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

caveat emptor.  this advice is handed out, from person to person, from incident to incident.  it's treated like wisdom.  you all know the difference between intellingence and wisdom don't you?  you can tell a child repeatedly not to touch a hot stove, but they often need to learn for themselves what the danger behind "hot stove" is.  intelligence is easily understood as facts but without experience to provide context for them.  wisdom is it's complement; it provides the framework within which you can use facts to do useful things.

what do all of these things have in common?  i've been giving some thought to the recent dust up over the pawnshop in dc that was serving as a front for stolen bicycles.  one issue that this incident clearly illustrates is that the way we buy and sell things using the internet is still in flux.  we look at ebay or craigslist or some other online bazaar and scope out the wheelsets, frames and components that we would like.  the price is considerably lower than that at your local bike shop so what's not to like?  here, my friends, lies the crux of the issue regarding intelligence and wisdom.

getting burned on a transaction is difficult to understand.  you saw the bike.  you payed your money.  you followed the rules.  the facts are on your side.  but then something went wrong.  in some cases it goes horribly wrong.  the wisdom that comes from this is in learning to appreciate the numerous additional kinds of risk that are out there.  the details vary but the motif is stunningly common.  i'm not going to prattle on about this, because we've all had friends who had these types of things go wrong.

instead, i'm going to introduce a new feature which i call: kevin's sketchy internet bike postings.  these are named for kevin, not because he's unreliable, but because he sends me more sketchy bike postings than anyone else by a long shot.  first up is this nice offering:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/bik/301842440.html

check in man.  new bike plus five hundy in accessories for $650 because the dude is lazy and/or changed his/her mind.  as kevin said, wtf??!!  might be a gem of a value.  might also be a hopelessly surreal encounter.  i know you're curious, but should you follow up?  can you afford not to?  it probably won't work out, but what if it did?

i need to be clear about one thing.  i'm not implying these bikes are stolen or the postings are fraudulent.  i'm merely amused at how ridiculous they are.  around my house, we joke about something making your "spidey sense" tingle.  look at the postings we put under this category and if you have the slightest instinct to hit that "buy it now" button, go back and re-read the section about intelligence and wisdom.

- - - posted by scott

My right-wing nutjob officemate loaned me a book a few weeks ago.  Written in the mid-1980s, the tome is intended to be a “how-to” guide in case the Soviets invade the United States and take over.  It suggests that “we can by no means guarantee that readers of this book will be among the survivors, but at least, we offer some tips that might mean that their chances will be considerably improved.”  Sort of a “practical” Red Dawn, I suppose.

My officemate seems to take this stuff very seriously.  He's very conservative.  He's worked for numerous right-wing causes, and seems to regard almost any mainstream Republican as too liberal.  When Virginia passed its anti-gay amendment in the last election, he was so excited that ... well, he was excited.  It worries me that he seems to have a fondness for Mike R-P when he stops by the office.  Anyhow, the fact that my officemate and I get along at any level is something like a miracle, as I am just the opposite of him.  Perhaps it's because I have a certain fascination with right-wing paranoia.  Thus, when he offered to loan me his book, I was indeed excited to read the thing, though it occurs that maybe he thought it would somehow convert me to his point of view.

It did not.

I finally got around to reading the book this weekend, and was a little disappointed that the book wasn’t more rich with material then it was.  There are, nonetheless, some juicy tidbits, which I've shared below.  Written by Robert Conquest (which sounds like a porn name), and Jon Manchip White (I’m not even going there!), the book is entitled “What to do when the Russians Come:  A Survivors Guide.”

After “a flurry of ‘by-elections’ to fill the seats that have been vacated by men who have been executed, who have fled the country, or who have resigned in despair,” the book suggests, “Congress and state and local bodies will be largely transformed into organs that offer no effective resistance to the consolidation of the new order.” 

Interesting, I thought – and that is different from today in what way …. ?

