Date and route announced

The Los Angeles Marathon folks announced a brand new course for next years marathon and bicycle ride. The new route starts in Universal City and ends downtown at the Central Library. This sounds very exciting as it will be a whole new view of the city. The date is March 4, 2007--save the date all you bicyclists who read this blog!

dang... first floyd's scandal, then mel gibson gets busted for "drink-driving." i have no untarnished heroes left...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5226204.stm

perhaps a sensitive, tactless time to talk about cycling...

"Words, Not War, With Iran"

Tagging on to Rob's closing comments in the "dude" blog entry, I want to offer this article for any interested people to read. It is found in the August 2006 issue of Sojourners magazine. Go to www.sojo.net and click and hold on "Magazine" along the top button bar. On the drop down menu, click on "Current Issue." The second article listed, with the same title as the title of this blog entry is a call to action that is being signed by various people, but it is available to read (once you sign up to read it -- free). This was written by a team of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders expressing their deep concern about nuclear weapons in Iran, the Middle East, and the world. They are opposing use of military force to accomplish the goal. I am encouraged by this and challenged to continue thoughtful consideration of this complex issue of our world structure. The cover story of this issue is from a quote from Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, while on a panel in England to discuss the best response to terrorism. The quote is "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Jim Wallis, Editor-in-Chief for Sojourners, calls the U.S. propensity to solve problems with a fight "the hammer habit." I had to smile at that. Feels like that sometimes to me.

dude, i signed up fer collidge!!! i are speshal.

i registered for some classes.
my schedule is something like:

monday:
journalism 120 (mr. francis at rio hondo)
tuesday/thursday:
amst-300 or intro to american pop culture
afro-320 or black political thought
comm-233 or mass communications in modern society
wednesday:
journalism-120 at rio hondo again
comm-300 or visual communication

i'm a little discouraged that i was only able to gain entrance to two classes from my major at csu FULLerton, and that i have to take journalism 120 at rio hondo, but it is a major prerequisite that will open doors to other classes that i was unable to sign up for this semester.

i watched a really good documentary called "why we fight," which centers around eisenhower's ominous farewell address to the american people about what he coined as the military industrial complex. i'm really wondering why we are killing people in iraq. actually, i'm more disturbed by the american public's support of a pro-life president so willing to discard so many civilian lives for such a worldly cause. it is not the true will of god, of that i am certain.

Floyd's Neighbor Writes

Tomorrow's Whittier Daily News will carry this article by Floyd Landis' neighbor in Murietta.

I enjoyed reading it. Thought you might too.

Hurricane Daniel

East Pacific Storm Advisory...Hurricane Daniel...130MPH winds. Location: 14.9N 135.7W. Moving WNW. The tip of Baja California (Los Cabos) is about 23N. The Hurricane is moving away from that area of Mexico and gaining strength. It is headed off toward Hawaii. I just wanted to bring this to your attention, since it is a storm named for my nephew.

Landis Lives

After the penultimate day of the Tour de France 2006 the sign remains true.

Sister's-in-law smile for the camera:

What exactly is BBQ spaghetti?

An evening at Grandma Pete's [1]

Beth figures out a way to keep cool in the sprinklers:

What does a moustache do to a man?

You decide:

Missed Steve & Kyle...

Well, it was a fabulous feast of BBQ Spaghetti, a Mom Pete specialty. We sat in 90 degrees in the living room sharing a grand summer meal. The air conditioning was set LOW, but the equipment couldn't accommodate the challenge today. We missed you, Steve & Kyle. It was great to have Beth with us glowing and drying off from a cool down encounter with the backyard sprinkler. We also enjoyed home grown zucchini and tomato.

Addiction

If one has to share an addiction I am glad it is the Tour. Thanks Glen for the am call to share in Landis' winning effort. I will be watch every moment tomorrow with fingers crossed that nothing unexpected happens. This years tour has had so many surprises and twists that I am not counting anything as a done deal until that final line is crossed. I have enjoyed every day and it was well worth those early mornings. Beth was great to set up the video tape if I over slept, but they were not needed this year. Floyd Landis does "Live".

