The Marxist-Leninist Liberation Front of the Revolutionary Word of the Union (MLLFRWU) can no longer stand silent in the face of bourgeois rants of posers such as the ACAP GP.  This voice of luxurious living for the people is nothing but a lie, fabricated by those who wish to wrest the hard-won, self-acquired, self-earned property of the people and replace it with modern bourgeois private property – wage labor creating capital; that is, the kind of property which exploits wage labor and cannot increase except upon condition of begetting a new supply of wage labor for fresh exploitation.  A mere glance at the ACAP GP's font reveals the self-indulgent nature which that organization pretends to condemn.

And yet, while MLLFRWU condemns the lies propagated by ACAP GP, we stand in even greater opposition to the revisionism espoused by the True Liberation Front of the Revolutionary Word of the Union (TLFRWU).  It is indeed true that the MLLFRWU once stood with the TLFRWU, indeed many of our great thinkers came from that organ when it was pure, it is now obvious that the TLFRWU has strayed from its principles, and those of the Union – which is to say, the people’s values. 

It is only through the violent overthrow of tyranny that we can move to the greater glory that is our future together.  We cannot, we must not, stand idly by while the TLRFWU tolerates mediocrity and cheap excuses.  The people remain adrift in the pothole-infested roadways, victims to the prowling SUVs.  And, while we believe in the words and leadership of our Dear Leader, it is only through the violent overthrow of Dear Leader that Dear Leader’s principles can continue to flourish.

The MLLFRWU is the true voice of the people.  Organs such as La Societe and ACAP GP will soon be tossed onto the trash heap of history, just as the revisionist and counter-revolutionary TLFRWU stands discredited and naked before us.  And yet, we stand in solidarity with those imperfect representatives as we move towards our glorious future. 

Long live the Marxist-Leninist Revolutionary Word!  Forward with Revolutionary Zeal!

In the rush of ideas and railings against the four wheeled hegemony, the people are being forgotten. The "revolution" is being washed away by this idealistic bull spouting from the mouth of this overly glorified pond scum that calls himself Dear Leader. He and his governance no longer care to lend an ear or a hand to the people and their desires. Instead they spend their time wasting words and readers’ time with nonsensical rants of poor grammar all while attempting to steal more power from the people for themselves. There is no room in the so called "revolution" for this sort of aloof self indulgence; sipping fine brandies and imposing his will while the people toil day in and day out, chilled by the wind and rain with only the sewage water in their aid relief delivered bottles to sustain them. A stand must be made; the PEOPLE MUST be served!

The American counsel for the advancement and procurement of goods for the people™ (aka… capitalism) will make that stand and return the people to the ideals that are so rightly theirs. These rants and ideas regarding the auto are unrealistic and the people simply do not wish to ride a bicycle through the cold dark weather as Dear Leader proposes. A bicycle is a performance machine and as such should be transported to and from sanctioned riding affairs in an automobile. The idea of a four-wheeled hegemony was created and revealed by Dear Leader himself in order to gain a footing in the peoples' minds and begin his ultimate goal of an overruling dictatorship. As we can see from his latest actions, this plan is swiftly coming to fruition.

The American counsel for the advancement and procurement of goods for the people™ (aka… capitalism) will also and more importantly bring the people what they truly need and deserve. Dear Leader has for too long barricaded the people from the help they deserve by creating these false ideas. The absence of a return to the people for their tremendous efforts he says will be offset by our efforts against the so called hegemony of the auto. Hogwash, this simply is not the case and so far has left us with nothing but old, battered equipment and high prices. We should embrace these sponsorships as a means to a better ends and for the recognition and power which they will bring us, the people. The people must no longer be hindered by the wayward mind and irrational demands of Dear Leader.

The American counsel for the advancement and procurement of goods for the people™ (aka… capitalism) cannot be stopped and will destroy those standing in the way of the true advancement of the Union. The people will live in utmost luxury and comfort and all of the needs and desires of the people will be addressed.

The ACAP GP WILL be Victorious!

Over on Gwadzilla (http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com), my friend Joel makes an interesting comparison: that, because of his doping, Michael Rasmussen is sort of like Keith Richards, but not (different kind of dope, you see...).  

I wonder what Keef thinks about all this...

At any rate, here's what Comrade Peanut thinks:

But wait, there's more:  Someone else in the pro peloton has something in common with Keith Richards.  Alexandre Vinokourov and Keith Richards have both had blood transfusions (again, a different kind of dope, but still...).

