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Note: This post was originally uploaded in 2016. However, all comments remain just as valid for the 2018 TCR Advanced SL 0 rim brake version (the frame is unchanged, the Dura Ace group set has been upgraded by Shimano since, but the TCR has essentially remained unchanged since). Of course, the Giant Propel has been radically upgraded since this review and the then top of the line Giant TCX Advanced 0 bike has been downgraded in terms of specification via Giant's latest iterations of that brilliant design.
I appreciate Giant's conundrum over how to market its new 2016 TCR Advanced SL (and all the other bikes descending down that range). It's a busy market out there with lots of similarly focused and at least equally race pedigreed offerings pitched at serious to enthusiastic road cyclists. They could do what others do and simply pitch a perfect correlation between podium wins and the winning character of the bike. But we canny roadies know that much of that pedigree is related to how furiously each maker sponsors pro-teams to ride their bikes. If you provide bikes to a bunch of teams (like Specialized does), you're bound to come up with a winner now and then through which to endorse your bike. Colnago and Pinarello certainly flog that line a lot to sell their bikes. A maker might also attempt to go all scientifically objective and measure the qualities of their own bikes over others. Which is what Giant is trying with its new TCR via a new 'stiffness to weight ratio' comparative test across a range of competitors bikes. Naturally, the TCR comes out on top. But that test, though no doubt fascinating, is not going to convince me to hand over my cash. Bike decision making is always more complicated than simply going for some kind of quantitative score. Actually, bike decision making is a wonderfully deep wallow in subjectivity. I'm always impressed by how many choices are made just on maker's 'reputation' (like Colnago) or even just on appearance alone (it's stunning to me how many people did NOT choose a Merida Scultura SL because of its eccentric lime green paint scheme…despite the abject brilliance of its engineering design). I am perpetually bemused by folk who proclaim Specialised over all others, despite rarely knowing what those 'others' are actually like. Bianchi 'nuts' are as crazy as they come, in this regard (anything as long as it is in Celeste…). And why, would anyone necessarily choose a Dogma F8 just because Chris Froom is paid to ride one? But they do and the waiting list is at 3 months right now.
I am wondering if there really is any kind of objectivity that can be applied to the choice of one road bike over another. Or is it all a bit more like choosing art? Or is it both art and science with a bit of religion thrown in?
I'd really like to make a big statement about this new 2016 TCR, because it is worth making a statement about. As I don't think measurement is the answer, I think I'll couch my review in terms of Zen. Which is a bit different I guess, so I will need a bit of space to explain myself.
Let's start with the conclusion. This major 2016 upgrade to the Giant TCR Advanced SL is a big event for pro-tour level road bike tech. This latest TCR is the best yet of that line and is, via the convolutions of the probably eccentric and definitely unusual reasoning outlined below, the best road bike I have ever known and possibly less arguably than you might think, the best road bike ever made.
It's very un-zen to explain Zen. As the old Zen precept goes: those who know don't say and those who say don't know. All of which neatly avoides the necessity to clearly define the central theme of this review: that the one core characteristic of road cycling that appeals most to me is it's 'zen character'. Given the 'aesthetic obscurantism' of Zen, I can give myself licence to simply say that, for me, there is something deeply compelling, and very 'Zen', about a machine that works as well as it looks. Which is the old form meets function deal that rather goes missing for so many contraptions these days. Going even deeper, the 'Zen perfection' of something like a bicycle happens when you just 'know' that a design is right simply from looking it over. This does not happen all that often! Most bikes miss that wonderfully hard to describe mark to the degree that a test ride is required to confirm any convictions to performance you might have assumed. But there are some bikes, some rare bikes, that simply speak the perfection of Zen without the need to prove or test. It's a 'yes' aesthetic. Like I said, these philosophical-aesthetic notions are hard to describe and that is the point. Of the 20 road bikes I have formally tested over the past 20 years, this hammer blow of obvious perfection has only happened to me four times: the first was for my Vitus 979 aluminium racing bike from 1985. The next was for my Wilier Zero.7. And the third was for my Giant TCR Advanced SL from 2012 (the Rabobank team edition). And the fourth was the new TCR.
One aspect of this self-evident bicycle perfection thing is that there can be no kind of engineering compromise in evidence in terms of inferior bike components or any pandering to current trends just for the sake of pandering. Putting it another way, a bike can only reach this peak when it is pretty obvious that no economist or marketer has had any kind of fiddle with the design. Ever. A GREAT bike is a pure statement of engineering perfection. The purity of that statement is a big part of the Zen aesthetic I am talking about. For instance, I reckon that any bike that comes with road disk brakes is going to scream the interference of marketers in a bike's design. So too is the offer of a top end frame dragged down by cruddy wheels, or other components stripped of performance in order to meet some predetermined lower pricing point. Which is not necessarily to imply that a GREAT bike must be expensive and out of reach. Actually, if a bike can escape the baggage of price point compromise, avoid pandering to 'marketing trends' and still come out more affordably than others on the market, that's a boost to its overall character of 'the perfection of Zen'. Which also implies that if a bike is offered at an astronomical price (like the Wilier Zero.7 at $16,500!), it really, really needs to deliver on the engineering side to meet the mark. All that Campagnolo Super Record EPS on the Wilier must be seriously, seriously good to justify that price over, say, the similar perfections of a bike like the Giant TCR at slightly less than half the Wilier's price. You can spend more than you might on the Giant TCR, but it's unlikely any more expensive bike will be 'better'. At best, the more expensive bike will be a differently nuanced statement of perfection. Which is luckily the case for bikes like the Wilier Zero.7 or, perhaps, the Colnago C60.
There's another aspect of the Zen character of a machine and living with a machine that adds to the overall picture of perfectionism I am describing here. That's the dimension of 'being in total knowing connection' with both the operation and workings of that machine, as all so wonderfully obscured by Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. That's when your deeply realised 'knowing' of how a machine operates or works meshes with and supports your 'riding experience'. When you know the workings of the machine (which is more than simply knowing the basics of bicycle mechanics, but truly understanding how the thing works as opposed to how to repair it), your capacity to experience becoming at one with the machine is enhanced. This is the dimension of the Zen perfection of bicycling that connects most with me. Have you ever seen that tee shirt design that depicts the evolution of man from ape-like to upright-walking-man to man-on-a-bike? That's what I am talking about. When we ride a momentously GREAT bicycle, we become one with that bike. We are something new and something greater than a person doomed to riding in a car or taking a train or being gassed by fumes and viruses in a 'plane.
Not all bicycles offer the prospect of a connection like this. Mountain bikes, for example, don't do it for me: too many springy bits to disconnect rider from the road. I consider the necessity to read a manual to decipher the workings of modern suspension settings a pretty big fail in terms of necessary man-machine empathy. No, mountain bikes are busy technology tools, that, though great fun to ride, don't do the Zen thing for me. Many road bikes also don't do it for me in terms of offering up a real connection to become at one with the machine. A road bike that rattles and squeaks will not do it for me. A bike with brakes that don't work too well won't do it either. And a bike with shifters that are imprecise or with buttons deployed in less than ergonomic perfection will insert a layer between the bike and my experience of the ride. For instance, the appalling shifting of the old Dura Ace 7900 mechanical gear train was a blot on the landscape of any bike that groupo afflicted. That would never, ever, do it for me. But more subtly, a bike with an unnecessarily harsh ride is going to remind you that your bike is separated from you via a layer of pain. That's not good either. And, as a climbing enthusiast, a bike that flexes during out-of-the-saddle climbs is going reduce a ride to a man-versus-machine rather than the man-and-machine-are-one result I am looking for.
As you can see, there's a lot involved for a bicycle to be declared as 'GREAT' if not to be 'the BEST'. At least according to the metric of my admittedly eccentric conditions through which that greatness is claimed. In all of this there are the hazy justifications I use to convince myself of the need for yet another bike. Otherwise, I'd just be a 'collector' and I can't see much point in collecting as a point worth the kind of investment these bikes require. After all, collecting bicycles is a vastly dodgy affair when compared to endeavours like collecting art. The depreciation that blights bikes damns bike collecting to the point of insanity. No, there has to be better reasons for collecting more and more bikes. I justify this path as being the search for that enlightenment when all the dimensions of 'Bike-Zen' mesh together in a rare but enlightened spark. After all, if we are to explain cycling as meditation on wheels, it's nice to clear that meditative path via the context of perfection that becoming at one with the bike and, therefore, at one with the experience of the ride that a great bike can support. A great ride via a great bike is the church! This is a vastly more benign religion than declaring some kind of jihad or getting obese on a pew.