Executions and forced labor, it seems, would figure large under the new order:  I suppose THAT'S different:

“In a ‘difficult’ country like America, where the traditions of liberty has been strong, the probability is that, apart from executions, about 25 percent of the adult population will ultimately be sent to forced-labor camps or exiled under compulsory settlement in distant desert or artic regions …”

The good news is that those of us who work for the government are apparently safe, for the book suggests that “like all inefficient social systems, the Soviet Union is a bureaucrats’ paradise.  There will be no lack of reports to compile and forms to fill in, with a corresponding need for hordes of clerks.”  The new order might also be good for minorities: “The Russians will turn their attention to the blacks, as to the other minorities, as a major article of policy … The American Communists at one time envisaged a black Soviet republic in the old “Black Belt” in the South; but this was abandoned long ago in favor of an integrationist attitude, and it now seems unlikely, although perhaps not quite impossible, that it will be revived.  More probably areas with a high proportion of black population will have black mayors, and the first secretary of the local Communist party will also be black.”

Black mayors?!  How shocking!!  I’m also told by the book that women will have to work instead of being housewives.  My gawd, when will the horror stop!?

I’m thinking Racing Union might want to step up its training because athletes will apparently fare well in the new order:  “… the dangers of the profession are comparatively small, and you will have the satisfaction of being able to give your fellow citizens harmless pleasure at a time when there will be little of that around.”

Oddly, and in contradiction to the whole business of being in shape to survive the work camps (“If you at present perform a desk job or follow some other sedentary occupation, it is vital that you make yourself fit and ready for hard manual labor.”), the book suggests that smoking is a good option.  “We do not urge you to take up smoking again,” the book says, “but if you do, the risks will be negligible compared with the others facing you.  If you do give in to it, you may find the sense of revivification worth it, since unlike other drugs, even alcohol, it will not blunt the edge of your vigilance.”

There’s some good news in the book.:  “Baptist will be peculiarly ill regarded by the Communist authorities…,” as will John Birch Society members (!), and KKK members (yes, that’s really in the book).  On the other hand, there’s this useful warning against member of the “New Left,” who are all, apparently, gay, on drugs, and wear beards:

“You should … make some attempt to come to terms with reality.  For example, the Communist party line will not embrace pot smoking, homosexuality, hardly even beards.  Therefore, if you are an adherent of the New Left, you should consider (1) getting rid of your drugs, (2) concealing your deviant proclivities, and (3) shaving off your whiskers.”

The book concludes with the advice “Burn this book.”  I think I agree.

--posted by Chris

song of the volga by vasily kandinksky

good luck to everyone going down to jeff cup this weekend.  that's a great way to kick of the season.  oh, and remember to drive slowly, the first responders from those pastoral communities and municipalities along 29 are very eager to write you tickets if you are recklessly endangering their populations with your big city driving habits.

I was riding at hains with the wrob today.  he spanked me.  i was riding at my limit and he kept pulling through in strong fashion.  the upwind side was tough, but the downwind side was worse.  he was doing like 350 watts, with a tailwind, so there's nowhere for me to hide and no real advantage to drafting.  brutal, and my legs are shattered.  i had hoped to play some bike polo tonight but I'm going to have to feel significantly better than i do now.

to clarify something from robb's blog post, which references this entry, i should have been clearer.  robb is not the person who i was referring to as jackass #1.  I thought that was clear, but apparently it was not.  in fact, i don't know the guy's name, which is why i called him jackass #1.  robb probably knows who it is, but i don't really care enough to ask.  robb is right: it couldn't be him because he can't come around nima.  and it can't have been me: i can't come around nima either.  so it's someone else.  maybe robb will remeber who it was so i can actually call him out by his proper name.

the only place where i did call out robb was in telling him to update his blog more often.  robb is one of those guys who can dish it out, and take it.  that's increasingly rare in our area.  so it's nice to see him regaining some blogging form.  here's hoping he keeps at it, and does more blogging than riding, so the next time i see him i can kick his ass on the bike.

now that i think about it a bit more, i am wondering if rob had a significant advantage.  he was using an ipod and mentioned that he had the bad brains going.  after he mentioned that, i started trying to sing and hum all the tunes i could think of from i against i but ended up sort of endlessly looping and mixing parts of "at the movies", "sailin on" and "banned in dc" through my limited, lactate-addled cognition.  i seemed to really pick up the pace a bit and be able to push another cog at a slightly higher cadence.  i'm estimating that bad brains is good for an increase in terms of watts per kilogram for me on today's ride of 0.44 which is damned impressive.  my actual weight and wattage numbers are proprietary under union guidelines so i've already probably said too much.  so now i'm torn.  i loathe the joggers and cyclists i encounter on my commute who are not paying much attention owing to their ipods, but these things seem to have the possibility of a clear ergogenic effect.  we'll discuss this in more detail at the next supreme revolutionary council meeting for planning future cycling policy.

