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The National Elections Commission (NEC) on Monday, November 28, certificated President-elect Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Vice President-elect, Honorable Joseph N. Boakai as winners of the November 8 run-off Presidential Election. At a ceremony held at the Commission's headquarters, Senators-elect and Representatives-elect of the October 11 Legislative Elections were also certificated.
Speaking at the occasion, President-elect Johnson Sirleaf said she was accepting the certification "as President of all of our people, with an obligation to respond to the concerns of all Liberians, in an inclusive government that reaches out to all those who have felt marginalized, most especially our unemployed youth."
Addressing the nation's youths directly, the President said: "I want to say to you that we have put in place all the fundamentals to address your needs: we have mobilized the resources for investment; we have put in the laws, and built the institutions. It took longer than we wanted, but now we feel that you will see, and feel, the difference. The benefits that may have escaped you in the last six years will now become a material fact. The jobs are coming. You now need to join us in training you to be able to take advantage of them."
The President thanked the Liberian people for the confidence vested in her leadership, and assured all citizens that she will live up to their expectations. She described her re-election as "an humbling honor," acknowledging that "it places a responsibility on us to work even harder to finish what we could not finish in our first term. It is a welcome responsibility, and makes us more focused and strengthens our commitment and our resolve to get the job done."
The President urged all Liberians, irrespective of political affiliation or grouping, to join in moving Liberia forward with renewed vigor and hope. "There is so much work ahead. We cannot build a better Liberia by ourselves. We need the support, the constructive criticism and engagement of all Liberians so that we stay on track," the President-elect reminded citizens.
An Executive Mansion release says the President congratulated members of the incoming Legislature on their victory - those re-elected to office, as well as the first-time legislators. The Liberian leader called on lawmakers to demonstrate the same spirit of cooperation that has existed between the Executive and the Legislative Branches, "as we join forces in bringing peace and prosperity to our nation and people . Our people have elected us, in the expectation that we will work together and put their interests first, to improve their lives and livelihoods. We cannot fail them," she asserted.
The President commended the National Elections Commission - its Commissioners and other officers and members - for the conduct of an electoral process witnessed by local, regional and international observers. "All spoke with one voice in declaring our elections to be peaceful, free, fair and transparent, notwithstanding the distractions," the President recalled.
Liberia's international partners, domestic and international, were also praised for their dedication and commitment to democracy in Liberia. The Chief Executive pledged to continue on the path of democracy to earn their trust and confidence in the people of Liberia.
Speaking earlier, the Acting Chairman of the National Elections Commission, Cllr. Elizabeth Nelson, spoke of the need to start planning for future elections, including Local, Special and possible By-elections. Madam Nelson spoke of capacity building for the Commission, with emphasis on human capacity being paramount to the plan. Commissioner Nelson said the NEC would rely on its partners who understand the intricacies of elections management and the Government of Liberia to assist in providing the needed support to satisfy the training needs of the Commission.
Monday's ceremony was witnessed by Government and party officials, members of the National Legislature, representatives of the international community, former Transitional Chairman Gyude Bryant, former NEC Chairman James Fromayan, as well as other former officials of the Commission, including Mother Mary Brownell, Mrs. Della King-Reeves, and Mr. Frances Johnson Allison.


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I saw this posted in the bathroom on the hand-dryer, and I think it pretty succinctly sums up why my Assistant and I are soulmates:
Incidentally, this is also why the letter I asked to get sent out this afternoon did not. I especially like how she opted for the color copier, which as a throwback to my public defender days and my nonprofit proclivities, I only save for special paid-for-by-client business occasions.
As a little bit of context, a vendor of ours comes by once every few months and delivers approximately 12 different "fancy" soaps in the ladies' room, and we open and use them all simultaneously and discuss which are our favorites and which "definitely do not smell like "Paris amour." I hadn't even noticed that any were missing, which I mentioned to my Assistant in high-fiving her poster-making abilities. I'm fairly certain my offhand comment just placed me high on the suspect list because she was all like "How could you possibly not noticed these two were missing?! They were right between Dancing Waters and Cilantro Peach and were by far the best smelling."
I then asked whether the fact that the reward's acronym was the same as for the Social Security Administration was intentional– like a comment that if you're stealing soap from the ladies' room, you should probably be on social security. But this was met with an eye roll and my Assistant's departure from my office, so I'm assuming that's a no. If you have any hot tip on this insidious crime, please post it in the comments.

subset: commoncrawl


text: http://www.thevarguy.com – Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM) will combine its RealPresence videoconferencing platform with AT&T's (NYSE: T) Business Exchange telepresence solution and other services in a strategic accord between the two companies to deliver a higher grade of business-centric, cloud-based video meetings and collaborations. Video is well on its way to becoming a universal presence not only in the IT marketplace and the enterprise boardroom but also in SMB meeting rooms as well–essentially occupying the lead dog spot in any communications strategy. With this deal, both Polycom and AT&T are intent upon (IT news)


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London Going Out: 50 things to look forward to in 2013
Sunday 05 July
OPERA Medea at the Coliseum, February 15-March 16 Few Greek myths hit harder than Medea, the mother who kills her children in a vengeful rage. If Charpentier's opera takes some sting out of the tale, his music compensates. David McVicar stages English National Opera's production.


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Koo Koo Blue Bird Canvas Clock
|By: Oopsy Daisy
|Lovely Art Decor!
This whimsical and adorable Koo Koo Blue Bird Canvas Clock combines fine art and function in one. The delightful brown bird house atop a pink and white striped background has a blue birdie popping out and is beautifully enhanced by collage style flowers and dots. This stretched canvas art boast a battery operated clock and can be wiped clean with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Simply too sweet!
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Mr. Heilig,
You should have stopped when you were far behind.
Making analogies is a respectable part of reasoned argument. The issues I brought up were not fringe.
Fortunately you do not represent the human race nor is your perspective on the issues I listed above representative of many folks. You never defined 'reality based' so there is way of responding to you here. People who have something to argue with have done so many times with me. The ones who haven't simply resort to nasty ad hominems and flee.
No intellectual loss to any one.


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We will be holding a number of Open Days at the London campus throughout the year, offering the chance to speak to our students and staff and even sit in on one of our lessons (if available; please consult schedule below). We will also be giving advice and information about the full-time master programmes offered at the London campus, including:
Our next Open Day will be taking place on 8th March, 2013. If you would like to attend, please download the Schedule & Registration Form and return the latter to firstname.lastname@example.com once complete.
We will also be hosting Open Days on:
Registration for these events will follow after 8th March. Check back later or follow us on Facebook for updates.
Open Days only incorporate information on the full-time postgraduate programmes offered at the London campus.


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THE decision by the Ministry of Education to scrap school fees at primary schools can only be applauded ('Ministry abolishes primary school fees,' The Namibian, 20 December). This expresses the reality that education is a social right and a necessity for all.
In fact, it should be admitted that it was quite disastrous and downright irresponsible over these years to expect Namibians to pay for primary education. This step by the ministry also confirms that the usual insistence by the World Bank (WB), which directs the Namibian government on education, on 'user fees' or 'cost-recovery' has failed in the primary school sector of this country. Education is most certainly not a commodity.
The WB has been promoting its neo-liberal or free-market fundamentalist model of education throughout the world since the 1980s. This is one reason why Samir Amin refers to the WB as the Ministry of Propaganda of the Group of 8 (G8). Nevertheless, the recent WB strategy document (February, 2011), written in response to the capitalist crisis of 2008, is entitled 'Learning for all: Investing in people's knowledge and skills to promote development' (WBES 2020) [See: Steven J. Klees et al. (eds). (2012). The World Bank and Education - Critiques and Alternatives]. Despite the social crisis, the WBES 2020 persists with the neo-liberal paradigm and, unfortunately, will dominate the global education debates for many years to come. Indeed, it is therefore crucial that the role of the WB in education should be publicly discussed in this country since this global right-wing institution determines the nature of the Namibian education system and its involvement is without a doubt a significant contributing factor to the education crisis.
A document by the WB on Namibia's ETSIP [Education and Training Sector Improvement Program], called Implementation, Completion and Results Report (January, 2012), confirmed that: "The World Bank started supporting analytical work in the education sector in Namibia to identify the key bottlenecks in skills formation for competitiveness of the economy in the early 2000s." ETSIP is a 15-year [2006-2021] strategic plan. So, the Ministry of Education has been implementing a neo-liberal framework for education. The emphasis on 'competitiveness of the economy' or 'economic growth' throughout the document exposes the fundamental ideological assumptions of this educational approach. In other words, education is not regarded as a basic right, but should be evaluated according to its contribution to the economy. Of course, crucial issues such as who benefit from this economic growth, its impact on the environment or the challenges of general human development are never addressed. Nevertheless, the lexicon, so fashionable in Namibia, of 'knowledge-based economy' and 'human capital' are manifestations of this narrow-minded neo-liberal world-view. This is also what Namibia's commitment to the Bank's Education for All (EFA) initiative is about. The supposed 'Education for All' is driven by strategies such as privatization, low salaries for teachers in public schools, de-professionalized teachers and standardized testing.
Privatisation: The matriculation results of 2012 revealed again that Namibia is burdened with a two-tier education system; one tier for the elite is well-resourced and privatised, while the second stream for the majority is under-resourced and public. Of course, a few formerly 'white' public schools stayed well-resourced as they continue to benefit from the colonial legacy. Needles to say, the Namibian education system is truly in the service of the few since the privatisation of education is to the advantage of the elite while it also serves as a smokescreen for neo-colonial patterns. In short, Namibian education reproduces social disparities. In this regard, the exclusion of a large number of Grade 10 learners, who are pushed out of the public schools every year, makes a mockery of education for all.
If anything, free and compulsory education should be extended to secondary, vocational, adult and tertiary education as well. All fees should be eliminated. A discussion is also warranted about the secondary costs of education (e.g. food, school uniforms, traveling, etc) that so many Namibians simply cannot afford.
Private education is obviously better resourced but not necessarily more effective. Countries like Cuba and Finland, for instance, have amongst the best education systems in the world, yet they have no private schools. Closer to home, it also cannot be disputed that the private post-secondary institutions in Namibia provide low-quality education.
De-professionalised teachers: The WB decided to downgrade the professional status of teachers. The ETSIP document states that remuneration would rather be linked to the 'performance' of teachers, which is usually measured by the constant testing and assessment of pupils. Such a performance-based reward system could also be used to scapegoat progressive teachers. So, no innovation or initiative is required from teachers, while WB specialists set the curricula. This is the context of the WB's hostility towards teachers' organizations.
Standardised testing: The WB seems to be obsessed with standardised testing for mathematics and (English) reading. The over-emphasis on testing leads to 'teaching to the test,' instills a technocratic mentality and side-lines critical thinking or any progressive discourse about racism, democracy, social justice, and so forth, in the classroom.
Aside from the limitations of such a quantitative methodology, standardised testing is done in English, which immediately puts the vast majority of Namibian learners at a huge disadvantage as they are not assessed in their mother-tongue. In any case, test performance could certainly never be equated with quality education.
Namibia inherited a Eurocentric and rigid industrial model of education. This is being reinforced by neo-liberal education which represents an autocratic mode of pedagogy and the instrumentalizing of knowledge.
What is needed in Namibia is a liberatory education (and an equality-based economy), instead of the implementation of an imperial institution's version of gutter education (and a so-called knowledge-based economy).


