Archive for December, 2005
Friday, December 30th, 2005
With the arrival of little Baby Smithers affecting my training time (which has been zero of late), along with my usual feed fest that is the holiday season, I am 15-20 pounds over my “heaviest” racing weight. So, beginning January 1 2006, I begin the arduous and boring march towards 2006 race fitness.
I find it more difficult each year to slim down for the coming cycling season and, since I will be turning 38, this year could be the most challenging return to fitness yet.
I have 118 days before the first real race of the year. You will be able to track my progress everyday on the website here. Think I can do it? Feel free to
weigh in with your opinion.
UPDATE 2/2/06: Weight Challange entries here.
Posted by smithersmpls at 6:26 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | 14 Comments »
Friday, December 30th, 2005
NBC:
The Justice Department has launched an investigation to see who disclosed details about a secret domestic eavesdropping operation, department officials said Friday.
When you find someone in business or government committing an illegal act, and you publicize this act, it’s called “whistleblowing”. If an investigation needs to take place is should be on the act that caused the whistleblowing, not the whistleblower.
The exposure of this “secret operation” did nothing to endanger national security. It’s common knowledge that the FISA court has long given the government the ability to tap domestic phone calls. The fact that the Bush Administration did not seek a warranty for these taps is what is at issue. The investigation into the whistle blower is nothing more than an attempt to stifle criticism of this administration and intimidate whistleblowers.
Republicans are sure to claim Democrat hypocrisy at the objection of this investigation and they will bring up the Plame investigation as an example of another leak investigation. Of course, the Plame leak was simply another example of the Bush Administration seeking to stifle criticism and intimidate a whistleblower.
UPDATE 12/30/05 4:16pm: And, right on cue, worthless Michelle Malkin comes through:
Look for the Plamegate apologists to argue that the NSA leaks were “good” leaks, justified in the name of safeguarding civil liberties and the national interest, and should therefore be exempt from criminal prosecution.
By contrast, they argue that disclosures about Valerie Plame were “bad” leaks worthy of pulling out all prosecutorial stops–though no one has been charged with leaking classified info, and even if they did, the adverse effects on national security are infinitesimal compared to the damage done by the NYT/NSA leaks.
Posted by smithersmpls at 5:58 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | 2 Comments »
Friday, December 30th, 2005
A lot of people got screwed by this guy for Christmas.
Who buys Christmas presents via eBay? Suckers, that’s who.
Posted by smithersmpls at 5:10 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | 3 Comments »
Thursday, December 29th, 2005
VeloNews again succeeds in letting no mention of Lance Armstrong go uncovered…
Honestly, I don’t know what this magazine is going to do without Armstrong to fawn all over in 2006. I swear that they are going to find a way to get him on the cover during the Tour de France next year.
UPDATE 12/30/05 4:58pm: Cover gets picked up here, here, here and here.
Posted by smithersmpls at 3:12 am in Uncategorized | Permalink | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 29th, 2005
Reuters:
“This is not about monitoring phone calls designed to arrange Little League practice or what to bring to a potluck dinner,” [Presidential spokesman, Trent Duffy] told reporters. “These are designed to monitor calls from very bad people to very bad people who have a history of blowing up commuter trains, weddings, and churches.”
Ummm…why are you monitoring the phone calls of people talking to people with a history of blowing up trains, wedding and churches?
Just
fucking
arrest
them.
Posted by smithersmpls at 3:06 am in Uncategorized | Permalink | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, December 28th, 2005
Ooh Ooh! Michelle Malkin thinks she’s onto something!
SORRY, NYTIMES: AMERICA IS OK WITH NSA
I’m not much of a poll watcher, but the new Rasmussen numbers on Americans’ views of the National Security Agency’s counterterrorism programs are very notable:
December 28, 2005–Sixty-four percent (64%) of Americans believe the National Security Agency (NSA) should be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States. A Rasmussen Reports survey found that just 23% disagree.
Three questions for Mrs. Malkin:
• How come Rasmussen did not ask if the NSA should be able to conduct these interceptions without a warrant?
• What would have the poll numbers been if the question was phrased: “Should the National Security Agency be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States without a warrant?”
• Since the question was not phrased that way, why do only 64% of Americans respond positively? I would think that Americans would respond overwhelmingly positive to a poll asking if the NSA could conduct a legal activity. Unless, of course, this poll actually shows how little support the Administration has for their phone tapping policy.
So, as usual, Michelle Malkin is on the wrong track. “Not much of a poll watcher” indeed. How typical.
Posted by smithersmpls at 11:06 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, December 28th, 2005
This guy is not going to shave for all of 2006. Follow the progress.
Posted by smithersmpls at 9:10 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | 5 Comments »
Sunday, December 25th, 2005
NORAD tracks Santa! Creepy…
Posted by smithersmpls at 2:18 am in Uncategorized | Permalink | No Comments »
Saturday, December 24th, 2005
Had to do some last minute Christmas shopping last night so we stopped by the Electric Fetus. If you have never visited this store you are really missing out. It’s truly the best record store in the Twin Cities, maybe in the midwest. Even Prince shops there.
Anyway, a really close friend of ours is the manager of the store and we remarked to him how amazed we were at how busy it was. The parking lot was full of cars and the store was full of people. The Fetus has two annual sales, one in October and one in February. But, according to our friend, the sales at the store yesterday were on track to be the best ever in the history of the store.
I find that really amazing in the day of illegal MP3 downloading and Itunes. I have been a bit skeptical regarding the long term viability for retail music stores but the traffic at the Fetus shows me that the consumer demand for CD format music is not going away anytime soon.
I am happy to see it and happy for our friend that business is so good
Posted by smithersmpls at 2:31 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | 2 Comments »
Friday, December 23rd, 2005
Merry Christmas!
Posted by smithersmpls at 6:43 pm in Uncategorized | Permalink | 3 Comments »
