Posts from — July 2010

July 7^th, 2005, London

BBC In Depth and the Wikipedia articles on the bombing.

Wanze – Arenberg Porte du Hainaut

Distance: 213 kilometers.

Four fewer riders and a change of all jerseys except the Polka Dot, in a stage designed by dentists, proctologists, orthopedists, and the makers of tires – there were cobblestones. Lance Armstrong already said he would be taking no chances on this stage, as he has been attacked by cobblestones before.

1 Fabian Cancellara (Sui-SAX-013) [Yellow]
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr-SKY-039) [White]
3 Cadel Evans (Aus-BMC-121)
4 Ryder Hesjedal (Can-GRM-054) [Red numbers]
5 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra-QST-131)
6 Andy Schleck (Lux-SAX-011)
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor-CTT-095) [Green – 63 points]
8 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz-AST-009)
9 Alberto Contador (Esp-AST-001)
10 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel-SIL-101)
11 Nicolas Roche (Irl-ALM-081)
12 Johan Van Summeren (Bel-GRM-058)
13 Denis Menchov (Rus-RAB-191)
14 Bradley Wiggins (GBr-SKY-031)
15 David Millar (GBr-GRM-057)
16 Roman Kreuziger (Cze-LIQ-044)
17 Luis-Leon Sanchez (Esp-GCE-161)
18 Lance Armstrong (USA-RSH-021)
19 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe-SKY-037)
20 Jose Joaquin Rojas (Esp-GCE-169)

83 Jérôme Pineau (Fra-QST-135) [Polka Dot – 13 points]

Half of Luxembourg’s Tour effort is out, as Andy Schleck’s brother, Frank, had to withdraw, but Canada, Australia, and Ireland are moving up to the big time with 3 Brits.

Update: The orthopedists got Frank Schleck – broken collarbone from the cobblestones – while Lance lost a tire.

They were tied 1-1 at the half, but the Oranje have netted two in the second half with no response from La Celeste. The game isn’t over, but it doesn’t look good for “Sky-blue”.

Uruguay found the net again, but couldn’t manage the second one they needed for overtime: Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands.

The Oranje are in the Final with another European team.

The race started on 3 July in Rotterdam and will finish on 25 July in Paris, so I thought I should explain some of what I’ll be ranting about.

The cartoon characters from my header are wearing the various colored jerseys that indicate the leader in the different classifications in the race.

The Maillot Jaune, Yellow Jersey is worn by the rider with the lowest time overall in the race. The eventual winner of the race may never have come in first in any stage, but was near the lead throughout the race and achieved the lowest time over the entire course of the event. The winner is normally an “all-arounder”, someone is very good at the sprints and the hill climbing, even if they aren’t the best. Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, and Fabian Cancellara are “all-arouders”, showing up on the lists of the sprinters and the climbers, while staying in the top ten for overall time.

The Maillot Vert, Green Jersey, is for the speed demons, the sprinters. The guys who hit the highest gears on the bike. They are the flat-out, flat land fliers, reaching suicidal speeds. They win points for sprints on certain portions of the course. Sylvain Chavanel currently has 44 points after today, while Alessandro Petacchi has 35. The top sprinters tend to be found in the back of the overall times, Petacchi slipped from 38 yesterday to 157 today. There were some hills on the course today, and good sprinters tend to be lousy climbers.

The Maillot À Pois, Polka Dot Jersey, is for the climbers. The hills on the course are assigned levels of difficulty, and points are assigned based on finishing order at the top. The hills weren’t that tough today, so Jérôme Pineau won the initial jersey with 13 points over Chavanel’s 8. Once the course reaches the mountains in the South, the points really start to climb and hills of Ardennes will be forgotten. The best climbers are those that high strength to weight ratios. These are the guys who are comfortable in the low gears, but manage to be one gear higher than everyone else.

The Maillot Blanc, White Jersey, is the Yellow Jersey for young riders. To be eligible you can’t have reached your 26^th birthday on 1 January of this year. Tony Martin will be wearing it until the climbing starts, and then Andy Schleck will probably take it for the third time.

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Brussels to Spa

Distance: 201 kilometers.