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VA said to keep lid on whistle-blowers
Posted: June 24, 2014 at 4:08 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- A top federal investigator has identified "a troubling pattern of deficient patient care" at Veterans Affairs facilities around the country that she says was pointed out by whistle-blowers but downplayed by the department.
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Champions Crowned at Auto Club NHRA Finals
The 50th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals was a spectacular roller coaster of emotion and racing and at the Sunday Finals, none of the racers held anything back. Congratulations to all of the winners, and to all of the racers on an extraordinary season. Read More


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2014: Brewers (106 G): 464 RS / 435 RA Rays (105 G): 414 RS / 418 RA Park factors are quite funny — although the AL features a more robust run environment than the NL, Miller Park's favorable conditions and Tropicana Field's repressive conditions produce… [More]
Posts Tagged 'David Price '
The Brewers Need to be Careful This Trade Season
By Ryan Topp on June 26, 2014
Early summer is a fun time of the year to be a baseball fan. Whether or not your team happens to be in the thick of the pennant race, there are likely to be rumors floating around about possible trades your team could make. Teams… [More]
Predicting the Ump Show
By Adam Wieser on July 12, 2013
It has been a little over ten years since Curt Schilling used a bat to smash a QuesTec camera to bits. At the time, QuesTec had cameras installed in 13 major league ballparks to help MLB provide feedback to umpires about their strike zones. Schilling,… [More]


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what is weather like in cincy?
what is weather like in cincy?
Darn, those people talking of TV Coverage got me excited..Oh well another non-televised game.
Go Reds!
Baseball Bliss
Im a normal guy blessed with the ability to hit a baseball. - Sean Casey
Man a Sweep would ROCK at this point
18 Wins in April!!!!! Lets do this!!!
Proud Member of "The Bengals Lair"
Somebody's gotta win and somebody's gotta lose and I believe in letting the other guy lose. - Pete Rose
Not to be Negative Ned here, but I have a bad feeling that Elizardo's going to get shelled today.
Hope I'm wrong.
Championships Matter.
24 Years and Counting...
If you're wrong(and I hope you are), then be prepared to have a certain someone throw it back in your face after the game. : He always does it to me when I miss on a prediction.Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor
I miss Adam Dunn.
Stick with the fantacstic PBP...leave the "feelings" to Miss Cleo.Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor
Maybe that's just a midnight Run to the Border talking to yaOriginally Posted by Caveat Emperor
Can't win with 'em
Can't win without 'em
first pitch clocked at 86 mph.....
This will not change until the Reds win the World Series.......
April 28, 2006.
Hitting Burke is an even worse start than 86mph
What about the 2nd one?Originally Posted by REDSEER
You would have to be blind to not see that home run coming. I'm afraid you were right, CE.
I miss Adam Dunn.
Ut oh lol
down 2-0 Early
Berk HR Gives him the Club Record for RBI in the month of April
1 outs bases clear
Proud Member of "The Bengals Lair"
Somebody's gotta win and somebody's gotta lose and I believe in letting the other guy lose. - Pete Rose
Now the question is, can he settle down ala Harang yesterday, or is a sweep asking too much?
Championships for MY teams in my lifetime:
Cincinnati Reds - 75, 76, 90
Chicago Blackhawks - 10, 13, 15
University of Kentucky - 78, 96, 98, 12
Chicago Bulls - 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
Don't worry folks. Reds will be putting up some offensive fireworks today. Mark it down.
Ballboy giving the balls to fans--guess Castellini heard...
"Don't trust any statistics you did not fake yourself."--Winston Churchill
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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Ariel Schrag has been making comix for as long as she can remember. She was inspired by a comicbook artist who happened to share her name, Ariel Bordeaux.
Ariel stands by the black and white comix and zines. She views color with suspicion, saying it's just another layer of tampering by the publishing companies.
Ariel feels that distributing your art face-to-face is a meaningful stage for young artists to go through.
Slave Labor Graphics
first published Ariel's comix while she was still in high school.
Sharon Barnes made a documentary about Ariel called
Ariel explains how she got started, inspiration from Ariel Bordeaux, & why she distrusts color (3min40sec)
listen to clip #1
Ariel gets out her sketchbook & notes (1min40sec)
listen to clip #2
Ariel talks about how her comicbook impacted her social-life (50sec)
listen to clip #3
Ariel explains how she went about getting published (1min5sec)
listen to clip #4
Ariel describes her relationship with her fans when she first got published in the late '90s (1min10sec)
listen to clip #5
Ariel on the importance of self-publishing & her doubts about blogs & livejournals (2min15sec)
listen to clip #6
Ariel talks about trying screenplay writing (40sec)
listen to clip #7
Ariel on her experience teaching in an afterschool program (1min40sec)
listen to clip #8
Ariel is looking forward to finishing her highschool comix (25sec)
listen to clip #9
Download a
of Ariel's interview
Images on this webpage are pulled from Ariel Schrag's comicbook
, & Ariel Bordeaux's comicbook
Deep Girl


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Published on: Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Civil rights attorney Alvin J. Bronstein, Esq. will be the featured guest at two upcoming events at the University of St. Thomas.
Bronstein will discuss "The Quest for Diversity: Continuing the March for Civil Rights" at the University of St. Thomas School of Law Diversity Brunch at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 8, in classroom 446 at the downtown Minneapolis campus. The brunch is free and open to the public. For more information and to RSVP (deadline April 1).
Bronstein will also be the keynote speaker at "A Night of Brotherhood," the first annual fundraiser and dinner for Brotherhood, Inc. at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, on in room 304 of the Murray-Herrick Campus Center on the St. Paul campus. For more information and to register for fundraiser .
At both events, he will speak about his experiences during the 1960s in the south, including his times with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., other civil rights leaders and groups like the NAACP, ACLU, COFF and CORE. In addition, he will talk about why Brotherhood, Inc. is important in changing black youths' lives and why we need diverse leaders for the future.
Bronstein is a civil rights attorney and the founding executive director of the ACLU National Prison Project. He has been listed numerous times as one of the one hundred most influential lawyers in America by the National Law Journal and has argued numerous cases in federal trial and appellate courts as well as the Supreme Court of the United States. During the mid-1960s, Bronstein litigated civil rights cases in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. Also during that time, he gave legal protection to Dr. Martin Luther King, which included bailing King out of jail twice.
Brotherhood, Inc. ("Brotherhood") is a community-based, non-profit organization that was developed in partnership with the Community Justice Project of the University of St. Thomas School of Law, the Aurora/St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation (ASANDC) and the St. Paul Branch of the NAACP. Brotherhood will specifically serve young African-American men, ages 16-24. Its mission is to enable African-American youths and young adults to envision and achieve successful futures.
Bronstein's presentations are sponsored by the American Bar Association Law Student Division and the American Civil Liberties Union. Other University of St. Thomas co-sponsors include Black Law Student Association, Community Justice Project, Criminal Law Association, Campus Democrats, Republican Lawyers Association and Student Government.


