Tangential...

I don't talk about politics on here mainly because, well, it's a fool's errand. Nothing anyone can say is either correct, nor does it please all who read it.
This time is different, and I'm going to make an exception.
What follows is my own, personal, Open Letter to Congress...
Let's just jump in with both feet. You are ALL vile, insipid idiots. Sure, I understand arguing across the aisles. I have degrees in Government and US History after all.
What I don't get is the vitriol...Excuse me...the open CONTEMPT for one another. 
It's like you guys are 10 year old children...oh...wait...that's a throw off on 10 year old children, as the vast majority of them are far smarter, and wiser, than all of Congress...combined.
Why NOW am I lashing out, and ranting about politics? This inane Government shutdown affects ALL of us.
First and foremost are those who are getting furloughed. These poor folks are largely Government employees, and last I checked, not a lot of them are pulling down Congress-type dollars. Hope the bank understands when they can't make their house payments.
And speaking of Congress-type dollars, why are you jackasses still getting paid, while Government employees checks are stopping?
And you those those poor men and women who you chose to send to war zones all of the globe? Yeah, THEY ARE GETTING I.O.U.s.
"Sorry you took that bullet in the thigh...we'll get you paid in a few weeks..."
The freaking PXs @ Fort Jackson are closed.  I guess the folks who live on the largest Army training base in the US don't have to eat, or wipe...
Honestly, for the most part, this doesn't affect my family, except for one very troublesome reason.
My handsome, sensitive, emotional, highly-intelligent, 8 year old was apoplectic when he came home from school Tuesday. Why you ask? His teacher has to explain to her third grade class that they could not go on their field trip to Congaree Swamp National Park today because of the Government shut down.
Sorry, but 8 year old kids shouldn't have to deal with the fact that Congress is behaving in a less mature, and responsible, manner than the kids do on a day to day basis.
I know this seems pretty trivial, given the larger picture, but it serves as an illustration of just how far this shutdown reaches.
Jake wanted to know why? WHY? So I explained it to him with no tint, nor lean to one side or the other. After I finished, he looked me dead in the face, rubbed his nose as 8 year old boys are wont to do, and said, "Well...that's just kind of dumb..."

Yes my son, you are absolutely correct.

Someone on Facebook alluded to the end of Rome.  I can't say that this allusion is not analogous.  The sheer effluence of hubris coming from Washington is shocking.  If one thinks that the majority of the elected officials inside the Beltway, regardless of affiliation, are looking out for any interests, other than their own, then that person is deluded.  
These 'leaders' have forgotten that their duty is to US, the people.  It has become more important to bicker over minutia, than to work in an effort to make things better.  
It's not a perfect solution, but then again, what is?  
I'm leaning towards what our de facto voice of reason said the other night...



Back to our normal, inane programming...

Fun ride Tuesday night.  Lots of new faces, and bikes that were pulled out of the deepest, darkest recesses of garages.  More than a few needed more than some slick tires, and a light!  Lots of popping chains, and mis-shifts.  
Of course, my beat to death CX bike wasn't much different.  It's current needs are a new chain, pulleys, and new cables/housing.  All will be remedied once the chains get here from the UK in a few days.  
I'm sure the month's worth of dried LexCo detritus accumulated on the downtube wasn't exactly helping matters.
It's now clean(ish), and will get overhauled very soon.  I also have some VERY special handlebat tape inbound.  You'll just have to wait and see...
And it's Thursday, so same bat-time, same bat-parking lot for another installment of ... The Night Ride...

Junk had an interesting comment on the Uran crash video from last post.  He said than if ol' Rigoberto had some MTB skillz, he may have saved it...which made me think for a moment.  The only skill that would have saved Senor Uran would have been that of Danny Hart...



The better version of this video?  Here...

OK...get back to work...