Comrade Peanut will now change the channel.

---posted by josh

the racing union patriotism portal, dim for a period too long, is now afire with the message of the glorious revolution in cycling and the social order.  as with the enlightened europeans, we have taken a prolonged vacation through the hot summer months and return, committed to our work, tanned, rested and revolutionary.

we return,this fine morning, with something for the younger revolutionaries.  and end to the subtle tyranny and mind control that most of the pablum that passes for children's literature has become. 

http://buyo.blogspot.com/2006/09/really-revolutionary-engine.html

it's got it all.  rabble rousing, solidarnosc and social unrest.  what child, worth their salt as a revolutionary could deny the stirring message and gripping plot.  those who espouse maoist-unionist thought may feel that the failure of the engines to make a show of the execution of the fat controller is weak, and the rationale for excluding this sort of thing from children's literature weaker still.  the majority of you who avow marxist-leninist-unionist thought should find the end appealing and suitable.

hasta la victoria siempre, venceremos!  union!  union!

-sg

Attention Commrades! The following message is being brought to you by the Supreme Council for Propogation of Message and Truth!

Begin transmission:

"In an attempt to broaden the reach of the Racing Union’s message throughout all facets of the two wheeled revolution and to truly realize the organization’s potential, we will be branching out our repertoire to include a few mountain bike races this season. We will plan to get out for at least a couple of Greenbelt-esq. Wednesday’s at Wakefield rides and also plan on competing in the Cranky Monkey Series which includes two races at Wakefield, one at Fountainhead and one at the Quantico Marine Corps Base.

If anyone would like to join us for any of these races please feel free to do so. The Union will be present at many if not all of the these races and will look to continue the growth of the revolutionary army by digging deeper in to the world of cycling. The chasm that is found between the different sectors of cycling is no longer acceptable and the Union must work to eliminate it. The time for partisan bicycling politics is over; let’s reach out to our brother’s and sister’s on two wheels, no matter how fat those wheels may be and revolutionize the cycling world from all angles!

Revolutionary points WILL be awarded to alternative forms of transportation including but not limited to: public transportation, riding of bikes to the race and car pooling (the more people in the car the more points awarded). The driving of an SUV with one passenger and bike will result in a large net loss of revolutionary points."

End transmission.

This Message has been cross-posted by Comrade Kmax aka Max aka Blud aka Maxblud aka Kevin

Last year, during the nascent stages of our glorious revolution, the Racing Union's Supreme Council for Propagation of Message and Truth sent out a request to our citizenry for a stirring patriotic anthem befitting our quest for all that is right and true on two wheels.  An anonymous sympathizer sent us a particularly gusto-filled little number set to the tune of the traditional Welsh anthem "Men of Harlech."  For further reference, and a moving ode, please peruse the following link: http://www.racingunion.org/PermaLink,guid,638193ef-c7be-43e0-b47c-ccf9f55d0218.aspx

However, today we received another inspiring anthem from our own Comrade Kevin (who's been tearing it up at Greenbelt lately), clearly aimed at our younger compatriots throughout the Union heartland (aka "The Fruit of the Union").  As an expression of our deepest gratitude to a comrade who has clearly been reading his manifesto, an extra ration of potatoes has been reserved for young Kevin at the Plaza de la Revolucion.  Just what the hell am I talking about, you ask?  Well, Kevin wrote a song about it, and even though our humble compatriot may not want it posted (heh-heh...), here it goes:

         You frontin the union? 
         Slow yo roll you ain't got that
         We fed yo communion,
         Don't act like you all phat.

         East side or west side, you know we roll hard,
         Forget all thorps corps, that shit should be barred
         You with us or against, don't fuck wit' tha vanguard.

         Ya'll actin like bitches, sponsor's little whore,
         Watch your step or you'll be right out the front door.

         Rollin on the win, hear the Union Da!
         All you others just droppin a jaw,
         Where they come from, ain't never saw.
         Raise yo glass to the Union, a resounding Huzzah!

Well, there you have it, dear friends.  I hope that this little ditty has brought a tear to your eyes as it has to mine.  To borrow some immortal words from none other than the illustrious Flavor Flav himself, I would like to say: "yeeeeeeahhhhh, boooooyyyyyyeeeee!."  In my own words, I say: Da, Union, Da!

