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60 Minutes tonight
Reply to ThreadDisplaying 11 Posts
Central, FL
I missed 60 Minutes tonight. The entire McCabe interview is readily available on social media in it's entirety. Fascinating and chilling. If anyone else hasn't seen it I encourage you to take the time and catch this. Much was shocking. Some was somewhat predictable. Must see this inside account of what happened.
I didn't watch the 60 Minutes interview with Andrew McCabe, but the various media reports of what went one in the FBI after Trump fired Comey are indeed "chilling".
NPR, February 18, 2019: Andrew McCabe, Ex-FBI Deputy, Describes 'Remarkable' Number Of Trump-Russia Contacts
"I don't know that we have ever seen in all of history an example of the number, the volume and the significance of the contacts between people in and around the president, his campaign, with our most serious, our existential international enemy: the government of Russia," McCabe told NPR's Morning Edition. "That's just remarkable to me."
Reading the rest of the NPR article, the narrative certainly fits everything we have since observed on Trump and his bromance with Putin. What is disturbing is how the Republican Party has turned into the party of Trump defenders and how Trump's approval rating inside the Republican Party is still sky high at 90 percent.
Washington Post, February 7, 2019: Trump is the Republican Party, and the party is Trump
Ft.myers, FL
Schmidt, since you are an long term writer on this site, aren't you wondering where all of this leads to? The more I see and hear of what is going on; can this country still be saved from all of this nonsense? Constitutions don't work if people don't abide to the rules; so that document has become worthless for sure. The zillion lawyers made the situation only worse and actually created all the corruption here. It is like any cancer, it spreads if you don't stop it. Since plenty of people profit from all of this craziness it will be impossible to kill this decease. Only an war or revolution can do such. I guess we are now in an situation that either stringent measures should be taken to stop the carnage; hopefully Mueller will do such soon; if not then I'm afraid we will follow the Venezuela example.
Chet Ruminski
Parts of Mcabes interview sound like right out of a spy/coup novel.
Dutch -- As much as I am critical of Trump and Republicans, I don't share your dismal views of where our country is headed. The Trump administration is indeed a four year (hopefully less) nightmare, but the 2018 election was the turning point. I will say this though: if Trump or Pence is re-elected in 2020, then I will concede that maybe you are right.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I cannot help but wonder what level of collaboration (collusion) there is between not only Russia and Trump people, but how deep it goes within the Republican Party -- the huge money brokers bankrolling their fascist leaning ideology and what foreign countries besides Russia are playing in the game.
The Freedom Caucus/Tea Party/John Birchers have been playing the long game. Why is it that the Republican Party chooses less than intelligent leaders like the two Bushes, Ronald Reagan, and Tricky Dicky? Even with all the overwhelming evidence during the Watergate investigation, Republicans stood by Nixon until the very end. It is always party first and country second...always. I have said this before, but the Republican Party operatives are absolutely ruthless in their tactics to hold onto power. The few good ones with a conscience have fled the party.
Why I am more optimistic though, is because of the young people and minorities who finally turned out in larger numbers in the 2018 election; and with the Democratic House majority, the Trump Train has been stalled in its tracks by the Nancy Pelosi led House.
The 2020 election will be even more critical. Until then my worst nightmare is Trump and the Federalist Society getting to put another Supreme Court justice on the court that would ensure power on that court of conservative ultimate deciders for a long, long time, squashing legislative efforts of Congress or the Executive.
The McCabe interview may just be revealing the tip of the iceberg.
Schmidt Wrote:
Schmidt, I'm glad you are optimistic; but hearing Pence in Germany, I'm not too optimistic. Furthermore looking at the whole "wall" thing, then I have to laugh on how weird the "non" laws work in this country . Even Trump joked about it via this court process; then the next then the next then the Supreme Court which you can manipulate by putting "loyal" judges in it by tricks of an McConnell etc. NOTHING is sound and straight forward in this country; everything takes "ages" to correct and cost fortunes to correct; lawyers and judges getting richer by the day. No Schmidt, I have little confidence in this outdated "system" here. I guarantee, that if ever Mueller comes with his report the real box of Pandorra is going to be opened and then the "real " circus of hide and seek will start and in the end even the GOP will shine as "winners".
I saw the 60 minutes interview and he comes across as being Trump's version of Nixon's "John Dean", someone on the inside who witnessed a lot first hand; he was there when shit went down that the FBI had never seen since Nixon, and if McCabe is to be believed, Trump is far worse than the Nixon.
We all have our individual perception of Trump, and mine is that Trump's truly believes he can outwit and outlast anybody and any system of government, and thrives on the challenge. He would love to have been Nixon just so he could have out smarted everyone by covering up the Watergate crimes. Same is true in 2019, he believes, without a doubt in his mind, he will always win by having the justice and political systems turn on themselves. He is an anti-David Dunn, from the movie Unbreakable. Dunn is a man who has immunity to being harmed, no matter what happens he never suffers injury, but every body, and every thing, around him can be destroyed.... At the end of Trump's presidency he very well could walk away from Washington as it symbolically looks like it has been bombed to hell in back; decades of hard work laid waste. In the aftermath, the very next day, Trump will wake up as if it just another day for him. A bit like if the leader of Nazi Germany walked away to retire in Switzerland after WWII living a life luxury as if he nothing unusual had happened.
I tried to find a full version of the interview but everything was 2 or 3 minutes. Hmmm.
TJ Wrote: I tried to find a full version of the interview but everything was 2 or 3 minutes. Hmmm.
You'll have to sit through some commericals, but it is all there.
cbs.com/shows/60_minutes/video/8CwQAQOb...
Thank you but I have watched. I wanted it to be available for anyone who hadn't had the opportunity. Awaiting the final chapters of Mr. Muellers report. Time for this to get resolved.
Last night Mr. McCabe was on the Colbert show. It was interesting and entertaining.
Categories: 60 Minutes, Andrew McCabe & FBI


