2008: uncle jay tells us what happened, in case you forgot

someone else's idle thoughts...

whatever.

if i were king of des moines . . .

oh yes, heads would roll, and then the bikes would roll.

a belated xmas gift--the ENTIRE arthur brown groove

including "fanfare," "fire poem," and the song, "fire" a mono version, by the crazy world Of arthur brown.

drop a little 'cid, smoke a lot of weed, or drink a whole bunch of wine. or any combination of the three.

but CRANK IT UP!!

can i get an . . .

aw, SHIT!!

this will help him concentrate.

amen.

holidays, 2008, take 2

from the mostly reverend, and all the kids at the orphanage.

. . . . .

on a completely different note, folks [and by that, i mean liberal bloggers] are getting their knickers in a knot over this whole "obama's invitation to an invocation thing." FINALLY, someone has written my thoughts EXACTLY. i knew that if i waited long enough, someone would do it for me. but here's how it starts, and now you know why it sums up my thoughts perfectly:

"who gives a rat's ass about an invocation anyway?"

read the entire piece here. but my thanks for saving me a bunch of time to the last chance democracy cafe.

ding dong school time at the orphanage

this one's for the good doctor, out there in oregon.

homey d. clown talks cycling

it's that time of year again, and homey needs to talk to you kids riding bikes in winter, so sit down. [whack!] sit down. what we've had the past few days is just a little bit of cold and snow. today's the first day of winter; this ain't the worst of it. folks already talking about "epic" rides and shit. [whack!] i don't think so. homey don't play that. i was here last year, and said the same thing, so pay attention to me this year. [whack!] pay attention. when you go out and talk about "epic" this and "epic" that, you ain't fooling anyone but youself. go out and have as many memorable rides as you want. but when you say this ride and that ride is epic, you're just saying you don't ride enough. [whack!]

i said this almost two years ago, so pay attention when you watch this film. then a couple weeks later, i said this. [whack!] why don't you listen to what i say? then over a year ago, i reminded you all when i said this. [whack!] don't get homey pissed off; homey don't ride this.

peace, love, and

. . . frozen neuticles?

what time should we ride today? i'm thinking maybe 1100 am, or noon?

s'posed to be close to 0F by then!

by the way, good morning, islamabad, pakistan. thanks for visiting and staying a while. y'all come back again real soon!

* * * * *

notes from my ride--

i know many of you read this, just hoping for some little snippet of wisdom, a rare nugget of truth that might slip from my lips. well, i'm willing to share a little with you today, just for persevering with me through all the stuff above. the chart below this text puts the ride in a rather graphic, easy-to-understand format, but let me explain the numbers first. i've been testing a power tap set up since mid-summer, and have just been gathering data from various rides, getting used to using it, and reading the numbers, but not much more than that. but now i am using the powertap system to gauge my workouts. so i now have a small library of data against which i can make comparisons and such.

today, i rode just over 3 hours, from about 1030 am to 130 pm. it was about 22F when i left, and dropped to about 10F by my return. the wind picked up a bit, too, with light to moderate flurries. my maximum cadence hit 198 as i was trying to catch up to my riding companion as we came from one trail to an open road, and my cassette was clogged with ice and schmook. i held 198 or so for quite a while, actually. my max power hit 540 watts; not the 900+ hit this summer, but i wasn't trying to do anything today but ride. we did have some nice hills and headwinds today, though. the most pleasing thing, however, was the power distribution of the ride [49.56% recovery and 43.41% endurance] and my HR zones [16% recovery, 67% endurance, and 17% threshold or higher]. good verification of what i already knew was a "great fucking ride" [GFR] as measured by fun, tough guy points [my bottle froze, too], time, weather conditions, and almost total absence of other cyclists seen. we saw one other rider, at gray's lake. you guys have fun on your trainers?

.....

so below is my ride, in pie graph form.

.....

first ice beard submission, winter 2008-2009

i went out riding with my stealth cycling buddy today, as we do most weekends lately, now that dave's moved to the western suburbs. i imagine he's training for the upcoming roller season. unlike last year, however, today our timing was a few hours better; the weather did not deteriorate quite as quickly as it did when the harsh pre-christmas blizzard of '07 found us several miles out of town, and the gruelling ride back in scored us beaucoup "tough guy points." well, we racked up some TG points today, too, but just not as many. were it not for an apparent warren county policy against plowing gravel roads, we might STILL be out there southwest of cumming.

