This is the big ride of 2009 (at least according to my current schedule), and it comes far earlier than last year’s big ride out in California. This ride differed in two key respects:

1. It was a longer, point-to-point ride with less climbing; and
2. There was a lot of beer involved at the end.

This ride is sponsored by Harpoon Brewery and is a fundraiser for charities near and dear to them (they are highly involved in helping out in New England). The entry fee is steep, but with it you get a cool jersey, great support (including the Mavic neutral tech support cars and motorbikes), and an end-of-ride BBQ featuring a lot of Harpoon beer.

It’s a fine, fine ride.

The morning started off in Cambridge, where sprite and I were staying with our friends, Sam and Alexis. We had to get up early, as I had intended to start the ride at 7:45am and need to be at the brewery at Boston Harbor by 6:45, at the latest (according to the info packet I had). However, even on a sleepy Saturday morning, traffic doesn’t move slowly through downtown Boston due to poorly-timed traffic lights. On the way, we made a quick pit stop at a Dunkin Donuts in downtown (sprite made the fastest stop for coffee, OJ and a bagel I’ve ever seen) and made it to the brewery by…. 6:50.

Most riders had already embarked on the course, as the slowest riders were sent on their way at 5:45am. I was planning on riding with the 20mph group, but decided that maybe the 19mph group was a better fit, given my high level of fluster heading into the ride. It certainly caught sprite off-guard, as I left at 7:35, about 10 minutes earlier than originally planned. But she was sweet to drop me off at the ride start.

I ended up in a group of 20-or-so riders, most of whom either were members of the Team FuelBelt triathlon club or the Monsters In The Basement cycling club. I ended up slotting in with the Monsters, who were a group with a similar personality to my PPTC “wrecking crew” – it was a good and serendipitous teaming, as they invited me in to their group for the duration of the ride.

The route isn’t overly complex, as it basically stays on five major roads: Massachusetts routes 225 and 119 and New Hampshire routes 63, 12 and 12A. Yes, there are many forks in the road and other, smaller roads used, but over 85 percent of the ride features the aforementioned five routes. The entire cue sheet fits in one column on a single side of standard letter paper – that’s how easy the course is, in terms of linear routing.

And the climbing on the ride is fairly mellow. There are many rollers of various size, and a gradual rise into New Hampshire the account for the ride until mile 90. At this point, in Hinsdale, NH, the ride turns north onto NH63 and a climb called “The Leviathan” by the ride organizers. It’s no slouch of a hill, averaging around 4 percent for its duration, with a few stretches of 7-8 percent before its “summit” at mile 94. After this, the rest of the ride is rolling, including a covered bridge crossing of the Connecticut River a mere four miles from the finish.

I must have prepared well for this ride (indeed, I told sprite the previous weekend that I was ready after riding a really strong-yet-controlled pace for two consecutive 65-mile rides): I ate well and hydrated myself just enough. The bike, my Jamis Eclipse, was in great shape, with new tires and a more aggressive riding position that mirrors the Pedal Force (my usual road bike). And I had a good amount of rest.

And it showed on ride day. I was always in good spirits with a lot of energy in the tank. My first rest stop, at mile 52, was a bit longer than I’d like, but it went well, with a lot of free Clif Shot Blocks available (I stuffed my jersey with the things – they’re tasty). At mile 56, we called the Mavic cycle to aid a cyclist whose loaner wheels (from Mavic) weren’t holding air. And the third stop at mile 89 was unplanned, but one of the Monsters met up with his family at this stop. Stopping near the bottom of a climb is usually tough, but we made this stop quick and got on our way.

The Leviathan was tough, but I set into a spin pace and did just fine with it. Our group would reconnect after big features like this, which was for the best and kept folks’ spirits high. The next official stop at mile 97 featured musette bags with goodies and water, but the way it was setup didn’t allow for a smooth, pro-style hand-up, so we stopped to use the loo and refill bottles.

