In My Life

Tour de France Tracker

2006-07-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

This app uses Google Maps (is the illest, tru that, double tru) to show you the route in which riders in the Tour follow. It also has all kinds of detailed information about the riders including heartrate, speed, distance, power etc.

Check it out here...

http://www.ubilabs.net/tdf/

(Paul found this one)

Unbelievable - Ullrich and Basso out of 2006 Tour

2006-06-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

I'm speechless.... I don't even know what to say other than the chances of an American winning this race just went way up.

And this list goes on with the riders suspected of having a part in the Spanish Doping Scandal...

http://www.velonews.com/tour2006/news/articles/10177.0.html

Very sad day if this is all true...

Chimp Detox

2006-06-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

From the AP -

A 26-year-old chimpanzee enjoys a cigarette at the zoo in Xian, China in August 2005. Xiku the chain-smoking chimpanzee has almost kicked his deadly habit thanks to the efforts of zoo keepers in China, but it has taken a beer or two to help get him through detox.

'These is magic beans'

2006-06-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

My day has arrived. They've done it. They've made one of my favorite foods (candy) an energy snack. I give you, the Jelly Belly Sport Bean. I tried them yesterday before a workout (albeit not a very demanding one, just one to loosen up for tonight's club ride) and I did feel like I had some energy that wasn't there prior to eating the 'magic' beans. Plus, they actually taste pretty good!

http://jellybelly.com/msib21/PromoSites/SportBeans/SportBeans.html

Sad State Of Kids These Days

2006-06-08T23:00:00.000-05:00

What's worse though, are you really surprised we've gotten to this point as a society?

From Netscape.com

Detox Clinic Set for Video Game Addicts
By FIA CURLEY

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - An addiction center is opening Europe's first detox clinic for video game addicts, offering in-house treatment for people who can't leave their joysticks alone.

Video games may look innocent, but they can be as addictive as gambling or drugs - and just as hard to kick, says Keith Bakker, director of Amsterdam-based Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants.

Bakker already has treated 20 video game addicts, aged 13 to 30, since January. Some show withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking and sweating, when they look at a computer console.

His detox program begins in July. It will run four to eight weeks, and will include therapy sessions, wilderness excursions, healthy lifestyle workshops and possibly medication.

Research into video gaming is still in its infancy, and researchers haven't agreed on how to define addiction. But many experts say it's clear many of the young people who show dependency on video games are in trouble.

``We have kids who don't know how to communicate with people face-to-face because they've spent the last three years talking to somebody in Korea through a computer,'' Bakker said. ``Their social network has completely disappeared.''

It can start with a Game Boy, perhaps given by parents hoping to keep their children occupied but away from the television. From there, it can progress to multilevel games that aren't made to be won.

Bakker said he has seen signs of addiction in children as young as 8.

About a dozen clinics already exist in the United States and Canada, and even one in China, as excessive gaming increasingly is being recognized worldwide as an ailment requiring treatment.

Elizabeth Woolley, who founded the Safe Haven halfway house for addicted gamers in Harrisburg, Pa., welcomed the idea that treating addicts is spreading to the Netherlands. ``Thank God that somebody has finally recognized this is an issue,'' she said.

Jeroen Jansz, associate professor of communications research at the University of Amsterdam, estimates about 80 percent of boys aged 8 to 18 play some type of video game. Forty percent play at least 2 1/2 hours a day.

In a 2005 study, Jansz said gamers are overwhelmingly males, especially in violent games where adolescents find ``a safe private laboratory where they can experience different emotions.''

Hyke van der Heijden, 28, a graduate of the Amsterdam program, started playing video games 20 years ago. By the time he was in college he was gaming about 14 hours a day and using drugs to play longer.

``For me, one joint would never be enough, or five minutes of gaming would never be enough,'' he said. ``I would just keep going until I crashed out.''

Van der Heijden first went to Smith & Jones for drug addiction in October 2005, but realized the gaming was the real problem. Since undergoing treatment, he has distanced himself from his smoking and gaming friends. He says he has been drug- and game-free for eight months.

Like other addicts, Bakker said, gamers are often trying to escape personal problems. When they play, their brains produce endorphins, giving them a high similar to that experienced by gamblers or drug addicts. Gamers' responses to questions even mirror those of alcoholics and gamblers when asked about use.

``Many of these kids believe that when they sit down, they're going to play two games and then do their homework,'' he said.

However, unlike other addicts, most gamers received their first game from their parents. ``Because it's so new, parents don't see that this is something that can be dangerous,'' Bakker said.

Tim, a gamer who is under treatment, agreed to discuss his addiction on condition that his last name not be used. He said he began playing video games three years ago at age 18. Soon, he would not leave his room for dinner. Later, he began taking drugs to stay awake and play longer. Finally, he sought help and picked up other hobbies to occupy his time.

Richard Wood, a professor of International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, is skeptical about viewing heavy gamers as addicts. Wood says that gaming may be a symptom of a problem, but should be seen as a problem itself ``just because a person does the activity a lot.''

