Not sure whether it's the original by the Nine Inch Nails
or the cover by Johnny Cash?
Had my knee repaired this morning (torn medial menicus) should be off my feet for several days; then 4-6 weeks of PT before I return to work (don't want to rush it!).
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Just what the Dr ordered
I don't know what democracy in China has to do with pop but you have until 3PM Monday (NOV 24th) to get yourself a free soda - only in America!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Traitor
Beating Prudog to the punch (must be getting soft down in Marin County) - Lieberman must go!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Sheriff Buford T. Justice
"What we're dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law."
No he wasn't exactly Jackie Gleason but he was of the same general persuasion; and he wasn't a Sheriff but a FL State trooper. FYI Buford T. Justice was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Burt Reynolds' father, who himself was once Chief of Police of Riviera Beach, Florida.
Picture me yesterday in the center lane and Trooper Justice in the left turn lane. My lane has the option of going straight or turning left, the lane to my right is a pure right turn lane only. My intention was to turn left and had signaled this approaching the intersection when it turned red stopping behind 2 other cars.
Well Buford (who turned out of an intersection behind me and pulls up alongside) rolls down his passenger side winda and drawls to git over to the right side of the road and cross with the pedestrian's. That I'm not allowed to be in the lane where I am and that if I don't comply he'll write me a citation. I tell him I respectfully disagree, that I'm a driver of a vehicle on the road and entitled to most of the same privileges though subject to some limitations; and that if I can flow with the flow of traffic I can be anywhere I want (this last point may or may not always be true).
He continues to point to the right and as the light turns green ask him if I can continue this discussion at the strip mall across the street; and I move over and do as I was directed. He nods and pulls away then circles into the mall parking lot and waits.
As I pull up to Trooper Justice (now standing outside his Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor) with the driver's door wide open and introduce myself. I make note of the large unsheathed knife wedged in with the baton attached in the car where his lower right leg would be next to the transmission.
The Trooper starts rattling off a string of violations that he just witnessed, that he picks up enough bodies off the road each month, and he's looking after my own safety. I tell him in every state I've ever looked up the laws that a bicycle is consider a vehicle and may do in traffic what other vehicles do so long we they operate by the same rules of the road with minor exceptions (i.e. riding as far a practicable to the right side of the road, restricted off certain portions of roadways and bridges, may ride on sidewalks in certain areas, etc.). That I can legally utilize the left turn lane, that I can avoid the right turn only lanes, and that as an adult (having been riding my bike on the roads for the last 40 years) I can look after my own safety pretty well - he's having none of this. Said he could take his vehicle code book outta his glove box and show me, but that it wasn't worth his time.
About this time he glances at my clown bike and notices that I have no reflectors or mirrors installed anywhere and makes reference to that. "That's another couple of citations I could write you up for; see how nice I'm being?" Yeah a real prince! Reflectors are for night riding you dork! Now on the mirror he might have a point.
We end up agreeing to disagree and I said that if he'd take the time to look up the bicycling specific laws for the State of FL I'd do the same. Not surprisingly he was wrong on all accounts, but it would've been a real hassle to get the citation and have to go back to FL to fight it.
So maybe next ride I have in Orlando-world I'll just carry a copy of the FL regs just in case I run across Trooper Buford or his clone. What was up with that knife?
I was also wondering what jurisdiction a State Trooper has on the local roads? I would've thought he'd only be responsible for the State Highways and Interstates. Then the County Sheriff's and local police would have jurisdictions on the local & county roads as appropriate.
But I wasn't ready to call his bluff and risk a citation - it would've only meant more hassle for me, where I would be basically considered guilty until I proved myself innocent (and probably would've paid the fine rather than fly 12 hours roundtrip to defend myself).
And as I look in the regs I can't find any reference to needing a mirror (at least in FL). They talk about seats, brakes, and lights & reflectors at night - but no mirror.
So shutup Buford!! Dumb sumbitch...
No he wasn't exactly Jackie Gleason but he was of the same general persuasion; and he wasn't a Sheriff but a FL State trooper. FYI Buford T. Justice was the name of a real Florida Highway Patrolman known to Burt Reynolds' father, who himself was once Chief of Police of Riviera Beach, Florida.
Picture me yesterday in the center lane and Trooper Justice in the left turn lane. My lane has the option of going straight or turning left, the lane to my right is a pure right turn lane only. My intention was to turn left and had signaled this approaching the intersection when it turned red stopping behind 2 other cars.
