vacation time

So after reading this, and exchanging more emails with Steve, I am absolutely ecstatic about going to Phoenix. Steve and his wife have been gracious enough to let me hang at their place in Scottsdale for a week. I am extremely lucky to know great people like them.

I'm leaving this Thursday, driving to Flagstaff with my dad right away, Visiting NAU, then driving back to Phoenix and getting on the bike as soon as possible. Probably biking around Usery Pass area.

Saturday we're going to Tucson to see U of A, and of course to bike Mt. Lemmon. From what I've heard its an absolute bikers paradise down there, the road on the mountain climbs 6000 feet on relatively quiet, paved roads. It goes through 4 different ecological strata systems, dessert to alpine. Pretty much reason enough to go to college there.

Sunday we'll head back early and chillax before my dad has to fly out because of work.

My plan for the week will be pretty much, get up early and bike for 4 hours, get back and eat, sleep, eat, walk the dog, go downtown and pick up chicks, hang out at coffee shops, head back and do homework, chill at the house, then sleep. Tubular cool awesome rad sweet radical gnarly amazing groovy tight badass excellent hot sick wicked bodacious fantastic funky good great hip killer.

Wednesday there is a crit that I might do, I'll get pwned, because the last time I sprinted was during the Clinton Administration (not really), and DQed for not having junior gears, but it will be a good workout.

It's really lame to brag about the weather in vacation places but I'm not a conformist. Forecast looks awesome..mostly high 60's, but might have to deal with rain this time of year for a day or two. No worries.

Back to purgatory. Today with temps pushing 30 (which felt really warm) I rode outside for 1.5 hours with 20 minutes of LT. Not as long as I was hoping for but my feet were getting numb. Spend most of the rest of the day working ahead in school to lessen my load in AZ. One thing I am taking note of is how long it takes me to do 7 days of school work. My prediction is that it won't be 52.5 hours (7 days from 7:30-3:00). It will probably be 1/4-1/5 of that, which says a lot, I think.

THE HIVES ARE PLAYING IN CHICAGO FEBRUARY 29TH

Be there.

Got those babies cheap off ebay. Gotta look pretty in Phoenix....nieyne dayz byee teh wayee I appreyeciaytee yoor consurn
Peyce oout bitshes

Coffee hangover

This weekend I had lots of coffee and lots of americanos (americani?). I'm paying for it now with one of those caffeine craving headaches.

Check out this blog, there is some interesting stuff regarding gay marriage, with some thoughts added by yours truly.

I've been wanting to post essays that I've written for school on here for a while, and my good buddy David has inspired to do so. Here is an analysis on abortion I wrote for a class called Problems in a Modern Society. Thoughts/criticism/questions appreciated.

The topic of abortion has been a common ground for argument for a long time. Virtually every American is either pro-abortion or anti-abortion, and most feel very strongly in their respective views. In 1973, the government took its first stance on the subject in the trial of Roe v. Wade. The outcome was basically an elimination of all of the previous state and federal laws preventing abortion. Later, in 1989, the result of a court case called Webster v. Reproductive Health Services stated that states no longer have to fund abortions, and must protect viable life (20 weeks). As a result of another famous case in 1992 named Casey v. Planned Parenthood, Parental consent is required for a minor desiring an abortion. Strong feelings are evident outside of the courtroom as well. Picketers are frequent near abortion clinics and other related services, such as birthright. More radical groups have been known to take it so far as to bomb abortion related infrastructure. In addition, 1.2 million abortions have been reported since 1973.

Essentially the fundamental argument exists because of the different definitions of human life, and the notion that life is worth protecting. Scientists have defined it as when the fetus is capable of living outside of a mother’s womb, around 24-28 weeks. A Christian doctrine is that life begins at conception. Some believe that life begins at birth. However, the government has not specified a clear definition of life, but is required to protect it under the constitution.

I believe the government should legalize abortion and fund it like any other medical service offered currently. Being pro abortion does not advocate abortion; it advocates the option of abortion. Women should have this choice because a fetus is inside them, with them not only physically but also biologically. Physical and biological presence leads to a mental and psychological presence also. There are women who find this burdensome, not just the few extra pounds, but also the physiological and emotional effects. Given the option of abortion the mother can keep her privacy in all these aspects.

Legalizing abortion promotes safe methods of the process. Similar to the effects of prohibition of alcohol in the 1920’s in the United States, outlawing abortion would promote illegal methods. In fact, outlawing alcohol had opposite effects than the government intended. Rather than simply quitting, drinkers sought “shady” back alley places to drink. The use of alcohol reportedly increased during this time period due to the “rebel” image of breaking the law. Like prohibition, outlawing abortion encourages “back alley,” unregulated methods of carrying out the abortion. This increases the risk of mistakes and grimy conditions putting the mother’s life in danger. Outlawing abortion could even result in more deaths because of this effect. A very large percentage of women want abortion services and will utilize them legal or not. Illegal “abortion clinics” would become common due to the sheer demand. Outlawing abortion could even result in more deaths because of this effect.

