|
|
|
Tonight I leave for Vegas. My bank account and liver are in grave danger.
Think of it as my own little "shock and awe" campaign.
They'll shower me with flowers as I drive a tank through that damn
town.
When I get back it's all about the Tour
de Fat. Come on out and help Flagstaff crush all pretenders.
Word on the street is this year there will be 100 kegs. I'll bet we
drink them all.
It's the off-season. What else is there to do besides drink beer?
| |
From: Robert
Subject:
Hey BJ...
Just had my first major crash - my face and hands vs. an open metal
diamond grate bridge. Casualties include my broken nose, broken
right hand, broken right thumb, sprained left wrist and a diamond
grate pattern etched in blood all over my body. anyway, after seeing
the pics of that dude in the car accident i'm gonna stop bitching.
(here's my face the morning
after.). the real reason i write is merely a link:
walken2008.com
just trying to keep the DC politicin alive.
rubber down,
robert |
Rubber down indeed. I hate those open metal bridges. They are a fucking
cheese grater waiting to happen. In the subsequent email exchanges about
Robert's condition and Christopher Walken running for President, this
link came up: weapon
of choice.
Nuff said.
And don't miss the rest of the Fat Boy Slim video
collection.
bikejournal.com/preview.asp
thenation.com/doc/20051010/comix
onespeeder.com/2005/09/27/joke-patrol/#comments
readingracing.com/reading-04-teaser.mov
planetdan.net/pics/misc/georgie.htm
| |
From: Geoff
Subject: Above and Beyond Ride - Socorro, NM
Monday September 26, Socorro, NM
Well, the pie was awesome in Pie Town! I know you were all on
the edge of your seats wondering. I had New Mexican Apple which
was pretty unbelievable. On Sat, I rode from Show Low to Quemado,
about 99 miles and found that there is not too much happening
in Quemado. It is a tiny town and we stayed at a pretty old motel.
The ride was pretty nice with a tailwind the whole way and not
too many steep climbs, which are taking their toll on my legs.
Yesterday morning I got up, had pancakes and rode to Socorro,
about 105 miles. I had another great tailwind and made it in a
little over 5 hours. Not bad. The continental divide is now behind
me, so it should be at least generally downhill from here. Although
today will finish in Capitan which is surrounded by a bunch of
ski resorts, so I am anticipating some significant climbing today.
If my achilles holds, I'll do fine. The El Defensor Cheiftan reporter
Jason Brooks interviewed me for the paper this morning, so that
should help drum up some support. Please continue to pass this
on to others so that they can have a chance to contribute. I was
thinking that so many people have been touched by cancer that
you just never know who would love to have the opportunity to
contribute to this cause. My intention is to double the amount
of money raised so far, and that won't take too much if everyone
can give a little. Please take just a moment to contribute, and
if you have already done so, ask a friend if they are interested.
You can contribute at the website aboveandbeyondride.com
on the "To Contribute" page. Thanks so much for the continued
support! |
That kid is a rock star.
| |
From: Corey the Courier
Subject: Re: East Coast Cycle Courier Bike Polo
Oops, the event has been postponed to the October 22nd & 23rd due
to the Trexlertown Swap meet on the first. We've gotten confirmation
of some couriers from Ottowa making their way down for the mayhem.
For more info go to: phillybma.org/october.htm
Corey the Courier
Philly Phorever |
I am such a fucking slapdick.
I got an update from Erik and his condition. I posted an email about
his wreck a few days back, on the 23rd. The link he provided worked,
and then it didn't. I'm not sure what's up, but I'll link it anyway.
It may work again shortly.
Check it out.
| |
From: Erik
Subject:
hey big jonny,
let's see:
* I'm still in PT for my knee. Even after 4 months I can only
ride for 45 minutes before I enflame my knee and it hurts for
days. I coached at a junior cyclocross camp this weekend and one
dismount (and the resulting jolt of pain) was all it took to show
me CX is not a good idea in any way shape or form this fall.
* the legal wranglings continue on and on. I've racked up over
$60K in medical bills (which my personal insurance is covering
but insisting they get paid back for), the girl who hit me only
has $100K coverage, and everything is proceeding at a snail's
pace.
* for the first time in over 10 years I don't own a functioning
road bike. Mine is still laying shattered in my garage and until
we know what's going to happen with the settlement I'm really
reluctant to drop any money on a new one. My CX bikes are serving
road duty for my < 1 hour training rides.
* the scarring is slowly getting better but it's ugly enough
people still gasp when I show them.
I think I put some more pictures up after I emailed you at ragingaardvark.com/accident/index.htm.
The colors are all washed out in those pics and now the scars
are lovely magenta.
but hey, at least I'm alive!!! =D
thanks for following up! |
Audi 5000.
Vegas week baby, yeah. I'm blowing out of this taco stand on Wednesday
and pointing it north. You can find me in and around the Voodoo booth
come Thursday and Friday standing next to the bikes we put together
last week. Yeah, it's like that.
I've been so busy I failed to even mention last Friday was the fifth
year anniversary of the site. Happy Birthday DC.
I'll have some new shirts at the show. Find me if'n you want one.
And we both know you do.
We're all whores.
Quote of the day:
I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five.
Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the
artifice of a derailleur?
We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!
--Henri Desgrange, L'Équipe article of 1902
First up, some good news on the Zeke front:
| |
From: zeke
Subject: I live!
I live and I walk and I can breath. So I am off to a good start.
Thanks for all of you help. Before you know it I will be back on
a bike. I have a long (expansive) road of rehab a head but I am
still a live and that is the important part. |
Yeah buddy. Good to have you back.
A word to the wise, the brain
dailies will list free beer finds.
As it should be.
stevepottsbicycles.com
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002511883_dige22m.html
mcsweeneys.net/2005/9/21halbur.html
truthlaidbear.com/porkbusters.php
easywebshop.co.uk/bristolmtb/mtb_diy_freehub_shimano.htm
53x11.com/index.php?articleno=65
| |
From: be
Subject: vellum cycles
Hey man,
Never written before, but I get a kick out of your site. Quality
work; especially considering your average BAC...
Anyway, thought you'd get a chuckle out of this new bike manufacturer
a friend is interested in: vellumcycles.com
I'm convinced it's a front for Nigerian scammers. Make sure
to read the 'technology' section. My favorite:
"Our team of engineers and designers incorporate the needs of
the cycling community to ensure today¹s modern lifestyle." |
Word.
More Interbyke stuff:
| |
From: Elizabeth
Subject: League of American Bicyclists Unveils Top 25 at
Interbike
The League of American Bicyclists is celebrating our 125th anniversary
in 2005, and as part of this celebration, we enlisted celebrity
judges to choose the top 25 change agents in American cycling. I'm
attaching the press release with the top 25, which is embargoed
until Wed. the 28th. We'll be making the official announcement at
8:40 a.m. that morning at the League's booth, which is in advocacy
row just outside the entrance to the exhibit hall. We'll also be
announcing the latest Bicycle Friendly Communities. See the attached
release for more details on the Top 25, and we look forward to seeing
you there! |
Click here to download
the press release.
| |
From: nate
Subject: nothing new here, nothing.
Does it appear to anyone else that some people think that abortion
did not exist before Roe vs. Wade? It, like many many many other
social issues, did. Women of all economic classes had abortions
before RvW and will continue to should it be over turned. The difference
is that the rich will continue to receive abortions in sterile,
medical environments while the poor will not. Aborting unborn offspring
is not a new concept, it was not invented by our supreme court in
the seventies. Like many other current hot-topic issues, it's all
been done before. For instance, when was the last time that american
auto manufacturers were out competed by more fuel efficient foreign
autos? That was in the seventies. When was the last time our government
ignored blatant warnings of oncoming tragedy only to allow the death
of thousands? That was in 2001. Did I go too far with that last
one? We'll see.
crapinabucket,
nate |
Another update from the road.
| |
From: Geoff
Subject: Above and Beyond Ride - Hello from Show Low!
Hello Everyone,
Hi from the beautiful town of Show Low, AZ! It has been a great
couple of days. Since the last update I have ridden from Ash Fork,
AZ to Show Low, AZ. On Tues I rode from Cal Nev Ari to Kingman,
through Laughlin. The climb out of Laughlin was ridiculously long
and steep, and it was pretty hot out. I was glad for the rest day
in Vegas. I was probably the only person who would consider Vegas
a rest stop! We stayed the night in Kingman, and had the worst Chinese
food disaster ever. Ask me about it sometime. The following day
we drove over to Ash Fork due to time constraints, and I rode from
there to Sedona, about 98 miles. The ride was absolutely beautiful
with an incredible climb matched by a descent into the Sedona valley
that was stunning. I was singing out loud all the way down. We spent
the night in Sedona and had breakfast there the next morning. Thanks
to Dave and Shopcat at Mountain Bike Heaven for hooking me up with
a pump. We waited around for an interview with the Red Rock News
but had to leave before the reporter could break away. I'll do the
interview by phone in the next day or so. Sedona has some incredible
scenery if you have not been there. Since we were out of Sedona
late in the day, I rode to Payson from Camp Verde, about 40 miles.
Had my first flat with a nail through the side wall. Payson was
nice and Brad at Chili's is a great server and nice guy. Today I
rode from Payson to Show Low, about 85 miles. It was a sweet ride
across the top of the Mogollon Plateau. I am having some achilles
issues, but I think I can nurse it to Texas. Everyone has been great
on the road with hotels giving us discounts, plenty of interest
in the ride and just a bunch of nice folks. Tomorrow I will ride
from Show Low to Quemado, NM. It looks like it will be about 80
miles, but we may go a bit longer to get to Pie Town. I want Pie
for breakfast! Thanks for reading and please pass this on to anyone
that you know. It is a long hot road and all help is greatly appreciated.
I keep reminding myself that this has nothing to with me. This is
all about making a difference for the people at M.D. Anderson that
have suffered so greatly. I know that they will have things be better
as the result of you caring and contributing. |
You can throw money at Geoff's fund raiser at aboveandbeyondride.com.
This is turning into a bit of a rambling, stumbling trainwreck, just
as I will in Las Vegas.
| |
From: Paul R.
Subject: more accident news
I may of only recently come around and become a loyal reader of
your website, but I have noticed a disturbing trend in the amount
of sad news there is from the result of accidents on the bicycle.
This never truly struck me until last week while riding his bike
in Albuquerque, NM, a car turned suddenly in front of my dad, and
it hit him. He struck the side panel beneath the trunk, the car
ran over his bike, his fork and front wheel are trashed, and the
frame is iffy at best.
He sustained minor injuries, the doctors told him it could of
easily been much worse, the helmet protected his head, and the
camelbak he wears might of contributed to the fact he only had
a separated shoulder.
At first, I thought it was an accident, things happen, people
don't see people, etc. But the way you react to a situation shows
what kind of character you have, and this person who hit him had
very little. She never spoke to him, never said sorry, never even
showed that she cared. The police were probably even dumber.
The cop that was working the accident said that there was no
fault able to be said on anyone's side, my fathers or the driver.
Ok, that almost makes sense, he didn't see it and its hard to
try to prove your case when you are in extreme pain from being
ran over by a car. But then he said that he was just as at fault
because bicyclists are supposed to stop at every block and check
for traffic. The cop then said, "I know, i ride my bike three
miles every day to the gym." What ever happened to sharing the
road? Cars don't have to stop unless their is a stop sign, why
should we have to stop at every one???
The whole experience made me (probably too much) aware that
people in America really need to change their attitudes and perceptions
about cyclists. With gas being so high, cycling is an even more
viable alternative to driving, but with attitudes like this, its
tough to be able to ride safely and not fear for your safety.
This type of thing makes me angry and drivers that think the road
was built only for their $50,000 Hummers and not my much cheaper
bike. I am sure I will find a way to not let it hate all drivers
forever, but right now, i think drivers need to wake up and watch
out for us. |
I'm glad to read your father wasn't too badly injured. I've been hit
by cars a couple of times now, and it sucks each and every time.
| |
From: Steven
Subject: 24 Up the Nose
Hey DC - The crazy fuckers at the Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship
just held the Third Annual 24 Up the Nose race on the trail at Roman
Nose State Park, near Watonga, OK, on Sept. 24 and 25. The race
was awesome, with some really sick folks putting in some amazing
rides in the heat. After the first two laps, the fastest lap time
award looked like it was going to be a tie. At 10:30 on Sunday morning,
though, Dr. Steve showed how it was done, by shaving a minute off
the fast lap time on his single speed! Talk about "Keepin' it Real!"
Unfortunately for Dr. Steve (and for Cameron Chambers' Dad, Doug,
who tied that time on one of his morning laps!), Brandon Raley,
from Stillwater, OK, knocked 2 more minutes off that time on his
LAST lap, setting a new course record for the rerouted trail. Cameron
Chambers had held the old record for two years, after winning this
event in 2002, on the old trail. Great race, great folks, and great
beer made this race fun to put on. Thanks to all those from Kansas,
Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Jersey, and elsewhere that trekked
out for the event, and to all those volunteers that made this race
great. There are a few pics up now, and race results will be up
soon at okearthbike.com.
Check it out. |
Sounds like fun, eh? And those Chambers cats are fast. I've heard
that name before. And I suspect I'll hear it again.
Hey look, it's fatty showing a distinct lack of style and grace.
Hard to believe I actually made it over that shit.
I remember those log piles, and the rock piles as well, were hard
because you never knew where the downside line was until you were on
top of the damn thing. If there was someone in front of you that made
it, then you could just follow them. But if there was a bit of a gap,
and you came up on something, you just guess what the line was and went
for it. Maybe you guessed right, and maybe you guess wrong. I just hoped
my front wheel didn't plant square into one the many tombstone sized
death rocks on the way down.
See this pic of my man Rudy going ass
over tea kettle on one such obstacle. He guessed wrong.
That guy even makes falling look good.
Kinda wish someone had a pic of me stuffing it up and planting my
handlebars in my guts. Now that was a proud moment.
And it felt good too.
Felt good for days.
This pic
is a good representation of the trail conditions. One might think this
guy is just riding through the woods. But, let me assure you, that is
exactly what the trial looked like: A distinct lack of trail. One big
rock garden. Big tires would have been an excellent idea.
Me? I rode 2.1 and regretted it.
These guys
are down with DC. I've even got one of their jerseys. And it's got DC
splashed across the back. It's pro.
Tornado
Tom conquers the world.
Boonen is a bad, bad man. Twenty four years old with a couple of sizable
wins under his belt. And to think, US Postal wanted him to ride for
Hincapie. He baulked and he walked. And now he's winning everything
in sight.
Watched the Eagles
this morning. These 10:00 am starts are hard on a brother. The Bloody
Marys help, but not that much. It's more of an all over level of suck
at that hour. Riding your bike in the morning is one thing, sitting
in a bar is something else entirely. This is for the pros.
At least we beat the damn Raiders. My man Big Pun is a lifelong Raiders
fan. Much like I'm pretty much locked in with the Eagles. The team you
grow up with, you're with for life.
So we talked a whole gang of shit through the whole game. When L.A.
went up seven-zip in the first quarter, things looked grim. A winning
field goal with 12 seconds on the clock made me very happy and the big
man very depressed.
My team is two and one, his O and three.
Aikers is a hero, Westbrook a card carrying bad ass. And McNabb still
likes to hit his receivers in the feet.
So it goes.
Snake just hit town. It's time to drink. I'll be knocking 'em back like
it's going out of style.
As it should be.
I wonder if I can drink Pay-n Take out of Tecate?
I'll give it the old college try.
Here are a whole whole bunch of links for the guys who keep writing
me saying I'm not posting enough smut these days.
assparade.com
ballhoneys.com
bangbrosworldwide.com
bigmouthfuls.com
bigtitsroundasses.com
milflessons.com
springbreakspycam.com
taylorbow.com
You can thank me later.
Thank God its Friday.
Truer words have never been spoken. I barely made it through this week.
The promise of a long overdue weekend spent here at home in Flagstaff
carried me through. I simply cannot imagine heading back out on the
road again.
I'll save that for next week and the drunken blur which is Interbyke.
The DC presence at Interbyke kinda reminds me of a line from Mall Rats:
They're not here to sell. They're not here to buy. They're just here.
| |
From: Corey the Courier
Subject: East Coast Cycle Courier Bike Polo
Yeah,
Philly here. We are planning to hold the event on October 1 & 2,
2005. Proceeds will benefit the BMEF (Bike Messenger Emergency Fund)
and 2006 NACCC (North American Cycle Courier Championships. We have
found a location with a fence and remote isolated location. There
are benches and an open area around the venue for spectators. You
have little over a month to get mallets, beater bikes and teammates
numbering three. Two days of smashing, crashing, drinking and carousing.
There will be an alleycat for the out of towners on Saturday night.
We are having this party to keep the love alive.
Flyers to follow.
Corey the Courier
Philly Phorever |
You may notice he says you have a little over a month. That would
be true if that email hadn't been buried in my inbox for an eternity.
As it stands you now have a little over a week to get it together.
And while I'm posting aged emails, I might as well let this one fly.
It's dated, are you ready for this, May 17th.
Jesus Titty Fucking Christ...
| |
From: erik
Subject: recent car crash
hey Johnny, my buddy Zack V told me I should send you pics and a
story from a recent accident I was in. Haven't been to the site
in a long time, so I guess I forgot you tend to put that stuff up.
A couple weeks ago I was out training during my lunch hour.
