So the Chinese are making a big stink because a few of our trackies showed up to Beijing wearing masks. Above is Olympian Bobby Lea wearing one. What the Chinese don’t realize is that we wear these masks all the time, it’s just how American cyclists like to roll. Here’s a picture of me with Bobby Lea taken a few months ago.
See? What’s the big deal? We like wearing the masks cause it makes us look PRO. Look China, this isn’t an insult, it’s actually a compliment. We’re showing up with our game face(mask) on.
I remember when I was a kid I was glued to the TV when the Seoul Olympics were on. Of course we were still in the cold war, and it was an informal proxy war between the West and the Soviets which lent to the drama. However it felt like something really important was going on. The news cycle slowed down, and the entire world stopped what they were doing to engage in the Olympics. The last two summer games I hardly watched. All I watched was Judo and some track cycling, other than that I couldn’t care less. I didn’t even watch the last winter Olympics and couldn’t even tell you which country they were in. Am I alone in my disinterest for the Olympics, or have they world-wide ceased being relevant and interesting? Here’s what I think is wrong and what needs to get fixed: (more…)
I love the station wagon. In a Sandblade perfect world there would only be tiny hatchbacks like the Honda Fit and VW Golf, or station wagons. Why own a sedan when a wagon is more practical and has no downside compared to the sedan version? Wagons hold more stuff than their sedan counterparts, get the same mileage, and are easier to parallel park. The size and wheelbase are the same, and they have the same interior space and better mileage than SUV’s. When the SUV revolution came around wagons were left for dead. With the rise in gas prices, most car manufacturers are making these ridiculous “crossover” vehicles that have all the negatives of an SUV and none of the positives of a wagon. Wake up car makers, the world is ready for the wagon revolution. There was a small revival of the compact wagon in the early 00’s, but for the most part Subaru is the only company that makes wagons over their entire line (and have you seen how popular they are?). So here are some sedans that I think need to be made into wagons. (more…)
28-Jul-2008: It was a beautiful day in Paris on Sunday, and a fitting end of the Tour for Team CSC-Saxo Bank, whose incredible teamwork all three weeks in France culminated not only in the overall victory for Carlos Sastre, but also the white jersey for Andy Schleck and the overall Team Classification victory.
I’ve waited seven years for CSC to win the TdF. It was incredible to watch the well timed teamwork of CSC methodically take over the front of the peloton and execute their tactics. I’m not a big sports fan, and I never really understood what it’s like to watch your favorite team go to the Superbowl or the World Series until now. In previous years CSC never had any real chance of winning the TdF, so I never really took much interest. I always rooted for Cancellara in the TT and hoped Voigt would do an awesome breakaway. This year was agonizing watching how close the final TT was on stage 20. CSC could have easily lost all three awards in a single day, and on paper they were set to lose the yellow jersey. All the press said Sastre was going to lose that day, and the thought of coming this close and blowing was almost too much for me to watch. But the best wins are always the ones that come from behind and defy the odds.
There may be a lot of you out there just living your innocuous lifestyles wondering what the esoteric lifestyle is. The EL by definition is something you just can’t know anything about. There may however be a path to the elusive esoteric lifestyle.
I’m still not used to calling them team CSC Saxobank, but I’m a dedicated enough of a fan to keep trying. It was amazing watching CSC dominate Stage 10 of the TdF. The tactics were perfect as Cancellara put the pressure on in the beginning and Gustov and Voigt crushed the will of the peloton up the Tourmalet. In fact Voigt single handedly removed Valverde and Cunego out of Tour contention, proving once again that he has the more moxy than any other cyclist in the field. A perfect day would have ended with Schleck finishing first and in yellow, but at least you stayed on your bike Frank. And in all fairness that’s all I asked for. Stage 11 was even more amazing as Arvesen managed to win the stage by a few centimeters. When I heard he was in a break with Ballan and Pozzato, I thought he had no chance in the final sprint. Whether it was legs, brains, or luck, Arvesen pulled a much deserved win even though he was in the lead for the sprint. I figured he’d blow it like the 2006 Paris-Tours, but it looks like he’s getting smarter with age. Bravo CSC Saxobank! Now all I need is Frank in yellow and Voigt in an all day breakaway win.
“While one should value a more esoteric lifestyle, one should embrace the idea that all innocuous lifestyles are objectively equal.” -paraphrased from a great intellectual.
Totally right on dude, it’s not about the ‘05 lifestyle. It’s all about the esoteric lifestyle.
I’d like to get a USB wall charger for my iPod. I don’t want to buy the Apple one because I think it’s overpriced. Ideally I’d love a powered USB hub that would charge my USB devices even when the PC is turned off. If that doesn’t exist, any good reliable USB iPod charger would be nice.