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Q: sending variable value to Bootstrap modal I'm just learning about bootstrap..I need help from anyone who know how to send variable value to a modal..
to make it even clearer, I have a table with action column. the action column consist of edit and delete button. if the edit button clicked, then a modal with edit form appear ( I put the modal in the same file with the modal trigger button). my question is, how do I send the ID of the following data to the edit form in the modal???
here is the code of edit(update) data:

and here is the modal code:

            <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-hidden="true">×</button>

Form Edit Data User

            <form name="tambah_user" method="POST" action="../controller/edit_user.php">
              <?php echo $id_user;?>

                <input class="form-control" type="text" name="nama_user" placeholder=" nama user">

<input class="form-control" type="text" name="alamat" placeholder=" alamat user">

<input class="form-control" type="text" name="kota" placeholder=" kota">

<input class="form-control" type="text" name="no_telp" placeholder=" nomor telepon user">

<input class="form-control" type="text" name="username" placeholder=" username login user">

<input class="form-control" type="text" name="password" placeholder="password login user">

                Batal
                <input type="submit" name="sumbit" value="Simpan" class="btn btn-primary">

            </form>

I hope there is someone who can explain me the answer.. thanks a lot :-)

A: You can do that with Javascript. Just add a click event listener and update the form, when edit button is clicked. Something like this:
$(document).ready(function () {

    $('.user-edit').click(function () {
        $('span.user-id').text($(this).data('id'));
    });

});

Here is a quick fiddle of how you could go about it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Nestlé S.A. is a Swiss transnational food and drink company headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It has been the largest food company in the world, measured by revenues and other metrics, for 2014, 2015, and 2016. It ranked No. 72 on the Fortune Global 500 in 2014 and No. 33 on the 2016 edition of the Forbes Global 2000 list of largest public companies.
Nestlé's products include baby food, medical food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee and tea, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, frozen food, pet foods, and snacks. Twenty-nine of Nestlé's brands have annual sales of over CHF1 billion, including Nespresso, Nescafé, Kit Kat, Smarties, Nesquik, Stouffer's, Vittel, and Maggi. Nestlé has 447 factories, operates in 194 countries, and employs around 339,000 people. It is one of the main shareholders of L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics company.
Nestlé was formed in 1905 by the merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1866 by brothers George and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlé . The company grew significantly during the First World War and again following the Second World War, expanding its offerings beyond its early condensed milk and infant formula products. The company has made a number of corporate acquisitions, including Crosse & Blackwell in 1950, Findus in 1963, Libby's in 1971, Rowntree Mackintosh in 1988, and Gerber in 2007.
Quick facts about Nestle
1866; 151 years ago (1866) (as Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company) 1867 (1867) (as Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé) 1905 (1905) (as Nestlé and Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company)
Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland (main headquarters) Chaoyang District, Beijing (China headquarters) Glendale, California (U.S. headquarters)
Baby food, coffee, dairy products, breakfast cereals, confectionery, bottled water, ice cream, pet foods (list...)
Peter Brabeck-Letmathe (chairman) Ulf Mark Schneider (CEO) François-Xavier Roger (CFO)
Henri Nestlé, Charles Page, George Page
Net Promoter Score for Top Brands compared with Nestle
Is Nestle's estimated NPS of 14 considered to be good?
The industry average for Consumer Packaged Goods is 0.
Consider an example: If Nestle sends out NPS surveys immediately after purchase, they are tracking their customers' initial excitement and the checkout experience.
Therefore, comparing the NPS score of Nestle with your own without any further context is not that useful.
Other companies with Net Promoter Score similar to Nestle
KFC Consumer Brands / Fast Food 14
Liberty Mutual Insurance / Health and Life Insurance 14
Lidl Consumer Brands / Grocery 14
Netflix Consumer Brands / Entertainment 13
FlexiGroup Financial Services / Banking 15
HBO Consumer Brands / Entertainment 15
PNC Banks Financial Services / Banking 15
AT&T Telecommunications / Cable/TV service 15
MTV Consumer Brands / Entertainment 12
DirecTV Telecommunications / Cable/TV service 12
We have estimated the Net Promoter Score of Nestle based on the publicly available information