scored my first photographable ice beard of the season. not bad for the last day of autumn. sigh...i took several photos, to get the best one; the one that distills the essence of the ride, and the captures the "me" that went out, and later, returned. i believe that this one, me in my beanie, my armless mannequin sunning atop the buffet, says it best.

i am more than just a radio personality, orphanage director, and spiritual advisor to cyber thousands. yes, i also do a little r&d for a number of cycling concerns. i did a little work in the windchill tunnel today for an unnamed frame builder, who has contracted with me to help develop a better/faster cross/gravel bike bike.

although i am contractually bound NOT to say anything about the nature of my work, as it relates to any specific bike or detail, there are no restrictions with casual use of raw photographs. these two fall within acceptable guidelines. what do YOU see?

winter approaches . . .

and frankly, i'm excited as hell about it. snow and ice has been piling up the past few days, the forecast for next week calls for "dangerous windchills" of -25F to -35F, and the cars and trucks are giving me w-i-d-e berth as they approach my bike.
she-it.
is this heaven?
no. it's iowa.
a few observations:
1--after heavy snows, it's easier to get through on most side streets on the sidewalks rather than the streets. folks are pretty good about cleaning their sidewalks. the city takes a bit longer, understandably.
2--nights are much brighter with all this snow. i love reflectivity.
3--riding at night is a whole lot more enjoyable--is this even possible?--when you have a half-pound of freshly-roasted, freshly-ground coffee beans from zanzibar's in your back pocket.
4--the gravel roads are going to be i-fucking-deal the next week or so. i-fucking-deal. mark my words. or you can stay inside and train for your next roller race.
5--some very exciting things are happening in the metro cycling world. 20" and 24" wheels could be quite the rage this summer. mark these words, too. i'm on to someting here.
6--you're gonna see some younger kids riding road bikes in the not-too-distant future around here. yup. road bikes. craziest damned thing to imagine, eh? young kids on road bikes. uh huh. you wait and see.
so there's some thoughts i had tonight while out riding. what did you think about during your ride tonight?

never let a bad boy do the DEVIL'S work

it's kind of embarassing, actually, when these things happen. they give a professional like me a bad rap. i've worked my entire career to get my OWN bad rap, and this jerk almost single-handedly ruins it.

at least he is offering to make it right.

but if jonathan page can't take getting heckled by good old red-white-and-blue hecklers, maybe he SHOULD consider staying on the old side of the atlantic.

killin' time?

how's your aim?

test it HERE, too. these things are fun.

thanks, tengrain!

observations

it's been kinda quiet here at the sermonette the past week. i've been observing zappadan, of course, throwing shoes, and doing a fair amount of "work." the lord works in strange ways, as they say. [i don't say it, they do.] in addition to all this, i've been riding my bike through the rather challenging cold and snow here lately. i prefer the snow, by the way, to the extreme cold. but saturday, on my way home after my ride and a bike kollective board meeting, i stopped at zanzibar's on ingersoll for a cup o' joe and a chat. i then rolled on up the hill, and encountered scores of folks on a variety of big wheels. in front of gt's, i encountered scott sumpter, who told me that they'd raised $10,000 for the charity they support, the children's heart connection.

$10,000. holy shit! quick math: 70 big wheels, 175 people, $10,000. that's a lot, man. good job, kids. amazing.

a bit of irony, though. as i was leaving gt's, to continue home, a tipsy voice from the crowd outside asked me, "where's your helmet?"

gotta love that shit, eh?

anyway, next time you see some old farts on big wheels, think kindly of them. they just might be saving someone's life.

news of the weird

BITCH FIGHT!!!

don't ya just LOVE it? read here

britain's going to the dogs...

thanks, jimmy!

gimme five feet!!

Vehicles passing bicycles: Drivers would have to be at least 5 feet from bicycles when approaching them before passing under a proposal being drafted by Sen. Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City. Penalties for violators haven't been determined. "We've had a fair number of fatalities in our state with car/bicycle collisions and, in every case, the car wins," Bolkcom said.

contact YOUR legislator TODAY!!

