Monthly Archives: August 2008
Also, read this…
A great article from the Washington Post on global warming and weather alarmism:
“There’s an ancillary issue here: Global warming threatens to suck all the oxygen out of any discussion of the environment. We wind up giving too little attention to habitat destruction, overfishing, invasive species tagging along with global trade and so on. You don’t need a climate model to detect that big oil spill in the Mississippi. That “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico — an oxygen-starved region the size of Massachusetts — isn’t caused by global warming, but by all that fertilizer spread on Midwest cornfields.“
Milk Duds
No workie for me today, and I’m definitely making the most out of my free time. I was up sort of early this morning to ride my bicycle, but my morning routine was sluggish and I ended up getting out on the road around 10am. I dropped by REI on my way out of town to pick up some new water-bottles; the two I had been using have been with me since the start of the ride to Alaska many miles ago, so I figured it was time for some fresh plastic.
I’ve always been a Specialized Soft-tops kind of guy, but after hearing rave reviews of Camelbaks revolutionary new bottle, I figured it was time for a change. I must say, I’m quite impressed. I ride in white during the summertime, making drippy bottles filled with colorful sports drinks a bit of an issue. Soft-tops, when the valve is extended to the full drinking position, have a tendency to drip from the mouth when under pressure. I’m probably not explaining that very well, but if you use them, you know what I’m talking about. The Camelbak bottle uses a bite/pressure valve instead – simply bite or suck on the spout, or squeeze the bottle and liquid comes out; no leaky valves dripping on me. It’s especially good when every last bit of water needs to be going in the body, not on the jersey. I’m giving five stars – definitely check them out.
The highlight of today’s ride was a box of Milk Duds on the shoulder. Not the weak little Halloween six duds per serving box, but the mega fat American at the movies size box. The duds were all melted and gooey in a puddle of delicious chocolate-caramel goodness – thank god I was able to swerve it at the last minute, or I would have had quite the mess on my clean bicycle. I really want some Milk Duds now.
I’m going to start doing yoga around three days a week; a guy I work with is a pretty experienced instructor, and he’s offered to teach me a thing or two. I really need to loosen up a few tightly-wound muscles in my back and neck; aggressively positioned race bikes are taking their toll.
Adspecs
Interesting article from treehugger.com
“Should the challenges of the world be prioritized? Usually I think no, but then this story came across the blotter; The World Health Organization estimates that there are currently a billion people in need of eyeglasses to go about their daily lives. Many of these people are in developing nations; to afford the specs, it may take them three months’ wages , and about 10 percent of them are children (note to self: our future). Sight is fundamental to environmental awareness, and there is a solution.
Salvation has arrived in the form of Adaptive Eyecare Limited, which has developed a line of cheap, self-correcting spectacles. They are currently being made by a British NGO for between $5–$10 a pair; the target is a buck. The Firm has been demonstrating the new AdSpecs (Adaptive Spectacles) at the World Bank as part of a global appeal to expand production to reach everyone with vision problems.“
Toxic
There’s a feeling I’m trying to describe, but it’s really quite difficult. It’s that day after a really late night of drunkenness feeling – not a hangover, but just that lingering feeling of toxic, like my body is still trying to purge some foreign poison. I feel it in my muscles mostly, a sort of dull ache with any physical activity. Technically, this is a symptom of a hangover, as alcohol reduces blood flow to the muscles; it’s probably the symptom I feel the most simply because I’m such an active individual, and have to ride or walk to get where I’m going. Oh well.
So yeah, last night was a late one. My buddy Shelley is leaving Austin, and we had a little going away party at Whole Foods, the Tiniest Bar in Texas, and later the pool at the Duval Villas we not-so-legally invaded sans clothing. What a night. I got to hang out with some old friends, and see a few faces I haven’t seen in a long time.
Work this morning started out a little difficult for me, but I think I hid my pain pretty well. I sold a quality road bike to a nice couple, grew our coop membership base, and talked a lot. I have a fun job, and don’t really mind spending my time there.
I’ve been neglecting my bicycle a little bit, mostly because it’s been so insanely hot these past few days. Nearly record temperatures. I might head out tomorrow, we’ll see. I haven’t been very motivated to do too much outside of drinking coffee and reading books in my spare time. Two more months of heat, and then I can come out of my hibernation.
New Toys
I have an ever-growing wish-list for a few new toys in my immediate future. Working in a big grown-up toy store does that to you I guess… Without further delay (clicky the pictures for product info):
1. Suunto Core “ABC” Watch
- Beautiful watch with tons of fancy features, including barometric pressure and an alarm warning you when a storm might be approaching, altitude measurement, and a compass. Very nice.
2. Dahon Vitesse D7HG
- I’ve been wanting a new bicycle for a little while now, and I think this one might be the perfect bar/light commuter bike for me. It has an internal hub in the back, so I don’t have to worry about keeping the drivetrain tidy.
3. REI Shuksan eVent Jacket
- I’ve been excited about this one for a while now; eVent fabric is simply unbeatable for brethability and waterproofness. That, and I will probably be able to snag this guy for around $30…how could I pass that up?
4. MSR Hubba Hubba HP
- This is a killer tent, and with some prodeal magic I can finally afford it. It’s tough decision between the 2-person and 1-person versions though, ideally it would be nice to have both.
Yeah, I like to think I have good tastes when it comes to gear. With my newly acquired discounts on all this stuff, it would be too good of an opportunity to pass on. I’m hoping to have a pretty capable gear collection before I move on to the next opportunity.