Bakker, however, says symptoms of addiction are easy to spot. Parents should take notice if a child neglects usual activities, spends several hours at a time with the computer and has no social life.

Bakker said parents of game addicts frequently echo the words of partners of cocaine addicts: ``'I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was.''

Old News To Everyone But the French

2006-05-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

Report clears Armstrong of doping in 1999 Tour de France
By ARTHUR MAX, Associated Press Writer

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- Independent Dutch investigators cleared Lance Armstrong of doping in the 1999 Tour de France on Wednesday, and blamed anti-doping authorities for misconduct in dealing with the American cyclist.

A 132-page report recommended convening a tribunal to discuss possible legal and ethical violations by the World Anti-Doping Agency and to consider "appropriate sanctions to remedy the violations."

The French sports daily L'Equipe reported in August that six of Armstrong's urine samples from 1999, when he won the first of his record seven-straight Tour titles, came back positive for the endurance-boosting hormone EPO when they were retested in 2004.

Armstrong has repeatedly denied using banned substances.

The International Cycling Union appointed Dutch lawyer Emile Vrijman last October to investigate the handling of urine tests from the 1999 Tour by the French national anti-doping laboratory, known by its French acronym LNDD.

Vrijman said Wednesday his report "exonerates Lance Armstrong completely with respect to alleged use of doping in the 1999 Tour de France."

The report also said the UCI had not damaged Armstrong by releasing doping control forms to the French newspaper.

The report said WADA and the LNDD may have "behaved in ways that are completely inconsistent with the rules and regulations of international anti-doping control testing," and may also have been against the law.

Vrijman, who headed the Dutch anti-doping agency for 10 years and later defended athletes accused of doping, worked on the report with Adriaan van der Veen, a scientist with the Dutch Metrology Laboratory.

Squirrel Launcher

2006-05-23T23:00:00.000-05:00

I should have thought of this....

http://rjdudley.com/media/squirrel_launcher.wmv

Leprechaun

2006-05-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Enjoy. That's all I'll say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nda_OSWeyn8&search=leprechaun

Easter Bunny Kicks Ass

2006-05-01T23:00:00.001-05:00

Got this one from Paul... HI LARRRRIOUS.

http://badmash.tv/IndianEasterBunnyKicksAss/

Lance Commercials

2006-05-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

Discovery has a bunch of new commercials (or at least new to me) that are entertaining. You may get a chuckle out of them....

http://team.discovery.com/racetoreplace/commercials/commercials.html

Big News

2006-04-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard already, this past weekend was pretty exciting - see pictures

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdeerborn/sets/72057594121036332/

Freeware

2006-04-25T23:00:00.000-05:00

Check this out- basically a laundry list of freeware programs to solve those common problems/tasks (450 of em)

http://www.econsultant.com/i-want-freeware-utilities/index.html

Tour de Georgia

2006-04-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

Got this from VeloNews

Caption: Attention, France: In Georgia, they stop the train so a bike race can pass.

If you don't get this one, then you must not follow cycling.

Commuting To Work

2006-04-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

So I've commuted to work on my bike twice now (which I couldn't do without my Timbuk2 bag (above), that thing is the shot), and I'm hooked. The trip is about 12.55 miles (which I plan on expanding) each way and most of the distance is on the W&OD. Right now it looks like it will take at most 45 minutes each way (which is a crappy average speed, but hey it's not the open road!). This is not too shabby considering on average it takes me 30 minutes to get to and from work by car.

As if all that wasn't perfect enough, there's a service elevator that I can use to get up to my floor (since I bring my bike inside - no way in hell I'm leaving it on the rack outside), and a private shower and bathroom right around the corner from my office (no I don't have my own office, it's a war room).

I'd like to say I'm doing this for the environment and to save gas, but honestly, I'm doing it all for the love of the bike. I would pay to do this everyday if it wasn't free. It doesn't get much better than starting and ending your day on the bike.

Anyone commute to work off the W&OD and want to meet up to do a workout?

Note to self: If you don't want to take a "condition shower", you must remember soap.

Too decadent?

2006-04-11T23:00:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, but I didn't buy it for him!

Pets these days ... I remember when "Bud" the chocolate lab was happy just to be eating my table scraps.

Spain - Barca & Girona

2006-04-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

Well it took about a month, but I finally got through all of the pictures from Spain. I've uploaded them to flickr. You can get to the whole set by clicking on the flash window to the right, or clicking this link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdeerborn/sets/72057594102196538/

Independent Cranks

2006-04-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

First time I've seen anything like this, sounds cool, anyone ever tried them?

"Designed by someone who is, presumably, smart, the Rotor Crank does what all cyclists wish their pedals did for them: remove that dead spot at the top of a new stroke. Well, this system does just that by using two independent cranks which work together to make sure the pedals never end up in a 180 degree alignment with each other. You end up with no dead spot and always in a power stroke. No more jamming your knees, injuries to tendons due to that dead spot, and better maintenance of traction as wheels do not slow down and do not have that unnatural jumpiness."