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This may sound rude, but I get the strong impression that the 2 of you forget lyrics. Are the two of you aware about this?
Sugaya: About five to six years ago, I'm sure that I forgot lyrics due to nervousness, but that hasn't been the case recently. Actually, I now have so much fun standing on-stage that I don't skip lines, but there are times when I slip up a little (laughs).
Sugaya: In cases when I slip up, the usual pattern is that I'll feel something's off, even though I might not know what it is. It's only once I've finished singing that I'll realise I made a mistake. But since I've already sung that part, I feel like the only thing that I can do is switch it up next time, to show the fans a good performance.
Well, instead of songs, have there ever been times where you couldn't get your dance moves down?
Yajima: Previously, at ℃-ute's fan club bus tour, we had a set-up where we'd draw lots to see what song we would sing on that day. We thought about reviewing all of our songs since we'd have no idea what song would come out, but we had so many songs that I couldn't keep up. So I was the only one who didn't know my positioning on the day itself. Since at concerts, our positioning changes depending on the stage, I end up getting all mixed up.
Sugaya: But the others can remember theirs, right?
Yajima: Yup. So I really think that they're all amazing.
Sugaya: I keep making mistakes until the last moment, but I can pull it off at the real thing.
Yajima: You're the kind of person who's strong when it comes to the real thing. That's nice. I envy you.
Sugaya: Since I can't pull it off at rehearsals, I panic, but I review the performance by watching the DVD before going to bed, and then I end up being able to do it at the real thing.
How about when it comes to remembering lines in a play?
Sugaya: Maimi-chan, you don't forget, do you? Previously, when we were doing the play 'Sengoku Jieitai' together, you made virtually no mistakes. And you got the lines really quickly. It amazed me how you were ready to immediately start practising without the script.
Yajima: In plays, we've got a stage-viewpoint, so I don't make eye contact with the audience like I do at concerts, so I can just concentrate on what's happening on-stage.
Sugaya: Since I've got all the others with me at concerts, I think that there's some part of me that relies on them. But in plays, I'm on my own, and I can't rely on the others since we each have our own roles. When I'm in the middle of a play, I concentrate at a level that surprises even myself, so I don't forget my lines.
Yajima: Risako, you were amazing from way back. We'd just joined the H!P Kids when you appeared in a short drama ('Bishoujo Nikki III Shounan Kawarayane Monogatari'). Though your role had hardly any lines, your acting got conveyed through your facial expressions.
Yajima: I watched at on the TV with my mother at the time, and we talked about how amazing and capable you were, given your age. Even when we performed in a stage-play together recently, it was amazing how you entered the world of the story, so I think that your power of concentration is high when it comes to that.
Risako-chan, do you remember Maimi-chan from when you were in the H!P Kids?
Sugaya: I thought that Maimi-chan was a girl who didn't speak at all.
Sugaya: But when we were together at concerts, I talked with Maimi-chan, and found out that she was actually a gentle girl.
Yajima: Yeah, I don't remember that at all (laughs).
Yajima: Up until the 'Hello! Project Kids Audition', I'd never used makeup, and even when I applied for the auditions, I was a really unrefined kid. When I first got to the auditions, I thought I wouldn't pass since there were so many fashionable Tokyo girls. And in the midst of that, there was Risako, who was a cute as a doll. I was startled, I didn't know that such a cute girl existed in this world.
Yajima: Full power... I have no idea. I feel like I go through the rehearsals normally without thinking about it, but I'm often told that I'm running at full power.
[10 years in the future], how will the two of you be like?
Yajima: I think that Risako will be an actress. Maybe it's because I can imagine her as one... I think that even now, she's already an actress.
Yajima: I feel like you could just turn up in a drama or a movie, and since you've got a beautiful face as well, I feel like you definitely could do it.
Sugaya: Maimi-chan, in 10 years time, how would you like to be like?
Yajima: Let me see. I think that I'd like to sing as I do enjoy singing, but I don't think I'll be able to move for it. We won't be able to dance as we do now, right?
Sugaya: For me, I'd really like Maimi-chan to be an actress. You're really good at acting, and you're cool in fight scenes as well, so I think it would be great if you could act together with truly leading figures, and be seen more by the general public. You're really good, so there'll definitely be people who like the actress Yajima Maimi even if they don't know about the idol Yajima Maimi.
Yajima: But Risako, I'm truly awed at moments when you enter into your role. It feels like my eyes get drawn to you.
Maybe there'll come a time when the actress Yajima Maimi and the actress Sugaya Risako star together in a movie.
Sugaya: That would be amazing.
Yajima: When that happens, we'll keep the fact that we used to easily forget lyrics a secret (laughs).


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Q: List filters are not sticky, and have no effect on the next pages I was on Stack Overflow, browsing the questions to find one or two to answer, and I noticed there is a filter option of "Unanswered Questions"
It appears to filter questions by unanswered, but when I click on the next page it resets to the by votes filter, and the list is not filtered to unanswered questions.
I was using Google Chrome on Android, on an ZTE Axon M.

A: I was able to reproduce using the mobile site design.
Using Chrome 84.0.4147.89 on Android 10 using Huawei P10-Pro
Using the full site does not reproduce this issue. To switch to using full-site scroll to the bottom of the page and select "full site" in the footer.


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package hudson.diagnosis;

import hudson.Extension;
import hudson.model.PeriodicWork;
import java.util.logging.Logger;
import jenkins.model.Jenkins;
import org.jenkinsci.Symbol;

/**
 * Periodically checks the disk usage of <tt>JENKINS_HOME</tt>,
 * and activate {@link HudsonHomeDiskUsageMonitor} if necessary.
 *
 * @author Kohsuke Kawaguchi
 */
@Extension @Symbol("diskUsageCheck")
public class HudsonHomeDiskUsageChecker extends PeriodicWork {
    @Override
    public long getRecurrencePeriod() {
        return HOUR;
    }

    @Override
    protected void doRun() {
            long free = Jenkins.get().getRootDir().getUsableSpace();
            long total = Jenkins.get().getRootDir().getTotalSpace();
            if(free<=0 || total<=0) {
                // information unavailable. pointless to try.
                LOGGER.info("JENKINS_HOME disk usage information isn't available. aborting to monitor");
                cancel();
                return;
            }

