I have things to say... but lack the energy

Made in Canada

Bike Share Bikes Made in Canada
www.life.com

some crash stills on LIFE DOT COM

Gwadzilla Photos

dead at 50.

I want to read a little more about this
http://velonews.competitor.com

Laurent Fignon Dead at 50

not at all the same as MR. SASSY

he did it for the ladies... I mean the girls
okay... that is not funny
http://rivals.yahoo.com

THE DC MAYORAL PRIMARY IS THE DC MAYORAL ELECTION

THE DC MAYORAL PRIMARY IS THE DC MAYORAL ELECTION

RE-ELECT ADRIAN FENTY

get to the polls and vote

www.fentyreelect.com

if you like the momentum of the city
then lets keep the momentum of the city

the facilities in this city have not been this good in all the times I have lived here
and things are getting better everyday
families used to migrate from the city
the streets were not safe
the schools were crap

the people are staying
DC is a wonderful place to raise a family
well... it you can stand the humidity and the mosquitoes
but really... no place is perfect
DC is further from perfect than a lot of places
but DC is getting better
lots of positive changes since the FENTY TEAM took office

some is the momentum of the times
but a good deal of it is the momentum of this mayor

the schools are improving inside and out
Michelle Rhee?
I would not want to hear that a good teacher is losing their job
but... I do not want a bad teacher keeping their job
there comes a time for spring cleaning
there is no time to be wasted

it is not about old teachers versus young teachers
it is not about a new teacher versus an teacher who has been teaching for years
it is about getting ride of old teachers
keeping good teachers
hiring good teachers
and making our schools better

and did I say ASTRO TURF?

how about bike lanes?

what is important to you?

SAFETY?
CRIME IS DOWN!

that sounds like movement in the right direction
keep the momentum
RE-ELECT FENTY
http://www.fentyreelect.com/

this is really worth a look!

I WANT A SANDWICH!
a pregnant demon travels through the Tea Bagger's camp looking for a sandwich
www.brightestyoungthings.com
comedy is not pretty
and neither are the Tea Baggers

definitely worth a look
if nothing else... it is a great cross section of America
and that is not pretty either

and of course... I was stoked to see the demon on a bike

CYCLOCROSS CLINIC THIS WEDNESDAY!

CYCLOCROSS CLINIC AT FORT RENO PARK THIS WEDNESDAY

DCMTB is hosting a Cyclocross Clinic at Fort Reno Park this Wednesday Evening

Sept. 1st- CX "Crash course" - all the basics of cyclocross. Everything you'll need to know for your first race. Lead instructor: Mike Birner/Mid-Maryland Coaching

DCMTB
www.dcmtb.com

three links you may need
www.cxhairs.com
www.mabra.org
and
www.cxmagazine.com

bikes and the setting sun

retired...

AZ retired from his job as a DC Bicycle Messenger
but AZ is not done yet
right now AZ is down in Guatemala hosting the World Messenger Championships

CMWC 2010: Cycle Messenger World Championships
http://www.cmwcguatemala.com/

events

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=AZ

when did they start naming Hurricanes after men?

can you tell me...
When did they start naming Hurricanes after men?
I thought that they were always named after women

IF: Independent Fabrications

IF: Independent Fabrications
IF BIKES
http://www.ifbikes.com/

IF Bikes has a Blog
http://ifbikesblog.blogspot.com/

The Shenandoah Mountain 100... not part of my plans

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=Shenandoah+Mountain+100

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=SM100

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=race+report

I would imagine...

