Bike to Work Week 
This week is Bike to Work Week and May happens to be National Bike Month. So, I did it today; I biked to work. Since I just had to administer a final exam, I loaded up my backpack with the basics I needed. The commute was a mere 11.5 miles round trip which is easy, but the roads, the roads - belong to the cars. Some parts were wide enough with a shoulder and some the shoulder was pockmarked with holes and craters and eroded blacktop. I took the back way but one stretch, closest to the college, was the busiest with traffic and there was little leeway on the sides. I prefer the bike paths, for sure, but the bike path doesn't lead directly to the college. But, I did enjoy the ride - any excuse for me to get on the bike.

I plan on doing this once a week during summer - late May to early July. Good for the body. Use less gasoline; I figure about half gallon's worth, which could save me as much as $2 a week. Good to do my part for a greener earth (I do much more than bike, BTW). More people should bike to work if distance permits and, if for nothing else, to take better care of their bodies.

[ add comment ] ( 1482 views )   |  permalink
Slacker 
Ever since Firefox 3.x.x came out I have wanted to use it on my main PC which is running Slackware 12. (FF 3.whatever runs fine on my wife's Vaio XP laptop) When I first tried FF 3.x.x on my machine, it was dog slow so I went back to 2.0.0.x. So, I tried again last night to install Firefox 3.0.10 on my main PC and, once again, the install goes fine but 1) is it still painfully slow and 2) this time, I noticed I didn't have <- and -> buttons on the upper left. So, once again, I reverted back to 2.dinosaur because it is significantly quicker and works. I am considering upgrading to Slackware 12.2 but I haven't decided yet and really don't know if it's worth the effort just to use FF3. I have also toyed with the idea of going with Fedora (which now up to 6 discs unless you do the DVD or net install; I do have a DVD burner so that's what I would do) or even Ubloatu with the hopes that maybe I'll have better luck with some of the ham radio software out there that is supposed to work with Linux. Decisions. Decisions. I don't want to drift away from Slack but I what I might do is just set up another PC for ham radio and see how that goes because I really don't want to part with Slackware as my main PC's OS.

[ add comment ] ( 1421 views )   |  permalink
More of the Runs 
Locally we've seen quite a bit of global raining of late and it looks like we'll be stuck in this pattern at least through this weekend. As a result, I haven't had the bike out much; did a 10 miler on Sunday through some very light sprinkles but that's been it since early last week. I haven't been idle, though. I've been able to sneak in some runs and I'm now at the point that a 2.5 or 3 mile clip is easy to do. I'm getting faster, too. I am hitting the 1/2 mile mark regularly in just over 5:20 now, down from around 6:00, and I think I hit my peak pace between mile 2 and 3. I don't have a 1 mile marker tagged in my neighborhood yet, just a 1/2 at a certain stop sign one way and a certain house another, and I measure my runs by time: 22-25 min. is a 2-miler, 27-30 is a 2.5 and 34+ is 3+. I am also running another 5K on Memorial Day and then a 4-miler in early June. I hope to finish the latter in under 46:00. I am not ready for the "M" word yet nor even the 1/2 "M"; way out of my league now; although If I continue to progress, maybe someday I'll be able to consider it but not now. Right now, running is fun and easy and a heck of a lot more exercise than most Americans get.

[ add comment ] ( 1249 views )   |  permalink
Taboo 
From the Detroit Free Press today:

Obama criticism shuts down conversation

She brings up some good points. The right of dissent and the right to criticize seems to be so 2001-2009ish nowadays. Maybe it's apathy. Maybe it's fear. Maybe it's because people are afraid to admit they were wrong. Although, there were some protests on April 15 but the media mostly bad-mouthed those who attended the rallies as if those who attended were uninformed crazies who had no right to peacefully assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. [sheep bleating] Protest Bush good protest Obama bad [/bleating]. Additionally, it does seem that gaffe-a-day Biden gets his fair shake when he puts his foot in his mouth, which explains why you really don't see much of him on TV. And, he got the boot for his last gaffe. lol.

One
Big
Ass
Mistake
America

There. :P

[ 2 comments ] ( 1859 views )   |  permalink
Hype 
Swine flu may be less potent than first feared

No kidding. Just like SARS, Bird Flu, Killer Bees, the coming Ice Age, Global Warming, and so on. *yawn*

[ 13 comments ] ( 1413 views )   |  permalink
Boston Marathon and Fermi 
I saw this on Runnersworld.com and thought it was amusing:



[ add comment ] ( 1362 views )   |  permalink
False Idol 
Obama Bows To The King Of Saudi Arabia

Boy, the gaffes keep coming. BHO and Biden must have bet going as to who can commit the most gaffes. First, it's DVD's that won't play in Great Britain in exchange for a symbolic and sentimental gift that signifies America and Great Britain's close ties and rock-solid friendship, then it's calling America arrogant, now this: an American President bowing to a foreign leader. Geez. Someone get this guy a protocol aide. His protocol aide must be the same numbnuts who went to a Wal-Mart in the States to pick-up the DVD's for Prime Minister Brown.

The media built this guy up as smart, suave, and the panacea for all that ails us. Yet, we got a President who's bound to a teleprompter, insults Americans when abroad, and gives childish gifts to foreign leaders, and bows to the leader of Saudi Arabia. Talk about a false idol.

