the battle for wall street continues...

oh, the humanity!!!

from the headlines

news from arizona, and

news from the classroom [out of the mouths of babes, you know?]

guess who's the happiest person in THIS photo?

rory SAID he was fit, but this is not bad after 19 months away from competition.

change IS a good thing

you know, even if the kid's parents' generation isn't quite ready for it, THIS kid's generation is. this scene fuckin' ROCKS; i can't help it. for funny--or at least amusing--comments, read here.

just in [300 pm] GUILTY on all counts

oh, the crook on the right, i mean. i haven't heard any real jury verdicts yet on the other guy, although i have my own feelings...

i had to check

and

FLASH!! this just in from the igloo

from the "it takes one to know one" file, this not-surprising and yet relieving endorsement: the anchorage daily news.

f-f-f-f-fashion

i'm just a guy. a guy who prefers wearing old shorts, t-shirts, and sandals,



when i'm not wearing cycling clothes--bib shorts, jersey and shoes and socks. i don't really know what's it's like to have that instinctive gut for buying bags full of designer shit.

if i spend more than a hundred bucks for clothing, it had better be something i can ride in, and it should last for years.

last winter, i bought new cycling shoes--time rx something, e or s, nashbar, on sale, spent about 80 or 90 per pair, bought two pair, and saved over $100 per pair. last pair of road shoes i had i got from ordinary bike shop, in maybe 1991 or so. good shoes. my cross shoes i bought at rassy's in fall 2000. still work just fine.

so when i read and hear about folks spending $150,000 for clothing--for one ditz from alaska, i kinda lose my shit. wtf? one hundred and fifty fucking thousand dollars in two months? for HER? but then i read this and realized that 150 k is nothing, when the queen bee spent 300K for HER convention attire ONE EVENING.

god help us all.

hop on the mccain band wagon

it's still not too late to get on the "straight talk express!" countless "regular joes" are doing just that, admitting that maverick john is the man; that his accumulated wisdom and insight, as demonstrated during the course of this arduous campaign, are PROOF POSITIVE that he will be ready on day one to take the helm of the ship of state. let's hear what just a few of those who know him best have to say about why THEY support mccain-palin. "joe the advisor" says THIS. "joe the statesman" says THIS. "joe the mccain volunteer" says THIS. joe the blogger says this: it's gonna be an interesting week and a half, folks.

will you have extra time on your hands after the election?

try redecorating your vehicle

narcolepsy claims the free world [and everyone else, too]

"i screwed up. i went for a bike ride, got cold, took a warm nap, and didn't wake up in time. what can i say? i screwed up. it's not like i blew off letterman!"

things one can find on google maps, street view

1--kids riding bikes in front of the merle hay bike world, and

2--snow dog's house, with the infamous truck in the driveway.

see for yourself!![enter these addresses and look around at street level: 1-- 5772 urbandale avenue; 2-- 3038 40th place]

what can YOU find on google maps?

queen for a day?

or PRESIDENT palin??

[fantasize away, guys and g.o.p.-ers]

will she win or lose?

i mean, other than funerals, what DOES a veep do?

spreadin' the wealth [a fashionable commentary]

ya gots to be careful these days. them socialists are everywhere, even in our public schools.
this idea of taking money from one person and giving it to someone else in a terrible insidious notion.
yeah, baby, ya gotta watch out for them creeping socialists. they are kinda like shape-shifters, and can take all sorts of forms. can't be too careful, can we?

thank god we've have some keen-eyed republicans on the watch, ever-vigilante guards against taking money from one source and giving it to someone else.

CAUTION: NON-POLITCAL POST!!

the mccain strategy, in two parts

part 1 [things look bleak]


and part 2 [the picture gets rosier]

it all seems so obvious now, doesn't it?

a note to my friends of genesis

i KNEW i'd seen mccain's expression before!

look what PETE'S right wing press is up to these days!

presidential endorsements roll out...
[with more to come as the weekend progresses]

race like a kid!!

what a great reason to ride a bike, eh?

graphic proof

YOU write the caption

one comes across a lot of garbage on the intertubes...

...when you operate as many blogs as i do. so when you find a story as warm and touching as this one, well, you just have to stop, and thank god for young people as caring and concerned as these fine young boy scouts.

12-Year-Old Boy Scouts Volunteer To Give Women Breast Exams

we start 'em young, here in the blue states

Precocious Youngster Sells Cookies To Buy Attack Ad

just one post today, folks!