I needed to work through these philosophical notions in order to justify and explain my contention that the new 2016 Giant TCR Advanced SL (the top-of-the-line version) is, quite simply, one of if not the best bikes I have ever ridden. The notion of 'best' is all explained in the philosophical notions around the nexus of 'Zen'. Which, while hard on the brain, is, I think, a more honest and compelling justification for describing something as 'best' than simply declaring it so. Or, if you like, the ever so common game of asserting something as being 'the best' needs some kind of justification if such claims are to be believed. By justifying myself via philosophical notions, I am making the point that making claims that one bike is better than others or is better than all the rest is indeed a murky, imprecise business. But, after riding my new TCR for over 1,000km in the past two weeks, I invoke all the insights of Zen through which to declare that this new bike is the one that really, really, does it for me. This new bike is IT. It is home. It is a home run. It is the best. I just KNOW it is. I don't need to measure my claim. It just is.
Lets's start with the notion of 'being connected with the bike'. We riders are more in control than we could ever be with cars or motorbikes. Sure, there are some cyclists who don't even attempt puncture repairs, but the point is, the opportunity to take full mechanical control is higher for a bicycle than it is for any modern, computerised car. I never tire of watching all the bits of a bicycle working together as some astoundingly profound exemplar of synchronicity at work. Now that is art! Why should I pay someone to have all the fun of tinkering with my bikes? For me, a bicycle is at the limit of mechanical self-sufficiency; and that is reassuring when I am way out in the backwoods riding roads as unpopulated as the canyons Mars. There's Zen in there… there's a beauty in a design that manages to combine mechanical complexity with practical simplicity. Which does not necessarily imply that I wouldn't enjoy being followed by a team car loaded with spare wheels, food, water and motivation speeches shouted from the open window. It's just that the freedom from being self-contained and in-control is a tonic counterpoint to otherwise dragging an elaborate support network of commercial services through which to keep your adventures mobile. The road bike sings to control freaks like me.
The Zen-like simplicity of a road bike also tends to have been lost by modern mountain bike designs. I guess there's a bit of a thrill to be had to mastering the intricacies of dual suspension settings and keeping all those pivots moving about, but to me, all that's all a baggage that diverts from the pure simplicity of a dedicated road bike ride. Which is why I tend to prefer riding cyclocross bikes than having to ride heavy, overly complex mountain bikes. Which is not to say that I don't admire the modern mountain bike. With the emphasis on the word 'modern'. Because, and here is my main point, mountain bikes are the product of a rather more disturbed and frantic heritage than the calmer trajectory of road bikes. The perfections of the road bike were pretty much as well embedded 20 years ago as they are today. My Vitus 979 from 1985 is still on the same page as the latest Giant TCR to which, believe it or not, this review applies. You can't say that about mountain bikes from 20 years past: nasty, harsh, heavy, disagreeable bogan-like contraptions – they were a veritable punk anti culture bash to the refinements of the road bike. The evolution of the mountain bike has been a shouty, brash exercise of histrionics compared to the quiet, collected, considered trail we roadies have enjoyed from then to now. Consider electronic gear shifting. Mavic started that game way back in the '80's. It's been a slow considered path since. it was the biggest thing to happen since Shimano invented index shifting. With the latter being the progenitor of the former. This has been an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary path. Each iteration along the way was a comprehensible upgrade, rather than an explosion of 'the next big thing' that seems to colour mountain bike evolution more along the lines of computer tech than the glorious conservatism of change in the road bike scene (putting aside the mindless pointlessness of road bike disc brakes…)
I don't think I have ever ridden a bike that offers such a profound, unfiltered connection between rider and machine as this latest TCR. Along the lines of the preceding model, the new TCR simply disappears when you really start to ride. It becomes a part of you and you become a part of it. One reason for this enhanced connection is the astroundlngly uncluttered character of the TCR. The new bike is pared down to the absolute essentials and those essentials are utterly refined. The ride is sitting right on the balancing point of stiffness and compliance. A bit more in either direction (like the Propel which heads off into a stiffness focus and, say, the Defy which shades down to the domain of compliance), and you would start to notice the bike as an insertion between you and the road. For me, the new TCR's longer wheel base (over the older model) and its astonishing SLR0 in-house wheels clinch the deal over the old model. And, of course, the integrated seat post is a key engineering feature of this bike and is fundamental to how well it performs.
There is astonishing beauty to behold in simplicity. The whole is apparent from the sum of its parts and the parts add up to a whole lot more than anyone would at first guess. Each bit is worthy of a deeper look. The more you look the more you see, all the while while keeping the context of the whole in view. If that does not confuse. Which good design never does. Just about every aspect of the new TCR combines to proclaim a breathtaking statement of simplicity. There is nothing out of place, nothing that is not needed and no single part that does not connect to and enhance every other part on the new TCR Advanced SL. It's raw carbon and somehow utterly 'right' electric blue colour patches is perfect for the overall character of 'purposeful simplicity' that is at the core of the Zen aesthetic. But in keeping with the Zen concept of layers of perfection unfolding like a Mandelbrot Set the deeper you look, we can be ever more impressed when we look more deeply into the new TCR's carbon frame down to the carbon itself. This is Giant's own T-800 carbon fibre material woven in Giant's own composite factory. This is the best carbon you can get and it is restricted to this top-of-the-line model TCR. No one does better carbon than this. It's a stunning frame material that warrants a good look via a magnifying loupe. Lovely stuff.
All those fiddly fads of market driven design are slow to take hold in the road cycling scene. Just look at how slowly the argument over disc brakes for road cycling is taking to resolve. That's the way it should be. Don't add complications to a winning model unless there are very good reasons to do so. Each and every part of a road bike is the product of a process of engineering evolution with a history that way precedes the motorcar. The thing is that road bike design has, by and large, always worked and worked better than almost any other engineering work with which humans have been involved. The things we add and change are worked through in agonising detail and at the studied pace of cautious scepticism. We all need at least one benchmark of engineering that works at the pace that engineering drives rather than being driven by the vastly more frantic and, often pointless pace of marketing or economic inspiration. It keeps us grounded. The new TCR is grounded like nothing else I have ever seen.
A road bike is a statement of minimalism; nothing is added that does not add to the ultimate efficiency of the whole. Which kind of explains the reluctance of we road cyclists to accept things like valve caps, reflectors and guards of any kind. There are people out there who endlessly search for the ultimate weight:efficiency ratio for water bottle cages and saddles, and even handlebar tape. (Guilty). To prove the value of this otherwise ineffable design-engineering aesthetic, I need only point out that the more a bicycle maker refines this aesthetic, the higher the price that is charged for the final product; and we cyclists have proven time and time again that we are willing to pay a premium for what, in effect, becomes less and less (at least in terms of weight and clutter). How many car drivers out there could care less about hiding, for example, all the wires that clutter under the hood (have you ever, really looked at a modern car's wiring loom?). How many roadies would not prefer internal cable routing on their bikes these days? And if this art of paring down and down weren't real, why is SRAM investing in wireless gear shifters as their next big road bike thing? The art of creatively engineering for pared-down-efficiency rather than pointless complexity is a defining beauty for the road bicycle.
Yes, less is more in the road biking scene. Of the 20 plus road bikes I have ridden over the past few years, none have hit this 'perfection of minimalism' better than the new TCR. Giant took a razor to clutter on this bike. If there was an award for the perfection of bicycle design austerity, the TCR would win. Which, if you followed the arguments about the perfections of design simplicity, you'd know this is the ultimate compliment for road bike design. Finding that design point which is the nexus of minimalism and engineering efficiency is the BIG THING these days: from Apple Inc's agonisings over too many buttons on iPads to Max Richter's epic 8 hour Sleep, an exploration in music with almost no notes, the aesthetic splendours of pared down 'Zen' deign is at the deep freeze end of Cool. Yes, the new Giant is a masterpiece in purposeful minimalism moulded in deep Cool.
If all this appears to be overly philosophical to you, consider just why it is that you would ever, if not for an at least implicit empathy with notions such as these, be prepared to pay a price premium for a bike sans all the bells and whistles that you might demand for things like cars. I suppose, it might just all boil down to less is more in terms of speed and speed wins races. Whatever floats your boat. I don't want to be carting an anchor of unnecessary technology around in any boat I ride up my local 12 per cent hills. But try to sell me a car without at least 6 speakers and an on-dash GPS, and auto sensing windscreen wipers and light sensing automatic lights and I will tell you to go away. If I decided to buy a car. Which I won't. Because that would detract from my budget to buy more bikes.
