Friday, February 27, 2009

Stella is Delicious



a good ad for a good beer. fair enough.

The Keystone House and Other Faulty Theories






Yes, this is a real place.

There is one house for sale in America that, if sold today, would unleash a torrent of lending and capital, creating a cascade of sales and credit across the nation. It's the bum log in the logjam, it's the missing domino in the line, the proverbial monkey-wrench in the system, the lynchpin sale, the "Keystone" home. 

Call it what you will. It needs to be found, sold and gotten off the market. Fast. 

Nobody knows exactly where this enigmatic house is, probably in Indiana or Kansas or maybe in Arizona. But until someone buys it from its desperate owners, the real estate market will continue to deal the pain.

Ahh, the slow burn...

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

PLEASE, SHARE THE ROAD


Our friend Vicki Santello has made a tremendous recovery after a severe and devastating cycling accident involving an SUV. Having ridden with Vicki for hundreds and hundreds of miles over the past many years, I am certainly not surprised at her spectacular recovery achievements.

But that is so much easier said than done. I know that Vicki has worked every hour of every day, for more than two years, to reclaim her ability ride a bike again. It only took one unfortunate moment, a rogue split-second, for all this to happen.

We drivers can certainly do better when it comes to sharing the road.

The road was built for a wide variety of vehicles.
Four-wheel vehicles, no matter how prominent, do not have sole rights to our road systems. Yield to two-wheeled vehicles. Riders of bicycles and motorcycles are obviously not insulated by a capsule. Crashing on a bike means bodily harm on many levels. 

Think about giving cyclists more space.
When passing cyclists on the road, consider allowing for 10-15 feet of space between vehicles. As a cyclist, I know that a sudden flat tire can make your bike "squirrely" and unpredictable, in the blink of an eye. We can all work together to reduce the risk of injury. 

Avoid distractions.
Maybe just try to hang up and drive. 

Sometimes, car/bicycle collisions are unfortunate accidents.
But occasionally, some drivers are downright aggressive, antagonistic and violent. Spread the word: cyclists are your sisters and brothers, your mothers and fathers, your sons and daughters. 

We are your friends and neighbors. 
Please keep that in mind as you meet up with us on the road.

Our warmest thoughts are with Vicki as she renews her ability to kick ass on the bike!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

THE GAMBLE