[click on link to find your legislator's email address]

zappadan salutes lennon

share your thoughts on john's life...

uncle frank wants YOU!!

the kim west radio cycling show is celebrating zappadan, and we want your help. during last night's episode, #33, "pearl harbor meets zappadan," we featured only zappa bumper music, that music played going into and out of commercial breaks. in addition to an explanation of the highest of holy celebrations, we closed the show with an extended--for us--"joe's garage."

but we need your help. zappadan runs from december 4 through december 21, giving us two more shows to feature the music of frank zappa. what do YOU want to hear? leave your suggestions, along with links, if you have them, in the comments section below, or send them to me at kimwest@kxno.com. we'll give you props for your ideas, and you'll have the great feeling knowing that you've helped make a great show--the kim west radio cycling show--even BETTER!

you can hear last night's episode, #33, "pearl harbor meets zappadan," by going here, and clicking on either of the "listen" or "podcast" icons.

of course, you can listen to any or ALL of the previous episodes, because here at the kim west radio cycling show, there's no such thing as garbage, just old episodes.

uncle frank and the mostly reverend grandpa kim thank you for your suggestions.

grandson acknowledges, and sends it back at ya'

last night, jabari and i were but 2 of the 15,955 in attendance at the iowa-iowa state wrestling meet.
he may be only 16 months old, but he's a pretty intense fan of the sport. his dad coaches at iowa state. he says hi to his friends at the aristocrats.

zappadan, day 1

it

has

begun.

want something ELSE free? [see the zippy post for the first freebie]

go here to learn the hoops through which to jump.

how to become a better cyclist

obama lama ding-dong, or . . .

" why we love zippy the pinhead!"

1--trying to decide where to go on vacation?

2--need news? he tells you all you need to know!

3--he teaches you how to talk like a pinhead!

and so much more!!

[including FREE stuff]

why we love to cross

and

leadership for which we ALL can be thankful

senator chuck schumer, d-ny

December 1, 2008

Sean Petty

Chief Operating Officer

USA Cycling

1 Olympic Plaza,

Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Dear Mr. Petty:

I write to ask that you reconsider the application from the Tour of the Battenkill to replace the 2009 Tour of Georgia in 2009 on the UCI America Tour. As you know, the Tour of Georgia canceled its 2009 race, and I believe Tour of Battenkill in Washington County of New York State is the perfect event to be included on the tour. The Battenkill Valley is an idyllic region of Upstate New York that is prepared and excited to attract even more attention to its already-popular Tour of Battenkill event.

In just five years, the Tour of the Battenkill has become the largest amateur biking race in the country and winds through 60 exciting miles of the picturesque Washington Country. Twenty of the race's 60 miles are on harsh and unforgiving hard-packed dirt roads that emulate the legendary cobblestone courses in Belgium and northern France.
But unlike Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège or the Tour of Flanders, the Tour of the Battenkill takes place right here in New York and has rightfully earned the title of America's "Queen of the Classics." Last year drew 15,000 participants and spectators. This year the race is expected to attract over 20,000 people, creating an economic boon for Washington County and surrounding areas.
Granting the race a UCI 2.1 status will ensure that some of the top professional cyclists in the country will race on back roads of Washington County. Their participation will help fuel regional and national interest in the event and attract more people to the sport of cycling.

Unfortunately, due to the late cancellation of the Tour of Georgia the organizers of the Battenkill Race did not submit their application with USA Cycling until after the application deadline had passed. The UCI , however,
 has encouraged the organizers to file an application with them directly.
Having the support of USA Cycling for this event is critical. I respectfully ask that you re-consider the application, as I know that USA Cycling would not want to miss this exciting opportunity to fill an unanticipated gap in their 2009 schedule with one of the most exciting amateur biking races in the country.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you on this matter. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Sam Schaeffer in my office.
Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

the mostly reverend, preachin' to the choir

i received an email this morning. the writer said "here's a photo that xx took." i feared the worst, but check it out: no costumes, no capes, no microphones, no beers. just racing.

how 'bout that shit?

dealing with death

i'm not a particularly religious person, by what many would consider conventional measures. thanks goodness, i've passed that along to my daughter. now, she and i are getting to experience the growth and development of a set of ethical values and sense of spirituality in her first kid, a four year-old daughter. nyla, who attends a lutheran church's pre-school in her neighborhood [addie cautioned me when i first spied the literature about the school a couple years ago not to worry, that kids of many of her friends go there, and her friends share the same religious apprehensions that we do, and they said it really wasn't bad] has had to deal with the deaths of some close family members in her short life, including her dad's grandpa when she was just two. she and her great grandfather were good buddies, i think it's fair to say, even though he lived [to a ripe old age in the 90s] in oklahoma. he came to iowa a couple times, and she saw him there a few times, too. closer to home, though, she has dealt with the sudden death of duke, the family doberman, a little over a year ago. more recently, a playmate's family cat died. she assures me that it's okay, that the animals and people go to one of two places [and apparently interchangeably]: heaven, and/or one's dreams.