All of which brings me to the final dimension of Zen that I would like to discuss. The engineering perfectionism aesthetic of the road bicycle needs to apparent and evident without any kind of recourse to packaging, dressing, pretension or, really, anything else that marketers might determine to matter for their own bottom line. A great bike makes a statement without shouting its own name. The greatness of a bike does not need a name to assert its value. The true cycling connoisseur can detect greatness without the ugly brutality of marketing. No one ever needed to promote Beethoven with TV prime time jingles; the music sells itself. The true cycling connoisseur will 'know' the feeling of perfection when a maker crafts a statement of the form-meets-function of engineering perfection. He or she will just know when the mark is hit square on bull's eye. He or she will just know when nothing more can be added or taken away from a design that has hit the level absolute perfection possible within the context of the nexus of art and science.
So, I have worked through a couple of thousand words to say now what needs to be said. It is indeed possible for an enterprise like the Giant bicycle company to produce as much of a masterpiece of the bike maker's art as a company such as Pinarello, Colnago or Wilier. And they have.
The new 2016 Giant TCR Advanced SL (the top of the range offering in this line) is an unmitigated work of art. On any terms, in any place, at any price.
I am not just talking through my hat. I have lived with top-end Pinarellos, the esoterically magnificent Wilier Zero.7. I have a Colnago and I have a top-end Trek Madone. And a line-topping Merida (Scultura), a top-end Bianchi Oltre. I have ten top-of-the-line, pro-tour-level road bikes currently in my shed and have sold off many more. Even a Specialised S-Works or two. I am not trying to boast any kind of psychopathic bicycle elitism here. I am only trying to suggest that I am comfortable with making a grand statement like I have. This new Giant TCR is definitively THE best bike I have ever owned. At half the price of the Wilier and the Pinarellos in my shed.
How do I define 'best' in this regard?
The ride for one. This new Giant has needle-pointed the absolute bulls-eye of frame stiffness and compliance. No other bike I have ever ridden comes as close as this. When a bike misses or does not quite hit that mark, the contest is always compliance verses stiffness. The search is usually for the best compromise. Were compliance wins, comfort overlaps speed. When stiffness wins, we get a rougher ride. Some bikes get close to the perfect balance (where compromise seems to have been completely removed and both facets win in seemingly impossible equal measure). The Wilier Zero.7 is a close, close performer in this regard. Others, like the Pinarello Dogma and the Giant Propel don't even seem to bother. Stiffness and speed are all that seem to matter. You don't need to be any kind of roadie connoisseur to know that both stiffness and compliance are the two most desirable traits in any bike and the talent of a bicycle designer is judged by how well balanced these conflicting traits can be controlled. All set, of course, within the context of minimum bicycle weight. Bicycle weight, stiffness and compliance; choose two. Until now. My M/L Giant TCR weighs in at 6.4kg with Look Blade 2 (Ti spindles) attached. Beat that! Go on. Try. And try that without spending more than AU$8,500. My Wilier was $16,500.
Photo Above Left shows the new TCR and the Propel, indicating a very coherent design brief for both
There is, of course, more to a bike than stiffness, compliance and weight. Let's look at a few additional bits of the TCR equation.
The new TCR is one brilliant descender. While some rides like my Wilier and even the Giant Propel can seem a bit highly strung, if not 'nervous' when it comes to a flat out descent, this new TCR descends so well that all thoughts of caution with regard to bumps in the road and devious side wind gusts disappear. As for the old TCR Advanced SL, which I still own too, this new bike descends with authority and a degree of stability that is utterly confidence inspiring. You rarely need to feather your brakes. Or think about doing so.
The new TCR is one brilliant ascender too. This is a climbers bike. There is no flex. None whatsoever. Not in the frame or, importantly, in Giant's own new included carbon 30mm SLR wheels. Whatever power you might have goes straight to the ground. If you are lean, this lean bike will reward you to a degree approaching the limits of gravity aggravated by the degree of incline. But it is not a skittersh fragile climb of the kind that characterise so many ultralight climber's bikes these days (aka the Scott Addict, say). No, that same planted, grounded stability we noticed on furious descents also applies when going up hill. The rider always seems to be a part of this bike rather than sitting on top. The avid climber becomes one with this bike when going up or down hill, not to mention when moving along the flats.
Which brings me to the all important comparison to bikes like Giant's own Propel: the speed freak's aero sprinting machine. I love my Propel. It always feels like riding a hot knife when negotiating the hot butter of a head wind flat road ride. Until the first side wind hits those gigantic 55mm ZIPP 404 rims. Or the first set of pot holes that Council workers always seem to so creatively neglect via some kind of plan aimed at converting us to the poverty of driving a car. Surprisingly, the new TCR is almost as quick on the flats as the Propel. But with considerably more comfort via a vastly less harsh ride. I was thinking the demarcation between the Propel and the TCR (and indeed, the endurance orientated Defy) would be greater than this when riding fast. I never felt such a close match in this regard between the Propel and the old TCR. But the new TCR is even more of a speed machine than its always admired predecessor. Frankly, the Propel now seems rather marginalised to the more specialised end of sprinting and time trials. The TCR does everything well and some things brilliantly so: namely climbing and descending. The Propel is a great sprinter and serviceable descender. It's an OK ascender unless you are running for GC. The Propel and the TCR are offered at the exact same price. I suspect that the Propel's sales are about to fall faster than the new TCR can climb.
But there is more on offer here by way of becoming the embodiment of ' best'.
Giant is now following the lead of Trek and Specialized in in-housing production of more than just the bicycle frame. Like its rivals, Giant is now in the wheel making game. This is no OEM rebranding exercise. Though the new top-of-the-range SLR0 carbon wheels feature DT Swiss hubs, the rest come from Giant's vat. These rims are the product of an engineering exercise at least as intense as the design of the new bike. Giant has now launched itself from zero to the max with its new wheels. They now sit on most models in the TCR, Propel, Defy and vastly neglected and almost always overlooked (but nevertheless brilliant) TCX (cyclocross) range. This is a serious taking-on of ZIPP et al effort on Giant's part. I can not judge as I am not comparing like with quite like, but the new Giant SLR0 30mm all carbon clincher wheel set on the TCR Advanced SL are as stiff and compliant as the ZIPP 404's most definitely aren't. The ZIPP's (firecrest 404, not the newer fire strike 404's) which are or were standard on the Propel flex when out of the saddle efforts are required. On the Propel, the ZIPP's flex to the point where they cause brake rub unless those brakes are adjusted out a fair way. Not deal killing flex. Just flex that can be noticed as opposed to the none at all you don't notice with the new SL0's on this new TCR. The new wheels weigh in at about 1,300 gm, which is an industry podium placing for wheels like this. They are not the lightest wheels available, but then again, they were designed to match and synergise with the intentional engineering characteristics of the new TCR. That is the point and the true advantage of building wheels in-house. The wheels and the frame become two components of a whole under the total control of the same engineering team and within the same engineering brief. It's about time. I never could understand why something as fundamental to an overall bike design as the wheels should ever be 'outsourced' to the general market place. Sure, the bike designer can tap some inspired wheels for OEM. But that exercise becomes a search for wheels that are as close to a desired engineering brief rather than being a part of the same brief. The potential to reap the engineering rewards of intentional, designed synergy between wheels and frame are maximised, in theory, when the same team does both. In theory. Not disregarding the idiosyncrasies of the wheel building art that engineers focused hitherto on frames might now need to also master. But theory meets practice with these new wheels. Giant has delivered a coup to no doubt concern the independent wheel makers of the world. And by the way, the all carbon top-of-the-line PSX1 rims on the range topping Giant TCX Advanced Pro 0 CX bike are also ZIPP level plus.
In terms of spec., the new TCR leaves nothing to desire. The new bike is dressed in Shimano Dura Ace Di2, say no more (other than to simply wonder what a Campagnolo Super Record EPS set up on this bike might be like). Giant has equipped this bike with its all carbon Contact SLR handlebars and stem. That is a great team of carbon bits to no doubt even further sweeten the new bike's ride (but not by as much as that work-of-art integrated bar-stem combo on the top-end Propel (sigh). And while I am at it, where oh where are the sprint shifters I got with my Propel? I love those things when riding in the drops. Oh well.
The new TCR comes in three divisions of declining price. The Advanced SL comes with Di2 at the top or mechanical 9000 Dura Ace for a few thousand less. Then there is the Advanced Pro group with lesser carbon and no integrated seat post. Last is the Advanced range. But for me, the integrated seat post is not negotiable. For me, this integrated post is what has always defined the TCR. It is also the source of some, if not more, of the TCR's compliance qualities. The ISP soaks up the bumps on both this new machine, the old TCR, on the top-end Propel and to a modified degree, on the Defy and TCX range toppers as well. [photo below shows the new TCR (bottom), the new TCX (middle) and the Propel (top)] And there is no chance of slipping or creaking seat posts ever again!