-sg

Last night, I was heading home on my bike and had an interesting encounter.  Past the hill near Cardozo High on 13 ^th, this little old lady is trying to cross the road at a crosswalk.  Not surprisingly, nobody is stopping for her, despite the obvious fact that she 's frail – and, frankly, looks like a very nice grandmotherly type .  For most pedestrians, it's usually pretty easy to be assertive here, as traffic is generally crawling at rush hour – with one fat person per SUV, this isn't a surprise !  As it happens, however, traffic was NOT crawling so much last night, at least not at that location, which caused a bit more of a challenge for this particular pedestrian.  As I rolled up and saw this happening, it occurred to me that this situation needed an intervention.  So, I took my place in the middle of the lane and stopped at the crosswalk, forcing the car behind me to stop, and flagged the nice grandmother type across.

When the horns predictably blared, I pointed out my reason for stopping, and was mildly surprised that this didn 't cause the horns to stop blaring.  When I then realized that the cars in the other lane appeared to have no inten tion of stopping either, I got off my bike and walked with the nice lady across the street, betwee n her and the traffic.  At this point, I' m no longer mildly surprised but greatly irritated at the lack of civility displayed by the 4-wheelers.   The grandmother type seemed genuinely grateful, called me a "nice young man " (the "young" part stuck out as the real compliment!), and off I went.

Here' s the truly happy ending:  Two blocks up, that first car that was blaring at me was pulled over by a police officer , who was writing a ticket.  No idea what the violation was, but it helped restore by my hope-against-hope that there 's something to the mystical ways of karm ic intervention.  Sometimes, what goes around really does come around!

-- posted by Chris

colorado springs has posted the job description for the person who will replace judy miller.  there are some true gems in there.  among my favories are following:

• Logo Branding: Ensure that USA Cycling logo and link is present on all promoter & local association websites.

yes.  look for those phone calls soon.  however, if i may make a suggestion, try to schedule the calls for right around the time the team president is paying the $150 team registration fee and all their riders are paying at least $60 for their license fees.  This is the time when all cyclists are wondering what more we can possibly do to help usacycling.  it would make excellent strategic sense to hit up that clubs at that time for some necessary, but free, advertising.  compliance is virtually assured.

• Affinity Programs & USAC Benefits: Ensure that affinity partners and USAC benefits are marketed and visible on local association websites, at events, promoter meetings, etc..

ditto.  people, the word here is synergy.  this is not a new concept and it's disciples have been prolific in telling of its benefits.  when we do good things for the usac, well, it's just bound to be the case that something, though not clearly defined or enumerated, or detectable by any sort of normal auditing processes, will occur.  and that thing might be beneficial.  though it's possible that it might not, it simply flies in the face of our firm belief in mutual economic advantage.  we're all in this together people.  when the phone rings, pick it up and ask what you can do to help.

my favorite piece in this job description is near the end: Fun Rides (Non-Competitive)

• Research all fun (non-competitive) rides within assigned region that are not currently sanctioned by USA Cycling
• Market new non-competitive fun ride insurance rates to these fun ride promoters
• Increase number of fun rides sanctioned within region

oh yes.  i don't even know where to begin.  will we have take the sign in at hains point?  and with large and well respected regional cycling groups such as potomac pedalers and reston bike club getting sick and tired of the wacky hijinks of local racers hammering their rides, they have now mandated that all who participate must become members.  i don't know if usac got wind of this scheme but does anyone see this seriously gaining traction in this area?  trust me, i'm not just blowing smoke.  I tried last winter to set up a supported training ride.  we'd have coffee and juice and donut holes at the start.  we'd have a police car in front and a police car behind and we would hold a steady 20mph.  even with the food and drink and start facilities donated, the per rider cost was outrageous.  without someone making a ridiculously large and exceedingly poorly advised financial infusion, that idea will never get off the ground.  group rides are free form things.  i can't seriously imagine taking a job where i was expected to meet this goal.  can anyone think of a group ride that would be a suitable candidate?

