Old

Nikolz is really really old.

The perfect wingnut

Via the fivethirtyeight, John Zeigler gives us a glimpse into the logic of the wingnuts on the right.

My favorites?

NS: Well, that Obama 'launched his career' at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground --
JZ: That happens to be one of the questions that Obama supporters did the best on! They did better on that question than on any other Obama-related answers! And here you’re telling me that it’s not true?

The logic being that something is defined as true if enough people believe it

and

NS: Thank you, have a good day.
JZ: Go fuck yourself.

Cause, you know, being asked legitimate questions about how scientific your poll is really shows you love terrorists or something.

Deep Thought

If Murdin hit a tree and didn't blog it, did it really happen?

Open Thread

Cause I am tired of doing all the work around here.

Amazing...

Does this mean the bike industry will actually be seen as a good business to be in rather than a way to meet pro-cyclists and be cool?

George Bush made me a Democrat

I am fond of telling people who think I am a partisan Dem that I was, in fact, an independent until shortly after 9/11 and I realized the Neo-Cons were evil.

And I am not going to judge Obama yet cause he is, well, not actually President yet and he now has a proven track record of getting stuff done. But Obama ain't the Senate and the Senate Democrats do have a history and it's one of selling our core principles in the name of getting legislation passed. Or, as Greenwald calls it, Strength through Weakness.

So Obama, I support you. But my days as a Dem are now officially over and if the Senate continues panzy ass stuff like this I am going to vote for a split government next time. Bitches.

Maybe not PC

but why are we doing this?

Is it for moral reasons? Cause it seems to be the ones crusading against it on those grounds tend to be users.

Is it to protect women? Where's the evidence that criminalizing and driving it underground has a net positive effect over legalizing it?

I hate you!

Since they made up, of course Lance needs to find a new enemy.

Whine Bloggin'

Round and round the virus goes and where it stops is all our nose. Err Noses? Damnit.

Round 2 of The Cold begins.

Before anyone gives me diet tips proven to lose weight & improve my immune system, it's the kids. They are human pitri dishes.

And Stoked, don't think I have forgotten you! Getting buy-in from Mrs. PDog who does the grocery shopping.

Stuff

I've been on hold with AT&T now for about 20 minutes. While on hold I found this blast from the past. Soak up the PDog Wedding flashback.

And memo to Vino: Yes, I think you are that stupid.

Vinokourov: Don't call me stupid

Alexander Vinokourov continues to deny blood doping during the 2007 Tour de France. The Kazakh rider, 35, is planning to come back to Team Astana after his one-year suspension, he said in an interview while attending a trade show in the Netherlands last week.

"Do you really think I was so stupid?" he asked in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. "Everyone knows that you can easily be caught for a blood transfusion. What did I have left to win in the Tour to take such a risk? After my crash I had already lost my high GC ranking."

Vinokourov dropped from 12th to 81st after a crash in the 2007 Tour's fifth stage. He came back to win the stage 13 time trial. He crashed again the next day and lost nearly 29 minutes, but came back on the 15th stage to win the 'Queen Stage' in Le Louron.

Officials announced the next day that he tested positive for blood doping after the time trial.

Team Astana suspended Vinokourov and withdrew from the Tour. His national federation later gave him a one-year suspension. He recently announced his intentions to return with Team Astana this spring.

He has consistently denied doping and said that his early crash in the 2007 Tour, which caused deep cuts in his right knee, may have been responsible for the positive control. "I have no proof, but it is clear that my blood values were not in order after that fall," he said.

Vinokourov believes that his case was not thoroughly examined. The International Cycling Union (UCI) hardened its positions in light of Operación Puerto, he said, and he had to pay the price. "I was tested positive and I had to hang. ... I continue to say that the laboratory got it wrong."

"Some will always doubt my honesty. ... If I say that never used doping, some will never believe me. I have never used prohibited substances.

"I still want to prove myself on the bicycle. I want to show the world that I ride without doping and that I can still win the big races." (SW)

Deep Thought 2

When I leave The Bay, I don't think anyone is going to give me a pie.

Deep Thought

As we know, crisis can mean opportunity.

~ Josh Marshall

I keep telling myself that but somehow it doesn't really make the stress go away.