To conclude, if you carry a bias against Giant for reasons to do with (misplaced) snobbery and the like, the looser will be you. Take it from someone who does possess some of the everests of road bike art (e.g.. the Wilier Zero.7 and Pinarello's finest), this new Giant is right up there. You can pay more, but you will not buy a better bike than this. If you define 'better' in terms of engineering perfection and performance as usually described. Plus, in its naked carbon and slightly less than subtle electric blue colour patches, the design of this bike is the very essence of Zen. It is a fundamentally beautiful bike. Nothing it does not need and it needs nothing more. In my view, this new bike is exquisite, in a total holistic sense.
I have ridden the new TCR for over a month. Just today, I decided it was time to ride something else. So I took my one time all time favourite bike, the Pinarello Prince (the classic ultimate Pinarello from the pre carbon Dogma era), out for a ride. I always regarded my Prince as the sweetest riding bike I ever owned. Now, I can only see it's flaws. The new TCR has me thinking about selling a pile of bikes on eBay.
The genuine, intelligent road bike enthusiast will not be blinkered by the stupidities of brand bigotry. He or she will choose a bike based on all the qualities of any bike under review. I don't care if this TCR is made by Giant or Bianchi (and Giant probably makes both, anyway). Mount Everest is Mount Everest. To find a better bike, you're going to need a space suit and a good imagination, because right now, there is nothing higher up than this latest TCR.


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Pictorial Lives of the Saints – Saint Valentine, Priest and Martyr
Valentine was a holy priest in Rome, who, with Saint Marius and his family, assisted the martyrs in the x execution under Claudius II. He was apprehended, and sent by the emperor to the prefect of Rome, who, on finding all his promises to make him renounce his faith ineffectual, commanded him to be beaten with clubs, and afterward to be beheaded, which was executed on the 14th of February, about the year 270. Pope Julius I is said to have built a church near Ponte Mole to his memory, which for a long time gave name to the gate, now called Porta del Popolo, formerly Porta Valentini. The greatest part of his relics are now in the church of Saint Praxedes. To abolish the heathen's lewd superstitious custom of boys drawing the names of girls, in honor of their goddess Februata Juno, on the 15th of this month, several zealous pastors substituted the names of Saints in billets given on this day.
Reflection – In the cause of justice and truth, prudeixe should not be held in account; otherwise prudence is mere human respect. Saint Paul says: "The wisdom of the flesh is death."

subset: commoncrawl


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The Stanley Cup could be won tonight and 5-6000 or more people will NOT be making the trip to Joe Louis arena to see the Cup be won at Joe Louis Arena. This is terrible for many reasons.
I had never been to a Joe Vision before last year when they won the Cup in six and I was working section 221 or so. This is a big disaster for NBC for multiple reasons. I am an usher at the Arena, passionate fan, and well love the business of sports. Consider me, as a small bridge builder between what the fan wants and needs and what my passion is.
The arena staffs are looking for one last chance to work. This brings them money and access to merchandise. I would NOT have bought as much Red Wings stuff as I did last year had I NOT had access to the merchandise. The team wins and the league wins by having this.
When you have happy fans coming into the City for a game. This brings money into the City which may not have been there had they not had Joe Vision. They also are die hard fans so with this the merchandise sales will go up with the instant access to the Red Wings stuff. The team gets the money back on paying for the arena staff and the fans get merchandise too. Plus, charities win by having the extra day of an event.
NBC's stance on NOT having a viewing party for fans is ridiculous. They act like they are the Kings of the castle. Well their castle looks to be made out of sand. They do not play the entire NHL season and they cut in for the Finals and think they are able to man handle everyone.
This is NOT only terrible PR but it is terrible for the fans they have. NHL isn't the NFL. They don't have a huge audience but they have dedicated regional fans who are being alienated.
How does this work for the NHL? How does the sport grow when it has a shotty tv deal. They are barely represented on ESPN Sportscenter and on SportingNews Radio.
Versus which is a station no one can find. Let's everyone see the games and they allowed Mellon Arena to play the games. They have a different production contract then NBC which is ratings based. People are going to party and when push comes to shove the die hard fans which are being alienated at this point. Fans are not going to turn on NBC when they have an option to turn on CBC. The Canadian Broadcasting Company is better then NBC could ever be.
CBC is king in Detroit. They have a better production staff and they know what they are doing. The announcers know what they are doing and who the players are.
NBC can't grow the sport until they have an announcing team which actually knows players names and numbers. This is something which is easily done by studying the media guide before you go on the air. They constantly screw things up.
This is the BIGGEST PR disaster and show of greed which really hurts and shows a true sign of arrogance. Needless to say, in business, your product the only person who cares about it is YOU. At the end of the day, would you rather have two cities that love and adore you and are passionate about the game or two major cities which don't want anything to do with you and would rather turn you off?
I would take the the first choice. To grow a game you have to be serious about it. With out a serious effort the NHL will be ranked lower then horse racing or tennis.


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Trekker & Reenactor Native Food Info
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Real Name: Anonymous
Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 9:43 pm
Post subject: Trekker & Reenactor Native Food Info
The source material was taken from a: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE REPORT, 1870. WASHINGTON , D.C.
This report represents native products important to Indian economy and often used as a source of supply by government agents, merchants, fur traders and travelers across North America .
Prairie Potato or Bread Root, also called Indian Turnip, pomme de prairie by the French, or tip-sin-nah by the Sioux. This root was used extensively, the size of a hens egg, ovid shape, thick leathery skin. Known to be easily prepared when cooked, fryable when dried and easily pulverized into starchy flour. Sweet turnip taste when cut thin and dried for winter storage and usage, very palatable and considered an especial luxury by many tribes.
Kamass Root or Wild Hyacinth resembles an onion in shape, size of a hickory-nut. The root is dug in June and July, can be eaten raw with a pleasant taste or cooked and somewhat resembles potatoes. When the root is boiled in water, yields a very good molasses, prized by various tribes for special occasions.
Edible Pine is a small scrubby pine found in New Mexico into Mexico , called Pinon by locals. The seed is the size of a kidney bean, thin shell, pleasant flavor and found to be oily. They should be roasted before eaten, but some tribes have been known to carry them in a raw state.
Sugar Maple is collected in the spring throughout the Northern States by many of the tribes of that area. Native American women have marketed the prepared sugar in birch bark boxes for over a century called "Mococks" and probably longer than this, but no recorded information was found. Winnebagoes and Chippewas produced the largest amounts, often selling fifty thousand pounds a year to the Northwest Fur Company.
Common Blackberry has been found cultivated by local tribes in Missouri , Texas , California and Minnesota , the Native American is as fond of the berry as the whites.
Buffalo Berry is a shrub fifteen feet high, berries the size of a pea, bright scarlet in color and containing one seed. Usually found in areas of Oregon , Utah , Idaho , Nebraska and Wyoming * in great abundance.
* have never seen berries of this type in Wyoming , but this report was written in 1870 and areas change.
Mulberry have grow abundantly in Northern Missouri and along the rivers of Kansas , the fruit being large and sweet, of a dark to black color. The Indians will travel many miles in search of them, within their restricted areas as well as out of the boundaries of their tribes.
Prickly Pear is the fruit of a species of cactus, much eaten by the Indians of New Mexico, Arizona , California , and Utah , under the common Spanish name of tunas, great quantities being dried for use in the winter. These plants are found in the arid desert locations which seems to produce large amounts; large and bright red to purple color; rather pleasant sweet, somewhat acid taste, thin skinned and large seeds, all of which is discard. The skin is stubbed with bunches of very fine downy spines, which the Indians brush off with a bunch of grass. The Apaches use wooden tongs to gather the fruit, preventing being scratched by the spines or thorns of the plant. The Pawnees and Papajoes dry the unripe fruit for future use, used when cooking meat and other substances. The unripe fruit is oftened boiled in water from ten to twelve hours, until soft, when it becomes like apple-sauce; after fermenting for a period it becomes stimulating and nutritious according to local Indians. The leaves are roasted in hot ashes, and when cooked, the outer skin with thorns is easily removed, leaving a sweet succulent substance, which is eaten. Hunger and destitution have caused Native Americans as well as whites to live off this plant for periods of time as an only food.
Prunus Americana is found in Colorado , Kansas , Utah , Oregon , and Texas . During the ripening of the fruit the Indians live sumptuously, and collect quantities for drying.
Dwarf Cherry The interesting species of the plum is but a small two to six feet high. The fruit is larger than a damson, sweet, and in color varies from a light pink to a deep crimson, and from a light deep yellow, and grows abundantly in the Indian Territory . Every Indian, young and old, capable of traveling, goes to the plum ground in the proper season, as it is their great harvest. The fruit is dried, and also made into preserves. The plant thrives in sandy wastes, and is sometimes called sand-hill plum.
