thereafter and to this day, no one knows what happened to the best rider to never win anything. Boy, that's a complete blog post right there some day. But it's true...)

I feel bad that this happened, but it reminds me that you have to take everyday on the bike as something special, because it is. You can race your whole life and never have a bad accident, or you can go out tomorrow on a training ride and that could be the last thing you do in life. There is no other sport out there where there is such a distinct possibility of death at all times. And I do not engage in hyperbole there at all. It is too true. Not just death, but terrible disfiguring injury, paralysis and so on. I know... I bear the scars to prove it.

I don't know... maybe American Football can make the case in regard to danger and risk. That and Cheer-leading. Seriously... look it up. Cheer-leading is right at the top for injury and death. Not. Making. That. Up.

Chump

2011-05-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

Noam Chomsky hates America. For those who do not know who Chomsky is, go ahead and count yourself blessed. He's a Linguist at MIT, and let's go ahead and get the pleasantries out of the way first: Yes, he is a first rate intellect and has been the leader in his field for much of the last 40 years. He knows linguistics. I will not doubt that.

But what you also need to know is that he hates America. There is nothing about America he likes. And why I bring this up is because of his latest hate-fest of a letter regarding the righteous hit on Bin Laden. Of course, he hates it. He sees it as an example of how awful America his. And, as I am oft to say, when the only tool you have is a hammer all the problems look like nails. For Chomsky, he hates America and he hates on America on any given chance. He won't give up the chance to bash on the nail that is America with his America hating hammer. This is just the latest. I will not get into dissecting his rant, because others have done a better job of it than I could. What I will say is that he looks at the hit on Osama as being so bad, so corrupt, and so evil... but refuses to look at the context of why we are at war with militant Islam. And this trick, of ignoring the facts of 9-11 because it is inconvenient, is something that annoys me. (Especially from someone who loves context when it comes to hating on America. That's his favorite trick. He's a big time Root Causes fan)

But the thing I can't stand about this guy is that he hates America, but like so many hypocrite lefties out there, he has engorged himself on the riches of this nation. Oh, he hates America... but not enough to leave, and not enough to abandon his mansion and millions he has made in the process, both by being an academic and by selling books that make American out to be a worse evil than Hitler's Reich.

Even with world war 2, he hates America... yes, yes, the Nazi's were bad. But... And there is always a but for him, then he starts with Hiroshima and Nagasaki and goes right to Dresden and how allegedly Ford financed Hitler. Blah Blah Blah

He never recognizes the facts that America is a basically good country. Not perfect, but good. Don't get caught up in the lack of perfection, we will never achieve it. No one will, because Perfection is the Enemy of the Good, and therefore it is simplistic to hammer the faults of America only. This side of heaven, the best you can do is the United States. That is a fact. How do I know this? People vote with their feet, and the fact of the matter is that people are dying to get into America, they still are. People are not dying to get into Cuba (Chomsky's ideal) but to get out. Yes, we had Slavery, that was the original sin of America. But the fact is that we spilled an ocean of blood to end it. We ended it, why do we not get credit for that. We were one of the first to allow women to vote... and when you're Chomsky, you look at that and think that America is bad. We had Slavery, we had Misogony. But he never looks at the had part, and never sees how we moved on and for the better. Perfect, no. But for crying out loud... we have a Black man as president, are we still gonna fight the slavery battle? Slavery is alive and well in Islamic sub-Saharan Africa and even in Saudi Arabia. And let's not mention the role of women in Islamist nations. That's too inconvenient a truth.

America is great, and it is self evident. We have more technologies and more scientific breakthroughs and medical miracles come out of this nation than all the others combined. Noam, do you like your computer? Do you think that the Soviets or the Islamists could have cobbled that together? Do not tease...

He hates America so much he probably is allergic to hot dogs and apple pie. He hates red white and blue... but loves Red, because he is a Marxist and there was never a Communist he didn't apologize for. Pol Pot was a favorite of his. Of course, now that the Communists are all in the history books, he pines for those good old days... but overlooks their numerous atrocities to nit-pick at the marginal and made up ones in America.

I need to stop, I've spent way too much energy on this guy. He's a cretin.

The Club

2011-05-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

I just went on to the Bend Downtown Athletic Club Facebook site and liked it, even though I have never been there and I doubt I ever will. My niece is making a nice chunk of change running social media for some local bidnez, so by doing so it helps her out. Win Win and all that.

But the thing is, I am at the point in my life where I see no point in driving somewhere to work out. Part of it is that I have my workout, and I do my thing on the bike. I know what I want to do and what I want to achieve, and the club is not part of it. I know that for riding for two hours on the hills west of Bend is not everyone's thing, and I get that. But how do you drive to a club, pay for parking in some instances, and then pay to ride an indoor bike. I understand that if you work downtown and you are pressed for time, that is a good option and all. Just not my thing. I feel sorry for those who have to do that, but would rather be on the road. I know I would rather be on the road... everything about it is better (except the cars, of course) The feel of the road, the sounds, the smells, even the way the road feel under you. I mean, given the choice, that is what I would rather do. And it's free. Or, at least I already paid for it with my taxes and all.

First

2011-05-03T09:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a great day, and it was a day of many firsts.

First of the firsts was that I went out for a ride and got a day of solid climbing in. I went out to Skyliners, and that was a solid half hour on the climb. Skyliners is a good place to climb, it's out and back to the Tumalo Falls trail head. Generally, not a lot of cars. This is mostly because you are going out to either hike or to ride at Phil's Trail. Or you live there, and if you live there (and there are about a dozen or two dozen who do) then you are the ones being total jackholes to the cyclists. The fact of the matter is, the city really wants to improve Skyliners, they want to widen it to make it safe for the riders, because it is a popular place to ride. There have been bad accidents out there, one guy was life flighted out last year, and a gal was hit in a race as well.

There is money designated for the widening, and the city wants to do it. They realize that a good road out there means safer riding, they also realize that events like Masters Nationals and Cascade actually bring a lot of money in, and an improved Skyliners will improve those races. (they already do the TT for both events out there)

And the road is not only narrow, it sucks. Bad. The road surface is broken up badly, and in some places there are big potholes and big cracks that run the width of the road. And, like I said, the city wants to do it and they have the money marked, they don't need to tax to get the cash to do it.

The people resisting are the ones living there, and they are very wealthy and very connected and have been successful in blocking road improvements so far. Not only that, but they have gone before the city to ban cycling on that road. Fortunately, the city has resisted that effort. But the city has not been able to overcome resistance to improve the road surface so far. The last I read was that the project is stalled... and if they stall it enough, it just won't get done. I mean, they have a limited time window to do the work. Stalling and delaying is a very effective tool.

So, I don't know what will happen with that road. I know that I avoid it in the prime summer months, because the local drivers get really testy then. I've been buzzed a few times.

The next first was eating outside. Wow, that was nice. Having dinner on the patio is awesome. My kids would do it everyday if we could. I would too, but I think there are a few meals that are not good on the patio. Steak, burgers, anything off the grill is perfect for the patio. Pancakes, omelettes, any breakfast food, soup, ... not so much. I just think that certain food don't say let's eat outside. But, for the most part, if we're cooking outside, we're probably eating outside. That's a good rule of thumb.

The next first was the first fire-pit of the summer. One word: Awesome. The fire-pit is sorta built into the patio. I don't know if I told the story or not, but the backyard of this house is sort of a disaster. It's really rocky, and slopes sharply away from the house down to the corner in the shape of a kite. This area was totally ignored by the previous owners, and it made the back of the house look like a lost cause.

We saw potential (and when I say we, I mean my awesome wife, who said that we could build a paver patio down there. And by we, I mean I would build it. See, she has the ideas, and I'm simply the muscles of this operation) and we got to work on it the next summer. It meant a lot of excavation, and it was all done by hand. It literally took two years to finish it off, and in the middle of it all I shattered my left arm and had to hire out a few dudes to move rocks.

That was biggest hassle, moving rocks. The area around here is all rock, all volcanic rock and it's a load of work. I was spending day after day after day breaking rocks up with the jackhammer, moving rocks around, piling 'em up, trying to get a flat enough space to lay down pavers. I had one area where the rocks were just massive, and I decided to dig it out, hammer it down, and then I stopped, because I was spending all this time on one area. I figured I would try to do something with it.

Well, a long story made short is this: That rocky area that was so non-compliant ended up making the perfect fire pit area. We were able to form a patio, and it was perfectly outlined by the combination of where I stopped hitting the rocks with the jackhammer and where I decided to pile the rocks and back fill it with dirt. Then we laid the gravel, the sand and finally the pavers. The pavers we basically got for free from a neighbor, and it was perfect... how perfect? After laying down pavers out front and in the back, we had exactly four left over. Four. That is how perfect it was. The area of massive rocks that didn't seem to end formed a nice little pit, and we have awesome fires in it. I love that patio, I love having fires down there. It's a lot of fun, and the first fire of the year is something fun to mark. Here's a nice photo of it all:

Perspective is tough here, but to the left you see bark mulch next to rocks, but those rocks go up around three feet or so. In the middle of the pit you see rock and charred debris. But that rock is the top of a really big rock I gave up on, and then back filled dirt and sand into it. That was wise move, because with out that bump out of the fire pit, we would not have enough pavers to finish the job.

The only downside of the pit is that we don't have enough space to sit around it, we have to sit in a semi circle because one one full side is rock. But so be it, it's still a lot of fun.

Osama Bin Laded... STILL Dead.

2011-05-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

I said yesterday that the back story to nailing OBL was gonna be very interesting. I stand by that thought. In fact, as soon as the trigger man retires, and says to himself huh, me thinks I will pen a tome of some sort he will have an instant bestseller... all he has to do is call it I Killed Bin Laden. That book will fly off the shelfs. I will pre-order that one right now.

The details are trickling out today, and I think that all week and into the next year, we'll see more and more of this as information gets declassified and directors and producers ramp up the docu-drama machine. History Channel, Discovery, all these guys are certainly in the process of cranking out hour long specials that I guarantee will air in about a month.

The first detail I read today is about how the Seals built a mock up of the compound and did dry-runs over and over again. The thing you have to remember is that real life (as opposed to the movies like Bourne and so on) is very different. The SpecOp guys are very methodical and very careful, they take their time and they plan and plan and then execute in very precise ways. This is not the fiasco of Desert One/Operation Eagle Claw from the Iran Hostage Crisis (in fact, that disaster in the desert was the impetus for massive changes on how Special Forces carry out covert actions. The operation itself was an unmitigated disaster, and absolutely prolonged the crisis and directly led to the defeat of Carter in 1980... but the lessons learned forced a change in how we do things today, and is in a direct line to the very successful and very well planned operation that went down last week. So, lessons learned)

I have to tell you though, the best thing about the operation was how Obama totally ignored the Paki's. He realized that if he wanted to fry this fish, he needed to remember that it's easier to ask for forgiveance than to ask for permission. I think he realized that even a cursory head's up to the leadership over there, and OBL would have been given the slip.

The town that this all went down in is in an area that is literally a few miles from a garrison of a Paki Army Division. There was a police station across the street for crying out loud. Does anyone out there still think that the Paki's are on our side? Obama realized that the Paki's will get in the way, that they will actively work to subvert the Americans, and that he needed to go alone. I have to be honest, I did not think he would do that. He is all about working with our allies, the international community, but he did the right thing right here. That takes true leadership, and I give him all credit for that.

Obama... Osama

2011-05-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

The big news, and probably the biggest news of the year, is that Osama Bin Laden has taken the dirt nap. Finally. This does make me happy, and I am not a ghoulish person to revel in the death of another. But some people out there deserve it: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Osama. These are monsters on a global scale, and death they deserved.

I give a lot of credit to Obama for having the balls to pull the trigger on this one. I have been highly critical of this guy, and there are lots of reasons why I think he has been a disaster as President, but this is not one of them. I remember clearly in the late 90's, Clinton bombed OBL after the African embassy bombings, and this action was totally half assed and did nothing. I remember reading later, that Clinton dithered and took his time and went to the lawyers as to whether he should or could go and do it, and by then it was too late and OBL got the drop on him.

But not today. The news is reporting that the kill was up close and personal, that a special forces operative put a bullet in his head. If this is true, and we will find out in good time, this is the best way to take him out. If he was eating dinner with a friend and a drone dropped a cruise missile on him and he got vaporized, that's one thing. But for a Seal or a Delta Op to get up close and drop hot lead right in the cranium? That is Winning, my friend. Winning.

Apparently, a lot of celebrations have broken out spontaneously across the nation. This is good. This is a big moment. We have wanted to have a Times Square moment since 9-11, although I never thought we would have one. But this is huge, and getting the guy the way we did is great. We should celebrate, and we should enjoy this victory.