Demo Video for PowerCranks

*Thanks to Paul for finding this*

Riya Photo Search

2006-03-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Check out the latest online photo sharing tech - complete without face recognition.

http://riya.com/

TV Cycling Schedule

2006-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Srping is nearly here, get your Tivo/DVR ready.

ESPN 2
------
Feb 20 - 27 - Tour of California 1 a.m. ET

OLN TV
------
March 5 & 12 - Paris-Nice (France) 5 p.m. ET
March 19 - Milan-San Remo/Tirreno-Adriatico (Italy) 5 p.m. ET
March 26 - Critérium International (France) 5 p.m. ET
April 9 - Paris-Roubaix (France) 5 p.m. ET
April 23 - Liège-Bastogne-Liège/Flèche-Wallonne (Belgium) 5 p.m. ET
May 7 & 14 - Giro d'Italia (Italy) 5 p.m. ET
May 21 & 28 - Giro d'Italia (Italy) 4 p.m. ET
July 1-23 - Tour de France (TBA)

Delicious Library

2006-02-10T16:58:00.000-05:00

Delicious Library

Women

2006-02-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

I stole this right out of Andy's Blog, so he gets full credit, it was too good not to post here..

Recently a "Husband Super Store" opened where women could go to choose a
husband from among many men. It was laid out in five floors, with the men increasing in positive attributes as you ascended. The only rule was, once you opened the door to any floor, you HAD to choose a man from that floor; if you went up a floor, you couldn't go back down except to leave the place, never to return. A couple of girlfriends went to the shopping centre to find some husbands...

First floor
The door had a sign saying, "These men have jobs and love kids." The women
read the sign and said, "Well, that's better than not having a job or not
loving kids, but I wonder what's further up?" So up they went.

Second floor
The sign read, "These men have high paying jobs, love kids, and are
extremely good looking." "Hmmm," said the ladies, "But, I wonder what's
further up?"

Third floor
This sign read, "These men have high paying jobs, are extremely good
looking, love kids and help with the housework." "Wow," said the women,
"Very tempting." But there was another floor, so further up theywent.

Fourth floor
This door had a sign saying "These men have high paying jobs, love kids,
are extremely good looking, help with the housework and have a strong
romantic streak." "Oh, mercy me," they cried, "Just think what must be
awaiting us further on! So up to the fifth floor they went.

Fifth floor
The sign on that door said, "This floor is empty and exists only to prove
that women are f**king impossible to please. The exit is to your left, we
hope you fall down the stairs.

Muhammad Cartoon

2006-02-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Going to touch a little on international politics and religion here.... not something I usually do, but ......

The controversy over the Muhammad Cartoon has bothered me from the start, and I finally found an interesting opinion on yahoo I wanted to post (though the author is very anti-Muslim - she does have some points).

First let me say, that I understand why they're upset - they feel that someone is mocking/disgracing/violating rules of their religion;

But then let me say that I don't care how upset you are, there's no need for the violence, chants and radical statements against everyone that isn't part of the Muslim world (Danes, Europeans, Americans).

One of the points made by the author -

"Catholics aren't short on rules, but they couldn't care less if non-Catholics use birth control. Conservative Jews have no interest in forbidding other people from mixing meat and dairy. Protestants don't make a peep about other people eating food off one another's plates. (Just stay away from our plates -- that's disgusting.)

But Muslims think they can issue decrees about what images can appear in newspaper cartoons."

Article

Is it fair to compare cartoons that may depict Jesus in a negative light to this Muhammad Cartoon? Do groups of Christians get this upset by such things, do they riot over them? Do we just not hear about stories such as these in the news because the media doesn't make a big deal out of them (while they do when it has to do with Muslims)?

A lot to think about...

New Toy

2006-02-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

I want one.

RC Fighter Jet

Do they have any of these at the Toys R Us in Tyson's going out of business?

F'in Matt Damon; Armstrong in movie talks;

2006-01-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Saw this this morning on VeloNews.com,

Monday's VeloBriefs: Armstrong in movie talks;
By Agence France Presse
This report filed January 16, 2006

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has told a South African newspaper that he is in talks on a movie about his life.

Armstrong, 34, is due to travel to South Africa on Wednesday, accompanied by fiancée Sheryl Crow, for a first visit that will include a tour of Soweto, the township that was the center of anti-apartheid resistance.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Armstrong said that Matt Damon, an actor he has known for some years, was favored to play him. The American, who survived a bout of testicular cancer, returned to pro cycling and won seven consecutive Tours, said Damon "can dig into it on the athletic side and the illness side, but he'll also look and ride and feel like a professional cyclist."

---------------------------------------------------------

Any thoughts out there? I think as long as Armstrong is heavily involved the movie will be good, and Matt Damon, despite his relationship with Ben Affleck, is a good actor (and can slim down for the role - see Courage Under Fire). If the past tells us anything about Armstrong's level of involvment in his projects, he will probably be the one training Damon for the role, the one telling the director what angle to shoot from, and the one telling the writers to rewrite the script.

Surround Sound Headphones

2006-01-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

You have them, you don't know it, but you do.

Listen..

Listen some more...