Sylvain Chavanel of the Belgian team Quick Step had a rather nice ride. He won the stage, the yellow jersey by 2 minutes 57 seconds, the green jersey for sprinters, the red numbers for combative, the yellow numbers for advancing his team to first, and is second for the polka dot jersey. He is too old for the white jersey. Yes, a rather good day.

Jérôme Pineau of Quick Step won the polka dots, and Alessandro Petacchi of Lampre will be wearing the green, although he is in second place, because Chavanel can only wear one color.

Current Standings:

1 Chavanel Sylvain (Fra-QST-131) [yellow/red numbers]
2 Cancellara Fabian (Sui-SAX-013)
3 Martin Tony (Ger-THR-115)[white]
4 Millar David (GBr-GRM-057)
5 Armstrong Lance (USA-RSH-021)
6 Thomas Geraint (GBr-SKY-039)
7 Contador Alberto (Esp-AST-001)
8 Leipheimer Levi (USA-RSH-025)
9 Boasson Hagen Edvald (Nor-SKY-036)
10 Gerdemann Linus (Ger-MRM-141)
11 Bookwalter Brent (USA-BMC-123)
12 Brajkovic Janez (Slo-RSH-022)
13 Rogers Michael (Aus-THR-118)
14 Plaza Molina Ruben (Esp-GCE-168)
15 Klöden Andréas (Ger-RSH-024)
16 Vinokourov Alexandre (Kaz-AST-009)
17 Kreuziger Roman (Cze-LIQ-044)
18 Sanchez Luis-Leon (Esp-GCE-161)
19 Evans Cadel (Aus-BMC-121)
20 Grivko Andriy (Ukr-AST-003)

Selected Others:

27 Hesjedal Ryder (Can-GRM-054)
31 Pineau Jérôme (Fra-QST-135)[polka dot]
34 Roche Nicolas (Irl-ALM-081)
157 Petacchi Alessandro (Ita-LAM-208)[wearing green]

Rotterdam to Brussels

Distance: 223.5 kilometers

01 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank 5hrs 19mins 38secs [yellow jersey]
02 Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC – Columbia at 0.10secs [white jersey]
03 David Millar (Gbr) Garmin – Transitions at 0.20
04 Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack at 0.22
05 Geraint Thomas (Gbr) Sky Professional Cycling Team at 0.23
06 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana at 0.27
07 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Transitions at 0.28
08 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack at same time
09 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team at 0.32
10 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Team Milram at 0.35
11 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team at same time
12 Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini at same time
13 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack at same time
14 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC – Columbia at same time
15 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne at 0.36

38 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampe [green jersey]
192 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step [red numbers]

Radio Shack is wearing the yellow numbers as the lead team.

Note: I’m still building the spreadsheets to deal with 195 riders, as three are already withdrawn, one before the start and two from injuries in the rain during the Prologue.

When I want to know what the real conventional wisdom is among “mainstream economists” I listen to the Friday reports on the local economy by Dr Rick Harper director of the University of West Florida’s Hass Center for Business Research and Economic Development on the local NPR station, WUWF.

Dr Harper is definitely not shrill – not only does his volume control not have an 11, it doesn’t go above 3. This is the sort of bland that makes Wonderbread seem exciting. It is noted that “He represented Northwest Florida on Governor Jeb Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors from 2001 – 2006.”

If you go to Economic Reports and listen to the July 2^nd show [it isn’t up yet], be prepared for a shock. It won’t be from Dr. Harper, it will be the contrast with what passes for “conventional wisdom” in the Village.

Be prepared to hear that the austerity moves in Europe are not a good idea because the economy isn’t strong enough coming out of the recession. Then there is his heresy that governments should run a surplus during boom times to cover the deficits during recessions. This wisdom is contained in that technical macro-economic phrase “save for a rainy day” which is entirely too complicated for regular folks without PhDs to understand. 😈

Quieter tonight on the coast as McClatchy explains: More BP oil spill fallout: Seaside fireworks displays cut back. A lack of money and barges being used for spill operations are cutting down on the July Fourth celebration.

This is no surprise: On Day 74 of spill, Mississippi is still unprepared for oil. The government of Mississippi exists on “the kindness of strangers”, i.e. Federal taxpayers, because “it is wrong to tax businesses and people” [who contribute to Mississippi politicians]. Apparently the voters of Mississippi enjoy being on “Federal welfare”, because they keep electing the same people.