I thought that Obama hit all the right notes in his speech. It was spot on. I thought he was very good, and again... credit where it is due. I hope that the week ahead is not one long victory lap and that people remember that the last president had done a lot to lay the groundwork for this moment.

I am really, really looking forward to the inside story on how we finally nailed this guy. That will make one awesome book, and an even better movie. Can't wait for that.

Oh... one last thing. Since those on the Left keep telling me that killing terrorists only makes more of 'em, does this mean we will make a lot of terrorists now? Just wondering.

Still glad he's dead, ya'all...

Riding the Crash

2011-05-01T22:39:00.001-07:00

I am one of four drummers at our church, and so I play about once a month. Which is fine with me, I bring the heat every four weeks and done is done. On the other weeks, I watch the other guys and I don’t say anything. I mean, unless you step all over the beat and totally make a hash of it, then that’s fine. I will watch and think well, I would have played it differently; I would have done this or done that. But for the most part, they have their interpretation and I have mine.

I do think that for the most part, when I have input I give it. For example, out head pastor plays. He sort of taught himself how to play, and will admit that he has struggles. For example, he can’t his snare and hi-hat at the same time, he’ll hold up his right hand as he hit’s two and four in a rhythm. Which is fine, most people don’t notice. But I was watching him last time, and I noticed that he has a hard time projected volume, so I went to him and talked to him about this.

First of all, he uses too small of a stick, 7A, and that is way too narrow. HE should use a 2B, which is what I use and for the same reason. He’s tall, like me. He has long fingers, like me. Pick of a toothpick and try to hold it, and try to hit something with it. Very hard to control, and you pinch too much between the thumb and first finger, and you don’t open your fulcrum point. A thicker gauge stick will allow someone with bigger hands to have better control on the stick, so I shared that information with him.

I also talked to him about rudiments, and he had no idea what these were. So, I drew some up for him. Some simple stuff really. I drew up paradiddles and double paradiddles, flam taps and double drags. This all sounds like gobbly gook to the uninformed, but rudiments are to drummers what scales and chords are to insturmentalists. Mostly, they help to develop stick control. This will help Pastor John a bunch, trust me here.

I also shared with him how and what a drummer thinks about when he hits, and that he should think about hitting through the head, letting the head return the stick and not trying to stop the stick at the surface of the drum or the cymbal. That is a fundamental flaw that most beginning drummers make. Also, I talked about how a drummer counts. For example, if a drummer is playing straight up four-four time, you might think they count 1-2-3-4, and call it a day. But you should count the fasting thing you are playing. For example, if you are banging out eight notes on the ride, count out 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and. If you just count the quarters, you will inevitably drag the rhythm, and a good drummer is driving the beat, almost feeling like he’s a bit ahead. That ability to drive the beat is what separates drummers, and it took me a long time to figure out it all comes down to how I count it out, it all starts in the head.

Today, the drummer who was playing was doing something that just drives me batty. He was totally riding the Crash, and by that he was using the crash (and for this set, it’s a 14 inch thin crash, and that’s an important thing to remember here) as his rhythm cymbal, knocking out eighth notes. But the crash is not made to do that, the Ride and the Hi-Hat are. These cymbals are really much heavier, and the tone comes out really clear. When you repeatedly tap out the Crash, the individual tones wash out, and it all sort of blends together and you don’t hear individual notes. A Crash, a Splash, these are accent cymbals. You hit it for effect, not for rhythm. The Thing is, the Hi-Hat is the same size, but much heavier. So, all you have to do play it in the open position and do the same thing, and the tones will come out and you will have that clarity. I mean, that’s the reason you have a clutch on the Hi-Hat, so you play it open half the freaking time.

I never ride the Crash, and I never crash the Ride. If you want you can get a Crash/Ride cymbal (which I generally consider an abomination of hybridic proportions.) Hybrids in general are not good, whether they be bikes or cymbals. A Hybrid bike is bad at riding on dirt and is inefficient on the road. A Crash/Ride cannot carry notes when riding, and has terrible accent properties. But come on… do not ride the Crash, it sounds amateurish and you really don’t hear anything decent.

Other than that, the guy is a good drummer. Technique wise, he’s solid.

Spring Game

2011-04-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the Oregon spring game, and it is indicative of how far the Ducks have come that even I, a true die hard Duck and Alum, even cares about this game. Not only that, but the game is on TV on ESPN2. And I will be watching. Oh Yes.

Back in the day, when I was actually at Oregon, I don't even remember if they had a spring game. If they did, I didn't care. I mean, I was a fan of the Ducks, and went to as many games as I could (when I was in the band, I went to every game because I was performing) but in the Spring, I cared about cycling and the big sports news around town was track. Track was king at Oregon back then, the Ducks were only a few years removed from a National Championship in track, we still had world class runners jogging around town and Hayward Field was and still is one of the Mecca's of Track and Field.

There might have been mentions in the paper about spring practice, but I certainly don't remember specifics and I never went to a game or a practice or anything like that.

After school, I stayed behind and was living and working in Eugene. In fact, I worked right across what was then Centennial Blvd (now Martin Luther King Blvd.) for the Lane County Department of Youth Services. My daily bike commute to work took me over the river and through what is now the parking lot for Autzen. Everyday, I rode by the stadia, and I remember thinking once huh, they must be having a practice or something. But I never cared too much, I never went to the practice or anything, or even the Spring Game. I remember seeing guys walk across Centennial to the practice field, that was about it. Also, there were times we would get interference on the radios from the Duck coaches, that was funny.

Also, the practice field was next door to our facility, across the street. Think about that for a moment. They had to dodge traffic frogger-style to get to the practice field. Man, the Ducks have come a long way since then. Now, they have state of the art indoor and outdoor facility right next to the stadium.

Like I said, I paid it no mind. But now, every time the Ducks take the practice field, there is a gang of reporters right there. Each practice, and I have read about this, there are fans who come just to watch. This is when they have open practices, which is most of the time. And the Spring Game will see an almost sold out Autzen, and a national broadcast. The hype and anticipation for this game is on a par that I have never seen as a Duck fan in the past. It is like all things Ducks... more hype, more marketing, more insanity in general. More people care, and more people are stupid about these small things. Partly because of the internet, because in the past you had to read little snippets in the local paper to get any info. But now, you can live in Anchorage, AK and get all the info you want about the Ducks in a moment, and not just a report, but in depth reports and video and interviews with the players. The sheer volume of information and stats and crap and so on and so on is just mind boggling at times.

And it's on TV. I will actually watch this scrimmage, and I will actually care to see how we do. I'm a Duck, and I care, maybe too much. But this sort of hype and concern is usually reserved for the Alabama's and Floriduh's and Texas' of the world. Not the Ducks, not the team that had the last scoreless tie in college football, not the team that tiny team from Eugene. Being in the Natty will do that for you.

Cautiously Optimistic

2011-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

I am cautiously optimistic, as the title of this post says. About what? Well, many things...

For example, I am cautiously optimistic that our cat has learned to poop in the litter box, not the plants.

But on the other hand, he still eats the grass plant on the wine cooler, then proceeds to vomit up the contents moments later. I guess he has much to learn still. But, come on, the litter box thing is a good start...

I'm also cautiously optimistic that the weather is turning for the better here soon.

But on the other hand, it is snowing right now. Bob Shaw promised me 70 degrees by Monday, so I'll go with that. Bob won't let me down...

I'm cautiously optimistic about the Ducks for next year. They have good skill guys coming back, awesome Freshman coming in the fall and a big game to kick it all off with.

But on the other hand, the last two spring games saw guys start at QB who didn't even play the next season (Roper and Masoli) so is that a harbinger for the year to come for Thomas? I hope not...

I'm cautiously optimistic about the Giro starting in a week. The stages are set up so that there should be more action and drama then you see in the Tour, with three stages that go back-to-back-back on the Alps.

But on the other hand, weather can really mess this up. Unlike the Tour, you can see snow ending a stage or shortening it. And that would really suck. But I want to also watch the Giro with my daughter who is a total Italophile... I think that's a word. I'm trying to say that she loves all things Italian... Especially the food and Venice.

I'm cautiously optimistic about other things I won't get into right now. Let's just say that God is good, no matter what happens and that he will bless this family and all who call on His name, and sometimes we just don't know it till it's a done deal and we look back on it.

On the other hand.... well, there is no other hand here. God is Good. All. The. Time.

NFL Draft

2011-04-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, ESPN pushes an agenda with regard to how it covers things, and that sorta bothers me. I'm talking about the draft right now. As in the NFL draft. That was today, at least the first round was. And for the last month of coverage, the four letter network of all sports all the time was pretty much pushing the QB angle. In fact, on the website and on the stations they dubbed this the Year of the Quarterback. They constantly profiled the four big name QB's going this year: Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, and Ryan Mallett. Maybe five if you throw in Andy Dalton. I could hardly turn it on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN.com without seeing a featurette on one of these guys.

But, the fact of the matter is, this was not the year of the QB, it was the year of the D-lineman. But you would not have known that listening to ESPN, because D-Line is not a sexy position, it doesn't have the ability to slam highlights over and over again, night after night, on four different networks and two different websites. D-Line was the position to draft for tonight, and the numbers do not lie.

In the first round, there were four QB's taken, and that was twice as many as were taken last year (for comparison, three were taken in the first round two years ago in 09 and in 08 two were taken, so four is an above average haul. This is as far back as I looked on ESPN, because I don't have all night to do research on this.)

And how many DL's were taken? There were eight (as in " 8 ") DE's and four DT's, for 12 total D-line. (Again, for comparison let's look back at the last two years of draft. In 2010 there were a total of 5 DT's and 4 DE's. In 2009 there were 5 DE's and 3 DT's) So, without a doubt the biggest draft trend in this year, and it was beyond a trend because of the sheer volume of DT's and DE's taken, was the Line. There were 12 taken. And the fact that ESPN and the NFL didn't even invite half of 'em to the draft because they didn't think they would go in the first round is kinda wierd.

But the thing is, and what I wanted to talk about, is that the DE and DT positions is where the mind of most coaches are. In the NFL, you also have to consider that you can have a greater impact with a player right now with a good D-lineman. The fact of the of the matter is that Cam Newton will most likely not play next year at all, and if he does he will struggle. But you can get a good DE, and he can play in the first week and start by the middle of the year and not adversely affect the outcome too much, but can certainly make a positive difference.

What happens when you put an unprepared QB out there, one who is way in over his head? He can kill the franchise and set it back a decade. Like with Brady Leaf and San Diego. He had twice as many interceptions in his first year, and the Chargers sucked for a good eight or so years until they drafter Phillip Rivers and that mess was finally behind them.

I mean, look at the draft from five years ago. Three QB's in the first round, one is decent but a headcase (Jay Cutlet) and two are busts (Vince Young and Matt Leinart) in fact, the team that drafted VinceSanity Young was back at the QB well again, this time taking UW's Jake Locker. I hope the new and improved big and athletic QB of 2011 is an improvement over the old and busted big and athletic QB of 2006. We'll see.

But The Network loves to have a storyline, and that storyline was the QB this year. As it is every year. But the story was DL and DE, especially DE.

Football

2011-04-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

Football... man, I love football. This weekend, the Ducks have the spring game. Also, the NFL draft is tomorrow. I wanted to make a comment about the draft real quick, because I watched a bit of the National Championship game on last night. The talk lately has been about Cam Newton going first. I guess he's supposed to be the real deal. There's even a feature on ESPN about him, The Cam Chronicles. Here is why I do not think he will be this great NFL QB: I saw two times last night, from the Natty, where he overthrew two wide open receivers. These were sure fire TD's, and they would have blown open a close eight point game, and turned it into a laugher. As it was, Oregon was able to force him to fumble and then get back in the game and tie it with less than three minutes to go. We were very close to OT on that one. A good QB nails those throws, and in the NFL, the coverage is so much tighter that, you have to drop it in perfectly. Also, I would guess that in the game he had only one read to make each play. Most of the time, it was a running play, and he read which way to go. When it was a pass play, he would get so locked into his first receiver, that half the time (when he didn't overthrow the guy) the DB had a better break on the ball. That was why Cliff Harris had two picks in the first quarter alone. Look, I think that Cam is a great college QB. I think that he was contained by Oregon's D, and had his worst game of the year that night. I also think that Nick Fairley beat Oregon more than anyone else. Also, Oregon was horrid in the Red Zone, twice gagging on first and goal (and twice from fourth and inches) as well as a safety. You turn one of those into a figgie, and you have a totally different outcome.

