Done Workin’ – Gone Sailin’

Ricco the “Cobra” has won his first stage of the Tour. He made everyone stand up and notice at the Giro when he took three mountain stages.
Today had just two category 2’s but the final 5 kilometers were steep and broke the peloton apart and Ricco timed it just right.

The real news is Kim Kirchen of Team Columbia takes the GC Yellow Jersey and also gets the Green jersey.
Amazing for our American team to hold the Yellow this early. It could be a two edged sword because now they have to defend it and tomorrow is another middle level climb then Sunday and Monday are the steepest of the first half of the race.

The weather here as taken turn for the better so I am off to Peregrine

and Oyster Bay.

Those of you that don’t have Versus can follow the Tour at Velo News and there are links to streaming video at Cycling Fans.

Enjoy.

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Leadership

George Hincapie may be the most selfless rider in the Tour. He worked for Armstrong all 7 winning years and today worked to get a young gun, Mark Cavendish, to the front for the final sprint. George was off the back of the peloton at 10 kilometers with a flat and worked himself back up to front and drove his team to control the finish. Watching him put his head down and power the entire peloton to set the pace so high that no one could run away with the finish was inspiring.
AND…
It worked Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia won the day.

Bravo!

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Americans in Paris

America has two strong teams in the Tour de France this year.
Team Columbia and Team Garmin-Chipotle
Not all the members of each team are American but we have Americans placed very high in the GC (General Classification)

Yesterday’s time trial pointed up just how strong the teams are.

Stage 4 Time Trial Cholet, France

American Team Members in Top 20

Stage Results
2. Kim Kirchen (LUX), Columbia, at at0:18sec
3. David Millar (GBR), Garmin-Chipotle, at 0:18
8. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Chipotle, at 0:37
9. George Hincapie (USA), Columbia, at 0:41
11. Thomas Lovkvist (SWE), Columbia 0:47
14. Danny Pate (USA), Garmin-Chipotle, at 1:10

Team Columbia and Team Garmin-Chipotle are evenly split in the first time trials’ top twenty. It must have been a great incentive to see Danny Pate set the early lead and hold on for his 14th place finish.

A closer look at the GC paints a picture of what Team Columbia can do in the mountains. No one knows how to put together a winning day in the mountains better than Hincapie. He wants and is due some glory for himself but his team mate Kirchen may be the key to an over all win.

Americans in today’s top twenty

8. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Chipotle, at 0:37
9. George Hincapie (USA), Columbia, at 0:41
14. Danny Pate (USA), Garmin-Chipotle, at 1:10

Americans in the top twenty (GC Today)

6. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Chipotle, at 0:37
7. George Hincapie (USA), Columbia, at 0:41

There is so much racing left that today’s stats may be meaningless but the American Teams and the Americans near the top of today’s race and the GC are IMO going to stay in contention right into the last week.

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Ray Charles - America the Beautiful

OK! OK!
For those of you that couldn't get behind Hendrix playing the anthem here is a classic, flag and all.
Happy 4th.

The Star Spangled Banner

Now you can't get anymore patriotic than that.
Hey...
Is he wearing a flag lapel pin?
Enjoy the 4th.

The Reason It Matters

The Supreme Court just ended their session last week and the decisions that were handed down have pointed out why the next election is so important.
John McCain has stated he will continue to appoint conservative judges. The more moderate, some say liberal, judges are ready to retire. John Paul Stevens is 88, Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg is in her middle 70’s and has health issues and Justice Souter would like to get back to his cabin.
All of them are clinging to their seats, praying for a progressive, Democratic President so they can retire and not concede the court to the activist right.
The appointments of Alito and Roberts and the retirement of O’Conner, has tilted one of the three pillars of our government to the right in a way that is reshaping the laws of the land.
This election is, of course, about the two men running but the make up of the court will be a lasting legacy that we will have to live with for many years after the next President is long gone.

NY Waterfalls - Brooklyn Bridge

Well it is certainly more impressive from the water.