Sunflower from one of several species of the dwarf sunflower of the West, which grows on river bottoms and rich, moist spots on the prairies, the seeds are often gathered. Being very sweet and oily, they are eaten raw, or pounded up with other substances, made into flat cakes and dried in the sun, in which form they appear to be very palatable to the Indians.
Indian Corn may be said to be the most universal article of food cultivated by the Indians of New Mexico, Arizona , California , Nevada , and Utah , while the tribes of the Indian Territory consider this grain the staff of life. The cultivation of corn has not been acquired by them from others. It is a matter of historical record that, when living in the Southern States, long before the white man set foot in the country, it was cultivated, and by nearly all the Indians of the present United States to a greater or less extent. The Indians who grow it in the primitive manner, and have the original corn of America , are the Pueblos of New Mexico and Arizona . The grains vary in color through shades of pink, blue, and white, and the ears are generally rather small and slender. The blue variety is preferred for bread, and is sorted from the rest with much care, and stored by itself. The ear has fourteen rows of grains, which are full and plump, and is six and three quarters inches long, and four and three quarters around. The corn, after being reduced to meal in a stone mortar, has a peculiar bluish-white appearance. In converting it into bread, it is mixed into a thin batter, a brisk fire is made to heat a slab of iron, or stone, or a flat earthenware plate, which is elevated from the ground by stones to admit the fire; when sufficiently heated, the women press the fingers of the right hand together, dip them in the batter, drawing them out thickly covered with the mixture, at the same time drawing the hand equally over the heated baker, leaving a thin coating, which quickly curls up, a sign that it is cooked on that side; it is then taken off, another dip is made with the fingers, and the baker is besmeared again; then the upper side of the first cake is laid on the top of the new dip; when the second one is ready to turn, the first one is already cooked, and the second is put through the same process as the first, and so on until a number of these large thin sheets of water-like bread is accumulated. They are rolled up together, and form what is called by the Moqui Indians guagave. It looks like blue wrapping-paper, but somewhat coarser, and has a polished appearance. During the summer of 1869, the writer and Mr. Vincent Collier, with Lieutenant W. Krause, visited the Moquis, and were feasted bountifully at every house with this blue paper-like bread. At first it seems dry in the mouth, but it soon softens, is quite sweet, and is readily masticated. All three of us, doubtless, will ever remember with pleasure the relish which our hunger gave to this singular treat. At one house the nicest dried peaches, of their own production, well cooked, were set before us, into the juice of which the bread was dipped, at the same time serving as a spoon. At another house the roasted mescal, dissolved in water, was set before us, in which to dip our bread or guagave rolls, the ends of which we bit off from time to time, after saturating them, until satisfied, each declaring the food excellent. A favorite mode of preparing corn is to boil it in weak lime-water, to remove the husk bran. It is then ground into a soft pulp, and made into bread like the above, but is not so palatable to the general taste. The corn, thus hulled, is often mixed with chopped meat, formed into cakes, and dried for future use. Often, when new corn is ground, it is mixed with pieces of meat, and red or green peppers, placed between soft corn husks, tied at the ends, and boiled. This is called by the Mexicans tomale, but is not acceptable to civilized palates. Corn meal is also made into attole or guel, and, when mixed with sugar, or the flour of the mesquite, it is claaed pinole, and is much relished by all the Indians. Water is sometimes added to it, forming a cooling, sweet, nutritious drink. To make this nicely, the corn must be carefully parched, then pulverized, and prepared as above. The raw meal is often made into a kind of bread, called tortillas by the Spanish. Some Indians prepare the roasting ears by stringing and drying them for winter. The Apaches, and many other Indians, toast their corn in baskets with much dexterity. This is effected by placing the grains and a few live coals or hot stones in the baskets, and keeping up a brisk agitation, occasionally holding the open basket to the fire. The Indians are very fond of parched corn, and consume it surprising quantities.
Wild rice called pshu by the Sioux, and the Chippewas refer to it as man-om-in. It is a constant article of food with the Northern Indians of the lakes and rivers between the Mississippi and Lake Superior . This plant delights in mud and water five to twenty feet deep. When ripe the slightest wind shakes off the grains.
After being gathered it is laid on scaffolds about four feet high, eight wide, and twenty to fifty long, covered with reeds and grass, and a slow fire is maintained beneath for thirty-six hours, so as to parch slightly the husk, that it may be removed easily. Its beard is tougher than a rye. To separate it from the chaff or husk, a hole is made in the ground a foot wide and one deep, and lined with skins; about a peck of rice is put in at a time; an Indian steps in, with a half jump, on one foot, then on the other, until the husk is removed. After being cleaned the grain is stored in bags. It is darker than the Caroline rice. The hull adheres tightly, and is left on the grain, and gives the bread a dark color when cooked. The husk is easily removed, after being exposed to heat. In Dakota the men gather this grain, but all other grain the women collect. An acre of rice is nearly or quite equal to an acre of wheat in nutriment. It is very palatable, when roasted and eaten dry.
Hope this helps some of you in some way.
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Did anyone catch any of the NFL Cheerleaders playoffs yet? I'll give them credit, these are some of the most fit, beautiful, and athletic women you'll find anywhere period.
Having said that, some of them are a few fries short of a happy meal ! One of the rounds in their playoffs was a timed session where they answered as many questions about the NFL, players, rules, etc. as they could. These chicks were missing questions about their own team !! In addition to missing questions that anybody with very little knowledge would know for example. Which number super bowl is XL ? What color is the challenge flag ? How many NFL players on a game day roster? I mean we're talking EASY quesitons like that, that even my daughter knows and she's only 12 for God sake !


text:
Felix Kaser is working for Collabora, writing EmpathyLiveSearch widget. It is a widget similar to N900's HildonLiveSearch. The goal is to make easy to search in your contact list in a smart way. So it match only if words are starting with your search string. For example if you have a contact "Xavier Claessens", typing "Xav" or "Cla" will show it, but not if you enter "ier" nor "ssens". The match is of course case-insensitive, so typing "xav" will match as well.
Where things gets more complicated, is that our code also try to strip accentuation marks. For example if you have a contact "Gaëtan", typing "gae" will match it. This is done using g_unicode_canonical_decomposition() and keep only the first unicode.
I'm writing unit tests for that matching algorithm to make sure it is working as wanted. Being French speaker, I can easily test that letters éèçàï, etc are stripped correctly to keep only the base letter without the accentuation marks. But I would like to include tests in other non-latin alphabets, like Arabic/Chinese/Corean/etc. I don't know if such "accentuation marks" that can be stripped makes sense in any other alphabet, but if you know, please give me some example strings.
Strings must be encoded in UTF-8 of course!
Update: Empathy in git master now has the live search merged. Please give it a try and see if it maches your needs. It has the matching algorith described above, surely not perfect in all languages, but already better than nothing.
Of course, I'm interested in feedback, does it fail horribly with your language, or is it acceptable? All I can tell is it is perfect in French


text:
Cubs' Matt Garza to miss one week with side injury
- Garza felt a twinge in his side on Sunday%2C when he faced batters for the first time
MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Chicago Cubs pitcher Matt Garza has a mild side strain and is expected to miss only a week of spring training camp.
Garza strained his side while throwing live batting practice on Sunday, when he faced batters for the first time since last July. He underwent an MRI on Monday which revealed a "mild strain" in his side, Chicago general manager Jed Hoyer said.
"We're probably going to let him rest for about a week, make sure he's pain-free, at which point he can ramp back up his throwing," Hoyer said Tuesday. "I think it's safe to say it pushes back his first Cactus League start. But what it means for the regular season, it's clearly much too early to say. We felt like it was really good news, it's just a mild strain."
Hoyer said Garza is in good spirits. The 29-year-old went 5-7 with a 3.91 ERA last season, but didn't make any starts after July 21 because of an elbow issue.
The right-hander reported to camp in great shape, and Hoyer said the injury was not related to any lack of conditioning by Garza.
"He looks great," Hoyer said. "His body looks different. This guy worked his butt off this winter. He was sort of like a caged animal. He couldn't do a lot for a long time and once he got a chance to work out fully, he looks fantastic. This has nothing to do with how he came into camp. I believe him when he said he came in in his best shape. He looks like it."
Garza is one of the candidates manager Dale Sveum will consider to start on opening day for the Cubs, who lost 101 games last season.


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Spoon Feeding
One of the most challenging aspects of golf course management is putting green culture. Successfully maintaining turfgrasses at ⅛ or
There is a lot of pressure to lower mowing heights, double cut and roll greens to meet these standards. Unfortunately, these practices are extremely stressful and, over time, can wear out the turfgrass. Ideally, your job would allow you to promote quality putting greens with consistent and acceptable ball speeds without deleterious effects on plant health. One alternative to consider is the incorporation of plant growth regulators (PGRs) into your putting green maintenance. Reducing diurnal growth fluctuations may further provide consistent putting surfaces and could be a safer approach to producing quality putting green conditions on a long-term basis.