Every year, there is at least one guy who totally bedazzles the scouts and draft guru types to the point of myopia, and they can't the players obvious flaws. Like with Vince Young or JaMarcus Russell or Matt Leinart.... yea, and Joey Harrington. They played so good against college opponents, but they were so lacking in the NFL because in the NFL, everyone is so good. In college, you can exploit the talent differential and hide your flaws. This years example is Cam.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Clarity

2011-04-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Do. Not. Live in doubt.

I want to make it clear, that when you live in doubt, you live in the past. I had to come to this reckoning the hard way, with the help of many people over the last few years. So often, I lived in doubt. I wondered if I made the right decisions, did I attend the right school? Did I have the right major? Did I take the right career path? Did I do this right, did I do that wrong? What could I have said different? I don't know. And sometimes, I need to realize I do not care at all. There is nothing I can do to change the past, and I need to recognize that. So, don't live with doubt and don't live in the past. When you live in the past, you drive a car by only looking in the rearview mirror. Do you have any idea how hard that is?

So, why do I bring this up at all? I had a job interview today for a job I really, really want. This was the reason for the cryptic post on FB about praying for me if you are so inclined. A job. That's all. A job that is really good, that I really want and that I want so bad I can taste it. It's a vapor right in front of me, I can reach out and touch it...but yet cannot hold it because it is not there yet. I have no idea how it will turn out as I write this (I literally just got home from the hour long interview) I think it went well, and I have no doubt that I did as good as I could have done. There is no nagging doubt that I could have answered a question differently, that I could have comported myself in a different manner or have done this or done that. I have no doubt, all the decisions are left to the guy hiring, and well... we'll see.

For the last three days, since I set this up, this was literally the only thing that I thought about and the only thing on my mind. It was the last thing I thought of when I went to bed, and the first thing I thought of when I got up in the morning. I would think of this interview when I was taking a deuce, and when I was pouring coffee or doing the dishes or walking the dog or having a martini watching the game.

I took two different assessments prior to the interview, and I thought about every conceivable question that might come from these assessments, and then there was not even one question related to it. I thought about the last two times I went and interviewed there and didn't get the job and I thought about the questions that I had doubts about, and those questions were not asked this time at all.

I was nervous as heck this morning. I went to the church and played the drums for about an hour after I dropped off the kids. I walked the dogs. I sat and thought about this moment, about what would happen. I got there early, I gave myself plenty of time, I was ready. I was leaving nothing to doubt.

After the interview, I talked with a friend of mine that works there, and we chatted about stuff. He golfs, I hate golf. I let him talk, I was nervous. I let him know that if I get this job, I have a bottle of 12 year old scotch at home that has never been opened, and he is invited over to tap it if I do get it. We'll see.

I don't think I could have said anything different, and if I had it over to do again, I would not say or do anything different. Here's the deal: I'm smart, and I know they know it. I'm a good guy, and I know they know that. I'm capable, and I a good worker. They know that they will get a great employee who will never leave anything on the table and will never leave work without winning the freaking day... and the only question they have, and they told me this, is if this particular job is a good fit or not.

I am not worried at all. The guy said that there is no way I would come back for three different interviews if I was not a good fit, and that is a fact. I believe it.

I feel like a batter who has hit two long ones to the edge of the warning track and has yet to go yard on the day. This is the bottom of the ninth, tie game, this ball is deep enough and long enough... but is it gone? Is it out of the yard, do I touch them all? Or am I robbed at the wall, going oh-for-3?

Right now, I gave it the best effort that I have. I have no worries at all. I want it, I want it bad... but I left it all out there, I did my best on the interview, and I am hopeful for this. But if I don't get it, then so be it.

I have never had greater clarity in what the plan is that God has for me. I trust Him totally, I believe that. Is this the one? I have no idea. But I do know that it is out there and it will happen eventually. I have peace about this, in a way that I never had the last time. The last time, I interviewed and didn't get the job and was devastated and broken for weeks. Now, not so much. IF I do not get that one, I am fine. I have peace. I know there is a plan for me, and I will see it in good time, and if this is it then it will be clear. If not, then I'm fine.

I know that part of the reason that I have so much clarity is because I feel the peace of God flowing over me like a cool breeze while riding in the mountains. You know the feeling if you ride, because there's a sweet smell to it... the smell of junipers, sweat, oil on the chain and lotion on the legs. It's the smell of riding for the job of riding. Right now, I feel the balance of life that you feel in those moments on the bike, everything is smooth, everything is fine. I feel balance, and I feel clarity.

But, don't get me wrong, I want to pop that bottle of Glenfiddich with a few friends soon...

Springing

2011-04-26T12:12:00.001-07:00

So, now that the Spring Classics are in the books (and, yes, there is a Fall Classics season, and I do not mean the World Series or College Football. In the fall you have races like San Sebastian and Lombardy.) We move on to a phase that is generally prep for the Grand Tours. The first GT on the calendar is Italy, and that starts May 7, which is just around the corner. But first, we got a couple tune ups to see who's ready.

That means a Swiss race called Tour of Romandie. This is a 7 day stage race, and since it's Swiss you would be right to suggest it is crazy hilly at times. Too True. The race started Today with an individual time trial, and in second place was the Taylor Phinney, aka The Future. This guy will be great, he has the genetic material to prove it, and not to mention the talent. I don't know if he's lining up in Italy in two weeks, or if he's doing Romandie to show he can go head to head with the top pros right now, and then take a few weeks off. I don't know. What I do know is that he is very good and when you beat guys like Tony Martin and David Millar, you have the juice to win these (at least the ITT) at the highest level. Does The Future goto the Giro and try for a prologue win and then pack it in at the Dolomites? I have no idea.

I am stoked to be able to see the Giro on TV this year. I just hope I don't fall asleep during crucial stages when I sit down to watch.

If I see that commercial on TV where the dude is asking for a lite beer and the bartender/barista/whatev says to him do you want less taste or more taste... I swear, if I see that one more time I will personal keyhole every dang executive at Miller Lite. There is no way that anyone... not even a douchey jackwad of a priss like they have in the commercials... would say they don't care. Oh, no, I don't want more tasty beer. In fact, why don't you just go ahead and drop a deuce in that beer for me. That's what I really want. Give me a break. I mean, actually insulting my intelligence like that is insulting. To my intelligence. Get it. Uggg. I will never buy that beer. I would rather drink piss. Which is really what they mean by less taste in a beer, one that taste like urine.

And as someone in the target audience, let me tell you... Not. Winning.

The Perky Katie Couric is leaving CBS News. Story here. I have no idea how many times I've said this now, but the whole concept of getting all the news you will ever need in a nice 20 minute lump at dinner time is so archaic. All the network evening news programs are dying, and CBS is just dying faster because the idiots that run that news desk are just crazy-old and are holding onto this sepia hued image of Walter Cronkite passing judgment on a story and all America nodding their heads in unison. Those days are over. We get our news instantly, the moment it happens. For example, the NFL lockout was deemed ended last night. By the time I hit the rack, I read about five stories analyzing the decision. By this morning when I was ironing my shirts, ESPN had wall to wall coverage.

So what exactly could CBS tell me tonight, in a two minute story, that will add even an iota to my understanding of the issue? Nothing.

The Evening News, the Morning Paper. Both are as as stale and old as any old stale thing. Bread left out on the counter, for example.

Anyway, that's all... the Duck spring game is Saturday. I. Will. Watch.

Disappointed

2011-04-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was totally stoked to watch Liege-Bastogne-Liege on TV (lets just call it LBL for short, OK?) And I got all settled in after the kids went to bed and I cleaned the dishwasher out. It started at ten, and was gonna be on till midnight.

Now, I know how this race ended. I know that Philippe Gilbert won, and that he beat out the Schleck brothers, who finished 2nd and 3rd. I didn't read the final details, but I was guessing it came down to a battle on the last two hills.

First of all, do you know how hard it is to beat two guys from the same team in a three-up finish? You have to be so good, so strong to pull it off. I've only seen it done one time, and that was in LBL in 1997 when Bartoli pulled it off. Michelle Bartoli is one of the greatest Classic racers ever, and I still think that his win in 97 was one of the best.

Here is the deal when you have a two man advantage: These two have the tactical upper hand, and can attack-counter attack till the third guy is worn out from chasing it all down over and over and over again. Basically, you work that guy over until one of you pop it loose, and that's that.

Simple, right? Easier said than done, because Gilbert took every blow the Schlecks gave and still delivered a victory in a great Classic.

I was so happy to watch this go down. After the dishes, I poured a martini and settled in on the couch, watching first rate bike racing action. After an hour of non-stop Ardennes hills, the break was reeled in, and I saw Gilbert counter attack and only the Schlecks could follow.

It. Was. On.

And... then I fell asleep somewhere in there. I woke up to see Gilbert on the podium, flanked by Schlecks.

I was so bummed. I fell asleep and just missed the race. I missed the decisive moments, I missed the final attack. I missed it all. I slept on the couch.

Man... what a disappointment.

I then brushed my teeth and crawled into bed.

Liege

2011-04-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

We have cable, but lately it's been a hassle and a half, and it has to do with the cable to the house being a mess, and the cable company is coming out to fix it this week. That said, it has been a total mess. I hate having to reset the box manually, and waiting for it to reload. I probably do this everyday, and sometimes up to three times a day.

I'm very patient with the cable company, Bend Broadband, because I know they are working on it and have a lot to do to fix it. See, the cable needs to be dug up and totally replaced, and that means a massive amount of excavating in our yard and the cul-de-sac. I don't care, I want to have it done. I'm patient at this point, and I want to see how it all works out. I do think that when it is all said and done, I will give a little call and see if they can give a bit of a discount for our troubles, seeing how it has been a lot of trouble and a lot of hassle.

But I don't want to get rid of it. I don't. I mean, we got it for Football Bowl games, to watch the Championship game on TV, and that was fun and all. But now, I'm sorta stoked that the Cycling season is under way and we'll see races like Liege-Bastogne-Liege tonight. Well, I mean, I will see it. Everyone else will be in bed at that time as it starts at Ten in the evening. I already know who won and the broadcast is not exactly live and all, but it will still be fun to see one of my favorite races.

The casual, passing sports fan thinks of Cycling as the Tour and that's it. Well, if all you knew about Football was the Super Bowl, that would all there is. But in cycling, there are lots of different races, and the Tour de France is a Grand Tour, and there are three of those: Italy, France and Spain. But for the most part, the Grand Tour specialist is a small segment of racing pros. There are guys who specialize in the big one day races held mainly in northern France and Belgium. These are called Classics. And in the world of cycling, there are four classics known as Monuments: Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Tour of Flanders, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. I particularly love Liege, as it is a race I attended when I was in Europe. Liege is known as La Doyonne, or the Old One. It was first ran in 1892, and only World Wars have interrupted it. Which is funny to say. I mean, of course the mass slaughter of millions will halt a bike race.

Liege is a hilly race. Not the short, sharp, cobbled hills of Flanders, but the longer, equally steep and sharp paved hills of the Ardennes. Liege is the longest of the four, at around 260 KM or 160 miles. And that is long, that is an eight hour road race. The first 100 KM are relatively easy, then they hit Bastogne and It Is On.

There will be attack after attack, as the lead group is shrunk down to three or four, then two or three will finish it off. this will be fun to watch, as it is pure bike racing at it's best. I will totally enjoy this one.

I wanted to say that, first of all, if I come across as whiny and self-absorbed I am very sorry because that is not how I am at all. I have been advised to re-read what I write because sometimes the voice I intend it in is not coming off that way. What I'm trying to say, really, is that I am not nor have I been upset at my wife having happy-fun-time-merry-making while I chill at home when it's sunny, and then go for a ride afterward. I was totally fine with it. I was only trying to point out that I made the choice to miss the NBA game and miss the greatest comeback ever for my favorite NBA team. That was totally my choice, not my wife's or my kids or the cat... well, the cat, maybe. But not this time. That was all me.

Do I sound nasally and whiny when I write? I really hope I don't. And I will try really hard to not do that again.

So, what I'm trying to say is that I am really happy that my Sweetheart got out of the house, and I'm happy that right now she's taking a much deserved nap as the ham cooks... I mean, I napped earlier, and she naps now. Win Win.

Why did I not ride today? Well, for the simple reason that it's Sunday and Easter Sunday at that. I usually will not ride on Sunday, as I consider that Family Day. Unless it is crazy nice out and I got all the kids farmed out with friends, then I might do it. I don't mind not getting out on Sundays, no problem with that. Especially Easter. I would rather stay at home, be in the same house with everyone and just do nothing. Not saying we have all these activities planned for the day, because we don't. Just dinner, that's all. We'll have a great dinner and a few laughs around the table, and that will be a lot of fun.