so that's a rather cool, benign way of assimilating things, i think. her way of doing the occasional pre-meal prayer is to tell me that i have to close my eyes before i eat. i think that's probably wise advice before doing many things.

a few weeks after duke died, they got another family "dog" -- a jack russell terrier. [i'm told that after a few years, this breed become less annoying. i think the actual mechanism is the offended person becomes more tolerant. i find it hard to believe that this little dog--bless her hyperactive metabolism--is capable of being less annoying. whatever...]

anyway, poor old dynah, the family weimeranner, is getting old, long in the tooth, and just generally decrepit. she's maybe 11, 12 years old. but she's not going to make it to christmas. her suffering has gotten too much for all of us. she's shown above with amelia, my borzoi-greyhound, and old duke, back in happier times for them, in 2005.

so addie called the vet this morning to make that call to arrange for dynah's last trip to the vet. nyla overheard it, and grabbed some paper and her crayons.

she's making a picture for dynah to take with her to heaven. i'll find out later, but i suspect it will include nyla's little brother jabari, and duke, among all the other key players in dynah's family. my religious zealot friends should probably save their hallelujahs for later, though. i would just remind you that i was raised in a pretty religious environment, and addie certainly has had enough exposure to religion that, if they had the kind of detectors for religion that they did for plutonium in silkwood, she'd have spent even MORE of her adolescence in the shower than she already did.

it doesn't make it any easier for addie, who has to make that drive to the vet sometime today. but it does make it a little easier for nyla, and for jabari, who will have this death process explained to him by nyla countless times over the next few years.

interesting events...

oh. my gawd. it's almost HERE!

oh. my gawd. it's almost here.

dinner with gloria gaynor

yummy...

things to ponder as you digest turkey

how do YOU measure up?

you folks who get your financial advice from FOX NEWS

...are getting what you deserve. watch this entire compilation; it's 10 minutes of the past two years of the best fox has to offer. peter schiff is the ONLY one to nail it. listen to him describe the subprime bubble, toxic stocks, over-valued and falsely inflated predictions--and get laughed right off the screen.

my dog's brother

doin' what comes nat'rally.

with the demise of "don't ask, don't tell" looming...

i thought it was high time to make a clean breast of things:

“We think http://theorphanageandyou.blogspot.com/ is written by a woman (87%).”

so says the Genderanalyzer.

and before YOU get all giggly smiley, check YOURS out.

examples:

1--We guess http://www.louwaugaman.blogspot.com/ is written by a man (52%), however it's quite gender neutral.

2--We guess http://www.bassoblog.blogspot.com/ is written by a woman (58%), however it's quite gender neutral.

3--We think http://cyclinglyfestyle.blogspot.com/ is written by a man (67%).

4--We guess http://bikeiowa.wordpress.com/ is written by a woman (58%), however it's quite gender neutral.

5--We think http://www.stickofsin.blogspot.com/ is written by a woman (82%).

6--We guess http://drunkcyclist.com is written by a man (56%), however it's quite gender neutral.

7--We guess http://www.theswineking.blogspot.com/ is written by a man (51%), however it's quite gender neutral.

8--We think http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/ is written by a woman (63%).

9--We have strong indicators that http://www.nytimes.com/ is written by a man (92%).

10--We have strong indicators that http://www.foxnews.com/politics/ is written by a man (99%).

11--We have strong indicators that http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html is written by a woman (99%).

12--We think http://ladiescycling.net/ is written by a man (82%).

13--An error occurred: Could not download http://www.punkrockcycling.com/: Could not parse url '/?972cc670'. Host name appears to be missing.

i'm just saying...