At this point, we were rejoined by the FuelBelt triathetes, which was an interesting experience. First, we ended up with a monster-size paceline of 16 riders. And of that group, only the Monsters and a few of the tri-folk were taking pulls (mostly by choice on our part, as we scoped out the FuelBelt riders and found that most weren’t the best paceline riders). It could have been irksome, but two of the FuelBelt riders took great, strong, steady, long pulls for the group. And they happened to be the only two women in the group – and one of them had never been at the lead of a paceline before. It certainly didn’t show, and we averaged almost 24mph for the 26 mile stretch to the final fuel stop of the ride before Vermont.

At this point, a few of the Monsters were shelled from the crazy effort we’d just made, and we all welcomed the cold sodas and fruit and the salty pretzels at the rest stop. Never before had a Pepsi or Mountain Dew tasted so good! We refueled and stretched, and let the FuelBelt crew ride ahead, as our group wished to stay together. And I admit, I got jumpy as we neared Windsor, and jumped ahead of the group until the covered bridge crossing of the Connecticut River, where I stopped to take a picture of the sign over the bridge. Regrouping in downtown Windsor, we rode together for the remainder of the ride to the brewery.

After 148 miles, the journey was complete! And my legs were ready to ride another 30 miles, at least – as I said earlier, I was prepared!

But the lure of a hot shower, a massage, fresh barbeque and cold beer was too much to pass up. It was a fitting end to the ride, and sprite met me a short while after I finished to give me a ride back to her folks’ place in Connecticut.

It was an awesome day and a superb ride – one that I’d happily do again, though I’d want to bring a few more of my PPTC friends to share in the experience.

(Click on any of the pictures to see my full set from the ride. Click here to see a full album from Will Williams of the Monsters – you’ll see more pics of me riding there.)

I really need to mention the debt of gratitude I owe the Monsters for their overall support of me. Their club support driver, Ian, provided me with water and soda along the way, treating me as a member of the team the whole day. It was really great, and made the whole day much more special. And to Peter, Will, Philip, Dan, Dave and Todd, a tip of the hat to y’all for being so nice to a stranger from the south. C’mon down to this area for a ride sometime: Mountains of Mistery, Mountain Mama, Civil War Century, you name it!

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

This week has seen the deaths of three pop culture icons who resonated in my life: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, as well as the news that Walter Cronkite is likely to pass away in the next few weeks.

Today reminds me of my 17th birthday, back in 1990, when both Sammy Davis, Jr., and Jim Henson died within hours of each other: a day when things are just so sad that it’s tough to cobble together the words to describe the disturbance in personal space-time.

Ed McMahon was the ultimate sidekick. As the foil to Johnny Carson, McMahon often got the last laugh in Johnny’s bits – a sure sign of respect, as many comedians are hesitant to have somebody else share the spoils of their trade. Ed’s cadence and style were the model for those to follow: Paul Shaffer and Andy Richter owe a lot to Ed’s inimitable body of work, and Ed’s death leaves only Doc Severinsen to carry the mantel of NBC’s standard bearer of late-night variety shows.

I used to sneak in a viewing of The Tonight Show in my youth, and my parents often had it on and I could hear Johnny and Ed’s banter through my bedroom door. My grandmother loved Tonight (though she was most enamored of Joan Rivers’ guest hosting appearances), and I’d watch the show there whenever I stayed at her place.

Ed: your curtain call is now – enjoy it!

Farrah Fawcett was the sexy angel. And no, I didn’t have a copy of the poster on my wall, but I was all too familiar with it (was the uniform on Baywatch modeled after that shot? Oh yes, I’m quite sure of it.). Farrah rose above the fluffy appearance, though, and was a strong woman. Sure, her appearance on David Letterman’s show rose suspicions about her health and/or sanity, but time and again she rose above it with class.

And her battle against cancer was a model of courage. She shared her pain, grief, anger and perseverance in a very public forum. Her life’s love, Ryan O’Neil, was there every step of the way during her battle and showed every bit of strength to keep up with the ever-powerful Farrah. And the final visit of their son, Redman, is tough to watch – even tougher so, in hindsight.