            LOGGER.fine("Monitoring disk usage of JENKINS_HOME. total="+total+" free="+free);

            // if it's more than 90% full and less than the minimum, activate
            // it's AND and not OR so that small Hudson home won't get a warning,
            // and similarly, if you have a 1TB disk, you don't get a warning when you still have 100GB to go.
            HudsonHomeDiskUsageMonitor.get().activated = (total/free>10 && free< FREE_SPACE_THRESHOLD);
    }

    private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(HudsonHomeDiskUsageChecker.class.getName());

    /**
     * Gets the minimum amount of space to check for, with a default of 10GB
     */
    public static long FREE_SPACE_THRESHOLD = Long.getLong(
            HudsonHomeDiskUsageChecker.class.getName() + ".freeSpaceThreshold",
            1024L*1024*1024*10);

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The title of the show gives nothing away but this is essentially about a group of infatuated teenagers in America when Beatlemania strikes and the antics of the girls trying to meet them and one of the boys wanting to play with them.
The original music is really good and catchy and fits in well to the era although a lot of the lyrics and also dialogue was lost due to the lack of mics. Ensemble singing was very good but the music was just too loud for some of the solo items.
Some simple but appropriate choreography helped to make this a fun but ultimately frivolous show.


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Tag Archives: annette bening
"I have nothing to prove to you." Captain Marvel
[Image Source: Wikipedia]
Marvel Studios' latest offering Captain Marvel is a welcome addition to the cinematic superhero pantheon. The film is more quietly groundbreaking than, say, Wonder Woman or Black Panther because Oscar winner Brie Larson's Carol Danvers simply belongs at the table, without apology or explanation. Perhaps we've turned a corner … at least where these movies are concerned. Now, if only the rest of the world would follow suit.
And if only Captain Marvel had been a bit more interesting.
As a film, Captain Marvel is entertaining and pleasant and altogether unremarkable. It feels like an extended episode of ABC's Agents of SHIELD, replete with a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson as Agent Nick Fury and a similarly CGI'd Clark Gregg as Fury's sidekick Phil Coulson. The film takes place waaaay back in 1995 (when did that year become retro? it still feels like yesterday), hence the Industrial Light and Magic cinematic plastic surgery on Jackson and Gregg. The effect isn't as creepy as it once was (see: Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in X-Men: The Last Stand …. ayiiiii!), although both of Jackson's and Gregg's faces do look a bit like shiny ice rinks, and Gregg resembles a dour Gene Kelly now more than ever.
Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck cram in a handful of too-cute-by-half visual references to icons of the era, like Blockbuster Video stores, pay phones, and NIN (Nine Inch Nails) tee-shirts. There's Goose, an adorable cat who is actually an alien in disguise and who easily could have been a running joke in Men In Black. And the soundtrack is loaded with hits from the flannel and grunge era – Garbage! Hole! Elastica! Des'ree! TLC! Ya gotta be … chasin' waterfaaaaallls.
Unlike Bumblebee, which invoked a bygone era to add color and context, Captain Marvel's filmmakers treat the setting as both novelty and afterthought. The 90s environs just feel kinda "meh." Taking viewers back nearly 25 years seems designed chiefly as a means of allowing Marvel to retcon their universe and to correct one of their rare tone-deaf choices: that is, not featuring a strong woman lead until 21 (!) films into their Marvel Studios' storied run.
All of that said, Captain Marvel does succeed in introducing a smart and interesting hero into the Marvel Universe. On this International Women's Day weekend, it's also canny marketing. As Larson's Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel states plainly to her honey-colored alpha male mentor / anti-hero Yon-Rogg (an effectively smarmy/charming Jude Law), "I have nothing to prove to you" (right before blasting him into the side of a mountain in their climactic battle).
The supporting cast is populated with a galaxy of solid character players from Annette Bening as Danvers' former (and current) boss (it makes sense when you see the flick) to Ben Mendelsohn as a disarmingly funny frog-like alien (with an inexplicable Australian accent) to Lashana Lynch as Carol's long-suffering bestie.
Captain Marvel is fun and forgettable, and it's greatest legacy may be that it delivers its ass-kicking star with a shrug … like, why is this a big deal in 2019 to have a blockbuster comic book movie with a woman in the leading role?
"No need to whine, boy./Like a wind up toy, you stutter at my feet." – Elastica, "Stutter."
Posted By: Roy Sexton (Reel Roy Reviews)	Category: Action, Comic Books, Disney, Sci Fi	Tags: agents of SHIELD, anna boden, annette bening, ben mendelsohn, black panther, blockbuster video, bumblebee, captain marvel, clark gregg, des'ree, elastica, garbage, gene kelly, goose, hole, I have nothing to prove to you, ian mckellen, International Women's Day, jude law, lashana lynch, marvel, marvel studios, men in black, nick fury, nine inch nails, patrick stewart, ryan fleck, samuel l jackson, stutter, tlc, waterfalls, wonder woman, x-men last stand, ya gotta be, yon-rogg
"You get to see him out in the world as a person. I never will." 20th Century Women
[Image Source: Wikpedia]
"Having your heart broken is a tremendous way to learn about the world." – Dorothea (Annette Bening)
Given the historic events of this weekend, notably the (International) Women's March, seeing the acclaimed new semi-autobiographical film by director Mike Mills (Beginners) seemed like an inspired, appropriate, and perhaps too-on-the-nose choice, so view it we did.
