why i love cats

although my old cat bob always preferred my single malt scotch...

dog, how i miss bob.

[click on it to make it bigger, and to see the whole thing]

it used to be hump day, but now?

it's business time at the orphanage...

i discover bobby jindal

i had never HEARD of this guy before last night, but after doing a little research on the innertubes, i found a LOT. here's my favorite.

you write the caption

the ministry of silly walk meets the fashion desk

this poor woman needs to get some chuck taylors, i fear.

HE'S the man: mancebo

levi who?

i was only able to catch the last 30-40 minutes of this brutal-looking stage, but francisco mancebo [rock racing] took hold of the list of tour of california favorites, wrung it out, and tossed it in the corner like a wet towel yesterday when he rode off the front to stay warm, and didn't look back.

macebo proved that he deserved to leader's jersey when--after being alone ALL day long in the cold, miserably heavy rain--he was caught by vincent nibali [liquigas] and jurgen van de walle [quickstep]. but, despite times being taken three laps earlier, the honour of the win was on the line, and mancebo nailed his award of merit by attacking under the overpass, climbing away from his challengers to win the sprint to the line.

astana did their best to limit damage, shedding most of the other former GC contenders, and have chris horner to thank for keeping defending champ leipheimer as close as he is [@ 67 seconds].

perhaps this shows that tyler's victory in last fall's us pro road race wasn't a total fluke, eh?

nice to see that these teams are going to have to turn their strategies upside down now for the rest of the week.

it's going to be one hell of a race season, boys and girls. stay tuned...

from the police blotter

ballsy shit going on in california

valentine's day wishes: congratulations, i think?

i just received this text on my phone:
from: 319555xxxx
good news...i am engaged!!
cried a lot :)
1:58pm 2/14/09

trouble is, i have NO idea who this is.
my tears must wait, i guess.

jabari's first bike ride

i look forward to getting the now-bigger jabari outside on his strider bike. i don't think i'll have to walk backwards pulling him. but will he be race-ready?

family

my older brother kirk lives in macon, georgia. although he's on hte road alot with the band, i don't get together nearly as much as either of us would like.

this is from christmas eve, 2002, in the big house kitchen in macon, where blue skies and other abb standards were written. lots of good coffee consumed there, too.

this is kirk talking with yon rico scott of the derek trucks band in 2005. we share the same flare for hats and clothing. this is kirk and i with big pussy [the sopranos] backstage at the beacon in 2002 or 2003.

this is me last night at home. upon reflecting overnight, it ocurred to me that even though we don't get together that often, we see each other all the time. crazy shit. it's no wonder band fans get us confused. i can't wait to shave it off, though.

the effects of a long, hard winter's training

it's been a pretty good year. or so i thought.

below, july, 2008, playing race announcer at the clear lake bbq crit, with my able assistant, doctor kpav. i did the crit, announced, and did the road race the next day. despite being relegated in the road race for cheating at randy catron's expense, i was feeling pretty good, fitness-wise.

but, after riding outside all fall, doing the cyclocross thing, riding the living piss out of the gravel roads throughout central iowa, disregarding the typically bitterly cold winter conditions, staying upright and not breaking anything all in the face of all the incredibly icy roads and such, and feeling, well, pretty good about things, THIS is what i've become? WTF????

s'pose there's something to this roller racin' shit after all?

happy birthday, old friends

you and you made the world a more enlightened place. you gave lifetimes of employment to haters world-wide, and bounties to authors and publishing houses everywhere. i, for one, am grateful.

warm fuzzies

dog bites man

boy, i certainly didn't expect THIS outcome.

of course, hertz didn't anticipate folks would rent those shelby mustangs for sunday drag races, either.

even THESE guys think republicans are IDIOTS!!

and here's why.

if you know a republican, slap 'em upside the head for me, will ya? tell 'em ol' kim thinks they're dumber than this little can of shinola i've got here.

samfa

72.5/68

you mean that's wrong?

right-wing bitch and scary transgendered media whore ann coulter, under federal investigation -- for ANYTHING? there really HAS been a shift in the way things are done here.