Farrah: Charlie’s latest mission is a doozy.

And Michael – well, there’s a lot to say, both good and bad.

Thriller was one of the first albums I ever bought, if not the first, with my own money. I listened to that tape until it had stretched beyond playability. I owned a “Thriller” jacket. I learned the moonwalk. I even briefly switched to Pepsi after the pyrotechnics incident out of solidarity – yes, I was a fan.

But most of all, I loved the magic of his music. Off The Wall and Thriller are wall-to-wall sonic tapestries that are solid from the first beat to the last. The infectious (if repetitive) bassline of “Billie Jean,” or the Van Halen guitar solo in “Beat It,” or the tour de force of “Thriller,” or the dance-’til-you-drop beat of “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” – all are model pop songs. Sure, his star faded from there, but there were still occasional glimpses of brilliance, even as his personal life became increasingly erratic and eccentric.

My fandom didn’t last too long, however. The first blow was when he outbid Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono for the ownership of Northern Songs, which meant that The Beatles’ song catalog was suddenly open to the highest bidder for use in ad campaigns (my Beatles fandom far outweighs that of MJ, and always has). And the rumors and allegations of child molestation were tough to disbelieve, given that MJ always seemed a bit too eager to be around children.

MJ’s childhood was nothing that I’d wish upon anybody, but I also think that his adulthood was equally tragic. His constant battle to become somebody else – the pseudo-castrati voice, the horrendous plastic surgeries, the shift in skin coloration – pointed to a never-fulfilled need to treat deep psychological and emotional wounds. But the insular world of superstardom likely blinded him to this necessity, to his own detriment.

He tried to seek solace in isolation, and was about to stage a massive comeback-cum-farewell concert series in London. And now he is no more.

But we have the music, that glorious music.

Michael: may you finally find peace.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

Year two of the Mountains Of Misery ride, and it went very, very well: 19 minutes faster than last year, without the leg cramp that plagued me in the final 10 miles.

The weather forecast leading into the ride became increasingly unfavorable as the week progressed: partly cloudy morphed into overcast, then into showers and thunderstorms. While Jonathan, Chris, Kelly, Mike, Mark and I were a bit worried, we also kept in mind that weather forecasting involves a lot of chaos theory, and is guaranteed to have a certain measure of inaccuracy.

Luckily, May 24 was one of those days.

Sure, there was some drizzle between miles 10 and 20, which was fine. Our starting wave (third out, four minutes after the first group had departed) settled into a good pace, driven by Jonathan, Chris and James, who would end up having the fastest overall time of the day by “not stopping, save for one quick water fill and two pee breaks.” Chris and I rode past the rest stops at miles 26 and 42, making our first stop at mile 56. This helped keep Chris on track for a sub-7-hour finish time, and me on track to beat my time from last year. The rest of our group rode ahead, which was fine, as I had spent the previous six miles playing catch-up after having to stop and tighten a loose crank arm.

The St. John’s Creek climb at mile 58 was good for me: I placed some distance between Chris and me, while Jonathan was dancing up the climb behind us. I quickly stopped to top off my water bottle at the top, having neglected to do so at the rest stop to save a tiny bit of weight (yup – silly, isn’t it?), and shoved off when Chris pulled in and Jonathan passed me. And just like last year, I quickly caught up with Jonathan on the downhill.

Jonathan and I rode together for the rest of the ride, and were happy to see Chris pull into the rest stop at mile 84 as we were pulling out: it was almost certain that he’d beat his goal! Jonathan and I kept rolling, passing the final pre-climb rest stop and heading toward the final, category 1 obstacle: Doe Creek Road.

This year, Jonathan and I started together on this climb, but he certainly had better form for the climb. I was pushing a higher gear than in 2008 (36/25, as opposed to 34/25), and my lower back was giving me fits. I had to stop to stretch it out a couple times during the climb (20-30 seconds per stop) when it locked up and made my pedal stroke more of a lop-sided lunge. But I still made it up the hill faster than last year, and when I crossed the line at 6 hours, 21 minutes and 15 seconds, I was happy: 19 minutes shaved off my 2008 time! Jonathan cheered me on through the finish, as I did for him last year, and we both hit the massage tables to get the lactic acid worked out of our legs.