I had just finished up a long interval and was rolling up on an
intersection where I had a green. No big deal, the car ahead turned
and then I was gonna be through. Well, not quite. There was another
car pointed at me, and she evidently decided that she just HAD
to make her left turn across my path. She punched it, and I had
no chance of not hitting her (with me moving ~25 mph). From what
I remember I hit her front right panel, then the windshield with
my chest, then flipped through the air. I remember seeing the
blue sky and thinking "oh god, this is gonna hurt".
Next thing I knew I was on the ground, face up, bleeding. As
I tried to get up, there were people running over yelling at me
to stay down. A bunch of witnesses had gotten out of their cars
and proceeded to restrain me till the paramedics showed up. All
I could see of my wounds was blood pouring from my left arm. At
one point, I heard someone near me say "Is that bone? I think
I can see bone!"
Well, the paramedics showed up and they hauled em to the best
trauma center in Denver (they told me this in the ambulance as
they thought I had to be a mess inside). Turns out, I was. Injuries
included:
internal hemorrhaging in my bowels
lacerations on my belly with glass stuck in the skin
cuts and bruises on my head
many lacerations across my left arm (but none deeper than the
subcutaneous layer)
one really deep laceration into my knee (which is why the witness
saw bone)
a chip fracture in my elbow
a ground down patella
and many bumps, bruises, and cuts all over the rest of my body
Anyway, it was the first time I ever got to experiencing cat
scans, morphine, and even surgery as I had a whirlwind visit to
the ER. They had to put me under to go in and clean my wounds
and were concerned that if they had to remove too much more skin
or tissue I'd need plastic surgery and a skin graft from elsewhere.
Also I had lost so much blood on the road that if I lost much
more in surgery they'd have to put me on a transfusion. Then it
was lights out and into surgery.
Spent a couple days in the ICU while my guts healed, and I only
ran out of morphine once (oh, the pain!!!!). Then I got moved
to a normal room for a few days where I really started coming
back pretty quick. Got admitted Wednesday, released on Saturday.
Just had my stitches out yesterday (nearly 60 of them), just under
2 weeks after they got sewn in.
My wife took me back to the crash area but I don't remember
anything more. It was nice to see big pieces of the car I hit
on the side of the road. According to the accident report, I killed
that Saturn's side door, windshield, and roof, with quite a bit
of damage to her front panel and hood. Ha! On the negative side,
not only am I beat to hell (doc says 2-3 months before my knee
is really healed which means I miss road and MTB season and will
have zero fitness for cross), but my favorite bike ever was positively
KILLED in the crash.
If you want, here's a link to some pics my wife snapped after
they got me home. Feel free to post. ragingaardvark.com/accident
Remember, keep safe out there and watch out for all those assholes!!!
>=( |
Holy shit, dude. Those are some grim photos.
I'll wrap this up with a link dump extraordinaire:
alloutprodux.com/hellagreasytrailer2.mov
nytimes.com/2005/09/20/business/businessspecial/20disimone.htmlv
gadgetryblog.com/gadgetryblog/2005/09/worlds_first_in.html
cryingmachoman.com/returnpolicy
velonews.com/news/fea/8943.0.html
Do you googie?
Have you ever read what President John Kennedy wrote to Bobbie Lou
Pendergrass after her brother was killed in Vietnam? In 1963.
I hadn't till today. You can see the first page here
and the second over here.
Hey look, O'Reilly says they're
little gnomes. Well, you're an assclown, O'Reilly.
DC is nothing if not the highest level of intelligent discourse available
on the web today.
How 'bout a 7.9 lb. Bike? Check out Fair
Wheel Bikes. More nice rides here.
Time to line out them links like I was ruling the Saturday morning
group ride.
milkandcookies.com/links/21099
aolsvc.news.aol.com/business/article.adp?
bullmooseblog.com/2005/09/peoples-court.html
dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=137...253530
nationalreview.com/whelan/whelan200509191136.asp
Read that last one. Take a look at that little bit at the end that
states "In ruling that segregated public schools were unconstitutional,
Brown effectively overruled the nearly six-decades-old error of Plessy
v. Ferguson, and its removal of goernment-sponsored segregation from
the political processes predictably resulted in tremendous disruption
of established practices. Overturning Roe would lead to far less disruption,
as it would return the issue of abortion policy to the people to determine
through their elected representatives."
I'll make one point: Is the author suggesting segregation, and for
that matter all manner of Jim Crow Laws and slavery itself, were not
policy determined through elected representatives?
Just because a majority will vote for it, doesn't make it right. See
segregation, etc, for supporting evidence. That's why we have the Courts.
They review laws passed by our illustrious "elected representatives"
to see if they jive with our fabled and oft copied Constitution.
Think of it as a balance. One side checking off against the other.
Our Mr. Whelan would rather we descend into a mob rules mentality.
Or course, what my dear Mr. Whelan fails to realize is the only thing
holding back the mongrel horde from overrunning and absolutely destroying
everything in our society, including Mr. Whelan's house, children and
retirement savings, is the rule of law. Without that, we are no better
than savages.
If you defer to the mob, you will regret it. If you have money, and
100 others do not, would you allow them to "vote" on seizing your property?
Recent developments in Eminent Domain aside: Nobody wants that. And
neither does Mr. Whelan. He just want abortion to be illegal in this
country.
And, since Roe v. Wade is pretty much fucked with BushCo naming two
Supreme Court Justices, I'll say this and offer up a little wager. If
abortion is truly a great evil visited upon the land, what about capital
punishment, the execution of man? Are we to ban both in this country?
Or just the one that gets you votes in the fly-over states?
If we get rid of one, lets get rid of both.
At least then I'll be able to fucking sleep at night. If the "Roberts
Court" votes to overturn Roe v. Wade, let them also rule against capital
punishment. For cruel and unusual it most definitely is.
| |
From: Masterlist
Subject: Cochise Classic Dedicated to Dr. Dan McGehee
Perimeter Bicycling
E-News Bulletin
Smith Ranch Community
18th Cochise County Cycling Classic
Dedicated to Four-Time 252-Mile Cochise Winner
Dr. Dan McGehee
Richard J. DeBernardis, Founder and Executive Director of Perimeter
Bicycling Association of America, Inc. announces Dr. Dan McGehee
as the 2005 Dedication Recipient of the 18th Smith Ranch Community
Cochise County Cycling Classic.
McGehee, an optometrist and Mesa, Arizona resident is a four-time
winner of the Cochise Classic's 252-mile event in 1996, 1997,
1999 and 2004. Dan's time of 10 hours 26 minutes in 1996 remains
a record for the 252-mile event. Dan rides with Team RPM in Scottsdale
and recently set a new 100-mile road record of 4:11:05 with an
average speed of 23.89 mph, which beat Paul Solon's 1996 record.
Dan's other cycling accomplishments include two wins at the Furnace
Creek 508 ('98 solo; '03 two man). "We are proud to honor Dan
because he is not only a great athlete and an incredible cyclist
but he is also a true gentleman", said Richard DeBernardis.
The 2005 event will be held on Saturday, October 8, 2005 with
all ages and abilities welcome to ride the in the 252, 157, 92
or 45-mile events. All start and finish lines are at 10th Street
Park in Douglas, Arizona.
The Cochise Classic is honored to welcome Smith Ranch Community
as the Title Sponsor of the 18th Cochise County Cycling Classic.
Smith Ranch Community, located 4 miles west of Benson, Arizona,
is a 1,900 acre master-planned community featuring a variety of
home styles and sizes, 50% open space, trails, community parks,
sports fields, and neighborhood commercial and retail centers.
In addition, this community will donate school sites and a per
rooftop cash donation to the Benson Unified School District, and
implement a water conservation program setting a new standard
for Cochise County.
The 2005 Cochise Classic is expected to raise approximately
$6,000 for the Douglas Association for Retarded Citizens (DARC).
Since its inception, Cochise Classic has raised over $41,000 for
both the Arthritis Foundation and the Douglas Association for
Retarded Citizens. The Cochise Classic is the longest perimeter
bicycling event in the United States. Held every Fall in accordance
with the full moon, the event takes cyclists through one of the
most spectacularly scenic areas in Arizona.
Cochise Classic receives support and cooperation from the City
of Douglas, Cochise County, Smith Ranch Community, Wal-Mart, Gadsden
Hotel, Douglas Y, Douglas Daily Dispatch, KDAP Radio, Penske Truck
Rental, CarbBOOM, Clif Bar, Specialized Bicycles, Polar Water
Bottle, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, M&M Cycles (Sierra Vista), Bicycle
Tour of Colorado and Race Across American (RAAM).
Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc. is a non-profit
organization responsible for the production and promotion of four
major cycling events in Arizona, including the Cochise County
Cycling Classic. |
Right on Dan McGehee. I've seen that guy friggin bury himself. Impressive
stuff. Info on the event at pbaa.com/Home.html#4Cs.
More bad news on the cyclist front.
| |
From: William
Subject: A Jeff Update in Heather's Own Words
Hey Big Jonny, I thought you might want to know that my friend Jeff
Littmann was involved in a very serious cycling accident in the
Muskego Park Masters race on Sunday. Here is the latest report from
his fiancé Heather Haviland, a professional triathlete for Timex.
Jeff has been a institution in Tucson every spring for the past
15 years and well known as the Wisconsin "skinsuit guy" also known
as "the Rock".
A Jeff Update in Heather's Own Words...you can follow Jeff's
progress on Heather's website heatherhaviland.com
I really hate seeing Jeff like this.
In his mouth he has a breathing and an oral gastric tube to flush
out fluids in his stomach to minimize the risk of getting sick.
He is still heavily sedated and lying very still. His HR is elevated,
jumping from 100-130+. Last night he went into what is called
arterial fibrillation. This is not uncommon with the distressed
that he has experienced on his body these past few days. There
is currently a drip of medicine call, amiodarone, that helps reduce
the HR. So, Littmann is getting in some good Zone1 training what
a trooper still training even in bed. No, but I was definitely
in better spirits of Jeff's condition until I saw him today. It
just is very hard to see him like this. I have always looked up
to Jeff for his strength and strong will. He has many times put
me in my place on how I react to things. Now it is time I need
to stay composed and in control for him. He got a CT scan today
to re-check for any internal bleeding. The doctors were a bit
concern with his hemocrit levels. The dropped from 41 to 26. The
CT scan showed no signs of internal bleeding. Jeff gained 10k,
which was all water weight. They felt that the weight gain diluted
the hemocrit test.
Around 4pm today they tried to take him off the ventilator, but
his breathing effort was not good enough to permanently take him
off. So they heavily sedated him again and will re-try tomorrow.
I will continue to give you updates. Thank for all the cards and
gifts. Remember in lieu of flowers; please donate money to the
Matt Wittig foundation (see previous update for webpage)
|
Here is a link to the Matt
Wittig Cycling Scholarship fund.
This next one might come in handy.
| |
From: Interbike News
Subject: INTERBIKE, SCOTT USA, MAVIC ANNOUNCE 2nd ANNUAL
HANGOVER RIDE
Group 'wake-up' ride scheduled for early morning of OutDoor Demo
Day Two
Laguna Beach, CA (September 21, 2005) - Overindulging - it's
a known fact in Las Vegas.
If it happens to you at this year's Interbike show, not too
worry, attendees are once again invited to ride off the effects
of the previous night in the 2nd Annual Scott USA / Interbike
Hangover Ride…and you don't need to be over-served in order to
participate - the ride is open to all show attendees.
Always fun with the added element of fresh desert air, the hangover
ride is approximately 24 miles long with some moderate climbs.
This year's ride is a "loop" that departs and returns to Bootleg
Canyon and travels along Lake Mead. Approximate time of ride is
1.5 to 2 hours.
The 2nd Annual Interbike Hangover Road Ride presented by Scott
USA, in association with Mavic - the details:
When: Tuesday, September 27th, at 7:30AM
Where: Bootleg Canyon, site of the 2005 OutDoor Demo,
at the main entrance.
Who: All industry members are invited.
What: Industry road ride for 1 -1 1/2 hours before start
of day two's OutDoor Demo.
Why: For fun and, of course, industry networking.
A shuttle will depart from the front entrance of the Sand's
Convention Center to the OutDoor Demo at 6:30 AM sharp on Tuesday.
The shuttle will only accommodate riders and not bicycles -
bicycle delivery can be arranged through Scott USA for this
ride. Mavic will be on hand to provide neutral support and service
for the ride. Stop by the Scott USA booth on Monday at the OutDoor
Demo to reserve a road bike for the demo. |
There was a phone number on the tail end of that one. But I thought
I'd help a brother out and not splash his digits all over the
web.
I'm a real humanitarian.
You want new porn? Here's your fucking porn, you savages.
Word for the day: Savages.
asianxxxgames.com
candyfilms.com
domymom.com
mommylovespussy.com
porndifferent.com
pornstarclassics.com
smashcom.com
That ought to hold those bastards for a while.
This is the part where I try to say something interesting. Unfortunately,
I have nothing interesting to say. Wading though emails and cans of
Yuengling Lager in equal measure while my wife sorts out the bills over
there on the bed. Everyone should be so lucky.
I kinda miss the days when I ran an mp3 of the week up in this piece.
Those days are long gone as the associated bandwidth became too much
to manage. And people say this site makes money.
People don't know shit.
My man Snake told me a funny story the other day. He ran into some
guy who said, "I heard that guy at drunkcyclist makes so much money,
he put his wife through law school."
I think Snake laughed at him. And then he told the story 'bout the
one bedroom apartment we were splitting down in Tucson two winters back.
Best days of my life. Ride a couple hundred miles a week and don't worry
'bout shit.
Long and short of it, this site doesn't pay for shit other than itself.
I am not Big Daddy Long Cash. I'm just big jonny. And that's enough.
And my wife's student loans will be getting the minimum payment each
and every month for the next twenty years.
Yo, and get at this one. You need one of these. The hottest shit on
the street. And just in time for Interbyke. Click the pic for ordering
information.
Yep I suck. And I'm walking down stairs for another beer. You can't
stop me.
Word.
I'm feeling a big old link dump coming on.
bike-o-bello.de/…cyclepassion-2006/
titane.ca/concordia/dfar251/igod/main.html
Recruits
Sought for Porn Squad
http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/
aviationplanning.com/asrc1.htm
wetasschronicles.com/BackyardBiking.wmv
(right click, save as)
nypost.com/news/nationalnews/53553.htm
nynewsday.com/news/…nyc-homepage-breaking2
villagevoice.com/news/0535,colwell,67297,5.html
thesneeze.com/mt-archives/cat_steve_dont_eat_it.php
web.maths.unsw.edu.au.nyud.net:8090/~norman/book.htm
Ah yes, that's better. Swear to Christ, I'm ten pounds lighter.
| |
From: Geoff
Subject: Above and Beyond Ride - Update from the Road
Hey Everybody,
Since the last update I have ridden down the East side of the Sierras,
across Death Valley, through Vegas to Kingman, AZ. Death Valley
was particularly grueling, with 105 deg temps and elevation from
5500 to 250 below sea level. Vegas was great and Babe won a pretty
big chunk of cash, and id donating a large part to M.D. Anderson.
What a guy. I am going to keep this short since I have a ton of
riding to do today, but I appreciate the continued support and all
the help that I have received during this endeavor. If you have
been waiting to contribute, or to send the link or emails to your
friends and contacts, it would be a huge help if you could go ahead
and do that now. Every bit helps, and I feel like we have just scratched
the surface. I know that there are plenty of causes going on right
now, but if you can find it in yourself to give, you can help those
hardest hit by the Hurricane, and by life in general. Thanks a million!
|
You can donate through aboveandbeyondride.com.
| |
From: Brendt
Subject: Bicycle Film Festival
We are coming to California (Oct. 5-8) for some Bike Fun.
The Bicycle Film Festival(Oct.5-8) is a celebration of bicycle
culture through art, film and music. In its fifth year the BFF
has expanded to include Tokyo, London and Los Angeles in addition
to San Francisco and its base New York City. This expansion has
been met with big enthusiasm.
New York this year was attended by up to 7,000 people and the
whole Fest sold out in London. There is a intense fervor brewing
for urban bike culture and the Festival has been there to express
it.
Our SF show will be awesome with a Rock Show (Oct5. The Independent)with
Gang Gang Dance and Tussle. An Art Show "CHECKPOINT" (Oct.6 Red
Ink)with work from Shuan O'Dell, Thomas Campbell, Swoon, Ricky
Powell,and Cheryl Dunn and mucho more. Oh yes and killer movies
like "Joe Kid on A Sting Ray" the "Dogtown" of BMX. The Urban
bike culture screening is always selling out. We are playing a
Classic by Legendary Filmmaker Jorgen Leth, "A Sunday In Hell".
"Pure Sweet Hell" is a look at the surging sport of Cyclocross
in the United States.
Another Film of note is "Still We Ride" a documentary about
the police crackdown on Critical Mass in NYC since George Bush
came to town for the Republican National Convention last year.
Over 500 bicyclists have been arrested in the last year.
It should be a lot of fun.
Check out the site
bicyclefilmfestival.com |
Sounds like a good time.
This is a way better race report than the one I pulled out of my ass.
'Cause I suck.
| |
From: Mike G.
Subject: Kona 24-Hour Global Series
Event 2: Snow Mountain Ranch, Granby, CO
Granby, CO (September 10, 2005) - More than 260 mountain biking
fanatics flooded the grounds of Granby, Colorado's Snow Mountain
Ranch for the second event in the Kona 24-Hour Global Series mountain
bike race on the weekend of September 10, 2005. These racers from
across the globe converged on the Colorado ranch with a fervor to
prove their mettle on the singletrack and fire roads of the Rocky
Mountains, all day, all night.