The film is really good – not so sure it's great – but, with its marvelous cast, humane and conscientiously inclusive perspective, and immersive approach that impressively turns back the viewer's clock to 1979, 20th Century Women is worth your attention.
Inspired by his gratitude for his own mother and sisters, Mills, who calls the film a "love letter to the women who raised him," paints a fictionalized portrait of his own unconventional upbringing that is warm and nostalgic, critical and illusory.
Imagine Norman Rockwell spending his formative years in counter-cultural Haight-Ashbury.
In Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea (a remarkable and raw Annette Bening), abandoned by her husband, is raising son Jamie (newcomer Lucas Jade Zumann showing nary a sign of "child star" schmaltz) in a ramshackle Victorian with as much character and in as much disrepair as its inhabitants. Perhaps to make ends meet or, more likely, in an Auntie Mame-like gesture of keeping life as one never-ending banquet, Dorothea has rented rooms to a cast of characters, including potter and auto mechanic (?) William (Billy Crudup in all his shaggy, boho charm) and photographer and Talking Heads-aficionado Abbie (a luminous and heartbreaking Greta Gerwig). Rounding out this band of lovable misfits, Elle Fanning (Maleficent) plays Julie, Jamie's childhood friend whose acts of teen rebellion are lifted straight from a "Me Decade" ABC Afterschool Special; yet, in Fanning's capable hands, Julie's defiance is hauntingly and, at times, comically authentic.
(NOTE: Crudup and Gerwig are on a roll, recently turning in nuanced performances as Theodore H. White and Nancy Tuckerman, respectively, in the exceptional Jackie.)
Films in 20th Century Women's milieu – the quirky, uber-liberal, "hippie Addams Family" residing in a sprawling but dilapidated homestead, arguing unrealistically about existential philosophy, and experimenting with alternative realities – too often devolve into the kind of twee "coming-of-age" self-indulgence that makes my skin crawl. Yes, Grand Budapest Hotel–director Wes Anderson, I'm looking at you. Blessedly, 20th Century Women is no Royal Tennenbaums.
Mills contextualizes his film with chronology-bending narrative (the voice-overs that relate characters' backstories and future activities are a clever and sobering touch), rich period details (including iconic photography, music, decor, and video of the era – the characters' varied reactions to Jimmy Carter's "crisis of confidence speech" are particularly telling), and evocative time-lapse cinematography (including an overt reference to landmark-documentary-of-the-era Koyaanisqatsi with its still-stinging indictment of the ephemeral foolishness of mankind). If you survived the 70s, this film will speak to you on many levels.
As for the film's feminism, it is as sly an overview as I've ever seen on film – as elusive and confounding as the topic can be in a United States of America that glorifies our free-will and independence while simultaneously fearing our free-will and independence. Mills' script, aided and abetted by delicate performances all around, deftly weaves in and out of the core principle that "feminism is the radical notion that women are people."
Bening's Dorothea (born in 1924) is regularly labeled throughout the film has having "come from the Depression," she herself embracing that tag, obsessed with big band music and carefully tracking her stocks in the newspaper every day. Yet, she is also attracted to the infinite possibility of this messy new world before her, approaching its ugly rock-n-roll and libertine mores with alternating fascination and revulsion. The tension Dorothea suffers as a free-agent wanting to explore this evolving society versus her role as a parent fearing its potential dark repercussions is palpable. Regarding her son, Dorothea laments to Abbie at one point, "You get to see him out in the world as a person. I never will."
When Abbie introduces Dorothea's son Jamie to the books Sisterhood is Powerful by Robin Morgan and Our Bodies, Ourselves by Judy Norsigian, he chooses to read a particular passage to his mother, one that highlights the marginalization and invisibility unfairly cast upon an individual due to age and gender. It is a tender moment wherein he is using another's text to evoke understanding. Dorothea's visceral response is even more revealing when she dismisses the gesture outright, indicating that her very personal experience on this planet cannot be reduced or codified into a few well-meaning "modern" paragraphs. Bening is understated yet devastating in this scene, a quiet storm moment exemplifying beautifully the delicate balancing act in 20th Century Women: reclaiming the voice of the individual … which is as feminist an act as one can imagine.
"She smokes Salems because they're healthy." – Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann)
Posted By: Roy Sexton (Reel Roy Reviews)	Category: (Dark) Slice-of-Life, Americana, Comedy, Must See	Tags: 1970s, 20th century women, 20th century women review, abbie, abc afterschool special, addams family, annette bening, auntie mame, beginners, betty friedan, billy crudup, crisis of confidence, depression, dorothea, elle fanning, feminism, feminist, grand budapest hotel, greta gerwig, Having your heart broken is a tremendous way to learn about the world, jackie, jamie, jimmy carter, judy norsigian, julie, kate millett, koyaanisqatsi, lucas jade zumann, maleficent, me decade, mike mills, Nancy Tuckerman, our bodies ourselves, reel roy reviews, roy sexton, royal tennenbaums, salems, sexual politics, she smokes salems because theyre healty, talking heads, the feminine mystique, Theodore H. White, wes anderson, women's march, you get to see him out in the world as a person