Dinner tonight is gonna be a ham. The Better Half is on that one, for the most part. My job is make mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. Did I mention that I make great carrots and potatoes? I know I mentioned the potatoes, because I talked about the Ricer that I totally believe in. The carrots are great, too.

The thing is, I used to hate carrots when I was a kid. Not like I hated peas, I considered them straight from the devil. But carrots were right after peas. Mostly because my mom did not do a good job with 'em. She over cooked 'em, usually boiling them something fearsome. What I do is glaze them in chicken broth, lemon juice and sugar. Lots of sugar, and I reduce it down almost all the way, and they are so sweet and tasty. That's what I like, the sweetness factor. They taste so good, and for real the best thing that I make. I like my potatoes, I do a good job there, but the carrots are just tasty when I do it right. And, lately, I've been doing it right every time.

If my mom made carrots like that, I would have loved 'em. I hope my kids like my carrots, because I know you can make it so that they suck really bad, and you hate 'em and you want to barf at the mere thought of it, so I know they won't have any bad veggie experiences with me. I hated that growing up, and I hope to spare them that misery.

Blazers Win

2011-04-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in a while. Not that I have nothing to say or I have nothing on the mind, but I've figured why bother... who cares. Sorta been feeling sorry for myself, I guess. But I need to slap that thought out of my mind and write if I want, and don't if I don't. Does that make sense? I don't know. It does to me.

I went for a bike ride yesterday sorta late in the day when it was getting cloudy and windy out. I didn't want to ride that late, but my awesome wife had plans to run errands, shop, and meet with a friend in the early part of the afternoon when I really wanted out. That's her call, I let her make it. She works hard all week, she can call her shot. She knows I want to get out on the bike, and she'll be back in time to do that. But going as late as I did meant that I missed the Blazer game. (I'm not begrudging her this, I'm just saying this is why I was not home at two in the afternoon. We all know what happened then...)

Yea, that Blazer game. The amazing comeback, the one that everyone everywhere was talking about last night. The Comeback. The B-Roy show. Yup, I got cable and I missed it so I could spin around on the pedal bike. More on the game later.

The ride was fine. When I have an hour and a half plus to ride, I usually do The Lap. The Lap is the road course from Cascade. It starts out of Shevlin, out onto Johnson, on OB Riley, up Archie Briggs and then down in on Mt. Washington. This is really a great, great course. I already mentioned that it is the Sunday Road Race from Cascade, but it's also the Championship Course when Bend hosts Nationals of any level... Elites, Seniors, Juniors, Masters. It is the only course or ride I would recommend if you have only one day to ride here in Bend. The climbs are good and hard, but spaced out enough as to not totally kill you. There is a tough enough climb at the end to make it selective, so you have to be a good all around rider to win there. If you are a pure sprinter, Archie Briggs will eat you up and sip you out. If you are a pure climber, the last climb is too far from the line to be decisive, but it's close enough to winnow the field. You have to be a good climber, and a good sprinter to win there. You have to be tactical and smart on Archie to get a good position early, then stay with a small group as it rolls over the last few climbs. The last three climbs are tough enough to keep you on the absolute edge of your HR and the point of where you tap out and soft pedal in. I think it's a great course, really. And there are times when I will do it every day in a week, and still not be bored of it. But if I do Dodds, which is bone flat, more than once a week, I want to pull my head off I hate it so much. Not with The Lap. I have fun on it every time.

This time, I really felt slow. I do not have the power or punch that I normally have. I do not feel explosive on the climbs like I have been. I don't know why that is, maybe not riding enough. I feel tired when I start. Maybe the medication is a factor? I don't know. I have felt better, I know that.

But I'm glad I did it. I needed to get out, even though I missed the greatest comeback in Blazer sports history. Sorry about that.

I mean, if it were the Ducks playing, I would have forgone the ride. But I wanted to ride, since it's spring, and in the fall I usually take time off for my Fandom. But I missed an epic game. Epic is the right word, even though I hate that word. But it was that big of a game.

Looking back, I would probably want to stay in and watch the game. But there are no do-overs in life, and so it is here.

The Blazers won.... and I missed it. Oh well. Next Time...

Metrics

2011-04-21T08:52:00.001-07:00

I haven't had much to blog about lately, but today... I do.

I'll start with the snow this morning. We had less than an inch of global warming on the ground when I got up for the Oh-Dark-O'Clock Bible Study at my local Starbucks. I need to remind Al Gore and the Global Warming Alarmists out there that it is April 21, and we have had about a month and a half of spring, and only one day of "average" temps here in Bend. The rest of the time has been below average and has been way below average more often than not. I recognize that we wake up to cold temps this time of year, and that below freezing is pretty normal for April... but the teens? Wow.... it's been cold.

So, you know, can it with the Global Warming. We have weather, and weather means that some days are cold and some are warm and you have cold spells. Don't bother me with how it being all cold is also a sign of AGW... because that is totally talking out your arse. We're in a cold spell, we had a strong snow pack this year, we have a cold spring. That's weather. That I understand, I don't like it, but I understand it. But there is definitely no Global Warming going on here.

I saw this article on Cracked.com, and it's good. I like it because it brings up a few things that annoy me. (First of all, salty language here. Cracked is a humor site run by dudes just out of college, and for the most part they write like dudes just out of college. That said, they're also whip smart, and have some very insightful articles.) The angle to most articles is often progressively libertarian. Often they ask, why do we do what we do? This article is on out moded and out of date ways of doing things. Number 5 is the QWERTY keyboard, which is totally a joke, and totally never going anywhere because of the fact it was first. I hate the current keyboard configuration, but I have a feeling in a million years, we will still have QWERTY and no one will know why.

Number 4 is cursive writing. I'm totally fine if we never teach kids to write in cursive again. I don't know if our school will, but I have to tell you, I hate it. Mostly because my writing is horrid and I can barely read it, and I print so much better. But with technology now, I would not be surprised if kids in school hardly write at all. I don't think that's a bad thing, and I don't think that forcing kids to write cursive is a good thing. I think technology is moving things, and that is how it should be. But I'm certain there are some blue haired old-school teaching types who insist that kids learn to write an upper case Q looking like a 2. Just saying...

Number 3 on the list is Summer Vacation. This is something dear to the hears of my family, but is it neccesary? I think so, because I freaking love summer and I want to be out and playing. But I am not sure I am sold on it in terms of effective teaching. The article mentions that the first month or two of school is review, and that is a waste of already precious class time. I'm not a fan of year round school, but I would not have a problem with shorter summer breaks, if you add in longer spring break and winter breaks. Make 'em both an equal six weeks, and have the same number of school days, but not this huge chunk in the middle. I don't know, but I think it's an idea we need to look at.

Next, number 2, is Cork wine stoppers. The article makes a good point of saying that cork is still around because of snobbery and that's it. Cork is actually has more bad aspects than good, and synthetic stoppers are superior. But for the average dude who sniffs his wine and smells the cork, that is why we still have cork. The thing is, we buy this wine from Australia that has synthetic cork, a plastic stopper, and we buy this wine by the case because it's cheap and good, and the stopper... we use it over and over again. Cork is dumb, but it is so funny how the average dullness and snobbery of morons out there will keep the cork around for a good long time.

The number one thing on the list, and I have total faith in this because I know it to be true, is Imperial Measuring System. We absolutely should ditch this antiquated, out of date, hard to learn system that is keeping our country dumb. I will get to my ideas on the Metric system shortly, but the thing that made me think was that the article makes a good point that maybe the USA does poorly in math because we use this system of measuring. That's a compelling point:

There's also some evidence that our jalopy measurement system is part of what's making U.S. students bad at math. In Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, he suggests that Asian students may have a built-in advantage in the subject because Eastern languages are structured in a way that makes numbers intuitive. Conversely, having a language -- or a measurement system -- that makes numbers clunkier and difficult to convert would have an adverse effect on young children picking them up from the world around them. Foundation and early confidence are everything in math. For this to be true, of course, U.S. students would have to be worse internationally at math than they are at other subjects ... and in fact, they are. Two recent studies show U.S. students to be right around average (12th and 15th) of 30-some industrialized nations in reading scores but among the worst (25th and 30th) in math. There are no doubt other factors involved, but a nonintuitive measurement system can't be helping.

I have long thought this to be true. I absolutely believe that if we ditched the English system tomorrow, in five years you would see an increase in test scores across the board, all things being equal and nothing else changing. I'm glad that others out there are starting to recognize this.

But nothing will happen. We keep the Imperial Standard because of the same reason we have corks in wine bottles... we think we're too good for it. We think America is special, and there are people out that think the conversion would be too hard to pull off. I don't believe that for a moment.

I remember in the 70's the first attempt at converting over to Metric, and it was (like most things that Jimmy Carter did) a disaster. The problem is we did it piecemeal, we did it super slowly, and that was the wrong way to do it.

You need to jump in feet first, and you need to go all in. You say "OK, on January 1 we convert to metric. Everything will be metric, and the Imperial system will be history. You either get on board or you get left behind. Any Questions?"

When I lived in Germany, that was the deal. I came to the country, landed, and was waist deep in the Metric. After about two months, it was totally intuitive. And, in fact, when I returned to America, it took longer to reconvert to Imperial Standard than it did to learn Metric. I would say it took about three or four months to turn it all around to the old, lame way.

In America there are already vast sections of society that are all Metric all the time... Science, Military, Engineering, etc. Everything, it seems, except civil society.

And don't tell me that we would have to use Metric in sports. Who says you have to? Keep football with the old Imperial Standard, I have no problem with that. I mean, eventually in 50 years or so it will seem quaint and silly to have everything in the world metric but still have a first down equal ten yards, but so what? It will be cute and old fashioned and fun by then. You don't need to convert everything, just almost everything. And you can do it over night, and it can be successful and it can be done. But we're lazy and there is no political will to pull it off.

If I was president for a day and I could do one thing, this would be it. Seriously, it would. Because in 50 years, our nation will be stronger, have more economic vitality and be more globally competitive.

I mean, if we even have a nation then. That's another blog entry.

Back Again

2011-04-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

It's finally warming up around here. I got out on the bike and had a decent ride, no real wind to speak of and it was actually sunny. Cold, but sunny. It felt great to get out on the road for a spell, even if it was packed into the day and I had to crank it out in order to get other things done.

Because I had a few appointments, I missed the nooners. As I tried to pick up the group on the backside, I never saw any of 'em. I don't even know if the group made it out.

Anyways... I am really stretching for something to write about right about now. I haven't blogged in days, and I have no ideas. This measly post is about all I have the energy for.

So sorry about that.

More Wind

2011-04-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Got out on the bike yesterday, and rode a good hour and a half. It was pretty windy, so that leaves me with a conundrum, and that is how do you attack a windy day.

Well, I hate riding in the wind. Let me just say that straight up. Wind is demoralizing, you hang your can out in the wind and you have to totally kill a small gear to go really slow. You work really hard, and the effort doesn't seem to even pay off. I've had days where I line up in the wind, and I have a heart rate of 180, and I'm barely going 16 mph. You really have to focus on staying low, staying aero, keeping your head down and keeping your elbows in. And it's loud. The wind in your face just howls sometimes.

So, for the same amount of effort,I would rather go hillside and climb. I have to work hard, but at least I can sit up a bit and get a nice spin on and it's not as loud. Also, eventually you have a descent. A windy day, you ride into the wind non-stop and and it never ends. It never relents, it never quits. Sometimes, the wind also does thing to piss you off, like gusting, or coming from the side and blowing you off your line. The wind is a stern taskmaster, and I would rather not ride into if given the chance.

Sometimes, you have no choice. So, it's best to start into the wind when your fresh and have the legs to do it. That's better than starting with a tail wind, going out and killing it thinking your the second incarnation of Merckx, and the turning into the wind only to get shackled and slapped around. That's demoralizing.

So, yesterday, I started into the west wind, which meant riding right into the hillside. Which was fine, because as soon as I was on the hill, the wind would mitigate and not be as strong (a quick aside, another great way to tackle a windy day is to go mountain biking. You get into the trees and you don't feel it at all. But the ground is still snow covered and where it's not snowy, it's too soggy to ride, so that was not gonna work)

I did the Cascade road course, Johnson Road as it is sometimes called. Same ride I did Tuesday. But solo this time. That was fine, it was a good ride.

A few times, I felt wind right in the face and it was smothering, and I had to gear down immediately. One time I got blown off my line into the shoulder, but I recovered and kept going.

Hopefully, the weather improves for the next week.