Assumptions.....

For whatever reason I have seen several variations of the following headline over the last 2 weeks "Can XXX Save Blu-Ray?". Yet, like this article or this one here, none seem to actually provide any evidence that Blu-Ray needs saving. Rather, the real argument seems to be that the release being touted has the potential to do well in the Blu-Ray format.

Bringin' it Old Skool

At Cyclingnews:

The 35-year-old former Astana rider was in the Netherlands for a trade mission, accompanied by the Kazakh minister for sport, Anatoliy Kulnazarov, who told Telegraaf, "I assume that Vinokourov will ride next season. Naturally he will be in the Astana team."

Even though Astana spokesperson Philippe Maertens did not wish to comment on the report officially, it thus seems clear with which squad Vinokourov will make his comeback to racing. The question remains when exactly next year he will be allowed to do so.

Can't say Astana's Optics are looking good nor does that TdF invite.

Want to rent my house?

After much soul searching and a good scrum session we decided to rent our house instead of sell it. Of course, Teh Great Depression: Revenge of the Wingers '08 (subtitle: blame carter) has led to a glut of houses on the market but that's life.

Deep thought

Change is hard.

More about me...

Well, since it gets boring living off the fat royalty checks Gin Optics sends me I went and got myself employed. But you knew that. Haven't talked about the new gig very much because Job #1 for me was to stabilize production. Now that job #1 is done I thought you might be interested in what RioMobility does. Here is the core product, the Dragonfly handcycle.

Teh Challenge is ON

In comments Old As Dirt said:

PruDog is a pathetic, fat wimp of a man... and that is being generous. He couldn't handle Stoked's All Masochism diet for 1/100 of a nano-second. So Sod off!

Or something like that.. I had Prupuppy 2.0 climbing on me so I couldn't concentrate. So I respond:

Bring It On!

30 days on Stoked's diet.. as long as I get coffee w/ milk and Thanksgiving off. What are the rules oh Stoked of the I AM?

Sick & Stuffs

Being sick sucks, and it really sucks when it is that lingering cold that lasts 2 weeks and never gets horrible but never gets better either. Didn't this same stupid virus go around last year too?

Item! I don't own Gin Optics LLC anymore! If you need eyewear a hold of CNIk at nikolz@ginoptics.com. Or send him an email about herbal Viagra. That works too.

And what the hell is up in NW Cycling land? Blog updates are few and far between. Sitting in San Carlos I'd think you all quit racing once you realized you weren't gonna get called out in this here blog.

Maybe I need to go on Stoked's no sugar or wheat diet.

Prediction Post

I am going straight with Nate.

Obama 349 v McCain 189

Almost there...

Barack Obama personally sent this to me. He asked me to post it so all my Cubs-fan, I mean Democrat friends can relax a bit.



And to my Republican friends.. well you need to chill out too. The Democrats are not, in fact, in league with Satan and you just need to get over it.

Why So Socialist

Since the election is now a toddler and I hate kids, I have pretty much stopped blogging until it's over. It makes my brain hurt, mostly because of overwhelming lack of economic based reasoning.

But today, one of our family friends sent us a panicked, pro-McCain email that included the following refrain:

OBAMA IS A SOCLIAST

Now, I am not going to pick on the spelling because it was a very very long email and I actually suspect she wrote it herself. I can't type 300 words without 50% being spelt incor-wrongly. Know what I mean.

And in fairness, the argument she made was a libertarian one, not a results based one. But I am struck by the number of people who seem to believe that Democratic policies somehow drag down upper-class incomes. They don't. As Paul Krugman explains, economists don't really understand why but the fact is that incomes rise faster for *all income groups* including the upper-class/rich under Democratic administrations than republican ones. Since middle and lower-class incomes grow so slowly or decine under Republican Administraions while upper-class income does grow (albiet more slowly than under Dem administrations) they simply become better off relative to the middle and lower-classes.

My friend understands that and just doesn't care. She thinks the government has no business helping people even if that makes us all better off; it should be a personal choice. I disagree, but I get that. But I am practical and I suspect that if more people understood what being a socialist (as defined by the NeoCons) meant they'd support socialism. (Caveat that this isn't socialism, but whatever).