PGRs were introduced to the turf industry in the 1950s to reduce mowing requirements of utility turf such as that found on roadsides and highways. Reducing turfgrass growth and reducing the need for mowing, can be beneficial in turfgrass management. Studies have assigned actual dollar values in money saved from reducing roadside mowings from five to six per season to one or two as a result of using PGRs. One study determined that a single PGR applications cost less than or equal to one mowing cycle. In addition to economic benefits, growth inhibition is often desirable for areas that are difficult to mow, such as steep inclines and golf course bunker slopes. Research indicates the cost of PGR applications on these areas equal approximately two mowing/trimming operations. PGRs also promote smoother putting surfaces by decreasing friction from persistent and uneven leaf growth.
Currently, there are no herbicides or PGRs that are labeled for use on the new "ultradwarf" bermudagrass putting greens. The dwarfed growth habit and finer leaves of these grasses make them more sensitive to these compounds compared to creeping bentgrass putting greens and other hybrid bermudagrasses. Turf discoloration and root growth restrictions may limit the potential for PGR applications in ultradwarf bermudagrass maintenance.
Ultradwarfs are becoming popular selections for putting green turf because of their abilities to withstand long-term mowing heights of ⅛ inch or closer. Bermudagrass putting green quality has traditionally been considered inferior to finer textured creeping bentgrass due to the inability of these of there cultivars, such as Tifgreen and Tifdwarf, to withstand routine mowing heights lower than
A gibberellic acid (GA) inhibitor, Primo, is the most popular PGR used for putting green turf and according to research, is currently is the safest PGR chemistry for ultradwarf bermudagrass. A foliar-absorbed PGR, Primo represents a newer generation of growth inhibitors that disrupt later stages of GA biosynthesis by blocking the 3b-hydroxylase conversion of GA
Bermudagrass that is resuming active growth during spring and early summer may be extremely sensitive to PGR applications. Leaf discoloration of Tifway bermudagrass was observed following initial Primo treatments of 0.2 kg ha
The concept of "spoon feeding" nitrogen (applying low rates at frequent intervals) is commonly implemented in putting green management to prevent rapid growth fluctuations. For example, applying 0.5 lb./1,000 ft
The approach of spoon feeding PGRs has the same principle for reducing fluctuations of turf growth caused initially or as PGR efficacy decreases. Instead of applying greens with a standard PGR rate every three to four weeks, which may be injurious, research indicates incremental weekly or biweekly applications is a safer regimen to reduce bermudagrass injury. Early in the growing season, reducing PGR rates by 25 to 50 percent and gradually increasing them as June and July approach will enable bermudagrass greens to adjust to growth regulation effects of the newly introduced compound.
From May to August 2003, Clemson, S.C., averaged a 42-percent higher monthly rainfall than the yearly summer average with high cloud coverage and low average daily air temperatures. This particular summer had poor growing conditions for ultradwarf bermudagrass, as these grasses require eight hours minimum of daily full sunlight and consistent temperatures from 80 to 90°F. Ideally, turfgrasses should be actively growing to minimize injury and discoloration from PGR applications, and researchers observed extreme sensitivity early in the summer on bermudagrass research greens. For example, applying Primo at 6 oz./acre for three weeks displayed unacceptable injury especially following initial applications. However, sementing the 6 oz./acre into three applications of 2 oz./acre per week drastically minimized deleterious effects and was much safer on ultradwarf bermudagrass. The bermudagrass still received the same PGR amount over the three-week period, but the phytotoxicity was greatly reduced, and the "spoon feeding" approach proved to be much safer.
PGR safety on bermudagrass greens is an important aspect in promoting green speeds and surface uniformity. Another phenomenon that raises concerns among many superintendents who consider PGRs is the potential "rebound effect." Rebound effects are a rapid period of growth caused by the overproduction of growth hormones and release of stored root carbohydrates when the applied PGR is no longer effective. For example, Primo inhibits the conversion of GA
One experiment found that PGRs enhanced ball roll on several observations throughout the same day. The researchers concluded long-term ball roll improvements were more consistent when they reduced mowing height, while PGRs may be beneficial over the course of a given day. Furthermore, improved ball roll from Primo, rather than Trimmit, suggests late GA inhibition may produce more desirable bentgrass leaf morphology suited for putting green uniformity compared to the early GA inhibitor.
During summer stress, superintendents may use predominately liquid fertilizer sources and spoon feed nutrients to bermudagrass and creeping bentgrass greens. Typical liquid fertilizations are applied every 7 to 14 days at approximately 0.1 to 0.2 lbs. N/1000 sq. ft. This may also be a convenient time to incorporate regular PGR applications at 7 to 14 day intervals in the spray program. Reduced PGR increments from monthly rates may be an effective strategy to consider for helping reduce sprayer operations.
If these fertilization increments don't work for you, another option is to tank mix PGRs with fungicides to still achieve a spoon feeding PGR program. Because disease pressure for creeping bentgrass increases during the summer, you may need to apply fungicides every 10 to 14 days. Also, tank mixing two PGRs simultaneously has become a popular trend in putting green maintenance. It is critical to read all labels or consult an extension specialist before mixing chemicals.
Suppressing the most problematic winter annual weed on golf courses, Poa annua, is possible by combining GA inhibitors with Proxy, a compound that decomposes to release ethylene. Synergistic growth suppression of the desired turf may occur from simultaneous GA inhibition, such as from Primo, and the induction of ethylene within the plant from Proxy. Proxy may accelerate leaf senescence, resulting in turfgrass color fading from chlorophyll breakdown. However, mixing Proxy with Primo reduces discoloration and prevents thinning of creeping bentgrass. Monthly applications of Proxy with two or three Primo applications at lower rates will likely be an effective regimen. More research is needed to determine the reaction of this method on bentgrass greens and Poa annua greens.
Overall, PGR use will continue to be a fundamental part of putting greens and intensive turfgrass maintenance. Labeled rates are important guidelines for incorporating PGRs into your management programs. However, dispersing these rates into incremental applications may be effective for bentgrass and bermudagrass putting greens maintenance to reduce phytotoxicity, rebound growth, and sprayer operations.
McCullough is a graduate assistant, McCarty, Ph. D., is a professor of turfgrass science, and Liu, Ph. D., is an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture at Clemson University (Clemson, S.C.).
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Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon
You know, there is always someone else out there doing something more..something that I have a hard time wrapping my head around.
The Arrowhead 135 Ultramarathon. Not only is this race held in the dead of winter in northern Minnesota but there is barely any aid! Each participant can choose to ski, run on foot or bike. Each participant has to PULL a SLED with all of the nutrition, clothing and survival gear necessary. Yeah. Really.
The race began yesterday in International Falls at a balmy -10F and is still in process as of now. There is a 60 hour time limit. They will finish in Tower, MN.
John Storkamp has won the foot division the past two years and is running the race again. Along with my buddy John are my friends John Taylor, Matt Long, Kevin Martin and yes , Pierre Ostor who is the race director, along with his wife Cheryl.
John S and Pierre O have both finished before..John T, Matt and Kevin are first timers.
If I didn't know these guys so well I wouldn't even be able to imagine such a feat. It is amazing what a body can do; mentally as well as physically. Running/walking 135 miles is something I can actually wrap my head around. By running 116 miles at FANS, I know it can be done without having to be an uber athlete ..but at below zero, in the snow, in northern Minnesota, pulling a sled of goods .. this is difficult so very difficult mentally. I can't grasp it. I don't think I want to grasp it. Damn.
RUN ON, Boys, RUN ON!
Check out Arrowhead 135 Ultra to see updates, rules, results, etc. Cheryl is keeping us all updated!
5 comments:
- SteveQ said...
You've already got 400 miles run this year in arctic temps; you're a lot closer to doing Arrowhead than I am!
I think you would be perfect for this race! Grasp it Julie!
- Steve said...
It's all in the mind,Julie. Well, okay, there's a lot in the legs too, but dealing with the cold and isolation is more mental toughness than physical. You've finished Superior 100, so I think you're more than tough enough. AHU is my goal for next year. Mitch Rossman has been mentoring me and it has been my motivation this winter.
Usually, it's not the distance I have a hard time imagining, it's finding the time to continually train for those distances. A 20 mile run might take me 3 and 1/2 hours, plus the getting to the start, and coming back home/shower/stretch/eat, in no time at all 5 hours is gone and that's hard to fit in on a weekly basis.