The Local Puppy Trainer notes that Oil forces sea turtle eggs to East Coast. We are collecting the eggs from the local nesting sites and moving them to hatch on the East Coast of Florida. It may save the little turtles, but they are lost to the Gulf Coast forever, because sea turtles imprint on the location where they hatch and return there to lay eggs.

There has been an Invest running along the Northern Gulf Coast that really didn’t have much of a chance to get “interesting”, but a new one, Invest 96, has popped up in the Northwestern Caribbean that looks a lot like Alex, except that conditions are more favorable for development than they were for Alex.

If it develops it looks like the tracking will follow Alex’s path, or slightly to the North of it.

Bonnie is the next name on the list.

The Declaration of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security…

Independence wasn’t really achieved until September 3, 1783 when Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, and, to be factual, our current government only dates from March 4, 1789 when the first government under our Constitution was installed.

Liberty was not extended to all men until December 6, 1865 with ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery, nor were women given the one of the most important rights of men until August 26, 1920 with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment recognizing their votes.

In truth, until July 2, 1964 when Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, there was no mechanism to force government to recognize the rights of all American citizens.

[Note: John Trumbull’s Signing the Declaration of Independence is famous, not a photograph. There is “artistic license” involved, but such is the case with all creation myths, people always want to “embellish” things.]

The Leak Meter, which only measures the oil dumped in the Gulf, not the oil that BP is recovering to sell, went over 84 million today. That is 2 million barrels or 272,740 metric tons of crude oil. Even at $50/barrel, which is a low price, that’s $100 million dollars wasted poisoning the Gulf.

McClatchy tells us what everyone who has ever been hurt by a corporation already knows: BP wasted no time preparing for oil spill lawsuits. Corporations have all the time in the world, so they will do their best to tie these cases up in court until the plaintiffs give up or die. Just ask the people who were wiped out by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, they’ll tell you.

Before they even considered what they were going to do about the oil erupting from the floor of the Gulf, they launched their legal defense campaign.

In Choctaw the name of my county, Okaloosa, means “black water”, although they put the adjectives after the nouns, so literally it’s “oka” water and “loosa” black. There is a Blackwater River with a sand bottom and the Blackwater River State Forest in Northern Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties is Florida’s largest.

Of course, now “Okaloosa” has a different connotation.

The local officials are still playing town council of Amity with our problems. Rick Outzen provides a sample:

So here is the SRIA [Santa Rosa Island Authority] message: Come swim in the Gulf. Spend your money at our hotels and condos. Ignore the workers in Haz Mat suits, gloves and rubber boots that have been told to stay out of the water. If you get sick, it’s your fault that you aren’t like Gov. Crist.

This is insane. You can’t put icing on a brick and make it a cake.

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Morning:

Argentina [La Albiceleste] 0-4 Germany [Die Mannschaft]

“The Team” was ready to play, but the “The White and Sky-Blue” forgot why they were there. Argentina just couldn’t get anything together other than passing. The German defense worked, and Argentina didn’t have one.

Afternoon:

Paraguay [La Albirroja] 0-1 Spain [La Furia Roja]

“The White and Red” just couldn’t get a break, while “The Red Fury” found an opening late in the game and passed out the clock.

Semi-finals:

Uruguay [La Celeste] – Netherlands [Oranje] July 6^th

Germany [Die Mannschaft] – Spain [La Furia Roja] July 7^th

This might be the last Tour that Lance Armstrong rides in but he is doing it to make a number of points, all personal, and to extract some revenge.

As this is a French event the ceremonial start tomorrow will take place in… Rotterdam… which the last time I looked was in the Netherlands. The first stage, on Sunday, will be from Rotterdam to Brussels… which is in Belgium, but closer to France than the Netherlands.

Given that the Netherlands national football team advanced to the World Cup semi-finals today, I’m not sure if there will be too many people in Rotterdam in any shape to watch a bicycle race.

The race still ends in Paris, which is still in France, so there is some connection.

I will once again follow the race, but with no great detail until after the World Cup. Fortunately the French national football team had a total meltdown, so the French will probably be interested after it gets to France.