Again, if Bush had done this - especially to a leader of an oil-rich nation - the American MSM would be all over this; citing it as proof that he's in the their back pocket. But Obama? Free pass; he's irreproachable. We built this guy up and we ain't gonna tear him down, even if his behavior abroad irreverent - which would be fine if he weren't an elected official, and not just any elected official, at that; he's our representative to the world.

[ 8 comments ] ( 1920 views )   |  permalink
Fuji Nevada 3.0 
Well, I finally bought my new bike. I opted for the Fuji Nevada 3.0. I rode a few bikes and had narrowed my choices down to two: the Giant Rincon or the Fuji Nevada. Fuji is not as known for mountain bikes as Giant or Trek or Cannondale but I liked it a little more than the Giant when comparing how they felt when I rode them. I ordered the bike last Tuesday and picked it up on Friday. Friday was a rainy day and I didn't think I'd get a ride in but the rain broke by mid-afternoon so I was able to get it out for about six miles. I would have ridden it before I took it home but the rain prevented me from doing so. If so, I would have had the guy tighten up the front brakes. They are a little loose for my liking. I tried to tighten them myself but I ended up with a rub when I did. The bike has disc brakes and about six places you can stick an allan wrench into so I finally got the rub gone but I am back to square one. I will take it back soon to have that adjusted. My guess is that he left them loose on purpose. I haven't hit it enough to give a thorough evaluation yet but today is looking good - 60F and no wind like yesterday.

update (11pm 04/05) - I did 17 miles on the bike today. Mostly paved bike path but some gravel and some dirt and mud too. In gears 3-7 and 3-8 the chain rubs a little in the front. Getting into 3rd requires holding the shift lever a little longer but it's not anything major. Other than that, everything went fine. I didn't bottom out the fork but it looks like I maxed out around 1.25 inches or so judging by where the dust ring begins. I like it. My legs are sore. When I do a 30 or 40 miler this summer remind me not to do a 5K the day before.

[ add comment ] ( 1701 views )   |  permalink
35:16.50 
That's what I ran the 5K in this morning. That's slightly better than a 12 minute mile and good for about a 5.2 mph average. I hit the first mile at 11:46. The race wasn't too hard but the weather was brutal - low 40's but WINDY; felt more like February than April. But, I did it.

[ add comment ] ( 1699 views )   |  permalink
Embarrassment 
Obama's DVD gift to Brown - it's the thought that counts

...pretty lame gift, especially from one who's supposed to be an intellectual. Some DVD's and a few toys
for a pen holder carved from the timbers of the sister ship of the one the White House desk is made from and a first edition of a seven-volume biography of Winston Churchill, the Mail is appalled that "Barack Obama, the leader of the world's richest country" gave Brown a box set of 25 DVDs

and
giving the Obama's daughters Top Shop dresses (with matching necklaces)


If Bush had committed this egregious gaffe CNN, MSNObama, ABC, and CBS would have covered this 24/7 and ranted on how he insulted our biggest ally. All news about the economy would have been tabled so as to stoke ire in the American people about a president who thinks only of movies and toys. But, since this was Obama, there was very little mention by our ass-kissing, tingle up my leg, inept, incompetent, and feeble media.

Oh, and by the way, THE DVDS DO NOT WORK IN GREAT BRITAIN.

IF BUSH HAD DONE THIS WE WOULD HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT FOR 60 DAYS STRAIGHT.


[ add comment ] ( 1505 views )   |  permalink
Ready for the 5K 
I am ready for my first official 5K this coming Saturday. I have run about four unofficial 5K's over the past month - two on the treadmill and at least two 3+ mile routes through the neighborhood. My plan this week is: did the gym yesterday (2.5 on the treadmill and some lifting), bike today (about 7 mi), rest Wed., gym Thursday (light - 1.5-2, then lift), rest Friday with a dinner of enriched pasta. Saturday, I plan on a banana and maybe a fiber bar for breakfast around 7:30-8 and the race is slated for around 9.

Weather looks favorable - low of 40 Friday night so that means probably high 40's to 50 or so at race time, no rain in the forecast either.

So, I am definitely ready. My goal is to complete it in under 37:00.

[ add comment ] ( 1280 views )   |  permalink
New Bike - Soon 
I look to upgrade from my $125 Sears bike that I bought in 1996. It has served me well and I will keep it as a backup. I test-rode a Trek 3900 the other day and it was nice and I may buy one. Other models I am considering are the Cannondale F9, Gary Fisher Tarpon, and Giant Boulder (an odd-sounding name for a bike). I am also scouting for used bikes on Craigslist and Ebay but will likely buy something new. Some general research has unveiled that Trek and Gary Fisher (Trek owns Gary Fisher) bikes are likely made in China by Giant, a Taiwanese company, and Giant makes most of their bikes in Taiwan and China. So, I may end up just going with Giant. I would like to ride one or two before I commit but I haven't ruled out Gary Fisher or Trek entirely. I also want to test-ride the F9 too, a lower-priced Cannondale which means it's contracted out and probably made in the same plant as the Treks and Fishers. I will likely have my new bike in a few weeks, just in time for this early-spring-but-still-frigid weather to break. I look forward to prime biking season and can't wait to get my new toy and go out and play.

[ add comment ] ( 1287 views )   |  permalink

<< <Back | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Next> >>