HONEST

renegade cross tuesdays

this from our fearless leader, who has abandoned us for the more friendly confines of fargo...

tuesday, october 14, week #6. practice is at ashby park, 3200 38th street. it's right on the way out of town on the "old" tuesday night rides, just north of urbandale avenue. hot laps at 500pm, hotter laps at 530pm, colder beverages to follow after about 45 minutes of grassy frollicking, probably at a.k. o'connors.

i might suggest week #7 be held at rice field, just to give the soccer moms an idea of what their kids SHOULD be doing.

historic ticket!!

it's been said that this is one for the record books, that it's history in the making. but is THIS what they had in mind?

Now that Sarah Palin has been found to have abused her powers, violated state ethics, and lied about it, I did a little digging and found an interesting historical footnote.
The McCain/Palin ticket is the first in American history in which both candidates were found to have violated ethics standards before a national election.
McCain, of course, was admonished by Senate Ethics Committee "for exercising 'poor judgment' for intervening" with federal regulators on behalf of Charles Keating, as part of the infamous Keating Five scandal.
And now McCain's running mate has also been found to have violated state ethics laws and abused the powers of her office, as part of the "Troopergate" scandal.
The nation has had 102 major-party tickets covering 51 presidential elections over more than two centuries. And we've never had a ticket in which both candidates on the same ticket were responsible for ethics violations before a national election. McCain/Palin is the first.
It makes the whole "reform" pitch a little more difficult, doesn't it?

--from political animal, by steve benen and featuring hilzoy

i've NEVER understood hockey

puzzlers:

1--why do they condone, allow, and encourage fighting?

2--what's with all the different colored lines in the ice?

3--why do the fans BOO when the ceremonial puck is dropped?

4--why does the PA crank the volume of the music to drown the booing?

another worry for mccain?

Old, Grizzled Third-Party Candidate May Steal Support From McCain

it's just so true: liquidate and set your garmin for "north"

let's win one for the gipper

i didn't say it, THEY did.

sounds to me like they know him fairly well. let's hear what they have to say about johnny...

where have my republican friends gone?

one of the most disgusting phrases yet from this campaign season was uttered last night during the "town hall" debate. guess who said it? you might never know: him.

is there anyone left to defend this vile old man?

national bike and walk to school day

i found this email in the orphanage in-box this morning:

"My daughters took full advantage of biking to school today. 1st time all year; they should do it every day! W/out the daddy escort. Central has 5 old school bike racks and plenty of space for parking. My girls are going to count at 1st recess to see how many bikes are in the racks. 7.5 block ride one way, or 2 block walk to ride the bus 5.5 blocks."

yippee for happy children!!--the mostly reverend

this just said [1040 am CDT, 10/08/08]

" john mccain, you can't be a maverick when you've spent your whole life being a sidekick!"

listen in on a conversation from the orphanage

after last night's "town hall" massacre, democrats plot their post-election strategy

i stole this from mock, paper, scissors

sometimes you get the best effects...

...without photoshop. amazing what a simple clockwise rotation does, huh?

thanks, tengrain!!

i don't think 270 is quite the same, although it still scares the shit out of me. it looks like the old man is resting his head on a red satin pillow, eh?

ewwww!!!!!!

grandpa update

readers have been asking about what's shakin' in ames on my thursdays and such. well, jabari is getting bigger. he's been working out with the iowa state team, now that dad is back in the wrestling room coaching. he's shown here wearing dad's headgear. his ears aren't that big, but his head is. if he keeps growing at the current rate, he will REALLY need more time on the bike to make weight. the plan is for him to dress for hallowe'en as a sumo wrestler. shouldn't be much of a stretch.

there's no doubting the lineage of my grandchildren: jabari clearly has my nose, and nyla has been blessed to receive my hair genes. they both share my love of laying on the kitchen floor.

allman brothers band and govt mule fans take note

okay, hear me out: i'm a big fan of these bands; i see them whenever they are around, and sometimes i travel great distances to see them. i am often able to get friends backstage passes or after-show meet-and-greets arranged [ask someone who has gone with me]. but so many of my friends have told me of their fondness/love of the bands that i usually forget all or most of them until right AFTER a show, when they say, "oh, man, i would have gone..."

