New Wheels and 5 Broken Cameras
It's rainy, windy and cool outside. A perfect day to put my feet up and sit by the fireplace in the sunporch and do very little. I'm taking care of Elaine while Tammy is out running errands. There's so much activity at our bird feeder forcing some go-arounds as there's no place to land. Elaine enjoys watching them.
I walked a little more than 11 miles yesterday beginning with a 1.5-mile walk with the pups. I can't think of any other activity I do that is more relaxing. I've got nearly 60 Frontline episodes stored on my Nano which will oftentimes accompany me when I'm out there but sometimes I'll opt for quieting my mind instead and try and think of nothing at all, which is actually much harder than you might imagine. It takes practice.
I've got my Shaman in the shop at Freewheel Bikes in Minneapolis having some work done so it's ready for cold weather riding. There's an upgrade kit for the RockShox front suspension that allows them to continue to function when it gets too cold for normal use. I'm also ditching my carbon-fiber rims because of concerns I have over them failing when I need them the most in sub-zero weather.
Jason at Freewheel was talking to me about failed carbon-fiber rims and the reason they fail so frequently. He said has to do with the uneven nature of force placed on them during use. I dunno. I wouldn't think that would matter but he's seen enough of them and showed me one that was bad. So, when I get my bike back it'll be sporting new aluminum rims built up tubeless with 45NRTH 4" Dillingers. Because the new wheels will be lacking the weight of a heavy innertube I think the new wheels may actually be lighter than what I'm using now.
Still with me?
I had a Facebook friend unfriend me last night (he actually went so far as to block me) over a conversation we had about the Israeli / Palestinian conflict. I've seen him unfriend others over this topic so it wasn't unexpected. Up until now, I've mostly not discussed this with him but his repeated posts on the subject and insults toward anyone who disagrees finally had their desired effect I suppose and so I responded.
Eugene is Jewish and insists that all of the unrest between the two peoples is the fault of Palestinians. I asked him a few times to put himself in the shoes of an oppressed Palestinian youth who had little hope for any kind of a bright future and if he would possibly be hurling rocks at his oppressor along with other Palestinian youth? I repeated my question a few times but he would never give me an answer. I told him that if I was that boy or an adult and I was facing the kind of oppression they are, I would want to see my oppressor defeated. And so would he.
I do not support Hamas or any terrorism whatsoever but I have to wonder: if I'm a Palestinian, who are the real terrorists? I'm sorry if that sounds offensive but watch the video below and see if you don't agree. It's filmed by a man who has lived his life trying to make changes in a non-violent way. This is a rare glimpse into what life is like for innocent Palestinian people just trying to eke out an existence. What they're facing is so wrong.
5 Broken Cameras
I walked a little more than 11 miles yesterday beginning with a 1.5-mile walk with the pups. I can't think of any other activity I do that is more relaxing. I've got nearly 60 Frontline episodes stored on my Nano which will oftentimes accompany me when I'm out there but sometimes I'll opt for quieting my mind instead and try and think of nothing at all, which is actually much harder than you might imagine. It takes practice.I've got my Shaman in the shop at Freewheel Bikes in Minneapolis having some work done so it's ready for cold weather riding. There's an upgrade kit for the RockShox front suspension that allows them to continue to function when it gets too cold for normal use. I'm also ditching my carbon-fiber rims because of concerns I have over them failing when I need them the most in sub-zero weather.
Jason at Freewheel was talking to me about failed carbon-fiber rims and the reason they fail so frequently. He said has to do with the uneven nature of force placed on them during use. I dunno. I wouldn't think that would matter but he's seen enough of them and showed me one that was bad. So, when I get my bike back it'll be sporting new aluminum rims built up tubeless with 45NRTH 4" Dillingers. Because the new wheels will be lacking the weight of a heavy innertube I think the new wheels may actually be lighter than what I'm using now.
Still with me?
I had a Facebook friend unfriend me last night (he actually went so far as to block me) over a conversation we had about the Israeli / Palestinian conflict. I've seen him unfriend others over this topic so it wasn't unexpected. Up until now, I've mostly not discussed this with him but his repeated posts on the subject and insults toward anyone who disagrees finally had their desired effect I suppose and so I responded.
Eugene is Jewish and insists that all of the unrest between the two peoples is the fault of Palestinians. I asked him a few times to put himself in the shoes of an oppressed Palestinian youth who had little hope for any kind of a bright future and if he would possibly be hurling rocks at his oppressor along with other Palestinian youth? I repeated my question a few times but he would never give me an answer. I told him that if I was that boy or an adult and I was facing the kind of oppression they are, I would want to see my oppressor defeated. And so would he.
I do not support Hamas or any terrorism whatsoever but I have to wonder: if I'm a Palestinian, who are the real terrorists? I'm sorry if that sounds offensive but watch the video below and see if you don't agree. It's filmed by a man who has lived his life trying to make changes in a non-violent way. This is a rare glimpse into what life is like for innocent Palestinian people just trying to eke out an existence. What they're facing is so wrong.
5 Broken Cameras
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