- - - josh

This just in from the state of the art broadcast studios at Racing Union’s Ministry of Culture and Entertainment:

Broadcasting in life-like clarity to the latest and most technologically-advanced high definition televisions throughout the Racing Union (including those made from re-purposed produce containers by loyal workers in our tropical industrial cooperatives), film critic Comrade Peanut brings us news of three cycling movies playing in the occupied Washington, DC area over the next few weeks.  All members of the Racing Union Cinema Appreciation Society (RUCAS, not to be confused with RUCCAS, the Racing Union Commuter Climactic Alert System) are strongly encouraged to attend these films.

It is not too often that cycling movies are exhibited publicly, and it is especially rare that three cycling-related movies are showing within the next few weeks, so Comrade Peanut cannot emphasize enough that it is of the utmost importance that we citizens show our support. 

The first of the three movies is “24 Solo,” which was best described on the D-20 list by Artemis Racing’s Evelyn Egizi: “This movie is absolutely incredible! Even if you don't mountain bike, this movie appeals to anyone who appreciates bike racing or an inspirational story. The documentary follows Chris Eatough, 6-time World Champion of 24-hour solo mountain bike racing in his attempt for a 7th World title. If you heard the news stories after the race last year - the finish was more than dramatic...”  For more information about the film, you can visit its website at: http://24-solo.com

The film was made by Arlington-based documentarian Jason Berry, who also made the award-winning documentary “Off Road to Athens” (about mountain bike racers trying to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens).

Although one showing of “24 Solo” has already happened, there is another screening on Friday, April 27^th at 9:30pm at the Arlington Cinema n’ Drafthouse.  The movie is expected to sell out, but you can reserve tickets through: http://www.grippedstore.com/index.php?cPath=2_6

enrique penalosa is one of my new heroes...

http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/physically-separated-bike-lanes/

we tend to look out for each other, our friends and our comrades.  but it is honestly with mixed feelings that i note the passing of comrade yeltsin. 

he had amazing flashes of brilliance and was capable of being among the best populists ever to stride the firmament.  but it's equally clear that as time went by, his flame burned a bit less brightly.  historians will find much to write about him and in 50 years, when the arcing storyline of what was the cccp is better understood, his role will be clearer.  we can probably celebrate the good things he was capable of doing while being mindful that we all have weakenesses.

instead of some stuffy sort of sermon, i suggest we tell anecdotes that show insight into what thre man was really like.  my favorite so far...

http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2007/04/remembering-boris.html

-posted by dear leader

it's a sad day for the return of the union book club.  i had hoped to offer inspiraiton for the masses.  for those who chafe at the yoke of imperialist corporate oppression, a literary balm; for those who thirst for deeper knowledge of the revolution, a heady draught; and for those who yearn to further the union message, a constant companion and source of solace.

regrettably, i have found the opposite.  rather than an uplifting message for young cyclists, i have uncovered a conspiracy.  i can say with absolute conviction that up until yesterday, book burnings had seemed laughably stupid to me.  no longer.  the book being reviewed today is a purported children's book called messenger messenger by robert burleigh with illustrations by barry root.  it is subversive, and a clear violation of racing union thought.

this book appears to defy simple analysis.  it also appears to defy complex analysis.  i attempted to take a cue from roland barthes, and used the tools of structuralist poetics and literary deconstructionism, but found myself no closer to a breakthrough.  it's just not clear what message this treatise seeks to pass along to our youth on bikes.  because i am so unclear on where this book is going, i have attempted a sort of photo essay, in which i document the experience of reading it and the reactions of the union's young pioneers who have perused it as well. 

in the following picture, it's not clear if calvin is cold as in frigid or cold as in "stone cold freak".  i'm not down with the hipsters and their modern urban patois so i think i miss a lot.  even my five year old son thought he was smoking.  and what's with the beirut/haifa street landscape he's riding through.  it's surreal.  he's biking through a war zone with smoke coming out of his mouth.

lest you think the sketchy landscapes will give way to safer suburbs or the relative security of the big city, think again.  apparently a good part of messenger man's job is floating around exceedingly flaky locales and making pick ups and deliveries of non-descript materials.

but messenger man can't do it on angst or urbane cool alone.  no, he needs fuel.  my son took one look at this photograph and asked me if i rode my bike like this, with no hands, eating and drinking, with cars very close by.  i was dumbfounded.  you sort of have to wonder if the guy who drew this picture even knows what riding a bike in traffic is like.  there may be people stupid enough to try to pull this off, but i've never seen them.

