Comments, Arguments, Bicycles...

[image via Chris 531]Over the past couple of weeks, I've spent considerably more time moderaring comments than usual. For the most part, it's been a handful of readers getting overzealous in their debates with one another. But when hostility enters a discussion, others get sucked into it as well. All I know is: I don't want to be the Jerry Springer of bicycle blogs. I would...

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MONDAY

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David Goldston at CIRES on Friday

Friday, February 4, 2011 David Goldston Director of Government Affairs, U.S. Natural Resources Defense Council Loving Science to Death: Problems at the Intersection of Science and Policy University of Colorado CIRES Auditorium | 4:00-5:00 p.m. (directions to CIRES) Light reception to follow in the CIRES Atrium Why is the use of science in policy so fraught with political and...

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Jerk

Oa jerk 12,20,24kg: 5/5 eachJerk 2x20kg: 5Jerk 2x24kg: 5Jerk 2x28kg: two ladders of 2,4,6Jerk 2x20kg: 52/5minMy grip was all fried since Saturday, so I cut snatches today. I also did some moving of stuff today.I read a forum post by a guy called Jake Heke. He is usually right about most things and he wrote that Eastern GS lifters never stop with strength training earlier than...

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[SOC]

It has been an eventful weekend here on the C-blog thanks to the tri-bash I did. If people ever wonder if I delete comments, they now have overwhelming empirical evidence that shows that I don't.This isn't the first time I have written about a sport. In fact, I have written stuff about a variety of outdoor activities from cycling to weekend warriors to ultrarunners. Nothing has set off a group of people like that tri-bash post. I poked a sensitive spot. The only thing that provokes that kind of response is hard truth.I don't have any hatred for...

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Where Have You Been...

Since the end of the summer, I've received a number of concerned inquiries about "Velouria," my vintage Raleigh DL-1 Tourist (and for those who have only begun reading this blog recently, I am named after this bicycle, not the other way around). Though admittedly I have not featured her for some time, I assure you that Velouria is alive and well. She resides in our photo...

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Updated 31 Jan 2011 -- Normalized Disaster Losses in Australia

Courtesy Ryan Crompton, the figure above shows the most recent insured loss estimates from the recent Queensland flooding based on an update from the Insurance Council of Australia (here in PDF).  The estimated costs of the flood have increased from A$1.2 billion to A$1.51 billion (and shown as the bright blue bar on the far right of the figure above -- and is not normalized...

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Talks this Week: UBC and Portland

[UPDATE 1/31: DUE TO A WINTER STORM IN COLORADO THE UBC TALK HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL LATER IN THE SEMESTER, STAY TUNED]I'm giving two talks this week.  If you are a reader of this blog, please do say hello.  Here are the details from the two talk announcements:First, Tuesday at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver:The Climate Fix: What Scientists and...

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The Trading Post

I am going ahead with the idea of facilitating barter exchanges between readers, chosing the old-school method in the interest of simplicity. And so, I invite you to use the "Remarks" section of this post for your wishlists and your lists of available items. I can't predict how useful this will be, but it's here for us all as a resource.Some basic guidelines, if you will:Please...

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Quotable Quotes

I have a fear of being boring.CHRISTIAN BALEI've never met a genius. A genius to me is someone who does well at something he hates. Anybody can do well at something he loves - it's just a question of finding the subject.CLINT EASTWOODI made a commitment to completely cut out drinking and anything that might hamper me from getting my mind and body together. And the floodgates of goodness have opened upon me - spiritually and financially.DENZEL WASHINGTONI hate working out. Because I work out for films now solely I come to associate it with work.BRUCE...

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Greece and Rome

When an Olympic athlete, a cyclist, or a baseball player tests positive for performance enhancing drugs, it is a big scandal. It makes huge headlines. When a football player, a WWE wrestler, or a professional fighter is discovered to be on the juice, it is not nearly as scandalous. In fact, the fans of those sports could care less. Then, you have NASCAR where cheating is virtually...

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Dead Subjects

I read a bunch of stuff, and I have various interests. But some of my interests just aren't interesting anymore. This is because there is nothing new to add to them or to say about them. They haven't stopped being true, and I know they are interesting to those who are new to them. To me, they are simply dead subjects. Here is a list of them:ATHEISMI have been an atheist for...

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The Radio Cardiff Six Nations Preview Show 2011

Tune in this Tuesday from 7pm for our Six Nations Preview Show on 98.7FM.With special studio guests Dafydd Pritchard and Will Bain we'll look ahead to this year's tournament and assess Wales' chances ahead of their opening clash with England at the Millennium Stadium this Friday night.Contribute to the show by emailing us sports@radiocardiff.org or sending us a tweet @RadCardiffSport.For...

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Things You Will Never Hear

"And the Halbergs goes to the Blackcaps"I have seen the blackcaps get beaten by more, I haveseen the blackcaps go out to worse shots, I have seen usgo out for lower scores.Never in my life following cricket have I seen a worserun chase, what were the players thinking??Did it come across on TV, all the people booingoram, he was getting it from everybody?Whos idea was it...