Waterfalls in NYC

Olafur Eliasson has designed 4 waterfalls around the harbor between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
I have only seen a test from the Manhattan Bridge but IMO there isn’t enough water and too much scaffolding.
By not covering scaffolding the mechanics are too present.
I will reserve any more criticism until I’ve seen them from other angles and at night.

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Buckminster Fuller On Pollution

"Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value."

Thanks to TreeHugger

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40 Years Ago Today

Bobby(2006)-The Sound Of Silence Robert F. Kennedy

Part of a film Directed by Emilio Estevez.
As the fist black man prepares his run for president and Caroline Kennedy helps him find a V.P. the echos of what could have been are strong.

152 Days

This photo may be all that most voters need to know about the candidates.

Hopefully voters will dig a little deeper and see that today, or rather last night, was an historic moment for our country.
For one of the first time real change is staring us in the face.
Will we have the courage to reach out and take it?

Obama Wins!

Barack Obama's Victory Speech on June 3, 2008

The Internet & Symbiosis

Now that even my Mother has broadband the internet is taken for granted, to “google” has become a well used verb it has become ubiquitous like the telephone.
But every now and then the symbiosis of the computer the internet and local services comes together to amaze.
I was reading the Turkish news paper Today’s Zaman and found an article on “The Towers of Trabzon” which I had never heard of. While reading the article I decided to see the town and opened google earth and whizzed around the world to the coast of the Black Sea and zoomed in on the town and the Byzantine churches. The article mentioned a book by Rose Macaulay titled "The Towers of Trebizond".
Curious, I looked the book up in the Brooklyn library and ordered it. It is now waiting for me to pick it up at my local branch.
A wonderful combination of curiosity and the combination of services and programs took me around the world and has left me with tangible asset of the book (analog?) to read.

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IRONY

From an article in the 2/25 issue of The New Yorker entitled "Big Foot" that discusses carbon footprints.

"The best known climate-change bill now before the Congress, which would manage capping carbon limits, was written by Senator Joseph Lieberman.
Hillary Clinton, Barak Obama and John McCain are co-sponsors."

Clinton Divides Obama Unites

The Brooklyn Optimist has endorsed Barrak Obama but decries the attacts on Mrs. Clinton . The vitriol that is hurled at Mrs. Clinton now is just the tip of the iceberg that awaits her should she become the nominee.

The attacks on her husband will look like a cake walk, and he had to face impeachment.
The fact is the Clinton’s ended their time in office as a divisive force that has the potential to rip this country apart should she win the election.
Obama, on the other hand has the potential to establish a dialogue that could bring opposing views together to argue and debate our differences in a civil manor.
IMO – Mrs. Clinton should remain in the senate and assume the Kennedy mantle of spokes person for the left and let Mr. Obama set the tone for the nation.
Either way we cannot let an evolution denier or a pandering hawk into the white house.

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Listen One More Time

August 28, 1963

Time to listen on more time

1/20/09

Yes folks it's just one year, and a short one at that, from today that the "SHRUB" will be shown the door and we have the chance to start undoing the damage.
Two of the three Republicans are evolution deniers and McCain wants to stay in Iraq for a hundred years.
Edwards is on his last legs and no one knows where his supporters will go.
So...
Hilary or Obama?

POLLS!!!

Hillary don't need no stinkin' polls!


The news orgs. won tonight as they will have many hours of empty punditry to fill thier air times.

Obama Wins Iowa

No matter what happens in the general election, as of last night a black man has a chance, not a small chance a real chance, to be the leader of America.

A state of 92% white people (Iowa) has given Barak Obama a decisive victory over his Democratic opponents and the Democrats have overwhelmingly out distanced the Republican Party.

It’s time to get off the divisive issues of black vrs. white in our neighborhoods and realize that America could take a huge step toward in bringing us all together by electing the first black American, President of the United States.

I voted for Jesse Jackson in the NY primary just to keep his voice in the mix but he was never going to be elected.

Now we all have the opportunity to vote for a black man who has an honest chance to lead this country.