here's your chance, boys and girls: my sources tell me that next year, 2009, it being the allman brothers band's 4oth anniversary year, the boys are going to play LOTS of shows, and then cut back thereafter. LOTS of shows coming up; would you like to see the band, and maybe talk with some of the members with me?

leave your name and such in the comments section.

for example, the band is playing, along with gov't mule, in the area november 14, 15, and 16. 2 nights in minneapolis, and one night in kc.

wanna go? let me know.

mr. walker v. mr. wheeler...who are YOU?

tomorrow is national walk & bike to school day. there is a wonderful discussion on kids biking to school, the sanctioned disappearance of functional [NOT artsy-fartsy] bike racks at schools, and the efforts of parent groups [PTA and others] in conjunction with school administrators to condone such efforts of kids to safely enjoy what i [and many other sane folks] consider a birthright: riding a bike on city streets without the fear of getting creamed by some thoughtless [at best] or evil [more likely] motorist.
to get you up to date on the problem, watch this video provided by the DOT as a part of driver education.

then go here to read the past few days of yehuda moon and the kickstand cyclery. this storyline begins september 24, and continues through to the present day. yehuda moon is unique, in that readers can comment in a forum section below the daily strip. follow some of the links the readers provide. it is a LIVELY discussion, to be sure.

i need to be more like jack cafferty...did i say that?

if i could just learn to speak my mind more like jack cafferty, and less like wolf blitzer, people wouldn't always ask me how i REALLY feel about things.

renegade cross tuesdays

tomorrow, october 7, we'll be back for week #5. practice is being held at McHenry park (google it!). easy to find just south of euclid: you recall leaving town on summer tuesdays, going up euclid and turning north at 12th? well, just go a few blocks farther east, and turn SOUTH a couple blocks. ya can't miss it.

hot laps at 5. 'racing' at 530.

i propose beer and debate-watching at highland park country club after, but majority rules on that one.

pass it on.

it's a COMMUNIST CONSPIRACY!!

international walk and bike to school day?

it's wednesday, october 8th, kiddies

pamplona, iowa style

a great, spanish tradition, a rite of passage for all young men, running with the bulls, came to iowa this weekend...

the above photo shows the survivors of this year's running, posing at the traditional post-run gala with the bull, moments before he was shackled and sent back to gym class.
this photo shows how it transpired yesterday at maytag park, in newton. a seasoned bull-runner, the mostly reverend [shown prudently at far left] knows when to get the hell out of the way when a loco toro wants to pass.

everything i needed to know about republicans, i learned in 60 seconds

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

damn, juice

fire up the bronco!!

hey, check THIS shit out--you and i actually stand to benefit from the 799 BILLION dollar bailout bill just passed. read this:

Bicycle Commuter Act Passes House, Senate
After seven long years, the bicycle commuter tax provision has finally passed both the House and Senate as part of the financial bailout package. President Bush has said that he is eager to sign the legislation. “We are delighted that the bicycle commuter benefits act has passed after a lengthy and persistent campaign spearheaded by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR),” said League President Andy Clarke. “Bicycle commuters will now be extended similar benefits to people who take transit and drive to work – it’s an equitable and sensible incentive to encourage greater energy independence, improve air quality and health, and even help tackle climate change. Thanks to everyone who has helped reach this milestone, especially Walter Finch and Mele Williams, our government relations staff over the years who have worked tirelessly with Congressman Blumenauer, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and many others in Congress.” Thanks also to all of you around the country who have contacted your congressional leaders over the years. Keep checking back at www.bikeleague.org as we work on the implementation process.

seems like only thirteen years ago, doesn't it?

debating made E-Z

this was found on the podium used by sarah palin last night at washington university...

[click to enlarge]