holiday techniques, part 1

stuffing your turkey

from our canadian bureau

Cyclist loses leg in alleged road rage attack
By Rosee Woodland, BikeRadar.com
A cyclist in Toronto has had to have his leg amputated after a row with a cab driver allegedly turned nasty. Police yesterday said the cyclist lost his leg after a cab reversed and pinned him to a utility pole.
It's understood people heard arguing before the sound of a loud collision and then someone screaming for help as a vehicle sped off. Police who rushed to the scene at 2:30am found the man lying in a pool of blood, with his right leg barely attached. His $5,000 cycle was lying nearby in pieces.
The 36-year-old later had to have the leg amputated at a city hospital.
Toronto police Detective Constable Paul Strangways told local paper The Star the cyclist had "a very long road to recovery." Strangways said. "He's still getting treatment for a fractured pelvis and eventually will have to learn to deal with a prosthetic."
The original call to police was followed three hours later by a call from a cab driver who said a cyclist had attempted to rob him at the scene.
However, after questioning the man for more than three hours, officers have since told local reporters that no robbery took place. They linked a Beck taxi with damage to its rear trunk, bumper and tail light to the crash.
Police said in a news release that Sultan Ahmed, 38, of Maple has been charged with:
Criminal negligence causing bodily harm; Dangerous operation causing bodily harm; Fail to stop at scene of accident bodily harm; Obstruct peace officer; Aggravated assault; Assault with weapon
It is understood the alleged weapon described in the charge sheet is Ahmed's taxi.
Sergeant Tim Burrows told the Ottawa Citizen that Toronto police have charged motorists with using a vehicle as a weapon on previous occasions. "Common? Yes and no," he said. "We had a very similar case in 1995. It's not unheard of."
The incident happened on November 14, but because the cyclist had to undergo three operations and was heavily sedated, it was some time before police could get a clear picture of what happened.
Ahmed was due to appear in court today.

from cyclingnews.com

create a caption

leave your captions in the comment section, please; a swell prize will be given.

fryguy shoots cyclists!!

see all about it here.

steve's got some wonderful photos from saturday's food-raiser. kid's gonna amount to something, sooner or later, if he's not careful. don't say i didn't warn you, fryguy.

from the obituary pages

the world is running out of flossies

friends of my mother would know that i would be remiss if i didn't note the following, from wednesday's des moines register:

flossie smith, leon--

services for flossie smith, 91, were 10 am, thursday november 20, at slade-o'donnell funeral home. visitation was all day wednesday.

flossie ragan, johnston--

flossie ragan, 85, died november 16, 2009, at iowa lutheran hospital in des moines. graveside services will be held 1 pm, saturday, november 22, 2008, at praire city cemetary in baldwin, kansas.

flossie was born january 15, 1923, in lanes prairie, mo, to calvin and sarah stewart. she enjoyed spending time with her family.

flossie is survived by two sones, a sister, 21 grandchildrenm and many great- and great-great-grandchildren. she was preceded in death by her husband, three sones, and her parents.

a celebration of life dinner will be held at 430 pm sunday, november 23, at the eagle's lodge in des moines.

.....

mom was known--in full humor and self-effacingly--to many of her friends as "flossie thorson west bader," and always had a hearty laugh whenever either of us came across another flossie in whatever circumstance. i'm sure she would have laughed as much as i did when i read obituaries of two flossies on the same page of the register on the same day. i mourn the loss of two additional examples of iowa residents bearing vestiges of settler-era nomenclature.

new york city study on bicyclist behavior

read it. any comments?

i just LOVE the republicans

seriously. so much so that, well, i WAS going to post a photo from a google image search for "bunch of idiots" but i just didn't feel right about it, so i searched for "young republicans" instead. and i learned something i hadn't previously known about the 2008 republican national convention. you know, the one where sarah palin introduced her dad to the world? well, all the liberal elitist media was talking about how there were only three minorities in attendance. guess what? i found a picture of all of them. what are the odds?

it IS a grand old party.

in memory of a good, decent man

oh. he's NOT dead? just lost the vote? fuck. tell me when he dies, will ya?

let's ALL help the republicans! you know they'd do the same to--er, FOR--us!!

just makes you want to cry, doesn't it? so go here, and tell them how much you really think they need to put all their eggs behind the "born-again, fundamentalist, anti-abortion, build a better fence and a whiter party of REAL americans" faction. THAT'S what's gonna help them retake the white house in 2012.

right?

today's sermonette topic:

work out petty disagreements in an adult manner

my radio job has lots of perks

one of them is that i've gotten to know many folks "in the industry" -- here, the cycling industry. as a result, i learn about many things BEFORE they become widely known to the masses.

well, it just so happens that i have a friend inside one of the largest cycling clothing design and manufacture companies in the world, and she has tipped me to just a few of the new kits that will be gracing the race venues in the upcoming 2009 season, beginning with cyclocross nationals in december.

go here to see more. a word to the clever: the names attached to the photos are NOT the actual team names; they are trade names, to help keep the team image more of a surprise for the unveiling later this year.

enjoy. [can you guess which kit is headed for sioux city?]