Taxes Are Due

2011-04-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

Apparently, President Obama has the answer to the Budget crisis. And, of course, that would be to raise taxes on the rich. But the fact of the matter is that the US Government does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. And if you raised the tax rate to 100% on The Rich (which we all like to think are a bunch of Rockefeller and Carnegie types lighting stoggies with $100 bills, but the Dem's define Rich as making more than $200,000. Don't forget that.) That would only be a totaly of $1.5 Trillion dollars... and the deficit for this year alone is more than that. I haven't even mentioned that the total debt, the cumulation of all the defecits, is around $15 Trillion right now, and in 12 years will be more like $30. It simply is not a revenue problem, it's a spending problem.

The president wants to raise the taxes on them as a point of getting-evenism, and by that I mean that he wants fairness, he always mentions fairness. It's not fair that they don't pay more in taxes. I mean, you even have super-millionaires going on TV and whining about not paying enough in taxes. (and I've seen this rodeo before, in fact you see it about every two years when an election is coming to town. I remember Matt Damon and President Clinton and others complaining that their taxes are too low.) And this is irregardless of the fact that nothing is stopping any of these super-rich, super-patriotic Gazillionaires from paying more in taxes. All that the tax law requires is that you pay this minimum amount, you can always pay more. Do these fools not realize that we realize that?

So, here's my deal... raise taxes to 100% on all income over $200K. Do that. Have your way. And in about six months, when the economy is a total, smoldering wreck with unemployment around 40%, then we can actually talk about the problem, which is the out of control spending, the unfunded entitlements, the sheer massiveness of the federal government.

You cannot tax your way out of this problem.

Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to go cut a check to the government.

Huff

2011-04-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, Chip Kelly annoys me. There, I said it. I'm not a total kool-aid chugging duckaholic who swallows whole everything the Oregon coach says and does. I bring this up in reference to Duck receiver Josh Huff, who hurt his knee in practice recently. I reference this article. When asked by reporters, Coach Kelly says "Josh is at practice." And that's it. Sure, that's technically correct and all, but we all know he went down in pain and that he has been held out of contact, and has been wearing a brace.

I guess coach doesn't have to say anything at this point, that's his deal. But sometimes, it bugs me. He has this east-coast sort of annoyance at times where he doesn't want to talk about injuries at all. He just says we're all day to day. Which is true, again, in a technical sense. So, that said, I am gonna assume that Josh Huff is lost for the rest of spring and that he will not play in the fall. Period. I will assume this until I see him running and blocking and catching the rock. I know Coach Kelly won't say anything, but I will. He's out.

Which is a bummer, because he was one on the cornerstones of the returning offensive players. He had to be the go to guy, now that Davis and Mhael are gone. Now, we definately need to rely on the incoming guys. Who, by the way, are all really really good. Plus, we'll probably play a lot of two TE sets, since we're deep there as well. It sucks to lose Huff, because he was such a dynamic play maker, but that's Football, injuries happen and you have to deal with it. We got so lucky last year, with injuries, and that has not always been the case. There have been years, like 2007, where the injuries were devastating, and whole seasons were shot. Last year, you see what happens when things go the right way, you get lucky here and there, and no one really gets hurt. But that was a rare season, and don't expect it to happen every year. And, as it was, we had big injuries... Barner missed half the season, and our backup QB Costa was lost after the Washington game. It will happen.

Ahhh... but we're all day to day, right Coach?

Riding

2011-04-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Finally got out on the road today. I went out to do the nooner, and I waited five minutes past the hour, then I decided it looked like a solo roll for me. But as I was wheeling out, two codgers latched on and we had a threesome.

And when I saw codger, I mean 70 years old. I am not making fun of the guy, he really was 70. Not only that, I really hope I am riding that strong at 70. Not Kidding. But the fact of the matter is, I dropped him on the first climb, and I promised to wait for him and I did. I knew that eventually, I would dial it up and give him the perma-drop, but that time was not now.

I have no problem admitting that I can drop a 70 year old dude. That is how it is, I'm 44 and stronger. Just in the same way that a Cat. 2 20 year old would leave me like deadwood. That is just bike racing at it's purest. I was not out on the ride for a leisurely spin around, I was looking to get the HR's cranking. He knew that, so did the other guy. When the ride turned back to Johnson Road, I was ready to leave them.

The thing is, I told them I would not wait, and that if they wanted to just follow, that was fine with me. That is proper etiquette for a hard training ride. What is not proper is coming up on someones wheel, then sucking away and never coming around and just assuming it's ok to sit back there and ride along. A good rider, and I don't care who you are, appreciates a short little talk that says something along the line of I know your doing your ride, do you mind if I sit in. That's all. And if you are already riding with others and you want to ride harder, let them know, tell them that you want to go harder and that you have a plan. That's fine to do. It's not hurting anyones feelings if you ride off and have a purpose doing so. But if you ride off because you can't stand the people you are with, that's something entirely different. That's a jackhole move.

Otherwise, it was decent enough ride. I felt some pain in my left knee, and I still miss the warm weather. I am looking forward to spring at some time soon. Sooner the better.

Definitely No Free Lunch

2011-04-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

When I read this article about a Chicago school requiring kids eat hot lunches, I was wondering if the parents were then forced to pay the cost of the lunch. Well, they are. First of all, the background: This Chicago school is concerned about the bad lunches kids are bringing in, so in order to force them to be healthy and to do the right thing, no kids can bring a lunch from home. And you will be forced to pay for it. And, yes, this is a total metaphor for Obama care. One size fits all approach to health and wellness? Mandate to pay for it regardless if you want it? Government knows best approach? Yes, yes and yes.

I can almost understand this if all the lunches were "free" (and by free, I mean they aren't because we all pay for them, in the form of taxes) but the fact of the matter is that if you can afford it (and the school will tell you if you can afford it or not) you will be paying for it.

For many CPS parents, the idea of forbidding home-packed lunches would be unthinkable. If their children do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals, such a policy would require them to pay $2.25 a day for food they don’t necessarily like.

“We don’t spend anywhere close to that on my son’s daily intake of a sandwich (lovingly cut into the shape of a Star Wars ship), Goldfish crackers and milk,” education policy professor Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach wrote in an email.

This is the part that is the most infuriating. Look, we can "afford" to pay for school lunches, according to our income. But we don't, because we really can't afford it. Does that make any sense? To me it does. But what I'm trying to say is that if there was a rule where we were forced to pay for school lunches because my neighbor gives her kids unrefined sugar and a fifth of vodka for lunch, does that make any sense? And is that fair at all? Just because other parents suck, why would I be forced to subsidize it.

When I send my kids off to school with a sack lunch, and they do at least three times a week, they have to pack that lunch and it has to be healthy. They make the sandwich, they pack the fruit and the drink, they even get to pack a treat on occasion. They actually are being taught to make good choices.

What if a parent wants his kid to have a Vegan lunch that they pack? That's awesome for them. I don't want them to force their kids to eat a corn dog because johnny down the street had one too many sodas last month.

See, this is why the government is just too dang big. And these are the same idiots we want to run the health care system in this nation? These are the same type of decisions they will make, too, and all for our own good because we're too stupid to know otherwise.

And if I was a parent in that school, I would refuse to pay. And if that school then said I owed them money for lunches, I would say I send a lunch to school with my kids every day, they eat.

The whole thing is so stupid, and the fact of the matter is that since this is happening in ultra liberal Chicago, I hope they're starting to see that we Conservatives out here sorta have a point about the over reach of government. And that the government really can't be trusted to always do the right thing. Because they don't.

Another Three Things

2011-04-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

I met with my doctor this morning, and we looked at the medication that I'm taking. I told him I've been feeling some side effects, such as being tired and not having the energy on the bike I would like to have. I go on rides, and I get dropped early, and these are with guys and on rides I had no problem finishing this time last year. Dr. said I should take the pill at night, that might help. Even with that, he said it might modulate in about three months, so we'll wait and see. Even if the side effects stayed the same, I would still take this medication. The positive effect has out weighed the negatives. So I don't ride as fast or as hard as I used to? I guess I need to come to grips with that is how it just might be.

The other side effect I won't talk about since this is a PG blog.

What else? Played drums in church this weekend. This was a good Sunday. The special music we worked up was perfect, we executed it the best on Sunday. It was a tough song, and I had a lot of work to do to nail my part, and since it was done as a trio, I needed to nail it hard. The first time we played it on Saturday, it was shaky. I stepped on the beat one time, but recovered quickly. I knew it wasn't perfect.

Sunday first service was about the same level. Basically, good but not perfect. I felt that second service it was perfect. We couldn't have done better. And my We I mean Me. I was the one who needed to nail that one. The guitarist/singer I was backing up, Freddy, is really good. He is a very talented, very accomplished musician. I didn't want to crap the bed on that song because I wanted it to be perfect (not just for the setting, but because I have high standard) The second time Sunday, it was. Thank God for that.

I think that I actually play better now than at any time in my life. In High School and College when I was playing the most, I was so critical of myself and so self-conscious that I hardly ever just played and just let it work itself out. I was always pressing, and as a drummer you just cannot do that. I play now like I know I can, I feel freer in the process and I feel the beats come out of the hands smoothly, I transition very well in songs, and I feel like the fills are spot on. My interpretation is strong but not overwhelming, it's assertive but not pushy (I sound like I'm describing wine) and it drives the song and not follows. And I play just the right amount, too. I play once a month, I practice all that week, and that's it. I could go to twice a month and I would be fine with it, but every week and I would be practicing so much that I would feel that old sense of drive and self criticism come creeping back, and I would start to press again. Now, I just walk away and be done with it.

Lastly, there is much that I want to say about Roubaix. That was a good race, and it was neat to see it develop. It was very well done, in terms of the broadcast. The result was nice, the guy who won is a lifetime worker bee who had his chance and he delivered. The thing I liked about it was that the dude was taller than me, but weighed the same. So, here we have a very tall dude who won Roubaix. Do you have any idea how rare that is? Usually the guys who win there are squat, compact types. Guys with motors and strong sprints. Not the type of guy who sets pace in Alpine stages of big tours. Van Summeran looks like a pure climber, not a grinder or a sprinter or a roller type. That is who usually wins. Look at Cancellara, Boonen and Van Petegem. Those are typical Roubaix winners.

The traditional wisdom says that Van Summeran is too big and lanky to take the seven hour pounding that Roubaix dishes out, and then be able to ride away in the last 20 clicks on a stiff section of cobbles. The usual Roubaix rider goes to the front of the cobbled section and rides the others off his wheels, he takes the pounding of the cobbles and is able to tough it out. JVS just sits up there like a sail, he has spindly arms that look like they will break, he has very long legs and when you look at him in profile, he seems so stretched out over the bike. But he just ate the cobbles up, and delivered a very nice win.

You know, I can bag on this dude being tall and skinny because I'm tall and skinny. That was a nice win for all the tall ones out there.

Break In

2011-04-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

I had a gig tonight at church, and as I was leaving in my car, I noticed it was totally trashed. All the stuff that was formerly in the glove or the "ashtray" or in the door compartments were all strewn about the car, willy-nilly like. Like someone had ransacked it.

And that is just what happened. Someone broke into the car last night. And when I say broke into I mean they opened the door and had their way around. I didn't lock it last night. That is a bad, bad habit that I have.

The good thing about having nothing and being poor is that you have nothing to lose. I guess they could have taken the minivan and joy-ridden the heck out of it. Not that rolling an Isuzu Oasis is dope or anything. I mean, two bit crooks like to steal joy-ride nicer cars, like SUV's or Honda's. The kids (and they were kids, no doubt) just went through the car looking for stuff to steal, and since I have nothing, they took exactly that. Nothing.

I really went through my stuff, and as far as I can tell, nothing is missing. And if they did take something, I have no idea what it is. They even left the Dutch Brothers punch card that was all filled out, so they missed out on at least a free coffee. There was literally nothing to take, and if they took something like my stereo, they would sort of be doing me a favor. That thing blows, and I wouldn't miss it.

The nicest thing in my van is on the van, the Rocky Mounts bike carriers and Thule wheel carriers, and they're locked down. Other than that, I carry a cooler for when I go to Costco. Who wants to steal a cooler?

So, I went to church and played. Things went well enough, I stepped on the beat a few times, but recovered quick enough. This is my last Saturday night I will play, since they're ending that service. There were about 40 people there, which is why it is going away. So, when I play I will just play on Sunday's. Until next year, because then I will probably play with the High Schoolers since my son will be going to Middle School group, and I think that they have worship together. I don't know for sure, but we'll see.

I like playing, and I feel more comfortable with it now. I play just the right amount too, as if I played more I would probably get tired of practice time and all that. But as it is, I play once a month and I practice that week and that's that.