if there's any upside, it's that he wears a helmet.  and though this is a positive, like so much else, it just seems to show how out of touch with bike couriers the illustrator is.  we all know that the cool couriers don't wear helmets.  and what's up with the circa-1976,white formula one car in the background?  this is simply a myserty wrapped in a puzzle shrouded by an enigma.

the sole member of the racing union's young pioneers who this was beta tested on seemed to take a shine to it, though he admitted to a considerable amount of confusion regarding the images and text.

attempts to debrief this child were made.  when this didn't go well, attepts to deprogram him from the hipster chic and surrealist guidance that the book contained were redoubled.  appropriate literature was substituted...

but was met with loud denunciations and threats of physical abuse.

so in closing, this book gets no hammers and sickles: the default rating system of the racing union book club.  oh, and formal orders have just been promulgated that...er...um....karl marx has been removed from the racing union young pioneer's official summer reading list and has been replaced with a 24 page glossy stock book called "ultimate nascar", a book about pirates and a book about a robot who is taught to swing on vines by monkeys.  this decision is, apparently, rather set in stone so appropriate orders to local community bookstores should be placed immediately by parents of young pioneers who serve in the vanguard of the revolution.  that is all.

-dear leader

as one who spends a considerable amount of time advancing racing union thought, i'm constantly looking at the overlooked.  people can't seem to see the obvious stuff staring them in the face.  i usually chalk this up to the materialsm and the capitalist and imperialist proclivities that modern americans display so proudly.  but racing union thought seeks to take what people see as problems and produce answers that serve cyclists and citizens.  here's a nice example.

1. mark sommers floats a very cool email indicating that dc velo are seeking to make their bike race carbon neutral. 
2. people new to racing union thought may perceive an obligation, a necessary response, to call out this team for shamelessly plugging their sponsor and seeking new and different ways to make riders interact with corporate entities to help advertise these services.  bill luecke sort of comes through with this email, though he prefers to hit them from a slightly different angle.  however, racing union thought should find no real fault in an organization that attempts to link cycling with social change.  the fact that corporate entites are involved is secondary to the goal that is stated.  this effort is union approved.  and please note: luecke should probably have disclosed his background as a metallurgist and his lucrative corporate ties to big aluminum before attacking a team that rides so much carbon but that's a different post. 
3. on a totally different front, discussion about what promoters do with race entry fees from riders who don't show up can be found here and here and here.

so racing union thought brings us to the only obvious answer to this whole question.  i now unveil my proposal for a new mandatory mabra policy: all promoters must account for race entry fees which were not used and apply that money to buying carbon credits for their event.  further, since the rider who did not show up at the event likely did not drive, and as a result did not consume fossil fuels, the rider should earn 2 bar points for themselves in the category of their choice and one team bar point.  the mabra bod can and should design a form: carbon-abatement bar point requisition.  this form will be a carbonless, five leaf system.  top copy goes to the rider with the other four copies going to the mabra bar coordinator, the event's chief referee, the mabra permit coordinator - record keeper and one copy going to usac in colorado springs.  let's aim to prototype this system by june so we can roll it out for the full 2008 racing season with confidence.  volunteers?

update: go get 'em evelyn!  and as for you mr. unholy roleur, i like the thinking you posted in our comments.  finding a nexus between beer consumption, cyclists, cycling and saving the earth is an achievement.  i have some specific concerns surrounding the fact that many beers i appreciate come on a nitrogen feed so there may be some toxic biochemical issues to work out.  we can't offer you one of them fancy-schmancy bolshevik medals as you have committed a few too many crimes against racing union thought in your illustious past, however, we note your gradual progress towards our world view and welcome you as a brother and fellow traveller.  any union betwixt zymurgy and cycling is union approved.

- posted by scott

the february mailbag is such a weak and tired collection of bitching and moaning that i can't even bring myself to publish it.  really people, if this keeps up i will die of ennui.  i didn't think the principles of the glorious revolution in cycling and the social order were so abstract or difficult to internalize.  i considered trying to change attitides based on our current government's behaviour management program but i dismissed that as unlikely to succeed.  heck, it didn't work for them and they've used it for years.  i do not have years people.  we need to get this party going.  now.  ahora mismo.  immediamente! 

i considered using some alternate materials which might hold your microscopic attention spans a few seconds longer.  however, initial testing produced unexpected, unpleasant and unacceptable reactions.

so we're going to start it out real simple like, using very basic tools that you imperialist mouth breathers probably spend an awful lot of time viewing on a regular basis. 

watch this several times and then we'll see about moving on to some more advanced material.  for those of you who are a bit further along in the curriculum, we can have a spirited discussion of the joys and irony of using capitalist tools of citizen control (tv images, mass produced culture) for our own purposes in the comments. 

