Leadership vs. Fingerpointing

Will McCain have to "suspend" his campaign again since the bailout failed? It's funny how he was for bold leadership before he was against it. Now he has decided that blaming everyone is the way to fix an economy suffering the wrath of strong fundamentals. Grampy to the rescue.

Autumnal Awakenings

Two months worth of late season sloth, beer, and VW wrenching make for a painful start to the CX season. I understand that cross is supposed to hurt, but you are supposed to be able to accelerate out of corners while embracing the hurt. I just plain hurt. I couldn't even use the big ring on the first half of the course yesterday. My silly decision to pose as an expert mountain bike racer put me in Cat 3 Cyclocross this year with the new rules. That would have been OK if I had continued to pour on the miles like I was before the Cicadas started singing. I was pulled from finishing the last lap after James and his Trocadero(sp?) homie lapped me on the techie hillside. I was kind of bummed since my back had finally quit screaming at me and I was having fun with the course.

There was some good in there though. The course was super fun, we got to see many faces we have missed the last couple of months, and I came out of it motivated to get fast again. I have finally surrendered to the reality that the motor has to come out of the bus to get some loving. It won't be full time camp ready until next season. So now I get to put the beer and the wrench down and work on my own motor instead. November is what it's all about anyway right?

Sheri snapped a bunch of photos of both days of racing. They are up at OGMG.

The Search for Mooselini Revealed

WANTED
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Must have served as an elected official
Must be a “bull-dog” politician able to lie without blinking
Must be a WOMAN
Must be ATTRACTIVE
Must be a radical right wing religious fanatic
No others need apply
Education Requirements: 4-year degree - any subject
Foreign Affairs Requirements: None
Economic Requirements: None
Please submit full-length, pageant-quality, swimsuit photo with resume to:
The McCain First Campaign
PO Box - Keating 5
Anything to Win, America 10000
*Applications without attached photographs will be discarded

Don't let them do this to you!

Keep in mind that this $700,000,000,000 bailout will be financed with our tax dollars. If you were hiring someone to manage your personal finances, would you ever agree to this kind of language?

"Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are
non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed
by any court of law or any administrative agency."

Please read up, pass the word, and communicate aggressively with your Senators and Representatives.

In case you wet the bed last week

Nice....

"John McCain wants to take on the Old Boys network. The Old Boys Network!? In the McCain campaign, that's called 'a staff meeting'"

-Barack Obama 9-17-08

No Faking the 40

I have heard it said that there is no faking it in the Cheq 40. Unfortunately after 7 weeks of 1 or 2 days a week at most on the bike, faking it was all I had. Early this season I had a goal of a top fifty, (which is ridiculous considering I have never seen this race) but I knew my reality going into it was that I was just going to ride it out.

I chose a 36x17 and staged my bike around midfield at 8:30. I was really hungry waiting for the race to start after having had a rushed breakfast earlier. I tried to eat the hippy snack out of the registration bag, but it was pretty awful. Like a turd-rolled-in-birdseed-entire-family-laughing-for 5-minutes-at-how-awful-it-was awful. Starting hungry was a perfect way to top off my already low expectations.

The start was less frenzied and scary than I expected. I was actually able to relax and move up carefully through the field. About 10 miles in I started feeling good and would shoot past quite a few racers on every climb. At mile 30 however, everything seized up and that party was over. After that I was staggering up hills dragging my bike behind me. I was passed by legions of pie plates, primal jerseys, and Euro pro kits. I was pathetic. Racing is so much more fun when you have the miles in. When I rolled in the finish the clock said 4:24 and I hung my head. I found out a few minutes later my finish was like 3:04. Phew! Still, it was a full 40 minutes slower than I feel I should have been had my fitness progressed this year as planned.

After having a little meat orgy under the tent at the finish, we were out of there. I know we have had it pretty good with racing weather this year, but the rain was a real buzzkill. There were waves in our campsite back at the KOA, so we cut our trip short and headed home.

The Cheq experience was huge for me. It was truly memorable and epic. I can honestly say it has refreshed my passion for racing bikes, which I sorely needed. Still being new to this, I think I had gotten a little too WORS-centric and just burned myself out with the trainer hours. Staring at the power meter and the carpet for 150 hours before the racing ever starts doesn't leave you with many matches to burn. I'll get it figured out by the time I'm 45.

Charlie Gibson's Palin interview exclusive!

This chick is a train wreck. I love the bit about "perhaps" invading Russia. We are doomed if Americans are stupid enough to vote for these war crazed asshats.

What do Generals know...

about victory?

Not much I guess. Unfortunately there are no risks taken when subscribing to a strategery of empty words. The Seinfeld approach. A campaign about nothing (but lies), risks nothing (but maybe having to look for new fresh lies).

PalinMcBush takes the Bait

Obama has successfully baited John McCain into showing us what he is really made of, and the results are disgusting.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/mccains-integri.html

Obama has manipulated the manipulators. Unfortunately this brilliance is lost on most voters.

If the happily manipulated voting public wakes up in time, it will be attributed to this growing contrast of character that Andrew paints. When you can't possibly make an informed decision anymore based on heavily obscured and debated voting records or past deeds, watch and listen to how these two men run their campaigns. The juxtaposition is startling. The choice is clear.

It just keeps getting better

http://thepage.time.com/2008/09/03/murphy-noonan-unplugged/