Well Buford (who turned out of an intersection behind me and pulls up alongside) rolls down his passenger side winda and drawls to git over to the right side of the road and cross with the pedestrian's. That I'm not allowed to be in the lane where I am and that if I don't comply he'll write me a citation. I tell him I respectfully disagree, that I'm a driver of a vehicle on the road and entitled to most of the same privileges though subject to some limitations; and that if I can flow with the flow of traffic I can be anywhere I want (this last point may or may not always be true).
He continues to point to the right and as the light turns green ask him if I can continue this discussion at the strip mall across the street; and I move over and do as I was directed. He nods and pulls away then circles into the mall parking lot and waits.
As I pull up to Trooper Justice (now standing outside his Ford Crown Victoria Interceptor) with the driver's door wide open and introduce myself. I make note of the large unsheathed knife wedged in with the baton attached in the car where his lower right leg would be next to the transmission.
The Trooper starts rattling off a string of violations that he just witnessed, that he picks up enough bodies off the road each month, and he's looking after my own safety. I tell him in every state I've ever looked up the laws that a bicycle is consider a vehicle and may do in traffic what other vehicles do so long we they operate by the same rules of the road with minor exceptions (i.e. riding as far a practicable to the right side of the road, restricted off certain portions of roadways and bridges, may ride on sidewalks in certain areas, etc.). That I can legally utilize the left turn lane, that I can avoid the right turn only lanes, and that as an adult (having been riding my bike on the roads for the last 40 years) I can look after my own safety pretty well - he's having none of this. Said he could take his vehicle code book outta his glove box and show me, but that it wasn't worth his time.
About this time he glances at my clown bike and notices that I have no reflectors or mirrors installed anywhere and makes reference to that. "That's another couple of citations I could write you up for; see how nice I'm being?" Yeah a real prince! Reflectors are for night riding you dork! Now on the mirror he might have a point.
We end up agreeing to disagree and I said that if he'd take the time to look up the bicycling specific laws for the State of FL I'd do the same. Not surprisingly he was wrong on all accounts, but it would've been a real hassle to get the citation and have to go back to FL to fight it.
So maybe next ride I have in Orlando-world I'll just carry a copy of the FL regs just in case I run across Trooper Buford or his clone. What was up with that knife?
I was also wondering what jurisdiction a State Trooper has on the local roads? I would've thought he'd only be responsible for the State Highways and Interstates. Then the County Sheriff's and local police would have jurisdictions on the local & county roads as appropriate.
But I wasn't ready to call his bluff and risk a citation - it would've only meant more hassle for me, where I would be basically considered guilty until I proved myself innocent (and probably would've paid the fine rather than fly 12 hours roundtrip to defend myself).
And as I look in the regs I can't find any reference to needing a mirror (at least in FL). They talk about seats, brakes, and lights & reflectors at night - but no mirror.
So shutup Buford!! Dumb sumbitch...
5 rides in 4 days
4 of the 5 were in the dark and in at least light rain to and from work (though I saw my first hail storm and heavy rain as well). Of the 4 rides they were all on my fixie (39x17) with newly installed SKS race blade fenders (nice!). The other (longer) ride was on my clown bike on layover in Orlando this afternoon (then I road home tonight for a double). 11+ hours total saddle time.
I seem to have the body, head and feet taken care of but still trying to work on the hands. Some of my gloves just don't seem to cut it very long in the wet, whereas my heavy mits get too warm and I get them wet from sweating inside of them.
Any wet weather glove reviews or suggestions would be most welcome.
Tomorrow (actually today) will be a day off as I need to recoup and take care of the twin kiddos as Mom and the big girl are off to the East Coast (Annapolis) for a wedding at the Naval Academy for her niece (a Navy Doc) to a Navy fly boy (and possible future Presidential candidate - just like Bush 41 and McCain).
I seem to have the body, head and feet taken care of but still trying to work on the hands. Some of my gloves just don't seem to cut it very long in the wet, whereas my heavy mits get too warm and I get them wet from sweating inside of them.
Any wet weather glove reviews or suggestions would be most welcome.
Tomorrow (actually today) will be a day off as I need to recoup and take care of the twin kiddos as Mom and the big girl are off to the East Coast (Annapolis) for a wedding at the Naval Academy for her niece (a Navy Doc) to a Navy fly boy (and possible future Presidential candidate - just like Bush 41 and McCain).
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Man on the Moon
Neil Armstrong wasn't the first American on the Moon in 1969 he was the first MAN on the Moon.
Obama has just achieved that status tonight.