i just don't know what i can add here

Posted on Mon, Nov. 17, 2008
Tickets, not criminal charges, recommended after officer killed on bicycle
A Eudora man who killed a Douglas County sheriff’s officer in a traffic accident should get tickets for the incident, the Douglas County district attorney said.
Kyle Van Meter was driving west on a county road when he rear-ended Lt. David Dillon’s bicycle on June 28, said District Attorney Charles Branson, who also said Van Meter told authorities he was distracted by the radio and did not see the officer until the impact.
The Kansas Highway Patrol investigated the accident and reported the outcome to Branson. He said he has sent the case back to them suggesting that tickets be issued for unsafe overtaking/passing, following too closely and failure to wear a seatbelt, he said in a press release.
The death does not warrant state criminal charges, Branson said, but “it is a difficult time for the family, the sheriff’s Department and all those involved.”
He also noted that studies have shown that 80 percent of crashes are caused by distracted drivers.
“If any good can come from the tragedy we can only hope people will slow down and pay attention to their driving,” he said.
Joe Lambe, jlambe@kcstar.com

tour de georgia to skip 2009, will return 2010

Atlanta, GA) Following the conclusion of a very successful 2008 Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T, the Board of Directors of the Tour de Georgia Foundation, Inc., announced today their plans for the future of the Tour.

Speaking on behalf of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, long time member Tom Saddlemire announced that the Tour de Georgia will not be held in 2009 but will return in 2010. Mr. Saddlemire, newly retired CFO of GE Energy, explained that “with the help of the Lt. Governor, the Tour had its most successful year yet, raising close to $3.2 million in operating expenses and commitments for more than $500,000 in support of cancer research through the Aflac Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare and the Georgia Cancer Coalition. We believe that this unique and exciting event will endure. We have decided to use 2009 as a time to plan ahead and properly position the Tour de Georgia to make the best use of the new partnerships we forged during the 2008 Tour de Georgia Presented by AT&T, such as our relationships with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Road Atlanta. The planning process for the Tour de Georgia requires a tremendous amount of time and effort and we wanted to give all of our partners enough time to plan and allocate their resources to take full advantage of the event. Therefore, we will skip 2009 and the Board will petition USAC and the UCI for the Tour de Georgia's return to the world calendar in 2010.”

Craig Lesser, former Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development said that “The Tour de Georgia was initiated by the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism (now Georgia Department of Economic Development) in 2003 with a focus on creating a world-class cycling event which fostered significant economic development, tourism and world-wide exposure. We achieved that goal. The Tour de Georgia quickly developed stature, gaining international ranking (by UCI and USA Cycling, Inc.) as a spring tradition in the professional sport of cycling. The Tour de Georgia attracted the best teams in the world and previous champions included such stars as Lance Armstrong, Tom Danielson and Chris Horner. Over the course of six years, the Tour de Georgia has attracted 3.2 million spectators, many of whom traveled to Georgia from out of state, and generated a direct economic impact totaling over $186 million. The 2008 Tour de Georgia, our most successful Tour yet, yielded over $38.6 million in direct economic impact for the State. We have come a long way since 2003.”

Chairman of the Board, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle added, “The support we received from our Georgia sponsor corporations, our host cities and the citizens of Georgia was amazing in 2008. Since April, we have had an enormous response from our partners on ways we can strengthen the Tour for the future, and we have been listening. Our host cities want to have time to prepare tourism packages and our health providers are enthusiastic about developing plans to use the Health and Wellness expos to spread their message across the state. Our cycling friends from across the state want to partner with us to create participant activities which are inclusive of the whole family. We have listened to their advice and have decided to skip one year so that the Tour de Georgia can once and for all be ahead of the game in the planning process. This is a decision I feel is wise and one that will strengthen the Tour de Georgia for years to come. I commend our Board for its thoughtfulness in arriving at this decision. We look forward to using 2009 to plan the 2010 Tour and I am committed to playing an active role in that process.”

Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling, said that he “was obviously disappointed to learn that the 2009 Tour de Georgia has been cancelled for 2009. However, I am very pleased that the race will return in 2010. Since its inception in 2003, the Tour de Georgia has been an important international stage race featuring some of the top riders in the world. Equally important, it provided the impetus for major stage races in California and Missouri. We look forward to the Tour de Georgia returning in 2010.”