- - - posted by scott

The blog WashCycle has this entry today  (http://washcycle.typepad.com/home/2007/01/biker_on_biker_.html#trackback):

Someone sent me a link to this discussion about an incident on the CCT,

Witnessed a biker on biker assault this morning. I was riding up the Capital Crescent Trail (Washington DC) this morning when a saw a fellow commuter approaching me. Then from behind him I saw two riders in racing gear swing out from behind him. The first rider pulls up along side, reaches out, and gives the commuter a hard shove with his hand.

This pushes the commuter off the trail and sends him sprawling down over a 6 foot embankment. I stopped and checked. Fortunately he was all right. Apparently there had been something going on that I hadn't seen, but to deliberately push someone over a 6 foot embankment is just out an out bullying.

I've never seen anything like that. Not even close. It's kind of surprising. Usually these incidents involve a car. I know that I have at times - when cars invade my space (gunning it past me by inches to make it to a red light) - confronted someone driving a car. I quit though. It doesn't do any good, and eventually I was going to confront the wrong person. Plus it just left me angry for hours.

My commute isn't on the Capital Crescent Trail, and I wasn't there to witness what happened.  It's hard for me to imagine a situation which would justify such behavior.  But what’s interesting to me beyond the actual incident is an underlying tone to this entry (and, often, the comments that are posted on that and other blogs) and what is definitely clear in the original discussion that’s linked, is the notion of commuter versus racer (or commuters versus riders in racing gear, as it’s called here).

I like to ride fast at Hains Point.  With Comrade Gibbons' advice, I try my best to treat training with racing in mind.  I’ve only done a few races, and I want to do more.  I wear a team kit.  So, I’m guessing I’d be labeled a racer.  But, I’m also a commuter.  So are a lot of us on Racing Union.  The principles of Racing Union, it seems to me, are about harmony between these two groups.  The revolution against the hegemony of the four-wheeled society will never succeed if we are fighting each other.  There’s obviously a lot of territory to cover here, and clearly a lot of work to be done.

-- posted by Chris

word is rippling out that a certain local administrative affiliate of the national sanctioning body of cycling has gone and found itself a webmaster.  if you close your eyes, you can probably picture the scene that precipitated this.  sitting around some gigantic table in deeply cushioned chairs, they enjoy canapes and brandys.  their normal expressions; the wry and cynical smile that only comes from the smug and wealthy, the blankness that comes from detachment, the carelessness and inattentiveness of the unaccountable, it has now somehow twisted itself into discomfort.  well, as much discomfort as can possibly be expressed by these people.  "THERE'S A REVOLUTION AFOOT" they bellow.

while they sat around on huge piles of cash, the cyclists and citizens oppressed by their brutal yoke have tired of their servitude.  they have organized and rallied around the great and glorious cause.  they have been encouraging people to ride and then to race.  this movement, from the ground up, threatens the very basis for organized cycling.  will the gravy train run off the rails?  they hope the answer is no, but brothers and sisters, citizens and cyclists, we know better.

this is a last desperate measure on their part.  they are attemtping to develop a communications operation like ours but it won't work: a day late and a ruble short.  their days of reclining while casually indulging in the finer things and tossing bon mots back and forth are over. 

the revoluton has arrived.

the supreme revolutionary council for propogation of message has prepared some new graphics to help you better understand the important differences between how mabra continues to treat racers like serfs on their land versus how the racing union seeks to liberate bicycle racing and bicycle riders.

racing union!!  boldest and brightest.  beacon to all who labor on two wheels.  the banner which all cyclists and citizens rally.  hope for all those who ride, inspiration for those who seek an end to the dominance of the four wheeled hegemon.  union!!  da!!

mabra.  unaccountable tyranny, organizational despot, bitter oligarch, wringing the last few rubles from our pockets in a joyless and mechanical fashion.  an organization that now pretends at supporting the cyclists and seeks to provide a messenging platform.  clutching to it's own pretensions it's sense of self importance, the myth it has created of it's own relevence, but ultimately doomed to the dustbins of cycling history.