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Internship Opportunities
Applications are open for 2014 Internships!
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American (APA) Center announces internship opportunities for 2014. Selected interns will be provided with an office space equipped with a computer, phone, access to Smithsonian collections, libraries, reference materials, and other resources, as well as advice and research guidance from the APA Center and other Smithsonian staff.
Ready to apply? Click here!
Want to know what it's like to be an intern at the Smithsonian APA Center? Click here to read blog posts written by past interns.
Click here to download a PDF for more information about internships.
Applicants will be chosen based on their scholarly qualifications, experience working with APA communities, and the quality of the research project proposed and its suitability to APA Center's missions and goals. Eligible applicants must be a current college student, recent college graduate (within one calendar year), and/or have been accepted to enter an advanced degree program. Most interns are at the senior or junior undergraduate level, though strongly qualified sophomores and freshmen will be considered. Graduate students are eligible to apply. Internships are unavailable for high school students.
To apply, register on the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA). Through the website's left navigation, follow the instructions and choose the APA Center's internship option. Please note that accepted applicants will need to submit background check forms one month before their start date. In addition, accepted applicants are responsible for arranging their own housing during their appointment.
Internships through the APA Center are unpaid, but interns may receive academic credit through their universities. The APA Center is willing to coordinate with each intern and school in completing the necessary paperwork. Students are encouraged to apply for independent grants or scholarships through their schools or outside sources to financially support them during their internship appointment. Funding is available on a competitive basis through the Minority Awards Program from the Smithsonian Institution's Office of Fellowships and Internships.
The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Contact Krista Aniel at firstname.lastname@example.com, Internship Coordinator, for help or more information.
Read about the experiences of Indian Americans from the perspective of different bloggers covering topics such as culture, identity, family, recent events, and more.
Part of the "Welcome to Smithsonian" video series, this short video explores the APA heritage within the Smithsonian Institution.


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Lagos — THERE are strong indications of a looming industrial unrest in the nation's university system over government's failure to fully implement the 2009 agreement signed with the varsity workers and the report of the committee on Needs Assessment of Nigerian Public Universities, which allegedly concluded on massive retrenchment of non-teaching staff in the university system.
Vanguard gathered that the National Association of Academic Tehnologists, NAAT, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU have directed all their branches to commence mobilisation of all their members for an indefinite strike.
Under the Joint Action Committee of NAAT, NASU and SSANU, Vanguard was informed that the directive was contained in a memo sent to all the branch chairmen in government universities across the country following the meeting of the Joint Action Committee held at NASU national secretariat, at the weekend.
According to the memo, entitled: 'Update on the 2009 Agreement and Needs Assessement Report,' by NAAT President, Comrade Sani Suleiman, NASU President Comrade Ladi Iliya and the SSANU President, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, "Based on the above development, all branches are hereby directed to commence mobilisation of members towards possible indefinite strike, while you await further directives."
"The uninterrupted academic calendar that had existed in Nigerian public universities in the last three years is being threatened.
"This is as a result of the failure of the government to fully implement the 2009 Agreement and our Joint Action Committee's (JAC) rejection of the report of the committee on Needs Assessment of Nigerian public universities with the conclusive purport of massively retrenching and marginalising the non- teaching staff."


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D.C. area possible tornado video and storm reports from Thursday
One tornado was reported as well as three funnel clouds in a day which featured severe weather from start to finish.
Severe thunderstorms were reported throughout the D.C. area yesterday with the strongest in the afternoon hours. These storms caused wind damage throughout the region and more tornadoes were reported just 4 days after the last event on Monday. What an active week!
A tornado was reported by the fire department in Norbeck in Montgomery County as it crossed Norbeck Rd. and Georgia Ave. In addition, funnel clouds were reported by trained weather spotters in Spotsylvania County, another in Loudoun County near Countryside by the Sterling Fire Department, and one more at BWI Thurgood Marshall estimated to be a few miles away.
Check out this interactive storm report map where you can click on the individual reports for more information
I came across this video on youtube of a timelapse of the storms yesterday. Apparently this was taken near Columbia, MD and there possibly is a funnel around the 1:06 mark. I'm not sure how authentic this is but is worth taking a look at anyways because of the great timelapse.
This is what the publisher wrote about the timelapse below.
Published on Jun 13, 2013
Filmed a time-lapse of today's severe thunderstorm, and captured the Olney-Colesville tornado zipping by at 1:06. I can't confirm 100% that it is the tornado but it appeared exactly where and when it should have given the NWS warning a few minutes prior.
Later in the video you can see the bow shock and fast-moving winds that spawned a tornado in Rockville, MD.
Tornado or not, still a beautiful storm and an exciting day for storm-spotting in Maryland - enjoy!


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Narrow and nippy, with a compact frame for smart city steering.
You love hitting the city, but with all the bustle and bumps it can be rough. So we've made sure the urbo² has even more ways help you keep your cool. The narrow frame is just as light, stylish and nippy, but now the built-in wheels have front suspension, so little passengers get an even smoother ride. Plus there's a concealed sunshade for long, lazy naps in your favorite café.
- Smooth mover – front suspension for a bump-free ride
- Space saving - slide the adjustable handles right down to squeeze into even tighter city spaces
- Hallway-friendly – folds away for easy storage
- Zzzzzz – built-in insect net and sleepshade to stop unwanted visitors
Features & Benefits:
- Set up for snoozing – extra lined hood and visor
- Full recline – for long, leisurely naps
- Reversible seat – so they can face you or the world
- Flip-flop friendly brake – for easy stop and go
- Peek-a-boo window – for quick check ups
- Lots of distraction – fun toy loop to keep baby entertained
- Safe on the road – car seat compatible
- Temperature control – adjustable air vent to keep baby comfortable
- Comforting bumper – leather bumper bar for extra peace of mind
- Quilted comfort – super-comfy luxury padded seat
- Bags of room – easy access shopping basket
- Dimensions: H: 35 x W: 21 x D: 33" approx.
- Folded Size: H: 11 x W: 21 x D: 33" approx.
- Weight: 19.8lbs approx.
- Age Suitability: Birth - 50lbs approx.
Additional Information
|Model No. (SKU)
|Estimated Preorder Stock Date
|Estimated Backorder Stock Date
|Mamas & Papas
Customer ReviewsAdd Your Review
- Great Stroller! Review by Liz
Value Quality Price
There are a few things that would make it a 5 star stroller to me:
-Slightly larger wheels. The wheels are adequate and the suspension does make up a good bit for what it lacking in size, but if they were just a bit bigger this stroller could probably tackle anything.
-An even larger basket. I just so adore the huge basket on the UppaBaby Vista.
-Something on the stroller is creaky sometimes (from day one). I think it might be the wheels? It doesn't seem to be a functional issue thus far, but it just sounds bad. Maybe it's just all the metal parts on this thing? Whatever it is, I could do without it.
-If the stroller could be folded with the seat in the parent facing position. Currently the seat must be in the forward facing position to fold the stroller. It's not a huge deal though, because the seat is very easy to reverse. Nonetheless I would love to have the option of leaving the seat parent facing.
The bottom line is that this thing is awesome! I would never have purchased the original Urbo because of the lack of suspension and wheel issues I read so much about as well as the smaller basket and the lower, less upright seat. But Mamas & Papas has made some MAJOR improvements with the Urbo2. It's a great and very functional stroller. I love it. (Posted on 2/15/2014)


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Protected public lands support US defense missionJuly 2nd, 2014
To prevent budget shortages and base closures from affecting military installations and training facilities in the United States, we need to be vigilant and creative in how we defend them from incompatible uses outside their boundaries.
Sonoran Desert Heritage Proposal Awarded 'Best Project' by American Planning Association-Arizona ChapterSeptember 30th, 2013
Arizona Sonoran Desert Heritage Act a preservation 3-ferMay 13th, 2013
Land preservation meets national defense meets eco-tourism in a plan that protects wildlife corridors, military flight paths and the West Valley's access to some dynamite outdoor activities. Talk about achieving multiple goals with one great idea.
Legislation to Preserve Sonoran Desert and Protect Arizona's Military InstallationsApril 30th, 2013
PHOENIX – In the newly introduced "Arizona Sonoran Desert Heritage Act of 2013," Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-Dist. 3) seeks to preserve critical tracts west of Phoenix that serve as important wildlife and recreation areas, safeguard the viability of Luke Air Force Base and the Barry M. Goldwater Range, and protect environmental amenities to boost economic opportunities for West Valley communities.
For a high-resolution map, visit www.sonoranheritage.org.
Report Calls for Increased Protection of Lands near Arizona's Military FacilitiesApril 24th, 2013
PHOENIX - A report released today by the Sonoran Institute and the Arizona Wilderness Coalition analyzes the critical relationship between land use and military installations in western Maricopa County and how conservation can help sustain Arizona's $9 billion military industry.
Green groups, military interests promote Ariz. conservation planNovember 13th, 2012
A proposal backed by environmental groups and military interests
in southern Arizona would protect hundreds of thousands of acres -- as well as
large swaths of the airspace above them.
Sonoran Desert Heritage Featured on This American LandNovember 8th, 2012
Ted Simons of Arizona Horizon Interviews Ian Dowdy on the Sonoran Desert Heritage ProposalAugust 15th, 2012
Conservation Outreach Associate Ian Dowdy, with the Arizona Wilderness Coalition, was interviewed on August 14, 2012 regarding the Sonoran Desert Heritage conservation proposal that protects federal lands in western Maricopa County. In this short video clip Ian outlines why the conservation of these lands is vital to the local enconomy and to the longterm viability of Arizona's military installations.
To view the video click here:
F-35 and Sonoran Desert Heritage the Future of West ValleyAugust 9th, 2012
PHOENIX – The Department of Defense announced this week that Luke Air Force Base remains the preferred
location for the new F-35A Training Center. This is good news for Luke AFB,
good news for Arizona, and good news, in particular, for Glendale and the west
valley. Important considerations that give Luke an advantage over other
potential sites include its open space, potential for future growth, and easy
Pulliam Trust awards $1.9 million in grantsMay 4th, 2012
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust last week announced nearly $1.9 million in grants going to 22 Arizona non-profit organizations. They are:
A Stepping Stone Foundation: $55,000 to support preschool classrooms for about 35 children ages 3 and 4 from low-income families at Westwood Elementary School in the Alhambra School District in Phoenix.
Arizona Wilderness Coalition: $50,000 to complete the final phase of the Sonoran Desert Heritage Campaign to protect nearly 1 million acres of wilderness-quality public lands west and southwest of Phoenix.


