text:
Marc K. Siegel MD
Welcome to the web site of Dr. Marc K. Siegel.
Dr. Siegel is a prolific writer, a Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, a Medical Director of Doctor Radio at NYU and SiriusXM, a Fox News Medical Correspondent, a frequent columnist for the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, Slate, FoxNews.com, National Review Online and Forbes Online, and a member of the board of contributors at USA Today.
For health headline updates, twitter
Copyright © 1990-2020 Marc K. Siegel, M.D. All Rights Reserved


text:
Open Modal
Don't leave, use this code for an extra 5% off!
Promo Code:
Dog Lovers
Order now to secure discount
All of our Luggage Covers are custom-made-to-order and handcrafted to the highest quality standards.
Please allow 7-9 days to receive a tracking number while your order is hand-crafted, packaged and shipped from our facility. The estimated shipping time is 2-3 weeks.
Westie Women's Low Top Shoe
I Love My Westie - LIMITED EDITION
Adorable Westie Tote Bag - Pink
Westie Luggage Cover - Pink
Westie Charm Necklace
Westie Charm Earrings
Westie Women's High Top
Westie Men's Low Top Shoes
Westie Men's Low Top Shoe
Westie Luggage Covers-Blue
Westie Car Floor Mat - Front and Back
Did Someone Say Bacon Tote Bag for Corgi Dog Lovers
Corgi Dog Modern Art Tote Bag

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dokesye Surname Ancestry Results
Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'dokesye'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 1 record (displaying 1 to 1):
Try these...
doken dokene dokenfeld dokenffeld dokenfield dokensfield doker dokerell dokerey dokerie dokers dokes dokesbure dokesbury dokeseye dokesford dokeson dokeswoit dokesword dokesworth doket doketon doketone dokett dokette dokgard dokhturov doki dokin dokinfeld doking' dokinges dokington dokisburi dokisey dokker dokket dokkett dokking dokkinge
These sample scans are from the original record. You will get scans of the full pages or articles where the surname you searched for has been found.
Your web browser may prevent the sample windows from opening; in this case please change your browser settings to allow pop-up windows from this site.
Research your ancestry, family history, genealogy and one-name study by direct access to original records and archives indexed by surname.


text:
Comedy literature is a category of writing in which the main emphasis is on humour. These films are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are generally light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences. The comedy genre often humorously exaggerates situations, ways of speaking, or the action and characters. Works in this style traditionally have a happy ending.
This book is an alternative representation of my thoughts, which have been more comprehensively presented in another of my books Writings @ Ankur Mutreja. I felt the need to publish this book separately to cater to the needs of those readers who don't have much time to read books. This book is indeed a light reading.
The book starts with the chapter entitled Satire, which, as the name suggests, comprises pointed attacks on the societal idiosyncrasies and hypocrisies,...
This book presents my views on various issues ranging from contemporary events to personal philosophy. This book is, in fact, a consolidation of my views concretized on my blogs over years – which can be accessed from my website www.ankurmutreja.com – and is divided into four sections: Satire, Reviews, Opinions and Philosophy. I would recommend you to at least check out the first section entitled Satire. Then, you may move onto the Reviews section – as a natural transiti...
A satire of the internet bride/girlfriend industry, with an unexpected twist of character and emotional development
The kid keeps hanging onto Peter's—Pete to his friends, if he had any—legs, and he won't go away.
"Daddy, Daddy, when we gonna snack time?"
Peter, Pete, Daddy, isn't having any of it. He's struggling for air.
"I don't know," wheeze, "later." Sigh. "Go get some food from your sister."
"She's eating all the cheese tubies, says I can't have none."
"Janie, give Little Robbie something to eat." Gasp. "Don't starve your brother, please!"
This series is arranged in levels of reading difficulty ranging from 1 to 6. The easiest is level 1, the hardest level 6.
All these books are royalty free and can be copied used printed and distributed, scrawled on walls, acted out in plays and told (very slowly) to your pet dog, if you don't have a dog a cat will do, but hamsters do not listen as they only speak Spanish.
They are designed to be easily read on a computer and can be printed on standard A4 size paper...
" all the paint and the canvas fell on the floor and I sold it for 20,000, never looked back since."
La historia de Enrico, el Matamoros, escrita de manera anónima por un tal Akbal Kan, forzado seudónimo en lengua maya de un conocido autor de letras hispanas, es, sin ningún margen de duda, la expresión literaria del descontento y la miseria que vive en conjunto el Pueblo de Honduras.
En respuesta a tales desmanes, aparece esta pequeña pero divertida obra, que emplea el humor de las antiguas chanzas castellanas, aunque no su estilo, para ridiculizar, como en aquello...
Don Ibrahim, que se había apartado ya de la religión de sus padres y en cambio adoptado el cristianismo, llevó a casa a un pastor evangélico, "un apóstol" que era popular por aparecer en un espacio televisivo, para que viera a su desdichada y aquejada consorte. No obstante, con las visitas del apóstol el semblante de doña Mina, en vez de mejorar, empeoraba. No eran efectivos ya las tocaduras de los "mantos sagrados de Belén", el beber de las "aguas traídas exclusivamente...
"Atmaghati Nirad Choudhuri" is a welcome answer to Nirad C. Chaudhuri's 'Atmaghati Bangali' and two-volume 'Atmaghati Rabindranath'. In more than a decade since the publication of the first volume of this trilogy on the dire self-destruction of the Bengali people and their greatest poet Rabindranath Tagore, no Bengali has raised his voice against this charge - perhaps because it was framed by a Bengali who penned them in a respectable university town in England, clad in ...
Nirad choudhurir lekhok sottati jeno nirod. sei nirod diya tini sorboda tnahar chondromukhke achchhadito rakhite chahiachhen. Kintu chnade kolonko thakileo chnader dike takaiya keho tahar kolonker kotha chinta kore na, jyotsnai dekhe. Ei kothati mone rakhile byakti niradke chapa dibar jonyo nirodbabu hoyto eto byasto hoiten na. Nirad shobdotir arekti ortho hoilo -nai rod jahar. Orthat jini dontoheen. Othocho Nirad choudhuri sorbodai dongshon koribar chestay totpor thakia...
A narrative wandering through the tribulations of working for a family-owned, privately-run French hotel and the various hurdles involved in dealing with guests.
Every chapter comes alive through Fool's descriptions and illustrative narration.
I'm a desk clerk in a small privately-owned hotel, and that's an awkward situation for me because,
fundamentally I'm an inward, and by that I mean socially inept, individual. Dealing with strangers
on a daily basis is not just difficult for me—demanding an exuberance for my fellow man which I
simply do not posses—it is slightly painful at times, at times embarrassing. And, because I have a
very low tolerance for either idiocy or pretence, sometimes it becomes almost ...
What's better than a comedy about an unhinged woman, kidnapping a man with dementia, bestiality, friends, family and the tribulations of relationships? A book about all of those things set in Yorkshire of course!
Jenna Jaghe, an unmarried bridal shop owner, has spent the best part of the last year attempting to conform to the 50's good housewife guide that has been rammed down her throat by her uppity boyfriend, James Flannigan and his bourgeois mother. Her Saturday ev...
Wine o'clock – Best night ever again until it no longer was.
Sod off James – the millstone around my neck – was the general consensus amongst mi mates and it didn't take much coercing for me to adopt their way of thinking (well deindividuation is a real problem amongst group members) and on that note I cannot really be held responsible for the catastrophe that happened next.
So after telling James to simmer darn when he reprimanded me again for going OTT during happy h...
Esta selección y compilación de chistes del humor político popular cubano contiene cerca de 800 chistes de los que circulan en Cuba.
Los sociólogos que se han dedicado a la recopilación y estudio del humor político en el socialismo, conocen que es difícil rastrear el origen de cada uno de los chistes, ya que al tener todos esos países condiciones de escasés, represión, ineficacia y autoritarismo similares, los chistes creados en un país pasan a otros de manera clandesti...
Este libro, publicado en los Estados Unidos por el autor en el exilio, y naturalmente prohibido en Cuba, constituye un monumento al espíritu indomable de algunos hombres heroicos y divertidos, que no dejarían morir la risa en Cuba, aún en medio de un adoctrinamiento interminable.
Editor's note: Dexter Dietz, the Chuckwalla Reveille's owner and publisher, remains under federal witness protection while awaiting the unlikely but hoped for trial in the Hague of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir. I first met Dietz in San Francisco's Haight, after knocking on an apartment door with the inscription "Only the illusion doesn't deceive." He later became involved in shadowy transactions involving weapons transfers in Southern Sudan. Returning to the State...
Leaders in Motion
A regular Reveille feature profiling vanguard personalities in the Tri-Desert area. This week we catch up with 17-year-old Boy Scout first class Henry Pipps, the highest ranking scout in Troop 354 and a senior at Chuckwalla High.
Reveille: You were shot recently.
Pipps: "Not the first time. What happened, I was working on a community service project by helping Bert (Bertinelli) at the Chamber of Commerce with a promotion for the Convergence Cen...
De coach van een voetbalteam van zaterdagamateurs wil wel eens aan het EK meedoen. Dat levert een epidemie van lachstuipen op die heel Europa aansteekt.
What happens when the Bible smashes into The Princess Bride? A thirteen page screenplay is written presenting biblical scenes through slightly modified Princess Bride quotes for the primary purpose of giving NCFCA Open material to interp and perform of course!
With wit, humor, and a moral, all wrapped up in a fresh, entertaining package!
David - 'So what happens now?'
Goliath - 'We face each other as God intended... sportsmanlike. No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone. '
David - 'You mean, I'll put down my rock and you'll put down your sword and we'll try and kill each other like civilized people?
Goliath - 'I could kill you now. '
David - 'Frankly, I think the odds are slightly in your favor at hand fighting.'
Goliath - 'It's not my fault being the biggest and the strongest. I don't even exercise.'
"Een feest van humor en herkenning" (Algemeen Lachblad).
"In één ruk uitgelezen" (Het Blije Volk)
Jan de Beer stond op en sloeg met zijn vuist op de tafel. Het gedonder in de lege koffiekopjes was genoeg voor Tante Truus om nog een keer met de kan rond te gaan en voor de overige aanwezigen om hun kop te houden, want anders konden ze de volgende knal van Jan op hun achterhoofd verwachten. Jan was altijd kort en duidelijk: "Als ik mag kiezen tussen de bekerfinale spelen in de Kuip of een miljoenencontract bij een Arabische sjeik, dan kies ik de finale. En als we dat ni...
A collection of jokes.
Bib Koober is a dwarf who wants to be a cop in 1970's Winchester, Virginia. Thanks to a childhood tragedy and a mother who likes to party a little too much, Bib joins with the Hero Squad to take down the forces of evil who want to flood Northern Virginia with a scary new drug called "mofo."
"Why is the best novel of 2015 only 53 pages? I want more!"
Arold Chig, Omaha Literary Review of Literature
"Bib Koober is every dwarf stereotype and shallow cliche come to lif...
A group of old gay, college friends get together in a rural cabin for a weekend of wine, memories, choreographed dance routines, pot roast, cookies, sex, and conflict.
Peaches finally emerged from the kitchen carrying a large platter covered by a metal cloche.
"Dinner is now available for you to consume right now," he whispered airily.
"I can't wait!" Rod exclaimed excitedly.
"You will not have to wait for your dinner for I have it my hands in front of you," Peaches said softly.
With that he lifted the cloche. The people at the table stared at the platter in shock.
"Are those cookies?" Tugger said weakly.
"And are...
Peter Durant is a lonely divorcee, a failed artist and a very negative man. His antics lead him to find that he has lost all his friends and only a change of heart can bring him back to life.
Audiobook (Part 1) available - fbthompson3.com
What would America look like in 2050, if the liberals ultimately prevail? Pushing discourse down to the same high-sounding, muddled thinking of the geniuses on 'the left;' through vapid, touchy-feely, non-erudite, irrational conclusions and illogical, logical sounding arguments. The book the publishing houses would never let see the light of day.
The year is 2020 when Professor Felix Schwartz, your typical, garden variety, liberal college professor, steps out in front of a Mack truck and the lights go out. Thirty years pass by, all the while Schwartz remains a walking vegetable and ward of the state.
By 2050 the country has gone through some changes thanks to a dramatic shift in the makeup in the country's populace giving liberals (referred to as assclowns, moonbats, goofnads, or asshats) control over Washing...
Levon Monk, a heart-broken drug dealer, suffers an identity crisis after inventing a new strain of psychedelic mushrooms that make him famous on the internet.
As the drugs take hold, Levon has an out of body experience. His consciousness slowly floats up into the air. He sees the camp shrinking below him. The dog pack barks at the sky as if they can
see his soul floating into space.
Levon's mind is transported to a two dimensional universe built
entirely out of triangles. He finds himself in a triangular body. He is
one of thousands of triangular people interlocked into a great
worldwide mosaic. The new Triangle Levon c...
Amuzaj Rakontoj. Jen - pri duviva kato, pri nigra mono, pri hontdevanta fierulo, pri trinkaĵoj por varmega tago, pri strangaj procesioj, pri direktoro sendirekta, pri efikoj de blovado, pri profeto kaj profito, pri flugtrejnado de anĝeloj, pri vojaĝo al Esperantopolo.
Ŝtopilo estis la nomo de la ĥemiinstruisto. Memkompreneble jen ne lia ĝusta nomo, sed tio ne speciale interesu. Ĉiuj nomis lin Ŝtopilo, iam eĉ li sin mem. Ŝtopilo estis iomete dikeca bonhumora fraŭlo. Li certe jam estis pasinta sian vivan apogeon kaj fakte laŭ la firma opinio de la plimulto de siaj klasanoj li estis tute senseksa. Pro tio eble kelkaj krizaj butonoj de lia pantalonfendo regule troviĝis en malfermita stato, fenomeno, kiu estis interrompita nur dum la mallo...


