Cooking

Today I tried to cook a tuna casserole but it turned out like college freshman cuisine. So I have decided for now on I must get back to the days of pre night life and remember how to cook. I did for a few years cook in restaurants in high school. I did enjoy cooking but learned to hate the customers. It might have been the type of food I was cooking or the neighborhood I was in. Never the less I am going to give it another try because it does excite me to cook for others. Any thoughts give em to me...

More Studies on Green Jobs

More Studies on Green Jobs

Following on the heels of a study from the Pew Charitable Trusts we reported on last week at the Vermont Environmental and Land Use Law blog, two more reports from think tanks and environmental groups suggest that clean-energy investments have the potential to kick-start the economy, employ millions of workers nationwide, especially those at the lower end of the economic scale.

The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) and the Center for American Progress provide state-based information of where jobs are most likely to be generated.

According to the report for Vermont:

Investments in a clean-energy economy will generate major employment benefits for Vermont and the rest of the U.S. economy. Our research finds that Vermont could see a net increase of about $300 million in investment revenue and 4,000 jobs based on its share of a total of $150 billion in clean-energy investments annually across the country. This is even after assuming a reduction in fossil fuel spending equivalent to the increase in clean energy investments.

Adding 4,000 jobs to the Vermont labor market in 2008 would have brought the state’s unemployment rate down to 3.6 percent from its actual 2008 level of 4.8 percent.

Here is the link to the other report released today, Green Prosperity: How Clean-Energy Policies Can Fight Poverty and Raise Living Standards in the United States.

Image Source: Richard Masoner.

Do I look mean????

Hmmmm

Contador ducks doping questions

By Agence France Presse

Published: Jul. 23, 2009

Tour de France race leader Alberto Contador on Thursday refused to respond to questions relating to his stunning climbing performance in the 15th stage and Thursday’s time trial victory.

Spain's 2007 champion took another step towards overall victory when he won the 18th stage time trial to take a virtually unassailable lead of 4:11 over Luxembourg's Andy Schleck.

Coming less than a week after his impressive victory on the summit of Verbier in Switzerland, it has cemented Contador's reputation as the best stage racer in the world.

But asked to react to doubts expressed by former Tour de France winner Greg Lemond, present at the race Thursday, on his performances Contador refused to answer.

"I won't answer this question," Contador said through his translator when asked to explain his impressive climbing performance to Verbier.

Last Sunday Contador attacked a small group of favorites containing teammate Lance Armstrong 5.6km from the summit of the 8.8km climb to the summit finish of Verbier to win the stage and take command of the yellow jersey.

Moments later the determined reporter repeated his question.

"Otra pregunta (next question)," said the 26-year-old Contador.

When asked to reveal his V02 max, his maximum capacity to transport and use oxygen while racing, the Spaniard was evasive.

""Otra pregunta," said Contador again.

So far on the Tour, and despite increased efforts to weed out the cheats, there have been no positive doping cases.

Contador won his first Tour in 2007 as a member of the Discovery Channel team and, after his Astana team was not invited to the 2008 edition, he won the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España that year. Contador was also excluded from the 2006 Tour after his name and those of other members of his then Liberty Seguros team were included in dossiers seized in the Spanish Operación Puerto investigation. He was later cleared of those allegations.

Hope Jens is ok... This is just before is wreck at 70km on the descent. Great rider and a well liked person in cycling...

Michael Barry on Hincapie's five seconds

By Michael Barry

Published: Jul. 21, 2009

Editor's Note: Michael Barry is a member of the Columbia-HTC team.

Pedaling up the climb without a car in sight, the sun beating down, my open jersey fluttering in the breeze and my legs turning fluidly, my mind started wandering. The road was one I had ridden countless times, alone, with teammates, rivals and friends. I know every meter of road after nearly 10 years of riding in Girona — it now feels like home. Daily, we meet for rides, forming a group that contains many of the best professional cyclists in the world.

As I ride over each road in this small province, memories of past rides, people and conversations comfort me in a way a tune evokes an emotion of an adolescent moment.

Over the weekend, while watching the Tour de France, I was thrilled to see my good friend, a friend with whom I have grown and matured on the roads of Catalonia, in a breakaway with a margin on the peloton significant enough that he had a chance at the yellow jersey. George Hincapie has given himself, selflessly, to every team and leader he has ridden for — from Armstrong to Cavendish he has always ridden for the goal of the team. Now, late in his career, I thought this was to be his brief moment to shine in yellow.

Rivalries between teams are innate, as are jealousies. We are competitive. We are bike racers. On training rides we race each other to mountaintops, we sprint for town signs and we attempt to break each others' records on the climbs we use to test ourselves. Yet, we also can sit back, watch our kids play together as we chat about the coming races, training rides, community events in town or our kids.

Sport is fun; business is ruthless.

George never wore yellow. It came down to the narrowest of gaps and he missed out. I wasn’t there so I don’t know the whole story, or why two teams — one, to which he gave himself through most of his career and another to which he has always been a friend — closed the gap when it wasn’t in their interest to do the work. Tactically, with or without George in yellow, their objectives would remain the same. He wasn’t a threat, on any level, to their ambitions.

In cycling, it is said there are no favors. This is rubbish. Life is full of favors, as is cycling. Teams help each other knowing the favor will be returned. Teams cooperate in every race I ride. The greatest champions have won not only because they are the strongest but also because other teams have given them support.

I know that the riders from Garmin, a Girona-based team, didn’t want to set off in pursuit of George. They had no reason to ride, aside from following the orders, which came over their radios. And, I know they now dearly regret their pursuit. But still they rode.

Somehow, I sense, the roots of a rivalry between managers have dug into the small community we have in Spain that has matured in the last 15 years. It saddens me that friendships, which have always managed to transcend feuds between teams and riders, now seem to be fracturing due to decisions made during a race. I am certain that without radios, the chase would have never occurred as it tactically made no sense — the pursuit was a waste of energy in a race that is won by carefully dosing efforts. Like a dog obeying his master’s commands, riders forget to think for themselves when they hear a voice yelling instructions.

From a business perspective I have never understood petty juvenile rivalries in which thinking is provincial instead of global. When LeMond was winning the Tour de France, cycling in America prospered, as it did when Armstrong was on top. In Canada, cycling flourished and pro teams were numerous when Steve Bauer was pounding over the cobbles and climbing the mountains in Europe. An American in yellow, no matter which American, no matter which team, would have been beneficial to the whole. This rivalry will end up doing more damage than good.

In George’s position I would feel betrayed. Cycling is a team sport in which one individual gains applause for the team’s efforts. He deserved a moment to receive that applause — not for his efforts in that one Tour stage, but for a career of efforts in the service of others.

At the top of the climb, I rode through a small mountain town. The town was quiet as the summer sun pounded down. The streets were empty. The few old men I see each time I ride through the town, sitting on the park bench, were motionless in the stifling heat. Outside a bar patio, just across from the two old men, a half dozen bikes were piled up. I stopped. Under the awning were several riders from two different teams — rival teams — together. Laughing, sitting comfortably and enjoying a short break on a long ride, I joined them for a drink. Then, we attacked the road home to Girona.

July 21, 2009

Stage 16 Results

General Classification after Stage 16: