a friend commented on a recently passed around youtube video:
why are people impressed with this (motorsports) but not real endurance events? We're a technology obsessed culture man, it's eclipsed humanity
Friday, August 28, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Health Care
a friend of mine pointed out some scary similarities between:
the town hall meetings where the uneducated, informed only by Fox News and Rush decide to blow hot air as rudely as possible against any type of reform that is likely to help them in the long run
and Southpark:
the town hall meetings where the uneducated, informed only by Fox News and Rush decide to blow hot air as rudely as possible against any type of reform that is likely to help them in the long run
and Southpark:
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Brilliant Master Mind
this guy is wicked smart. Why bother with funny masks that can slip or leave you with a clammy-feeling-face? All that sweating inside, people can't understand your demands... Why not forgo the mask and create a disguise so flawless that no law-man will ever find you ... all ya gotta do is look like 99% of middle Amurica!
CNN reports:
"The brazen bandit has been captured in surveillance footage sporting the same close-cropped hairstyle and goatee in many of the holdups. He does not seem to make any effort to cover his face and sometimes is seen aiming a handgun sideways, showing his tattoos on both forearms as he gestures at bank employees."
Overweight, double chin, Army-of-One haircut, goatee, tatoos and a Jordan shirt - good luck cops!
CNN reports:
"The brazen bandit has been captured in surveillance footage sporting the same close-cropped hairstyle and goatee in many of the holdups. He does not seem to make any effort to cover his face and sometimes is seen aiming a handgun sideways, showing his tattoos on both forearms as he gestures at bank employees."
Overweight, double chin, Army-of-One haircut, goatee, tatoos and a Jordan shirt - good luck cops!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Bill Delivers
Bummed I couldn't find my buddy Johnno in the lineup but when there's waves, you can't spend time looking for buddies. 5 hours of getting pummeled, dropping into bombs, fighting to get past moving mountains and even a few rides that stoked me for many moons to come.
"You can't just call time-out and stroll on into the beach..."
"You can't just call time-out and stroll on into the beach..."
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Well Hello There BILL!
It's been MANY years since I've enjoyed a good hurricane. I've been so jonesing for big waves I'm dreaming about them. Even last month in France if I wasn't dreaming about filming racing I was getting hammered by huge waves. While it's never easy to predict my boy Bill looks like a sure bet for HUGE SURF this weekend. Might have to put the bike aside and bust out the boards.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Just another reason
to hate football.
Besides the overweight, over-opinionated fans who scream at the TV or from the bleachers, yet have no fathom of a clue what it takes to be an athlete.
"Fantasy" leagues designed to keep you checking stats, scores and every game being played - and for what? So real life gets dumped for other's achievements while your own are substituted. Brilliant way to live, must make our ancestors proud.
Over the top half time shows that dredge up has-been rockers and never-were country stars.
After every single play the competitors get to rest, substitute, chat with their coach, pat each other on the ass.
Pathetic drug testing of the players and even weaker penalties.
And last but most offensive: the worshiping, overpaying and RE-hiring of an admitted criminal, torturer and blood thirsty goon named Mike Vic. Every football fan should be ashamed of his re-entry into the sport. Every player should refuse to be on the same field with him - let alone the same team.
But alas, when the big-bad almighty AMURICAN dollar is talkin' - ain't no one gonna listen to what's "right" or "wrong" - thurs no rules when it comes to football stars. Entertainurs for the mob.
Watch anuther commercial. Have anuther beer. It ain't your problum is it?
Cha-Ching! Nothing to see here folks - keep watching the BIG GAME! Gotta keep them stats updated! Look, sparkly stuff and pretty women! Cha-Ching! Loud Noises! Wooooo Ohhhhhh Ahhhhhhh
Play ball.
Besides the overweight, over-opinionated fans who scream at the TV or from the bleachers, yet have no fathom of a clue what it takes to be an athlete.
"Fantasy" leagues designed to keep you checking stats, scores and every game being played - and for what? So real life gets dumped for other's achievements while your own are substituted. Brilliant way to live, must make our ancestors proud.
Over the top half time shows that dredge up has-been rockers and never-were country stars.
After every single play the competitors get to rest, substitute, chat with their coach, pat each other on the ass.
Pathetic drug testing of the players and even weaker penalties.
And last but most offensive: the worshiping, overpaying and RE-hiring of an admitted criminal, torturer and blood thirsty goon named Mike Vic. Every football fan should be ashamed of his re-entry into the sport. Every player should refuse to be on the same field with him - let alone the same team.
But alas, when the big-bad almighty AMURICAN dollar is talkin' - ain't no one gonna listen to what's "right" or "wrong" - thurs no rules when it comes to football stars. Entertainurs for the mob.
Watch anuther commercial. Have anuther beer. It ain't your problum is it?
Cha-Ching! Nothing to see here folks - keep watching the BIG GAME! Gotta keep them stats updated! Look, sparkly stuff and pretty women! Cha-Ching! Loud Noises! Wooooo Ohhhhhh Ahhhhhhh
Play ball.
What good is our right to bear arms if
you can't reach your freedum-maker in time to blast that assailant?
THIS IS AMURICA!
We can now blast 'em from the comfort of our own BED!
BLAST FIRST,
ASK QUESTIONS (like, "Uhhh, is that you honey?) - LATER!!!
(Warning: most gun owners are shot with their own guns, often by a disgruntled spouse looking for a fool-proof divorce)
THIS IS AMURICA!
We can now blast 'em from the comfort of our own BED!
BLAST FIRST,
ASK QUESTIONS (like, "Uhhh, is that you honey?) - LATER!!!
(Warning: most gun owners are shot with their own guns, often by a disgruntled spouse looking for a fool-proof divorce)
Still Stoked
looking through the hundreds of still photos from the tour - hard to believe I was there. This is Jan getting the Denmark fans in a frenzy as the team takes a spin after the Tour finished.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Full Circle
there was a time when I would have thought this cool.
that time passed and I would have thought it very uncool.
I have either returned to my youth or grown out of my yuppie-ness. You can mock the clothing, you can mock the color, but there is something undeniably cool about this. Once again.
that time passed and I would have thought it very uncool.
I have either returned to my youth or grown out of my yuppie-ness. You can mock the clothing, you can mock the color, but there is something undeniably cool about this. Once again.
Antique
hopefully that means it won't go fast or get me into trouble. She sure is noice tho...
get some flat bars for it and a retro helmet!
get some flat bars for it and a retro helmet!
Monday, August 10, 2009
I'm a MAN.
Ok it's Monday and I'm determined to start this week off positive and stay positive. I'm going to see the glass I'm in as half full if not 9/16 full. It's going to be 100° out today so I will have to add a dozen ice cubes to the glass. But it's been relatively mild in DC this summer (so I was told) and I'm thankful for that. Not so thankful that my air conditioning is still, after 7 visits - not working. Ohhhh perfect timing too.
In other news I am on the verge of turning 40. Yes it bothers me. But no I'm not going to run out and tatoo my ass or buy a Porsche. What I will do is ride my bikes, drink good beer and head to the beach to surf. And maybe, just maybe I'll purchase some sort of mid-life-crisis-toy but it's gotta be stylish. Something vintage that doesn't scream "I'm trying to be young, I'm trying to be something I'm not, I'm trying..." but more like, "Ok, I'm older and can be responsible. I think young but have been beat up enough to not act it too much. I have a good head on my shoulders and I can at least act like a mature adult."
What would be a fun, serious, mature-type item that will also state these things?
Hmmmm..............
In other news I am on the verge of turning 40. Yes it bothers me. But no I'm not going to run out and tatoo my ass or buy a Porsche. What I will do is ride my bikes, drink good beer and head to the beach to surf. And maybe, just maybe I'll purchase some sort of mid-life-crisis-toy but it's gotta be stylish. Something vintage that doesn't scream "I'm trying to be young, I'm trying to be something I'm not, I'm trying..." but more like, "Ok, I'm older and can be responsible. I think young but have been beat up enough to not act it too much. I have a good head on my shoulders and I can at least act like a mature adult."
What would be a fun, serious, mature-type item that will also state these things?
Hmmmm..............
Saturday, August 8, 2009
While Unplugged
I certainly did not miss the US news media. So far this week headlines have included such important stories as "Twitter customers left in the dark" and "US to pay Millions to Afghan poppy farmers" while the steady and terrifying decline of our planet gets pushed down the list of importance. Guess what folks, Twitter won't matter for shit when our food sources dry up.
If you ask me, our decadent society doesn't really deserve anything other than what it's about to get. Not the most positive thing I can type today, sorry.
If you ask me, our decadent society doesn't really deserve anything other than what it's about to get. Not the most positive thing I can type today, sorry.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Lots of Hot Air
It's hot in DC.
I'm reluctantly back to the grind.
In the matrix.
Tons of work.
Yesterday I was running around town trying desperately to get the air conditioning in my truck fixed.
Honking. Swearing.
Sweating.
Cell phones ringing and e-mail pinging.
I dropped it off at 11am and jumped on my bike. They guy said 3 hours but I gave him an extra hour to be sure it was done. 4 hours on my mtb and not only were my arms sunburned but my ass was quite numb. Cyclists are true masochists. I rolled into the garage covered in mud, stinking like a bog. My truck appeared unmoved from where I left it. The guy saw me and grabbed his forehead..."Sorry - forgot about your car! 2 hours, give me 2 hours."
Internally I was too tired to get too pissed but I managed a look of supreme disappointment to motivate him.
Good thing I was still able to smirk at it all with an inside glimmer of hope that I won't fully plug back in. As I sat at the auto shop for the 3rd hour contemplating how much time I would get for killing the mechanic, I closed my eyes and left the smoldering DC heat, there I was hanging out the window of the Team Car barreling through the town of Sault, past fields of lavender, clutching the camera inches from screaming fans on our way to Mont Ventoux. I smile when I think about that day. Then I got the bill for my new condenser and I was back to swearing.
One of the best things about being back is reconnecting with what I did not realize is a huge part of who I am and why I live here - the cycling community in DC. Seeing friends at the trailhead, riding familiar singletrack, being able to hide out of shape legs behind knowing every root and turn in the trail. Hard work rewarded with carbo-replenishing beers at Dogfish Head, the Tuesday Conte's ride (which today will also sport DFH beer!). I think a large part of what fuels me is wanting to entertain these friends, to have them associate me with something special in the cycling world - God knows it's not gonna come from my racing results. Gripped Films was started when I would screen short adventure-sport videos in my house and it's not much different now. Just need a bigger living room. So it does me good in these daunting days of forced acclimation, overwhelming loads of work and foreign fantasies that there is reason to be here.
In typical fashion that smirky smile I had was short lived. This morning I jumped into my truck looking forward to a cool ride to run an errand and nothing came out of the vents but hotter air. Now it's back to sweating. Swearing. Honking. I wonder if Cav has a room in his new Italian home he'd like to rent out?
I'm reluctantly back to the grind.
In the matrix.
Tons of work.
Yesterday I was running around town trying desperately to get the air conditioning in my truck fixed.
Honking. Swearing.
Sweating.
Cell phones ringing and e-mail pinging.
I dropped it off at 11am and jumped on my bike. They guy said 3 hours but I gave him an extra hour to be sure it was done. 4 hours on my mtb and not only were my arms sunburned but my ass was quite numb. Cyclists are true masochists. I rolled into the garage covered in mud, stinking like a bog. My truck appeared unmoved from where I left it. The guy saw me and grabbed his forehead..."Sorry - forgot about your car! 2 hours, give me 2 hours."
Internally I was too tired to get too pissed but I managed a look of supreme disappointment to motivate him.
Good thing I was still able to smirk at it all with an inside glimmer of hope that I won't fully plug back in. As I sat at the auto shop for the 3rd hour contemplating how much time I would get for killing the mechanic, I closed my eyes and left the smoldering DC heat, there I was hanging out the window of the Team Car barreling through the town of Sault, past fields of lavender, clutching the camera inches from screaming fans on our way to Mont Ventoux. I smile when I think about that day. Then I got the bill for my new condenser and I was back to swearing.
One of the best things about being back is reconnecting with what I did not realize is a huge part of who I am and why I live here - the cycling community in DC. Seeing friends at the trailhead, riding familiar singletrack, being able to hide out of shape legs behind knowing every root and turn in the trail. Hard work rewarded with carbo-replenishing beers at Dogfish Head, the Tuesday Conte's ride (which today will also sport DFH beer!). I think a large part of what fuels me is wanting to entertain these friends, to have them associate me with something special in the cycling world - God knows it's not gonna come from my racing results. Gripped Films was started when I would screen short adventure-sport videos in my house and it's not much different now. Just need a bigger living room. So it does me good in these daunting days of forced acclimation, overwhelming loads of work and foreign fantasies that there is reason to be here.
In typical fashion that smirky smile I had was short lived. This morning I jumped into my truck looking forward to a cool ride to run an errand and nothing came out of the vents but hotter air. Now it's back to sweating. Swearing. Honking. I wonder if Cav has a room in his new Italian home he'd like to rent out?
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