Three Things

2011-04-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Masters is this week, and I have a hard time ignoring it. I really do not like Golf all that much, and I rank it down there with NASCAR, Tennis and Baseball in terms of sports interest. But what is interesting to me is the fact I really, really do not like Tiger. I will root for Tiger to gag on the last day, mostly because I think he's a tool. I want that kid from England to win, Rory whathisname.

What's going on in the Cycling world? Got the greatest Classic of 'em all, Roubaix. This weekend, and there will be three hours of coverage on TV on Sunday. Who do I want to win? George Hincapie, of course. Who do I think will win? Gotta go with Cancellara or Boonen, and the World Champion, Thor Hushovd. You don't see the rainbow jersey winning many Classics, so that would be nice. But I would not be surprised by guys like Ballan or even the dreadful Chavenal. These guys have great form right now. Thor Hushoved, Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara, I pick them because they are the greatest Classic riders of their generation, and they focus so much on this race. Although, after Flanders, they seem to be a bit down. Cancellara had a bad ride, letting the group catch him on the Bosburg. Boonen tugged the eventual winner up to Cancellara and was not a factor in the finish. So, these guys are showing weaknesses. That said, they put it all on these two races, and to totally gag at Flanders means you have to sell out in Roubaix. I expect them to be there.

Americans with a very dark chance at winning include Tyler Farrar. He's a strong sprinter, has a very powerful team, and he has the type of riding style to win races like Roubaix. But I think that Thor is the gonna be the leader for Garmin-Cervelo at Roubaix, with Tyler being Plan B.

The best chance for an American to win Roubaix is in about three years when Taylor Phinney and the other young kids all riding at Livestrong mature to the point where they line up. Phinney is the only American to win the Under-23 Roubaix, so you have to like his chances.... eventually. But just not yet, he is about two or three years away.

Ben King is one of the Young Guns who is gonna line up this year. I think he has great skill, a very talented road racer and time trialist, the future of the sport in the USA along with Phinney, but clearly this ride is a warm up for the future, more of a race-pace recon than a real stab at it.

Steven Cozza is another American lining up. He is a grizzled veteran riding for an average team with little firepower, Team Netapp. The only chance I see for him is an early break that stays away and gets lucky. And the thing is, that could happen. Most likely, he'll finish in the first group at best, but not winning. He is aiming for the win, but I don't see it.

Can I just file this story under "what if Bush said it?" I mean, the fact of the matter is that Obama just made up the part about Chu inventing the cap for that busted well. Made it up. Which is a nice way of saying he lied. He lied. And I'm telling you if Bush lied to that degree, we would never hear the end of it.

Apparently, the Great National Budget Crisis of 2011 has been resolved... and in breathless manners usually reserved for royal weddings or Summer of Shark rampages, MSNBC let me know last night that is was all the fault of the nasty, outrageous Republicans that we are in this mess. Bush was a big spender, so Obama needed to be a bigger spender to get the economy on track and save the nation. That was the basic gist of it all. Sometimes, watching that channel is like watching an alternative universe. Of course, many of the guests, like the dude from The Nation magazine, thought the only answer was higher taxes on The Rich (and they seem to always define The Rich as that guy who makes more than me) and never smaller government. As it was, they were arguing over $38B in cuts... and when the government budget is around $3T plus, that amounts to one day of spending. It's like going out to a fancy dinner at an expensive restaurant with a bunch of people, and when you come to divide the check you argue non-stop over who ordered that one Bud Lite and you totally ignore the 5 bottles of Dom and the Kobe beef.

Cooking

2011-04-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

I'm getting better at cooking lately. Which is a big thing, because me and cooking have not been on the best of terms most of my life.

I do feel that cooking is not only a skill, but an artform as well. I think that those who do it best are very talented in a way that I can never achieve to. They are as talented as any artist, as any musician. It is a creative and expressive activity that few are really good at.

One person who is really good at it is my wife. I don't just say that because I am married to her, but I truly believe it. She has made some wonderful dishes. I have often said that she loves to cook and I love to eat. Which is true, and it helps to make our relationship work.

But for me, cooking just never worked too well. I always took a very utilitarian view on it, in that I would eat when I was hungry and since I was hungry, I didn't want to cook. I ate out alot when I was single, or I ate a lot of cereal or easy things to make. Things like pasta and sauce from a can. Or maybe I made eggs and toast. Fast and easy is how I did it. Mostly lots of cereal. Lots of Fruity Pebbles. I can't believe I used to think that was a meal.

Then I got married and that changed. Then my wife was making great food, and she was really good at planning it all out and getting everything in order. You would think I would learn from that, but I really didn't. When it was my turn to cook, I made things like pancakes. Just pancakes, and that was it. Or soup. Just soup. I was terrible at planning meals.

Now, I don't work that much and Kelly is working full time, so I committed to cooking when I could and so that she could rest as much as possible. I figured that I would make at least an effort to do this, and see how it goes.

For the most part, I plan the week out so that we have one day where we have leftovers, one day where we have something ridiculously easy (like soup and sandwiches) one more day of easy and fast and complete (hamburgers or tacos, something kid friendly) one day where we have pizza (usually Friday) and one day where I go flat out and make something big. That big thing is usually from a cookbook, and I have to pretty much plan things out to get it done. And for me, that means I need to think about it all day it seems, and to start planning on cooking that afternoon and line up all the ingredients as I get closer to five in the evening, if we're eating at six.

So, tonight was my big night. I made meatballs and marinara in the slow cooker and it was really good. There is something very satisfying when your son says that it was good, that feels great. That satisfaction is beyond compare.

I usually put a lot of effort into the prep part, and when the recipe says X amount of time, I usually double it because I am so slow and methodical about it all. I have to be, I have done it before when I missed an item and then scrambled to replace it and the timing was off and the dish was just OK.

I still have days when I hit the kitchen table with a thud. The other day I made a Kung Pau Shrimp that was too much Pau, not enough Kung. I ended up eating almost all of it, as it was way too hot and spicy for the kids. But they were too nice to say that it sucked, but I knew it did.

Well, I'm still trying to get better, and I'm not as intimidated as I was before. I feel real good on some dishes that I just kill. Like mashed potatoes. Those are so awesome when I make 'em. The key there is the potatoe ricer (yes, I typed potatoe. Went all Dan Qualye on you there) that makes the actual mashing so easy. If you do not use a ricer, stop right now and buy one. Using an actual mashing instrument, or god forbid a blender, will make the potatoes too mush and lumpy at the same time. The ricer will make perfect potatoes with considerably less effort. In fact, I've become a bit of a Potatoe Ricer evangelist. When ever I find out that family friends don't have one, I buy them one for the next holiday or birthday. I've probably bought ten. I like the one from Williams-Sanoma.

The other thing I make that I just crank out of the park each time are glazed carrots. Good lord, when I make these they are to die for. I use the recipe from Cooks Kitchen, and it is so darn tasty. For Real. I mean, the thing is, I hate carrots. I really do. But I love these things. They're sweet and soft and just all sorts of yummy. Almost candyish, really. I use chicken broth, sugar, butter, fresh squeezed lemon, sugar and I reduce it down to a nice caramel glaze. When the carrots get a touch black from the cooking, they are perfect. Seriously, I would totally buy those in a restaurant, they are that good.

Other than that, I make killer omelettes. My kids love 'em, and I do a good job there. All the other stuff I make good are the easy things... soup and sandwiches, tacos. Oh, the hand made flat bread pizza is good. And I make a good Alfredo Sauce, but there is so much cream in that you need to take the dogs for a double walk afterwards or you will balloon up like Kirstie Allie.

I need to get about five more go-to dishes, then each and every night I will be totally ready to rock it in there. I also need at least two more sides, something to complement the carrots and/or taters.

But, honestly, cooking is now fun for me. I actually go to the bookstore and read cookbooks now. I watch guys on the Food Channel, and I think I can make that.

I don't know if I will let my wife back in. I'm starting to dig this...

Sick

2011-04-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Recently, on Facebook, I was involved in a discussion about a group of people trying to memorialize the victim of a case of truly evil domestic violence. The article I read is here. I then went back and read the rest of the stories, from the arrest to the trial for the Death Penalty. And now I can't get it out of my mind. I mean, even in the sanitized version for the papers the details are so horrific and terrifying as to defy explanation. You have to understand it was pure evil, and that is that.

Basically, this 42 year old woman killed her daughter, who was 15 when she was found dead in her home. 15 years old, had been "home schooled" for about three years, and weighed only 50 pounds at the time of death. There were so many wounds, old and new, and so much trauma the ME could not give an exact cause of death for the girl.

Well, there was so much to read, and I sorta dove right into it and what I read was just sickening. To think that someone would do something like that, I cannot comprehend it. I have to tell you, as a father, I feel bad when I raise my voice at my kids. When my daughter cries, over whatever, my heart breaks and I want to rescue her everytime. I know that's enabling most of the time, because she needs to learn lessons and sometimes there have to be tears. But I always get a tug at the heart when she does cry, because I love her so damn much. And the same deal with my son, I love him totally.

So, I have to ask myself how does one get to the point where you make your daughter stand in the corner with her arms over her head, and you force her to watch you eat a steak or a big dinner, and all she eats is a cracker? How do you beat your daughter so much that she has to sleep in a cardboard box because you are more concerned about getting blood on the carpet than anything else? And when the other child brings her food, you beat her more so that you can teach her a lesson?

These are just examples, and it goes on and on. Yes, I get it that she (the mom) was abused, that her mother was murdered at when she was five. But if that experience was so scaring, why do you want to then visit it on yet another child and complete the circle of violence. Besides, that excuse is just that... an excuse.

Look, we have all had issues, we all get hurt, get the short end of the stick. Some worse than others. Who hasn't been hurt, raise your hand. We all have pain, we all have problems. No one is exempt. I can tell you stories from my childhood which would curl your blood, and my particular brand of abuse and pain is so mild compared to many, many others out there. We all have reasons why we should hurt someone else, but the difference between humans and the animals is that we rise above it all and forgive in one way or another. It sucks, I don't like that answer at all, but it's the only one that works.

I'm sorry you were hurt, woman... but get over yourself. You think you were the only one? You were the only one who wanted to take it to the next level and do mega damage to your kids. You really think that your other kids, seeing what went down, aren't victims? You really think you just kept it to the one bad kid? You fool.

Man, people are so evil sometimes. The depth of evil that we can commit has no boundary. She is evil, what she did is evil, and what went down in that house is pure evil. It is as simple as that.

I also get that she was a drug addict when she had this daughter and that the kid was taken away and then returned to her and that she never bonded with the child. Again, excuses. Excuses are like butt-holes and arm-pits... we all have 'em and they all stink.

But she should never have had that kid in her house at all. There were so many times when the authorities were alerted to something being wrong in the house, and nothing was done. That is the bad part here, that the authorities who are in charge of protecting the children were no negligent. I really think that the whole lot at CPSD should have been fired, because this child is now dead. How many times were reports filed? How many times do they have to be filed before someone dies? For every social worker who ignored this case, they should be fired. I don't care if they didn't have actionable evidence, they should be canned on principal alone. They won't, because they're AFSCME union types who never get fired unless they do the actual abusing... and that would take years to pull off.

Look, Child Protective Services are all about CYA, and not helping children. They went into CYA mode after the details of their negligence came out and that was all that mattered to them.

The whole thing is sickening. I'm ecstatic that she got the death penalty, that was way too nice, though. I think the proper thing is to take her to the dump and put a slug in the back of her head, then dump her body in the trash where it belongs. Lethal injection after 15 years of appeals is too nice. As it is, she's gonna be AgSeg for the rest of her life. That means 23 and 1, one hour out of her cell and always alone and always supervised. That is SOP for DP cases in Oregon. Even if she is the only female DP in the state. She will never interact with other inmates face to face. Which is fine. But seriously, this person is the reason we need a DP at all. If you can't whack her for her crimes, who do you whack?

I'm pro death penalty, and I think it should be used a swifter, more judicious fashion. The endless appeals, like with the Randy Guzek case here in Bend, is just a sham. I also think that you should only use the DP for cases with strong physical evidence, not on circumstantial cases or where only eyewitnesses seal the deal. You need hard, physical evidence and this case is as hard and physical as one can get. There is one, maybe two if you include the step-father, who are responsible, and there are strong eyewitnesses, and the physical evidence is overwhelming. This is the type of person who gets the DP.

But, then again, a part of me thinks that maybe she was just having a 48th trimester abortion.... so, who am I to judge?

Lost Cat

2011-04-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to blog about, and I hope to actually get started here. Yesterday, I had stuff but then spent all day... and when I say all day, I mean all freakin' day... looking for our cat who got out in the morning.