Technically, abortion is no different than abstinence. At this moment, the world population is capable of producing billions of babies, if all of the approximately three-billion sperm connected with the approximately three-billion eggs. The connection between the two is just another process in the cycle of human life. Am I a murderer for not having sex right now? Logically, moral significance withstanding, the answer to that question would be yes. Acting purely on moral basis alone the government’s decision to outlaw abortion would be absurd and flawed.

The United States government does not allow bills to evolve into laws based on morals. It acts for the interests of the people. 29% of pregnancies result in an abortion. 71% of pregnancies result in a birth. Legalizing abortion on the federal level gives both of these populations adequate compensation for their personal desires and beliefs.

Build 1 week 3 has been terminated because indoor biking has somewhat resembled gouging your eyes out with a chain ring. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Yesterday was the second to last day of Build 1. I had 2 hours planned, with 2 25min LT intervals. This was the third (hardest) week so I hadn't been feeling very good on the bike earlier in the week. So yesterday I started up riding tempo and felt absolutely horrible. I thought it would feel better once I got going but nope. It got 10 times worse in the LT interval and 10 minutes in I had to stop. This morning my legs felt really sore and they still do so I think I will just start my rest week today.

Have you ever noticed how some cyclists compare themselves/other cyclists to cars? "It felt really good to fire up the ol' engine again" or "His legs are like pistons" or "I don't have any gas" Seems kind of demeaning.

10 days till I go to Phoenix...I can't wait. I am going to visit colleges in Flagstaff and Tucson and to bike lot a lot.

This is just ridiculous:
Current temperature for Mount Vernon, Iowa, United States-4
Current temperature for Base Marambio Centro Met. Antartico, Antarctica-32

Ok, its summer for them. But still.

I am not a terrorist T-shirt

From the website:

After reading about blogger Raed Jarrar's experience at JFK (he was forced to take off a shirt with Arabic writing on it or miss his flight; new BBC article), I finally stopped being depressed about the war on terror and began being proactively pissed off. I made this shirt, which says "I am not a terrorist" in Arabic. I plan to wear it every time I go to the airport from now on.

We have already given away too many freedoms in the name of war on terror. Freedom of speech cannot be one of them.

To quote Bruce Schneier:

"The point of terrorism is to cause terror, sometimes to further a political goal and sometimes out of sheer hatred. The people terrorists kill are not the targets; they are collateral damage. And blowing up planes, trains, markets or buses is not the goal; those are just tactics. The real targets of terrorism are the rest of us: the billions of us who are not killed but are terrorized because of the killing. The real point of terrorism is not the act itself, but our reaction to the act."

Nothing like coming home from a bike ride and being..

LOCKED OUT OF YOUR OWN HOUSE. So thats what happened to me today and we don't have a key under the mat that we don't have either. Cursing was involved. So I decided to break in through a window that wasn't locked, I was actually able to open it from the outside. If you're planning on breaking into my house, thats the way to go. Please don't. Not that that would stop you but if you wanted to I'm sure you would find another way anyways. It must have looked really interesting from the road, I was covered in pretty much all black, and of course a ski mask.

I disagree with how the school system is run, but I have enormous respect for teacher's and I do think they should get paid more. Not that they do it for the money, but it would be nice to see our government doing something besides killing Iraqi's.

Walk-in toilet

When I have billions of dollars I'm going to patent stuff. Like a Walk-in toilet. Wouldn't that be sweet? You could go wherever you wanted.

Cyanide and Happiness

Thanks Caitlin

If I could vote, I would vote for Dennis Kucinich

Rode a total of 6 hours this past weekend, it was like 50 but wet and muddy which made it kinda cold. However Sunday I even had exposed legs, what a novelty.

Been taking naps after school, it's a nice way to relax and recover quicker from hard rides.

So finals start tomorrow. Check out these articles on the high school system.
America's Failing Public School System
School Sucks Balls
Forced Education Sucks
Unschooling
We had an interesting discussion in American Lit. today, which is one of the few classes that I get a lot out of. The notion was that the school system and society are forming students into a mold, and that people are all becoming "conformists" and extremely resistant to change. Rather than being true to ones self, it is simply easier to "knock under and go with the stream" as Thoreau said. Big Brother is really watching you.

A revolution in the economy? This book talks about the advantages of collective innovation.

this cd rocks

Good ol' modern rock