everything i know about rosh hashanah i learned from youtube

before tonight's debate, READ THIS

What it's like to debate Sarah Palin
I know firsthand: She's a master of the nonanswer.
By Andrew Halcro
from the October 1, 2008 edition of the christian science monitor
Anchorage, Alaska - When he faces off against Sarah Palin Thursday night, Joe Biden will have his hands full.
I should know. I've debated Governor Palin more than two dozen times. And she's a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality. Against such charms there is little Senator Biden, or anyone, can do.
On paper, of course, the debate appears to be a mismatch.
In 2000, Palin was the mayor of an Alaskan town of 5,500 people, while Biden was serving his 28th year as a United States senator. Her major public policy concern was building a local ice rink and sports center. His major public policy concern was the State Department's decision to grant an export license to allow sales of heavy-lift helicopters to Turkey, during tense UN-sponsored Cyprus peace talks.
On paper, the difference in experience on both domestic and foreign policy is like the difference between shooting a bullet and throwing a bullet. Unfortunately for Biden, if recent history is an indicator, experience or a grasp of the issues won't matter when it comes to debating Palin.
On April 17, 2006, Palin and I participated in a debate at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks on agriculture issues. The next day, the Fairbanks Daily News Miner published this excerpt:
"Andrew Halcro, a declared independent candidate from Anchorage, came armed with statistics on agricultural productivity. Sarah Palin, a Republican from Wasilla, said the Matanuska Valley provides a positive example for other communities interested in agriculture to study."
On April 18, 2006, Palin and I sat together in a hotel coffee shop comparing campaign trail notes. As we talked about the debates, Palin made a comment that highlights the phenomenon that Biden is up against.
"Andrew, I watch you at these debates with no notes, no papers, and yet when asked questions, you spout off facts, figures, and policies, and I'm amazed. But then I look out into the audience and I ask myself, 'Does any of this really matter?' " Palin said.
While policy wonks such as Biden might cringe, it seemed to me that Palin was simply vocalizing her strength without realizing it. During the campaign, Palin's knowledge on public policy issues never matured – because it didn't have to. Her ability to fill the debate halls with her presence and her gift of the glittering generality made it possible for her to rely on populism instead of policy.
Palin is a master of the nonanswer. She can turn a 60-second response to a query about her specific solutions to healthcare challenges into a folksy story about how she's met people on the campaign trail who face healthcare challenges. All without uttering a word about her public-policy solutions to healthcare challenges.
In one debate, a moderator asked the candidates to name a bill the legislature had recently passed that we didn't like. I named one. Democratic candidate Tony Knowles named one. But Sarah Palin instead used her allotted time to criticize the incumbent governor, Frank Murkowski. Asked to name a bill we did like, the same pattern emerged: Palin didn't name a bill.
And when she does answer the actual question asked, she has a canny ability to connect with the audience on a personal level. For example, asked to name a major issue that had been ignored during the campaign, I discussed the health of local communities, Mr. Knowles talked about affordable healthcare, and Palin talked about ... the need to protect hunting and fishing rights.
So what does that mean for Biden? With shorter question-and-answer times and limited interaction between the two, he should simply ignore Palin in a respectful manner on the stage and answer the questions as though he were alone. Any attempt to flex his public-policy knowledge and show Palin is not ready for prime time will inevitably cast him in the role of the bully.
On the other side of the stage, if Palin is to be successful, she needs to do what she does best: fill the room with her presence and stick to the scripted sound bites.
• Andrew Halcro served two terms as a Republican member of the Alaska State House of Representatives. He ran for governor as an Independent in 2006, debating Sarah Palin more than two dozen times. He blogs at www.andrewhalcro.com.

naked white people dancing

i've noticed something a little out of the ordinary lately, as far as today's sermonette is concerned: lots of other people have been noticing it, too. so many, in fact, that the numbers at the bottom of the blog, in the sitemeter counter, have been going crazy. i've had more visitors in this past week than i do in a usual month.

at first, i thought it was a re-run invasion of the potterites like the one caused by the photo i ran last year of harry staring at hermione's boobies.

but this one is different, and it makes me feel MUCH better.

how do i know? well, folks are staying here at the sermonette longer--MUCH longer, and looking around, according to the data i gather from all visits.

and you know what all these visitors have in common?

THEY HATE JOHN MCCAIN AND SARAH PALIN!!!!

how do i know that? they have been referred here to read one of the many anti-johnny posts i've put up lately. and they stick around to read some of the others.

and do you know what THAT means?

old johnny just might really lose in a month. ooooooo!!!!!! i'm getting all tingly.

. . . . .

HELLO, visitors to the sermonette!

we're glad you're here!!

by the way, the topic? it's an inside joke; another test.

samfa

74.8

renegade cross tuesdays

27 folks last night were out enjoying cyclocross! great evening on a course that was pretty darn challenging, but a ton of fun.

NEXT week, october 7, we'll be back for week #5. practice is being held at McHenry park (google it!). easy to find just south of euclid.

hot laps at 5. 'racing' at 530.

i propose beer at highland park country club after, but majority rules on that one.be there.

pass it on.

sign o' the times?

[seen on wall street]