text:
- News
- Business
- Sports
- Entertainment
- Lifestyle
- Health
- Travel
- Technology
Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but I left my liver.
Recently, my partner-in-wine and I spent four days and nights eating and drinking our way across California's City by the Bay. We rode historic cable cars, dined on a vintage train, weathered thunderstorms in a tiki bar and slammed back hair-raising concoctions under the watchful eye of Sasquatch. It was a boozy, sometimes uncomfortable job, filled with grogginess, meat sweats and sore feet, but such is the life of a tourist with a thirst for knowledge and a bar with a decent happy hour.
And what better way to enjoy the unfamiliar pleasures of American drink specials than popping into the Urban Tavern. Located a few stumbles away from Union Square underneath the Hilton Hotel, this stylish gastropod focuses on re-invented contemporary American cuisine. In addition to sourcing 80 per cent of its ingredients from local purveyors, its happy hour starts at the kindergarten teacher-friendly time of 3 p.m. and features half price cocktails and wines, and $4 beers, including local Anchor Steam. Sweet relief.
If it's more exotic climes you're after, a trip to San Francisco isn't the same without trekking up Nob Hill and paying your respects to the Fairmont Hotel's Tonga Room. Specializing in tropical drinks with enough rum to stave off malaria, this authentic Polynesian lounge has been burning its tiki torch from both ends since 1945. Rumoured to be not long for this world due to a planned condo redevelopment, the Tonga Room is an oasis of kitsch with thatched roofs, a swimming pool fashioned into a lagoon, fake lightning and rain every half hour, old waitresses in tropical shirts and a happy hour that includes a $10 buffet. I unwisely decide to save my money for a stiff Mai Tai and something called a Bora Bora, which I've since renamed "I Think I've Gone Temporarily Blind."
Having regained my sight, we amble, which sounds much more respectable than stagger, down Polk Street to the Bigfoot Lodge. With its log-cabin interior and imposing Bigfoot statue in the corner, it's easy to imagine the Unabomber sulking at the bar, sipping on a nature-defying concoction known as the Sasquatch, which might be why I feel both mauled and bombed after one drink. But we still have one more watering hole to hit before passing out for the night.
By the time we reach Bourbon and Branch, discreetly located on the edge of the Tenderloin, I've perked up enough to remember the secret password emailed to me earlier in the day that will gain us admittance into the former Prohibition-era speakeasy. With its strictly enforced no cellphones, no standing at the bar, no loud talking, no Cosmos rules, I fear the password "struggle" will be an omen for the rest of the evening. However, the only difficulty I encounter is deciding which fabulous sounding "labour intensive" drink to order. In the end I go with the bar's ode to 33rd U.S. president Harry Truman, The Democrat, made with bourbon, peach liqueur, honey and fresh squeezed lemon juice. I'd hate to think what a drink dedicated to Hoover would entail.
Day two, we focus our attention on the former beatnik enclave of North Beach and Little Italy. And thanks to the Local Tastes of the City walking tour, we cover plenty of ground and history in three packed hours, sipping on cappuccinos from family-run Caffe Roma, popping back decadent truffles at XOX Truffles and sampling homemade foccacia from the 100-plus-year-old Liguria Bakery.
For dinner we kick it old school and investigate what lurks behind the vintage neon sign of John's Grill, a 101-year-old quintessentially American eatery, which even gets name-checked in crime writer Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon. Surrounded by autographed photos of actors, musicians and rat packers, I invoke my inner Don Draper and order an Old Fashioned. It also might have something to do with the fact I feel insecure with my masculinity after ordering seafood pasta while my girlfriend ploughs threw a ribeye steak. Either way, I leave feeling satisfied and wishing I had hair on my head so I could use pomade.
The next morning we leave the boozy confines of San Fran for the Napa Valley Wine Train, which makes for a pleasant, debauchery-free daytrip. After an hour-long ferry across the bay, we take a shuttle to Napa where we wine and dine in a restored 1947 Vista Dome car (the 1915-17 Pullman dining and lounge cars are also an option). Executive chef Kelly Macdonald, who looks eerily like Conan O'Brien, heads the impressively streamlined onboard kitchen while diners ride the rails for a leisurely 36-mile roundtrip through the bucolic Napa Valley.
After getting ferried back to the mainland, we cap off the day with a stop at downtown's bustling Chez Papa, where San Francisco's beautiful people, modern French cuisine and gourmet cocktails, including an invigorating blood orange margarita, stylishly bump uglies.
For our final full day in town, we head over to the Mission, fuelling up at Four Barrel Coffee and quaint neighbourhood breakfast joint Tangerine, which serves up such morning delights as coconut pancakes with ginger syrup and Blue Crab omelets with gruyere cheese and fresh guacamole, before heading down hipster-friendly Valencia Street. In addition to second hand stores, clothing boutiques, taco stands and graffiti adorned side streets such as Clarion Alley, the vibrant neighbourhood is home to 826 Valencia, a nonprofit pirate supply store and writing program for youth, established by McSweeney's publisher and author Dave Eggers.
Armed with eye patches and a copy of Eggers' latest, Zeitoun, we bus back to the SoMa neighbourhood (apparently every town has one) to pay a well-earned visit to the Barber Lounge. The upscale barbershop and hair salon also operates as an art gallery and hosts parties and DJ nights, but I was there for an ultra relaxing 45-minute hot towel shave courtesy of a sure-handed fellow named Cornelius. The complimentary wine and beer for customers is also a nice touch.
Rendering me silky smooth and slightly comatose, it was the perfect end to an overindulgent San Francisco vacation, where I not only left my heart, stomach and liver but a bit of stubble as well.
If you go...
For more info on San Francisco, go to www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com, where you can also learn about its comprehensive CityPass (www.citypass.com), which offers free admission and discounts to local attractions.
The art deco-styled Hotel Fusion offers inexpensive boutique accommodations near Union Square and public transit. For more info, go to www.hotelfusionsf.com.