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Photos of Petra Kvitova
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Oct 24th, 2012, 07:59 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 13,324
Re: Photos of Petra Kvitova
Originally Posted by
I always knew that pov was just there to pretend to be a fan and then start to come up with a lame statement saying that Petra was fine, that she sucks and that shes so fat, when really shes not,
her body language against Aga looked like she was about to collapse even though she on the outside may look fine and moving ok.
But i hope that she will get this recovery and take things slow, finally Rafa started to do that god knows how long he needed this break
Yes, I did see a moment on screen, when she appeared laboring and momentarily bent over during yesterdays match.
And even in the presser, I did notice she said that her "hands were trembling" and couldn't move her feet. Though she mentioned it in the context of nerves; I've heard her say that about her asthma as well.
So it's possible.
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Catherine Rogan went to London to meet the Queen last week. The last time she was so nervous was five years ago when she applied for a loan from PSYBT - in fact, she threw up before going into the selection panel hearing.
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Six months ago John Murray was sweating it out while a PSYBT panel decided whether he should have a #5000 loan to start a business. Today he is one of a group of PSYBT clients working on an unofficial project of their own in one of Greenock's worst areas, Woodhall. They are formally called the Scottish Bravehearts but they call themselves the Suits and Troops. ''The feeling that most of the inhabitants had was that they had been given up on,'' said Duncan Maclaine, an entrepreneur who as an adviser with Renfrewshire Enterprise's First Business helped many of the Troops through the PSYBT process. ''The Troops went into Woodhall and hung around with people on corners and found out what they wanted, not what they were being told they wanted. The kids there have no trust in official bodies. ''Coming from Belfast I know what that can degenerate into. We created an interface with the Suits and Troops.'' The Suits include a 26-year-old lawyer and a 27-year-old architect. ''You can bring in the people in the suits but they have to be vetted. My job was to make this happen, to bring them into the same room and make sure they did not just stare at each other.'' They are now negotiating with a property developer for a Grade 1 listed building to be converted into units to include music and video editing suites. They will apply for outline planning permission this month. They are also looking at creating a diver training facility in the area. Initial indifference from official bodies is turning to interest but the Troops are determined not to let the project be hijacked. They were frequently ignored by conventional sources of business support until someone intervened to help. Six months ago Murray was an engineer at Playtex and at 26 he knew he would be too old to re-apply if his plan was turned down. His idea for Class Act Logo Embroidery was simple: ''to start by embroidering company logos, mainly on sweaters and polo shirts, and build on that.'' But it still meant working on the idea at Renfrewshire Enterprise's First Business centre in Greenock by day, working at Playtex by night, and dealing with the upheaval of a new-born daughter at home. The #5000 would allow him to buy some stock, lease a machine for a year and travel the craft fairs and gift shows until he could afford to open a shop and expand his range to novelty handkerchiefs and T-shirts. Even so the panel delayed a decision for further consideration before eventually granting the loan subject to putting in place a #6000 overdraft facility for six months. Maclaine, who advised him through the process of drawing up his business plan, had already been round many of the banks in the area, building relationships with local managers. A series of seminars by First Business in April for audiences which included bank managers led to Maclaine being invited to make a presentation to the Royal Bank of Scotland's centre in Paisley last week. Applying on the same day as Murray was Christian Bjonness, only 21, but trading as Adventure Treks and running trips from Greenock and Glasgow to Glenshee offering snowboarding and skiing. ''I have been a qualified ski instructor since I was 17. For the past two winters I have been up in Glenshee full-time but I did not want to move to Glenshee again,'' he said. ''My business is not that complicated but the big investment is the minibus. The panel asked me about cash-flows, how I perceived the business going and my pricing policy.''


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The blogosphere is all atwitter about Sen. Harry Reid's quote about presidential candidate Barack Obama. The then-Illinois senator was described, in private, by the Nevada senator as "light skinned" and "with no Negro dialect, unless… Read More
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New POTUS, New Name
by Denis Campbell Every incoming POTUS and VPOTUS (President of the United States and Vice), has a code name used by their US Secret Service protection detail. The name is chosen by the White House… Read More
Taking Skin (Muscle and Tissue) Out of the Game
By Denis Campbell Pssst, buddy, wanna buy a Presidency? It's gonna cost ya! A truism in life I learned, is when a person with money meets a person with experience, the person with the… Read More
30 Days To Go …
by Charley James Alright, so it's been an unpredictable election year. When the primaries began, Hillary Clinton was the heavy favorite and John McCain was all but dead in the water with Fred Thompson's entry… Read More
300-Plus Electoral Votes is Possible for Obama
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Pundit round-up from The Daily Kos, Hoffmania and others NY Times' David Brooks: Damned if I know what's going on. Conservatism has failed before my very eyes. NY Times' Paul Krugman: I do know… Read More
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- Thickness: 3 in.
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- Weatherproof. Long lasting. Seals out drafts, dirt, leaves, insects, rain and snow. For up to 16 foot 2 car garage. Sealant included.
*Items shipped from our warehouse to stores in Alaska and Hawaii will receive a 70% shipping discount.
30-Day Return Guarantee
We want you to be fully satisfied with every item that you purchase from www.acehardware.com. If you are not satisfied with an item that you have purchased (excluding Gift Cards and gas-powered outdoor equipment*), you may return the item up to thirty days after the original purchase date to receive a store credit (less shipping, handling and other charges). We recommend that you make returns of online purchases to an Ace retail store near you which will issue your store credit. If you do not have an Ace retail store near you, please contact a Customer Service Specialist by calling 1-866-290-5334 for complete return instructions. Please refer to our Return Instructions for more information about returning a purchase.
The item must be returned in good condition, in original boxes (whenever possible), and with all paperwork, parts and accessories to insure full credit. After 30 days, please contact the manufacturer directly.
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Bus services in Hong Kong
Bus services in Hong Kong have a long history. As of 2005, five companies operate franchised public bus services. There are also a variety of non-franchised public buses services, including feeder bus services to railway stations operated by MTR, and residents' services for residential estates (particularly those in the New Territories).
Current situation[edit]
The bus service of Hong Kong can be roughly divided into 3 types: Franchised bus, Non-franchised bus and Public light bus.
Franchised bus[edit]
As of 2007, there are 5 privately owned bus companies that provide franchised bus service across Hong Kong, operating more than 700 routes. Hong Kong is one of the few cities in the world that has no publicly operated bus service.
These are the five franchised bus companies in Hong Kong:
Mainly provides service in Kowloon and New Territories, operating total 402 routes. Some of them are cross-harbour routes.
Mainly provides service on Hong Kong Island, operating 154 routes. 72 routes are on Hong Kong Island, 32 of them are North-Lantau and Airport routes, and the final 50 of the routes are cross-harbour routes. Other than those, Citybus operates shuttle routes B3, B3A and B3X between Tuen Mun and Shenzhen Bay Port.
Mainly services Tung Chung, Disneyland Resort and routes shuttling between the Airport and New Territories.
Mainly provides service on Hong Kong Island, and provides routes in Kowloon and Tseung Kwan O. It operates some cross-harbour routes.
Mainly provides service on Lantau Island, operating a total of 20 routes.
Founded in 1933, the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) is one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world. KMB's fleet consists of 4,058 buses on 402 routes and a staff of over 12,000. In 1979, Citybus began its operation in Hong Kong with one double-decker, providing shuttle service for the Hong Kong dockyard. It later expanded into operating a residential bus route between City One, Shatin and Kowloon Tong MTR station. New World First Bus Services Limited (NWFB) was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus. NWFB's parent company later bought Citybus, but the two companies have basically been operating independently.
Hong Kong franchised bus routes have a fixed path, fare, service hours and schedule. Urban routes mostly operate with double-decker buses, which have become a distinguishing feature of Hong Kong. Passengers are required to pay their bus fare when they board the bus, and all buses accept payment by either Octopus card or cash however no change is given for paying by the latter. Some routes such as cross-harbour routes and Disneyland Resort routes are operated jointly by two companies. Fares are dependent more on where a passenger boards rather than alights and cross-harbour services cost close to HKD10 when the bus has yet to cross the harbour.
Non-franchised buses[edit]
The non-franchised bus services of Hong Kong are provided by different private bus companies as a means to relieve the demand on franchised buses and green public minibuses in rush hour. They also serve some remote places which are deemed non-profitable for franchised bus and green public minibus operators to serve. According to the Transport Department, there were 8111 registered non-franchised buses in Hong Kong as of 13 March 2014. Generally speaking, the services are divided into the following categories:
- Tourist services (A01): Known as "Travel bus" (旅遊巴) in daily usage, providing transport services for tourists between tourist attractions.
- Hotel services (A02): operated by hotels or by bus companies, providing transport services for hotel customers.
- School services (A03): operated by schools or by bus companies, providing transport services for students.
- Employee services (A04): operated by different institutes or by bus companies, providing transport services for employees.
- Residential services (A06): Known as "Estate bus" (邨巴) in daily usage, they providing feeder services between new towns and urban areas; they are often applied jointly by management company of private housing estates and bus companies as a mean to carry residents from where they live to major transport interchanges.
- Contract hire services (A08): Hired by a person or groups for transport services.
On the other hand, MTR Corporation also operates some feeder bus routes in Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai and Yuen Long to complement its West Rail Line and Light Rail services. Although MTR Bus is classified as a non-franchised buses operator, it is entitled to certain privileges and obligations similar to franchised buses, e.g. retirement age limit of buses (18 year) and tax-free petrol.
Public light buses[edit]
The public light buses in Hong Kong are passenger transport vehicles (minibuses) with a capacity of 16 passengers. The capacity was 14 before the 1980s. They provide feeder services to buses and the railway. According to the law, there can only be 4350 minibuses. They can be divided into two types: red public minibuses and green public minibuses. Other kinds of light bus services, for example, the Nanny van transports provided by such van owners during the 1980s are considered illegal beyond their operation routes.
See also[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Buses in Hong Kong.
- History of bus transport in Hong Kong
- List of bus routes in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong bus route numbering
- Public light bus