-sg

we all have very different ways of dealing with problems and conflict.  as i commuted in to work today with mark kerlin, having just missed seeing big b, we discussed this a bit.  being polite versus being confrontational.  when you have to take a stand.  etc.  and so i wasn't surprised when i got the following anecdote in my inbox from one of our union brothers.  check it out:

So I went on a ride last night, 20 miles all near BWI.  I know its 20 because it’s all street riding and I drove it over the weekend.  As I was driving it, I noticed a lot of buildings that I didn’t notice the first time I rode it and thought, well I have to be on the lookout for the damn rocks that have been plaguing me and my tires in Ellicott City proper.  I’m basically thinking this as I’m riding, and as that thought pops in my head, I slam into a rock, and that was that.  I’ve even gotten a bit better at jumping the potholes, but this one, I couldn’t swerve and, well, that was that.  I think it’s time for that tire upgrade we spoke of a while back.  The good news is I think it only took me 8 minutes or so to do a complete change.  I was kind of proud of that, and I was able to finish up.  So I’m in Elkridge (just north of Ellicott City) now and the sun is below the tree line so it’s getting dark, not dusk yet but darker and I’m on a very narrow 2 lane road.  The thing is, there are cars parked on either side, so it’s basically a 1 lane road.  I notice a car behind me, so I pull onto the curb which is a ramp style so it’s no problem.  The car speeds up to pass me but as he’s doing this another car is coming towards us.  The car behind didn’t slow though and barely missed the on-coming car.  The on-coming car had his window down; he obviously wanted to say something to the car but he was way to fast and gone by now, so he unloads on me.  Amidst the profanity, I did happen to hear, ‘get a mountain bike.’  I had no comeback.

there are several things in this that need to be addressed.  when a driver utters the phrase "get a mountain bike" to a road cyclist who has pulled over to let traffic by, is this motorist on cyclist aggression or cyclist on cyclist aggression?  the cyclist in this story is clearly not guilty, under a leninist interpretation of racing union thought, of avoiding the necessary struggle between those on two wheels and those on four wheels, while simultaneously clearly being very guilty, under a maoist interpretation of racing union thought, of avoiding necessary confrontation in the first place.  so what do we do with him?  commendation or work camp?  maybe both?

and is telling a cyclist to get a different kind of bike a violation of racing union thought if the sentiment does not appear to be tied to the value of the bike?  there does seem to something pejorative in the way the story is related, but we cannot rule out the possibility that the motorist was kindly suggesting that this humble union ground officer add another two wheeled treasure to his inventory.  though if the motorist was a sneaky capitalist from a local bike shop encouraging unnecessary consumerism, well, that's a whole different ball of wax and we're right back to maoist ass-kicking mode.

please post your answers, in terms of racing union thought and with liberal allusions to the text of the manifesto, in the comments.  if you find it difficult to stay awake when discussing the nuances of leninist-unionist thought versus maoist-unionist thought, you can also just tell us funny stories about your interactions with cars and other cyclists.

-sg

read this and weep.  or laugh.  or wrinkle up your nose.  or sort of shuffle your feet and look confused.  when the "establishment" attempts to appropriate language it has no business mouthing, it always leads to situations somewhere between farce and tragedy.  how can you describe the surreal nature of seeing a patrician politician (in the last 50 years have we had a single congressperson who lived below the poverty line while running for office and won?) stand up and recite the rallying cries of peoples and movements that were crushed by earlier generations of patrician politicians?

      "it's so chic to be a revolutionary now..."

when local mabra apparachiks try to rally votes or support by talking about doing it for the people, i generally gte the vapors, suffering from symptoms similar to vertigo.  let me clarify for you, one final time, what exactly is going on here.  the racing union leads the vanguard of the glorious revolution in cycling and the social order.  our cause is irresistable, our righteous anger irrefutable, our position on the centrality of cycling indisputable. 

all who act to impede us in our goals will be, by necessity, assimilated.  but assimilated by citizens and cyclists who work together, collectively, to improve and elevate our culture and our cycling.  those who fight us will be crushed, by the overwhelming strength of vision that our movement derives it's energy from.  oh yeah, and the elite shock force we now deploy: radeln sie grundsätzedurchsetzungstruppen.  who will deploy pamphlets and discuss with you the finer points of properly engineering trasportation options to accomodate cyclists.

support the wheels of your brothers and sisters. 
support the work of your brothers and sisters. 
support the cause of your brothers and sisters. 
mabra sera libre, ahora mismo, venceremos! 

racing union.  rally to the banner!