text:
We're having our first true cold spell, temperatures dipped below freezing last night and are forecasted to do so again tonight. Frank wrapped our exposed pipes and set the pool filter to run all night. So far, so good. We learned the lesson of preparedness last year when the sprinkler pipe burst.
The cold front was in full force yesterday. It was damn cold. We're all bundled up, and each year it seems colder. My blood keeps thinning. I really don't know how all of you back east deal with the winter - negative temps, sleet, and snow. Really, how do you do it? I can barely deal with 40's and strong winds. Winter hasn't even officially begun and I'm already counting down the days until summer returns.
Even Frank was all bundled yesterday, he broke down and bought a coat this year. He broke it in yesterday and was still chilled. We went out for lunch, I wanted to try this little taco shop I had heard good about. It is Taqueria Los Parados at Sahara/Valley View. We sought it out, only to find it has closed. It's a shame, I never got to try their carne asada or shrimp tacos. I heard they were fantastic. Nearby is Vinny Boy's Italian Deli, we tried that instead. I ordered an Italian sub which came with pasta salad. Frank had eggplant parm, it came with garlic knots. I make better sandwiches. The eggplant was tough, and the sauce was super acidic. We won't be back.
Fortunately, better eats are planned for tomorrow. I was originally cooking for ten, but I'm down to nine. I'm hopeful everything is a success. Happy Thanksgiving all! Enjoy the holiday!


text:
Writer-director James Gray is quickly assembling an A-list cast for his upcoming film, a horribly bleak tale about one woman's journey to America.
Marion Cotillard has signed on for Gray's "Low Life," in which she'll star as a young Polish woman who sets sail for Ellis Island with her sister, who gets sick during the trip, forcing Cotillard's character to trade sex for medicine. Upon their arrival in the New World, Cotillard is allowed in, but her papers identify her as a person of low moral fiber.
Joaquin Phoenix, who's worked with Gray on his previous three films ("The Yards," "We Own The Night" and "Two Lovers"), will play a guy who convinces Cotillard to start turning tricks. And Jeremy Renner is in talks to play Phoenix's cousin, a magician who romances Cotillard and offers her a fresh start. Sounds like fun.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
In the meantime, Cotillard can currently seen in Woody Allen's great new film, "Midnight in Paris," and is at work on "Dark Knight Rises," Renner can be seen--very briefly--in "Thor" and will be in the new "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" on Dec. 16, and Phoenix is at work on Paul Thomas Anderson Scientology-inspired film, "The Master," or whatever it's called these days.


text:
MTA: Foul play not suspected in train death
The MTA doesn't suspect foul play in the death of 55-year-old Kevin Murphy, who was struck and killed by a train in Noroton Heights Monday morning, according to an email sent by spokesman Aaron Donovan.
The MTA police department is still investigating the events, but stated preliminary information indicates that at the time he was struck, Murphy was on the track adjacent to the station's westbound platform.
Murphy was killed by the 5:38 a.m. train out of New Haven.
"Kevin was a senior banker at Brooks, Houghton & Company, a New York-based merchant bank," said John Y. Freeman, the bank senior managing director, in an email to the Darien News. "He was a person who worked tirelessly and was a pleasure to be around on a daily basis."
Murphy worked at the bank since 2008. He had more than 30 years experience in the finance sector, including positions as managing director of Dominick & Dominick LLC and as a senior vice president of General Electric Capital Corporation.
"We feel a tremendous loss at Brooks Houghton from this tragic accident that took Kevin from us in his prime," Freeman continued. "He was the consummate professional and an important resource to his many clients. Kevin leaves a tremendous legacy with his outstanding family and his many friends and respected relationships.
Murphy earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Yale University and an MM in finance and accounting from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, according to his company profile.
Donovan said the matter is still under investigation and could take months to conclude. The MTA asks that any eyewitnesses to this incident call the MTA PD Communications Center at 718-361-2207 and ask for the on-call detective supervisor.
Murphy is survived by his wife, Jamey, and their five children, Cameron, Haley, Kevin Jr. ("Kip"), Kendall, and Tim. He is also survived by his five siblings, Vincent Murphy III of Newtown, Pa., Patricia Stuebe of Rye, N.Y., Daniel Murphy of Darien, Michaela Hoag of Atherton, Calif., and Karen Murphy of Far Hills, N.J.; and more than 20 nieces and nephews. He also was the son of Patricia D. Murphy and the late Vincent B. Murphy Jr. of Far Hills, N.J.
The family will receive friends at the Edward Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Boston Post Road, Darien, from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 7. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Thomas More Church, 374 Middlesex Road, Darien, on Friday, March 8, at 10:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Kevin P. Murphy Memorial Trust, P.O. Box 852, Darien CT 06820.


text:
PBS NewsHour's legendary Jim Lehrer is retiring after 35 years, ending the longest run of an anchor on a national news show.
The 76-year-old reporter was nicknamed the "Dean of Moderators" by CNN's Bernard Shaw for the significant political debates he's hosted and his fair, unaggressive style of moderating. But the familiar face told The Associated Press it was time for something new.
"There comes a time to step aside from the daily process, and that day has arrived," Lehrer said. He will officially step down the week of June 6.
The Emmy award-winning journalist isn't completely leaving journalism--or PBS--just yet. Lehrer said he will continue to moderate a weekly news analysis feature with Mark Shields and David Brooks on many Fridays.
Lehrer hosted the last presidential debate between Barack Obama and Senator John McCain in 2008. There is no word yet if he will continue to moderate big debates in the future.
"NewsHour," an evening TV newscast, will make the transition from Lehrer's retirement by setting up a rotating two-person anchor team.
Selected Reading: The Associated Press, PBS NewsHour, The Washington Post


text:
All About Baby
Your baby's lungs and brain are beginning to mature. Although he'd have a good chance of survival if he were born now, he could use a few more weeks of growing. Added layers of fat are continuing to form. These layers will help your baby regulate his temperature once outside the womb and help keep him warm.
Remember to count your fetal movements. Every fetus has its most active times (and often it's late at night when you are trying to catch a few zzzzs!). During his active periods, your baby should move 10 times an hour. Choose an hour, and mark each movement on a piece of paper. If your baby hasn't moved 10 times, drink some juice and count again for another hour. You should call your doctor if the baby hasn't moved at least ten times during any two-hour stretch.
All About You
Your fears—of delivery, failure as a parent, changing lives and relationships, finances, pain, and more—are all common. Talking about them can help. Writing them in a journal can help, too. And sharing them with your partner (who is undoubtedly feeling some of the same fears) can aid you both as you work through these challenging times.
As your baby bump expands, you may experience a few growing pains: Your skin may itch as it stretches. Meals may be smaller, but you may want to eat more often as your stomach has less room. Heartburn and indigestion can be frequent as your stomach is pushed up closer to your esophagus. And the added baby weight puts pressure on your bladder, meaning you're still visiting the bathroom often.
Fear of Labor
If you're terrified by the idea of labor, you're not alone. Maybe you worry you won't know you're going into labor, that the pain will be too intense, or that you'll have an emergency C-section. Theses concerns are normal, but by learning more about what scares you, you'll feel better about delivery day.
Worried about knowing you're in labor
In the weeks leading up to your baby's birth you may feel Braxton Hicks contractions regularly. These false contractions, which feel like a tightening in the abdomen, give your uterus a slight workout. Once you slow down, put your feet up, and have a glass of water these contractions usually subside.
There's a helpful method to figure out whether your contractions are false or labor-inducing, explains Dr. William Camann, MD, director of obstetric anesthesia at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and coauthor of Easy Labor: Every Woman's Guide to Choosing Less Pain and More Joy During Childbirth. Touch your finger to your nose — feel the resistance? Now put your finger on your forehead. It feels tighter, harder. The difference in touch between the two is like the difference between Braxton Hicks and real contractions. Your forehead is like real contractions, tight and hard, explains Dr. Camann, whereas your nose is still hard but slightly squishy, as with false contractions.
Braxton Hicks contractions may make you nervous, but they're normal. Let your healthcare provider know the frequency of any false labor pains. Keep in mind that as you get closer to your due date, your healthcare provider will be able to evaluate whether you may go into labor sooner than expected. Your appointments, once monthly, will now be biweekly — and later, weekly.
There are plenty of women who have gone to the hospital thinking they're in labor, only to have the contractions stop. If you have any concerns or doubts, call your healthcare provider.
Worried about the pain of labor
Concerned labor will be painful? Many women are. You have several options when it comes to pain management on delivery day. Now is the time to talk to your healthcare provider about your birth plan. A birth plan is simply what you have in mind for your delivery. You can type up a document to give to your healthcare provider or go over your preferences in the doctor's office. Before you prepare this plan, discuss with your healthcare provider what pain medications may interest you.
By preparing a birth plan and understanding your options, you should feel better about pain you may experience during childbirth. Remember that you may change your mind once in labor: maybe you'll decide to go without medications; maybe you'll choose stronger pain medications than you planned on.
Taking childbirth classes may also ease your labor fears. Once you have a good understanding of what will happen on delivery day you won't have to be anxious about any surprises — you'll know what to expect.
Worried your baby will have problems
Your fear of labor might be tied into worries your baby may have problems, or your delivery will be fraught with complications. While there are no guarantees everything with your delivery will go smoothly, complications are the exception, not the rule, reminds Dr. Camann.
Got questions about Week 27? Other women have asked…
Q: What kind of classes should I take to prepare for the labor/birth of my baby?
Most parents assume that they must take a childbirth class with little regard to their own wishes relating to the birth. Are you planning on having an epidural? Has it been determined that you need a C-section? Do you wish to have an unmedicated delivery? When making the decision about where and with whom to take a childbirth class, talk to the instructor to find out what about their philosophy is regarding types of birth. Read more about childbirth classes.
Q: I have tons of girl's names I like, but I just found out I'm having a boy! Help!
You can start by transforming and recycling the list you have — and turn that Chloe into Colby, or Daisy into a Duke. Eloise, a variation of Louise, can become Louis or Lou. Surnames and word names can give you gender-neutral alternatives, too. Read more baby name ideas.
Q: I'm 27 weeks pregnant and my pubic bone hurts. Is there anything I can do?
The condition that you are describing sounds like symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). As your pregnancy progresses, your pubic bones need to separate in order for your baby to pass through during delivery. Pregnancy hormones relax the cartilage between the pubic bones to make this possible. Read more about SPD.
Your Partner
The Importance of Childbirth Classes
Attending birthing classes and taking a hospital tour are two important things you can do to get ready for the birth of your baby. Knowledge is power, and the more you know the better.
Classes will help you understand the process of labor and delivery (and how you can best help your partner during childbirth), familiarize yourself with the facility where your little one will be born, and get an idea of what Baby will be like the first few hours of life and beyond.
Are you nervous about the actual birth? Many men are. Classes can help you prepare for seeing your partner in pain and give you tips on how to personally manage the stress of watching a medical procedure. While some men may joke that pregnant life is always about women and babies, when it comes to giving birth it really is. You'll need to work through your anxieties or fears now so that you can help fulfill the needs of your partner and child during birth.
You hope the labor and delivery will go smoothly, but just in case it doesn't, you'll need to act as an advocate for your partner and baby. For some men, this can be surprisingly stressful. For the first time, you may feel torn by the needs of your partner and the needs of a new baby. Balancing out these emotions takes time. Being aware of and prepared for this possibility can help you manage these feelings more comfortably.
Take the time now to discuss with your partner how you feel about labor and delivery, your partner, your baby-to-be, and your new role as a father. Doing so while you're both calm and clear-headed can make a big difference when the time comes for Baby to arrive.