Fueled by an intense desire to win, as well as the generous
quantities of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Jagermeister consumed the
night before, the teams of Kona's Big Unit and the Media Darlings
engaged in an epic battle on the 12.6 mile loop of Snow Mountain
Ranch. Trash was talked, hangovers were tempered, and dreams were
crushed and realized on the northern Colorado singletrack. The
fast and swoopy course chewed up and spat out the 11 racers of
the two Kona sponsored teams, and strung out a field of over 260
competitors as they powered through the thin mountain air. Kona's
Big Unit leapt out to an early lead during the starting footrace,
but by the end of the first lap the Media Darlings had evened
things up, and the teams were neck and neck. For the first few
laps, the Media Darlings held a tenuous lead, but the subsequent
laps saw the singlespeed hammers of Kona's Big Unit gradually
pulling away and the Media Darlings struggling to keep up. Allegations
that the Media Darlings' usual endurance diet of PBR had been
deliberately substituted with lower-octane PBR Light were raised,
but these protests fell on deaf ears. Nobody cared our support
vehicle had been vandalized the night before, either… As the sun
set on the first hours of racing, and riders became more familiar
with the course, speeds increased and lap times dropped. But so
did the temperatures, and soon racers on all counts were gasping
in the frosty Colorado air. In the early morning hours, water
bottles turned to slush in the sub-zero temperatures, and wary
racers slowed their pace to avoid midnight accidents.
In the cold hours before dawn, Kona's Big Unit crept further
ahead, extending their lead on the Media Darlings, and an early
morning "miscommunication" forced the Media Darlings' fastest
rider to ride two laps back to back, expending valuable energy.
But the second day of racing broke as perfectly as the first,
with blue skies and temperatures warming by the minute. Racers
on all teams were heartened, and lap times began to drop again.
As the clock wound down, approaching the magic 24-hour mark,
racers relaxed, having found their groove and pace. But this leisurely
attitude lasted only until it was realized it could be possible
to force team members late in the rotation to race another lap
if the preceding teammate returned to the finish line before time
was up. The desire to screw a teammate over became the inspiration
for faster lap times, while those about to be screwed wished upon
those currently racing meltdowns, mechanicals or, "crises of the
soul." Eventually, the final laps were completed, and as PBRs
and bottles of Jagermeister were double-fisted, the results were
tallied: Media Darlings, 23 laps, Kona's Big Unit, 24 laps. The
singlespeeders were victorious. Among those soloists and teams
who wanted to win the actual race, Josh Tostado came first in
the solo men category, while Jenn O'Conner was the winner for
the solo women, and the Pro Team category was won by the 3D Racing/Tamarack
team.
The race organizers were showered with praise, and PBR, and
commended for a course described as almost perfect for a 24-hour
event.
The third, and final, event in the Kona 24-hour Global Series
will be held December 3 and 4 at Redesdale in Victoria, Australia.
Good luck to all who participate!
About the Kona Bicycle Company - Home of the 2004 and 2005 Men's
Downhill World Champion, Fabien Barel, and the 2005 Event 2 Kona
24-Hours Global Series Corporate Category Champions, Team Kona's
Big Unit.
konaworld.com/index.cfm
|
When you read the shit I wrote, you'd think I was at a different event
entirely. Whatever. Have a drink on me.
| |
From: Sessa
Subject: access denied
You have attempted to access a site
that is prohibited or has been blocked
pursuant to Kinko's policy.
Well this just isn't right. I am a traveling business type ...
or something. I need to stop and check my mail and look for my
daily updates of cycling news, results and rider transfers. How
will my news day be complete if I am not able to check your site?
The man is keeping me down.
Heck I might even be checking out important socio-political
concerns like this. Sorry if it comes through a little dodgy,
it's the way I got it.
Published on Sunday, September 18, 2005 by the New York Daily
News (nydailynews.com)
Chavez' Surprise for Bush Offering to Sell Cheap Oil to America's
Poor
by Juan Gonzalez
Worried about the skyrocketing cost of gasoline and heating
oil this winter?
Well, Hugo Chavez, the firebrand president of oil-rich Venezuela,
wants to help.
Chavez, a former army officer twice elected president in huge
landslides, has become a target of the Bush administration for
his radical social policies.
Last month, right-wing evangelist Pat Robertson openly urged
his assassination.
But now Chavez is firing back at Bush and Robertson with a surprise
weapon - cheap oil for America's poor.
In an exclusive interview yesterday, the Venezuelan leader said
his country will soon start to ship heating oil and diesel fuel
at below market prices to poor communities and schools in the
United States.
"We will begin with a pilot project in Chicago on Oct. 14, in
a Mexican-American community," said Chavez, who was in town for
the United Nations sessions. "We will then expand the program
to New York and Boston in November."
The first New York neighborhood in the program will be the South
Bronx, where Chavez was to speak today as a guest of Rep. Jose
Serrano.
The Venezuelan leader revealed details of the new oil-for-the-poor
program during a wide-ranging interview at the upper East Side
home of his country's UN ambassador.
"If you want to eliminate poverty, you have to empower the poor,
not treat them as beggars," Chavez said.
During the hour-long interview, he also blasted the Iraq war;
accused Bush of trying to kill him to reassert U.S. control over
Venezuela's oil; offered support for the victims of Hurricane
Katrina; and lampooned the UN as out of touch with the world's
poor.
Echoing his favorite American writer, radical linguist Noam
Chomsky, Chavez warned that "Americans must reorder their style
of life" because "this planet cannot sustain" our "irrational"
consumption, especially when it comes to oil.
Much of what Chavez said he has expressed before.
But his novel oil-for-the-poor idea in this country is sure
to make him an even bigger target of the Bush administration.
Those who scoff at this as a publicity scam should think twice.
With the price of oil at record levels, the Chavez government
is swimming in cash.
Those sky-high fuel prices are bound to have a drastic impact
on low-income neighborhoods here, especially since Congress redirected
much of this winter's usual energy assistance program for victims
of Hurricane Katrina.
Venezuela, on the other hand, owns a key U.S. subsidiary called
Citgo Petroleum Corp., which has 14,000 gas stations and owns
eight oil refineries in this country, none of which was damaged
by Katrina.
Chavez said he can afford to sharply reduce Citgo's prices by
"cutting out the middle man."
His plan is to set aside 10% of the 800,000 barrels of oil produced
by the Citgo refineries and ship that oil directly to schools,
religious organizations and nonprofits in poor communities for
distribution.
The same approach, he said, has worked in the Caribbean, where
Venezuela is already sharply subsidizing oil deliveries to more
than a dozen nations.
Cutting oil prices must seem like the worst sort of radicalism
to the Big Oil companies and their buddies at the Bush-Cheney
White House.
But ordinary Americans fed up with price gouging by these energy
companies could begin to look at Chavez in a different light if
his oil-for-the-poor project works.
Still, Chavez, warns, we must all think about the future. Americans
are 5% of the world's population, yet we consume 25% of the world's
oil. On his drive from Kennedy Airport to Manhattan this week,
Chavez noted, "Out of every 100 cars I saw on the road, 99 had
only one person in the car.
"These people were using up fuel," he said. "They were polluting
the environment. This planet cannot sustain that mode of life."
That's the kind of message that can get a man killed these days
- or at least labeled a dangerous madman by folks in the White
House.
Juan Gonzalez is a Daily News columnist.
C Copyright 2005 New York Daily News
You have attempted to access a site
that is prohibited or has been blocked
pursuant to Kinko's policy.
|
Yeah buddy. That there is what we like to call a damn good story.
And by "we" I mean me.
So it goes...
| |
From: Dave
Subject: Crash
Hi mate,
I read your site quite a bit. I had a stack recently and got all
profound about it.
You will either love or hate this:-
phased.co.uk/…22&Itemid=54
|
I'm leaning towards love.
And don't sweat the descents. You'll never make up time lost on the
climbs no matter how friggin fast you go. Train for the climbs and keep
it in check on the way down.
As if you don't already know it.
| |
From: Michael
Subject: legacy
we are getting knocked off like flies around here Big Mutha Jonny
pretty soon every fukking ride we go on will be a legacy ride:
this sukks:
Folks,
On friday, Steve Williams was riding on Highway 14 near the
Duck Creek area north of Kanab and was struck from behind and
killed. He was shuttle-riding with friend Todd Leeds. The driver,
a 79-yr old rancher, traveled a 1/4-mile before stopping to turn
around, thinking he might have hit something (?!). Steve was an
avid bicyclist and huge back-country skier. He attended last year's
Josie Ride, and will be remembered at this year's ride. The family
has asked in lieu of flowers that donations be sent to the Friends
of Utah Avalanche Center and the Utah Bicycle Coalition. There
will be a memorial service this friday 1-4pm at Washington Park,
Mountain Dell Terrace (up Parley's Canyon). Consider riding your
bike up Emigration (If anyone is unfamiliar with that route you
drop down to the East Canyon road from Little Mountain summit
and turn right. Down the canyon to the freeway where you turn
left up the golf course road.)
legacy.com/SALTLAKETRIBUNE/…Page=LifeStory&Person
|
That does suck. My condolences to his friends and family.
Bike belong.
| |
From: charles
Subject: dude…
dude,
enough with the daily fucking metart links... for real. you're not
even trying any more. day after day my anticipation is met with
mediocrity. metart is not all that. there is much better free porn
out there.
for starters:
defiancefilms.com
clubredlight.com
platinumxpictures.com
lukeford.com
(not so much porn but cool all the same)
clubtaylorrain.com
and of course:
carstuckgirls.com
(wtf?????)
hope these are of some use. love the site, just thought i should
give you some shit about the metart. keep up the good work. |
I'll link your shit. But I still love me some metart.
| |
From: adam
Subject:
You're gonna love this:
1. Go to google.com
2. type in "failure" (miserable failure works too)
3. Hit the "I'm feeling lucky" button
4. Laugh your ass off... |
Oh that so fucking rules. That one made my night.
In lieu of pulling and update out of my ass last night, I sat in my
garage drinking beer and watching Big Pun make his seven speed downtube
shifting bike into an eight speed one with integrated shiftlevers. Oh,
he is so new millennium
And handy with the bike tools.
It was fun. The Gnome and I, having spent out time in the trenches,
sat and bullshitted while Pun figured shit out. Good times. Especially
when it came time to dish that bad boy over and the Gnome stepped up
to the plate. Seems like Pun learning all about cone wrenches, ball
bearings, and freehub bodies was enough for one night.
Talk about teamwork. I sat and watched. The only thing I did, other
than drink Pun's beer, was hand him a motorcycle tire lever after he
busted a plastic one. Seems Pun like to run really heavy tires. Not
quite the system, but damn close enough.
I got links just burning a hole in my pocket tonight, kids.
deludeddispatch.blogspot.com
velonews.com/news/fea/8879.0.html
rottenmac.com/photoblog
thesuperficial.com/image.php?path=/archives/hulk_hogan_wife_flash.jpg
wallbike.com/oddsnends.html
Brad has posters available from the SSWC over at, um, randomprecisionphoto.com.
Check 'em out.
Good looking out, Simone. And I like the trophy. No wonder you rode
so fast. We'd all ride fast for that.
| |
From: Tony Bagadonuts
Subject: In honor of Intl. Pirate Day
I might have to go out tonight/this afternoon and get "Pirate" (to
drink until all sentences end in a pirate-like "Aaarrrgh"). I'll
even throw in a few "Avast ye maties" and say shit like "keel-haul"
and "land Lubbers" and other nonsensical gibberish. I'm sure it
will go over great here in the middle of a high desert.
"Splice the Main Brace!" |
Yar.
I'd bet dollars to donuts Tony actually went out boozing in a pirate
costume.
Because he's fucking crazy, that's why.
| |
From: Brad
Subject: Homegrown Colorado-style
Hola El Guapo Juan,
Here's a local frame builder from my (new) hometown of Fort Collins,
CO. Give him some props! He's a cool dude and is currently welding
stainless steel horizontal dropouts on an old Kona for me. It will
be a sweet addition to the bike armada.
blacksheepbikes.com
|
And check this one out. It had pictures. Pretty pictures.
I am so fucking sick of these trojans and assorted spy ware gizmos
I keep running into. I try to only link up the clean shit, but you can
image what I run into in the course of any given day.
I'll bet it's the same crap the rest of you run into: Trouble.
Fuck this shit. I'm sick of it. Totally and completely done with it.
If it was still pirate day I'd say "yarrgh". But it's not so I won't.
Captain
America. I like the hand stand. A real touch of class.
| |
From: anonymous
Subject:
I know that you sometimes comment on music you like on the site.
Well I heard about this site (www.allofmp3.com)
on NPR of all places, and it 's almost too good to be true! I just
had to share my good fortune with my fellow cheap ass cyclists.
It's basically just like iTunes (but actually better in some ways).
The kicker though is that it's based in Russia, so with the exchange
rate, all the songs are like 10 cents instead of 99 cents. I hardly
even bother to listen to anything before buying because it's so
cheap (though you can listen to the whole song not just 30 seconds
like iTunes). I've been buying music from this site for about a
year and have had zero problems. It's secure, plus it's easy to
use. Check it out, their English translation is better than most
Asian bike manufacturers. It's almost like their targeting the US
consumer. The catch is that you have to check that you've read and
agreed to their user agreement which says somewhere that you won't
knowingly do anything illegal (wink, wink) and that they're not
supposed to sell outside of Russia (wink, wink). A whole CD for
$1.50! Now you're talkin'
Best sign me anonymous (in case the RIAA is lurking). |
My man Snake uses either that program, or one a lot like it. He loves
it.
I may have to saddle up here in a bit. Time for some fresh blood around
here on the mp3 tip.
And cheap fresh blood is the best kind.
That said I'm cracked and I'm packing it in. I've been running a couple
of different utilities all night, trying to clean this thing up. Oh,
what joy.
At least I've been riding a bike to work this week. I friggin hate
driving.
Good night.
I rode this morning for all of one hour on my single speed. I took a
good week off the bike. Seemed like the thing to do. Now I'm ready to
start actually riding again.
After a few days rest from my hour effort, I'll increase by 10%. So
maybe by Wednesday I'll be rocking out for one hour and six minutes.
Shit.
At this rate, I'll be back up to four hour rides by Thanksgiving.
| |
From: Tama
Subject: I take jokes to far
Ahoy Jon
I thought you might be amused by this - vorb.org.nz
- as it's "Talk Like A Pirate Day" I've created a script that has
pirate-ized the whole of Vorb for the day...
Life is good |
Yar.
Damn pirates always fucking up global
warming.
orsm.net/shite/update20050908/rs0005.jpg
seelai.com/blog/2004/04/seethru_skirts.html
bushville.org
iop.org/EJ/abstract/0960-1317/15/9/S06
velonews.com/race/int/articles/8910.0.html
We've got a biker
down in Santa Rosa. And a cyclist charged with a man
slaughter in Corvallis.
It's a big crazy world out there. I'm just glad I'm safe and sound
up here in my underwear.
Represent.
| |
From: Chris
Subject: Now THAT'S a new one
I've bike commuted for years. Been spat at, deliberately rammed
by a car (in front of a cop), ran over wildlife, ran over people,
arrived at work without trousers, flipped a baby trailer upside
down and seen a dead body.
This mornings' ride to the bike shop I run beats them all.
Each morning I pass around 20 to 25 Asian folks in the same
spot in Golden Gate Park. They practice some form of slow, ritualized
dance to bloody awful taped instructions from a Brixton suitcase.
They kinda get my attention 'cause they block the road and I have
to weave through them, although up until this morning they have
done nothing more dangerous than wave fans in my general direction.
This morning I am towing Baby J in his Chariot towards the gathering
when I notice something is different. They are spaced as usual,
about arms length apart, blocking the road and about 25 in number.
But this time they are facing away from me, heads bowed and hands
clasped in front of them. Oh, I think, this'll make things easier,
not so hard to weave through a stationary obstacle course. As
I jink through the first line I hear a loud GACK! and in unison
every single one of them starfishes...
And in each outstretched hand they have a sword. A SWORD! A
bloody big, scary, glittering sword. 50 real bloody swords, each
making that sharp thwiiiiiiiiiiiing noise when they touch. Nothing
rubber anywhere to be seen, and here I am in the midst of a mob
of whirling dervishes, hurtling at 20mph right through the middle
of a human liquidizer.
Didn't help that I watched Sin City last night and in the immortal
words of Clive Owen (Who, even as a straight man, is HOT in that
film), I am about to be cut into a human Pez dispenser.
I make that low, quick furry animal sqeeeeeek that all of us
do in times of high sphincter factor, make myself as small as
humanly possible and rocket out the other end counting appendages
and fingers on both me and Baby J.
Anyway, that was the start to my morning. That and some barsteward
stole the freakin' shop pump again. Feel free to use the shop
name if you kindly decide to share this missif on your site, I
am due for my 5 minutes of fame.
Chris
Roaring Mouse Cycles
roaringmousecycles.com
|
I'd say your ride to work is a whole hell of a lot more exciting than
mine.
And watch out for those swords.
| |
From: response
Subject: getting around
Planes.
Last month I had to fly to the Midwest. In order to get the rate
that I wanted, I had to fly from Minnesota to Chicago, and then
get right back on the SAME PLANE and fly back to Minnesota to catch
my LA flight. I saved like $250 with this redundancy. Also. I could
not bring my bike without paying a hefty premium. However on the
same flight, kids fly free, and I assure you every sick kid sneezed
on me in the few short hours that I had to remain there.