-sg

comardes brian, r-p and i represented the union at the umd crit in the cat 4 race. While the union figured prominently in the start-line photo shoot, our overall race performance was less than awe-inspiring. in true racing union style we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. however, this was a great opportunity for the revolution to model its stylin' new kit to wild acclaim.

Hasta La Victoria Siempre!

posted by joe

 i know my description will not do this justice, but i was riding back home from hains point on wednesday night, just after sunset when i saw the strangest sight. there was a nebulous stream of parti-colored lights flowing down constitution avenue past the capital. the stream gradually resolved into about 50 riders on mountain bikes festooned with red and blue police lights. it would appear that the district's latest crop of bicycle cop trainees was out for an evening spin. as a former marine, i particularly appreciated the drill-instructor-like police cadre riding along the outskirts of this herd, yelling encouraging phrases like "keep it tight" and "ride straight". but this is not a stab at the district's finest; after all, how many of us are out training after sunset? mad props to dc metro for training to win.

i will be stepping down, in the near future, from my position as a permit coordinator with mabra.  there is a need for someone to fill that position.  if you are interested in an opportunity to work with the mabra board, cycling promoters and officials to help put on races in this area, drop me a line.  the work is mostly all administrative.  the time committment is not large, but it is a committment and there are some deadlines which must be met,mostly with regards to mailings.  the largest tasks involve coordination via email between usacycling, promoters and officials, and mailings to officials, promoters and colorado springs.  good record keeping is essential, but there is some latitude in how you choose to do it.  the work is split between two people so the task is not really so substantial. 

my hope is to identify someone by late spring and start training them through the summer so they can get a feel for how the tasks are accomplished.  i would be happy to buy coffee and pastries and chat with someone who's seriously interested.  we can discuss what's involved and i can show you the basic materials and describe the rough schedule and workflow. 

- - - posted by scott

begin transmission

after capitalist and imperialist screeds against the glorious revolution in cycling and the social order, the thing that fills the union mailbox most often is queries are to where brother rottier is.  rottier is an enigma, the x factor.  his whereabouts at any given time generally cannot be known. 

knowing this, you can imagine that there was little surprise when we received the following via electronic transmission.  it was decoded deep within the nerve center of the union's secretariat for communications.  having been studied and cataloged, and analyzed for message content, i have chosen to release this update to the general cycling public. 

pullingabikeStPete.wmv (1.14 MB)

comrade rottier appears well.  union operations in that sector are ongoing and will continue.  no more details can be made public at this time.

end transmission

from robb hampton:

can you talk more shit on your blog? i'm tired of doing it all.

we got a nice note from james with regards to a recent blog post:

this blog is too hard. why don't you just write about t&a? throw in the occasional car/bicycle chase or shootout.

message received babe, loud and clear.  pete actually forewarded the link.  here it is.  i believe that everything you asked for is in there.  union 1, washington post "journalists" 0.  and you'd think that this would be enough humiliation for the post wouldn't you?  not by a long shot.  buried in the style section earlier this week was a small note to comics readers:

To make room for these changes, we will say goodbye to three strips, "Mary Worth," "Cathy" and "Broom Hilda,"

what do all these strips have in common?  strong assertive women lead characters.  one of the few places where the glass ceiling doens't constrain.  and the post chooses to do this during women's history month?  have these people no shame?  is there no sense of justice or proportion?  the union supports our sisters who struggle and strive.  union 2, washington post "journalists" 0. 

if you want to quibble about the score, bring it in the comments. 