text: The wait is over: Windows 8 has arrived. After many, many months of talking about Windows 8, Microsoft officially releases the new operating system on Friday. You can buy an upgrade pack or a new Windows 8 device (including Surface RT) on Oct. 26. See Also:- Wired's Review of Windows 8 FAQ: Windows 8 vs Windows RT Microsoft Surface RT Tablet Review With the exciting new era for Microsoft comes a huge list of changes to Windows. Not only is the interface totally different, there are several new features and capabilities. Here are our 10 favorites, plus one that gets honorary mention. Easy Gestures Windows 8 is the first truly gestural version of Windows. The OS supports intuitive simple touch gestures like swiping in from the left to switch apps and swiping in from the right for the Charms menu. Semantic zoom is another big winner. Whether you're in the Start Screen or a specific app, like the People hub, you can navigate using the pinch-to-zoom gesture to get a high-level view. For example, you can use semantic zoom in the News app to see all of the news sections available, instead of having to scroll through the app. Other useful gestures include swiping in from the top of the screen for app-specific commands and settings and dragging an app from the top down to close it out.Live Tiles and Lock Screen The apps you use in Windows 8 can feed you information without you even having to open them. This is especially helpful with home-bred Microsoft apps like Mail, Calendar, Photos and News, for viewing new e-mail, upcoming events, thumbnail images and the latest headlines. Third-party app developers can also take advantage of the Live Tile feature. For example, LivingSocial shows you snippets of new deals in your area. If you're sick of a specific app's constantly changing tile, you can always turn the Live Tile feature off. Microsoft has also given more life to the lock screen in Windows 8. You can select up to seven apps that will constantly run in the background and send notifications to the lock screen. You can also select between the Weather and Calendar apps to show information on the Lock Screen at all times. Got a meeting coming up? Your Lock Screen can tell you.System-Wide Search Windows 8 offers a great tool for searching for files, apps, and specific settings directly from the Start Screen, just by typing. If an app comes with built-in search, you'll also be able to quickly search within that apps from the Search charms bar. For example, say you want to search for "food trucks." The Windows 8 search will be able to look through any apps or files related to food trucks, but you can also just tap Bing to jump into that app's search functionality.Refresh and Reset With Windows 8, Microsoft now offers a very easy way to refresh or reset your PC. The refresh option is especially useful when you find your PC acting slow or buggy. In a one-click or one-tap move, you can refresh the PC without changing any of your files, Windows Store apps, or personalization settings. All of the PC settings will be changed back to the default, and you will lose any desktop programs since those are not synced with your Windows Account. Still, if it comes down it, it's a easy fix. Reset, on the other hand, is great for when you want to hand off your old PC to a new owner. If you want to make sure that everything is wiped, this is your go-to button. No more having to delete individual files or go through manufacturer-specific programs to figure it out. You can find both features in the Charms bar: Click Settings, choose "Change PC Settings" and go to the "General" section.Settings Sync No matter what PC, tablet or notebook you use, you'll be able to sync your personal settings. Thanks to the Microsoft account and Windows 8's cloud-friendly platform, your personalizations can travel with you. The "Sync your settings" option within your PC settings lets you sync personalizations (background, colors, lock screen and account picture), passwords, language preferences, app settings, browser settings, and more. It makes using a new device much easier and makes borrowing a friend's tablet or notebook a more personal experience.Snap View for Multitasking Windows Store apps, which default to full-screen mode, can also snap next to each other for super simple multitasking. When you snap two apps side-by-side, one occupies a small sliver of the screen (about one-fourth) on the right or left. A second app takes up more space for a larger view. This is especially useful for times when you want to, say, chat with a friend while browsing the web. Or perhaps you want to view Map directions while your road-trip partner (or kid) watches a movie. It's a quick and simple way to do two tasks at once, without having to constantly switch through apps, tabs, or windows.Pin Anything The Start Screen isn't useful only for its Live Tiles and customization. It's also a virtual bulletin board where you can pin specific websites and particular sections from apps. For example, you can pin individuals from the People hub directly to your Start Screen for quick access. If you're a big fan of the Travel app but you only want to look at certain destinations, you can pin them for convenience. Pin Shanghai to your Start Screen before your big vacation, and switch it out for your next destination at a later date. You can always pin and un-pin items from your Start Screen.Share Everything Windows 8 brings sharing to the fore. If something is shareable, Microsoft wants you to share it, and not only with friends, but with other apps. When you're in an app, open up the charms bar and tap the Share button (or hold the Windows key and the H key on your keyboard). You'll see exactly where you can share your item, whether it's an image, link or section within an app. The Share menu will let you post to your social networks and e-mail, but you'll also be able to share between apps. For example, you can share a link for the weather in New York from the Weather app to the Clipboard or Sticky Notes 8 (a third-party app I downloaded). The Share charm will even start to recognize where and with whom you share the most.Task Manager Not all of the best features are limited to the new Start Screen environment. The Task Manager in Windows 8's desktop environment is much improved. The tool has several new features and is much more intuitive to use. Once you launch the program, you'll see a complete list of everything that's running on your device, separated by section: apps, background processes, and Windows processes. You can see how much of your device's resources each app or process takes. You can also drill down even further. For example, you can open up each window in a browser app or right click a process and choose "search online" to understand what it does. The Performance tab gives you an at-a-glance status update on your CPU, Memory, Disk, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi usage in moving charts. App history shows you how much CPU and bandwidth your apps have used over time, making it easy to identify which apps take the most resources. The Startup tab lets you manage which apps will start automatically when you turn on your computer. The Users tab shows you usage based on the devices various users, while the Services tab lets you go through your services to restart services. In short, the Task Manager adds much more functionality in a far more attractive space.The Interface OK, this is a cop-out, but Windows 8's best feature is its radically new interface. Without it, you wouldn't have all the other features mentioned here. The stunning Start Screen UI enables a completely new Windows experience. While you might have complaints about how it doesn't work as well with a keyboard and mouse -- or on a desktop PC -- it's hard to label Windows 8 as anything but a step forward for Microsoft. The chromeless, full-screen Windows Store apps are incredibly slick, and navigating the Start Screen is quick and seamless. Windows 8 is speedy, and the new look only enhances this.Honorary Mention: Keyboard Commands Yes, Windows 8 does work most naturally in a touch- or gesture-based environment. But if you're using a traditional mouse and keyboard, Microsoft has enabled tons of new keyboard shortcuts to let you access the best Windows 8 tools. Here's a list of some of the most useful commands (courtesy of Microsoft): Windows logo key + start typing: Search your PC Ctrl+plus (+) or Ctrl+minus (-): Zoom in or out of many items, like apps pinned to the Start screen or in the Store Ctrl+scroll wheel: Zoom in or out of many items, like apps pinned to the Start screen or in the Store Windows logo key + C: Open the charms Windows logo key + F: Open the Search charm Windows logo key +H: Open the Share charm Windows logo key +I: Open the Settings charm Windows logo key + K: Open the Devices charm Windows logo key + O: Lock the screen orientation (portrait or landscape) Windows logo key + Z: Open commands for the app Windows logo key + PgUp: Move the Start screen and apps to the monitor on the right (apps in the desktop won't change monitors) Windows logo key + PgDn: Move the Start screen and apps to the monitor on the left (apps in the desktop won't change monitors) Windows logo key + Shift+period (.): Snap an app to the left Windows logo key + period (.): Snap an app to the right


text:
Music Production | Sound Design
A Bit About Me:
Hey Everyone! Thanks much for visiting my Profile Page. I really hope you enjoy what you hear.
Where to begin? The beginning . . . OK, not that far back. How about MTV, New York City. A few weeks after moving to NYC a friend of mine approached me and said he heard MTV was hiring. A week later I had a job. Nice. This was before MTV was bought by Viacom so the atmosphere was, let's say, fun. And what a place to learn. To get in on the ground floor of what has become one of the most successful brands on the planet was an extraordinarily valuable experience and one that I look back on with great fondness. What was especially exciting was being able to turn some of the best creatives at the network into clients when I started my own company, 505 Productions. 505 was intimately involved in the very first branding campaign for VH-1, which ended up being a huge success. This was the springboard for my career. What I learned from my days at MTV and what has stayed with me throughout the years is this: quality works, quality lasts and quality sells. This is what I've tried to deliver throughout my professional career in whatever capacity I have functioned.


