mike-warren.com RSS feed

RM1200

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Longest bike ride ever.

Rocky Mountain 1200

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

(25 total photos, July 23, 2008) — I somehow got it into my head to try a "real" randonneur ride this year, targeting the Rocky Mountain 1200 put on every 4 years by the BC Randonneurs. Awesome organization, equally awesome food and spectacular weather. Great times! The full story is available.

"Turf Wars" in New Yorker: why we love lawns

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:00:34 GMT

Good essay on the history of our ridiculous infatuation with green squares of foreign grass. One of the most popular herbicides was — and continues to be — 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic...

Survival time of (unpatched) machines on the 'Net

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:00:34 GMT

The Internet Storm Center publishes these cool graphs of the average time an unpatched machine will last on the Internet before being taken over by malware (not even with someone surfing)....

Italian police sentenced over 2001 G8 protests

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:00:34 GMT

During the G8 summit in 2001, police were accused of posing as "Black Block" anarchists (among others) and inciting violence. There was also widespread illegitimate arrests of protestors,...

Red Shirt

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

(3 total photos, July 13, 2008) — Climbed "Red Shirt" on Yam with Brad. Very nice route. Some rat-shit on the first couple pitches, but mostly avoidable. The guidebook promises super-polished climbing, but most of the "polish" we found was mostly just the rock, not from other climbers. There were definitely some polished holds, but nothing too crazy. Not very many bolts on this one yet (2.5 of the belays, one protection bolt) -- nice to see. Although many of the "fixed" belays are pins, it was possible to back them all up with gear. Some people might like to take a hammer.

Iran sucks at photoshop

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:00:34 GMT

Speaking of free/open photo tools, Iran apparently sucks at using them, releasing allegedly digitally altered images of their recent missile tests.

GNU/Linux open photo tools

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:00:34 GMT

An Apple fan-boy tries to find a replacement for Aperture under GNU/Linux (Ubuntu) and, to his surprise, succeeds. ...and it's all open source/free software and runs on Windows if you're...

Electro-shock Plane Tickets

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:00:34 GMT

The Department of Homeland Security is apparently interested in deploying "electronic ID bracelets" for plane travellers to take the place of boarding passes. One difference: these...

Hell Week

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

(12 total photos, July 04, 2008) — Dan, Peter and I stayed in Field for a few days for a self-imposed training camp. Craig came up for one day, too. Very good weather for riding, even if I do hate rain (but we only had a little). The cloud-cover helped keep temperatures reasonable.

Nelson Mandela not Terrorist

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:00:34 GMT

Nelson Mandela, 90, and other members of the African National Congress were officially taken off the US government's "terrorist list". He may now legally travel to the US.

Full Moon in June

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

(1 total photos, June 21, 2008) — Stage One of RS's and I's full moon adventure.

Spanking: Jail.

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:00:34 GMT

The Senate is preparing to pass through a bill (which would still need House approval to become law) which would make it a crime to spank your child.

Wilderness Lake to Tailings Pond: Rubber-stamp

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:00:34 GMT

Federal Bureaucrats are allowed to redefine lakes and rivers as "tailing containment facilities" (aka toxic waste dumps for mining debris) and are doing just that to a bunch of lakes and...

Jim Prentice sucks US corporate teat

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

...or, send Bill 61 back to where it came from: the corporate boardrooms of some ofthe biggest copyright holders in the world, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) members.

Spontaneous Universes?

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:00:34 GMT

Apparently more observation and data-processing of the microwave background radiation reveals evidence for time existing before the big bang and spontaneous formation of universes from "parent"...

May 31, 2008: Rocky Mountain House

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

(6 total photos, June 03, 2008) — My last qualifying ride for the Rocky Mountain 1200 put on by the BC Randonneurs every 4 years. Beautiful weather marred only by headwinds for two days (although light for the most part on Saturday). A massive south wind greeted us for the entire second day from Rocky Mountain House back, making for slow progress and minimal stopping time. Chester pulled us back from Cremona by himself...great work; should be good for that "fitness kickstart" he was looking for prior to the Cascade 1200 at the end of the month... Food: Saturday: Cinnamon bun + sandwich in Canmore; iced tea + chocolate milk at Castle Junction; chocolate, iced tea and chocolate at Lake Louise; 1/2 Cliff bar near Bow Lake; burger+fries, chocolate milk, Pilsner, apple pie, chips, 3 coffees at Castle Junction; peanuts, real fruit gummies, coffee at Nordegg. Sunday: ceral, toast+PB, banana, coffe, OJ in Rocky; iced tea, peanuts, ice cream cone in Caroline; footlong meatball sub, chips, coke in Sundre; Peter's burgers + onion rings in Calgary.

FBI using terrorism laws to "infiltrate" protest groups

Fri, 23 May 2008 15:00:34 GMT

As predicted, so-called "terrorism" laws are really being used to fuck the tender bottoms of protestors. What they were looking for, Carroll says, was an informant -- someone...

Vermillion 400

Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

(8 total photos, May 17, 2008) — We had a pretty rugged headwind (30km/h forecasted; felt about right) on most of the trip out (except bits of the 1A after Banff), which probably helped the temperature feel reasonable. The other side of the pass was a little better, but pedaling down 4% grades is never fun. The ride home was much nicer, but I was in less and less of a state to enjoy it. After Castle, the evening ride down the 1A was pretty nice and I saw a black wolf (I'm fairly certain; miiight have been a black bear) at the first single-road section, and a bear scampered across the road a little further on. Even though it was only about 20 seconds in front of me, I couldn't see it at all as I rode by. From Banff on was more survival, especially on the Transcanada. A fair number of cars honked in a friendly fashion; perhaps people who saw us earlier? The 1A through Morley at night seemed quite a lot rougher than normal, probably because I didn't care about dodging stuff as much. Let me also say I was Extremely Happy to have a triple (30x26) for Big Hill. I finally rolled in at 03:30 and Esther picked me up. I had entertained thoughts before about riding home, but I was pretty happy to see the car at Crowfoot. Update: cool kids apparently include "nutrition" information about their rides, so here's mine. canmore: cappuccino, club sandwich w/ spinach soup + ice tea. castle junction: 2 beers, 2 cookies, iced tea x2, power-cookie, chocolate bar?. castle junction (on return): 2 beers, pizza sub, 1L chocolate milk, iced tea, salt+pepper chips, cinnamon bun. cochrane: chocolate bar. Lots of water, probably filled up a dozen times on the route. The Route.

Army wants own botnet

Thu, 08 May 2008 15:00:34 GMT

The army wants to set up their own botnet (apparently Storm freaked the hell out of them?). Their own words are better anything I could make up: The world has abandoned a fortress...