Friday, February 22, 2013

Go check this out right now!

If you know what's good for you, you'll take a few moments to check this out.

http://bunyanvelo.com/

Then you'll be hooked and there goes the afternoon!!!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

We've Reached A Turning Point!

Alas, this was forwarded to me & I don't know who to give credit to...

*Nov 20, 2012: Panetta: We are at a turning point after 10 years of war -- over 10 years of war.
*Sep 27, 2012: Panetta: We did turn a very important corner.
*Sep 17, 2012: Panetta: Let me just say a few things. As I've said before, I think we're at a turning point, certainly after 10 years of war,
*June 7, 2012: Panetta: We are, as I said, at a turning point after 10 years of war.
*May 3, 2012: Panetta: 2011 was really a turning point. In 2011 the Taliban was weakened significantly. They couldn’t organize the kind of attacks to regain territory that they had lost, which is something they have done in the past. So they’ve been weakened.
* April 18, 2012: Panetta: As I've said, 2011 was a real turning point. It was the first time in five years that we saw a drop in the number of enemy attacks.
* April 17, 2012: Panetta: NATO at ‘Pivotal Point’ in Afghan Mission
* December 14, 2011: Panetta was less than 34 miles from the Pakistan border when he told U.S. troops they have reached a turning point in the war.
* April 21, 2011: Gates: " I think it’s possible that by the end of this year we will have turned a corner just because of the Taliban being driven out, and, more importantly, kept out."
* March 15, 2011: "FOB DELHI: International troops in Afghanistan face the prospect of a spring offensive by the Taliban every year – but this time the US-led alliance believes it could mark a real turning point in its favour."
* February 20, 2010: “Western officials believe that a turning point has been reached in the war against the Taliban, with a series of breakthroughs suggesting that the insurgents are on the back foot for the first time since their resurgence four years ago.”
* August 31, 2009: “Monday marks the end of August, a month with both good and bad news out of Afghanistan — and the approach of a key turning point.“
* February 6, 2008: “But the ties that bind NATO are fraying badly – and publicly – over just how much each member state wants to commit to turning Afghanistan around. ‘It’s starting to get to a turning point about what is this alliance about,’ says Michael Williams, director of the transatlantic program at the Royal United Services Institute in London.”
* July 23, 2007: “Taken together these may reflect a turning point in how the war in Afghanistan is to be waged.”
* September 12, 2006: “The Afghan front is at a critical turning point that imperils many of the hard-fought successes of the early phase of the conflict and the prospects for snaring bin Laden.”
* September 22, 2005: “Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan’s foreign minister, called the recent parliamentary elections ‘a major turning point‘ on his country’s path to democracy.”
* January 27, 2004: “A statement from U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad called the enactment of the constitution a ‘turning point for the Afghan nation.’”
* February 26, 2003: “The growing aggressiveness by guerrillas is a relief for US forces, who greet the possibility of a real engagement with the Taliban as a possible turning point in the war. ‘We want them to attack us, so we can engage them and destroy them,’ says one Special Forces soldier from the US firebase at Spin Boldak, who took part in the initial firefight that led to Operation Mongoose.
* December 2, 2002: “But in ‘Bush at War’ there’s a glaring omission. Woodward misses the turning point in the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban and al Qaeda forces. It’s as though the most important scene had been left out of a movie, say, where Clark Kent turns into Superman.”

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Best Bike, or Best Bike Ever?

I can't say enough how enamored I am with my wife's Rivendell Glorius. It just gets better the longer we have it. It's been six years since I was able to get it (used) for Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Baby!

Since that time, it has been used for transportation, utility and recreational riding. All the while looking good! It is in fact a screaming pink that neither of us would have chosen, but it's never been a negative. In fact it's girly-ness has really grown us and is fully enjoyed!

Her shirt almost matches the bike!

 The details throughout the frame are absolutely stunning. It's understandable that Rivendell had to pull back from the Baroqueness of it and produce the more moderately detailed yet still lovely Betty Foy.

This last week I was able to complete the final piece in it's build with some Honjo fenders. They're 700C fenders, so took a bit of massaging to get to fit the 650B wheels. Plus the mixte stays are a touch different. In the end, the fenders add so much visually to the bike. It just looks complete and correct now while previously there was just a little something missing. I'm sure they even work well when it rains!

Rivendell Glorius

It came with a real nice build, Rich Lesnik wheels, Nitto and Sugino components, Brooks B67, and Paul Racer brakes that I couldn't find fault with. The only updates other than the fenders was going to a 1X9 drivetrain with a wide-range cassette. I think I changed the stem to a shorter Dirt Drop one, but can't swear to it. The Peterboro basket up front is the only other addition and a highly recommended one to any bike!

The bike is quite a joy to ride. There is something really special in the design. Maybe it's the seating and handlebar combination that works so well. Or the 650B puffy tires that are still lightweight. Plus the step-through frame is amazing to hop on and off. I don't know, but it all just works!

So there you have it... a tribute page to an awesome pink bike! I am always on the lookout for a Wilbury in my size to match this one! It'll happen some day!

Rivendell Glorius (updated photo)