In this case, though it's the distance, the cold, the hauling my own stuff AND the training time. Wow! They must really want it.
- Mitch R. said...
The AHU is not a run, it is a sled hauling contest under extreme conditions in very hilly terrain. One must master the gear, the clothes, and the nutrition. Beware, if you attempt it once, you will become addicted.


text: In an ostensible bid to show that they care way more about animals than that stupid old Sarah McLachlan does, Tom Hardy, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tobey Maguire are working on two separate movies about poaching. What's more, they're both in development at the same studio, Warner Bros. The first film, which DiCaprio and Maguire will produce from a script from Sheldon Turner, stars Hardy as a former soldier who takes up the cause to protect rhinos and elephants from poachers in Zimbabwe. Much less is known about the second film, for which a writer has not yet been attached, other than that it'll be a broader look at the global trafficking of illegally obtained animal parts, and that it will probably make much less money than the first one, because audiences can only be guilted about animal rights so many times in a year.


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This post is dedicated to rockabilly pioneer Hasil Adkins, of Boone County, West Virginia. Hasil was found dead in his home today at the age of 67. A one-man band, Hasil played guitar, drums, and sang, all at once, 'cause that's the way he thought it was done when he first heard the music on the radio. A one-of-a-kind original, Hasil conjured the most primitive music imaginable, and I am happy to say I saw him perform once, in Athens, GA. He was supposed to go on around 11:30 PM, but took the stage sometime after 2:30 AM. Over the course of the next 45 minutes he screamed, groaned, moaned, and sang a little, too. At the end, he threw his guitar at a cymbal, kicked over his drums, and stomped off stage with a big grin on his face. So, for Hasil, we'll start this post with a tune. This ditty was sung by Charlie Patton, Leadbelly, and Blind Lemon Jefferson, among others. It's about the bug that tore the South apart.
Mississippi Boweavil Blues: "Sees a little boweavil keeps movin' in; You can plant your cotton and you won't get a half a bale; Boweavil, boweavil, where's your native home?; A-Louisiana raised in Texas, least is where I was bred and born; Well, I saw the boweavil, Lord, a-circle, Lord, in the air; The next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there; Boweavil left Texas, Lord, he bid me: fare ye well; (spoken: Where you goin' now?); I'm goin' down the Mississippi, gonna give Louisiana hell; (spoken: How is that, boy?); Suck all the blossoms and he leave your hedges square; The next time I seed you, you know you had your family there; Boweavil meet his wife: We can sit down on the hill; Boweavil told his wife: Let's trade this forty (acres) in; Boweavil told his wife, says: I believe I may go North; (spoken: Hold on, I'm gonna tell all about that); Let's leave Louisiana, we can go to Arkansas; Well, I saw the boweavil, Lord a-circle, Lord, in the air; Next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there; Boweavil told the farmer that: I 'tain't got ticket fare; Sucks all the blossom and leave your hedges square; Boweavil, boweavil, where your native home?; Most anywhere they raise cotton and corn; Boweavil, boweavil, outta treat me fair; The next time I did you had your family there."
Historically, the South was dominated by agriculture in every way. Whether you were a plantation owner, independent farmer, storekeeper, or sharecropper, your life, and each day in it, revolved around crops. Tobacco was big, corn was not uncommon, but cotton was king. However, as with any king, the reign can't last forever. Before 1900, the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis grandis) didn't exist in the U.S. Then, right round the turn of the century, an odd little insect with a snout half the length of its body appeared near the Mexican border. It so happened that this new arrival could only reproduce on king cotton, and it used its large snout, complete with vicious chewing apparatus, to drill holes in cotton plants for feeding and depositing eggs. The cotton plant had never had to deal with such a pest before, and so it didn't. Instead, large parts of the cotton plant died and dropped off after infestation by boll weevils. These parts of the plant had previously been highly useful: they produced cotton. As for the photos, we've been to Plum Branch before, haven't we?
Around 1914, the weevil arrived in Georgia. By 1921, the agricultural economy (i.e. MOST of the economy) of much of the South was in tatters. Check out the figures for Hancock County, Georgia, which includes Sparta, just west of Augusta and a bit south of I-20, considered to be one of the hardest hit regions in the entire South. In 1919, 19,789 bales of cotton were produced in Hancock County, at a market price of 40 cents per lb. In 1920, 11,685 bales were produced, but they sold for just 16 cents per lb. By 1921, only 1,509 bales were produced, fetching 17 cents per lb. The price went up in 1922 to 23 cents per lb., but only 710 bales were harvested that year. So, between 1919 and 1922, cotton production in Hancock County fell from 19,789 bales to 710 bales. And similar numbers were recorded all over the South. In 1921, the Sparta Ishmaelite reported that, across the South, 10,000 people were starving as a result of the failure of the cotton crop. Thus the boll weevil precipitated the Great Migration, during which everyone that could get out of the South did, and those that couldn't suffered badly.
And there appeared to be no way to stop the weevil. In 1921, desperate farmers tried to kill the weevil by spraying their plants with a mixture of cane syrup, water, and calcium arsenate. The only creatures that really died were the farmer's mules, who liked to lick up the sugary mix. RANDOM ASIDE: In Australia, in 1935, an effort was made to control two types of cane beetle by importing 101 cane toads from Hawaii. What the introducers failed to recognize was that the beetles spent most of their time high up in the cane while the toad, at least under its own power, was rarely airborne. The cane toad is now a serious problem in Australia since it eats anything it can fit in its mouth and is poisonous to boot. Yet another example of our complete ineptitude when it comes to managing our own environment. But, uh, back to the story at hand... In some towns, schools and businesses closed one day a week so that people could go to the fields and kill the pests by hand. Along the coast, the sea cotton industry was wiped-out in one year, never to come back. Below is a photo of the painting I mentioned last time we were near Plum Branch. It's just inside the door of the house in the top shot of that post.
As is often the case in times of economic desperation, even when they result from a force of nature, folks start looking for scapegoats. So it was that in 1921 there were more lynchings in the South than there had been in any year since 1909. In fact, the number of lynchings during each year over the period of worst weevil infestation has been shown to correlate closely (and inversely) with the per acre value of cotton. Also, the Ku Klux Klan began to make large gains in popularity, whereas for the decade or two previous its influence had been much less obvious. Am I suggesting that the boll weevil is responsible for increased attendance at Klan rallies in Georgia? Why, yes, I think I am. There were also some very ugly race-based killings in the state during the weevil years. As literary critic Frederic Jameson has said, "History is what hurts..." The little empty building below is located on Wizard's Cove Dr. and, given the above, the street name might refer to either of two types of wizard. I'd like to think the name comes from the kind of wizard that Black Sabbath sang about, one of which can be seen hovering under the awning.
Toward the end of the 1920's, cotton (the plant) was recovering from the weevil a little bit. But cotton (the industry) was not, and never would. Many farmers had switched crops, and untold numbers of people had fled. Those who kept farming cotton often had to spray their crops up to 20 times a year to keep the weevil at bay, killing the beneficial insects that increased yield, as well. And, of course, the Great Depression was right around the corner. Hancock County, once Georgia's leading farm county, would, 50 years later, have a per capita income on par with the poorest parts of the nation. Below is one of the very first photos I ever took of the type you've seen on this site. It was at the end of a roll of shots I took to document my thesis research for school. I was using a Fuji disposable, just before a rain storm, so the color is a little weird. But I never got back to take any additional photos here, so I present this and the shot below it for the record.


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There are obvious potential cons to a trigger-happy lifestyle with mods—textures breaking and forming horrendous-looking characters and other general bugs (which, even glitches are arguably enjoyable)—but I had never considered Errant Signal's discomfort with them; namely that mods break what was supposed to be the game's original, shared universe.
But if you watch his video above (and skip to about 48 seconds in to get to the good stuff) you'll see that Errant Signal comes to terms with this idea and even suggests that the malleable nature of games actually becomes a part of that universe.
That's always how I've interpreted them, too. It's an expanded universe, with more input from a potentially infinite number of creators. Some of that will be noise, of course, but a lot will enhance the game's experience in a way you'd never know of otherwise. And I'm reminded by that every time clips of the Thomas The Tank Engine mod comes up and I can't help but giggle.
To contact the author of this post, write to firstname.lastname@example.com or find her on Twitter at @tinaamini.


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Welcome to the first ever Forum dedicated to the history and operations of the world's Flying Boats and their crews brought to you by SEAWINGS. Enjoy your stay and come back often! You are more than welcome to contribute, however small or large. Enjoy!
Rajay wrote:Never seen a wing bend like THAT from hitting the water!
Is that a bit of fisheye lens effect in the first photo too where it looks like the left wingtip is bent up just a little bit?