- sg

keeping up with the math related talk, here are two posts which offer a contrast in expectations.

the way we teach mathematics here in the states:

http://kitchentablemath.blogspot.com/2007/03/first-grade-probability.html

the way math is taught in much of the rest of the world

http://kitchentablemath.blogspot.com/2007/03/despair.html

i also used the propotional method of solving, and came up with the same answer as the author.  i tried simultanetous equations and that didn't work either.  i did eventually stumble on the right approach.  for me, this example encapsulates a lot of problems our society faces.  some of you may feel that this is not cycling related. 

my take on it is that the problems we face as cyclists are a symptom of a much greater and more general problem: that our society is colossally stupid about a number of things.  while our imperialist exploitative overlords corporate executives sip starbucks and encourage their serfs employees to think outside the box, or whatever brainless motivational mantra of the moment they espouse, they never stop to ponder why they sit in traffic for 70 minutes each way each day.  they complain about their employees taking so many sick days but never stop to ponder whether the problem might be exacerbated by the lack of time to exercise and the commuting side-effects of pollution and stress. 

there has been a massive switch in outlook from objectivity to subjectivity.  you can see it everywhere.  journalists now strive to provide "balance" to a story, giving equal credence and hearing to both sides, even if one side is factual and the other non-factual or illusory.  to come right out and say that such and such is demonstrably true is inappropriate if there are people who feel strongly that the opposite is true.  things like logical inference, rhetoric, and debating are completely absent from the education that most people receive.  after the 1960's, many school districts replaced civics with a new curriculum called american government.  there are few examples i can think of that so clearly show the lowering of exectations, and regression from striving for excellence to the lowest common denominator.  should racing union thought seek to write off the current crop of adults and focus on the young pioneers?  my thinking is yes and i will provide a formal thesis along these lines at the upcoming party congress.  the union must seek to foster change by sowing seeds in fertile ground.

- - - posted by scott

back in mid-february, i openly speculated on how much longer garry kasparov, a true hero of the union, would be with us.  i have been forced by circumstances to revise the book.  at the time i wrote:

"just happening to fall out of a eighth story window.  could happen to anyone.  9:2"

apparently, it's even more comon than i thought.  check it out.  new odds are 5:4 and i'm putting you people on notice that if any other high level party members, athletes, dissidents or bureaucrats are defenestrated in the next two weeks, i'm moving this particular bet to even money or "off".

-sg

we are here today to honor those who have done valiant work towards the goals of the glorious cause that is the revolution in cycling and the social order.  we have a few shout-outs to issue this week.  all were unexpected and all are very welcome.  both contain the same basic motif: the union message of supporting and showing stewardship for our fellow cyclists....and.....mercilessly crushing any who would inhibit us from realizing our goals.

commendation #1: the medal of outstanding valour is hereby issued to kevin stapleton and pete lindeman by the supreme revolutionary council for propogation of message.  both of these citizens independently were pursuing ways to bring attention to a rather sordid form of crime.  their nearly simultaneous calls to action have resulted in people being reunited with their hard earned and beloved bikes and some sunlight being shone into some fairly unpleasant corners of commerce.  yes, the marketplace can solve all your problems.

and that's not all.  pete and kevin will receive additional rations of cabbage, cloth and lamp oil (and the hotties that go with that kind of largess) as a result of these commendations.  cha ching.  cha ching.  in stark contrast, the punishment for the perpetrators will likely fit the crime.  though dante does not specifically detail which circle of hell is reserved of bike theives, the union has branded them traitors to the glorious revolution.  so circle nine it likely is.  good luck with that fellas.

commendation #2: the order of the 11 tooth cog is hereby bestowed, by the bolshevik vanguard of the union, on the national capital velo club.  this is not their first award, and their good works are known to all who struggle on two wheels.  however, this specific commendation is presented for outstanding progress in actualizing racing union thought.  the principles of the union are well understood but many clubs have not made progress in putting them into action.  here, ncvc leads the way.

the context for this is not widely understood.  mabra pursued sponsorship for a series of races within it's boundries.  promoters were allowed to petition to be part of this series.  if they were accepted, the money was made available to them.  rather than increase prize lists to make the race an even more mercantile exercise, ncvc has opted to lower race entry costs, hence lowering the barrier to race for all cyclists and citizens.  this populist approach pleases the vanguard of the racing union and we offer our very best wishes to this club on what we would characterize as a good start towards returning bike racing to the people.  huzzah!

- - - posted by scott

p.s. eric marshall will have every right to complain and be justifiably bitter that his excellent, and exceedingly popular, and populist, quicksilver winter solstice series race has been left out in the cold.  but i'm out of medals.  the blame for that shoudl fall squarely on those fictitous mining production quotas the vile and repugnant capitalist and imperialist interference in our pastoral and decentralized communal and collectivist economic processes.

VOLGA AND MIKULA. Illustration to the Kievan bylinas. 1913