Trains.
I have a train station placed conveniently outside my door. It
goes up and down the beautiful Pacific coast and most points around
the US. However, they won't let me take my bike on except either
A. in a box (I'm not mechanic and it takes me a long time to reassemble
the bitch)
B. on the SPECIAL DELIVERY coach that goes once a week.
How convenient!
Automobiles.
I moved to LA a year ago. I owned an expensive car for business
purposes (i.e. for some strange reason, no one wants to buy things
from people that drive practical cars, I tried it both ways).
Since I moved to LA, both of my doors have been bashed in by inconsiderate
people. Both my front and rear bumpers have been pushed in to
some degree by people who do not know how to parallel park. I
have been hit and run, sideswiped no less. So I parked my car
in front of my garage for a few days until I could find someone
to fix it. While I was at work, someone broke into my car and
found my oversized custom made 'Cars are Coffins' messenger bag
and proceeded to stuff all of my personal belongings and electronics
into the bag. Total damage $6000.00. Total insurance reimbursement.
$1000.00.
I no longer own an expensive car, I own a beat down luxury car
that was once expensive.
Boats.
There is a nice big boat that will take you from LA to Santa Catalina
Island and you can put your bike right on deck free of charge.
Once there, 30 bars in one square mile await you as well as miles
of cool roads to see one of the greatest wilderness parks on earth.
Aside from that boat however, there are some boats that don't
need to exist. I had the 'privilege' of going to the Smoke on
the Water Poker Run (smokeonthewaterpokerrun.com)
this year. Over 200, quarter million dollar boats that go 80+
miles an hour at average less than 1 mile per gallon of high octane
fuel. These things operate at a whopping 115+ db of noise (a loud
rock concert) and have no emission control as they rip around
our precious great lakes. That same event 2 people died and one
survived with a broken back.
Also, I went from LA to Flagstaff (avoided Big Jonny of course!)
for the 4th of July this year. I missed the cruiser nation thing,
but me and Pete made out own alleycat run that was alright. On
the way home I noticed that there were so many people coming back
from the river with their boats in tow. The majority of those
people were doing 90 miles an hour with rickety trailers that
have tiny under inflated tires on even smaller rusty axels that
they never bother to grease before or after dipping them in the
river when launching their pieces of shit. Those people were swerving
in and out of traffic with their trailers shuddering and pitching
dangerously behind them, ignoring the signs that post a 55 mile
an hour limit for idiots with trailers.
Busses.
Too many people have horror stories about the GRAY DOG. Expensive,
noisy, dirty, dangerous in some places. Yeah you can bring your
bike on board, but it's gotta be boxed. Also, if they lose or
damage your bike, DO NOT expect anyone to give a rats ass.
In contrast I have traveled extensively in Mexico and have had
nothing but good experiences. Mexico is a place that a lot of
people consider a 3rd world country yet one can enjoy such freedom
of mobility. My slanty and I got on a 1st class buss near Manzanillo
and traveled to Nogales Az for a little over 100 dollars. Leather
seats, air ride suspension, air conditioning, our own TV monitor,
frequent stops to INTERESTING places with good food and bathrooms.
We are treated like guests, and the trip was pleasant. I sold
my bike before the trip home (to some lucky dog) but I understand
that if one takes a 2nd or 3rd class bus (for much less money),
they will strap it to the bumper or on top for little or no fee.
Hell even hitchhiking can be safe and fun in Mexico. Here in LA
it is almost certainly lethal.
Biking,
I cannot say enough positive stuff about bike riding. Even those
downhill assholes and stuck up weasel suit wearers are alright
to some extent, because they are one of us. I have sweated, bled,
puked, laughed and cried on my bike, probably all in one night.
I cannot think of a better way to get around. When I ride, I feel
compassion for my fellow man and hope for our collective future.
Maybe our fuel situation while make other means of transportation
less accessible to the common man and set more people free on
the bikes. I hope I see you all on the trial, time to ride! |
First up: Doug Loveday of Grand
Canyon Racing won the Arizona State Championship this morning in
grand style.
Because Grand Style is all he knows.
Race Report:
Kona 24 Hour Global Series
I somehow got tapped to do this race on a "press team". Some seriously
left field shit. Anyway, I get an email and an offer: Free entry and
a plane ticket to Denver.
Who could resist…
I end up on a squad with a guy from Bike, a guy from Dirt Rag and
a guy from Bicycling. And me. The guy with that website he updates in
his underwear.
I'm a pro.
Picked up at the airport in Denver. Yeah. Me. Picked up. I've never
been picked up. Not even by chicks. Never. Nope. Nada.
First night I hang out at Big Willy's place on the front range. He
tells me you can roll from him place to the Coors brewery without having
to pedal. All roads lead to Rome, and it's all downhill to Coors.
Boozing it up proper to insure proper race day form. Noble and I are
the last men standing. An honor insuring one hell of a hangover. Something
about 10 people putting down two bottles of jager in less than an hour.
Yeah. That one hurt. And never you mind the 10 cans of cheap domestic
lager I tossed down my gullet.
I actually shot gunned a beer for the first time in a decade that
night.
Stupid shit like that.
Stupid is as drunk idiots do.
Saturday morning brought the realization of self-inflicted brain damage
and midnight mechanic shenanigans. I helped bolt the wheel back on the
rental that for some reason seemed like a fucking brilliant idea to
remove the night prior. My bike ended up up under the hood for some
reason. Can't really blame that one on me. That was all Noble.
No harm, no foul.
Up the hill to Granby there wasn't much talking in the car. Five guys
each fighting their own personnel demons. And trying no to barf as we
drive at breakneck speed in a rented land yacht.
Get to the venue. Continue to try and pull my head out of my ass.
Not working. Race starts at 2:00 pm. I guess noon to noon is all sewn
up. I consider pre-riding the course. But then I remember I don't care.
I get the tent set up, lay out the bag, lay out the jonny. A little
snooze time might just be what the doctor ordered. I'm to head out on
the second lap. I really don't feel like running a quarter mile in cycling
shoes. Call me crazy, but I've done enough of that already. That damn
run at SSWC has me topped off for the rest of the year.
Mike G. steps up to the run and heads out for the first lap. He comes
in at a reasonable time, setting the standard for reasonable lap times
for the rest of us. And I'm out on course. I realize quite quickly I'm
riding way to hard. Those high numbers on the heart rate monitor are
laughing at me.
And, yes, I brought a hr monitor to the race. Gay as a tennis helmet,
I know. But I wanted to see what was going to happen after Leadville,
SSWC and two weeks of slack, drink and funeral. I figured it'd be interesting
to watch the numbers do funny things.
And funny things they did do.
I'm riding around the first part of the course with Noble. He's on
a single speed and I'm on gears. I figured he's going to really push
it on all the climbs. I have the option of not pushing it quite so hard,
and I take it. Downshift and settle in. This is the first lap of many.
If I start digging deep now, I'm just making a grave to lie in later.
Great course, by the way, just spectacular. A nice mix of single track
and fire road with plenty of high speed, fast and twisty stuff to keep
you on your toes. I loved it.
For a twenty four hour race you need some wide sections so riders can
pass. If you make it all technical singletrack, it just gets bunched
up and no one is happy. Make it all wide boulevards and you risk the
riders getting bored out there.
This course had the mix just about right.
There were three hills of note. And all of them ended with an nice
little kick. I made it a goal to keep it in the middle ring. Other faster
men probably did it in the big. Some folks I saw were walking. Nice
little climbs. I'm sure we all enjoyed them very much.
I can't say enough good things about this event. I would strongly
recommend you take a good hard look at this one next year. The organization
was top notch, the course and the venue perfect. Plenty of parking,
lots of room for camping, cabins for rent and actual hot food available
throughout the night. That's right, food, all night.
When you can't imagine eating another fucking powerbar, saddle up
to bowl of chili and a hot cup of coffee. That'll pull you out of almost
any slump.
It did me.
So the team gives it some stick through the night. I don't think we
had one flat tire between any of us. One time Sean overslept his lap,
forcing a double lap by Ron, who just happened to be one of the stronger
riders on the team. In short, it couldn't have worked out much better.
I'm a mid pack kind of guy. Remember it's the slowest water buffalo
that are dragged down by the lions. And those guy hot rodding around
out in front the herd. Oh yeah, they're just asking for it.
There were lap times coming in faster than mine. And laps slower. I'm
ok with just about anything at this point. Of three teams in the corporate
category, we come in second. And a strong second at that.
The whole thing went surprisingly well. I flew to Denver to race with
a bunch of guys I had never met before. I had no fitness and nothing
in the tank. I came, I saw, I conquered. Not really. But it is fun to
say.
Spent Sunday night back down at Big Willy's. And it was a subdued
as it gets. No fight left in any of the boys. We all turned in fairly
early and that was that.
Not quite on the same level as my Leadville story. But then again,
I didn't crap myself either.
What is it with the month of September and massive tragedies that rock
our nation? Is September the official "shock and awe" month?
George Bush has been at the helm of two massive domestic events, both
of which will define his presidency. First was, of course, that little
thing on the eleventh. The kind of event people will remember in ways
such as "where were you when you heard the towers fell?"
I can't recall, even now, what I was doing when I found out what a
cluster fuck the handling of Katrina was. But that wasn't so much a
massive strike as slow boiling realization of incompetence.
As you all know, I am extremely liberal. Especially when it comes
to social issues. But I lean much more to the conservative side of the
spectrum when it comes to financial issues. In short, many of us in
and around the peripherals of the bicycle industry have to be: We don't
make any money.
You can't spend what you don't have. So you find ways to stretch a
dollar out like a wrestler. Live on the cheap. Drive and old car. All
that stuff.
So it particularly upsets me that this allegedly compassionate
conservative has somehow managed to piss way the national treasure
faster than even though imaginable. Giving back a couple of hundred
bucks really played well in the flyover states, but more level headed
folk thought, why not just keep the surplus in the bank?
You know, for a rainy day?
A day like Katrina?
Bush famously stated, "It's your money" when describing his tax cuts.
Well, it's all of our money. Or it was. Now I don't know what it is.
And the three hundred Joe Nascar got is going to pale in comparison
to the tax hike he's facing. That shitbag was jumping for joy when he
bought a new playstation down at Wal-Mart and some Nike's for little
boo. Now's he's going to have a nice increase in what's taken out of
his paycheck every month. And he's going to end up paying more in the
long haul than he ever got back via Bushie.
All this just so we can pay for Iraq and Katrina. And whatever else
is coming down the pipe at us.
Fuck tax cuts. Fuck making them permanent. They need to be repealed
immediately.
And there is not better time to do it. The television coverage of
the Fall of New Orleans has pulled at the heartstrings all across our
Great Land. Voters realize what it's going to take to fix the lives
of those displaced, rebuild the City and shore up it's defenses. Dump
the tax cuts now and people will stand for it. Do it now, before it
becomes an election year issue.
It's time for some straight talk on the fiscal side.
Link dumpage:
americablog.blogspot.com
msnbc.msn.com/id/9314188/#050916
filmstripinternational.com/index.php?asshole
members.cox.net/esmagazine/es/es.htm
hk-icycling.net/movie/erl4men.mpg
That last one is off the hook weird. Think fixed gears, indoors, on
a basketball court, to the music from Chariots of Fire, four guys, all
doing synchronized wheelies and spins, for nearly eight minutes.
Have no idea what I'm talking about? Click the vid.
More information on "indoor cycling" over at hk-icycling.net.
The closing
bit the other night on REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER, HBO:
"Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you any more. There's no
more money to spend--you used up all of that. You can't start another
war because you used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of
your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people.
Listen to your Mom. The cupboard's bare, the credit cards maxed out.
No one's speaking to you. Mission accomplished.
"Now it's time to do what you've always done best: lose interest and
walk away. Like you did with your military service and the oil company
and the baseball team. It's time. Time to move on and try the next fantasy
job. How about cowboy or space man? Now I know what you're saying: there's
so many other things that you as President could involve yourself in.
Please don't. I know, I know. There's a lot left to do. There's a war
with Venezuela. Eliminating the sales tax on yachts. Turning the space
program over to the church. And Social Security to Fannie Mae. Giving
embryos the vote.
"But, Sir, none of that is going to happen now. Why? Because you govern
like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised that
you haven't given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks
like a man. Herbert Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never
conceded an entire city to rising water and snakes.
"On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the surplus,
four airliners, two trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City
of New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky. I'm not saying you don't
love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if
you were on the other side.
"So, yes, God does speak to you. What he is saying is: 'Take a hint.'
"
It's official: I have not pulled my head out of my ass all week.
I went to Colorado with a runny nose. I figured it was just allergies.
I drank, I raced, I came home.
Now I'm hammering out big yellow snot rockets and wondering what in
the hell I did to myself.
Why go half way when you can really throw yourself in the pain cave?
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Did ya hear Bush's speech tonight? Yeah, it was great. I haven't the
strength. I'll just link this
instead. And this.
And this.
And this.
Nine Days Wonder
blows doors clean off the hinges.
I've only heard two songs of theirs. And I like them both. I may have
to knuckle under and buy a cd.
It hurts to even type it.
Nick
Martin is one cool kid. Even if he does turn down Jager shots a
three in the morning. Son, if you're going to get second, learn how
to do it in style. Look at me, I'm the first loser (and third and forth
and so on) and everyone remembers me.
Hey fat ass, get off the trail!
And so it goes.
| |
From: F.
Subject: nice site
Just wanted to say thanks for your site. I've enjoyed it throughout
the season.
If you want to read about my weekend's worth of suffering, take
a peak at mine:
podiumboy.blogspot.com
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"
Thanks! |
Damn.
I say again: Damn.
| |
From: Michael
Subject: Zeke Ride Tonight
Oh Mighty One, we're riding in honor of Zeke tonight in Kansas City.
I hear there's a ride going on in Minneapolis, too. Though it's
a ride, the official word is to wear the drinking shoes. Afterward,
the 75th Street Brewery is hosting a benefit, with many, many companies
and people sending swag to raffle or donating beer and tunes to
sell for donations. You should force some of your roving correspondents
to provide pictures.
forums.earthriders.com/viewtopic.php?t=1353&highlight=
They say he's recovering "as expected" but he still isn't well
enough to have visitors. Thoughts, prayers, and unintelligible
incantations are, as always, welcome.
Peace. Now. Amen. |
Kinda makes me wish I was there…
| |
From: Hodge
Subject: Yo..This is for Zeke...Help get it sold...
Big J, My man, Bring some light to this. Least we could for a fellow
wrench, and good guy....well, if being a psychotic beer swizzling
always drunk fixie riding pedophile cannibal is ok...
cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7181727995
|
Buy a bike, help a brother out. Works, don't it?
| |
From: Mike
Subject: No Subject
Hey Jonny!
Looks like dem dems better take a good long look in the proverbial
mirror before casting stones at W!
abcnews.go.com/US/HurricaneKatrina/story?id=1123495&page=1
Wasn't it interesting that when W stoned up and accepted the
blame, the only thing the DemocRAT Governor could do was say that
she would take responsibility too. |
I'm not some blind partisan hack who only sees the misdeeds of the
other side. If this guy Jefferson acting inappropriately (and
it sure seems that he was) he should face the consequences. Especially
if he removed any documents related to the FBI investigation Jefferson
is currently undergoing.
And, if Bush appointed a clearly inadequate, incapable, and incompetent
man to head FEMA, well, he should face the consequences too. And "Brownie"
resigning isn't quite what I'm talking about.
Of course, Bush just named Karl Rove to head the post Katrina reconstruction
effort.
Yeah, that fat, bloated carpet bagger will do a fine job.
And Bush has to ask Condi's permission
to use the bathroom...
Ok, that last joke sucked.
Anyone want to try and blame this one on Clinton? Everything else is
his fault, right? So why not this?
| |
From: Crosby
Subject: what's the fucking truth about the "toxic soup"
in N'awlins?
(Read the links if you really want to know the story) Whom do you
believe? A FEMA whistle blower or Chris Piehler, a senior environmental
scientist for the Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality?
Before you answer, consider this about the guy with the whistle
and the red cheeks:
Hugh Kaufman is a senior policy analyst for emergency response
at the Environmental Protection Agency. He was chief investigator
of the EPA's clean-up of the World Trade Center, and a long-time
critic of the agency's policies and practices.
First, the State of LA official response:
Quote pulled from Slate.com, written by Eric Umansky. Link: slate.com/id/2126377
Another Post story-stuffed on A15-says that despite all the talk
about a "toxic soup" (in TP among other places), tests are showing
limited contamination beyond sewage that will quickly decompose.
"The early results do not indicate specific toxic pollutants at
any levels of concern," said one state specialist. As the WP mentions,
there are still some unknowns, including the status of Superfund
sites in the city.
Now the EPA's Kaufman:
Quote pulled from a transcript of the radio show Living On Earth.
Link: loe.org/shows/segments.h...035&segmentID=1
KAUFMAN: And frankly, folks down there were living on borrowed
time and, unfortunately, time ran out with Katrina. And now all
the environmental hazards, or the worst-case scenarios, occurred,
and now we're seeing the results of bad planning which made for
this catastrophe.
YOUNG: It almost sounds like, sure, we have a natural disaster
but the natural disaster kind of triggered a man-made one.
KAUFMAN: Well, that's correct.
More than 1.2 million gallons of crude oil spilled, about half
of the amount from the little dinghy called the Exxon Valdez.
