I completed the Hairshirt today. It is a 322km (200 mile) ride from Square One in Mississauga around Hamilton, through Niagara Falls and back again. I burned 7,120 calories and finished it in 12 hours and 16 minutes with Michael, Scott, and Wallace.
Archive for June, 2012
Hairshirt!
Sunday, June 24th, 2012My gay agenda
Saturday, June 23rd, 2012I was having this conversation with a co-worker regarding gay Pride today and I remarked that I am closer to Stephen Harper than I am to most of the parade participants. She looked at me funny and I had to explain. Gay Pride to me is about equality and visibility. It’s political, it’s not about partying. I don’t wear glitter, little butterfly wings, make-up, chaps, leather, rubber, latex or anything similar. My gay agenda means having the same rights and protections as anyone else. I want the right to have children, own a home, be free from harassment (police or otherwise) just like anyone else. I want to live a good life and have my sexuality be a non-issue.
There are two things that need to be said about “gay rights”. First, stop calling it “gay rights”, because that’s just a way to circumvent what it really is. It’s human rights.
The second and one that needs to be confronted in both the gay and straight communities that those who support the fight for gay equality claim it to be genetic, or that they may have different brain mapping than straight people. I see this as a moot point because it doesn’t matter.
Even if being gay was a choice, no one, no where under any theological beliefs has the right to deny anyone the chance to bind themselves emotionally, financially, and even spiritually to the other human being they love.
I take offence to the queers who come out for Pride, dress in ridiculous outfits and parade around. If you don’t dress like a drag queen the rest of the year, why do it for Pride? As long as they continue, that is what gay culture gets reduced to. A bunch of half-naked, glittery, party boys with more make-up than Tammy Faye Baker. The millions of people who come to Pride in Toronto don’t come because they care about gay rights, they come out to see the weirdos.
I will be going with my family to Pride this year with my family. My sister is excited to see the party, and I am pleased about that. But I hope my father doesn’t get too uncomfortable, Pride is a celebration, yes, I just wish we could celebrate without the freak show for a change.
One of the best scenes I have ever seen in a movie.
How do charges against Lance help cycling?
Monday, June 18th, 2012Recently the USADA (Anti-Doping Agency) announced Lance was back under investigation, faces sanctions and is banned from competing in triathlons. This just after Federal Prosecutors announced they were dropping changes.
Armstrong responded, “I have been notified that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars but governed only by self-written rules, intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned. These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity.”
Speaking of spite, VeloNews reported longtime Armstrong detractor — and wife of former Motorola/U.S. Postal rider Frankie Andreu — Betsy Andreu was disappointed by the Federal Prosecutors decision to drop charges against Armstrong. She must be delighted at the news from the USADA. Betsy is probably pissed her husband was a super-domestique and not a super-star. Oh that and the fact her husband got busted for doping as well.
These latest charges stem from Lance’s comeback attempts in 2009/2010 where he didn’t fare as well as previous attempts.
USADA alleged it had collected blood samples from Armstrong in 2009 and 2010 that were “fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions.” Keep in mind Lance’s Tour de France wins are between 1998-2005. Normally a race can only be called into question within 8 years; so this would be the USADA’s last chance to bring up accusations. They also are relying on the testimony of two known dopers, Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis. Hamilton and Landis both denied doping once caught and then after mounting evidence conceded their guilt.
In response Armstrong said, “I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one.”
Many people figure that Lance Armstrong must be doping since many of the athletes he beat were using performance-enhancing substances and drug use was rampant in cycling at the time. Most of this is sour grapes. The French authorities have always been upset that an American upstart came and demolished every European in the race. In 500 tests they didn’t find any evidence of wrongdoing. If the USADA did find evidence back in 2009 why not press charges then?
Chances are they will not be able to make these changes stick, and the charges need to stick if they expect to strip him of the 7 Tours. But it begs the question, “who cares if Lance Armstrong doped?” Seriously, digging it up now will only hurt the cycling world.
photo: Mark Gunter
Random Images
Friday, June 15th, 2012
Incredible Photos
Wednesday, June 13th, 2012
Disappointment at KW
Monday, June 11th, 2012
So I rode in another O-cup this weekend. It was my third race and to be honest my most disappointing. I didn’t really prepare for it the way I should have. I wasn’t eating the way I should have and should have spent the day before on the couch but instead ran errands and gardened.
I was up at 4:30 am and rode to Dave Chong’s place since we were heading out from there. I knew on the ride over this was not going to be a good day. It was already hinting at how hot it was going to be plus my legs didn’t really seem to be awake.