As we were on the tables, we listened for Chris’ name to be called by the usually-attentive announcer. However, before we heard his name, along came Chris! He finished in 6:38 (6:34 with the four minute time correction), which totally eclipsed his previous best time of 7:08 – a target smashed, for sure!

Our other group mates fared well, too. Mark shaved almost an hour off his 2008 time. Kelly and Mike – my carpool mates who rode the 124-mile route – finished between 8:30 and 9:00 elapsed time (giving me enough time to fully partake of the free BBQ at the finish, as well as a shower at Mountain Lake Hotel, where Dirty Dancing was filmed).

But the best part was seeing my friend Mariette finish in less than eight hours! Mariette shouldn’t have been at this ride: in early March, she was rear-ended by a motorist while riding her bike in Scottsdale, Arizona. She suffered numerous broken bones (fibula broken in four places, broken pelvis, ribs, vertebrae and nose, lacerations a’plenty) and had only started riding on smooth roads a few weeks ago. Prior to Mountains Of Misery 2009, her longest ride had been 53 miles. Yet here she was, finishing a 102.7 mile ride with insane climbs in a time that is a great feat for most riders. She is an inspiration, and the total embodiment of a tough person – way to go, Mariette!

My goal heading into this ride was to shave 5 minutes from my finishing time, and I managed to do almost four times better. The next big goal is the Harpoon Brewery-To-Brewery ride, only 22 days from today. I think I’m ready, though there’s a lot more prep to do.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

This had me scratching my head a little bit, as the study seems to weigh infrastructure factors above all others, rather than the general health and well-being of the population. Also, the study included Arlington and Alexandria, VA, in its study, which will skew numbers in favor of the fit.

I posted my thoughts on this subject over on BikeForums [edited for additional context here]:

Yes, the infrastructure is there: plenty of parks, MUPs and such. But do the citizens take full advantage of these? Perhaps those who live in the more affluent areas of the District (Dupont, Georgetown, upper Northwest, Capitol Hill), but there are plenty of less affluent areas in DC where other factors work against fitness (to the detriment of all involved with the cost of healthcare, etc.). If you expand the scope of the study to include Arlington and Alexandria, VA (as this study did), and the surrounding border cities in Maryland, it’s still a stretch to call DC the “fittest city,” though the odds improve in terms of finding fit people.

But [a fellow BikeFoums member] who quipped that the study “must have forgotten the area that isn’t tourist-friendly” really isn’t that far off. What about the east side of the Anacostia River? There’s a high rate of diabetes, obesity and other preventable diseases and conditions in this area which is well off the tourist radar. Same with pockets of Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland, where low-income families have more immediate perceived worries than physical fitness.

It’s as if the study turned a blind eye on Wards 5, 7 and 8, with their comparatively lower income levels and less-developed infrastructure of MUPs, bike lanes and trails. While there are recreation centers in these areas, complete with fields, tennis and basketball courts, and swimming pools, these facilities aren’t always used to their best potential. For example, swimming pools are used most often as a means to cool off and relax in the hot months of summer, rather than as a fitness venue.

I continued with my BikeForums post:

In my neighborhood (Dupont Circle/Kalorama), there are a great number of fit people, many of them younger, almost all fairly affluent in the grand scheme of things. They ride their bikes, run, swim and take advantage of the provided infrastructure, as well as pay-to-play resources like health clubs. But my neighborhood isn’t at all representative of DC, as a whole.

And that’s my beef with this study: it seems to look very fondly upon the more-visited and more gentrified parts of the DC area while turning a blind eye on the poorer areas where fitness levels are lower. Sure, northwest DC (as well as Arlington County) is a veritable treasure trove of fitness infrastructure, and the people who live in these areas take great advantage of the spoils of their location.