the time is now.  citizens and cyclists, heed the word.  rally to the banner.  union!  da!  union!  da!

just south of the plaza de la revolucion, above the command bunker and next to the congress of people's deputies is the supreme revolutonary council for message propogation.  this building houses the tireless servants of the revolution, the very heart and soul of the glorious cause.  they spin endless strands of silky smooth language designed to help people better understand the necessity of change and the centrality of the bicycle.  it's hard work but they excel at it.

and while their operation is usually a seamless, well-oiled and efficient one, they are currently in turmoil.  when it comes to propoganda the language of liberation, we take a back seat to no one.  but the enemy has recently developed some advanced rhetorical methods and constructions that appear stunningly powerful,and beyond our ability to match.  while union forces clearly have solid chops, they have been humbled by the sheer power of this technique:

HENRY: You know, going back to September 2001, the president said, dead or alive, we're going to get him. Still don't have him. I know you are saying there's successes on the war on terror, and there have been. That's a failure.

TOWNSEND: Well, I'm not sure -- it's a success that hasn't occurred yet. I don't know that I view that as a failure. 

simply amazing.  a success that has not occured yet.  this type of pravda is powerful magic.

but i will not be intimidated.  in fact, let me try it out.  as you all may remember, in my last correspondence with usa cycling, i modestly and reasonably argued that the racing union best represents the ideals of cycling and should obviously be recognized for this while other clubs are punished for their mindless devotion to the status quo.  as can be seen here, the clarity of our message was lost on them.  but we can use this new construct to declare victory.  the racing union's ascendancy over all other cycling organizations is merely a success that has not occured yet.  yes, i think i like that.  i think i like that a lot. far from failure, our complete domination of all things cycling is merely a success that has not occured yet.  yes, 2007 is looking like it will be a very, very good year.

- - - posted by scott

updated below.....

compare and contrast the dire news:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/10/AR2006121001113.html

with the valuable services that are being provided:

http://www.wmata.com/bus2bus/smartbenefits/pages/Metro_start.html via this link.

we talk a lot about how the current travel infrastructure is "broken": entirely car based travel -> congestion -> sprawl -> need for more roads -> less green space -> more development -> more congestion -> more sprawl -> more need for more roads -> etc -> etc -> etc...  what we do not talk about as much is the need to have alternative transportation be all the more appealing.  this is somewhat counter-intuitive.  one would naturally assume that as commutes get longer and longer, less and less pleasant, and take up increasing shares of your life, that alternatives would seem more appealing. 

but this is not, in practice, how things work.  people who have hellish commutes will read this metro news about financial shortfalls and smile to themselves.  for them, it only serves to confirm the idea that mass transit and alternative transportation won't work very well for them, since it clearly isn't self sustaining.  i currently reside slighty west of the vienna metro stop.  if i were an average commuter, i would park at the metro, and then ride it into dc.  parking is $3.75 and let's just assume the metro fare is $3.70 each way for the trip which would put you near center city.  that's $11.15 a day or roughly $223 a month (20 workdays a month) or roughly $2,453 (48 work weeks a year).  could you operate a car for that?  in some cases, yes.  looking at insurance and wear and tear and gas, it would be tough for most of us.  you could take the bus to the metro and save a lot.  but hey, that's asking a lot of our commuters.

you're probably thinking that i'm going to tie up this post with a call for alternative transportation to conduct itself in a more becoming manner, to earn the respect of drivers and to work to be an appealing option and for jurisdictions to fund metro to a greater degree.  well, that'd be great but i don't see it happening.  no, i'm going the other way here.  we're going to the mat on this.  the problem is not necessarily metro: in all likelihood, it is no more inept or corrupt or inefficient than any other company or transit group anywhere else in the country.  no the problem here is that people (read: drivers) will read this article and smugly conclude that those great unwashed masses who don't sit for hours on our public thoroughfares are saps, and that they (the drivers) are beating the system and doing the right thing.  but they are drawing the wrong conclusion.  under my normal philosophy of put up or shut up, i proudly unveil my solution.  i will give away $10 in metro fare each month to some random winner. 

my preference is that you give it to a friend or neighbor or relative and ask they to try commuting by metro one day for free.  if you are a cyclist, you may certainly use this to get your bike to a group ride, or for some other purpose (take the kids to the national zoo for instance) but do it on public transit, not in a car.

here's the deal.  all racing union members are automatically entered in each month's drawing, because, well, because they are good peoples.  anyone else in the dc metro area who would like to be considered may send an email to metro_hook_up@racingunion.org with your email address and i will add you to the database.  all drawings will be at random and since i do the drawing, i will not be eligible to win the prize.  all i ask is that you send me a photo (same address) with you and the metro cash or a note by email on what you did with it.  but that's optional.  get those email addresses in.  drawing will take place shortly for december.  if the program goes well, i may expand it.  more on that later.

