a midway bikelog

This list is from an email that was forwarded to me around election time:

AMERICANS CAN NOW DETERMINE WHERE TO SHOP AND SPEND THEIR MONEY

It purports to report election cycle political donations, as reported by the Center for Responsive Politics (http://www.opensecrets.org/). I haven’t been able to find this exact list online at their site, but it meshes pretty well with other sources i’ve found online. It’s a highly selective list, and as presented, meant to get people to switch to Republican-leaning businesses, but i also found it interesting as a lefty. Interesting that many of the right-leaning businesses are umbrella companies for brands i wouldn’t normally purchase anyway.

There’s a more complete and interactive corporate contributions list at http://www.goodguide.com/contributions, but it’s not as clean a list as this.

Shopping
Price Club/Costco donated $225K, 99% went to Democrats
Rite Aid donated $517K, 60% went to Democrats
Magla Products ( Stanley tools, Mr. Clean) donated $22K, 100% went to Democrats
Warnaco (undergarments) donated $55K, 73% went to Democrats
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia donated $153K, 99% went to Democrats
Estee Lauder donated $448K, 95% went to Democrats
Guess, Inc. Donated $145K, 98% went to Democrats
Calvin Klein donated $78K, 100% went to Democrats
Liz Claiborne, Inc. Donated $34K, 97% went to Democrats
Levi Straus donated $26K, 97% went to Democrats
Olan Mills donated $175K, 99% went to Democrats
WalMart donated $467K, 97% went to Republicans
K-Mart donated $524K, 86% went to Republicans
Home Depot donated $298K, 89% went to Republicans
Target donated $226K, 70% went to Republicans
Circuit City Stores donated $261K, 95% went to Republicans
3M Co. Donated $281K, 87% went to Republicans
Hallmark Cards donated $319K, 92% went to Republicans
Amway donated $391K, 100% Republicans
Kohler Co. (plumbing fixtures) donated $283K, 100% Republicans
B.F. Goodrich (tires) donated $215K, 97% went to Republicans
Proctor & Gamble donated $243K, 79% went to Republicans

Spirits
Southern Wine & Spirits donated $213K, 73% went to Democrats
Joseph E. Seagrams & Sons (incl. Beverage Business and considerable media interests) donated $2M+, 67% went to Democrats
Gallo Winery donated $337K, 95% went to Democrats
Coors & Budweiser donated $174K, 92% went to Republicans
Brown-Forman Corp. (Southern Comfort, Jack Daniels, Bushmills, Korbel Wines, Lenox China , Dansk and Gorham Silver) donated $644 K — 80% went to Republicans

Hungry?
Sonic Corporation donated $83K, 98% went to Democrats
Triarc Companies (Arby’s, T.J. Cinnamon’s, Pasta Connections) donated $112K, 96% went to Democrats
Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (chicken) donated $366K, 100% went to Republicans
Outback Steakhouse donated $641K, 95% went to Republicans
Tricon Global Restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell) donated $133K, 87% went to Republicans
Brinker International (Maggiano’s, Brinker Cafe, Chili’s, On the Border, Macaroni Grill, Crazymel’s, Corner Baker, EatZis) donated $242K, 83% went to Republicans
Waffle House donated $279K, 100% went to Republicans
McDonald’s Corp. Donated $197K, 86% went to Republicans
Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Smokey Bones, Bahama Breeze) donated $121K, 89% went to Republicans
Heinz Republicans $64,000 Democrats $21,300! John Kerry’s wife’s company!!!

Traveling
Hyatt Corporation donated $187K of which 80% went to Democrats
Marriott International $323K, 81% went to Republicans
Holiday Inns donated $38K, 71% went to Republicans

This is my current song obsession. I like other Nick Lowe songs but it’s really hard to top Cruel to be Kind as a perfect little nugget of pop music. Exactly as long as it needs to be, and even though he had a reputation to just bash out songs, this is perfectly crafted. Listen to the rising and falling bass lines, the spot-on harmonies, and the melody that pushes at the envelope of Americana pop just enough to propel into the next hook. A 3:26 lesson in pop songcraft.

Where have all the flowers gone?
I have to be honest, i et ‘em. I et ‘em all.

Is it really so strange?
It shouldn’t be, i mean, flowers are delicious. Most of them. Thistles are a bit chewy.

Where are the clowns?
I don’t keep track of clowns. They don’t taste good, what with all that greasepaint.

Hello? Is It Me You’re Looking For?
Yeah, sure, whatever, as long as you aren’t a damn clown. Did you bring anything to eat?

Do You Know The Way To San Jose?
Funny story; i’m an old goat, born near San Jose, but that urban sprawl sent us packing when i was just a kid. Ironically, the spot where my old pen sat is apparently now a Taco Bell, which i can’t eat any more. You know how goat poops are hard little nugget things? Well, all i’m saying is that they aren’t hard little nugget things after eating Taco Bell.

Do You Remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio?
Oh sure, it was pretty good. Those newer radios with their tiny little transistors aren’t nearly as filling as the old big band radios though. Those huge old capacitors were nice and juicy and the real wood cases had a nice crunch.

Who do you love?
I want to clear up a misunderstanding, we goats don’t love tin cans. It’s just that they get in the way of other food sometimes. And, you know, when there’s nothing else to eat. But they aren’t that tasty.

Why don’t we do it in the road?
Why don’t you go ask that flat ass squirrel out there? Dumbass. I’ma go eat that old tire now.

Should i stay or should i go?
(mouth full of tire)

I haven’t been biking much to work lately, but I was thinking today about the MN State Cyclocross Championship. It happened this morning over in Crystal, MN, and the weather was on the brutal side; hovering around freezing in the morning and going down from there, the sleet starting mid-morning changing over to snow before noon.