text:
Even someone who has been living under a rock for the last five or so years would be aware of the confusion, misconception and questions that exist regarding generic prescription drugs, especially the largest selling online, by far, Viagra (Sildenafil Citrate) and other drugs used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Some people believe much of the misinformation published by those who would have them pay ten times more for genuine drugs rather than the far cheaper generic versions. Much of the confusion and misconception exists because, understandably, many can't see how the generic drug can be the same thing but be so cheap. Well, here is why the vast difference exists. It's no secret, nor is it difficult to understand. It's simply economics versus opportunism (although sometimes justified).
The following applies to all generic drugs sold through online pharmacies and in retail pharmacies on the street. There is no difference.
When the drug is first researched, discovered and developed, it takes a number of years and many, many millions (if not billions) of dollars in research, failure, more research, testing through multiple stages. Then come the trials, which have to satisfy the likes of the FDA (most countries have their own version of the FDA), which can, again, take years and more millions and even still fail for one reason or another.
Once the drug is approved by the authorities as safe (or relatively so, with the appropriate warnings…), the drug company then have to spend more millions and months marketing and promoting it to the public and the medical profession and wait for them to become confident in the product. Then comes the mass manufacture, packaging, wholesaling, and distribution etc of the tablets or whatever form the drug tales.
Interestingly, for instance, from the time the patent was taken out on Viagra in 1993 it took five years, till 1998, before it could be sold. Huge investments in money, time and resources, which the drug company (and shareholders) needed desperately to recover, hopefully in short order. Who can blame them, really? It's a huge investment and huge risk with any new drug and some don't end up being worthwhile.
That's why any original drug is relatively expensive compared to it's generic counterpart. At least for the first decade or so, while these enormous investments are being recovered. Very simple indeed.
Now for generic drugs, of which there are many. First of all, they are generally manufactured overseas because of cheaper labor and production costs and also because the patent doesn't allow for them to be made or sold in the U.S. (if that's where they were originally discovered and patented) except by the patent owner. They can however, be imported, in personal quantities by individuals, in most countries.
Before we go any further, as I said, many other countries have their own versions of the FDA, which are every bit as stringent and effective. Those countries that don't have such an authority rely on the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) to approve and monitor the manufacture of already proven pharmaceuticals. Let's face it, when people get sick in Australia, Britain, India, Russia, China, Japan etc and take the drugs made in their own country, they get better. The U.S is NOT the only place in the world that can be trusted to make quality, safe and effective pharmaceuticals. It would be silly and cynical to think so.
In fact, it may surprise some that the bulk ingredients for some so-called 'US manufactured' drugs are actually imported from other countries, so let's be realistic!
The Generic drug that is purchased online is GENERALLY made in pharmaceutical facilities, which are approved by authorities much the same as the FDA and/or W.H.O. It is also interesting to note that vast amounts of GENERIC drugs like antibiotics, immunizations, birth control pills and even Viagra are used by the likes of W.H.O., World Vision and the Red Cross etc in their humanitarian endeavors because of their vastly cheaper prices. If they're good enough for The Red Cross, are they good enough for you? I think so…
Generic Drugs that are sold through Online Pharmacies are so cheap because of the cheaper labor in other countries, but more so because of the obvious following reasons:
NO huge initial investment to recover.
NO wholesalers, distributors or retailers, they are shipped to the client from the manufacturer.
NO transport costs between three, four or often five of the above organizations.
NO stock needs to be kept by any of these non-existent middlemen or Pharmacies.
NO 'bricks and mortar' premises need to be maintained by the middlemen or the Pharmacies.
So you see, the ongoing mark-ups or profits from each of these middlemen don't exist because they don't exist, just the price from the manufacturer and their commission to the referring Online Pharmacy.
In closing, I must admit that there ARE counterfeit drugs and there are drugs, which don't contain much of the effective ingredient. This problem is seen more so in drugs like Viagra, cialis and Levitra (the ED drugs) because of their popularity but STILL, these account for a very small percentage indeed, of the quality generic drugs sold online. People are still buying online drugs in droves and they wouldn't continue to do that if they were having bad or questionable experiences, would they?
It's also been discovered that the counterfeit drugs that everyone seems to condemn online Pharmacies over, ALSO show up in 'bricks and mortar' Pharmacies. So, why aren't people wary of these retail outlets? Easy… media and the original manufacturer's hype. Of course they'd rather sell all the online buyers genuine drugs at a much higher rate.
As for the best way to tell a safe online Pharmacy, look for a toll free phone number and other means of contact, for following up orders, requesting cancellations, refunds or complaints. If they have these, they can hardly be surviving by selling inferior products. Check out the contacts first if you wish to make sure they're genuine.
This article is written in the spirit of assisting those who have a need for prescription drugs but are unable to, or have difficulty in, financing their urgent needs. Generic drugs are safe, in the main and online pharmacies are honest and helpful, also in the main. Action is continually being taken against pharmacies (both online and on the street), which sell inferior products. Hopefully we will soon have worldwide pharmacy access, which all people can trust and take advantage of.


text:
Lindsay Holtmann via Crowdrise
March 08, 2012
BENEFITING: Foster Care Coalition of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
ORGANIZER: Foster Care Coalition of Greater St. Louis, Inc.
EVENT: GO! for a Cause
EVENT DATE: Apr 15, 2012
Foster Care Coalition of Greater St. Louis, Inc. wrote -
Join Our Team! Great Benefits!
The Home Team is the official charity running team for the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition. We will help you train for a race at the 2012 GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend, while raising funds to help us in our mission to find homes for youth in foster care. For Every Child... A Place to Call Home
Not only will you help to increase awareness and raise funds for area youth in foster care, but you will also receive the following great benefits:
• A link for easy online registration through Crowdrise and a discounted registration rate
• TWO AWESOME technical shirts, one from the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition (if $250 minimum fundraising goal is met by March 1st), and one from GO! St. Louis
• Pasta Party the Friday night before the run – Come pick up your shirts and have some energy-boosting pasta!
• Personal webpage for convenient online fundraising
• Opportunity to participate in the GO! St. Louis 12 week Training Program for a discounted $85 fee
• Monthly email newsletter with new ideas and assistance to increase your fundraising efforts
• To know your run is raising money to find homes for St. Louis area children in foster care
• Option to run or walk together as a team
Team members will be required to commit to a minimum $250 fundraising goal.


text:
CHICAGO (AP) Quinton Pippen had 15 points and a season-high 11 rebounds Saturday as Chicago State beat Alabama State 67-54.
Jeremy Robinson and Clarke Rosenberg also had 15 points for the Cougars (3-8). Nate Duhon added 10 points for Chicago State, which trailed the Hornets 43-40 with 15 minutes to play but scored the next 22 points while holding Alabama State scoreless for the next 10 minutes.
Joshua Freelove scored 13 points to lead Alabama State (0-6). It was the Hornets' first game since Nov. 25 and begins a stretch of seven games in the next 13 days.


text:
I'm working on a project that uses some icons that are under a Creative Commons license (ND) that forbids modification of the picture.
What can I do with this icons as a programmer?
Can I modify the looks of the image in the program as long as I don't change anything in the file that contains the icon?
Have I modified the image if I put a colored transparent layer over it so the color of the icon changes?


text:
Always wanted an "Aero Wars" muscle car from the early '70s like the Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird, or the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II, but have never been able to afford one? Well, if you desire an attainable NASCAR homologation special, how about one of these GM G-body specials from the '80s? What we have here is an '86 Pontiac Grand Prix Aerocoupe and an '87 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe, each for sale on eBay. Now, these may not be the most desirable cars right now, but give 'em 20 years and who knows how much they'll be worth.
The 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe may have a lowly 305ci V8 connected to a 4-speed slushbox, but this isn't a car you buy for the running gear. It's all about those special aerodynamic tweaks. The aero nose, bubble rear glass and fiberglass trunk lid with integral spoiler were the parts specific to the '86-only Aerocoupe. The buy-it-now price of $11,875 isn't exactly cheap, but the Pontiac might just make you feel like Richard Petty.
Bowtie guys, this '87 Chevy Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe is for you. Sure, the Montes were much more common that the Pontiacs, but that just means they're more affordable now. This one has a buy-it-now price of $7,900. The Monte Carlo Aerocoupe does have lots in common with the standard SS model, but that sloping rear glass sure will set you apart from the rest of the mullet crowd. Mechanically, the Chevy and Pontiac are the same, though this MC does have a few more miles on the clock than the GP.