What happened was I stumbled out of bed at 0600 to let the little Chiyaya out to relieve himself of a nights worth of urine and poop. As I do every day. I mean, the alarm goes off, and I get the dog up to go use the facilities. Yesterday was a particularly blustery day, and the wind was blowing right into the front door. I let the dog in, and shut the door and turned to go back upstairs to get some more sleep, about 20 minutes worth.

When I got up at 0630ish, I saw the door was wide open. I made a note, thinking that the wind blew open a door I didn't completely shut, and then went about the business of the morning.

Later, I saw the cat at the back door. I opened it to let him in, and he bolted. First of all, the cat has been outside only one time before, and that was under the direct supervision of my wife. That guy does not know the area. I got dresses and went out to look for him, and spent around 15 minutes scouring the yard.

I did not find him at all. And by now, my son was getting worried. It's his cat, and he was worried he was scared and he was gonna be lost. By now, we had to get ready for school. I quickly printed up a few LOST CAT signs to hand out to neighbors, and I did so as the van warmed up. My son was gettting teary eyed, and I told him I would look all day if I had to... all day.

And I did. I handed out the flyers and talked to my neighbors, and I put up a few flyers by the house, in case people walking around saw him. I had one good lead when my neighbor called and told me she saw the cat along the fence line. I went out, and by the time I got down there he scampered off. I looked in the yard, the neighbors yard, the other neighbors yard, and didn't see him.

I would spend most of the morning and afternoon doing this. Just looking around, trying to see him, looking under everything and hoping for the best. It was now about two in the afternoon, and things were looking grim.

I mean, do people really look for cats or dogs that are lost when they see a flyer? I see stray cats all the time, so much so that I tell my kids that the cats are on the Neighborhood Cat Council. This is a long running joke about how cats on the Council roam the streets looking for other cats and keeping an eye on things, sort of a like a Guardian Angels of the Feline world. I mean, a stray cat poking around the house is nothing, you see it all the time.

I also see flyers down at the park, and I don't think to look for that cat, why would anyone do the same for me? I felt like that by this point, that cat was gone and if we got to school to pick up the kids and I didn't have the cat, the boy would be heartbroken.

My wife called a few times, checking on the progress. There was none to report. She was much more confident than I was.

I went to get the kids, and the first thing I told my son was that I tried and I tried, but I didn't find the cat. He started to get tears, and I could tell that this was gonna be a long day. I felt so bad for him, because it was my fault for not closing the door.

As soon as we came home, he went straight to looking for the cat. No Luck.

I was vacuuming, and by this time I had pretty much given up on the cat, and was just waiting for my wife to come home to break the news to her. Then I saw a flash of a tail along the fence, and that was a glimmer of hope. He was still out there.

I rushed out and looked and looked. My son helped me, he even put the cat food out for bait. Again, no luck.

Now, my wife was home. I told her the excited news that at least we saw the cat recently and that he was close by... hopefully by night fall, if we all look, we'll will him.

A minute later, if that, my wife had the cat in her hands. She took less than a minute to do what I could not do in eight hours. Eight Hours.

She is a cat whisperer. She has a special skill to attract animals. I think the cat also runs from me since I was the one who gave him medicine every time, and he associates bad things with me, I'm sure that doesn't help at all.

But we got him. Well, she got him. I was actually irked it took her more time to put her backpack and computer down than it did to find the cat.

Freakin' Cat Savant... that's what she is.

"Free Speech Is A Great Idea, But..."

2011-04-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

"...we're in a war." I know, I know... It's all about context, and that context is the Koran burning pastor in Floriduh. The story is here. I just never thought I would see the day where a sitting senator would qualify free speech with a BUT. Then again, he was sitting next to Harry Reid who is one gigantic Butt, although that's another rant.

The dude in Floriduh is a jackhole, and I think I speak as a Christian when I say I don't support him at all, I think he did a dumb thing that was not grounded in the Love of Jesus, and that what he did was reprehensible thing.

That said, he had all the right in the world to do it, according to our laws and the Constitution and I would not want to change that at all. And I don't want it qualified and I don't want it amended with a But.

Senator Graham and Senator Reid were on the Sunday morning talk shows when this all went down. The thing that gets me, is that Reid said the actions of this pastor inspired the enemy. First of all, this is the same guy who was the Senate Majority Leader who rushed to the mic to proclaim that the war was lost. Do you think that inspired the enemy? Secondly, the enemy (the islamists in Pakistan in this case) don't exactly need inspiration since they constantly are at a boil as it is. They were gonna riot and proclaim death to all Americans and express outrageous outrage in an outrageous fashion no matter what, this was just an awesome pretext to do so. It was like a fastball over the plate, they just sat back and knocked it out.

What you need to know is that they are always outraged by the actions of the infidel, and that there is nothing we can do to placate that short of conversion. Nothing. There is nothing that we can say or do where we can coexist peacefully. Sorry if I'm bumming you out on this, but it's true.

I think of those starry eyed idealists who have the COEXIST stickers on their Prius' and all the letters are formed by the symbols of all the worlds religions, like the "C" is the crescent moon of islam, the "T" is the cross, the "X" is the star of David. You see these guys out there, they usually are the Bumper Sticker Activist type who has about ten stickers, such as "I love my country buy fear my government" or "End This War" with the "this" superimposed over a "less" where the sticker originally said "Endless War." (by the by, can I borrow those? I mean I sorta feel that way about the current occupant of the White House in regard to Health Care and Libya.)

But the problem is that one of those religions has a terrible time playing nice with the others. If you removed Islam as it is currently practiced in the middle east, we do all get along and co-exist. I see it happening every day. There is a family that practices Islam at our school, and they drop off kids the same time I do, and I don't jump out of my car and beat her up because I hate Islam so much. I don't even bat an eye, because I don't care what she believes, we live in a free country. I am also certain we have kids who believe in Mormonism and there are Catholic and Jewish kids and unbelievers as well. They're just kids, and we all live our lives.

But do you think for a minute there is a school in Saudi Arabia like that? Heck no. There are officially no Christians or Jews in the Saudi Entity. It is against the law the own a bible or meet as a home church. You risk death there, as well as in Syria or Yemen or Indonesia. I read all the time about churches burned and believers killed in Egypt and Sudan and Iran and Iraq... killed by Muslim fanatics and rabid Islamists.

And, like I said, in the world of religious ideas, one group is too jealous to play nice with the others.

Do we have a responsibility to kowtow to the extremists? Is it our responsibility to placate them, to make them feel good about their backward and extremists beliefs? At what point do we stop treating these grown men like retarded children and ask that they take responsibility for the dangerous elements in their midst.

And we do treat them like they have special needs. Oh you can't say that about him! It will make him mad and he'll throw a tantrum and break things and then how will feel.

I have said this before and it bears repeating... I will believe that they are a religion of peace when those who tell me it's a religion of peace act like it's a religion of peace. And the fact is, they don't and they won't because they get more mileage out being evil and violent then they do out of being tolerant and coexisting.

And don't bother me with the fact that this is an extreme minority, I know that. But the fact of the matter is the majority of peaceful Muslims need to rise up and kick the extremists to the curb. Also, nations like Pakistan and Yemen and Syria and Saudi Arabia and Iran incubate the extremists Islamists because it diverts the focus off the failure of their leaders... because it's always someone elses fault, never yours. Because when all you have ever been told is that Islam will rule the world someday, if not for the unbelief of the Infidel, you start to believe that you are special and you have a responsibility to kill the infidel to bring about the Caliphate or the return of the Occluded Iman or whatever Apocalyptic vision of perfection they seek. It diverts attention to the destitute conditions they live in, and the thieving ways of the leaders. It's a very complex and effective version of slight of hand.

Is Your Refrigerator Running?

2011-03-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

This morning started off really bad, and then went straight past worse and proceeded to crash headfirst into a steaming pile worser.

I had to get up at 0530, or as you can call it around here oh-dark-thirty. I went to a bible study this morning at six, and thus the early wake up. This was bad enough, but I woke up at around 0510, and I saw my clock and tried to talk myself into getting about twenty more minutes of sweet shut eye.

I should have turned the alarm off and went to bed and forgotten about even rolling out of the rack, because when my alarm did go off, I was off to the races.

I went into the closet and stepped in something squishy, and it did not feel like a Lego. Oh, how I wish I stepped on sharp, jagged, point Lego. That would have been so nice. I stepped on a dog turd, courtesy of our Chiyaya, Mocha.

After cleaning up the mess and going industrial strength sterilization mode on my right foot, I went down for a bowl of cereal.

Hmmmm thought I, this milk is way, way too warm.

And the temp in the fridge said about 50, so I turned the the dial to colder, and headed to the study, and hoped for the best.

Remember when I said that hoping for the best is bad policy in general? True Dat.

I came home, and the wife told me she thought that the milk was a bit warm. I concurred, of course, and I then said I would look into it after I dropped the kids off.

The last time this happened, we called a service technician out and all it was was a very dusty, very dirty intake thingy underneath that needed to be vacuumed. So, I did that today, and in fact I totally cleaned the shizznit out of that thing, and I once again... hoped for the best.

After about an hour, I checked on the fridge, and it was now warmer than before. The ice was melting in the freezer, and the food was getting very warm. I moved as much of the food as I could to the outside chest freezer, and then I called a service tech to come on out, knowing fully well the very best that could happen is that he will flip an unknown switch and do it in two minutes and still charge me $75.00 for the effort.

He said he would be there between 1:00 and 3:00. So, no ride today, and if he was on time I would be able to get out of there and get the kids in time at 3:30. He showed up at 4:15, right when I was supposed to pick up my girl from piano lessons.

The verdict? It would cost around $350.00 to fix.

I had determined before that I did not want to spend more than 1/4 of the cost of a new fridge. That was right on the line, and I called to confirm with the wife, and she said maybe we should get a new one. Oh, and I still paid the guy $75.00... call it a Boning Fee.

I did research the rest of the morning and the afternoon as to what to get, and settled on an LG with French Doors, bottom freezer... sorry, I meant to say Freedom Doors. My Bad.

So, we have the kitchen put back together now, and the new fridge should be here this weekend. The tech did show me how to reset the thermostat control unit. The problem was that this unit is broken, and that it will work when it is reset, that it will get colder, and then turn off. And then not turn on again unless you poke it with a screwdriver. I have no intention to poke it every two hours to make sure our food is cold.

The tech was super old, by the way. About 110. I support our troops, I really do... especially the ones who fought in the Great War. But this dude was really hard to understand, as he kept mumbling his words. I felt bad for Stogie. That was his name. I do not know if he was named after cigars or what, but Old Stogie was tough to understand. I get why he was still in the repair business, at $75.00 a pop for telling me You're Boned, that's some good scratch.

My Favorite Thing

2011-03-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

My favorite non-bike gadget is my iPod. I have a simple Nano that is about three years old, and it's starting to show some wear and tear. I mean, I dropped it a few times, it has a few scratches on it, and it doesn't look new, but it looks three years old. And that's OK. No problem with that at all.

What I like about it, and I love this little guy, is that in the past when I drove around I would listen to AM radio, usually talk radio and usually sports. I would run errands in the morning so I could listen to Jim Rome, or if it was the summer I would listen Rush Limbaugh (if your a hater of Rush than you have a problem with Rush, not me. I like the guy sometimes, in small doses, but not a steady diet)

Sometimes, I would be listening, and I would sit in the car so I could finish the segment or whatever jag the dude in question was on. Sometimes, I would blast through the store so I could be done by the time the commercial segment was over. A lot of the time, it seemed I was driving while it was commercial time, so I would listen less to the show and more to the ads and that bothered me.

But those days are over now. Now, I download my favorite podcast and listen to that when I drive. When I come to the store, I turn off the car and run my errand and come back to the show exactly where I left off. There are also fewer commercials, in that the AM format is usually news at the top of the hour, then the show starts at five past, you have fifteen minutes of show, five minutes of ad, five minutes of show, seven to eight minutes of ads and news, etc. etc. etc. The breaks are hard breaks, and they seem to be the same for each program, so there was no flipping around, since if you were on a commercial break at station A, it was commercial break at station B. And, like I said, it seemed like I was always driving with a commercial break.

And, like I also said, those days are over. The commercials are usually front loaded, or maybe after half an hour of content. Also, that reminds me... if you listen to Rush Limbaugh or Jim Rome and he's on from 0900 to 1200, that's three hours of time but only, maybe, two hours or more like an hour and a half of content. But if I download an hour of The Solid Verbal, that's almost all content, so I effectively squeeze out the ads the crap I don't want. I get my show, I get content when I drive, and I can also pick my show and my topics.