Three years ago i would have been there too, lining up for one more start. I’ve done many races in the sort of early-season snowfall we had today. Cyclocross has a reputation for a dirty, muddy sport, but in Minnesota it’s a dry, full-gamut weather affair. The season starts with steamy heat and ends with frozen ground, with few idyllic days between. Our autumn is dry and mud is rare. More common is the snow. At this time of year it typically comes down light but sideways, and it’s not a bitter cold, but it sure feels it after being spoiled with 50+ degree sunny days all month. The wind cuts through you, pushing the shiver down to the bone before the starting gun sounds, surrounded by 100 cold bikes, their riders slapping warmth into numbing hands. By the race’s end you’re gasping for air, trying to hold a sane line and keep the wheels down though you can’t feel your fingers or toes, and there’s no hope of winning anything but the slow pokes are still getting in the way. Then a dash for the coat and hat to keep the steamy heat in, and a beer before you’re shivering again and aching for a hot shower.

Funny how removed it seems, having not raced like that for two years now. I miss seeing some of my friends there, but i just don’t have the drive to race like i did then. I remember feeling like i had put my stake into cyclocross, that was my thing, and i was defending it, especially when the ex’s new husband started doing some races too. I was 40 and in middling shape for the field, but it was good shape for me plus i had a bottomless well of baggage and anger to work out. I had great cheerleader friends and so much of my life then revolved around cycling that the races became a fulcrum point, a release, a progress check on how i was doing as a single person again.

In most ways it seems like a good thing to be past those racing days. At the time i needed it to fill in where something was missing, and in a way to prove myself. I’ve never been a driven type-A cyclist, i’m just out for the adventure and the fun. I’m certainly not as fit as i was in racing trim, but i’m happier now, more comfortable with myself. Not hungry and searching, but content and open. Much better.

I finally finished the bike trailer i started last year. I had it brazed and assembled, but it needed paint and a decent floor (though i used it a couple of times with a canvas floor). It’s made from 2 mixte frames cut up and re-assembled, a fork for the hitch and 20″ front wheels from scrap kid bikes. The only new parts are the tubes and tires, and most of the various mounting hardware.

I welded a really crappy mount for my 3-speed bike, but i’m planning to build a better one after my welding class. The threaded section of the fork looks like the weak point, it wrinkled a little when i tried to pull the fork legs to the side to level the trailer. Might be fine with typical grocery loads, it didn’t budge when pulling 100lbs of kid down the bumpy alley.

I have an ever-expanding crop of horseradish in my back yard that will eventually take over the whole neighborhood. It’ll be pungent, but i’m really hoping it’ll knock back the nettles some.

This is the main root of one of the bigger plants, which turned out to be 3 in one, and it braided itself nicely. You’re supposed to wait until after the first freeze to dig it up, but i needed some today for a potluck dish. The potluck season waits for no freeze.

A nice fall day for a ride.

Minnehaha Ave. from Bill Connell on Vimeo.

Visiting my friend David’s farm today, a beautiful sunset and moonrise. Seeing all the stars in the sky is one of the best things about getting out of the city.

Twin Cities Framebuilders represent at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show this past weekend in Austin, Texas!

Congratulations to Dave Anderson (left) won the President’s Choice award. Dave is a sponsor of my club, Gopher Wheelmen, and is ridden by many members of the GW cyclocross team.

Congratulations to Vincent Dominguez (right), who won Best Filet Brazed Frame at the show.

The North American Handmade Bicycle Show is in its 7th year of showcasing the best work in bicycle frame building today. Go to the show website to see the full list of show winners

A wonderful and unexpected email from my dad a couple of months ago led to a living room reorganization and impending lessons for me and the girls on the piano. Meet Everett.

I got it from Keys 4 Kids, an organization that fixes up old pianos and resells them (and sometimes gives them away), much like some of my favorite bike organizations. A wide range of pianos to choose from, and very helpful folks too. It’s a studio piano from 1961, so it’s built like a tank, and it’s in pretty good shape aside from the pre-graffitti’d bench.

I never had piano lessons as a kid. My dad’s family enjoyed listening to music, but i don’t know that anyone there plays an instrument. Mostly i remember my dad saying, “i’ll listen to any kind of music as long as it’s not too loud!”. On the other hand, my mom’s family was very musical; she and her siblings all had piano lessons, and their dad was a high school music teacher. That grandfather of mine played in jazz bands in the ’30s and after retiring from teaching continued to play horn with the Shriners until he was unable to march. I wish i’d been smart enough to talk to him more about music while he was alive. I played sousaphone in 6th grade then trumpet in 7-8th before quitting. In college i learned the rock instruments and played in bands for a few years, mostly bass guitar, but never returned to reading music, everything was by ear.

So when my dad offered to pay for lessons for the girls, it was a wonderful and unexpected surprise. Piano wasn’t their first choice (it was voice and violin), but i offered that if they can stick to piano lessons for a while they can choose to switch to something else later. I started getting interested in playing too – i’ve been noodling on guitar for a while, but it’s hard to stick with it and progress much when i don’t play with others. I really have too many hobbies for my own good. Piano may well also suffer from that fate, but i’m excited to give it a try.

I generally don’t make a big deal of the new year as it comes along, but this year’s changeover is a little special. The piano, for one, and its requisite house reorganization is a good boost to the overall ongoing reorganizing and decluttering project. Also, I’m starting a new job right after the first of the year, after 11 years with the same company (and getting fed up with their precipitous decline). So for the new year, i’m instigating/embracing change and trying new things.