New York Red Bulls keen for a win to stay inside the play-off spot when they host Orlando City at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday evening.
The four match winning streak of the Red Bulls is now history as they had gone without a win in the next four. The 2-0 defeat to city rivals New York FC two weeks ago is now followed by a 0-0 stalemate at home against Portland Timbers in their last round fixture. They have also failed to find the back of the net in the last two consecutive games and are at the risk of falling out of the play-off spot.
If there is any positive in New York Red Bulls MLS campaign this season is their recent home record. They are unbeaten in the last six with 5 wins and a draw in the latest fixture. Also they had kept clean sheets in the last five.
Red Bulls are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference table with 24 points from 19 matches, but they are just 3 points ahead of the 8th placed Orlando City. But the likes of Orlando City, Toronto and DC United all have played fewer games than the Red Bulls, which make this a must game for either teams involved in Wednesday's fixture.
Orlando City are also not in great form after managing just 1 win from their last 6 league games. They had drawn 4 games during the period and lost once. However, they managed just 4 from 17 matches so far this season, drawing majority of their games. They come into Wednesday's game without a win in the last 6 away games this season.
These sides had already met twice this season, with Red Bulls winning the first clash at home on April 3-2 and drawing the fixture back in Orlando 1-1 on May 2016.
New York Red Bulls lead the head-to-head stats between the sides with 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat from 5 meetings against Orlando in MLS so far.
Orlando were 5-2 winners in their first visit to the Red Bull Arena on July 2015 and lost in the second visit, which was on April of this season.
New York Red Bulls will be desperate to end their win-less run and would be keen to take advantage of their strong form at home. They haven't conceded in the last five at home and with the quality of players in their attacking front, they will go into this game as clear favourites.
Orlando City SC have conceded 15 goals from their last 5 away games this season, consistently 2 or more in every game during the period. Considering this poor defensive record, it will be wise to back Red Bulls to score at least 2 goals in this fixture.


You have probably heard that high-fibre foods are essential components of a healthy diet, but did you know that eating foods high in fibre can also help you to lose weight? Fibre-rich meals will make you feel full much quicker than low-fibre meals, which will prevent you from overeating. This sense of fullness is lasting and, therefore, is a great way to avoid the temptation of snacking on high-calorie foods that lead to weight gain.
Another significant benefit of many high-fibre foods is that they are low in calories while, at the same time, are high in volume. In addition, fibre assists in moving food through your intestinal tract leaving fewer calories behind. This results in less fat storage.
Include a mix of soluble and insoluble fibre in your diet for more effective weight management. Soluble fibre—fibre that dissolves in water—can be found in vegetables such as peas, broccoli, and beans; fruit, such as apples and apricots; oatmeal and oat bran. Soluble fibres assist in healthy digestion and in promoting regular bowel movements.
Insoluble fibre— fibre that does not dissolve in water—can be found in vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and beets; the skin of fruit such as apples; wheat cereals and wheat bran. Insoluble fibre assists in removing fats, cholesterol and sugar from the body.
When adding fibre to your diet, it is also important to increase your consumption of water. Fibre depends on water in order to move it through your digestive tract. Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day will increase the effectiveness of fibre consumption for weight management.
If you have questions about adopting a high-fibre diet to effectively manage your weight contact your local doctor, who will arrange for you to see a dietitian and nutritionist.


text:
Q: Drawing text using PdfTextArray in iTextSharp - how? I am drawing text in a PDF page using iTextSharp, and I have two requirements:
1) the text needs to be searchable by Adobe Reader and such
2) I need character-level control over where the text is drawn.
I can draw the text word-by-word using PdfContentByte.ShowText(), but I don't have control over where each character is drawn.
I can draw the text character-by-character using PdfContentByte.ShowText() but then it isn't searchable.
I'm now trying to create a PdfTextArray, which would seem to satisfy both of my requirements, but I'm having trouble calculating the correct offsets.
So my first question is: do you agree that PdfTextArray is what I need to do, in order to satisfy both of my original requirements?
If so, I have the PdfTextArray working correctly (in that it's outputting text) but I can't figure out how to accurately calculate the positioning offset that needs to get put between each pair of characters (right now I'm just using the fixed value -200 just to prove that the function works).
I believe the positioning offset is the distance from the right edge of the previous character to the left edge of the new character, expressed in "thousandths of a unit of text space".  That leaves me two problems:
1) How wide is the previous character (in points), as drawn in the specified font & height?  (I know where its left edge is, since I drew it there)
2) How do I convert from points to "units of text space"?
I'm not doing any fancy scaling or rotating, so my transformation matrices should all be identity matrices, which should simplify the calculations ...
Thanks,
Chris


