Programming for the Masses

You might want to skip this if you don’t want to read a politically and sociologically insensitive post. I had the strangest dialog with a gentleman outside the local supermarket “pan-handling” (that sounds so much better than begging).

компютриpan-handler: Got any spare change?
zwane: Sorry i’m afraid not. (i generally don’t carry cash)
furniture Bulgariapan-handler: I’m hungry, can you buy me some food?
zwane: Hmm well how about a loaf of bread? (I was offering him my bread)
pan-handler:online casino net Er, nah it’s ok, i’ll wait for someone to buy me something.

This proves that even pan-handlers have options in socialist countries! Or perhaps he was concerned that the vicar and i won’t have sandwiches to go with our tea time discussion.

I tend to end up whining whenever i go on about Vancouver drivers, but every year i buy a new bike rack. Not because the one i had is out of vogue, but because slots online,play free online slots game,online gambling slotsplay free casinovideo poker payoutplay free online slots,play slots,play free slots no downloadblack jack betting strategystrip video poker gamesonline casino slots gambling,online casino slots,free online casino slotsjacks or better video pokerhow to play craps,play craps free,craps how to playonline casinoscasino game online roulette,roulette game free online,online roulette gamevc poker bonus codetexas holdem downloadparadise pokergioco poker gratuitoworld championship pokersoftware cartestreep poker on linegiochi omaha poker in lineatexas holdem calculatorgioco onlinegiochi di poker per pcgiochi di poker gratistexas holdem calculatemscuola poker onlinegiocare a pokertexas holdem poker downloadsoftware Pokergiochi di carte pokersexy poker on linegioco poker on line gratispoker holdem gratispoker gamespoker italiagioco poker gratisplay 7 card studstrep poker gratisgioco carte pokerpoker online italiascarica pokercalifornia pokercasino texas holdempoker play moneypoker slot gratispoker tournament softwareaces texas holdemgioco poker freewaregioco d azzardo pokeronline poker gamegioca a poker gratis every year i get rear ended. Whilst stopped, at a stop light. One thing i have learnt is that the Thule spareme bike rack is one tough ass piece of equipment, it’s barely bent but my jeep door has caved in slightly. Judging from last year, i’ll need a new tailgate. Again.

The closest (2km) coffee shop with wireless from my apartment just happens to be starbucks, so in a move to make working from home a bit more bearable i make the occasional trip there for a change of scenery. Today’s recommended beverage is;

iced double tall one pump sugar free caramelone pump white mocha non fat easy ice latte

They must be making this shit up…

In other news, i’m going on a much needed vacation, albeit for 4 days only and the 4 days will probably involve riding at least 500km. But it’ll be fun!

I had left the Edge305 charging during the day and by this time must have received a full charge. I was surprised to realise that i couldn’t power it on… A bit of annoyed googling yielded;

Garmin has identified a bug in some new Forerunner and Edge units (205 and 305) that cause them to lock up after a full charge. Here’s a temporary fix until the next software update:

“To power the unit back on, press the “Mode” and “Reset” buttons at the same time. Let go of those two buttons, press the power button, and the unit will turn back on.”

Quite a frustrating day today, i received a letter from Immigration Canada stating that i need further medical examination due to the heart murmur my doctor noticed. I’m still somewhat shocked that i may not be healthy enough to be a Canadian resident. Bureaucrats suck, my heart sucks.

This one has pain written all over it, i frequently use the Gaglardi way hill on training rides, but the idea of doing the last section (1.4km at 6.4% average and 250m at 9% average) 13 times sounds tortuous. The constant downhill sections will certainly have a wearing down effect. Thankfully my peroneal tendon is well on its way to full recovery, it’s nice having both my ankles the same size again.

May 27th 71.5km (13laps) ~1560m of ascent

Dewdney Trunk Road & 256th Street. 60km (3 laps), 1061m total ascent.

Unfortunately i started the morning pretty groggy as i only left the bar at 2am, but i had no trouble waking up at 6am to get ready for the 1hr drive to Maple Ridge. I managed to get there easily enough so i had plenty of time to warm up this time, my peroneal tendon was still giving me trouble but the pain is very bearable. Lining up for the cat4/5, Bob, a Zimbabwean cat4 who is into his second season here introduces himself. Finally we’re off, first kilometer we hit a 6% grade hill and the field is decimated, i certainly wasn’t expecting this sort of damage, about 10 people are dropped completely. I dig in and manage to stay with the main group. Then the death march begins… some sadists up front start driving a fast pace up a 10% grade, this time i get dropped from the main group, and we’re not even done with the first lap!! I see some more people get dropped from the main group and decide to chase the 3 man group. I’m making good progress and reducing the gap, i can see they’re not going to slow down for me to catch up, then 1 of them breaks away and drops the other 2. I decide to follow the guy, i pass the 2 stragglers but the breakaway guy is really throwing it down. He’s a bit slow on the hills so i decide to make the most of them. That’s when i get introduced to the 22%(!!) hill at 8.8km, i really should have brought my dish-plate (12-27 cassette), i’m running a 12-25 and barely turning the cranks over at 30rpm. One of the only guys to bring a triple was probably laughing all the way up the climb. Looking at my speedometer i see 7km/h and let off a stifled sob. But everyone is suffering and i can see some of the guys doing the ‘paperboy’, zig-zagging and generally getting in the way. On the way down the other side, i make my first mistake… i miss a turn and end up going 2km the wrong way Back on the route i start thinking of pulling out. Lap 2, i see a figure in the distance, i initially thought it was the guy i was chasing down in the first lap but it turns out to be a Masi Adobe rider, one of the cat3s (They started 10 minutes earlier than us). Finally getting up to him i notice he’s really really struggling up the hills and figure he’s running low on energy. I eventually give up trying to pull him and continue my soloing for the next 2 uneventful laps. Overall i’m disappointed in missing that turn, i could have done much better. Bob the Zimbabwean, on the other hand, takes 3rd place! Tomorrow is the time trial and criterium, but i’ll see how i feel in the morning.

I decided to treat myself to a new set of race wheels, but knowing me i’ll end up riding them regularly since i’m lazy and like shiny things. So now the bike looks very menacing, i’m going to have to live up to its pedigree on Saturday! Cassette on this wheel-set is 105 10spd 12-25. The Flash-Point rims are essentially the old Zipp 404s rebadged so that Zipp can make use of their old carbon molds, however the hubs do not look like Zipps so they may have cut costs there too. Anyway we’ll see how they handle extended abuse.

Signed up for the Race the Ridge stage race in Maple Ridge this weekend, after this it’ll only be criteriums and time-trials in order to collect enough races for my cat 4 upgrade. Saturday is the road race and the Sunday the time-trial and criterium, i may show up on Sunday for the time-trial and have a go at it with no aero bars! My plan for Saturday is to ride mid-pack and follow any attacking moves, again it’s a mixed cat 4/5 race so it’s bound to be a serious suffer fest, hopefully i get to dish out some pain too! Race report to follow!

An envelope i received from the FBI last week has had me somewhat euphoric for the past few days. That manila coloured envelope brought the eagerly awaited news that my FBI check was clear and i could forward this information to Immigration Canada. The way things are looking, i may be able to finally call Canada home by the end of May, 5 years after i first arrived here. I would have taken a picture of the FBI stamp but my crappy phone has an even worse camera…

It appears that the envelope may bring me even more amusement, my nosy^W ever curious neighbour saw the envelope and is now curious as to why i would ever require correspondence with the offices of the FBI. I shall now sit back and wait for the rumour mill to start churning.