When we got to the start at Kitchener there was a a lot of riders, 85 to be exact. The lapdogs lined up early so the four of us were near the front. When the tone sounded, and all the riders pushed off and clipped in I found myself in third place which was not where I really wanted to be.
The course is fast at the beginning. A 90 degree left turn leads to this false flat followed by a descent into an S curve. The pace was fast with some sections reaching over 63km/hr! The course has a little hill which is a bit deceiving as it has a little respite followed by a kicker. After four laps the pelaton began pulling away from me.
There is no more sickening feeling than watching that gap between you and the group widen. You need to put in the extra effort to catch since we know drafting can save up to 30% of the energy. Once that gap opens however it is difficult to close and then after you buried yourself to catch up you still need to have the energy to match the groups pace. Once or twice I managed to catch up but I wasn’t able to keep up.
Once you fall off the back, you find yourself in “no man’s land”. This is a sorry place to find yourself. If a number of people have fallen off you can sometimes form a chase pelaton and work together to try and improve your times. Sadly I found myself completely alone.
Several time I considered quitting but didn’t want a DNF. Especially after the group lapped me with three laps left. However, I figured since I paid to ride, I would treat this as a grinding training ride.
As you can see, my heart rate hit threshold and stayed there even after I was descending and minimizing effort. I spend the whole ride at threshold or above burning around 1700 calories.
In the end I finished 59th out of the 85, several riders knocked out of the race due to crashes. I finished in 1:47:39, 16:14 slower than the pelaton. When I finished I was supposed to do one more lap but the O-Cup rules are everyone finished on the same lap meaning they just extended my time out. That was fine by me.
6/4/1989
Monday, June 4th, 2012
Record industry charges for dancing and Canada allows it
Friday, June 1st, 2012The Copyright board of Canada has certified new tariffs that apply to music at events; like weddings. It is called “Re:Sound” Now I am getting married soon so I am keenly aware of the rubbish that SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) already pull. Apparently though the record labels don’t get enough money so they decided to screw Canadians in the ass just a little more; and they must be lobbying like mother-fuckers since the government has okayed this. Re:Sound claims to be dedicated to obtaining “fair compensation for artists and record companies” but I suspect the emphasis is on record companies.
Now here’s why I am pissed off. First, I already own the music. I bought the CDs and put the songs on my own iPod. Both of which included special “fees” to make sure that everyone who was involved got paid. I should be able to listen to them when I want, where I want. I am not making money from listening to them, I don’t sell ads against them, I’m not a radio station. If artists are upset by how little money they make for their music, then they should negotiate a better deal or find a different business model. For example many bands choose to circumnavigate record labels and sell their songs online.
Secondly I am already paying a SOCAN fee to play music I already own at my wedding. I have friends who are musicians and I know how hard they work, and I want to support them, but what other job has a long-tail payment where you keep getting paid over and over for work you did years ago. I think in cases like Radio or TV where someone is making money from the music then yes, by all means charge a fee, but at a wedding? And they want to charge double if people dance.
Ya, you read that correctly. Double if the guests dance.
“For weddings, receptions, conventions, assemblies and fashion shows, the fee is $9.25 per day if fewer than 100 people are present and goes up to $39.33 for crowds of more than 500 people. If there’s dancing, the fees double.”
“Recorded music is a vital part of the business model for many live events and, indeed, it is impossible to imagine a fashion show, festival, parade or karaoke bar without music,” Re:Sound’s director of licensing, Martin Gangnier, said in a statement.
What other industry charges you more money for something you already paid for? To extend this fucked up business model, a copy of Microsoft Office would cost you say$200. But if you produced a PowerPoint presentation and showed it to less than 10 people it would cost you an additional $9.25, if it was more than 10 it would be $39.33, and if they enjoyed it and clapped at the end it would be double. Sorry TED, looks like you owe a lot of money….
Or how about this. I am a painter, like any musician I produce works of art. If I sell you a painting for your home, it is $1,000 but if you want to hang it in a public space there is an ongoing fee of $9.25 per day. I know you already purchased it, but I need the ongoing revenue. If the foot traffic is more than 10 people an hour the fees double. Since both sound and light travel in waves, and the enjoyment is temporal I can see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to file a visual artists tariff, and give the money to galleries and artists.
It boggles the mind.
If you are as outraged as I am, you can write to the Copyright board of Canada here secretariat@cb-cda.gc.ca.