text:
"To be a real challenge, the outcome had to be uncertain."
-Jan Heine
I knew this would be a tough one. The National 24-Hour Challenge is a race with pedigree. It's been held in Middleville, Michigan on the same weekend every year since 1983, and in that time, it's attracted a who's who of ultracyclists. Over the years, the race has grown to more than 300 racers, which is enormous for a 24-hour cycling event. By way of comparison, Bike Sebring was less than half the size, and that field was dominated by 12-hour and 6-hour racers. In N24HC, everyone was signed up for the whole caboodle.
In a field that size, it's inevitable that some talented riders toe the line, and this year was no exception. I knew that Collin Johnson, the 2x defending high-mileage rider, would be back again; he'd racked up 470+ miles at least once in this event and had set numerous ultracycling course records over the last few years. I also knew that Scott Luikart would be back; he'd won N24HC in 2011 with 472 miles, and also had won the 24-hour division of the 6-12-24 Hour Time Trial Championships last fall. Even random people I met before the ride seemed inordinately athletic. One guy was unpacking a couple of top-end BMC race bikes in front of my hotel; he said he was a triathlete who didn't expect great things, but his Kona shirt suggested otherwise, and a quick Google search confirmed that he'd ripped off 9:20 Ironman races several times in recent years. That kind of athletic ability and drive didn't suggest he'd go quietly into the night. And who knew who else might show up? It looked to be a rough neighborhood.
Finally, N24HC presented what was, for me, a novel challenge: a draft-legal race. Sure, I'd ridden plenty in pacelines and pelotons over the years, but not once had I done so in a competitive situation. Draft-legal bike races involve a host of tactics that never come into play in a triathlon: when to take it easy, when to make a break, where to position oneself in the group, when to chase breakaways, and so forth. I'd be making all of that up as I went along.
The good news was that, for the first time in years, I was heading into the race feeling like I'd prepared consistently and properly. Since I cranked things up in December after my fall layoff, I'd trained with intensity and dedication: 5-6 days a week of quality bike work, including, most weeks, 4 days of interval work on the trainer. I'd also put in the long rides: after racing 24 Hours of Sebring in February, I'd completed 200k, 300k, 400k, and 600k brevets with the D.C. Randonneurs, the last of which I rode straight through at an aggressive pace. I felt as strong on the bike as I'd ever been, so I arrived at N24HC determined to push myself to see what I could do. I'd been ecstatic with a 441-mile day at Sebring, my first 24-hour TT and a non-drafting event. N24HC was somewhat hillier and warmer, but I hoped that with more miles under my belt I could clear the 450-mile threshold and maybe surprise some of the pre-race favorites, who doubtless would be watching each other more than me. (Which is their loss, really, because I have nice legs.)
Given that the 24-hour racing thing is still very new to me, my only resolve is never to repeat a mistake if I can help it. To that end, after Sebring, I resolved several things.
Plan to be cold during the night, no matter the forecast; when you're exhausted, your body doesn't act like it should. This time, I brought my Assos thermal vest and arm warmers despite the fact that temps were supposed to remain in the mid-50s.
Get the saddle right. I love my Cobb saddle for anything up to Ironman distance, but at Sebring, I could barely sit down for the last six hours. Solution: put a Selle Anatomica Titanico X on my tri bike, just like on my randonneuring rig. These saddles are all over the place on the ultracycling circuit, and at this point it's unclear to me why anyone ever rides anything else. They're rapidly taking over my bike stable.
Don't go so hard that I can't eat real food. It happened at Sebring because I had brake rub issues without realizing it, and my stomach never quite recovered.
Plan to want a lot of salty food. Arrange to have hot soup for later in the day.
Embrace the fact that there is no such thing as too much, or too many different kinds, of chamois cream.
Middleville Michigan is a quaint midwestern town in the middle of nowhere, but with a lot of greenery -- just the place to hold an event where cyclists ride all night. My trusty crew and I made our camp at the Holiday Inn Express, where there were exactly two kinds of customers that weekend: (1) ultracyclists, and (2) people who drove these things:
It's a Franklin! (So I was told)
Gorgeous cars.
Redefining classic.
If Tri Team Z had a Franklin, this would be it.
See how the rear-view mirrors are mounted?
Yep, they're strapped to the spare tires.
Never pass up an opportunity to mug for the camera in neon shoes.
Then there was this guy, who went with 2 $10k BMC race bikes. He's probably slow.
We trekked over to the middle school where the race would be hosted the next morning, and the scene was like a Woodstock of ultracyclists pitching up tents all over the place.
A beautiful evening in Michigan.
After getting checked in, we huddled at Applebee's to discuss tactics. My straightforward request to "give me what I need before I know I need it" was met with bemusement; it's a wonder that they didn't hand me a therapist's phone number at any point during the race.
On race morning, as is often the case before big competitions, I was sufficiently nervous that I had trouble eating much. There was a time in my early triathlon days where I'd literally dry heave before every event. Things aren't quite that bad anymore, but the fact is that 24-hour races are flat-out intimidating endeavors. In Sebring, the only one I'd done to date, I wound up shivering all night in the damp 40-degree Florida air, as I was too exhausted to generate any body heat; I desperately hoped not to face another round of that misery. But, even on the best of days, the time and distances involved are too large to wrap my head around. I do my best to think of it as just another long ride, but my subconscious knows otherwise, and it seemed to be spending the morning spinning furiously while I stared into space.
We took some team photos for prosperity and/or for Missing Persons posters that may be need later in the day.
The team: Bill, Our Lady of Suffering, Amy, and Joyce.
Barry Benson, a fellow DC Randonneur, had graciously invited my crew to spend the day under his canopy, which would prove to be invaluable.
Barry Benson in hi-viz jersey.
Dad and Amy, feeling less nervous than I did.
And then it was time to go. I sauntered up to the line and began giving people the evil eye, until I realized there was something different about them. Something brighter. Something... that would enable the race officials to tell who the heck they were as they made progress throughout the day. Helmet stickers! Dammit, I had no idea where I'd put my bag, and the race was about to start. Somehow, though, Amy was standing right there with precisely the packet I needed. The first sign of a good crew member!