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Dyersville - It was two decades ago when a quiet Dubuque County farm turned into a bustling Hollywood set.
Today visitors continue to flock to the "Field of Dreams" movie site in Dyersville.
It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since actress Gabby Hoffman first said the line, "people will come". Now 20 years later, that line is still true. About 65-thousand people visit the movie site each season. But this year there will be no fan-fare to mark the big anniversary.
Volunteers at The Rural Community Food Pantry in Dyersville are struggling to keep food on the shelves.
Since the city was hit by the flood in June, requests for food have increased by 60 percent.
Volunteers say now that more and more people living in this area are being laid off, the need continues to grow.
That's why owners of The Field of Dreams say it would not be fiscally responsible to celebrate the site's success during this hard economic time.
Instead owners will donate five thousand dollars to the food pantry.
Pantry Volunteer, Bernice Thole said, "I think it's a great deal. It's really nice of them to do that and it was quite a surprise to us and we are real happy with it."
Owners Don and Becky Lansing didn't want to comment on camera about their donation. Becky says making the donation is not that big of a deal, it's just the right thing to do.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather
Field of Dreams Makes Donation Instead of Celebration
By Katie Wiedemann, Reporter
Most Popular


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Public Parking
U.Md. personnel shift may clear path for Purple LineComment
Ann Wylie, the now former vice president for administrative affairs for the school, and a vocal opponent of the Purple Line, has been shifted to an interim provost position.
D.C. Twitterverse talks parking meter ratesComment
When D.C. Councilman Jack Evans said on NewsTalk that he would seek to roll back parking meter rates, local residents responded on Twitter.
Parking hours, rates set for former DHS garage
Colonial Parking begins operation of the former Department of Human Services parking garage.
College Park garage opening up new interest
Despite a slow start, College Park officials say the city's $9.3 million parking garage has begun to pay dividends.
PARK(ing) Day in DC is just around the corner
PARK(ing) Day comes to D.C.
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François Marland, LL.M.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Marland brings a vast array of business and investment experience to the Veris Board of Directors. He has over twenty years of global business experience and is a published author. Mr. Marland completed his Masters of Law in France in 1979 and went on to teach and practice law until 1987. Mr. Marland founded a group of 100 companies from 1987 until 1992. His group was composed of various industrial, distributional, internet and financial companies. In 1992 he sold the group, which by that time consisted of 4,500 employees, for $8 billion French Francs. He then turned his attention to investing in capital risk ventures. Since selling his group in 1992, Mr. Marland has acted as an advisor and capital risk-taker to more than 300 companies from different sectors of the market. Mr. Marland's goal as a Director of the Company and Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee is to finance the acquisition of sulphide and refractory ore reserves in the region of the Jerritt Canyon gold mine, to organize the structures to manage them and to focus on establishing Veris as a mid-sized gold producer in Nevada within the next three years.
Shaun Heinrichs, BBA, CA, CPA (Illinois)
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Heinrichs has been with the Company since 2008 as Chief Financial Officer. He has over sixteen years of financial accounting experience, beginning with seven years of public practice experience with Ernst & Young in Vancouver. His primary role at Ernst & Young was as a lead assurance or advisory manager on several large US and Canadian public companies within the BC region. He subsequently held senior management roles in several large public companies as well as a large BC utility prior to joining Veris. Mr. Heinrichs has been instrumental in managing the finances of the Company during the recent corporate turn-around. Mr. Heinrichs holds a business degree from Simon Fraser University and is both a Chartered Accountant in Canada and a Certified Public Accountant in the United States.
Graham C. Dickson, B.Sc. A.R.C.S.
Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President Acquisitions & Corporate Development and Director
Mr. Dickson has been working in the Mining Industry in North America for the last 28 years. Has acted as general manager of a turnkey construction company for gold milling facilities in remote locations, including the Snip Mill for Cominco Ltd., Golden Patricia Mill for Bond Gold and Seabee Mill for Claude Resources. Before joining Veris, Mr. Dickson served in various capacities with BYG Natural Resources Ltd., which had an operating gold mine in the Yukon Territory. Recently as General Manager of the General Contractor Mr. Dickson completed the surface facilities, for Bema Gold's Julietta mine in Far East Russia, ahead of schedule and under budget.
Todd W. Johnson, M.Sc Geo, Eng, P.E.
Vice President, Exploration
Mr. Johnson has over 22 years of experience in the precious and base metal resource industry and an additional 4 years of geotechnical engineering experience ranging from grass-roots exploration to mine predevelopment. Mr. Johnson is a Qualified Person as defined by the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 guidelines, a recognized expert in the assessment of base and precious metal systems, and has worked throughout the western United States, northern Mexico, and Canada. He worked for over 10 years with the Noranda-Hemlo Gold Mines group and was involved with the New World Au (Cu-Ag) discovery in Cooke City, Montana. After the merger of Hemlo Gold Mines and Battle Mountain Gold in 1996, Todd significantly contributed to the multi-million ounce resource expansion at the Phoenix Au (Cu-Ag) mine in Battle Mountain, Nevada which was later put into production by Newmont Mining Corporation. His most recent efforts have helped Veris Gold Corp. (Veris) return the Jerritt Canyon Au (Ag) mine back into production in 2009 after it was temporarily shut down in August 2008. Mr. Johnson also helped manage the 2008 geotechnical, hydrogeological, and geo-metallurgy drilling campaigns to help support Veris's ongoing predevelopment study and Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) application for the Ketza River Au Project in the Yukon Territory. In addition to his geological and exploration experience, Mr. Johnson is a Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the state of Nevada and has worked on several commercial and industrial developments, mine developments, residential developments, utility lines, and roadways with several engineering companies including AMEC.
Graham H. Scott, B.Sc, M.S., LL.B.
Corporate Secretary
Mr. Scott combines 28 years as a resource and corporate finance lawyer with eight years of practical experience as an exploration geologist to give clients expert, balanced advice on all resource-related matters. He represents many Canadian public companies which are listed on the TSX and TSX Venture Exchanges, in addition to clients in the corporate finance business. Mr. Scott also represents a diverse group of clients in the mining industry, ranging from individual prospectors to multinational mining companies. In such work, Mr. Scott has negotiated and prepared participation and joint venture agreements for properties throughout the world. He has presented papers on securities law and mining law matters and has chaired many legal and industry conferences. Mr. Scott is listed in The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, is one of the 230 lawyers world-wide listed in the International Who's Who of Mining Lawyers and is listed in the The Best Lawyers in Canada.