Literally miles and miles (squared) of low income housing that
needs to be cleared, all containing asbestos. All of it will end
up in the Gulf. The entire Gulf fishing industry? Will be decimated.
Oh, it gets better. Reconstruction costs? More than the sum
total spent in "i-Rock" to date. ALREADY given to Halliburton
et. al.
Bend over and grab 'em. And no benefit of lube for you |
I need a hug.
gorillamask.net/juryselection.shtml
msnbc.msn.com/id/9358339
pandagon.net/archives/2005/08/sinners_in_the.html
evesapple.blogspot.com/2005/08/i-do-not-make-this-shit-up.html
ilovekarlrove.com
Who am I kidding? It's all about ruth.
While you're looking at that, you might as well check out simonscans.com.
And now something a little more serious.
| |
From: Crispin Sartwell
Subject: Martial Law
The history of American constitutional interpretation boasts few
moments that are more dangerous - and none that is more ludicrous
- than J. Michael Luttig's September 9 decision in Padilla v Hanft.
Jose Padilla, you may recall, is an American citizen who was
arrested as an al Qaeda operative as he re-entered the country
on May 8, 2002. Ever since then, he has been held in military
detention as an "enemy combatant," and denied all the rights guaranteed
by the Constitution, most obviously due process. He has never
had the opportunity to respond to the charges against him.
The Bush administration asserted its right to detain Padilla
indefinitely, without charge or representation, under the congressional
resolution passed after 9.11 authorizing the administration to
"use all necessary and appropriate force" in the war on terror.
That resolution, it should be said, makes no mention of enemy
combatants or of suspending any of the provisions of the Constitution.
The Constitution makes specific provisions for suspending habeus
corpus, which in the absence of such a suspension could be used
to force the government to put Padilla on trial, but Congress
has not, in fact, suspended habeus corpus.
Judge Luttig - often mentioned as a potential Supreme Court
nominee - upheld Padilla's detention without qualification.
Luttig is often called "brilliant." The text of the decision,
if nothing else, shows that to be false. It is not only an abrogation
of the Constitution Luttig has sworn to uphold, it is a tissue
of mind-numbing fallacies.
The decision starts by baldly asserting Padilla's guilt, accepting
without qualification every accusation made against him. This
rest of the decision depends upon this presumption of guilt. Luttig's
argument is precisely this: since Padilla is guilty he will be
prevented from giving any evidence of his innocence.
This creates a bizarre legal black hole. Once you tumble in
you can by definition never emerge. It interprets the "necessary
and appropriate force" resolution to suspend the Constitution
and allow the executive branch an arbitrary and unlimited judicial
power.
For precedent, Luttig's opinion relies most heavily on the majority
opinion in Hamdi v Rumsfeld , written by Sandra Day O'Connor.
Yasser Hamdi, like Jose Padilla, is an American citizen who has
been detained for years as an enemy combatant. Indeed, Luttig
writes that "we can discern no difference in principle between
Hamdi and Padilla."
But in the Hamdi decision, O'Connor wrote that the president's
war powers and Hamdi's due process rights were both extremely
important considerations. She acknowledged that what Yasser Hamdi
had at stake was "the most elemental of liberty interests-the
interest in being free from physical detention by one's own government.
. . . We therefore hold that a citizen-detainee seeking to challenge
his classification as an enemy combatant must receive notice of
the factual basis for his classification, and a fair opportunity
to rebut the Government's factual assertions before a neutral
decisionmaker."
Notice that this is a completely general and precedent-setting
conclusion which applies to all such cases. But Luttig, though
he rests his opinion on O'Connor's, makes no mention whatever
of her vindication of due process in the Hamdi case.
It is worth mentioning that Antonin Scalia dissented from the
majority in Hamdi's case, on the grounds that Hamdi must receive
a full-scale trial for treason in the absence of explicit Congressional
legislation suspending parts of the Constitution (namely, habeus
corpus). Scalia's dissent is one of the plainest and most scathing
in the history of the court, and I regard it as unanswerable.
But be that as it may, the majority opinion in Hamdi constrains
Luttig in the plainest terms to grant Hamdi some semblance of
due process, especially given that Luttig reaches his decision
precisely by the precedent set by that case (together with the
presumption of guilt).
There are only three known cases of American citizens held as
enemy combatants: Padilla, Hamdi, and John Walker Lindh, who was
eventually granted a criminal trial. But the de facto suspension
of constitutional rights by Luttig entails that it is legitimate
for the executive branch to hold anyone it pleases, secretly,
without charge, for as long as it likes, on any grounds at all
or on no grounds whatever. That entails, among other things, that
if the decision stands we will never know how many people are
thus detained, or where, or why.
This is the very essence of arbitrary, tyrannical power as it
was understood by the framers of the Constitution. Far from being
promoted to the Supreme Court, Luttig should be impeached. |
More of Crispin Sartwell at his blog: eyeofthestorm.blogs.com.
I spend 9/11 riding my bike. As it should be I suppose. I would say
I was drinking beer, but I'd catch hell for it. People know the truth.
I don't actually drink that much. When I'm up against real pros, I ain't
shit.
So, I had a beer or two. Not twelve. Not half a bottle of Jager.
Jesus I suck.
Clicky makes biggy.
theonion.com/content/node/40529
fredbieling.blogspot.com/2005/09/no-time-for-blame-gaming-we-got-fishn.html
tpmcafe.com/story/2005/9/13/142110/717
thedefeatists.typepad.com
flickr.com/photos/jzawodn/41530029/
How 'bout a race report from our man Big Tex? Yeah, I thought that
would work.
| |
From: Big Tex Tullous
Subject: Kona 24hr Global Championships
Juan grande,
Here's a race report:
First of all thanks to Voodoo cycles, our pit crew and USE (exposurelights.com).
This may have been the hardest race I've ever done---I'm still
deciding. I think I'm just not that good at not sleeping.
Jimmy Jam and I started off good taking one lap at a time. I
started with a run that lasted about a mile. The promoter, a Brit
named Patrick(very cool bloke), said he liked to spread things
out a bit at the start to give every one their own little piece
of singletrack heaven. That was nice but I hate running, especially
in cycling shoes.
So one lap at a time. That's not bad but the course was a fast
12.6 miles with over 1000 feet of climbing for each lap. All rollers
of fireroad and single track. This was by far the best 24hr race
course I have ever been on. You never rode more than 150meters
with out a turn.
Lap one and I'm staying with the 4 person Coed Pro teams. We're
shredding trail and never shifting from the big ring. With the
run, 3 of us are done with our first lap in under 50 minutes.
Wow, this is not so bad. Hey! I spot a tall porno looking guy
about 20lbs less than our last meeting. It's Juan Grande making
a cameo at the race. Racing for the media darlings. Is this guy
media? He does report the stories from the trail and gives us
a view that only livewrong could explain.
A few minutes later another duo team comes into the pit. Four
minutes is a good lead but like Juan Grande says, " In a 24hr
race, you are just sitting in till that 3 am mark." Jimmy puts
in a lap about the same and we agree to back off to 52 minute
laps. We continue till dark.
It's dark and our time in between laps only allows us to sit
down for 15 minutes before getting ready to mount the trusty steeds
again, so we decide to go to 2 laps on/2 laps off for the night.----Mark
of note--when making decisions on a Duo team it takes a couple
of laps to make a decision since you only see each other for seconds
while passing the baton.
Going to 2 laps on/2 laps off would give us some time to try
and eat and close the eyes for about 40 minutes. We thought we
should back off to 55 min. Alls well in Camp Voodoo. Lead is at
32 minutes at 9pm.
It's 3 am and time to make the coffee. Our lead is to 48 min
The temperature has dropped to a cool 40 degrees with dew moistening
the trail. The night is perfect. The first lap I hold my 55 min
pace, then I just crack. As soon as I head out on the 2nd lap,
I don't want to be there anymore. This is time to be attacking
and here I am wanting to stop on the side of the trail and cry
i.e. the gnome 2004 Old Pueblo. We all have these points. I keep
rolling. I'll never be a gnome so why start now. The big ring
course has turned into middle ring with some granny gear. I even
walk a few climbs. The lap turns to be 1:03. I tell JJ at the
transition that I'm ready to switch back. Two laps is just too
much for me.
7am. The sun rises. It's colder than a witches titty in a brass
bra and I'm tired of stuffing cheese pizza down my throat so I
can do more laps. Also, we find that our lead has jumped to 2
laps. Hmmmmmm. To give J Jam a little extra rest, I do a recovery
pace lap. We keep the recovery pace going all morning holding
our lead. Nice. The last bit of the race we just enjoyed our lead
and the amazing course.
After all that, it wasn't that bad. Like the promoter said.
On Monday, you'll swear that you'll never do it again. On Tuesday,
you are looking for the next opportunity to punish yourself with
a 24hr race. I suggest everyone do one. There is some real soul
searching to be done out there. Plus I found out that PBR makes
a light beer. Maybe there's hope out there after all. Flagstaff
or Bust for this weekend. AZ state Road Race championships on
Saturday morning. PBR light Saturday evening? Juan---make it happen.
|
And to think I haven't even written up a race report myself yet. I
suck.
I'd talk about the race last weekend, but that would require me somehow
removing my head from my ass. And that doesn't look like it's going
to happen anytime soon. Tonight especially.
I'll get something together in the way of a race report. Sure I will.
Unofficial results are up: sleeplessinthesaddleusa.com/home/results.php.
My squad? The Media Darlings.
Because I am now apparently part of the cycling media. And all along
I thought I was some douche bag sitting around in his boxer shorts at
10:30 at night typing away on a three year old laptop. Shit. I'm all
that and a bag of chips. With the dip.
Some pics from the event are up if you feel like digging through 'em.:
vastaction.com/orderprints/index.html.
Big Tex Tullous and Legs Lehman won the Duo with what appeared to
be relative ease. Some guys make it look easy.
I, on the other hand, make it look very, very hard.
Big 'ol pile 'o links:
orapois.com/br/arquivos/0127200514235747g.swf
timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1769275,00.html
rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=20
pimpfreepics.com/sap/19/index.html?pt=pimp2185&cf=1
ftvparadise.com/pgalls/pgall019k/index.html
Those last two came at ya courtesy of Laura from Holland. Everyone
say thank you.
Maybe they'll be move tomorrow?
And then you have rubber
johnny. Video up over here.
Now that is some crazy shit. Anything that has to do with Aphex Twin
and the guy who makes those videos is going to be off the hook. This
offering is no exception. Just sit back and enjoy.
Yeah, I pretty much have no idea what I just linked to. But if Andrej
is down, I'm not going to question it.
I could try reading the English
version, but I don't see very many hot chicks on that webpage. My interest
is waning.
| |
From: eric
Subject: gingers
never quite did understand the obsession that you guys in the US
have with red heads. i mean fair enough the links are pretty impressive
but does that show a true representation of a ginger, i.e ginger
= minger
enough said governer |
See fit or
minger for an explanation of British slang. And that site needs
way less dudes on it. At am
i a minger you can select female photos only. I wise choice when
carousing minger pics. Also see minger
of the month.
Rest assured, we Yanks are on top of this one. I give you Exhibit
A and Exhibit
B. And I'm done with it.
| |
From: michael
Subject: the fucking bike club
hey, how is it going? my name is michael, i live in saint louis
missouri, and i have a bike club we are the FBC (the fucking bike
club in long hand) we do rides here in the stl like the full moon
fiasco (midnight, full moon, beer) we just put up a web site (fuckingbikeclub.blogspot.com)
will you put up a link to our site? that would be great from saint-fucking-louis
im out |
I'd say they know how to take care of business. And the bike pile
pic reminds me of the tree in front of Pay-n Take.
It also makes me think what the fuck am I doing at home?
Oh yeah, I'm updating the site.
I'm a winner. I can feel it.
| |
From: nathan
Subject: policy, schmolicy
Johnny,
I'm a frequent reader of your site and have felt the need to write
occasionally. I dig your rap, man. wordup.
I have been burned by policy a number of times in the last few
weeks, and I thought I'd rant about it a bit. This seems like
the ideal place.
I'm currently living in a dry county in northeastern Arkansas.
It's baptist policy that reigns around here, but that's another
story. we do manage to get along fine, quenching our thirsts regularly
in spite of the opposition. That is another rant all together.
1st off, fast food places around here will not serve a dude
on a bike at the drive through. the stated reason is that they
are liable if i get run over in the parking lot after i've been
served. they also claim that a bike is not a vehicle. so, patrons
leaving the building on foot have waived all prosecuting rights
by being served inside and cannot sue if they get run over by
a car on the way out of the building? unlikely. what is likely
is that a dipshit, wet-behind-the-ears lawyer thought that one
up and it has never, ever actually happened. as a result, i have
to get someone in a car to order my meals at wendy's, mcdonald's,
etc. in order to get food after the dining room in closed.
2nd, i learned today that one cannot order new contact lenses
without getting another eye exam, even if one's prescription has
not yet expired. contact lenses fall under the jurisdiction of
the food and drug administration and they have rules about contacts.
a great institution, the FDA, that no doubt has all of our best
interests in mind. insert healthcare/pharmaceutical drug rant
here.
3rd, and i won't go into all the bloody details of my experience,
the airline industry. fuck them! i really do feel sorry for those
who rely on these poorly managed companies for employment. a CSR
actually told me that the $100 fee to switch my flight was not
negotiable because the airline was bankrupt and they needed the
money. well, it doesn't cost $100 to electronically switch my
electronic ticket from saturday to friday. in fact, it costs nothing.
that $100 is an imaginary cost. it could just as easily be $20
or $200. it does not reflect any additional value added to my
ticket as a result of the change. it is a completely arbitrary
number created to generate an insignificant speck of additional
income for the airline.
my problems with airlines fall second only to my problems with
the health care system on the list of things that need to be torn
down and rebuilt in this "free" country of ours. insert here:
a rant on the capitalist exploitation of transportation, health
care, foreign labor, energy, and the earth's natural resources.
got to keep it short here.
lastly, i would like to voice my frustration with all the little
idiotic things that prevent me from doing many of the simple,
painless, victimless things that i need to do to get through a
day. like ordering food late at night, buying beer when i want,
switching a flight, or ordering new contact lenses. what i will
do is continue to protest all of these things quietly until i
give up out of necessity. thanks for your attention. |
I'll leave it with this one.
| |
From: bike psyke
Subject: More Q and A
Q: What is George W. Bush's position on Roe vs. Wade?
A: He really doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans.
|
Well put.
Drew Miller is a player.
And have I mentioned recently how much respect I have for Michael
Creed. Same for John
Lieswyn. Mad respect.
Read all about it over at cyclingnews.com.
The guy who won? Never met him.
| |
From: Mackay
Subject: FW: The Trouble With Temperance
Last week did it!
I'll never forgive Rev. Billy Graham for getting George Bush
to stop drinking.
New Orleans would be far better off if Dubya was still crawling
there to drink it dry. |
Yep, the only thing that man is qualified to do is fall off a bar
stool.
And some days I question even that.
Right on.
Yes, the woman is unreal.
Two words. Link. And dump.
hellridersmtbc.com/psswc05
flickr.com/photos/bikeportland/34328188
sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...suicide+girls
suicidegirls.com
mtbgirls.com
| |
From: J.
Subject: Just wanted to say thanks...
I was surfing your site from work last week and I guess I clicked
on a few too many porn links. Boss called me into his office today
and wanted me to pack up my things and leave. I asked why and he
then showed me a printout of about 50 porn sites I'd visited along
with a few bike sites. I stood up, shook his hand, and said its
been nice working for you.
I hated that fucking job anyways ha ha. Fuck them, I'm gonna
get some good riding in over the next 6 months!
Thanks Drunk Cyclist! |
Don't mention it. It's the least I can do for my fans.
I've finally gotten a permanent link up for the Vuelta. No disrespect,
just being lazy. The third of the Grand Tours shall not disappoint.
Unless, of course, all you care about it watching US Postal, sorry
Discovery, sleepwalk to another one.
I can't believe I'm getting on another plane tomorrow. Jesus save
me.
I also get to drive down into Phoenix. Always a pleasure, running
the gauntlet.
I hope it's a notch below 400 degrees. I haven't been using the AC
up here. In fact, I haven't even been driving. That all changes tomorrow
at 6:00 am. Now I'm a driving fool.
Or just a fool.
First up, everyone's favorite pro, Z.
| |
From: Z.
Subject: britain
Up to 5th overall after today. 19 seconds back with a short tt this
weekend. Watch out euro-trash!
Look for pics of guys here with the LiveWrong.... |
And check this one out:
| |
From: Doc
Subject:
Spirit Tour of Socorro:
4 bars, 1 brew pub, 1 historic brewery, 2.5 miles
socorro.com/fattire/other.html
If you are in Socorro (Dj know's where it is) ... what else
would you do but drink and ride? |
Speaking of DeJay…
| |
From: dejay
Subject: the journey
I don't even know were to begin. I guess what gives me the time
to write all this down started 17,000 miles ago. When the Winnebego/Volkswagon/Rialta
experience began. For all that don't know, I have been traveling
the US/Canada working for Genuine Innovations, promoting the good
word of power inflation. I have made it coast to coast and back
again. Now I sit in Canada staring out among one of the most beautiful
sceneries ever, thank you Porteau Cove. Hold on the tow truck driver
is here...
7.30 hours later. So much for time. Ah a hotel with free hi
speed, good ol'Canada A. I have literally driven the wheel(s)
off the rv. Hence the tow truck and my undetermined stay here
in the maple leaf. The last Two weeks have been a blur, driving
from State College, PA (sswc05), to Whistler, BC (24 Hour Worlds).