when your big dick just won't go away

go here and view the video commentary

go here to read his interview

and dick, go here

guess who?

i have some very bright readers who visit on a regular basis; now is your chance to prove it to the world.
tell me, who ARE the fellows in this photo?
[don't try enlarging, as i've obscured the name tags.]
i'll come up with an appropriate prize for the winner. good luck.

this sunday on the kim west radio cycling show

my guest on the february 8, 2009 episode of the kim west radio cycling show is tom ritchey. most people in the cycling world know tom as the pioneer builder of the first multi-geared bicycles designed for off-road use: the mountain bike. i'm having him my my show this sunday to talk about his current passion, and application of his vision, genius, and generosity, project rwanda, and how his efforts, and the efforts of others, are helping to improve the lives and productivity of the coffee growers of rwanda. go here to see and learn more. plan to listen in sunday night from 600 to 700 pm. make a note: call with your questions for tom ritchey at 515.284.5966, or toll-free at 866.333.5966.

blog amnesty day

in keeping with my great and vast history as blogger, one who seeks the truth, does a quick tie-dye job on it, and then passes it along, i want to inform my thousands of readers about this historic day, blogroll amnesty day. but rather than do my usual basso cut and paste, read here for the full story or if you prefer an abridged and yet quite sufficient version, go here. the aristocrats are really a good bunch of folks [they of zappadan and more], and to see my stuff up there with the really great stuff is a nice thing. thanks, mark. but sappiness aside, follow one of the links above, and then follow some other links, and do some exploring and reading. expand your cyber horizons. hell, i bet you find at least one or two new regular stops. tell me if you do.

coming to a mall near you

recall that recent bush-league court rulings have upheld the notion that malls are primarily private property, and not public places, for the purposes of free speech and free association. then read this:
"If our security officer feels that is disruptive to our shoppers and our business, then they have that authority to make that determination,” the mall's marketing director said. “It's their responsibility to make sure our shopping place is an enjoyable shopping place for everyone to be.” Garcia said the officers intentionally harassed the couple, accusing them of kissing and having “swapped spit.”
Civil rights advocates expressed dismay over the mall's policy against public displays of affection, such as kissing, and question the wide discretion officers have to enforce it.
“What if they're holding hands, is that going to be enough?” asked Patrick Filyk, president of the San Antonio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. “Seems like a real slippery slope for management.”
read the entire article here.
this is not a good thing. i'm all for civil disobedience, but i'm not going to texas to do it. i'm sure someone will. perhaps we should organize a bike ride to a spit swap rally at jordan creek sometime?

pig races

Roller Racing Sizzles in Chilly Climates [from bicycle retailer, 2/2/09]
AMES, IA—Roller racing in bike shops, malls and seedy bars is picking up steam. Though it may not be as colorful as watching pigs race, for cyclists, it’s a close second.

from my mailbox [radio AND orphanage]

tuesday morning mail call, and it's just another day!

first, my radio show, the kim west radio cycling show, has a small but growing world-wide network of reporters. from my british corespondent, stewart barker, comes these photos of the rare and remarkable snowstorm that has belted the british isles. unlike the typical--yet equally rare--english snow, THIS is the real stuff: heavy and wet. good go, stewart. hope you keep the rubber side down.

and then there's this, from our walmart reporter, who tells me that even in these difficult economic times, we should feel secure knowing that walmart continues to demonstrate strategies that have made it the largest retailer in the world. here, specifically, their uncanny knack for creative product placement.

[click on image to enlarge]

uh-oh

let's see what happens to this story. if he has good PR people, well, it's super sunday, world cyclocross championships, nadal-federer goes five sets and 4 1/2 hours... that should be enough to bury this item.

wisdom from a short person

nyla, my now 4 1/2 year-old granddaughter, makes some pretty keen observations. for example, recently she asked if i was a grown-up [i told her "not really." she replied, "daddy's a grown-up, isn't he?"]. well, a couple days ago, she said, "i don't like taller humans." i think i'm safe. and so's her baby brother, as long as he doesn't get too much taller.