However, simply crossing to the east side of the Anacostia River reveals an environment where riding a bike on the streets often puts one in a danger zone: few bike lanes and MUPs, a populace that isn’t used to co-existing with bikes on the roads, fewer public pools and parks. It is good to see any movement toward improvement in this area (e.g. the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center and the Anacostia River Recreation Trail), but the money-rich parts of the District seem to see the better half of free fitness amenities.

As I concluded on BikeForums, I take this ranking with the same grain of salt as Bicycling’s declaration of DC as “America’s Most Improved Cycling City“: it’s all well and good, but there’s a lot of missing context. We have a fitness fanatic mayor (whose favorite outdoor pool is now heated – go fig – and who keep up with his bicycle racing and triathlon schedule with seemingly more excitement than his governing duties) and a section of the city (and surrounding environs) that is chock-full of active, fit citizens. But DC isn’t all pretty, trim people: the District has more than its fair share of poverty, preventable disease and obesity.

Context is everything.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

PPTC “Backwards Blue Ridger” ride. After yesterday’s hard ride, I was a bit torched coming into this one. I’d repaired some of the flaws, though: I had a new FSA chainring installed on the bike, and I’d taken my allergy meds (somewhat doubling up, just so I wouldn’t run low during the ride). But I hadn’t properly refueled the night before, and I knew that going in (hydration wasn’t the issue – glycogen stores were).

The ride was fast to the base of Naked Mountain, and I got a good start up the mountain. But Jonathan launched a furious pace up that I couldn’t match without going into the red for a long period of time – a recipe for disaster when the heat is so furious. I realized that I needed to cut down the intensity of the ride to get any benefit from the effort, and I did – most clearly shown in my slow, crawling ascent up Mt. Weather. The rest of the A-class riders dropped me here, which was fine, as I wanted to keep my HR from spiking. I made up a lot of ground on the descent (broke 50 mph for the first time on Mt. Weather Road during the drop onto VA Route 7), and arrived at the Bluemont Store only a few minutes behind the leaders.

After a long rest break (most of us had ridden the Apple Blossom ride on Saturday, and were showing the effects of the heat and effort), we forged on to the rollers leading back to Marshall. I rode strong with the lead group until mile 45, and then had to fight to catch back up with them. Once I did, they kicked it up another notch about 3 miles from the parking lot, and I let them go. T’was better to save the effort for another day.

This weekend of rides was my first all-out shelling of the season: I’d spent my energy and had nothing left to give. I ate a good post-ride meal, drove back to DC, and took a 2 hour nap – rest that was most necessary. I know that I need to rebuild my energy stores for next weekend, when SkyMass and Nokesville beckon (at least these rides are in a more logical order: big hills on Saturday, flatter spinning on Sunday).

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

PPTC “Apple Blossom Bouquet” ride. This was a bit of a hammerfest, and I easily won the first county line sprint, even with some other race horses in the pack. The combination of the heat and the pollen (I’d forgotten to take my allergy meds in the morning) took their toll on many in the group. For me, though, the icing on the cake took place during the second county line sprint: I had the easy break and then POW! My new chain fell off the big ring, mid-sprint. I tried to re-rail it, and it kept coming off. It turns out that I’d bent the chainring! Ouch! I was very lucky not to crash, and I still took second in the sprint while spinning madly in my small ring-small cog combination.

I had to ride in the small ring for a few miles after that, which allowed the rest of the pack to move on at a faster pace. However, thanks to Jason’s inquiry, I managed to straighten the ring using vise grips, thanks to the tools of two amateur truck mechanics (thanks, guys!). Jason and I eventually caught up to the pack, which had been slowed by a field of roofing tacks that punctured one rider’s tire.