I would imagine that it is awkward riding a bicycle in that dress...

slow motion videos... POWER... FOCUS...

the NY Times has a great collection of slow motion films
WOMEN WHO HIT HARD

www.nytimes.com

and words...
www.nytimes.com

New York Times... good news... good entertainment

she had a Fast Car

Tracy Chapman... FAST CAR
on YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com

I am typing something here that pertains to the images below

ouch... this is not entirely uncommon

this morning I took a short spin before heading into work

yes... work... no I did not find a job
taking some hours at my old job
I have been taking intermittent hours at my old job
while still trying to find a JOB

it is thankless...
less money... no benefits... no 401K
but in these times... we do what we do
this may be a new economy
this may be part of "the new way"

so... I am on my bike
not feeling particularly spry
perhaps I started off too hard
maybe I was spacing out

either way... I was on the Capital Crescent Trail after looping off from heading north on Beach Drive when it happened
a bug into the helmet...

the bug in the helmet is not entirely uncommon
usually a bee... sometimes a beetle... always worth investigating

rather than pulling over I took the hands off the bar and rolled forward no hands in the upright position
I removed the helmet from my head and glanced down into the empty helmet
there it was... the black and yellow stripes of a hornet

rather than fly away and roam free
that hornet decided to sting me

through the full finger glove I felt it
then I stopped and removed the glove
a passing walker inquired to whether or not I was okay
his sincere concern made me feel better about the state of the world

the Hornet unlike the bee can sting multiple times
the bee leaves its stinger and sometimes its intestines... usually dying
the hornet flies away to sting another day
this hornet stung one... successfully through the glove
I could already feel the venom doing its deed

with no stinger in my hand I tried to see if I could suck out any venom
I rode no handed and did what may have been an empty effort
I sucked and I spat... ew... not like that
there was slight swelling... but the pain has since subsided

in my youth... I loved the Mickey's Big Mouth with its unusual cap
that unusual cap that almost often caused spillage
that volatile malt liquor that was an acquired taste that gave more buzz for the buck and usually gave a hang over
www.mickeys.com

a bag that fits the basket as a liner and becomes a tote bag

this article in the LA Times speaks about enteprenurial ideas being born from the boom in the utilitarian cyclists

www.latimes.com
the maker of the bag that fits in the wire basket...
only to be removable to become a tote bag
http://peddlingpretty.blogspot.com/

peddling pretty... not to be confused with riding pretty
http://ridingpretty.blogspot.com/

I have enjoyed not having a Smart Phone or even a cell phone

not having a cell phone can be inconvenient...
having a cell phone or a smart phone brings out a compulsion in many of us that can be very annoying

I have intentionally been without a cell phone for a good number of months
it may be time for me to get re-connected
but... there is a lesson... I have learned this lesson
I plan to live this lesson

we do not need to check our emails incessantly
we do not need to be glancing at our devices each and every time we have what appears to be a free second

playing with our kids should be playing with out kids... take the phone off your hip and get in the game

dinner with friends should be with the friends you are with... not the people who are not there

get real... live in real time

there was a time when people awkwardly looked at the numbers above the elevator doors in an effort to ignore the other passengers in the box
now everyone stares at their smart phones
as if that email can not wait until they get into their office
people still stare at their smart phones... even if the lose service inside the elevator
anything is better than interacting with those around us

this of course extends to driving...
okay drivers! get a clue
check your emails before you leave the house
then... when you get to work... get back to things
if it is really so vital... pull over and "read and respond" or make that call
there would be less traffic if people were focusing on the task at hand

and parents...
teach your children
guide your children
this is the next generation of drivers
the best rule... PUT THE CELL PHONE OR SMART PHONE in your pack or bag and have that bag out of reach... there is this technology called VOICE MAIL!
it is not that important that you need to take your focus off the task at hand

if it rings... let it ring
view an incoming call as a suggestion not a command
do not be a slave to the device

people would drive more efficiently if they focused on the task at hand
people would drive more safely if they focused on the task at hand
and as far as them trying to multi-task
well... the email or the phone call is only getting partial attention anyway
and we know that the variable around the driver are getting less than partial attention

MOMA has a new iPhone AP
www.huffingtonpost.com

somewhat unrelated image found here
http://artoftheiphone.com

a good solution to a difficult problem...

traveling with the bicycle is a total hassle

if you drive... the hotel or the inlaws will not let you bring the bike into the building
if you fly... the cost of traveling with a bike is as great as the hassle of boxing the bike itself
and then some

so... what does someone do?

well... OUTERBIKE is a great solution
well... maybe not a "solution" but an excellent riding away from home option
http://outerbike.com/

another shot by Aaron... but this one is not of me

a photo not by me
a photo not of me
a photo by a guy named Aaron

from what FACEBOOK tells me
the photographer is in a relationship with the subject in the photo

Aaron snapped some shots in between takes at the Gripped Films filming for Chasing Legends in Georgetown
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=chasing+legends

do you live in DC... are you going to vote in the DC primaries?