text:
The Green Mill Menu
At the heart of our success are satisfied guests and happy employees, but it all starts with our menu. We strive to create dishes that you simply can't find anywhere else. Yes, we have the classics, but we also feature dishes that are exclusive to Green Mill. But, even the best recipes in the world don't cut it without the best ingredients available. Nearly all of Green Mill dishes are made from scratch everyday with the freshest ingredients available – many that are provided from local suppliers.
Take a minute to see what's cooking or better yet, come on down and see us in person!
Click here for nutritional information.
Items and prices may vary by location. For location-specific pricing, select your nearest Green Mill from the list of locations and access a delivery/takeout menu


text:
The Geography Blog focusing on all things geography: human, physical, technical, space, news, and geopolitics. Also known as Geographic Travels with Catholicgauze! Written by a former National Geographic employee who also proudly served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Top Five Cultural Colonizers (Part 2)
The Chinese have one of the best cultures by almost any definition. Chinese culture has evolved yet retained much of its originality. The cultural system of the Han allowed for massive populations throughout history, generally strong government, and strong economy because of encouraging hard work and entrepreneurship (despite a brief historical oddity known as Maoism). Chinese culture was adopted and modified by Koreans, Japanese, and even the conquering Mongols of the Yuan Dynasty (when a political conqueror adopts the culture of the defeated like barbarians after the fall of Western Rome that says much about the strength of the culture).
The Chinese Empire and culture collapsed due to Ming and Qing dynasties fear of foreigners combined with a superiority complex. Outsiders were viewed like infectious disease to be avoided. Chinese culture finally regained a global outlook just in the past decade or two. In the meantime, Chinese emigrants brought a hard work ethic with them to southeast Asia and the United States. Chinese emigrants and their descendants in these new lands have been successful and members of the elite. Their culture has greatly aided these new homelands.
Uniqueness: The Chinese invited gunpowder and paper. They had a massive scientific edge on Europe. Finally, a navy that included an Atlantic fleet. All before Europeans managed to colonize the Western Hampshire. Chinese culture could have dominated the world. Instead they withdrew and became shadows of what they once were.
In many people's minds the stereotypical German is the ultimate antagonist: physically fit, hard working, never gives up, efficient, killing machine/evil. Obviously the last World War war much to do with this stereotype but so does the last two thousand years or so of Germanic culture. Fighting off the Romans, defeating Rome, conquering much of central Europe, successfully winning the Northern Crusades all by themselves, and then trying to take over the world. But the Germans were not always aggressive in their cultural efforts. Many countries like Romania and other Eastern European powers asked for German settlers to defend the frontier lands and run the markets. The Russians too desired German help in settling the Volga River valley. The hardworking, family-oriented Germans were successful in "holding down the fort" for many rulers.
The German legacy from the Asian border and Eastern Europe was a victim though of Germany itself. After the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II a vast program of ethnic cleansing cleared most Germans not in Germany or the other Germanic states of Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein.
While the German cultural influence is no more in much of the world outside Germany its impact is still strong in the United Kingdom in the United States. The United Kingdom is still ruled by the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The educational, collegiate, and bureaucratic systems of these two English countries is was made and formed by German culture. Today it is estimated that a quarter of all Americans have German heritage in them. The Germans failed to expand Germany but Germaness impacted two global players.
Honorable Mentions
Rus: Rus culture is the founding culture of both Russian and Ukrainian culture. Russian culture has impacted its neighbors and those Russia has conquered in its Eurasian land empire.
Ameroindian in Spanish colonized lands: American Indians lost to the Spanish where ever they fought. Spanish also Christianized most American Indians as well. However, mestizo culture is more Indian than Spanish and the national identity of many Hispano cultures in mainland America is more Indian than Spaniard as well.
4 comments:
- Adrian said...
Not the US!?!?
- Catholicgauze said...
I thought long and hard about that point. In the end I decided much of American culture is still English-base. Plus, if Greco-Roman counted as one I would be hard pressed to claim the English/American divide was bigger.
- Adrian said...
Good point
- Dan tdaxp said...
It would be interesting to try to find the "German element" in formerly settled territories. A combination of war and cultural commingling has made the Germans of, say, Prussia and Ukraine much harder to find than the Chinese influence in Vietnam, or Burma.