After the regroup, we rode out the last 20 miles of the route, though we missed the cues at White Post, which meant that the classic, over-the-hilltop finish sprint was missed and the distance shortened by a few miles. Given the unseasonal heat, not many were fazed by this (save for Jonathan, who had totally planned out his victory move). All-in-all, a good ride, though I was quite spent at the end.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

An impromptu ride with Ed and Chris on a new route that Ed scouted out during the winter. This ride had everything: some big hills to start things out, old-growth pine forests, placid mountain lakes, rolling orchards and traverses through Civil War historic sites. I had a good time on the big hills at the beginning, though my long-distance climbing strength isn’t where it was in 2008. We took some long breaks during the ride to take in the scenery. This will be a good club ride during the summer or fall.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

I understand the draw of legalizing “Idaho stops” – a.k.a. “rolling stops,” where a road user can treat a stop sign as a yield sign if conditions permit – when it comes to vehicular cycling (VC). There are many times when traffic conditions favor treatment of a stop sign as a yield: when there is no cross traffic, or when traffic in all directions is gridlocked but a lane for a bicycle is clear. And from an efficiency standpoint, it is less efficient to stop and start a bicycle. The video on GGW’s article explains this quite well.

But the reason the law works in Idaho is because it is a decidedly non-urban cycling landscape. Much of Idaho is rural, and even the more urban areas of Boise, Pocatello and Idaho Falls are a far cry from the urban landscape of Washington, DC, and its suburbs. While many intersections in Idaho see a handful of cars in a day, most intersections in DC see quite a few cars – especially routes that lead to and from the city’s centers of commerce. Additionally, many intersections lack sufficient sight lines to adequately assess the traffic situation: buildings, foliage and parked cars often interfere with the ability to judge how “clear” an intersection is until the very last moment, mitigating the ability to roll efficiently through intersections.

And then there’s the important factor of road stewardship. When a cyclist takes to the road, he inherits all the same responsibilities as a motorist. There are rules and regulations in place to ensure the safety of all road users, from cars to trucks to scooters to bicycles. And while many VC practitioners will argue that an “Idaho stop” law would simply “make legal the reality of the roads,” it’s not that simple: what cyclists do in running stop signs and red lights is create a negative impression with other users – not just motorists, but other cyclists, pedestrians and onlookers. Taking ownership of the situation means taking into account the greater picture of traffic and safety, which means following the rules and regulations of the local jurisdiction.

Furthermore, many discussions I’ve read regarding the adoption of “Idaho stop” laws misinterpret the law. It does not allow cyclists to run stop signs in occupied intersections, including situations like four-way stops where all ways are occupied by other users. In this case, right-of-way still applies, even under the “Idaho stop” rule, yet many comments I’ve read think that it will exonerate all cyclists and their less-than-legal, less-than-courteous, less-than-respectful behavior.

And this behavior can – and does – cause injury to cyclists. I’ve seen cyclists hit by cars in controlled intersections when the cyclist proceeded into an intersection against a stop sign or traffic light. There have been times where I’ve seen distracted or inattentive motorists disregard traffic signals and signs and nearly hit cyclists and pedestrians. And I’ve seen cyclists bomb through stop signs, giving very rude replies to motorists and other users (this cyclist among them) who call out their foolishness and carelessness.

I realize there are plenty of laws on the books that need to be enforced, both with motorists and cyclists:

• Stop signs need to be enforced for all users.
• Cell phone laws need some teeth behind them.
• Headphone use by cyclists is technically illegal, too, and needs to be enforced.
• One-way bike paths need to be enforced as such.
• Double-parking laws need to be enforced to keep bike paths clear.
• Cyclists should be enforced on the requirement that they signal their intent when riding in the road.
• The three-foot rule needs to be both acknowledged by both cyclists and motorists, as well as enforced.

And the list could go on and on. But adding another law to the books that favors a specific vehicular class while putting said class into a questionable safety situation is the wrong approach.

Perhaps an approach similar to that used in Amherst, MA, where cyclists have their own traffic signals at many intersections, would work here. Or maybe a lane that is physically separated from the main road would work – it certainly does in both Paris, France, and Munich, Germany, and a pilot program in New York City proved successful in the traffic jam that is Manhattan. The latter examples are ones that would be applicable to an urban area like DC, and combined with proper enforcement (including a bicycle police squad that is in proper shape to pursue and intercept fast cyclists, as well as command respect from the cycling community), could create a viable long-term solution to integrating bicycles into the commuter matrix of DC.