The Tour de Georgia Presented by AT&T is North America ’s premier professional cycling race. First held in 2003, the Tour de Georgia Presented by AT&T is an international professional sporting event that brings thousands of spectators and cycling enthusiasts to the State of Georgia each Spring . The 2008 Tour de Georgia Presented by AT&T was a six stage race, covering more than 600 miles across the State of Georgia , from the shores of Tybee Island to the mountains of North Georgia, with an exciting circuit finish in the state capitol, Atlanta. Traditionally, professional teams use the Tour de Georgia to prepare their riders for the most challenging tours held in Europe , including the Tour de France. Several teams which rode in the 2008 Tour de Georgia Presented by AT&T also participated in the 2008 Tour de France. Riders such as Christian van de Velde and George Hincapie, who were fierce competitors in the 2008 Tour de Georgia Presented by AT&T, also rode extremely well in the 2008 Tour de France. The climb up Brasstown Bald in the mountains of North Georgia, a favorite of cycling fans and a legendary stage in the professional racing circuit, is considered by professional cyclists to be the most challenging and grueling stage of any race held in North America.

For questions or further information, please contact, Phil Jacobs at 404-825-9536

today's sermonette topic:

family values

it's the age-old conflict:

POP versus

[abba divas doing what they do]

ROCK

the moody blues, the self-described greatest rock band in the WORLD!
what else could POSSIBLY happen?

mitch mitchell and friends

man...three amazing musicians. rest well, guys.

behind the scenes at the kim west radio cycling show

sunday night, live from kenny's garage

listen to the episode here; download the podcast here. enjoy the show wherever you wish. pay attention to the love i give to the vande cross race in moline. consider doing the races DICE is holding november 22d and 23d.

tonight's sermonette topic?

garbage. LOTS of garbage.

what's THIS about? go here.

names, numbers, dates*

G.W. Bush: 76% - Nov. 2008
Clinton: 54% - Sept. 1994
G.H.W. Bush: 60% - July 1992
Reagan: 56% - Jan. 1983
Carter: 59% - June 1979
Ford: 46% - April, Nov., Dec. 1975
Nixon: 66% - Aug. 1974
Johnson: 52% - March, Aug. 1968
Kennedy: 30% - Nov. 1963
Eisenhower: 36% - March 1958
Truman: 67% - Jan. 1952

* DISapproval ratings upon leaving office--kind of like golf, as i understand it, where the lower the number, the better you are

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." George W. Bush
"The future will be better tomorrow." George W. Bush

video of the year

runner-up

and the winner is:
"good, steady, decent men"

KC cross nats course preview

watch the course, ingnore the music:

the good news is, the course is GREAT !

the bad news is, the music is annoying.

from a cross nats press release:

Mother Nature is setting the tone for another great National Championships this December. Today it's raining and 32 degrees! Do we want bad weather? Maybe a little! As we get closer to the event we will be sending various e-mails to you to keep you in the loop. We also encourage each of you to visit www.kccrossnationals.com to check for News and Updates on the home page. We will be announcing more hotel information, expo vendors, sponsor updates, team parking details and course updates.

Speaking of the course! A local race was held on the National Championship course two weeks ago and a Masters rider used a helmet cam to document one lap of the course. We will be tweaking the top end of the course after the barriers, so keep in mind the course will change a little. The course is very challenging under dry conditions so try to visualize it with rain, sleet, ice and snow! You know, the usual December weather in the Midwest.

Below is the link to a four question survey. Please take a moment to participate as the data is important to the success of future events. See you when it's cold!!

Future Cyclocross Nationals Location Survey

if mccain's aides had been this thorough BEFORE the convention

[mccain aides dig deep to find embarrassing details about palin]

they'd have had a better shot at getting elected.

ah, THIS is better...

remember the "palin as president" site, & its daily updates?

go HERE for the updated site.

go HERE for the original site.

the new face of the GOP??

watch this from fox news [the back-biting has begun]

they call that a "thorough vetting," remember?

might i suggest a new mantra

or do without!!

on 9-12, ol' dubya said the cure to our ills was simply to go shopping.

today, i'd like to suggest americans adopt the old world war two attitude as a method to combat the approaching recession:

use it up,

wear it out;

make it do,

or do without.

it won't kill you, it will save you money, it will harm the world's dwindling resources less, it will teach your kids and friends a valuable lesson, and it will allow you to appreciate what you have, while letting you contemplate why you think you need what you don't have.

they want me out east...

i must have made quite an impression on joe the vice president:
i don't know whether it's because he'll seem less talkative, or that it will make his hair look better. i'll let you know if i decide to move the orphanage.

grant park celebration

i'm excited to watch as nyla has role models in sasha and malia in the white house
we are ready for and welocme a president for ALL americans.

do you remember what the chicago police were doing 40 years ago?

i hope that this photo will help change the image that too many people seem to have of young, black men in this country.

there are 118 photos here that tell a wonderful story. if you don't tear up at least a bit, call your cardiologist.

read the full text of obama's brilliant speech last night here.

what an amazingly eloquent, intelligent future lies ahead for all of us.

as michelle obama said a few months ago [and for which she was mercilessly and wrongly excoriated], for the first time in my life, i really DO feel proud of my country, and i am so very happy that it might just be possible to leave the world a better place than we found it.