- - - posted by scott

update: before i dogged taking the bus up above, i didn't realize the true revolutionary powers of bus drivers.  you can witness it here, courtesy of one of the greatest geopolitical thinkers of our time.  this must have casued some sort of cognitive dissonance.  you can cause revolution and upheaval, but only by supporting the rights of striking workers.  can you picture it?  must support toppling of hardline, clerical, anti-american regime....but...cannot support striking unionized workers.....but must support toppling of hardline, clerical, anti-american regime....but...cannot support striking unionized workers.....  and on it goes! 

a commendation for ncvc: the order of the red star from the supreme revolutionary council for change in cycling and the social order.

this commendation is awarded for the very generous opportunity that ncvc is handing to us.  a chance to get out, drink beer, see a movie premiere and mingle with our fellow cyclists and citizens.  the union will be in full effect to show their gratitude for ncvc's kindness.  a hearty huzzah for all the early six day racers and for those who help us to remember those who went before us. 

information on the event can be found here: http://www.ncvc.net/

information on the film can be found here: http://www.sixdaybicyclerace.com/the_film.htm

thank you notes can be sent here: http://www.ncvc.net/contact.php

- - - posted by scott

there are some times when you read something and you just know that people will take it as certain evidence for their worldview.  the eggheads call this "conceptual goggles" but the rest of us call it what it really is, intellectual laziness.  there are probably a ton of interesting and hilarious jokes that could be made about this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15947626/?GT1=8717

"what, no more hennessy?  no more wide format director's cuts?  this means war!"

rather than try to mine this for comedy gold, I'll share with you my own piece of intellectual laziness.  i see this as sure proof that regis debray was right all along when he said that "the revolution revolutionizes the counter-revolution".  the man is trying something new.  during the cold war, america tried to tackle the revolution head on through armed combat and spy vs. spy silliness.  by the eighties and nineties, we attempted a stealthier approach of economic destabilization and producing armed paramilitary groups that looked like authentic revolutionaries.  and now it's come to this.  why mess around with big budget diplomacy or arms shipments or a school of the americas.  just cut off the congac.  no more luxury cars, no more ipods, no more segways.  how will they possibly endure?  this alone has an uncomfortably elitist undertone: "you  know old boy, they simply can't get by without the finer things."  but at least it shows some adaptability and a remarkable amount of depth in that these sanctions won't affect the average citizen in the slightest.  how about that?  the counter-revolution is slowly being revolutionized. 

- - - posted by scott, link by chris.

sort of close, and then in the end, not really so much.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/?id=2006/woodland_sponsors

amateur athletics does not benefit from the dumptruck loads of cash that are poured into it each year. 

rediscover what amateur cycling is all about.

it starts here.

- - - posted by scott (link from mike)

garner points out that corporations are dropping sponsorship to usa cycling.

One of the tangible benefits of being a USA Cycling member has been United Airline's voucher exempting members from paying extra to fly with their bikes - saving US$80 in baggage charges each way. However, that benefit will not be renewed as United ends its sponsorships of individual sports.

"United decided to discontinue all of their sponsorships of national governing bodies, so it's across the board, not just with USA Cycling," USA Cycling's Andy Lee told Cyclingnews. "They will still be associated [with the] US Olympic Committee - they were a partner with us for sixteen years which was pretty amazing."

 

The loss of the voucher programme will undoubtedly affect those members who normally count on the savings, but Lee says USAC is looking at similar sponsorships for the future; "That is our goal right now. We know there are members who would pay a little more to fly on United in order to save money on their bike. We are starting to research some other companies that can step in and fulfill that role. The United deal and voucher deal was very valuable to our members, but that was only beneficial to members who travelled and lived in markets served by United. Now we can go out and try to find a sponsorships that could benefit a larger number."

 

United Airlines did not return requests for comment.