That is key right now. Remember, I love sports, but not all sports. I have a distaste for Baseball, Golf, NASCAR, and the NBA. And right about now, that's all there is. I also tire of political commentary, and I'm at a point where I really don't want any. I want social commentary or something to make me laugh, some satire, but not news news news. And I really love college football all year long. So, I mentioned The Solid Verbal. They're funny, they only talk College Football, and I can listen to it whenever I want.

The thing is, I plug my iPod into the car stereo and I'm good to go. I bypass the ads, the content that bores me, and I never miss a second of content unless I want to fast forward it and sometimes I do. The only downside is that it is not as timely as I would like, as the podcast is, at best, recorded the day before. When there is news, it's a day plus old. Also, I could never call in and talk with the host, as I have no idea when they record. But those are small details and they don't detract from the fact that I freakin' love that iPod.

If I drive the kids around, I listen to a little Rush, the band that is. One thing that I hate about modern radio is that they play modern music or pop music crapola and I hate that stuff. I also hate the ads, and the stupid DJ's... if I never listen to a wake up crew or a morning zoo or Billy and Jumbo in The Morning again I will be OK with that.

They never play Rush or Journey or Zep or any of the other classic rock I like, or not enough or only the really popular ones by those guys, not the deeper cuts which is the good stuff. I also like some modern industrial/techno music, like Portishead or Crystal Method or Massive Attack or something like that. I have weird tastes, and no radio station in the world would cater to it, and that's OK. Here is a bit of insight into me... sometimes, when I drive around, I DJ my own radio station, introducing songs and giving background on the songs as they get started, just like I have a radio station for one and none. I'm a dork, I know.

I used to freak out about the attempts of the Feds to reinstate the so-called Fairness Doctrine, which was the most oxymoronic law ever written. But, now I realize that if they did do that then all political speech would move from local AM radio to podcasts and people would bypass the radio totally. Once again, the feds and the regulators of speech would be twenty steps behind everyone. I, for one, think that political speech should be totally unregulated, and if you think that there is not enough Transnational Progressivist Talk Radio out there, that there are underrepresented parts of the local Communist/Collectivist community out there... then shut your hole, get an iPod and find a decent podcast to cater to your likings. I'm sure there's a nutjob shouting about Universalist Redistribution of Wealth and other such outdated, outmoded, out of touch garbage out there. That is, after all, your right. Just like it's my right to listen to College Football news all year long, every day.

So, lately, I have not been sleeping well. Been getting up to use the bathroom about three times a night, and in the past that has not happened. Two nights ago, it was really bad. So, I decided to not drink anything past nine at night, and no food either. No bowl of cereal before bedtime. Those days are over. But I still have that problem, getting up to go to the bathroom. I think I sleep really light, and when I get the urge to go, I wake up and go because I'm not sleeping deeply... like I should.

The fact of the matter is, Lexapro says that insomnia is a side effect, and for me that seems to translate to lite sleeping. It didn't help that last night my dog had the uncontrollable urge to use the bathroom as well. At least he has the common decency to moan and whimper by the door until someone wakes up to let him out of the house. A lesser dog would take a big steaming dump in the hallway, one you can step in when the hallway is darkened and you have a sleep fog going on.

I still think that the Lexapro is helping, and I really feel more energy in the morning. In the past, I would battle and fight within myself to get things done, and it would take way too long and I would spend way too much time playing solitare on the computer or just surfing the internet, being all lumpish as I just sat there. The lexapro has helped me to get over myself and get going. That has been nice.

Vasoline

2011-03-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

The headline from this article in Britain's The Telegraph says it all: EU to ban cars from cities by 2050. This is not some rinky dink blog about Duck football telling you this, but rather the foremost newspaper in London, their version of the New York Times.

When a conservative, or someone like me with libertarian leanings, tells you that the goal of the Global Warming Alarmist/Transnational Progressivist movement is to destroy western culture and economies... this is precisely what we mean. The Global Warming Alarmist, and I use these words carefully, are different from someone like you or me who is concerned about global warming, but is not thinking it's a big deal. I mean, I drive my kids to school, but I also commute by bike and generally live a greener life than, say, James Cameron. You know him, he's the director of Avatar and a leading harpy on all things global scare-warming. He also lives in a massive mansion, taking private jets here and yon when he lectures the little people about the dangers of driving and how it's destroying the planet. In fact, I will put my carbon footprint up against most of the Global Warming Alarmists out there and I think I will win every time.

The thing is, the Transnational Progressivist and Global Warming Alarmist movement is the modern repository of the International Communist, post Berlin Wall. All the Leninist and Stalinists and Marxists and Maoists gravitated to the Tranzi-World Wide Warming movement because it was the best, most effective way to continue the long hard work of bringing about the demise of the Capitalist system. That is the bottom line, and there are facts to back this up.

Look at Obama's Green Czar, Van Jones. He is an unapologetic Marxist. Go to any green movement rally, and you don't have to look far until you see communist propaganda and Marxist/Leninist/Anarchist activists. You scratch a greenie, and he's red underneath it all.

The goal all along was to cripple the west, the system, the man. The stated goal was to give a hand up to under-developing countries, which is why India and China and Brazil were excluded from CO2 emission standars in the Kyoto Protocals, and all the other GW accords since then.... even though they create more CO2 than the America and Europe do. I like to say that if you drink the kool-aid and really believe this BS, than it's global warming not America warming and it is pointless to not include the developing nations.

So, they want to take us out of our cars. I have said this for long, I actually had hair back then. I remember talking to Jan VanDerTuin in Eugene back in the day, and he was a big time greenie/commie even then and he said that people should not drive. No one should drive, they should all ride bikes... like in China! Where it is so awesome because everyone works together and they all ride the bike... and I should believe this or I'm not a true cyclist. He actually said that to me. I thought he was a nut in 1990, and he's still a nut, but the only difference is that he has a lot of fellow travelers and believers and his idiocy is no longer this marginal, extreme way to look at things but is rather mainstream... and growing and taking hold. Just look at the EU and that article I linked to.

I love cycling, I think that riding the bike is the shizzle. I also think that it is impractical to the extreme to think you can or should ban cars. That is ridiculous. What about people like my wife who don't want to ride the bike to work everyday, you gonna tell her to suck it up and ride the bus because we need to save the planet from a possible rise in temperatures of one degree in the next century? We need cars, we need to have cars to get stuff done, and that is the reality in the modern world.

I think about my recent project putting up the shelf in my house. How unbelievably difficult it would have been if I had to rely on public transportation or using the bike. I had to get wood, 2x4's and panels, and it barely fit in my van. I had to make three runs to the Depot and Ace to get stuff. That's how projects usually go... you think you got enough nails, but you don't. So you run on back there. Without a car, this already-taking-all-day project takes all weekend. And that's a small project, and I'm just one guy.

The bottom line here is that central planning, may it be Soviet Commisars or the idiots in Brussels calling themselves the EU, just does not work. Also, the path to serfdom begins with good intentions.

Ain't that right Hayek?

Vasoline is a really good song by Stone Temple Pilots.

And that's all I have to say about that...

Shelf'd

2011-03-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

I finally got the taxes done today. It took a while, because A) I hate to do the taxes and B) I freakin' hate to do the taxes.

It doesn't help that the tax code is so needlessly complicated, that it takes forever to do even if you have awesome software to hold your hand through the whole process. It is honestly the single worst thing that I will do at any one time, on a regular basis that is. I mean, I might have cleaned toilets in a juvenile prison for a spell, but not every single March do I have to do that.

I finished today by doing the It's Deductible part, which is very time consuming and very worth it. It basically takes a very painful, very ugly tax bill and makes it manageable. If you are not itemizing your deductions, then you are simply getting gang raped by The Man....visual metaphor intended.

Well, it's all done and that's behind me now. Gotta move on and prepare myself for the next time I have to do it... a year from now.

I didn't blog for a while because I promised my wife I would get it done before I hit Blogger again, thus the break. A lot happened in the last few days, mostly it was spring break, which for us in Central Oregon means Winter. We had snow flurries today, and it was a cold, driving wind. But by next week, it will be nice and sunny... just as the kids and the Hot Wife are back in school.

The cable guy came out to fix our box. See, we've been having problems with the cable for ever since we got it. We'll be watching it, and then the cable will go out, and I need to turn off the box, unplug it and then plug it back in. Basically, I have to re-boot the whole thing. This was happening about three times a day at first, then we called and found out the box was wired into the DVR and that was a no-no. But I guess that was my fault, I told the guy to wire up the box first, as we record stuff off of it, mostly sports. But he should have told me that was a non starter, and that would mess up the signal for the box. But I found out the hard way that it did that, and then we had a dude come out.

But the problem kept up, but this time about once a day, twice max. I called again, and they said to make sure all the connections are tight. I did that, but then I ran into another problem. See, back in the day, I built a shelf unit for the TV (it's in a squared off cutout over the fireplace, and this was done back when all TV's were square and not the 3:4 ratio rectangular ones we have now for HDTV) This shelf unit was so I could slide the then VCR and DVD player under the TV, sending the cabled up the back of the shelf to the TV. But I had made the shelf too long, and it left only about two inches from the wall, and that meant it was hard to tighten the cable connection, in fact I couldn't make sure the cable was tight at all. So, I decided to take all the stuff off of the shelf, and build a new one.

So, now I had a nice little day long project in front of me. For someone who is a skilled carpenter, this is a quickie, a wham-bam job that is done before lunch. I am not a skilled carpenter.

So, I had to take the TV, the DVR, the Surround Sound, the Box and the Wii off... and the jungled mess of cables with it. There are so many freaking cables, that it looks like something out a horror flick from the 60's. Actually, one of the nice things about the big TV is that it hides a lot of the cables, that's nice.

So, I took it all off, and cleaned the cables and the components. I then disassembled the shelving unit. See, I did it a long time ago... and totally over did it. I had 2x4 studs that I nailed and glued to the walls to act as a brace, then I over-nailed (like, a nail every inch or so) and glued the shelf onto the braces. It was overkilled overkill. Taking the old shelf off was the biggest hassle of the day, I swear... I had no idea how to make things back then.

So, my idea was to get nice wood that I would not have to paint at all. I would have nice, finished poplar that would be nailed up nice and neat and it would be over just like that. I was really careful with the cuts, this was gonna look nice and finished. I made the shelf only sixteen inches deep, and then made a little wood "curtain" that I would not nail in, but would be able to move up and down as I like, and it would hide all the cables against the wall and it would look really clean. I also would have enough room to access the plug and the coax cable junction.

The front was finished in poplar, and I nailed up a nice piece of wood... and then stood back as I shook my head at the gap on the left. I mean, I measured everything about ten times, and I still miscut the last piece, and it doesn't look perfect at all.

Like I said, I am not a finish carpenter. So, I guess making a mistake like that was inevitable and I was bound to do it. I guess if you saw the shelf, you would think it looks OK, but I think it could have been done better.

I look at it, and I think that I can fix the mistakes and make it look nicer. I can only see the flaws, and that right there is a metaphor for how I often see my life. I see the flaws, I don't see how things come together and work alright and are good enough to get the job done. Is it perfect? No. Does it need to be? Not really. It needs to be good enough, and I need to be alright with that.

And I'm working on that, I really am.

Carbon4Carbon

Stuff in my head

Boise

Autumn

Back

China Hat

Smoking

ATM

Early Riding

Bowling For Soup

PC

Theft

Ponderous Pines.

Facts

Floyd

Cadel Wins

The Alpe

Mariners

Win or Die Trying

Descending is hard...

Rainy Tour Days

Tour Update

Pay to Play

Luck

Tour

Tour, Stage 4

The Tour Begins

Dad's Day Misc.

Mariners

Tour Coming

Struggles

Summer?

Horse Ridge

Bachelor

Nice Tuesday

Field Day

There Is No Title For This Post

Wind Sux

June Misc.

Nerves

Misc. The Official Start o' Summer

Bad Parents

Misc. Stuff... This Time, 20% Off For All Members!

Sick Of It All

AToC

Random Thoughts

Soggy

(No Title)

Crazy Nice

Tiredness

Death at the Giro

Chump

The Club

First

Osama Bin Laded... *STILL* Dead.

Obama... Osama

Riding the Crash

Spring Game

Cautiously Optimistic

NFL Draft

Football

Clarity

Springing

Disappointed

Liege

Blazers Win

Metrics

Back Again

More Wind

Taxes Are Due

Huff

Riding

Definitely No Free Lunch

Another Three Things

Break In

Three Things

Cooking

Sick

Lost Cat

"Free Speech Is A Great Idea, But..."

Osama Bin Laded... STILL Dead.