On Random Thoughts

This must be my millionth posting on random thoughts. But I have a mishmash of ideas I want to put out in the open.

First the number of people who have told me how much they like my blog is really, and I do mean really flattering. (If I write a book would you guys buy it?) And why didn't anyone come to my defence when Georg was coming after me with the torches and pitch forks. (Actually that was a joke, I wouldn't want to get into a fight like that if someone offered to pay my mortgage, that fight was really dirty... actually if someone were willing to pay my mortgage... hmmm.)

Speaking of Georg, I am going to do something I really don't want to do, I will read his last message to me. I just ate dinner, I might just be returning the dinner very soon to a porcelain god near me.

Alright here it is:
[quote]You've come to our house. It wasn't to your taste. On leaving, you decide to wax negative in your "memoirs".[close quote]

Aaron said something very interesting, that Georg was being metaphorical, the house in this case was skating. If so there is a fundamental flaw in logic. I got Georg to join TISC, we were driving back from Montreal after the 2007 24hour marathon and I told him how good TISC would be for his technique and he started coming a few days or weeks after. Georg may have been thinking of joining TISC on his own, but I am pretty sure I was to Georg's joining TISC what the assassination of Franz Ferdinand was to the start of World War I, I lit the flame, the gas was already all over the place. I remember at one point, at TISC practice, I stopped doing the drills Eric Gee was giving me to help Georg in areas where he needed work. At the 24 hour Georg, who only owned rec skates decided he should buy racing skates, he did not have enough cash so I paid half ($300) on my Visa and he paid me back later on, he does not have a credit card. (I still have the Visa statement, I am sure I can find a $300 charge to ZT Sports that day, right near the smaller charge for the wheels I bought from Gavin, the same day.)

I was already living in 'his' house, before he even moved in, I saw structural flaws, I pointed them out so they could be addressed before the building collapses and some guy comes along and tells me off, nice, real nice. Of course he didn't tell me to my face, no he just slammed me anonymously. If you haven't got the balls to put your name to your opinions you should go bugger off. (I can think of better ways to say that, but I prefer saving those words for car drivers!) Anyway as for the house that skating built, I have pretty much moved out, it is not worth it, I fell in love with road biking and all the politics and gossip that goes on at TISC is ludicrous.

Alright time to talk politics. (I haven't been doing that already?) I am going to let my socialist colours fly - sorry conservatives I might piss you off, although really I am a conservative in the old sense of the word.

Here is what I believe:

1. Budgets should be balanced (except in times of war, which should be almost never)
2. Protection of the environment is critical, to be a conservative you have to conserve things.
3. Looking after the less fortunate among us isn't a nice thing, its a moral imperative, to do otherwise would be "un-christian" (seeing as I was born a Jew and don't practice anything, I will need to find a better term for 'un-christian'.)
4. Political debate should be about policy, not people, about ideas and ideals, not about moral or personal failings except as they reflect a person's ability to run a nation.
5. A democratic system of government requires an educated populace making informed decisions based on their experience and rational good judgment. Emotional appeals to the Id should be ignored in favour of doing what is intellectually the correct thing to do.

Question: Besides the Liberals in Canada is their any other option that seems remotely reasonable this election? (Maybe the BQ, I haven't been following them.)

Obviously the only real option in the United States is Barrack Obama.

I invite my readers to consider those questions and then reply with their own beliefs. Obviously our own prior experiences will tend to push us in different directions but let us have a real policy debate about the important things, a green shift, a balanced budget, not bird poop or lipstick.

Now, as promised, images from my ride to Lake Simoce.

Obviously Aaron took that photo, but isn't that bike beautiful? (Oh yeah and the back ground is pretty impressive too.)

So when people pass me they get too see my bike (Erin) from that angle? No wonder every always seems to be in such a rush to pass. ;-)

Aaron, this is the one picture of you, you took it yourself. (I hope you don't mind that I post it, but I figure I gotta show at least a picture of you somewhere here, no?)

I am generating a YouTube video of me on the saddle as shot by Aaron, but it's 145MB as an AVI file so it might take some time to publish. Once its out there I'll throw a link to it.