text:
Colorado High Country 1200k: A Ride Report
I've never finished a 1200k. My only attempt was PBP in 2007, where I was sick before the ride, started going downhill (figuratively) the first morning, and nearly fainted at the control in Villaines. The next year we adopted a baby from Guatemala, and so I was semi-retired from randonneuring, doing a single 200k at best some years.
But then it didn't snow last winter, and I couldn't ski. So to stay sane I had to ride the bike, and so when the brevet season started in March, I was ready. The first rides went much better than expected, and soon I was wondering if a full series was possible, and maybe even more. I had lived in Colorado for eighteen years, and have keenly felt the absence of the high country ever since I moved to New England in 1998. I was immediately attracted to the Colorado High Country 1200k as soon as I heard of it, and it became the logical goal for my return to randonneuring. So I ended up on the waiting list, and checked that list far more often than I like to admit as I chugged through the brevet series. Optimism prevailed, and I bought a ticket to Colorado while still #1 on the wait list, and before my 600k. I was officially part of the ride right as I qualified, even though I'd promised myself during the 600k that if I finished that, I wouldn't have to start the 1200! Ah, the things we promise ourselves during brevets! Of course, even by that night I was wavering, and emailed JLE to tell him I'd qualified.
So I flew to Denver, and rode the bus to Louisville, and met wonderful randonneurs at the hotel and hung out in Boulder and generally had a good time, while trying not to think too much about the task looming overhead...
DAY 1, LOUISVILLE, CO to SARATOGA, WY, 220 miles
+10,500 feet, 14:48 riding time, 17:00 overall, 14.9mph moving averageOf course it was raining. How many times this season have I woken up in a hotel at 3am, quickly gotten dressed, and opened the door only to see rain everywhere? But this was different, as I was 2,000 miles from home, and the ride would be 1200 kilometers, twice as far as I'd ever ridden. I'm always anxious before brevets, but this ride was so overwhelming I didn't know what to think. But the solution to every randonneuring problem is to get on the bike and ride, so off we went at 4:05, on wet roads but not quite raining.
|Riders at the start.
Photograph © 2012 by Ed Felker.
I was dropped within the first mile. Everything felt too fast. Lots of downhill on wet 4-lane streets through shopping centers, but with no cars in sight. Everyone had told me to take it easy on the first half of the ride, but I didn't want to ride the flattest part of the ride alone, especially not knowing what the wind would do. I never did see the leaders again, but I caught a ride with Brent and Beth on the tandem for a bit, and eventually fell in with Mordecai, Bill, and one other rider who's name (embarrassingly) escapes me. I dropped off on one hill, but was saved by a traffic light. But we were going very fast—19 miles the first hour, almost 35 miles in the first two hours, and so on. It was raining some, including very heavy rain as we headed through Loveland. Before that, we hit some traffic on US 34, including two cars in a row yelling at us. Luckily, that was the only bad feelings from motorists the entire ride. At some point on Taft Hill Road, I just gave up, and dropped off the little group. Too fast for my blood. But there were only ten more miles to the first control, at Vern's in LaPorte. I found lots of riders there, and didn't feel as left-behind.
* * *
The clock is always ticking. The sooner you get to the end of the stage, the more you can sleep. Riding faster is hard, but stopping less is something you can learn. A million things need to be done at the control--get the brevet card signed, eat (lots), take a "nature break," adjust clothing, replace water and food supplies, touch up the chamois cream, throw away the accumulated debris from the previous segment, refold the cue sheet...
* * *
At Vern's, I drank some chocolate milk, ate part of a two-pound apricot danish, and bought some water. I needed to stock up, as there were no services between there and Laramie, Wyoming. I'd been a bit scared of this segment. Back when I lived in Colorado, I sometimes drove Highway 287 to Laramie, on the way to the Wind Rivers or the west coast. It always felt so desolate. Once I saw a funnel cloud, not so far away. Passing through all that nothing on a bike seemed daunting. But it wasn't hot, the wind was at our backs, and the terrain more varied and interesting than I remembered. Best of all, I was riding with fellow easterners Ed and Mary, on the tandem. They were great company. Just before the Wyoming border, at Virginia Dale, Jim Kraychy had an informal support stop with food and water, so we stocked up on water and bananas, and might have eaten a cookie or two. I stay with Ed and Mary up all the climbs, but then the road descends towards Laramie, and I lose them on one of the many descents.
|Behind Mary and Ed on the tandem, US Highway 287.
Photograph © 2012 by Ed Felker.
I rode the last 20 miles into Laramie alone, but still going very fast. More than 120 miles by noon? That was good for my morale. Laramie of course was still ugly. I rode through bumpy nasty streets, there was a big bridge over railroad tracks, and then I finally stopped at McDonalds. A double cheeseburger, fries, and a coke—yummy! Lots of fellow riders were there. Then I went across the street to get water and some V8. It's getting hot. Then off towards the Snowy Range on Highway 130. Desolate, false flat, hot, hard to find a rhythm. I rode with Fred for a bit. A larger group passed me, I try to hang on but can't, so I drop back. Seems to take a long time to get to Centennial, at around mile 150, right at the base of the big climb. There's a combination bar and store; I hang out for quite a while drinking Pepsi and eating potato chips and fearing the road ahead. 3,000 feet of climbing in ten miles, up to 10,700 feet. How will I handle the altitude? I moved away from Colorado fourteen years ago.
The road was steep right away, but it did feel good to be in the trees again! But I chugged away, and slowly made progress. By the top I was really feeling the altitude, but the scenery was just stunning, with a row of snowy peaks to the north, and beautiful open forest to the south.
|Dave in the Snowy Range.
There was a quick descent, and then another steep uphill, where my lungs nearly exploded. At last I reached Mirror Lake, chatted with Fred for a bit, and then started down. What a descent! I'd sit up as tall as I could, and just cruise at 35mph for what seemed like forever. As I passed Rorie she stopped suddenly, with a bottom bracket problem. But she got going again. Down and down. At the bottom a bigger group formed, including Ed and Mary. Then we reached the turnoff to Riverside. We're eight miles from the hotel, but had 28 miles to ride. Nasty rollers, expansion cracks in the road, I was very discouraged. It was slow going, and I'd have to ride back over everything. I leapfrogged with Fred. I finally gott to Riverside, and thank goodness the store was open! Coke and chips. Going back was easier than I anticipated.
|Me and my shadow.
Really cruising as dusk falls, I pushed to make it in before 9PM. I just made it, as both tandems passed me on last stretch.
|The last few miles into Saratoga, WY.
Photograph © 2012 by Ed Felker.
The hotel seemed nice. I got my card signed, and then Paul Brown offered me a baked potato! I devoured it with lots of butter and salt. Food first, then everything else. Go to room, take bike to room, shower, organize gear, expect another person but it never happened. I was in bed by 10:15, but didn't fall asleep for a long time...
A day to be proud of. I survived the biggest climb, did the longest day and was done by dark. Of course, there's more than five hundred miles to go :)
DAY 2, SARATOGA, WY to STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO, 200 miles
+8900 feet, 15:30 riding time, 17:34 overall, 12.7mph moving averageUp at 3:15, wolfed down a breakfast burrito, and was off at 3:46. I could pedal, more or less, which was good after the intensity of the first day. But it soon became apparent I couldn't pedal very fast. After Riverside, it got much worse, and I was more and more discouraged. Headwinds, endless rollers, those god-forsaken cracks across the road that you hit fifty times a minute—it was no fun. I was even starting to worry that I'd miss the time cut at Walden, or at least have a very long day. A ten-mile-per-hour average on a 200 mile day would get me to Steamboat at midnight, not a pleasant thought. The whole morning was the low point of the entire ride. Contact points were hurting, I was slow, I'd likely be short of sleep the rest of the ride, and I thought I was the last person on the road. Negative thoughts in the desolate landscape were a bad combination. I'd latch on to small things—just get to the Colorado border, get to the next mile marker.
|The lonely road.
I finally made it to Walden with some time to spare, had something to eat, and headed east on Highway 14. I was still discouraged, and the rollers still seemed more up than down, but now it was hot and trucks were nearly scraping me off the road.
Slowly, very slowly, it got better. As we gained altitude, the sagebrush gradually turned into irrigated grazing land, full of cattle. "Eat Beef Every Day," the signs said. And there's some feeling of accomplishment merely from finishing some part of the day's miles. "Only a hundred miles to go" hardly feels like an optimistic statement, except in this business. Muddy Pass and US 40 arrived without a monster climb, and on Rabbit Ears I saw several fellow randonneurs, which always cheered me up. The climb wasn't that bad, and the meadows and forests were beautiful, although traffic was heavy. I much preferred the climb to the descent, which was just too long, too steep, and too unrelenting to be much fun. But covering seven miles in fourteen minutes helps the average speed.
Steamboat Springs felt like a furnace. Lots of traffic, and no handy bike lines through the innumerable right-turn lanes (Boulder/Louisville had spoiled me). I stopped at a bike shop to get some chamois butter, went to McDonalds for some fat, salt, and sugar (lots of randonneurs there), and finally stopped at a convenience store for water and V8. It wasn't a very efficient stop, but lots needed to be done, and I was afraid of the heat. Did I mention I was, due to poor planning, wearing a black jersey? I rode through Steamboat's yuppie downtown, and then ugly industrial zones, with the heat radiating from the pavement. A tailwind was probably more of a hindrance than a help, as moving didn't cool me down. Lots of traffic and the heat made for an unpleasant ride all the way to Hayden. Filled up with liquids at the control there, and then had to ride five miles back up US 40. But it was after 5PM, and not quite so hot, and the road back didn't seem quite so bad (traffic was probably all the people who work in Steamboat, but couldn't afford to live there). Right past Hayden Station (a giant coal-fired power plant), we turned onto County Road 27, and all of the sudden the cars were gone, and the world was quiet again. The roads were soaking wet; storms were afoot. It rained a bit the first few miles, never enough to stop and put on a jacket, never cool enough to be refreshing.
The glory of the High Country 1200 is the constantly changing terrain. By this time I felt like I'd been in fifty distinct landscapes, and Twenty-Mile Canyon, as this area was known, was one of the most interesting. I'd do a big climb, only to come around a corner and lose most of the hard-won elevation in a 40mph descent. I came across a huge coal mine, and then started what I could only assume was the big climb.
|Coal mine on County Road 27.
The cue sheet noted a 7,800 foot high point before the next control, so I was trying to keep track of my altitude. But the big climb ended, once again, in a big descent. It was psychological warfare, with my expectations being no match for the physical reality of the road. Two feet up, one foot down. I was counting off the miles, knowing there would have to be a huge climb ahead, but eventually I was running out of miles! We were up in the forest again, and finally a sustained climb appears just as the miles run out. Two miles from the control, I'm on top, and a corkscrew descent takes me to Oak Creek. 8pm, and twenty miles to go—my day has turned out better than I could have thought, and after too many miles on US 40, my faith in the beauty of Colorado is restored.
There were lots of folks at the store, and there was news. There was three miles of loose gravel on the route to Steamboat, due to road contstruction. JLE had recommended an alternative route, but we weren't clear on where it started, and Rod's wife (who was supporting him) hadn't even found it in her car. But I have 42mm tires at 45psi, so I wasn't too worried about the original route. It was a fast descent, and I finally reached the construction, which was nasty at first, but not bad once I got used to it. I went slowly, as I didn't want to experience an "involuntary deflation incident).
|Under construction.
Soon enough the pavement was back, and I descended into darkness, and, eventually Steamboat Springs. I was at the hotel at 9:20PM, far better than the midnight arrival I'd feared in the despair of the morning.
I had a pulled pork sandwich, started some laundry (graciously put in the dryer by Dottie), and was in bed at 10:30. Once again I didn't sleep for a long time. Was the altitude affecting my sleep? I probably should have listened to my more experienced fellow riders and had a beer before bed!
DAY 3, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO to WALDEN, CO, 182 miles
+8300 feet, 14:55 riding time, 17:21 overall time, 12.2mph moving averageUp at 3am. I can't remember breakfast. Was there a hard boiled egg, or just Honey Nut Cheerios? Off at 3:33am or so. Mostly up at first, and I was using the alternate route to avoid the gravel from yesterday. It was a bit hard to find that first turn in the dark. It was windy, but I was feeling OK, even though I was peeing seemingly every half-mile. Lights ahead of me, lights behind me, and so quiet... Riding past Stagecoach State Park, there's a lake, behind the lake is a ridge, over the ridge is the morning star, with the horizon just starting to show signs of dawn. Beautiful.
|Just before the dawn, Stagecoach State Park.
I'd never ridden this far before, and a third day of 300+ kilometers was unprecedented. But here I was, in the thick of things, riding along. For the first time I felt like I could do this, finish the 1200k. I'd been warned about this: hubris.