Civil rights, race, gender, religious, sexual, and all other barriers and sub-categories continue to be whittled away one tiny bit at a time; though tonight was a big chunk. It won't happen in the next 4 (or 8) years. I doubt it'll even happen in my lifetime. Though I'd like to think in my children's lifetime - when people just look and deal with other people as people instead of trying to pigeon hole them into a certain class or caste.
I think Rodney King might be smiling tonight.
Postscript - 11/8
Several inquires as to my RK reference above. My thought process was to his famous quote "Why can't we all just get along." But I would also add that many millions of other folks were also smiling that day - me included.
Of the several who were not smiling (because of another result on election night) were those whose dreams of equality were vanquished by Prop. 8 in California which overturned their State Supreme Court ruling (4-3) that same sex marriage was in fact legal earlier this Summer. Now it's not. So sexual discrimination still exists! Why people care what 2 consenting adults do is beyond me?
I wonder how RK voted on Prop 8, if he voted (since as a convicted felon he is allowed to vote in CA, so long as he's not on parole)?
Obama has just achieved that status tonight.
Civil rights, race, gender, religious, sexual, and all other barriers and sub-categories continue to be whittled away one tiny bit at a time; though tonight was a big chunk. It won't happen in the next 4 (or 8) years. I doubt it'll even happen in my lifetime. Though I'd like to think in my children's lifetime - when people just look and deal with other people as people instead of trying to pigeon hole them into a certain class or caste.
I think Rodney King might be smiling tonight.
Postscript - 11/8
Several inquires as to my RK reference above. My thought process was to his famous quote "Why can't we all just get along." But I would also add that many millions of other folks were also smiling that day - me included.
Of the several who were not smiling (because of another result on election night) were those whose dreams of equality were vanquished by Prop. 8 in California which overturned their State Supreme Court ruling (4-3) that same sex marriage was in fact legal earlier this Summer. Now it's not. So sexual discrimination still exists! Why people care what 2 consenting adults do is beyond me?
I wonder how RK voted on Prop 8, if he voted (since as a convicted felon he is allowed to vote in CA, so long as he's not on parole)?
VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Put down or turn off the computer, get up and out the door & get to your designated pooling booth (or mail your absentee ballot) and participate in process for defining your country's future.
No assumptions either - landslide or nail-biter, change or old guard, red or blue, up or down, yes or no - if there's anything that can be learned from the elections of our recent past (nationally or locally) is that every vote really does count.
This is our democracy, don't squander your right to be heard.
Don't/won't vote = apathy = don't complain!
No assumptions either - landslide or nail-biter, change or old guard, red or blue, up or down, yes or no - if there's anything that can be learned from the elections of our recent past (nationally or locally) is that every vote really does count.
This is our democracy, don't squander your right to be heard.
Don't/won't vote = apathy = don't complain!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Battleground stakes!
Who would've thought after all these months of slings & arrows, endless debates, change this, maverick that, and zillions of dollars; it'd all come down to this - halftime at tonight's MNF?
What a better opportunity to get to see the next President-to-be make one last pitch (or is punt, pass & kick more appropriate?) and allow all you fence-sitters to get a good last impression to make an informed decision for tomorrow's election.
Both Obama and McCain will sit down (separately) with Chris Berman (that closet political analyst - take that Olberman!) to tape interviews which'll air at halftime of the Steelers-Redskins game.
So the question is - what will be the Berman issued nick-names for these two?
What a better opportunity to get to see the next President-to-be make one last pitch (or is punt, pass & kick more appropriate?) and allow all you fence-sitters to get a good last impression to make an informed decision for tomorrow's election.
Both Obama and McCain will sit down (separately) with Chris Berman (that closet political analyst - take that Olberman!) to tape interviews which'll air at halftime of the Steelers-Redskins game.
So the question is - what will be the Berman issued nick-names for these two?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Floss
One of my bad habits through my first 50 years has been, at best, sporadic flossing. And I'm not alone.
With all the evidence that just a few moments getting between your teeth will do as a preventive measure is insurmountable.
I firmly believe it will help make me a stronger cyclist as well (staving of periodontal disease, plaque and bacteria means my immune system can focus on other antibodies; shortening my recovery time between long/hard workouts) so I can flash my pearly whites on the podium more often.
With all the evidence that just a few moments getting between your teeth will do as a preventive measure is insurmountable.
I firmly believe it will help make me a stronger cyclist as well (staving of periodontal disease, plaque and bacteria means my immune system can focus on other antibodies; shortening my recovery time between long/hard workouts) so I can flash my pearly whites on the podium more often.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
2009 WA State Senior RR Championships!!
Glenwood Road Race (near Port Orchard) Saturday MAY 2nd - be there!
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