But the “Idaho stop” is not the right solution for DC.

(Besides: starting from a full stop is great training, promoting the use of applied power and helping keep the cyclist in shape – another positive benefit of VC!)

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

Good:

• Switzerland’s Mountain Cleaners.
• The Guardian’s announcement that it is switching to an all-Twitter format.
• Lonely Planet’s guide to Bakpakhistan.
• Nine Inch Nails’ Strobe-Light album.
• Expedia’s $99 Mars travel special (I especially like the Colbert Orbiting Hotel lodging option).
• The special booking offer on Buckingham Palace.
• ThinkGeek’s Squeez Bacon.
• VeloNews’ announcement of new eyewear regulations from the UCI.
• Washington City Paper’s takeover by The Huffington Post.

Bad:

• Google’s CADIE – what’s the point, exactly?
• Ashton Kutcher’s questionable-taste Twitpic of what, presumably, is Demi Moore’s posterior.

And as a cyclist, this 2007 post from the late, great Sheldon Brown on how to get your bike chain really clean is still priceless.

Did you see any fun ones? Leave ‘em in the comments!

Also: if you’re reading this post via RSS, get out of your reader and look at the site directly before midnight (EDT) to see the special theme of the day.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.

• Please, please, please send Marion Barry to the political pasture – preferably to jail! His continued “devil could care” attitude toward paying back taxes sets a ridiculously bad example, and violates his current probation. That the people of Ward 8 continue to vote for this guy – who brings zero to the table in terms of valid, progressive legislation – is simply sad.
• If politics between the United States and Russia have devolved to this level, I hope President Obama knows what’s in store with U.S.-Russian relations. The world is too small for such silly arguments – especially when the entire “functional world” is barely bigger than two city buses!
• Then again, right now is as good a time as any to ponder the other G20 – the one in Glasgow.
• We’re still dangling the bailout carrot in front of GM and Chrysler – why, exactly, I do not know. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see the business cycle actually play out, where big companies can – and do – fail every so often? If there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that past failures of giant corporations have often brought about new creativity and innovation that, in the long run, has helped the economy diversify, grow and prosper. So let’s stop propping up these ancient Goliaths, Mr. President, and let them fail and rise from the ashes as new, fleet, innovative and future-looking enterprises. The Big 3 are dead! Long live their progeny!
• And while I commend the newly-enacted changes in Utah’s liquor laws that abolish the arcane and less-than-welcoming “private club” system, one of the other plans of the newly-signed legislation is simply baffling: the requirement that all mixed drinks be prepared “out of sight of persons under the age of 21.” What the hell? This is progress? This is obviously the direct result of the meddling of the LDS Church, to whom I say this: remember that those things you repress become your secret vices (read: internet porn, betting on horse races, high-stakes gambling, lottery, et al).

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the coming of spring to the District. The grass is no longer dormant, the daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are rising from their winter slumber in the soil, and the magnolias and cherry blossoms are quickly reaching peak beauty.

And with all these wonders come the things that we DC residents both love and hate: the tourists who can’t buy a clue. They block the escalators at Metro stations and stop to gawk and talk in the middle of busy sidewalks. They overrun areas that are usually the domain of DC locals (e.g. Hains Point during the Cherry Blossom Festival) and take away all of the elusive parking places throughout downtown and Georgetown. They cut off cyclists and pedestrians as they try to navigate our sometimes baffling streets, and get confused when locals give them directions that wouldn’t make sense to non-locals.

And they bring us the money that we desperately need to keep our city going. So welcome, fair tourists! Enjoy your stay, but keep an eye on how the locals do things, and try to emulate us. We all learned the hard way, in the beginning, so a bit of copycat behavior might save you some awkward humiliation.

This is a post from randomduck.com. Copyright © 2009 R.D. Riet. Covered under Creative Commons.