Detour finished, I was back on CO 131, and it was getting light. Yampa was a bit confusing; it felt like I was leaving town before a store appeared, so I went "downtown" and went into the diner. I joined Beth and Brent for breakfast, headed back out of town, and found the store, which was worth another stop for chocolate milk. Back on the road, what looked like old volcanic necks rose from irrigated farmland. I rode with Beth and Brent for a bit, as the landscape continues to rise, and slowly dries out. I turned onto CO 134 at Toponos, and the drylands gave way to forest. There was an unnamed pass; I put on my jacket for the descent. Up again, through beautiful open forest and meadows, classic Colorado high country. It's a long climb, but it's a beautiful day. I ride with Fred for a bit, see a few other folks; what a pleasant way to spend a morning! I took a few pictures at the top of Gore Pass, and then a long, long descent, taking me from the subalpine forest back to the sagebrush, past an odd-looking development on a hillside. It's getting hot fast, and too soon I reach US 40. The next six miles were HORRIBLE. No shoulder, heavy traffic, trucks buffeting the bike as they sped by. I kept asking the trucks to please not kill me, not after all this riding. Did I mention how hot it was?
Finally, I stopped at a big supermarket in Kremmling. Lots of bikes there! I go into the deli, have a fried chicken leg (fearing food poisoning) some fries and a Coke. Go to the bathroom, buy a gallon of water, assemble my stuff. Fred was chatting with some bike tourers, who were happy to find something other than a convenience store. Then I continue down US40 towards Hot Sulpher Springs. Still no shoulder, but less traffic. Dry and open. Cliffs, rangeland... downhill, tailwind. As I was going along the Colorado River, I started to see signs of fishermen. Finally there was a shoulder, things weren't too bad for a while. Byers Canyon was very narrow, with no shoulder, but not scary like before Kremmling. It reminded me of the Big Thompson Canyon where I rode thirty years ago.
|Byers Canyon, just before Hot Sulpher Springs.
I had another Coke and some chips in Hot Sulpher Springs, and then it was off to Granby, mostly downhill. Bought a V8 at the sub-optimal store there, and then headed up US 34 towards Grand Lake. The traffic here was relentless, the busiest highway of the whole trip. There was a strong headwind, and this was another low point of the entire ride. At least I could see some of the faster riders returning from Grand Lake—it's nice not to feel alone out there. Climbed up a big hill to Arapahoe Bay. Suddenly the headwind was a strong tailwind, which lasted a mile or two before switching again. Once again it was looking like a whole day at 10mph, and a late arrival at the control. At least the views over the lakes were fantastic, as I tried to guess at the peaks I knew so well from the other side.
|Lake Granby.
Finally, I made it to Grand Lake. Ate some Lunchables, but there was no chocolate milk, and I had only one Ensure Plus left. Lots of riders were there. Headed back as quickly as I could, with something of a tailwind, although the wind was quite variable and hard to predict. Back in Granby, I stocked up for the remaining 55 miles with no supplies. I was still miserable as I started up CO 125. But leaving the traffic behind was wonderful. Big climb at first, gaining 600 feet in 3 miles just to get in the right valley. Riding was painful, for my hands and my butt. But it was getting beautiful again, and I watched as a horseback rider led a hundred horses at a canter down the valley. Eventually I started hammering, as riding slowly wasn't any less painful than riding fast. I caught up with Fred and some of his friends, and tried not to think about the pain. It was starting to look like moose country, but I didn't see any. There were great views of Parkview Mountain, and I was trying to remember all the complications of the Continental Divide in this area. Soon enough I was on the final climb to Willow Creek Pass, and JLE was waiting for us! I asked about the descent, and he said it was downhill all the way to Walden. Woo-hoo!
|At Willow Creek Pass.
Photograph © 2012 by Jon Lee Ellis.
North of the pass was just magical. Open woodlands, expansive views, opening up to grassland ringed with mountains. The world has never felt so large! I watched the mountains, and watched the small storms playing in the distance, as I cruised down twenty miles of a one-percent grade! It would have been perfect if they'd bothered to fix the damned cracks in the road. There was no traffic. At one point a windstorm appeared out of nowhere, but quickly disappeared. All was well.
|North Park.
Never assume all is well during a brevet! With six miles to go, all of the sudden there was a 30mph headwind. My speed dropped in half. Luckily I ran into Hugh from Seattle, and we joined forces to fight our way into Walden. One of us would grind into the wind at 9mph, while the other coasted in the draft, enjoying a bit of a psychological break. It's a bit scary, and I can't imagine what it's like for people further out from Walden.
The town was a huge relief, and a great control! I had some thick black bean soup with rice, some watermelon, and then was off to my room. In bed at 10:30 again, and as usual I didn't sleep much. I was up before my alarm at 2:15, and finally got up for good at 2:50. I put on almost all the clothes I brought, ate some bacon and eggs and chocolate milk, and headed into the cold at 3:22am.
DAY 4: WALDEN, CO to LOUISVILLE, CO 148 miles
+4300 feet, 10:47 riding time, 12:39 overall time, 13.8mph moving averageThe terrain was the perfect mirror of yesterday. This time I was going up the endless one percent grade, with lights ahead and behind. I was feeling OK, although getting increasingly cold in spite of a wool hat, softshell jacket, and toe covers. I finally stop and put on a balaclava and helmet cover. Still cold, and now I'm hoping for steeper grades. I'm greatly surprised to encounter a tree, after so much time in the expanses of North Park! By Gould I'm in forest again, leapfrogging Bob. Finally, the climb starts in earnest, and I'm in the midst of the high mountains again. I keep stopping to take pictures.
|Nokhu Crags (12,485'), Rocky Mountain National Park.
At the top, there's a little marsh with six moose, and a car containing JLE! He takes my photo, and I joke I would have asked for a refund if I hadn't seen a moose on the ride. It's just before 7am. I've ridden 1000k in 75 hours. 200k to go. Could this actually happen?
|At Cameron Pass, wearing all my warm gear.
Down, down, down. There was sun at the top, and it was bearable; fast but not too fast. Almost get hit by a deer on that first strecth, it passed 10 yards away. Then into the shadows, and it's borderline freezing, but it gets a bit better after a while. And it's beautiful. And it keeps going down. As I make good time, I'm increasingly optimistic about a reasonably quick day—it would be nice to be done before rush hour in the suburbs. I arrived at Glen Echo to find lots of randonneurs sitting down to breakfast. It sounds like a good idea, so I have orange juice, eggs, sausage, and hash browns. And of course this was the moment of the day when it switched from too cold to too hot, so I switched from my winter gear to my summer gear, and headed into another world.
The evidence of fire wasn't dramatic at first. A few charred trees, a smell like a drowned campfire. But the destruction became more and more obvious, and more and more random-seeming. I saw one house that was burned to the ground. I could see the mudslides that had closed the road repeatedly, including on the first day of the ride. Everywhere were signs thanking the firefighters and emergency workers. Those signs extended all the way to Ft. Collins.
|Fire damage in Poudre Canyon.
It really was a 58-mile descent. Towards the bottom I saw some rafters. One rapid would have six or eight rafts. I don't know how they even floated, as the river was barely flowing. It must be pretty cool with normal flows... There wasn't that much traffic going down, as so much was closed—like campgrounds—and no one travels from Walden to Ft. Collins early in the morning.
It kept getting warmer as I went down. Then, all of the sudden, the canyon ended. One bend, another bend, and I was on the plains, a mile or two from US 287, where we were on Monday, although it seems like ages ago. I turned onto 54G, some rollers, some new pavement, and then Vern's Place. Had a Pepsi and some chips. Bought some water and took off. Almost immediately ran into a paving operation. Conveniently, there was a bike path to the side, so I zipped by for a while. Ran out of bike path right before the turn to Overland Trail; had to wait to cross the sticky new tar, then hammered behind a few cars to make the turn. Then it was cruising along the road into Ft. Collins, seeing more road cyclists. I wonder what they would have thought had they known what I was doing. Close to mile 700... past the CSU football stadium, could see the Horsetooth dam... then turn onto Drake, then Taft Hill and more construction. Hot, traffic, and miserable. The next stretch along Taft Hill was bad. Heavy traffic, 90 degrees, and the turbulence from the semis would throw the bike around. Scary. "Don't kill me know" I would think. The only saving grace was seeing Longs Peak and Mount Meeker off in the haze. Long's must be my sacred mountain, which I first saw 36 years ago, and first climbed 35 years ago, and lived in sight of for much of my life.
|Taft Hill Road.
Finally got to Loveland, was happy I didn't have to turn onto US 34, and then headed down into the maze of county roads. Getting thirsty, riding OK but a bit fearful of the heat and the sun. Weird having to navigate after going from checkpoint to checkpoint with a single turn! Loveland, Berthoud... a single road would make a 90-degree turn (section line?) but change names, so cue was a bit confusing. Some of it looked familiar from Monday, though. No place to pee. Every once in a while I'd catch a glimpse of a small creek, completely sheltered by cottonwoods, one even with a 3-foot waterfall. An oasis! Imagine finding that two hundred years ago... some choppy climbs, mostly a tailwind which probably hurt as much as it helped due to the heat. Ran out of water about five or six miles before Hygiene. Counting down the miles. 40 to go, 33 to go, 28 to go... finally cross the Diagonal highway, run into Hygiene. Store there, with (of course) some randonneurs. Pepsi, potato chips. No V8. Water. Sit for a bit, see lots of roadies. Off for the last 20 miles. Climbing up through Niwot. Views of Indian Peaks, which is interesting as I saw them from the other side yeesterday in North Park, thinking then how for I had to go. Crazy that you can see the next two hundred miles of riding!
95th street, turn onto South Boulder Road, traffic backed up, turns out to be a train, zip up the sidewalk, train passes just as I reach the crossing. Almost fell down clipping in. I was out of it! Hard to make left onto Via Appia. Hammering, fierce, don't mess with me, you nasty cars! Five miles, four miles. Pass a girl riding on the sidewalk who must have thought I was a ghost. McCaslin! One mile, looking for turn to Dillon, there! Hammer up the hill in the left lane, no cars behind, sweep into the parking lot, ride up to the entrance sobbing and shaking, practically drop the bike, I can't fucking believe it! I made it! Two women out there congratulate me! Grab the brevet card, my most precious possession, go into the breakfast area, all the riders there applaud, give JLE my card, Mary taked my picture as I sign the card and JLE gives me my medal! I'm in a daze! 83:47, less than eighty-four hours, three and a half days, a good time for a beginner. Wow! Of course I can hardly walk. Knees and legs a mess, the last 40 miles the left achilles started hurting, along with left foot. tip of left ring finger is still numb four days later.
|Jon Lee Ellis presents me with the finisher's medal.
Photograph © 2012 by Mary Gersema.
|The happy finisher with his trusty steed.
I had to pack the bike that night, as I was flying out on Friday. I flew to Chicago, spent more than an hour on the runway, and then learned my flight home was cancelled. Luckily my brother lives in Chicago, so he rescued me, took me out for pizza, and drove me back to the airport at 4am. So I finally arrived home twelve hours late.
I'm so happy to have done this ride. It was perhaps the most demanding four days of my live, as you need to be focused every minute—if you're not riding, you need to be eating, drinking, organizing, sleeping, or doing something else to keep going forward. And it was weird to see how small things could add up—being a few minutes faster at a control could lead to having a more favorable wind on the next segment. I still wonder that my crazy hammering up Gore Pass probably saved me untold suffering if I had been further out when the winds came. I was so pleased that I could ride just fast enough to get just barely enough sleep that I was more-or-less functional each day, and never had to nap on the side of the road.
And yes, I'm already thinking about another one someday :)
AcknowledgmentsSo many people made this possible:
John Lee Ellis, for creating this most wonderful event
All the volunteers, who really made the ride a reality on the ground
My family, for giving me the time and encouragement to ride
Don Podolski and Mary, who run the Westfield brevet series, which has felt like home from the beginning
John Bayley and Pamela Blalock, for generously sharing their incredible knowledge and experience
Ted Lapinski, for encouraging words as well as being a model randonneur
Rick LeBlanc, for being the first to tell me about this crazy world
The staff at Vecchio's for a last-minute repair as well as entertainment
Mike Kone and Waterford for the perfect bike
...and most of all for my fellow riders, who made the whole trip special.
Thank you all!
Dave Cramer
Greenfield, MA
APPENDIX: A NOTE ON EQUIPMENTI rode a custom lugged Boulder Bicycle, with 650B wheels, using the Grand Bois Hetre tire, which measures 42mm. I couldn't be happier with these tires. I've never had an involuntary deflation event, and they are supremely comfortable on the linked potholes we call roads in New England. They came in handy out west, too. All my gear went into a Berthoud handlebar bag, which was overflowing at times, but it all worked out.
My favorite piece of kit was the arm and knee screens, the former from Rapha, the latter from Pearl Izumi. I've always considered myself bad in the heat, but this ride seemed to go far better for me, and I think these helped a lot. I wish there was something similar for my face!
The Saturday before the ride, I spent three hours riding busses to Sports Optical in Denver and back to pick up a pair of prescription sunglasses (Rudy Project Ryder) with both clear and brown lenses. These really helped with the sun and wind, day and night.


text: EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities. Visit us at http://www.ey.com/CH/en/Careers Join the Forensic & Integrity team in Geneva and you will help our clients work through complex issues of corporate compliance, misconduct and business disputes. You will be part of a multidisciplinary, culturally aligned team that works with clients and their legal advisors. Our Forensic team is a multidisciplinary group of professionals (i.e. forensic accountants, lawyers, data analysts, forensic technology and former law enforcement professionals) that develop business concepts which specifically target to create confidence and prevent or combat fraud, bribery and corruption. Build your career as an employee and help our customers avoid financial loss and reputational damage.