Thursday, April 22, 2010

compare and contrast

Read this.

Then Read this.

Can you guess where I am going? Maybe they should pick a different name or historicdal reference point....

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

recovery?

Every wonder how the stock market can recover and go over 10,000 while unemployment remains at 10%? The two numbers are perversely connected.
take a quick read of this
And you should give this a few moments of your time.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Gravel Grinder


Rolled into the rally spot super early-before anything was open early. First ones there early.
Preride warmup? Why not, didn't bring any trainers...

Nick got in on the camera action.

Did I mention the flowing mullet-watch out cross season

Shouldn't have taked shit about Perry Hill cause it was first up on the menu again. Kicked my ass again. There were some other tasty hills on the menu. Clouds are covering up the top, but there was still snow on top of Stowe.

Who needs Battankill for dirt roads. Where is the headless horseman?

Nick waited up for me at the first aid station, and we were off again.

With 5 miles left we hit another aid station. Time for a High Life.

Before we knew it, we were on to the amazingly muddy and fun community bike path and pulling into the parking lot. Nick took the sprint for those that were wondering....
Rad Tacos to finish it off and then 4 hours listening to the Red Sox blow it on the way home. Thanks to 5HillsBikes for putting it on.
By way of a product review, the showers pass softshell trainer gets two thumbs up. Kept me dry. Wasn't exactly torrential downpours but highly effective.

Vermont Weekend

The plan was to head out to Vermont for the weekend. Bring road bikes and cross bikes. Do a road ride on Saturday and the Gravel Grinder on Sunday. Well the best laid plans of .... and all that. Weather reports promised rain, snow, doom. Road bikes got left behind and it was 2 days on the cross bikes.
Woke up to this.

It stopped snowing and the rain let up and we went out to try a 30 mile loop. Right off the bat this loop punches you in the face. Perry Hill. Not a fan. Pain may be weakness leaving your body, but Perry Hill gives it back to you at the top.
After suffering in silence, I decided to go full tourist mode. I had my camera why not use it. We came to a cool covered bridge and I went into full Mofo mode to get the shots.


We trudged on over some incredibly beautiful roads. Got lost. Got tired. Got stoked. and got home. These rides were short but they kicked my ass.
One wrong turn took us to the top of this dead end road where we met a couple dogs.


back down.

Trying to focus on riding and taking pictures helps you forget about sucking on the bike....

Trying to take a perfect picture of Nick's mullet also helps pass the time

Soggy dirt roads on cross bikes can be a little "soul sucking" so why not try video. Better luck next time.

Dont want to be a downer, the ride was tough but fun. Cold, rainy, whatever it was pretty damn cool.
Anyway that was pretty much day one. Finished it up with eating, bike cleaning, and lounging. Up next day two the real deal Gravel Grinder.

38 bitches.

Athletes and business rarely end well. (Vin Baker comes to mind, but there are many examples). So it is no real surprise that the portly, conservative Curt Schilling might run into some problems as he tries to launch his video game start up. A month or so ago, he was claiming he could create several dozen high paying jobs, but unless Massachusetts gave his company some big tax breaks, he might be forced to leave for Rhode Island or even *gasp*New York. This shameless gambit earned him a shellacking in the comments on the Globe or Herald and that seemed to silence him for a few minutes. But hey tax breaks, that's conservative right?
Then this appeared.
This gem of true conservatism jumped out at me. “If the state doesn’t get involved at the start-up level, this industry will stagnate here." State involvement prevents stagnation? Did I just hear that from a conservative? I thought the party line was govt involvement and meddling cost jobs, not created them? Surely he has lost his talking points.
There is this little number-30 Million. As in 30 million of his own money invested in this company. So like most free marketers, when a business fails you applaud the rationality of the free market and move on right? Not our Curt, when it's his money, he starts trying to bully and beg the state for tax breaks and help. Nothing more conservative than shameless self-interest.