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Beastly Adventurer
Joined: Jul 2010
Oddometer: 1,076
Terrific thread,thanks for the photos/info etc!,looks like you got a great group of family and friends supporting you,going to be following this
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Harrisville, Utah
Oddometer: 367
I wrote up an "ISDE 101" during last year's report. It's buried in the thread from last year (http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=800782)
but I've copied it again below and should hopefully help answer some of the questions about the ISDE.
Most people following this thread have some knowledge of the ISDE, but weve got a lot of friends and family, or people who are avid motorcyclists and interested in this story, but dont know much about the ISDE. Therefore, I wanted to provide sort of an ISDE for Dummies summary for those who may want a little more context of what is really involved. Here are some highlights:
The ISDE is the longest running off-road motorcycling event in the world. It is considered the pinnacle of off-road enduro racing. This year in Germany will be the 87th running of the ISDE.
ISDE stands for International Six Days Enduro. This is an International motorcycling event and is just like the Olympics. Multiple countries (30-40) are represented and at the end of the event, racers are awarded medals (Gold/Silver/Bronze) for their finish. There are usually over 450+ racers.
Racers race for six straight days and in Germany they will average between 150-180 miles per day (some days even longer).
Just finishing the ISDE (often referred to as Six Days), is a huge accomplishment. It is truly an endurance event and is a test for both the rider and the bike to finish 6 grueling days without one or the other failing.
One of the very unique things is that once the event starts, only the rider can perform any maintenance on his/her bike. If anybody (even a spectator with good intentions) provides any type of outside assistance, the racer will be disqualified. Nobody else can even touch the bike. There are some very minor exceptions that include a pit crew being able to fill gas, and other liquids such as antifreeze, oil, or brake fluid. However, they can only pour those liquids. For example, a mechanic can pour in brake fluid, but they cant assist in bleeding the brakes. They can pour in oil, but they cant remove the filler cap or remove the drain plug. Those functions must be performed by the rider.
The rider has a 15 minute work period at the end of each day of racing to perform maintenance on the bike. During this time, they change tires, oil, brake pads, air filters, etc. They have to impound their bike in a secure area each night before those 15 minutes expire. If they exceed those 15 minutes they incur a penalty against their overall score.
Bikes remain locked and inaccessible to rider and pit crew until 10 minutes before the riders scheduled depart time each morning. The rider can perform any last minute bike maintenance during those 10 minutes but they cannot start their bike. The bike cant be started until the riders start time arrives.
The ISDE is a time trials event which means that although they are out there racing against everyone else, they are really racing the clock. They leave at a specific time each day. They have a prescribed amount of time to arrive at their next location (called a Time Check). If they arrive early, they wait until their arrival time is up, and then they go through the Time Check. If they arrive late, then they are penalized (60 points for every minute they are late). If the rider leaves and arrives to each time check on time, then their score is essentially zero (which is what you want). It takes a great deal of skill to ride the necessary pace between the checkpoints and avoid arriving late. Its not a trail ride. For the average rider, the pace between checks would be equivalent to their full race pace.
Between the time check points are what is known as Special Tests. This is the real magic of the ISDE. These are sections of the course that are in different type of terrain. They could be a grass track on the side of a hill, a natural terrain motocross track, a sandy beach, or a slippery and root-infested trail through the trees.
The objective of the Special Test is to ride as fast as possible from the Start to the Finish, just like a sprint. The rider receives a score for the amount of time it takes them to complete the special test. The score is represented as a number (i.e. 360) which is indicative of the total number of seconds it takes them to complete the test (a score of 360 would be 6 minutes). The lower the score the better (lower score equals faster time).
The rider usually competes in about 6-8 special tests each day. Their cumulative special test scores, combined with any other penalty points (for arriving late to a time check), result in an overall score for the day.
The goal of the racer is to zero their checks (arrive to each on time), and ride as fast as possible in the special tests and receive the lowest score for the day.
One of the best analogies is to think of running a marathon every day for 6 straight days, but in the middle of that marathon, being stopped 6-8 times, and required to run a 400-800 yard sprint, and then resume running your marathon.
If a rider arrives late to a time check, they incur a penalty (points added to their score) for every minute they are late. A rider cannot makeup time, so their time schedule resets. For example, if a rider was to be at Time Check 2 at 10:10 a.m. and they arrived at 10:20 they are 10 minutes late. If they were then originally scheduled to be at Time Check 3 at 11:40 a.m., they would need to adjust their schedule forward and plan to arrive at Time Check 3 at 11:50 a.m.
The combined cumulative total of minutes late cannot exceed 60 minutes. If they do, the rider is out of competition. This is known as houring out.
The main division of riders is broken up by displacement (engine size). Classes are:
o 100cc-125cc 2 stroke or 175cc-250cc 4 stroke (also known as E1 or C1)
o 175cc-250cc 2 stroke or 290cc-450cc 4stroke (also known as E2 or C2)
o 290cc-500cc 2 stroke or 475cc-650cc 4 stroke (also known as E3 or C3)
o There is also a Senior Team (any size machine) and Womens Team (any size machine)
Bigger motor doesnt necessarily equate to better rider or faster rider. Last years overall winner was in the E1 class. The Trophy Team has the worlds fastest riders represented in all the classes.
The U.S. team has 31 riders this year. All 31 riders are official U.S. Team Members. There are 6 of those riders that make up the World Trophy Team. There are 4 of the riders that are part of the Junior Trophy Team (riders under the age of 23). There are 3 women that make up the Womens Trophy Team. The rest of the riders are organized in groups of 3 and are part of what is known as the club teams representing the U.S. All riders compete for both individual and team honors.
Qualifying to be a member of the U.S. ISDE team requires riders to participate in at least one regional qualifier (there are usually only 2, sometimes 3 qualifiers each year) and finish in the top 2 of their respective class.
There are many unique requirements for both bike and rider equipment. Special tires, exhaust sound restrictions, functional lights, etc., are all part of an ISDE bike. Some parts of the bike are marked with special paint during initial inspection before the event starts and these parts (i.e. engine cases, wheel hubs), cannot be swapped out during the event. This contributes to the unique preparation and strategy of an event like this where both rider and bike must last for 6 straight days in some of the worlds toughest terrain.
Because the ISDE is an International event, the expenses involved in getting bike and rider to the event are considerable. The greatest majority of the cost of the event is the sole responsibility of the rider and/or their individual sponsors. Despite the considerable expense, competing in the ISDE is a labor of love for many, and a fulfillment of a life-long dream.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Harrisville, Utah
Oddometer: 367
September 26, 2013
Today was primarily another bike prep day. Its amazing how much time you can spend tinkering on bikes and fretting over all the little stuff, despite weeks of preparation on the bike prior to coming to Italy.
There is always a lot of nervous energy and guys were anxious to get on their bikes and shake out some of the nerves and bugs by getting on the test track. After just a few laps on the test track, many of the guys (and girls) looked as though they had just completed a dusty National Hare n Hound. Their gear, goggles, and bikes were completely covered in silty dust.
Many teams were required to impound by today, so upon leaving the paddock area tonight, about half of the impound was full of bikes. The U.S. Team is scheduled to go through administrative check-in and inspection late tomorrow afternoon after which all the bikes will be impounded, not to be touched again until Monday morning.
Ive also decided to add one cultural observation of the day to my reports. After all, we are in a different country and some of the funny little cultural differences and nuances are part of what makes this event such an experience.
Just as we experienced in Germany last year, Europeans pretty much dont believe in ice in their drinks. We are in a very modern hotel (Hilton) for the city we are staying and there are a few ice machines, but aside from that and McDonalds, you dont have a drink over ice. Bread is hard and dry, and most eating establishments shut down in late afternoon until sometime between 7:00-8:00 at night where they reopen. Dont ask us how we know Also, cars over here are tiny tiny. SMART cars, Fiats, etc., are everywhere, and the cars here in Italy make the cars last year in Germany look huge.
Mopeds are everywhere, and this is one the Finnish team brought for hauling gear around the pits. It reminds me of the one Nacho Libre rides.
Thanks to USWE for providing drink systems and fanny packs to the U.S. team this year. Josh received one of these drink systems last year and they are seriously the best, the way they dont bounce around. Check out offroadchampions.com for purchasing in the United States.
Brian Storrie from Texas is riding on the Senior Team this year. Here is doing final prep. Check out the nice sponsor logos on his tires. Supporters from home bought tires for each day of the Six Days.
This is one of the test riders in the Special Test we walked today.
The one test we walked today. This is very close to town .right next to a bowling alley and some retail stores. Nothing really exciting about this test ..pretty much a vacant lot with not a lot of rocks and nothing particularly technical.
Josh walking this test. It is known as the Basa Test (sorry for all the pics of Josh walking tests, but hes pretty much the only one Im with when walking tests, so thats what you get).
Ryan Kudlas KTM 300 after all the goodies and graphics were installed. Lots of beautiful bikes in the pits.
Zach Osborne and his mechanic doing some prep on his Geico Honda 250F.
Junior Trophy Team member Jesse Groemm prepping some tires.
Kurt Casellis bike ready for action.
Mark Hyde doing some prep on Taylor Roberts Kawasaki. Everyone helps out regardless of what bike youre riding.
Im really excited to see how Zach Osborne does in this format of racing and with these conditions.
Jimmy Jarrett was prepping his bike all day next to us. Somebody asked him who his mechanic was this year, and he said, me.
Team Australia, right across the pits from the U.S. Team.
Jeff Fredette selling T-shirts and prepping his bike .getting ready for ISDE number 33. Amazing.
Mike Browns factory KTM.
Zach Osbornes Honda. Id love to see him line up at the Anaheim supercross in a few months on this bike with headlight, taillight, kickstand, and skidplate.
This is what the KTM ISDE Special Edition bikes (rental bikes) look like. This is Alex Dorseys bike (from Northern California) after hed been to the test track.
Scott Brights son (from Colorado). Scott will be riding on the Senior Team with Jeff Fredette and Brian Storrie.