Do you live in Washington DC?

are you going to vote in the DC primaries?
the FENTY-GRAY race is getting intense
there are some articles in today's Washington Post that I need to read

I like the momentum of the city
I like the changes that are happening in the schools
I like Mayor Fenty
I want to continue with this momentum!

I AM PRO FENTY!

I do not know anything about Gray... but I do know that I like the changes I am seeing in the city...
school renovations... rebuilding the city parks... bike lanes
what else?
urban renewal... growth... prosperity ...

so... if you are PRO-FENTY
get out and vote
and tell your friends who are unsure... that they should vote for FENTY
these primaries are the deciding factor!

in the story of John Henry...

I think John Henry dies...
be careful in the battle of man versus machine

Summit County Complex...

Summit County
Summit County Colorado
SUMMIT COUNTY COLORADO AND SUMMIT COUNTY COMPLEX... something I experienced in the early '90s

the world has changed... there are interesting trends to culture
one thing I have noticed... jobs in resort-vacation communities are no longer being filled by college age and post college age people from the states
in my limited travels I have seen more and more Eastern European men and women in their 20's working these jobs

at the beach... in the mountain towns... all over the country
I have seen it... it appears to be pretty consistent
is it documented... is this phenomena real... or is it just my perception

in my post college years I did a little bit of traveling
not an extensive walk about
just a bunch of little trips
trips that often involved working along the way
planting trees in Georgia for 4.25 cents a tree
even my bicycle tour in Europe involved my working at a Youth Hostel Camping area doing minor clean up so that I could camp and eat for free
my savings account has never been impressive
the messenger gig in Washington DC usually did little more than pay the rent with some money left over for beers... there was hardly any money left over for bikes
this dynamic always forced my travels to be on "a shoe string" budget

a cross country motorcycle trip took me through the state of Colorado
I had never been on a chair lift before... I had never skied... my only snowboarding had been on local sledding hills and golf courses
as I rode my motorcycle on those twisty mountain roads I felt a connection
after a few months of living and working in Marin County California I decided I would leave Mount Tam and its scene for the bigger hills of Colorado

it was not that well thought out... I had no idea what I was getting myself into

I sold the Kawasaki KZ750 that caught fire in Wyoming for 800 bucks... which was pretty alright... since I had bought it for 4oo dollars back east
it seemed like a fair price since I had just replaced the chain and the sprockets to accompany its taxi cab yellow paint job I had given it... not to mention it was running pretty nice

with that money I bought a plane ticket back to Washington DC where I loaded up my car and headed back out west
with a Burton Woody on the roof I left off for Colorado with no concept of what I was doing
once I arrived I was told about "the metal edge"
or in my case... the absence of the metal edge
I was as dumb about the metal edge as snowboard innovators Burton and Sims

this rant is supposed to be about Summit County Complex... not snowboarding
so I will try to avoid any long winded rants about heading to "the pass" to do some early season snowboarding in the trees
riding this diminutive snowboard with no metal edge through double black diamonds shoots in the trees
it was madness... it was insane... it was near suicide
maybe it was the thin air...
looking back
it would be like trying to race downhill on a Mary Poppin's bike
I was lucky not to break my neck

my ignorance about the gear was matched by my inability to afford real gear
I had to try and figure things out on the cheap
no actual snowboard boots... it was Sorels... and not even with Ski Boot Liners
kissing up to all the "ski reps" who claimed to have a "hook up" or "a pro deal" for me
at the parties and bars these cheese balls always made empty promises that they never filled

a snowboard without a metal edge is pretty bad
then to ride a regular snowboard without snowboard boots?
well... that would be like riding your mountain bike with toe clips and sneakers rather than SPDs

again... off point

recently I heard this song...
Colorado Girls
Colorado Girls on YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com

it is a spoof of the Katy Perry California Gurls song
California Gurls on YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com

sorry... lost focus watching these videos.... even watched a Minnesota Gurls videos!