Favorite Tour Commercials

Each year I enjoy some of the commercials as much as the Tour de France. This year my favorites include "Messing with Sasquatch (shaving cream/whip cream in the hand...tickle the nose), Tour Mania (Bob Roll acting crazy), and the blue jeans commercial (fleeing suspect tries to change pants to lose cops with a different outfit). Any favorites for you other viewers? Anyone else find the Pennzoil add tiring?

What do you know about Floyd?

The chief export of Floyd Landis is pain.

There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Floyd Landis allows to live.

When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Floyd Landis.

There is no such thing as global warming. Floyd Landis was cold, so he turned the sun up.

Tummy Tumbling

OK...the Tour de France is screaming to an end and I am a ball of excited nerves. My stomach is flipping, an emotion...not an actual physiological trauma. I am waiting to exhale. Who will ride off with the yellow victory? I am hopeful for California's very own Floyd Landis to reach his dream, but anything and everything can happen. It has been fun to watch and I've gotten caught up on a pile of photos going into albums during the hours of viewing. I have enjoyed the broadcasters commentary, the month void of network news, sharing the grime and the glory with Daniel watching with us, and the constant change of the leaders. I will not miss the early morning viewing and the late night extended coverage.

Tours

What a day for the Tour de France. Not matter what happens over the next three days I will never forget Landis' ride today. An amazing effort against a very talented and motivated field. What a tour this year.
Also the Tour of California listed the basic routes for 2007. I am going to volunteer for several of the stages. Next year there will be a stage ending in Sacramento. No Landis due to surgery, but lots of others to watch.
What a day.

Summer activities not far from home

With our friends Lalo and Bly and two of their 3 boys, David and Joe, we dressed up, went LA/Hollywood to an event that honored Bly's parents and a couple score other folks for their contribution to the community and the political process. It was fun to do something unusual with friends.

Did someone say BBQ spaghetti?

We're all over it!

Images from Saturday's Race

Daniel, these are Flicker if you want to grab some other sizes.

is anyone else a bit unnerved by the exchange of violence between israel and the lebanese controlling party hezbollah?

Summer Movies Review

I haven't gone to many movies for a while due to the prices of tickets. We inherited a larger TV from friends and Glen's sound hook-up combine for a great way to watch movies on DVD, so I've been content. I have, however, recently enjoyed several summer flicks.

The Devil Wears Prada: Lightweight entertainment...a fun movie. Plot is predictable. Meryl Streep is superb in her chilling lead role. Enjoyed the insight into the fashion world and how it dictates lives according to what's on the outside. I enjoyed the movie.

Superman: Another fun fantasy flick. Cartoony, of course, but that worked for me. Lex Luther, bad guy played by Kevin Spacey, was cool and creepy. The special effects were extreme but typical "Wow! Superman," which is necessary for the genre. Superman did a good job (the actor), and carries on the tradition Christopher Reeve did so well back in the day. Too many close-ups for me. Sometimes I got lost in the action because the camera shots were so tight...in too close. Nevertheless, a fun movie.

Pirates of the Caribbean #2...planning to see that on Thursday night. Really looking forward to it. Saw #1 again over the weekend to prepare for the sequel. Enjoyed it just as much as the other times I've seen it.

Anyone else going to the theater these days? It is air conditioned there. How nice!

Fourth of July

Mama Jane sent Brianna a special Fourth of July card and ring. Brianna thought the ring was very nice and will wear it to pre-school today. Brianna says "thank you."

A Race at La Mirada Regional

Race results are yet to be posted, see Daniel's comments at DW's Blog.



I need to practice using my little camera. Among the images I captured there is this one of Daniel, one of my thumb, and one of Daniel's rear wheel. It's a nice rear wheel too.

am wake up

5:30 is early for me, but two days down and nineteen left. Glad there are rest days. Lots of excitement already. Drugs, sprints, spectators, and forgotten start times. I am ready to retire to France.