The next two weeks will have some good miles in as well, considering
the rv will roll. Vancouver to Mammoth to Tucson then Inter-bike.
What a great ride.
The journey to Whistler was a nervous one, seeing how Jake and
I had no easy up, lighting, table, spare bike or support staff
for the race. Thankfully we made the must stop in Seattle for
the Tom Ti and visits with friends. My friend Michelle had just
move to the city four days prior and had no jab and nothing to
do. Thanks to the Jake-Jedi mind trick, voila support crew. Michelle
being a beginner at mtbing and never supporting at a 24 hour race
before, we all had our concerns. I think it qualifies as very
singlespeedy. After the Tom Ti soup and a few beers it was off
to Whistler. When arriving at the venue we were told we could
not park the rv anywhere near the race, do to the fact of "loss
of space and no unfair advantages". SHIT. So after lots of scrambling,
begging and beer trading, we ended up with an easy up and table.
Thanks Kevin for the rocky mtn tent. If you haven't yet heard
it rained for 24 hours, so the tent very well save our lives.
The rain brought many challenges with it even if our lonely pit
crew had a roof over her head. The course became a bit harder
(gear change), the soil wore away at everything (2 set of pads),
everything got wet and cold (3 clothes changes), the roots became
more exposed and very slippery (many crashes) All in all I had
a pretty clean run though, at least no flats. Jake had 1 pad change
before losing his whole rear break for good. With no mechanic
and no one around that could fix it, Jake was out and I was in
with another support member. I'm sure Michelle was happy, now
the work load was cut in half and she could take a nap.
The night brought freezing temps and driving rain. Which made
you either keep moving to stay warm or head for shelter and pray.
The trail seemed a lot emptier during the night, except for some
spectators that came out and lit candle and yelled from the hill
tops. "No you're the ones that are crazy". Thankfully the sun
did come up, but he rain stayed and stayed hard. I was able to
catch and put some time into the now second place Dale Plant (Kona).
I was also digging pretty deep just to keep focus on the trail
and concerned if I could last the next 4 hours. The time crawled
by, as did the trail. Every time I looked up it seemed like I
was in the same spot as before, some kind of trail warp zone or
something.
I came in at 9:48 to complete my 17th lap and I was putty, silly,
delirious, covered in mud, wet, and shivering putty. At this I
was a lap ahead, but could be caught. So after a few stiff words
from Jake I was off to face another 15k lap in the rain again.
It was a long one, but I figured as long as Dale didn't catch
me I had it rapped up. He put in a huge effort but it was not
enough to give him the time he needed to do one more lap by 1pm.
Victory had arrived. More importantly at the time, I was done!!
Thanks for reading and thanks to every one who has help out
along the way. |
Dejay is a very bad man. Bad man. Bad.
Dropin' them links like a three foot put.
vexatori.de/zib/spstudio.html
surrealcode.com/daisydukedances4you/index.html
comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/most_recent/index.jhtml
(Bush's timeline, Inarguable failure, etc.)
Right back up in it, like my name was Jake Rubelt.
| |
From: kampdir
Subject: president of corpses
i'm sure you'll be getting plenty of links concerning Bush and the
recent disaster katrina. It almost seems that pointing out his failures
distract from the fact that thousands need help just to survive
from day to day and we should all unite together for the common
good and forget our political differences.............naaaaaaaaaaa
fuck that.
http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/
|
Do not miss this one.
And some somber news coming at ya.
| |
From: Tom
Subject: another sister lost
hey jon.
not to detract from whats goin on in yer own family, but i thought
it important to mention that we, as cyclists, have lost another
sister. i met Barb on ragbrai this year and, as most were, i was
immediately drawn to her. simply a cool lady with many stories to
tell. not a strong rider, but a dedicated one to be sure. at 9mph
she rode through the heat and the rain each day, every long mile
passing under the wheels of her aging hybrid, starting early and
arriving late and always with a smile.
a bunch of my teammates met her in moab last year and invited
her to join us for the rag. im glad she accepted and that i got
a chance to be her friend. i just found out about her accident
and im bummin. my very best to her close friends and family. this
sux.
thejournalnews.com/...
|
My condolences to her friends and family.
An update on our man Zeke.
| |
From:
Subject:
For those of you who haven't heard, Zeke Sheppard from BikeSource
was struck by a car while riding home early Saturday morning. He
sustained substantial head trauma with swelling and bleeding on
his brain. He's been hooked up to a respirator since the accident
because he's been unable to breath on his own. The swelling and
the inner-cranial bleeding has subsided and the neurosurgeons are
guardedly optimistic that he'll recover.
His most recent CAT scan verifies that the brain swelling has
gone down and the bleeding has slowed or stopped. He's still hooked
up to a respirator but the doctors hope to remove that within
the next few days.
When they wean him off his pain medication, he's able to respond
to commands with purposeful movements. When asked to hold up 2
fingers, he does so. When asked to wiggle his toes, again; he
does. The neurosurgeons consider this a great sign that he'll
recover. But he's a long way from out of the woods.
Accepting employment at a bike shop is not something that you
do to get rich. You do it because you love bicycles. And Zeke
loves bicycles. Zeke is that guy who gets to bike races way before
they happen. He sets up the course and makes sure things are right.
He mans the wrenches that keep your bike in top form before your
triathlon and during your charity ride. He's out there so you
can have a good time, and now it's time to give some of that back.
He needs our help.
While he carries medical insurance through BikeSource, he still
has to pay 20% of the bill. To put that in perspective, his room
alone in the ICU (not including medicine, tests, x-rays, CAT Scans,
etc.) costs $10,000.00 per day. For just his room, Zeke is going
to have to come up with $2,000 per day for as long as he's in
the Intensive Care Unit. Once he's able to breath unassisted,
they'll move him in to a regular room where the doctors estimate
he'll spend 2-3 weeks, assuming a normal recovery.
We have set up a number of fund raising vehicles to do everything
we can to help Zeke. Below is a list of those fund raisers.
Zeke really needs your help. Please consider donating to the
Zeke Fund. Please forward this email to as many people or lists
as you like. You can email me directly at 1tracktrails@gmail.com
Fund Raisers for Zeke:
Trust Fund
Premier Bank in Overland Park, Kansas is where we've set up the
donation account for Zeke. You can mail a check or money order
to:
Premier Bank
Attention: Zeke Fund
11830 W 135th St
Overland Park, KS 66221
913-541-6180
Paypal
For those of you with Paypal accounts, you can deposit funds directly
to this account:
zeke.fund@gmail.com
We will deposit donations from this account in to the donation
account at Premier. If you don't have a Paypal account but would
prefer to donate this way, it's easy to set one up. You can set
you free account up by going to paypal.com
Local Bike Store Support
BikeSource: Zeke's shop is set up to accept donations in person
or you can call them at 913-451-1515.
Trek Store of Kansas City: In addition to Zeke's shop, another
local shop in Kansas City is now accepting donations. You can
stop in or call The Trek Store of Kansas City at 913-631-6800
with a donation as well.
Rapture in Misery, 6/12 Hour Race: September 24, 2005 Heartland
Sports Promotions are donating the proceeds from this race to
Zeke's Fund. By registering to race, Zeke's Fund directly benefits.
Check out heartlandrace.com
for all the information.
Additional Fund Raisers
75th Street Brewery
75th Street Brewery in Kansas City, MO. is also organizing a fundraiser
for Zeke. We're still finalizing the details but please mark September
15th at 6:00 p.m. on your calendars.
Here's what we know so far:
- There will be a Zeke Fund support ride as part of this event.
- There will be a live band donating their time and music to the
Zeke Fund
- There will be beer
- There will be food
- There will be a prize raffle
- 100% of the proceeds from this event goes to the Zeke Fund
Raffle
The bicycle industry has stepped up to offer their assistance
as well. Cannondale, Trek, Giant, Surly, Salsa, New Belgium Brewery
and many more. Again we're still finalizing the details, but here's
what we know so far:
- The Trek Store of Kansas City and Trek Bicycles are donating
a 19", 2006 Gary Fisher Rig to the raffle.
- Surly is donating a frame and fork to the raffle.
- New Belgium Brewery is donating a NBB Cruiser Bike to the Raffle
- There is much more but we don't have the details outlined yet.
More updates to come.
I've received several requests from people, bike stores, and
suppliers who want to donate new and used (in good condition)
items to the raffle and auction scheduled for the Rapture in Misery
race on September 24.
Please send those items you wish to donate to:
BikeSource
11500 W 135th Street
Overland Park, KS 66221
(913) 451-1515
Attention: Zeke Fund Auction (or Raffle), whichever you prefer.
Also, please email me: 1tracktrails@gmail.com
and let me know what you're shipping down, so I can add those
products to the list.
We will be holding a raffle as well as a silent auction for
some of the items. If you have a preference on which of the two
you would like to contribute to, please let me know.
Again, thank you all for your support and your donations to
help a fallen rider and friend of the cycling community. |
Lets get into some fun stuff. Maybe bust Big Puns balls alittle?
| |
From: John F.
Subject: SSWC - our pun wins
so a, yeah... SSW was balls. all that needs to be said about that
has been said. now that we have that cleared up.... OUR BIG PUN
RULES!!!! pun's stats from this weekend. drove fourteen hours from
STL after work on FRI. napped for two hours on saturday at the shithole
called Imperial Motor Lodge. prerode the course for about two hours.
met with some booty he called that stays two hours from st.college.
ate shitty chinese food and went to big easy. went to some fratboy
tool shed bar instead of paying the cover at zeno's. back at the
hotel around midnight. booty still wants to play so the pun takes
her back out. can you say rally? they close all bars and come back
to the hotel and retire around 4AM. the other five guys in the shithole
wake up for pre-race diner breakfast while the giant sleeps. he
has talked himself out of the race at this point. little does he
know that we are making him go. we get pun to the race and he is
still sidewayz. we run, we ride, he stops to help women with flats.
we wait for pun. he is dying the slow death. we must leave him,
for we are reaching the cut off where they pull riders. he wrecks
a few times. (S.O.P.) and jacks his singulator spring. with a major
mechanical he retires early after riding all the hardest shit on
the first part of the course. can you say rocks? we finish and find
him wasted already. we finish all the beer we brought and drink
dirt rag's keg till they leave. thanks Mo! i think we were the last
ones out of the ski area. we eat. we shower. we close big easy's.
we wake up at the ass crack of dawn and pun drives us all the way
back home. now what were you guys saying about your pun? CAUSE OURS
IS THE SUPREME PUN RULER!!!! WHAT?!? |
I can almost hear the Husky Midget now…
| |
From: bike punk
Subject: Link dump-dump
Hey. Nice to see you made it to Leadville. I decided racing has
too much 'up' in it and not enough competitive drinking, or 'down'
for my taste. Anyway some linkage to add to your link dumpage, jonnyage.
Growing Pains stars are all fucked up. First off... if this
guy has been this way since the show, that explains why the chick
was all anorexic and shit. Hearing this shit all day for the duration
of the show would make ME puke. Or drink. Or both.
worldviewweekend.com/...ArticleID=198
Best quote of the article? "Have you personally labored
so hard for the lost that you have experienced what other Christians
have endured-sweat great drops of blood, lived without food, without
shelter, been stoned, whipped, left for dead, nailed to a cross,
beheaded, burned at the stake, and been viewed as the garbage
of society, all to save someone else's soul?"
Well Kirk, No. No i haven't. And I don't plan to. If I ever
see YOU though, I'll be sure to ridicule you and your beliefs
till you cry like the little schoolgirl bitch you are. Asshat.
Speaking of asshattery... Tom DeLay is still walking the streets,
instead of being man-raped in prison by large black dudes named
Leon and Rufus.
msnbc.msn.com/id/8914517
The most irritating thing is, even if he DOES get convicted
of some wrongdoing, he'll end up in some country-club prison and
be out before anyone shivs him in the shower. Hell... he'll probably
have his own shower.
Makes me think of my 2 favorite actors, Winona Ryder and Robert
Downey Jr. If you or I were to get busted for shoplifting $4700
worth of clothes from Saks Fifth, we'd go directly to Jail, do
not pass go, do not go on Letterman. Same for being busted over
and over with hookers drugs, etc... (In fact it KILLS me he's
not in prison for life. California still has the "3 strikes" rule.
# strikes, you go to Jail for life. Fuckin douchebag.
And more proof that terrorists and the white-guys aren't all
good. Or at least not too bright. If he was as dark as Halle Berry's
outstanding nipples, you better believe he'd be on a ride to Gitmo
before the mace wore off.
Who blew up the FBI in OKC?
White guys.
Who shot Kennedy?
White guy(s)
Who bombed various clinics in the south?
White guys.
Who bombed the Atlanta Olympics?
White guy. (Same white guy possibly who bombed said aforementioned
clinics.)
I'm not sayin... I'm just sayin is all. |
I'll just jump to this next one.
| |
From: L.K.
Subject: sswc05
Hey man, saw you in the go-cart finals - ya looked good livin' wrong
trying to put the eventual winner into the walls. After cheering
for the dude driving with one hand on the wheel and one hand on
his beer in the semis you were the best example of live wrong I
could cheer for - well that and ya had the shirt. The course was
enough gnarl to make me drive to work today (Monday) and I never
do that shit. I think anyone that finished deserves a big shout
out - hell anyone that started does too - I pre-rode on Saturday
and I was kinda scared, but I was grinning ear to fuckin' ear on
Sunday once I actually rode the whole thing. I met some good people
there too. Anyway I leave you with this link wildrhino.com/?h=...13
'cause that girl does things for me that I can't describe legally.
|
Another one out of New Orleans.
| |
From: Smiffy
Subject: Damn
FW:
The following was sent by Tobias Wolff to his father, Robert Paul
Wolff, professor in the Afro-American Studies Department at UMass
Amherst, and contains an eyewitness account of two paramedic friends
of Tobias who were trapped in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina.
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 11:07 PM
Subject: Saramago's Blindness Revisited -- an eyewitness account
from New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina-Our Experiences
Larry Bradshaw, Lorrie Beth Slonsky
Two days after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, the Walgreen's
store at the corner of Royal and Iberville streets remained locked.
The dairy display case was clearly visible through the widows.
It was now 48 hours without electricity, running water, plumbing.
The milk, yogurt, and cheeses were beginning to spoil in the 90-degree
heat. The owners and managers had locked up the food, water, pampers,
and prescriptions and fled the City. Outside Walgreen's windows,
residents and tourists grew increasingly thirsty and hungry.
The much-promised federal, state and local aid never materialized
and the windows at Walgreen's gave way to the looters. There was
an alternative. The cops could have broken one small window and
distributed the nuts, fruit juices, and bottle water in an organized
and systematic manner. But they did not. Instead they spent hours
playing cat and mouse, temporarily chasing away the looters.
We were finally airlifted out of New Orleans two days ago and
arrived home yesterday (Saturday). We have yet to see any of the
TV coverage or look at a newspaper. We are willing to guess that
there were no video images or front-page pictures of European
or affluent white tourists looting the Walgreen's in the French
Quarter.
We also suspect the media will have been inundated with "hero"
images of the National Guard, the troops and the police struggling
to help the "victims" of the Hurricane. What you will not see,
but what we witnessed,were the real heroes and sheroes of the
hurricane relief effort: the working class of New Orleans. The
maintenance workers who used a fork lift to carry the sick and
disabled. The engineers, who rigged, nurtured and kept the generators
running. The electricians who improvised thick extension cords
stretching over blocks to share the little electricity we had
in order to free cars stuck on rooftop parking lots. Nurses who
took over for mechanical ventilators and spent many hours on end
manually forcing air into the lungs of unconscious patients to
keep them alive. Doormen who rescued folks stuck in elevators.
Refinery workers who broke into boat yards, "stealing" boats
to rescue their neighbors clinging to their roofs in flood waters.
Mechanics who helped hot-wire any car that could be found to ferry
people out of the City. And the food service workers who scoured
the commercial kitchens improvising communal meals for hundreds
of those stranded.
Most of these workers had lost their homes, and had not heard
from members of their families, yet they stayed and provided the
only infrastructure for the 20% of New Orleans that was not under
water.
On Day 2, there were approximately 500 of us left in the hotels
in the French Quarter. We were a mix of foreign tourists, conference
attendees like ourselves, and locals who had checked into hotels
for safety and shelter from Katrina. Some of us had cell phone
contact with family and friends outside of New Orleans. We were
repeatedly told that all sorts of resources including the National
Guard and scores of buses were pouring in to the City. The buses
and the other resources must have been invisible because none
of us had seen them.
We decided we had to save ourselves. So we pooled our money
and came up with $25,000 to have ten buses come and take us out
of the City. Those who did not have the requisite $45.00 for a
ticket were subsidized by those who did have extra money. We waited
for 48 hours for the buses, spending the last 12 hours standing
outside, sharing the limited water, food, and clothes we had.
We created a priority boarding area for the sick, elderly and
new born babies. We waited late into the night for the "imminent"
arrival of the buses. The buses never arrived. We later learned
that the minute the arrived to the City limits, they were commandeered
by the military.
By day 4 our hotels had run out of fuel and water. Sanitation
was dangerously abysmal. As the desperation and despair increased,
street crime as well as water levels began to rise. The hotels
turned us out and locked their doors, telling us that the "officials"
told us to report to the convention center to wait for more buses.