Ryan Sipes factory RockStar Suzuki bike. He was over in the corner with the rest of us prepping his own bike. Great to see a professional MXer prepping his own bike like the rest of the humble club riders. I think his bike is the only Suzuki Ive seen in the entire pits.
Jimmy Jarretts Kawasaki after he was finished prepping. Jimmy is riding on the Wellard Club Team with Nick Fahringer and Ryan Sipes. Talk about a stacked club team with a factory Husaberg rider, a professional MXer, and Jimmy Jarrett .former GNCC champion and Trophy Team member.
off-ramp slayer
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Tampa
Oddometer: 4,347
So many beautiful bikes....
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Harrisville, Utah
Oddometer: 367
September 27, 2013
Getting through final Admin, Tech Inspection, and Impound today feels like a major milestone for us and everyone else. Three days worth of tweaking, building, installing, fretting, adjusting, and re-adjusting, and then double-checking things came to an end, as everyone from the U.S. Team got through the process.
The only downside is that now everyone has to wait two full days before being able to ride.
We did some minor final bike prep this morning and then went to find at least one more special test. We're now focusing on the Special Tests for Day 4 and 5 which are all located south of the city of Olbia. We found one test known as the "Padra" test. It is located in the hills at a motocross track. We walked most of the test, but today was especially hot and we were dripping with sweat by the time we were finished.
We opted to come back to town and find some lunch and then prepare for the team photoshoot and then the admin/impound process.
Here's my cultural observation for the day on this area of Italy. It is regarding the food and restaurants. There are bars and cafes everywhere, along with Pizzerias on every corner. At all of the cafes, people sit around and drink coffee and wine and smoke, but none of those places serve food (meals) and everyone just sits around in the middle of the day having a drink and watching the traffic go by. Much to my surprise, finding good food has been a struggle. At the suggestion of fellow U.S. teammate Ian Blythe who lived in Italy for a year while contesting the World Enduro Circuit, he suggested we find a Chinese place. We did just that and we ended up having the best meal of our entire trip. It was a tiny hole in the wall, in the basement of an old building. Me…my oldest son, and my father….eating delicious Chinese food in Italy, while the Tour de France was on TV, with Lady Gaga blaring in the radio…oh the irony. (Our second best meal of the trip was yesterday eating a Kebab from an Indian vendor just down the street from the Chinese restaurant). Josh did get adventurous tonight and tried seafood Spaghetti. Not his favorite, but at least he can say he tried it.
Lots of photos from today with some narrative to help you all visualize what we're experiencing. I know you're all probably tired of pictures of bikes and special tests with nobody riding…..but we're equally as anxious to get on to the real reason we're here, so hold tight for a few more days and there will be more to report.
Here's a picture of all the course markings that riders follow. I need to get a good picture of a city street showing these signs because it can be incredibly confusing at times if riders are not absolutely paying attention. Days 1 and 2, riders ride the same course and follow the same colors and arrows. Day 3 is unique, and Days 4 and 5 are common. Course is way easier to follow in the off-road sections, than on the pavement and in the city.
KTM Freeride bikes are all over in the pits (none of the new 2-strokes though).
This is a bulletin board with a list of every single rider participating in this year's ISDE. 6 whole pages are Italian riders.
When we found our first special test today, these guys were doing some final prep. They were excited for me to take their photo. They were proud of their work and were ready to show it off to the world.
This test starts on a motocross track. Here is the Italian themed colored starting gate.
It goes downhill from the starting gate….literally and figuratively. I don't think this track has seen a tractor in ages. The soil is decomposed granite with small pea sized gravel or solid rock. It is set on a hill so the cool part about it is that it has a lot of natural elevation change and a great setting.
See what I mean about the soil….it was hard to walk up and down the big hills and it was roasting hot.
The MX track is right adjacent to a couple of little village type farms. If you blow this corner, you'll end up in this guys back yard.
Special test ribbon, cactus, and a small farmer's vineyard…..this is Italy.
After a while the test exits the track and then criss crosses all over a big hillside in the trees. Off-camber is the name of the game for this test. Just about every corner is off-camber.
There are a few rocky sections on this test, but it isn't bad compared to some of the others we've seen.
It doesn't take much imagination here to imagine yourself in Mexico. For those riders who rode Morelia Mexico ISDE in 2010, this is very similar. This little house is right on the hillside by this test. This year is VERY different from Germany.
Another view from the test. On the left is a twisty, steep Italian road that traverses the mountains behind it. To the right in the picture are the hills of the MX track that start the test.
I mentioned off-camber, but due to the dry conditions and lots of weeds and leaves, the corners are going to be very slippery. This entire downhill left-handed corner was covered in about 2-3 inches of leaves.
I had to take a picture of this because I think this will literally be the only water crossing in any test that the riders will find (it's all we've seen in the 6 of 10 tests we've walked). Kurt Caselli was joking about this yesterday because he said before he got to this point, the course workers were so excited and warning him of the water crossing in the test. It turns out, this is what they were warning him about.
More off-camber corners.
The finish of this test literally goes right through this farmer's "field". His goats and dogs are that close to the special test. All in all, the test is really one of the better ones we've seen and should be fun for the riders.
After leaving the special test, we stopped by another test near the test/practice track. I took this picture of a corner in the practice track to show what the conditions will look like after 3,000 riders have been through it. There is a special test literally right across the road from this that we've referred to as the "airport test" (right next to the airport). It's flat, in the weeds…..nothing real exciting.
This is an old abandoned airport next to the practice track. I expect the real special test which is in this same area, will look much the same.
I mentioned that Italian cars are tiny. They've always been tiny based on the vintage of this little car.
Thanks to all our sponsors. Notice the little license plate. That is a miniature copy I had made of the plate off my KTM 950. All the riders have to have a license plate on their bike. The European ones are huge and won't last a day in these conditions. Everyone put them on to get through tech inspection but they will be replaced with small ones after that point.
Team Manager, Antti Kallonen from KTM on the phone keeping things organized. He is doing a great job.
After all of that, it was time for the team photoshoot. The following are lots of shots from that photoshoot. I was able to slide in between the guys that know what they're really doing for some shots.
Andrew Delong…Junior Trophy Team.
Jesse Groemm, Junior Trophy Team.
Kailub Russell and Grant Baylor and the rest of the Junior Trophy Team.
Kurt Caselli, Trophy Team
Mike Brown, Trophy Team.
Josh and the rest of the crew waiting for their turn for photos.
Charlie Mullins, Trophy Team.
Zach Osborne, Trophy Team.
Taylor Robert, Trophy Team.
Jeff Fredette. I love to see that he is still enjoying being here, taking photos and enjoying the moment.
Rachel Gutish, Womens Trophy Team.
Mandi Mastin, Womens Trophy Team
Brooke Hodges, Womens Trophy Team
Jimmy Jarret, Wellard Club Team
Nick Fahringer, Wellard Club Team
Ryan Sipes, Wellard Club Team
We were standing on a flat dock right next to the pits, so when it was time to take the full team group shot, I wasn't able to get high enough for the shot. This will have to do.
Part of the group shot. Josh in the back, along with teammate Keith Curtis, with Mike Brown, Kurt Caselli, and Thad Duvall in the front.
Scott Bright, Jeff Fredette, and Brian Storrie, Senior Club Team.
Josh Knight, "Tony Agonis" Club Team. (I wasn't able to get pictures of all the club riders…sorry).
The entire U.S. Team, hanging out after the photos for the administrative check-in process.
This is the "Tony Agonis Club Team", Fred Hoess (New Jersey), Keith Curtis (Montana), and Josh Knight (Utah). It's an honor for Josh to ride with a legend like Fred Hoess. This is Fred's 24th ISDE, and I think that accomplishment sometimes gets overshadowed by Jeff Fredette's 33. Fred had some great stories of past ISDE's while standing in line waiting.
Josh and Fred going through check in. This process is the same half way across the world, as it is at home……stand in line, signs lots of papers, hand over money, and do what the ladies tell you to do.
I admit, I'm proud of this photo. Today was my birthday. Here I am with my father and son, halfway across the world, hanging out at the 88th running of the legendary Six Days Enduro. Sometimes you just have to soak it all in. Just over a month ago I was sitting in a hospital room with my Dad, wondering if he was going to live to see another day….5 weeks later, here we are. Happy Birthday to me.
Trophy Team bikes.
Taylor Robert's KX450.
Thad Duvall's Honda,.
Zach Osborne's Honda 250F
Mark Kariya in his element, taking great photos as always.
It's getting real! Josh putting on his numbers.
Yep, this is real.
Everyone waiting their turn for tech inspection.
Scooters are everywhere in Italy! They're also everywhere in the pits. Here's another scooter of the day picture. This little one was able to be collapsed, with the bars and seat folding in and it could practically fit in a suitcase.
For the sound test, they rev the bike up to the rev limiter. When we heard Zach Osborne's bike we thought there was no way it would pass. It passed. That made me feel better about Josh's bike (the new KTM 250F's rev out another 1,000 rpm higher than last year).
Waiting in line.
Mark Kariya helping Zach, by pointing out that he needed to check the three paint marks just inscribed by the tech inspection to make sure they had written down the correct numbers.
Justin Sode, club rider. He is riding a Beta 2-stroke.
I was happy to see Josh get the pass signal on the sound test.
Unfortunately, Jimmy Jarret had to try 3 times to get through the sound test.
Jeff O'Leary, with a smile on his face, ready to impound his bike.
Ryan Kudla from California, going through the final step before impound.
The tech workers install a dab of paint on the frame, hubs, engine cases, and exhaust to note the key bike components that cannot be swapped out.
A lot of hard work by Josh and others to finally get to this point….impounding his bike at the Six Days in Italy.
Bike impound….a beautiful sight.
I saw these 3 old (I'm guessing 80's era) TM motorcycles. I'm sure they're an Italian Club Team. Their graphics said "Club 80 cc". They look like full size motorcycles, but may only be 80cc?
Ryan Sipes going back to sound test for a 2nd try. I like this guy….laid back and smiling.
Fred Hoess going through sound test.
Extreme n00b
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: As Far South and West as you can get in the USA
Oddometer: 2,095
Magnifico Mike!!! Awesome shots and commentary, thanks so much for taking the time to do it all again. The three generations shot is definitely a keeper!
If nothing else you guys can relax and watch the MXDN on Sunday, the "Other" Team USA is pretty well stacked.
Happy belated Birthday!
It's the Most F5orite Time of the Year!!!
Joined: May 2012
Oddometer: 17