okay... let me spit this out...
Summit County Complex... not to be confused with the Summit County Split
The Summit County Split is a massive crack in a person's lip caused by an excess of chapped lips and no moisturizer... but these are different times... I bet people use sun screen more now than when I was on the mountain

okay... back to things in "thumb it county"
the once hitch hiking capital of Colorado

Summit County Complex was in short a term used to describe the attitude that women would get because of the BOY TO GIRL RATIO in the mountain towns
I am not sure of the actual numbers... but in the bars it was like 33 TO 1
a ratio that favored the girls... 33 boys to each girl

this ratio threw things a little out of whack

Summit County Complex was an attitude that women got... where they thought they were more attractive than they actually where... or at least they behaved like they were more attractive than they were
because... with no other women to compete with... they were it... they were the deal
there were boys lined up to talk to any women.... any women

if a boy were to piss of their girlfriend... she could just turn around and there was another boy right there

people would say that in Summit County boys do not have girlfriends... they just get their turn

well... there were a good number of women who were maybe "7s" in their hometown
then here in ski towns of Colorado... they bundled up... they wore a big sweater... and they preyed upon the desperation created by the boy to girl ratio

in short without being too mean... that is Summit County Complex

not sure if they still consider that
because the dynamic of things may have changed
not sure who is living in these towns and who is working the various "Mc Jobs"
but when I was out there... there was a limited amount of housing... a limited amount of jobs... and a limited amount of women

sure... the snow was great and that is why we were there
and once housing and job was found... things were pretty okay
but we still complained about the women situation
which of course is a different situation than here in DC
here in DC... well... there is a whole different attitude... and it is attitude
but being old and married I am not so concerned what was once called in a City Paper article "the bitch hunt"

The Robin Hood Tax... I do not know what the Robin Hood Tax is...

I was just sent a link to a video from someone across the pond
it is a great little film about THE ROBIN HOOD TAX

a short video on THE ROBIN HOOD TAX
www.youtube.com

well worth a glance

some information on the Robin Hood Tax
http://robinhoodtax.org.uk

then this... a classic Gwadzilla Must Read!

Obamas on Bikes!

Obamas on Bikes!
I bet they would ride their bikes around DC
well... it the streets were more safe for bikers
so... what are we gonna do about that?

www.google.com

not Abby Road... L Street

lots of photos that may not be of anything except for that second in time

honk

this asshole honked at me and motioned for me to get over and out of his way

then of course... guess what happened... yep
I passed him
with a 32X20
that gear is small for me on dirt

so... what happened
he honked when he passed again
I zipped past over spinning to get the shot
then he honked and laughed

it made me angry

it was good to get out with the camera... I had not really been out with the camera

lots of people out on their bikes
more and more people on the streets of Washington DC on their bikes
some of us have been doing the bike thing for some time
some of us are new to the bike game

this woman looks comfortable on the bike

a few shots rolling home on Mount Pleasant Street

it was later than I am usually downtown
it was nice to see the city under the glow of the setting summer sun
made me realize I should step out with the camera and snap some shots on these cooler days with the clearer air during the good light moments of the day
in the shadows with low light
the camera has a hard time adjusting to the low light while moving
manged to get a few shots just the same


another shot while on the move...
at a closer look I saw that she was on a Surly

at first I just figured it was an old beater converted into a single speed with some unusual handlebars
then I saw the badge on the head tube
it looked just the the "S" that fell off the head tube of my Surly
http://www.surlybikes.com/