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Family Hockey Night

The Northern KY Conquest Family Hockey Night 2011 was a lot of fun. Our Cincinnati Cyclones beat the South Carolina Stingrays 4-1. We had excellent seats: center left rows 4-7.We were able to go down as a group to the Zamboni tunnel and watch as the Cyclones warmed up shooting goals. Quite a few came "right at us" and you could readily appreciate why the plexi-glass is so scratched. The boys loved it.Also a small group of boys got to form a fan tunnel on the ice as the Cyclones took the ice. It was Military Appreciation Night so the Cyclones...

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Barter Economy

Some of my most interesting bicycle-related acquisitions have been through trades with others, and I find these barter exchanges to be great. Whether bicycle related or not, trades can work out nicely - with each party feeling as if they are getting something new and useful.For instance, I received this vintage Ideale saddle in exchange for some vintage Brooks.I received...

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LCCJ with 24kgs

Snatch 24kg: 5/5, 40/40Lccj 2x20kg: 5Lccj 2x24kg: 26/5min Lccj 2x20kg: 35/5minStretchingThis made me tired. Red wine yesterday might played in :-). I did not have much control over the number of reps in the lc, so with more luck than skill I ended up with the desired rpms.Palms felt sore; guess I will go for jerks and only snatches with fleece gloves on Monday.Following Boris'...

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Random Thoughts on Various Subjects

1. EGYPTIAN REVOLUTIONHistory has a way of happening and gradually then happening suddenly. From 9/11 to the housing bubble collapse, things happen rapidly, but they overlook the conditions that persisted slowly and quietly for years. This revolution is just like that.Right now, the USA is in a bit of shit over this. This is because American foreign interventionism has led our political leaders to back Mubarak. The result is that the average Egyptian hates America. I shudder to think what lies on the other side of this.I am like everyone else....

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FRIDAY

1. Revolution in Egypt! I don't know if the young people there want true reforms or the return of internet porn.2. OK. I admit it. Triathlete chicks are kinda hot.3. But triathlete dudes are still douchebags.4. College students are registering record levels of stress. They have high tuition to pay. They have student loan debt that has fucked their entire futures. There are...

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Science Meets Politics

If you happen to teach science and policy, or you are a scientist interested in participating in the policy process or you are just curious about how experts participate in the political process, then you'll find this short 10 minute video of interest.It shows a scientist, an agronomist, testifying before the Washington State Senate Environment, Water and Energy Committee.  He gives a short testimony, then gets some questions from the State Senators and the State Senators then get into a debate, with one ultimately walking out.Here are some...

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Blues side to face Ospreys confirmed

A young Cardiff Blues side has been selected to face the Ospreys on Saturday, 6.30pm kick off, in the LV=CupThe Blues are currently their in their pool having lost to Bath away and drawn in Exeter at home, however, Blues Forwards Coach, Justin Burnell, sees Saturday’s game as chance for many of the Blues Academy players to display their rugby ability.Speaking ahead of the...

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Human Innovative Capacity Knows No Bounds

From Metro.co.uk:The ultimate in fast food innovations, St Pauli have installed the model railway to serve supporters in their VIP section with freshly cooked sausages throughout the game.The train runs every five minutes direct from the club kitchens to the VIP section - and is topped up with fresh porkers throughout each home match.There's nothing better to wash down...

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How to Get to 80% "Clean Energy" by 2035

Motivated by Michael Levi at the CFR, I have put together a quick spreadsheet to allow me to do a bit of sensitivity analysis of what it would take for the US to get to 80% "clean energy" in its electricity supply by 2035, as proposed by President Obama in his State of the Union Speech earlier this week.Here is what I did:1. I started with the projections from the EIA to 2035...

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PRINT-Libertarianism from A to Z by Jeffrey Miron

Jeffrey Miron's Libertarianism from A to Z is a great primer for libertarians or anyone else inerested in the libertarian viewpoint. Covering a wide array of topics in alphabetical order, Miron lays out standard libertarian views on things like gun control, school choice, and the like. Long time libertarians won't find much of anything new here.The one interesting thing I...

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Stop, Look Around...

All the walking I've been doing lately on account of the weather has made me pay even closer attention to my surroundings than I do while cycling. Everything looks different in the snow - elegant and magical. The thin patch of woods near my house has turned into a majestic white forest worthy of a 19th century Scandinavian painting. It's as if the sky was squeezed straight...

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No Listen, No Money: Disenchanted Donor to UConn Athletics wants his $3 Million Back

Everyone knows that big money boosters influence athletic departments at big-time sports schools.But what happens if a booster who gives a combined $7 million to a school feels as if his "suggestions" are being ignored by the school's athletic director?Meet Robert Burton, a Greenwich CT-based printing industry executive who wants a $3 million donation returned from UConn....

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