As we entered the center of the City, we finally encountered the
National Guard. The Guards told us we would not be allowed into
the Superdome as the City's primary shelter had descended into
a humanitarian and health hellhole.
The guards further told us that the City's only other shelter,
the Convention Center, was also descending into chaos and squalor
and that the police were not allowing anyone else in. Quite naturally,
we asked, "If we can't go to the only 2 shelters in the City,
what was our alternative?" The guards told us that that was our
problem, and no they did not have extra water to give to us. This
would be the start of our numerous encounters with callous and
hostile "law enforcement".
We walked to the police command center at Harrah's on Canal
Street and were told the same thing, that we were on our own,
and no they did not have water to give us. We now numbered several
hundred. We held a mass meeting to decide a course of action.
We agreed to camp outside the police command post. We would be
plainly visible to the media and would constitute a highly visible
embarrassment to the City officials. The police told us that we
could not stay. Regardless, we began to settle in and set up camp.
In short order, the police commander came across the street to
address our group. He told us he had a solution: we should walk
to the Pontchartrain Expressway and cross the greater New Orleans
Bridge where the police had buses lined up to take us out of the
City.
The crowed cheered and began to move. We called everyone back
and explained to the commander that there had been lots of misinformation
and wrong information and was he sure that there were buses waiting
for us. The commander turned to the crowd and stated emphatically,
"I swear to you that the buses are there."
We organized ourselves and the 200 of us set off for the bridge
with great excitement and hope. As we marched pasted the convention
center, many locals saw our determined and optimistic group and
asked where we were headed. We told them about the great news.
Families immediately grabbed their few belongings and quickly
our numbers doubled and then doubled again. Babies in strollers
now joined us, people using crutches, elderly clasping walkers
and others people in wheelchairs. We marched the 2-3 miles to
the freeway and up the steep incline to the Bridge. It now began
to pour down rain, but it did not dampen our enthusiasm.
As we approached the bridge, armed Gretna sheriffs formed a
line across the foot of the bridge. Before we were close enough
to speak, they began firing their weapons over our heads. This
sent the crowd fleeing in various directions. As the crowd scattered
and dissipated, a few of us inched forward and managed to engage
some of the sheriffs in conversation. We told them of our conversation
with the police commander and of the commander's assurances. The
sheriffs informed us there were no buses waiting. The commander
had lied to us to get us to move.
We questioned why we couldn't cross the bridge anyway, especially
as there was little traffic on the 6-lane highway. They responded
that the West Bank was not going to become New Orleans and there
would be no Superdomes in their City. These were code words for
if you are poor and black, you are not crossing the Mississippi
River and you were not getting out of New Orleans.
Our small group retreated back down Highway 90 to seek shelter
from the rain under an overpass. We debated our options and in
the end decided to build an encampment in the middle of the Ponchartrain
Expressway on the center divide, between the O'Keefe and Tchoupitoulas
exits. We reasoned we would be visible to everyone, we would have
some security being on an elevated freeway and we could wait and
watch for the arrival of the yet to be seen buses.
All day long, we saw other families, individuals and groups
make the same trip up the incline in an attempt to cross the bridge,
only to be turned away. Some chased away with gunfire, others
simply told no, others to be verbally berated and humiliated.
Thousands of New Orleaners were prevented and prohibited from
self-evacuating the City on foot.
Meanwhile, the only two City shelters sank further into squalor
and disrepair. The only way across the bridge was by vehicle.
We saw workers stealing trucks, buses, moving vans, semi-trucks
and any car that could be hotwired. All were packed with people
trying to escape the misery New Orleans had become.
Our little encampment began to blossom. Someone stole a water
delivery truck and brought it up to us. Let's hear it for looting!
A mile or so down the freeway, an army truck lost a couple of
pallets of C-rations on a tight turn. We ferried the food back
to our camp in shopping carts.
Now secure with the two necessities, food and water; cooperation,
community, and creativity flowered. We organized a clean up and
hung garbage bags from the rebar poles. We made beds from wood
pallets and cardboard. We designated a storm drain as the bathroom
and the kids built an elaborate enclosure for privacy out of plastic,
broken umbrellas, and other scraps. We even organized a food recycling
system where individuals could swap out parts of C-rations (applesauce
for babies and candies for kids!).
This was a process we saw repeatedly in the aftermath of Katrina.
When individuals had to fight to find food or water, it meant
looking out for yourself only. You had to do whatever it took
to find water for your kids or food for your parents. When these
basic needs were met, people began to look out for each other,
working together and constructing a community.
If the relief organizations had saturated the City with food
and water in the first 2 or 3 days, the desperation, the frustration
and the ugliness would not have set in.
Flush with the necessities, we offered food and water to passing
families and individuals. Many decided to stay and join us. Our
encampment grew to 80 or 90 people.
From a woman with a battery powered radio we learned that the
media was talking about us. Up in full view on the freeway, every
relief and news organizations saw us on their way into the City.
Officials were being asked what they were going to do about all
those families living up on the freeway? The officials responded
they were going to take care of us. Some of us got a sinking feeling.
"Taking care of us" had an ominous tone to it.
Unfortunately, our sinking feeling (along with the sinking City)
was correct. Just as dusk set in, a Gretna Sheriff showed up,
jumped out of his patrol vehicle, aimed his gun at our faces,
screaming, "Get off the fucking freeway". A helicopter arrived
and used the wind from its blades to blow away our flimsy structures.
As we retreated, the sheriff loaded up his truck with our food
and water.
Once again, at gunpoint, we were forced off the freeway. All
the law enforcement agencies appeared threatened when we congregated
or congealed into groups of 20 or more. In every congregation
of "victims" they saw "mob" or "riot". We felt safety in numbers.
Our "we must stay together" was impossible because the agencies
would force us into small atomized groups.
In the pandemonium of having our camp raided and destroyed,
we scattered once again. Reduced to a small group of 8 people,
in the dark, we sought refuge in an abandoned school bus, under
the freeway on Cilo Street. We were hiding from possible criminal
elements but equally and definitely, we were hiding from the police
and sheriffs with their martial law, curfew and shoot-to-kill
policies.
The next days, our group of 8 walked most of the day, made contact
with New Orleans Fire Department and were eventually airlifted
out by an urban search and rescue team. We were dropped off near
the airport and managed to catch a ride with the National Guard.
The two young guardsmen apologized for the limited response of
the Louisiana guards. They explained that a large section of their
unit was in Iraq and that meant they were shorthanded and were
unable to complete all the tasks they were assigned.
We arrived at the airport on the day a massive airlift had begun.
The airport had become another Superdome. We 8 were caught in
a press of humanity as flights were delayed for several hours
while George Bush landed briefly at the airport for a photo op.
After being evacuated on a coast guard cargo plane, we arrived
in San Antonio, Texas.
There the humiliation and dehumanization of the official relief
effort continued. We were placed on buses and driven to a large
field where we were forced to sit for hours and hours. Some of
the buses did not have air-conditioners. In the dark, hundreds
if us were forced to share two filthy overflowing porta-potties.
Those who managed to make it out with any possessions (often a
few belongings in tattered plastic bags) we were subjected to
two different dog-sniffing searches.
Most of us had not eaten all day because our C-rations had been
confiscated at the airport because the rations set off the metal
detectors. Yet, no food had been provided to the men, women, children,
elderly, disabled as they sat for hours waiting to be "medically
screened" to make sure we were not carrying any communicable diseases.
. This official treatment was in sharp contrast to the warm,
heart-felt reception given to us by the ordinary Texans. We saw
one airline worker give her shoes to someone who was barefoot.
Strangers on the street offered us money and toiletries with words
of welcome. Throughout, the official relief effort was callous,
inept, and racist. There was more suffering than need be. Lives
were lost that did not need to be lost.
--
Eric Schocket
Associate Professor of American Literature
Hampshire College |
You ever just do something for the fuck of it? Like riding in a 24
hour race with little notice and even less fitness? Yeah, me too.
I get to ride this
next weekend.
I am so going to die.
Gears or single? Rigid or suspended? 2.0 or 2.35? 32 X 18 or 34 x
18 or 36 x 18? Life is not a box of chocolates. It's a box of gears
and chains and 5 mil wrenches.
It is for me anyway.
sock23.com/rudinadler/index.htm
motorfun.biz/bicycle.html
imgag.com/product/full/ap/3067907/graphic1.swf
jackmackfl.tripod.com/index.html
coolmen.ch/biergarten/biershooter.htm
Feel like helping a brother out?
| |
From: Geoff
Subject: Above and Beyond Ride - Cancer Support
Hey Jonny,
I sent you an email a couple of months ago about a ride I am doing
for cancer treatment funding. It has morphed into the Above and
Beyond Ride - aboveandbeyondride.com
I was wondering if you could put a blurb on DC to help get some
support going. The official email is geoff@aboveandbeyondride.com.
I will include the text from the email I sent out in case you need
more info than the website provides. I'll be coming through your
area so I'll keep you posted on the route. Thanks for the help and
keep up the awesome site!
I need your help. For those of you who do not know me personally,
my name is Geoff Luttrell and 12 years ago I was diagnosed with
Angio-Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer. I was given a 10%
chance to make it 6 months. I got a second chance at life, and
I am doing a bicycle ride from San Francisco, CA to Houston, TX
to raise money for the MD Anderson Cancer Center. I was treated
by the incredible doctors and staff at MD Anderson and the money
will go to help uninsured patients receive critical treatment.
The uninsured face problems far beyond "just" a cancer diagnosis.
My medical care exhausted a $250,000 insurance policy, so I'm
sure you can see the importance of this project. I believe that
my purpose in life is to make a difference for other people. Please
partner with me to make this difference for the patients of MD
Anderson. I can't do it alone. So, take the time to visit the
website to make a contribution, and please send this to everyone
you know. Thanks so much. |
On to the trainwreck in New Orleans.
| |
From: Jeff
Subject: The south is still part of the USA
I really can't believe that you haven't mention any thing abut all
those poor folks that have been affected by the hurricane boy you
are really must be feeling sorry for yourself, Maybe you could do
something to to help the living, for the ones you lost, so you don't
come off as a selfish self-centered cyclist----Peace |
I'm not so much self centered as overwhelmed.
I do, however, have a lot of email on the subject.
| |
From: VLB
Subject: I Love Nawlins BUT....
BJ,
For once you're wrong. No really. I usually agree with your rants
/ positions but the New Orleans welfare issue you linked http://tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=1026
is valid. I spent 20+ years in Baton Rouge and can say first hand
New Orleans / Louisiana is and has been a third world country long
before Katrina came to town.
The past week has been one of the strangest I've ever experienced
alternating between anger and tears. Each email from an old friend
has been a reminder of what we've lost and what the rest of the
county doesn't understand about the region.
I enjoy blaming shrub for any and every evil known but I'm afraid
this is a bit of a stretch. The political finger pointing and
racism cries are equally frustrating. This disaster has been a
long time in coming. Funding cuts or not, little of the Federal
money allocated would ever be spent on levee repairs when there
were contractors and politicians to keep happy. Roads to build.
People want to see improvements not repairs. Hey, we all buy new
cars and bristle at the thought of paying a mechanic. Money spent
on maintenance is perceived as wasted. Then when something major
happens…."we should have done more."
Louisiana government and the Police have been corrupt for so
long in that state that it doesn't even make headlines anymore.
Ever wonder how David Duke almost got elected in that shit hole?
He was running against Edwin Edwards. EE had been investigated
numerous times for embezzlement (how many governors do you know
that can afford to fly to Vegas and drop $500K in a weekend) and
was surrounded by rumors of paying of jurors after each acquittal.
Hell, the guy knew he was untouchable…even dropped this nugget
on the press during the campaign "The only way I can lose this
election is if I get caught in bed with a dead woman or a live
boy." Class act.
Hell Louisiana is so corrupt the even the state run casino's
struggle to make money. Only place I've ever heard of where a
casino gets tax breaks and still can't break even....guess maybe
because it was going into someone's pocket?! Um, wait guess who
ran the State gaming Department..none other than EE's son.
The anger evident in New Orleans after Katrina has been simmering
for years. There is a huge disparity between the haves and the
have nots. The cops are crooked and the people were happy to finally
get a chance to fight back. Some of the rumors spreading through
the public were rather telling. They did not trust the government
or the PD….the very agencies out to help them.
Now if you ever want to VISIT that place I'll be the first in
line. From Mardi Gras to a slow Tuesday in the Quarter that town
is more fun than any other place in the states. But step outside
of the tourist areas and see the place for what it is. Corrupt,
poor, uneducated (have you heard some of the interviews on tv?!),
and lazy (that heat is OPPRESSIVE…and the fried food doesn't help!).
Rest assured I am not here to bash the people of New Orleans.
I am pissed at the media for embellishing the story, I'm pissed
at the state of Louisiana for being corrupt, I'm pissed at the
looters for picking a terrible time to voice their disagreement
(on an international stage no less), and I'm pissed that the Washington
politicians are already trying to use this for anti-bush sentiment.
The whole thing SUCKS and the country is going to be paying for
this one for a long time. $150 billion is the latest estimate?!
Hmm, that's almost 2 iraq's… |
Well said. Sounds a bit too much like Atlantic City, New Jersey.
I know I'll catch hell for saying it. But a video like that will set
back the Civil Right Movement by twenty years. The rednecks in the flyover
states do not need to see a black police woman helping herself to WalMart
merchandise.
Yeah, that one sucks.
Makes you feel for all the cops that did the right thing, stayed on
the job and took care of New Orleans and it's citizens. They are the
ones hurt by that type of behavior perhaps more than anyone.
| |
From: cyclehunter
Subject: Good Karma
Sorry for your loss, by the way did you hear about the hurricane.
Life can be harsh. Maybe you cycledrunks will think of a way to
help out all folks that lost everything. If you do count me in.
We as bicyclist should be known as a good group of people willing
to help others in need. |
Word.
And that leads nicely into this next one.
| |
From: Adventure Erik
Subject: Hello from Louisiana
Hey there...I just wanted to drop you a line from the deep south.
No pun intended. Anyway, we are doing well and have had power restored
here. I fled like a chicken to Houston and had to leave my bike!
I expected to come back and find a alligator riding it on my track-stand.
I am working in a hospital about 20 miles south of New Orleans receiving
refugees. We've converted the clinics around the hospital to additional
ER space. If you can put up a link for those to donate to the Red
Cross I'd really appreciate it!
redcross.org
|
From what I've seen of late, they can use all the help they can get.
| |
From: Vance
Subject: Help some brothers (and sisters) out
What's up John? Once again, I don't write real often, but I'm hoping
you'll help me out and post this.....
I don't know if you guys have been keeping up on the Hurricane
coverage, but as it stands people are dying every hour with no
help even to deal with the bodies. No water, no food, no power,
I won't go on, but it's bad. One of the basic tenets this country
was founded on was helping each other out. None of us have a money
tree out back (if you do, give me a call) but none of us are down
to the clothes on our back and no water either. Stacy and I have
donated $200 to the Red Cross for relief efforts. We make less
than $25K each. We're asking you, if you can afford even a little,
to do this with us. Even small amounts add up. Donations can be
made at redcross.org or at 1-800-HELPNOW. If each of us chips
in a little, and if each of us forwards this mail to your list(s),
maybe we can make a big difference. People are suffering, and
if ever there's a time to help, it's now. Thanks for reading this,
and please forward!
And for you John, I remember trying to thread a chrome fork,
am I the tool that provided you with your nifty paperweight? If
so, glad to be of help. |
Ah yes, the source of my paper weight. Don't sweat it, shit happens.
I certainly wouldn't be calling you a "tool" because of it.
And that ain't just for the fact that you are substantially bigger
than me. It's because you're a nice guy.
| |
From: Gregg
Subject: The true cost of Iraq…
Katrina is the bullet, but Iraq was the gun.
I grew up in New Orleans; it is my first hometown and a beautiful
city. I knew this type of disaster was going to happen sometime
in my life, but it doesn't even seem real even now that it has
happened. So what is my take on the whole situation?
The mayor gave an emotional interview talking about his lack
of resources. He wants more resources and wants the federal government
to step up the plate. The local governments resources were stretched
and used up after just three days and this is when chaos started
and the federal government was need use its "might and power"
of the richest nation in the world to come to the aid of it's
citizens, but why wasn't it there? Cause America's our resources
are directed to Iraq. The true cost of freedom has been shown,
the cost of Iraqi freedom has come at the cost of American lives,
not military, but civilians. The cost of war has just become higher.
If I had been president I would have had every available National
Guard unit in the 800 miles of any Gulf Coast area ready to go
in with ALL resources they had as soon as the storm has passed.
This was even without even knowing the chaos that has happened,
this was just to respond the need of a mass personnel force to
help clean, restore, repair and later rebuild the normality of
live.
But people forget the National Guard is busy building Iraq and
fighting over there dying for oil while people are dying in the
Gulf Coast because they are busy. Why wasn't there a massive response
ready, because it wasn't there to be given. To all those in the
south who voted for Bush and wanted him to lead your country you
are getting what you wanted . Bush style leadership . little action
and short shoulder shrug at the glaring problems in his face.
Aside: As I was writing this President Bush was being "briefed"
by fellow Republican Governors for some "face time" to help her
political gain. All the time there were at least 50 national guard
and coast guard troops standing at attention with three to four
shinny helicopters standing still. Why? Why be briefed after you
land and not while in the air? Why left 4 helicopters stand still
and 50 troops wait while you talk about things that you should
have already been told. These are people who can be doing something,
anything to help make things right. In a time of action where
the time is now the president just listened and never asked one
question. Never asked how HE can help fix it, just restated crap
we have already heard.