awesome pictures.!! thanks so much for taking the time to post pics and updates. I will be following daily, and wish josh and all the U.S. riders the best of luck.
Joined: Feb 2002
Location: Flyover State
Oddometer: 32,326
Thanks for the pics and description. i've been to that part of Sardegna some years ago, and in fact everywhere we went on the island was killer special test terrain.
Best of luck to your son this week!!
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: D37
Oddometer: 150
Killer report (again)--thanks for posting and happy birthday!
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: D37
Oddometer: 150
...and at the Willard "Club" Team
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Harrisville, Utah
Oddometer: 367
September 28, 2013
With the bikes all in impound until Monday morning, there is not much to do now but focus on walking the remaining special tests and trying to soak up the experience of being here at the ISDE.
Our day was open until this evening when we had the parade through the city center, ending at the paddock with the introduction of all the teams.
Check out the following photos for some insight into what we saw today.
We started our day driving south from town about a half hour. This got us into some more rural areas and climbed quite a bit in elevation. Before we knew it, the terrain started to change and we were seeing pine trees and large forests. It was not what I was expecting to see based on our experience thus far in Sardegna. It was beautiful.
We knew we were getting close to the special tests and Josh started salivating at the prospect of having a special test weave in and out of the pines. When we got to the test, this is what we found.
With all of the beautiful forests around, the test ran right on a barren south-facing hillside. Pine trees all around, but the test avoided them all. It was still a beautiful view, and with a little imagination we could be home in the Wasatch Mountain range of Utah.
A few rocks.
After winding around on the hillside, the test dropped into a small valley and then ran along what is basically a dirt road that has been recently bladed by a dozer. It was kind of weird because it went way up this valley, did a 180, and then came right back on the road. It was actually quite void of rocks, and is going to be a really fast test. Josh was looking at it and felt right at home, being more of a West Coast rider. I think this test will suit Kurt Caselli really well.
On our way out of the test, we saw where the transfer trail came into the test. This is some of the first single track weve seen. Josh was more excited to see this than the test.
We were then on to our second test of the day. In the process of doing so, we had to move over on a real narrow dirt road to get out of the way of a van. We managed to get the rental car high-centered. Then in the process of spinning the tires to get out, we got a nail in the tire and got a flat. Some nice guys in a van helped pull us out, but we had to change a flat. Trying to get the bad mojo out of the way early.
Then on to the test. The U.S. guys have nick named this one the Glen Helen test. It looks a lot like Glen Helen Raceway in Southern California, set on the side of the hill. It actually uses portions of a MX Track and then winds up and down the hillside. Imagine the crappiest MX track youve ever ridden with cement like dirt, water ruts on all the jump faces and landings, and blown out berms ..then imagine a grass track being ribboned off that criss-crosses the hillside ..and youve got the picture. But not before you throw in a big rocky corner like this.
Water ruts .check, overgrown weeds .check, concrete dirt ..check, yeah, I got this double.
Back in the pits, this guy from the Rabaconda Tire changer booth has had the biggest crowd around him every day. Yesterday we bought one of his tire changers which is about 95% the same as the style Josh has been using (which is very different from anyone else on the U.S. team). Josh practiced a few very minor changes to his technique and doing a rear tire on and off the rim in about 2 minutes flat is the norm and takes minimal effort. The U.S. team has been using these totally old-school changers for years, that are mounted to big sections of plywood. The technique works, can be fast, but exerts a lot of unnecessary energy. As we were walking by we saw a big crowd, and then realized it was because the entire U.S. Trophy Team was over there watching and practicing on these changers. The Finnish/European influence of U.S. Team Manager Antti Kallonen is permeating the team, little by little, and I wouldnt be surprised to see several of these guys using these tire changers by the end of the week.
Kurt Caselli giving it a try.
Tonight it was on to the parade in the city center, that marched everyone over to the paddock for introduction of all the teams.
The French Trophy team, last years dominant winners.
The Womens Trophy team, last years dominant winners.
We picked up my wife Jennie this afternoon at the airport. So happy to have her here for the race week.
The Bright family from Colorado. U.S. fans and supporters.
The Australians know how to have fun, before, during, and after the parade.
A view behind us while walking in the parade of teams. It was like deja-vu. This is exactly what it was like in Mexico in 2010 quite different from last year.
Josh handing out American Flags to all the people lining the sides of the road.
Josh is happy to have mom here as well.
U.S. Team marching in the parade.
Did I mention that the Australians like to have fun.
Members of the U.S. Trophy and Junior Trophy team.
More fans.
Jennie, Josh, and Grandpa.
This Italian motorcycle policewoman was trying to do her job, but she was getting as many photos taken with her, as the riders were in the parade. Here, U.S. Support Team member Paul gets a photo op.
The French team .yeah, they kicked everyones tail last year.
Italian cultural observation of the day. Italian guys think its cool to flip up their collars on their polo shirts. Theyre everywhere like this. Its become kind of a running joke between me and Josh.
This Italian guy was having some fun at the parade.
Oh yeah .and the Australians like to have fun too.
More U.S. fans.
U.S. team assembling on the stage and being introduced.
Just when we thought that flipping your collar was an Italian thing, these guys showed up from Poland. Stop the insanity!
Remember the photo of the 80cc TMs? I think I figured it out tonight.
This kid was loving it.
Keith Curtis is Joshs teammate. Hes a professional snowmobiler and rides for Polaris (how he got here to the Six Days is a different story and kind of funny). He was handing out some Polaris hats to some of the kids. Ill bet they have absolutely no idea what Polaris is, but it didnt matter, this was as good as getting an autographed basketball from LeBron James to this kid.
Little cars .KTM stuff, and a new KTM 1190 Adventure. Lots of cool stuff everywhere. This is at our hotel.
Studly Adventurer
Joined: Sep 2012
Location: In the hot, hot, dezert
Oddometer: 533
Awesome report. Is Gunny Claypoole over there with you all?
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Harrisville, Utah
Oddometer: 367
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Harrisville, Utah
Oddometer: 367
September 29, 2013
Like manna from heaven, the clouds opened up tonight and dumped rain on the parched soil of Sardegna, Italy. Whether or not it is enough to suppress the dust and make for ideal course conditions remains to be seen.
Today was the final day of anticipation before the real reason we all came here, starts at 8:00 tomorrow morning.
This was our only real down day, so we took advantage of it by participating in a few simple activities while we are half way across the world from home. We found a small local congregation of our church and attended services. We then went spent a little time at one of the local public beaches which is right adjacent to the KTM test, and just tried to relax and prepare for tomorrow morning.
A team meeting was held tonight and final instructions and information was communicated to everyone. Team pre-riders are no longer allowed at the ISDE, so there is one rider who rides the days course and provides information back to the team jury delegates at a meeting each night. The intel we received on the course was, Its not hard .its not easy, and the tests will be dusty. Pretty profound information. Ironically, about the time we sat down for dinner tonight, some real dark clouds were brewing in the mountains to the west and they let loose long enough that it should at least make a dent in the dust for a little while tomorrow.
At this point, all the preparation, worrying, walking tests, and analyzing have been done. It is up to the riders now to go out and make bikes and bodies survive 6 days of Enduro.
U.S. Trophy Team riders Thad Duvall and Zach Osborne are the first to go out at 8:01 tomorrow morning. Josh is the 5th U.S. Club Team rider to go out at 9:44.
Other than a quick walk along the beach early this week, weve not had a chance to enjoy some of the beautiful public beaches. We took about an hour today to just hang out and try to enjoy our last and only down day. This beach is within walking distance of the KTM special test.
Beautiful views of the Mediterannean
Another cultural observation of this area of Italy .they love American cartoon characters. This big ferry ship is painted with Looney Tunes characters. Weve seen Pizzerias named after The Simpsons. We ate at a Gelataria (ice cream shop) last night named after Peter Pan. Its kind of a funny fascination they have with American pop culture.
This is what the mountains to the northwest of us looked like tonight just as we were heading to dinner. The Monte Pino special test is right in these mountains. With any luck, the riders will enjoy an hour or two of great conditions tomorrow. With a lot of luck, the rain will keep up. Its still raining at this time.
It was great to visit a local congregation of our church for a while today.
With the paddock (which is a boat dock/port) right in the middle of town, the riders have to come in and out every day. There are roundabouts and turns everywhere in this city and if a rider is not careful, they can get really lost and turned around which could cost them time. Doing well in the Six Days requires not only a very fast off-road rider, but a rider who can mentally stay alert to all of the confusing signs. There are three different colors for different days and multiple types of signs (arrows, dots, etc., and various combinations of those that mean different things). There are better examples around the city, but if you know what youre looking for, there are multiple ISDE markers in this picture along with many regular city traffic signs.
Being an International motorcycling event has really brought out motorcycle enthusiasts everywhere. Weve seen every kind of motorcycle imaginable and theyre parked in masses all around the city.
I previously mentioned that cars in Italy are tiny. Well, so are their parking spots. When we walked by, a woman was parking her car in this spot. I had to take a picture to illustrate what I mean when I say small, and what they consider an appropriate parking spot.
Here is the U.S. Team Rider list and their start times for tomorrow morning. Lets do this.
This map is hanging in the hotel conference room indicating where all the team riders are located across the country.
Gnarly Adventurer
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Harrisville, Utah
Oddometer: 367
Almost forgot. Here is the link for the live scoring starting tomorrow morning:
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A pic-N-mix of beautiful aesthetics here from Holland's Ming Sing Ho!
We can agree to disagree here, but I think that someone who says they are a "really cool illustrator from Rotterdam" in their bio, probably is. As if we needed proof, Ming Sing Ho has got an absolute treasure trove of beautiful, Netherland-esque work ranging from silly comics to detailed silk-screen posters. Ming's work is the joyous combination of cheeky, insightful and down-right visually impressive. How can one man make the jump so nimbly from the aesthetic of 1940s Parisian posters to the look more associated with 90's punk gig posters? I have no idea, but he's doing it.