Congrats on getting it back where it belongs!
MrWidgeon wrote:Back due to popular demand ......
1349 N62095 in the 1950s.
1349 N62059 in storage.
1349 N62095 Current.
Watch this space .......
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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2007 News Releases > February 2007 > Wayland Students get Taste of Lobbying in Capital Trip
Wayland Students get Taste of Lobbying in Capital Trip
AUSTIN – Students from Wayland Baptist University and other private schools got a taste of state politics in action while lobbying for a student aid program during TEG Day at the Capitol on Feb. 14 in Austin.
Wayland seniors Jeff Vanlandingham of Plainview and Josh Lubenow of San Antonio, junior Lisa Hamilton of Slaton and sophomore Jordan Kuss of Lubbock made the journey to Austin with students from other West Texas private universities in order to make personal pleas to their respective legislators about the Tuition Equalization Grant, a need-based program which provides funding for private school students in order to make the cost of education more comparable to state schools.
The group arrived on Tuesday, Feb. 13 and took a tour of the capitol building, then met with Carol McDonald, president of Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT), for a briefing about the TEG program.
McDonald encouraged the students to share their personal stories about how beneficial the TEG program has been during visits with individual senators and representatives. She underscored the importance of the visits, held every two years when the state legislature is in session.
"It's really important for members of the legislature to have a face to put with an issue, not just the numbers, which we can give them all day long," McDonald said. She noted that $211 million was appropriated for the TEG in the last legislative session in 2005, and proposed changes made the visits even more vital.
Governor Rick Perry has proposed a blending of the TEG and Texas Grant program, which benefits students of state schools, into the Tuition Assistance Grant, which would provide more funding per student but would operate more like a loan program. The money would have to be repaid by students if they did not graduate in four years and keep a B average.
Students felt the weight of their roles in light of that news.
"This grant is important because I really felt led to attend a Christian school and the tuition is higher here," said Kuss, who is studying early childhood education. "This grant allowed me to be able to attend a Christian school."
Kuss found the workings of the Capitol interesting, as she and her peers sat in on the beginning of sessions of the Senate and the House of Representatives. They also had meetings with the legislators or their staff members on Wednesday morning.
"I thought it was interesting to see how everything works at the Capitol," said Kuss. "I was honored to be asked to come. It was neat to see all these official people and it made me appreciate what they do even more."
Vanlandingham, a married student who is majoring in special education, said he appreciated the chance to be face-to-face with legislators. He made the same trip in 2005.
"These visits are important because it lets our representatives and senators put a face on who the TEG is helping and to hear personal accounts of why we need the grants," he said.
The Wayland group was especially glad to be able to meet with freshman representative Joe Heflin of Crosbyton, who represents Plainview and Hale County as well as several other counties to the south. The students left their thanks and a small token of gratitude from Wayland at the offices of Rep. Delwin Jones of Lubbock, Rep. Carl Isett of Lubbock, Rep. Patricia Van De Putte of San Antonio, Heflin, Senator Robert Duncan of Lubbock, and Sen. David Liebowitz of San Antonio, each of whom represents at least one of the students on the trip.
"I really appreciated the opportunity to come," said Hamilton. "I'm thankful not only for the TEG but also to be able to come on this trip. It's really an honor to represent Wayland here."
The TEG program supports 40 independent colleges in Texas, enrolling 114,716 students and awarding 22 percent of all bachelor's degrees and nearly 25 percent of all graduate degrees in the state. These institutions provided more than $368 million in institutional financial assistance to students in the 2006 fiscal year at no charge to taxpayers, in addition to land, endowment and staffing.
Wayland received $1.8 million in TEG funds for the 2007 fiscal year.


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Health and fitness professionals in the spotlight
Ajay Pant is the new general manager of the Meadow Club in Rolling Meadows, Ill., while Jeff Neuman has been named head tennis professional at the facility. Tennis Corp. of America (TCA) acquired the club on March 1. Pant is formerly of TCA's Forest Grove Athletic Club, while Neuman is formerly of TCA's Willowbrook Athletic Club.
Paramount Fitness Corp. has appointed Rob Wilson as its new southeast regional sales manager.
Thomas Ordemann is the new vice president of operations for Lifestyle Family Fitness LLC, reportedly the largest chain of co-ed fitness facilities in Florida.
Omni Fitness has named veteran retail executive Rick Griner its new president. Effective since April, Griner oversees all day-to-day operations of Omni's commercial business and 60 retail stores.
The Redstone Cos. has promoted Greg Nielson to general manager of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. He had served as assistant general manager for the last six years for the Texas-based club. In addition to Nielson's promotion, Redstone moved Herb Lipsman from his seven-year position as general manager to vice president of development.
Ed Williams is the new president and CEO of Denver-based Wellbridge, the nation's fourth largest athletic club company. Williams' most recent role with Wellbridge had been senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions.


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Tender is the Night Notes & Analysis
The free Tender is the Night notes include comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. These free notes consist of about 98 pages (29,337 words) and contain the following sections:
These free notes also contain Quotes and Themes & Topics on Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Tender is the Night Plot Summary
Rosemary met Nicole and Dr. Dick Diver on summer at the French Riviera. She fell in love with Dick. After spending some time at the Riviera with the Divers, the Norths, and her mother, she left her mother and traveled with the rest of the group to Paris. Here, she shopped with Nicole and enjoyed herself. Dick started to fall in love with her, and they all celebrated her eighteenth birthday. One night, when they returned to the hotel, Abe, who was supposed to have left Paris the day before, showed up drunk and said that Dick had to help him protect a Negro who had helped him identify the person who had stolen money from him. The Negro was in trouble because the other Negroes were angry with him. Feeling that Abe, Rosemary, and Dick wanted some privacy, the Negro went outside to wait in the corridor. Dick told Abe to go and freshen up, and to return later. When Rosemary returned to her room, she found the Negro laying dead on her bed. So that nobody would accuse Rosemary, Dick took his bed sheets and put them on Rosemary's bed, and took Rosemary's and asked his wife, Nicole, to clean them. After putting the body in a believable position on the floor in the corridor, Rosemary and Dick returned to the Diver's suite to find Nicole crying and rocking herself on the bathroom floor, holding the bloody sheets. She had drifted back into insanity. Rosemary returned to her mother.
Dick arrived in Zurich in 1917, at the age of 26, and was a neuropathologist. Nicole had been one of his patients, and was a schizophrenic as she was scared of men. Nicole and Dick fell in love, despite the fact that her sister, Beth, thought that Dick was marrying Nicole for her money, and that there was a big difference in social status between the two families. Beth was always concerned about Nicole's condition, and now, Franz, one of Dick's colleagues, suggested that he and Dick open up a clinic. Beth liked the idea since that would mean that Nicole would live near it. They used Nicole's money to finance it. After eighteen months at the clinic, Dick decided to leave the clinic. One day, upon returning home, there was a letter to Nicole saying that Dick had seduced one of his patients. Although this was not true, they had an argument and got into a car accident. After this, Dick told Nicole that he wanted to go to the Psychiatric Conference in Berlin, although he had no intention of doing this, but needed time away.
During his time away, Dick learned that Abe had died. Dick also started forming a drinking habit. He started falling in love with every girl he saw. During this time, his father died and so he went to America. Here, he saw Rosemary, whom he hadn't seen in four years, and they flirted some more with each other before finally sleeping together. Afterwards, they both realized that they weren't really in love. Dick then got drunk and got into a fight with a cab driver, and ended up at the police station where he punched a policeman. Beth was the one who had to get him out, and he felt ashamed.
When Dick returned, it was obvious that things between him and Nicole were over, and Nicole told him that she had feelings for Tommy Barban, one of their friends who Dick had never liked. Tommy said that he loved Nicole too. Dick spoke with Mary North and she said that everybody had loved him, but that his alcohol problem had caused him to lose many friends. Dick was glad that she was honest with him.


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There seems to be an endless supply of great Phil Mickelson anecdotes.
On Monday, we got a few more courtesy of a Golf Digest article by Luke Kerr-Dineen about Mickelson's tipping habits.
By all accounts, Mickelson is the most generous tipper on the PGA Tour. Sure, he made $53 million last year. But there are plenty are very rich athletes who don't tip the way Phil does.
Here are the best examples from the Golf Digest article:
- He handed out an estimated $10,000 in tips to the course staff at the 2006 U.S. Open.
- He forgot to tip the locker room staff at a tournament in 2008, so he went back and gave them $1,500.
- He'll hand out $300 tips to hostesses at restaurants, even if there's no wait.
The implication is that he walks around with $100 bills for the sole purpose of tipping, although he was caught without his wallet at the Masters and had to borrow a dollar from his caddie in order to pay off a bet with a fan.