. . . . .

go ride your bike,

breathe deep the fresh air;

let go your worries, replenish your soul,

for your future you must prepare.

. . . . .

whew...jebus. i really was quite afraid it wouldn't happen. let the reunification begin, okay, my right-wing friends? let's ride bikes.

gravel rides tuesday nights, the bridge in water works park at 530 pm?

renegade cyclocross saturday, 900 am at witmer park.

probably won't drink afterwards.

we all won!

congratulations, america.

we did it.

want to see and hear obama's speech again?

i do. watch it here.

. . . . .

i spent the day working the phone bank, getting out the vote.

it was the most fun i've ever had doing political calling, and my political history goes back 40 years.

i then got a tattoo [thanks and happy birthday, dan] and went to ames to watch and laugh and cry and share with my daughter, son-in-law, and two little grandkids.

it was historic, and i told nyla how important the day was, and that i looked forward to talking with her about just how important it was as she gets older.

my quiet hero

"Look, she has gone home," Obama said, his voice hoarse. "And she died peacefully in her sleep with my sister at her side, and so there's great joy as well as tears."
Obama's voice cracked, and tears rolled down his cheeks. It's "hard for me to talk about," he said. "I want everybody to know, though, a little bit about her," he went on. "Her name was Madelyn Dunham, and she was born in Kansas, a small town, in 1922, which means that she lived through the Great Depression. She lived through two world wars. She watched her husband go off to war, while she looked after a baby and worked on a bomber assembly line."
Obama called his maternal grandmother humble and plain-spoken, then wove her story into the speech he usually gives with little variation. "She was one of those quiet heroes that we have all across America, who -- they're not famous, their names aren't in the newspapers, but each and every day they work hard," he said. "They look after their families. They sacrifice for their children and their grandchildren. They aren't seeking the limelight. All they try to do is just do the right thing."
"North Carolina," he said, his voice blasting from loudspeakers across the University of North Carolina field, "in just one more day we have the opportunity to honor all those quiet heroes all across America. . . . We can bring change to America to make sure their work and their sacrifice is honored."

. . . . .

my mom is my quiet hero. she raised me, she was the cornerstone of my life, and instilled in me--and my daughter, i am proud to say--the values, beliefs, and hopes that make me the person to whom i strive to be and think that i am.

although she died in 1988, when she was just 59, and my daughter was 15, she was able to leave such an indelible mark in the two of us that not a day goes by that we don't think of her and feel her influence in what we do, and know that something that has happened would make her happy or pleased. i see and feel her in what my daughter does, and now in what my grandchildren do. like me, mom was a single parent [and even though she remarried when i was six, i still considered her a single parent for reasons i won't go into in this post]; her unwaivering strength got us through incredibly difficult times, and make my thoughts and reflections quite positive even though an objective view might indicate otherwise. this was the late 50s, when the single parent ["unwed mother" was the term of derogation of the day] was like the leper of earlier times, and yet she instilled in me a quiet pride in family and accomplishment, and in that order. nothing makes me happier nor more proud than to see that my family has done this or values that. we encourage among ourselves that same sacrifice for our kids and grandkids that madelyn dunham lived and instilled in barack obama and his sister. i know that mom would be very happy for us, and for the obama family, for all the hard work for the good fight for the right reasons during the past several months and for the months and years to come.

mom lived through the great depression; she suffered rheumatic fever and scarlet fever as a child, and during her 13 months of bed care [they hit her in succession], she benefitted from the loving sacrifice of both her parents. both her mother and father died shortly before i was born, and yet she regularly reminded me of what they did, and of their values and strengths and beliefs. i proudly grew up a "new deal democrat" and i STILL consider myself that. fdr's core values--as i perceive them--still course threw my body. i am a strong proponent of a good government doing good things for ALL people, but especially those who find themselves getting the short end of the stick--for whatever reason.

i strongly continue to believe that our government remains capable of doing that, despite the rampant greed and cynicism that pervades and corrupts many among us. the core values and beliefs i hold true and near and dear still exist in many many millions today, and they will be voting for barack obama and joe biden today.

and my quiet hero, my mom, would be happy and proud.

jimmy carl black

the indian of the group

i'd love to eavesdrop on the political discussions

in this house in martinsville, indiana [thanks, lee!]