Here is something to think about. This was a major disaster
that the nation was able to know about and prepare. What if this
was a major disaster that we couldn't have prepared for? How would
the federal government and President Bush respond when this is
their response we are getting with prior knowledge? Points to
ponder . |
I've pretty much got nothing to add.
| |
From: Bill
Subject: rising water
Check this out, from a Las Vegas cop--not exactly a liberal--via
andrew
sullivan dot com:
THIS SAYS IT ALL: Sometimes an emailer says it better
than I ever could. Read this. Read all of it. You know why I endorsed
Kerry last time? Not because I liked Kerry or ever dreamed of
backing him. I'm not a liberal. I'm not a Bush-hater. I backed
the war. Initially, I trusted and supported this president to
the hilt at a time of great danger. But I was forced to back Kerry
of all people because Bush's gross incompetence at a time of national
peril was simply too great a risk to continue. Now we have the
proof:
"I've considered myself a socially libertarian, fiscally conservative
Republican for a very long time. I got along with the idea that
I wasn't going to get a whole lot of help. College wouldn't be
free. Job training would cost money and time. And I'm probably
a decent example of up-from-not-much.
But after watching what's happening in New Orleans-an American
city that I've loved, visited and have always wanted to return
to - I can't ever vote for these people again.
Being a Republican means that you expect the government to do
just a couple things for you and nothing else. Build a road. Defend
us from enemies, foreign and domestic. Stuff that would be a lot
less organized if we all had to do it ourselves. Everything else
is just gravy.
And as we poured money into Department of Homeland Security,
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, I thought, "Right
on," because some of that money's bound to fall on my head.
Well, something else would fall on my head first.
I work for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. And
that means that if something really catastrophic happens in MY
city, and they ask me to stick around, that's the job. We have
A and B teams and I'm a disaster recovery specialist on Team A.
I've drawn up plans with names like Drawbridge and Smoldering
Crater.
Here's what these people would do for me.
They would leave me there to die.
Look at the facts. There's no coordination on the ground right
now. The city has no fresh water, no electricity, no services.
The floodwater has so much oil and toxins in it that it's flammable.
In psychology they have what is called a fight-or-flight response.
When faced with danger, do you subdue it or do you flee? Some
of it has to do with risk assessment, but in this case, there
is no flight. There is nowhere to run. So flight means die. If
my choice was to pull a pistol on a truck driver or Nat, Jarren,
Jayson, or any of you dies, that's no choice at all.
I'm not talking about the looters grabbing big-screen televisions
and basketball hoops. I'm talking about the ones that are chest-deep
in water carrying bottled water and diapers. You can't tell me
for three days to be patient, the bus is coming, and they're piling
up bodies in the street median.
We have known that this sort of disaster could occur for a century.
Hell, the tour bus driver told me about it on the plantation tour.
This means that we have been able to envision the stark reality
of this occurring for a week-the newspapers all said the storm
would hit New Orleans last Thursday.
A week to get buses? A week to get fishing boats? Trucks? This
is the United States! I read someone who said, "All the people
who weren't bedridden, or had money, or had cars left. The people
that are left had none of those things."
There are people tonight who are going to sleep on overpasses
for the fourth straight night. There are prisoners who will do
the same. There are people dying at a convention center because
no one will tell them that no one is coming for them, and the
National Guard is protecting the kitchens. There are police officers
who are turning in their badges because they've lost everything,
have no guidance, and don't want to be shot by a looter.
There are people tonight inside a concrete domed stadium with
holes in the roof and no air conditioning who were told the buses
are coming today, and they might, or they might not. There is
no food. There is no water. There are bodies floating through
the neighborhoods.
In the UNITED STATES.
Some people say that you can't hold the President responsible
for this. Oh, yes you can. Because when he looked over at John
Ashcroft after the jets hit the towers and said, "I want you to
make sure this never happens again," it was not meant to be specific
to "no more planes hitting large buildings on the East Coast,
right, boss." It was meant that no American should have to run
for his life through an American city. While Americans may perish
in a senseless, unforeseen disaster, we'd save the ones we could.
And the Cabinet appointees were mushwits and he could barely
speak a complete sentence and we're sending people overseas for
God knows how long to help people who are indifferent at worst
and hostile at best, but they were going to protect us. In 2004,
that's all a lot of us needed. Well right now, it's obvious that
they can't.
Ask yourself this: What if Al-Qaeda blew up the levees instead
of the hurricane? Would the response have been any different?
No. It wouldn't. That city flooded in a day. And if it were
Las Vegas, I would have been in some operations center watching
people try to decide who gets to starve to death and who gets
to get on a bus to Los Angeles or Phoenix. And there would be
no certainty that I'd be on that bus in time to protect my wife
and kids.
But one thing sure would have been different.
They wouldn't have had a whole week to sort it out and know
what's coming. They were supposed to KNOW this already. It will
have been FOUR YEARS next weekend since someone probably said,
"Hey, what if..."
And for that, the whole stack of them should be fired.
I've had it. I'm done. And if the other bunch of assholes can't
figure out that what's important is that babies don't starve to
death here (and I'm not talking some metaphorical goo-goo thing
with school lunches and welfare, but real, actual starving) and
we get people out of harm's way, we'll get rid of them too. And
so on.
Because this is about leadership, not about bitching on CNN
how no one's in charge, or listening to Peggy Noonan furrow her
brow at the Governor's performance, or bragging that we've sent
in one National Guardsman for every 200 people, or actually having
the audacity to say that "we had no idea the levees would break."
Today, I saw my country favorably compared to Indonesia and
Thailand, (always our traditional benchmarks of infrastructural
success) while the elderly die of thirst in the street. We sneered
at France when this happened during a heat wave.
No more." |
At last, some good news out of this trainwreck:
| |
From: Chris
Subject: Katrina
I live in western Canada. On Saturday September3. 2005, I was walking
my dogs in the park when I encountered a woman also walking two
dogs which, she advised, had been rescued from New Orleans. At the
time there was live footage on my TV of humans stranded and dying
in that fair city but I must admit I saw no dogs so at least they
got out safely. |
Well, thanks be to god for that.
| |
From: Jason
Subject: New Orleans
Big Jonny, I know you have some big fans in the Crescent City. One
of the biggest being my cousin Tim. Big time rider and even bigger
techie, frame builder, wheel builder, you name it. Check out his
site.
home.earthlink.net/~halcar2000
Tim, his girls, my Aunt and Uncle and another Cousin are staying
in Baton Rouge with my family and are doing fine. They are prepared
for the worst when they can get back in. Tim's girlfriend is with
the Coast Guard and is directing things out of the downtown area.
Me, I am trying to keep them updated by watching TV and search
news articles out of my house in Indy. Would love to help, but
there is nothing I can do right now.
I just thought that your readers could remember that there are
a lot good people who had to flee the area and need their moral
support for when they can get back in. Doesn't look like the trails
will be ridable for a while down that way. |
A little good news is always appreciated.
| |
From: Sunshine State Dave
Subject: out of the eater, something to eat. out of the strong,
something sweet!
I feel as worried and concerned for the people of the gulf coast,
especially the hellish situation in New Orleans, as the next guy.
That being said, I just came back from the Publix (SE regional grocery
chain) with 3 18-packs of miller lite for a grand total of $16.77
Yeah. 5 bucks after instant rebate, per pack.
Surplus beer rules. I will do my best to help make up for consumption
of beverage that mississippi and louisiana have miss out on. |
Glad to see you're throwing your weight behind this thing…
| Tuesday, September 6, 2005 |
|
oh I
my I
god |
I went to Jury duty this morning. What a fucking trainwreck that was.
They were looking for a few suckers to sit in on a three week trail.
People were coming up with the most amazing excuses to get out of it.
Including myself.
When I told the judge about lost income and work related issues, he
said, well, I'm not going to excuse you for that.
I was dumbfounded. I actually started to studder. I wanted to make
clear to him that the loss of three weeks wages would fuck me. He's
up there, pulling down well into the six figures, and I'm busting my
ass to live in Flagstaff. They call it Poverty with a View for a reason.
Fucking smug prick was having none of it. I began to think, they can
force you to show up (with the threat of incarceration) but they can't
force you to think or care. So if that's what they want, that's what
they'll get, one uncaring fuck.
My new competition would be to see just how hung over I could show
up every day. That, and I actually considered lighting a fire right
there in the jury box. That would be a one way ticket out of here. Unfortunately,
a one way ticket to the pokey.
The fire idea was shelved for later.
At some point the facts surrounding my wife's employment decided my
fate. It seems they are not interesting in anyone sharing a bed with
a lawyer.
Show's what they know.
| |
From: DT
Subject: Gord Fraser Cycling Camp 2005
Hello Friends,
We are moving into action...Please check out the newest Fraser endeavor
and TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
gordfrasercycling.com
|
I can almost hear it now, Gord Gord Gord…
If you want to be fast, he ought to be able to help you out. Either
that or he'll just punch your ticket.
Right on.
| |
From: J
Subject: SSWC 05.... just another FREAK fest?
I've read the stories and looked at the pics. Is it me, or does
this event attract a bunch of beer drinking freaks or what? Looked
to me like a critical mass gathering. I even heard there were some
fires started and police were called. Ya, this is just GREAT for
bicyling!!!! And they decided the world championships by racing
GO KARTS? I mean, WTF kind of event was this. I almost attended
the event just to watch, and Im glad I didnt. I dont need to drive
to PA to see a bunch of weirdo bike freaks. Maybe they should have
SSWC 06 in Sturgis the week after Bike Week. That town is used to
being invaded by deadbeat drunk freaks.
Yours truly,
a REAL bike enthusiast (not a freak) |
Yeah, but it was a fun freak fest.
If you just don't care anymore. If you need a little "me" time. If
you're all about "tune in, turn on and drop out". If all you want it
to live in a van down by the river, well, this one is for you. Nik the
Dick is selling his.
Check this thing out: ebay.com/ebaymotors/….
| |
From: Chris
Subject: Grandfather
Came for the pr0n, stayed for the blog. Great writing.
Really sorry about your grandfather. I lost my grandfather this
year, and like you, I got a chance to see him before it ended.
He was 95, and had a good run, but it was still pretty tough to
lose him. He was the grandparent I was closest with, we were the
most alike, in fact he gave me my first computer which got me
started, and lead to my current career.
When he passed away, I dug up his old autobiography. If you've
got some time to kill, it's worth a read. Understand this was
written about 10 years ago by a guy who had no formal education
in this country... but I think that's why it's so good.
Re-reading it really made me feel better about the whole thing,
although I still miss him.
Hope you enjoy, and I hope it helps in a little way.
db94.net/popop
|
Reading that is definitely worth your time.
madison.com/tct/opinion/index.php?ntid=53031
cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/03/katrina/main814636.shtml
rabble.ca/news_full_story.shtml?x=41392
mixposure.com/song.php?songid=15200
cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/nagin.transcript/index.html
alaskabikeblog.blogspot.com
munich.craigslist.org/about/best/phi/90352105.html
This one pissed me off today: tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=1026
"The welfare state--and the brutish, uncivilized mentality it sustains
and encourages--is the man-made disaster that explains the moral ugliness
that has swamped New Orleans. And that is the story that no one is reporting."
Blame it on the "welfare parasites".
That's the best this guy can come up with?
Fuck that guy. Seriously. Blame it on welfare. Stupidest shit I've
read in a long, long time.
And I read a lot of stupid shit.
Check this one out:
| |
From: M@ark
Subject: Bend's Big Fat Tour 2005
Jonny,
Is there any chance you could post this on your site? You need to
make it up one of these years. The riding is absolutely unbelievable.
Bring friends cause we make our own beer!
Regards,
Mark DeJohn
IMBA Rep. Oregon
Hi Everyone!
I am stoked to announce the 11th Annual Bend's Big Fat Tour will
be happening this October 14, 15 & 16.
All the info you need about it is on the website, but I've attached
our registration form if you already know.
Check out the link below.
cogwild.com/bendsbigfattour.html
Oh, and please forward this announcement to anybody you know
that isn't in the know yet (and who doesn't mind receiving these
kinds of messages).
Thanks, hope to see you in Bend this Fall! |
Why just forward it when I can pipe it to the whole planet?
Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
| |
From: Bill
Subject: GREAT RESULT AT WORLDS
100% drug free ( and sadly sponsor free)
Josh Beck's result at the Duathlon World Championships over the
weekend.
Overall Results, Men:
1. Benny Vansteelant (Bel) 6:31:01
2. Koen Maris (Bel) 6:40:54
3. Josh Beck (USA) 6:44:03 |
Good looking out Josh. Check out this race
report I found.
Man, I've got way to much that needs to get on this site. Its seems
I've been slacking lately.
| |
From: Erik
Subject: Chicago bar reduces price of beer to offset increased
price of gas
Hi Jon,
Oh my god you've got to check this out:
handlebarchicago.com/pdf/gas_prices_press_release.pdf
It's a bicycle-friendly bar that is reducing the price of its
beer in direct relationship with increases in the price of gas.
When gas hits six bucks a gallon they're going to start offering
the beer for free.
"The beer pump is and forever will be affordable to hard working
Americans," declared Handlebar co-owner Josh Deth. "The European
community has managed to maintain reasonable beer prices through
times of high gas prices and we should too."
I hope you survived Leadville, you stupid, stupid idiot. |
I need a bar like that in my life. Well, my liver may disagree, but
when did I ever listen to that bastard?
Buck up buttercup, we're going on a bender!
| |
From: Chris
Subject: Cross
hey Jonny
A few of us up here in Albany NY have decided to start our own cyclocross
series and it would be cool if you could post our web page up sometime
to let all your east coast readers know
nycross.com
we have some great venues and i am the director of post race
activities so you know it will be a good time...
thanks sucka |
And, hey, check it out, more SSWC pics: pbase.com/dens/sswc_05.
That shit was rocky
like Balboa.
I'm gonna wrap it up with this one.
| |
From: lopo
Subject: trouble
Hey. I just wanted to make everyone aware that I am building custom
handmade longboard decks here in flagstaff. You can see them at
AZ bikes and focus boardshop downtown or check out the website.
www.lopolongboards.com
Thanks yo. |
The server space I rent was "migrated" over the weekend. Not the first
time it's happened, and everything seemed to work out all right. I did
have to wait a bit to overwrite the html files and update the site.
But sometimes waiting a bit is a good thing.
I put down most of a bottle of scotch last night. And I felt every
drop this morning.
Seemed like a good idea at the time.
Like most things do, I suppose.
Some bad news of of the Midwest.
| |
From: Frank Tuesday
Subject: Biker Down
Zeke, of team Evil, an occasional contributor to you site was struck
by a car on his way home last night. He's currently in the ICU with
brain swelling. They don't think that surgery will be required,
but they're keeping him for a few days to keep an eye on him. He's
responding to commands and can move all limbs, but no other word.
|
There is a thread with updates to his condition over at the earthriders.com
message boards.
Not much of a link dump, but then again, it's a holiday.
nytimes.com/2005/09/03/opinion/03dowd.html?8hpib
freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1403814/posts
Put in a couple of hours with the Gnome today. It was just what the
doctor ordered. The trails are in primo condition, even if neither one
of us are. All the rain had brought green grasses and bright flowers.
It's just about perfect.
Now if I can just manage to pull my head out of my ass…
I brought back two photographs with me from Cleveland. The first is
of my Mother's family, taken at my wedding. From left to right across
the picture, my Uncle Tom, Uncle Tim, my Grandmother Julie, Grandfather
Andre and then my Mother. Smiles on proud, strong faces.
August 28th. Six years ago.
The second is a picture I took Saturday morning before the funeral.
My Uncle Tom and my Mother standing together. Proud, stong faces. Without
the smiles of a happier day.
Now there is only my Mother and her brother Tom. An Aunt by marriage
not in the first photo also passed away since my wedding. In those six
years we've buried four of our own.
I've heard an expression about waiting for the other shoe to drop.
In my family, it's a been a thunder of dropping shoes.
There is a hole in my heart tonight. Roughly the sized of those four
people.
Thanks for all the emails regarding my grandfathers passing. Much
appreciated in this end.
I don't know about you, but this shit always cracks me up. Check out
what's happening in your town over at adult
friend finder. I'm waiting to see someone I know. Like maybe one
of my neighbors.
I don't know what the difference is really, but this page,
also at adultfriendfinder.com, got me some different results. I plugged
in "looking for erotic chat" and got several results for Flagstaff.
No one I recognize. Yet.
Straight up dump'n them links:
sfgate.com/cgi-bin/.../BAG8VCSQ251.DTL
gbehh.com/cards/index_cards.html
peoplepc.com/psp/newsstory.asp?...
http://www.vanorden.brad.com
bikeportland.org/2005/08/12/bike-there-map-and-google-earth-2
207.241.65.96/moronz_test/index.html
sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...road+rage+bike...
bandbuilder.com/vegoose/index.php?ref_code=F68376
news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1827342005
foxnews.com/story/0,2933,167069,00.html
Ah, that's better. 'Bout time I got around to sharing the wealth.
| |
From: Chris
Subject: mix it up bro
Fuck all these 'redhead of suchandsuch' links. How about a 'Big
nipples for Chris" for a change.
You suck |
Too funny. Jiffy
Lids for Chris.
Read what Josh Marshall di scribes as pretty
much the Bush administration in a nutshell.
I'm out. Off the the funeral. I'll update in a couple of days when
I return. Have a nice Labor Day.
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