I actually don't mind when people label me. Note the rider trying not to laugh.
The starting line was a nervous but friendly (and Fredly) scene; I was the only guy I saw with a disc wheel, and the less said about my mirrored visor, the better. There were several teams of athletic-looking roadies. I knew Collin, last year's champ, was sporting number 2 (number 1 was last year's top female), and I was surprised to see him wearing a Camelbak. I later found that he preferred to ride long first loop (125 miles) self-supported, so that his crew could have a leisurely morning. Apparently he's a nicer person than I am, or maybe just less terrified of the whole thing.
Freds looking nonchalant.
"Hey, I can see my knee socks in your visor!"
"When I say 'go,' head that way until tomorrow morning."
Loop 1 ("We can have lots of fun")
From reading race reports from years past, I knew the front pack would set off quickly, but that there would likely be a break before long in which the eventual winners would ride off the front. My strategy was just to stay in touch with those guys; in Sebring, due to mechanical issues, I'd lost 5 miles in the first hour and had never seen the front of the race again.
The first loop was a 124-miler (200k) through rural Michigan. It could fairly be described as lightly rolling hills; nothing too much to worry about climbing-wise, but enough change of pace that it didn't turn into a grind. Crews could meet their riders at the three designated checkpoints along the way, where our bibs also would be punched to mark our progress.
The opening miles, through the town of Middletown, were a lovely, crisp spin in a peloton of 30-40 riders. I hung out near the front taking pulls when it was my turn, and otherwise just tried to relax. I found to my pleasant surprise that my longtime riding buddy Max had latched onto the front group; he'd had knee surgery this spring and wasn't expecting great things on the day, but I was happy to see that he was pushing the pedals from the get-go.
Through the first 20 miles, things went smoothly, if quickly; we were averaging more than 22 mph, which can be a little bit hairy in a large group of riders who don't know the course. That challenge suddenly became apparent when I was sitting second wheel as we bombed down a country road. Suddenly, the lead rider shouted "right turn!" and dove into it; apparently he'd seen the yellow arrows on the ground very late. I thought for a split second about trying to decelerate in time to make the turn, but I realized that I'd very likely cause a massive pile-up by doing so. With a groan I rolled past the turn as every rider behind me had time to make it, and turned around to climb back up the hill to get back on course. By the time I got going the right way again, the peloton was a good 100 yards in the distance and moving fast, which forced me to take off after them at full speed in order to avoid getting left behind. I caught back up after a mile or two, having worked quite a bit harder than I wanted to, but as I made my way back up toward the front, one guy thanked me for not prompting carbon carnage by trying to make the turn. I'm a regular humanitarian, I am.
The peloton rolling into the first aid station.
Lookin' purdy.
The peloton rolled with startling speed through the first aid station at mile 34; I got my bib punched and paused only long enough to exchange bottles with the crew, but already the front riders were 1/4 mile down the road when I pulled out. Desperate to avoid getting dropped, I surged back to the front, but it wasn't necessary; soon enough, the peloton was back up to its previous size of 30-40 riders.
This wasn't how I'd imagined things going. In prior years, the front few riders had broken away early, but this year, there was a huge pack just sticking around. In some ways it was helpful, because the large group made it easier to make good time. In other ways, though, it was annoying as hell. I'd estimate that, of the 40-odd riders in the group, only five had any interest in pulling. I'd take a turn at the front for a mile or so, flick the next rider through, and he and several behind him would immediately pull off and drift to the back as well. To their credit, Collin and Scott, the two pre-race favorites, were among those willing to put in some work. But it was increasingly galling that self-evidently strong riders would glom onto our wheels without making any effort to do their part. Eventually I got sick of sacrificing myself without reciprocation, so I planted myself toward the back of the pack and drifted along in the slipstream, trying to figure out how to make something happen in the race.
Checkpoint 2: Preparing for takeoff.
My chance came at the second checkpoint, around mile 70, and I made my move. Just before that point, Scott and Collin had dropped off the pace for a bio break, and I rolled through the checkpoint in first place. I quickly grabbed two new bottles from my crew, then sprinted back out onto the course, blowing by a couple of riders who were waiting for the peloton to regroup. I then TT'd the next five miles all-out, looking back to confirm that no one was following me. It looked like I'd gotten away, and I had the pace car all to myself. Liberty!!!
In some ways, I think this move defined my race. I reasoned that one of my only advantages over Scott and Collin was that neither of them knew anything about me, and neither of them likely thought I'd be around very long. Based on that anonymity, I hoped that they'd continue to roll along with the peloton, and that maybe they wouldn't notice anyone had broken away until I'd built up a lead of several miles. I figured that, if I could build up enough of a lead, it might wind up sticking; I was confident in my ability to ride solo at a good pace all day and night, and these ultra races are largely mental. I wanted to give Scott and Collin every opportunity to write the day off, or to start mentally racing for second place.
For a long while, things went great; I was flying down rolling country roads speckled with sunshine streaming through the canopy of leaves, unencumbered by wheel-suckers, and feeding off the endorphin rush of putting power to the pedals and feeling like I had bottomless strength. I stole glimpses behind me on occasion, but by all appearances, I'd snuck away. Best of all, the pace car was saving me the trouble of navigating through the unfamiliar terrain, and the driver was motivating me with thumbs-ups every now and then. My average speed had crept up from 22.8 at the start of my breakaway to over 23 mph.
I tore into checkpoint 3 at mile 96 with no one in sight behind me, got my number punched, and looked around for my crew. Hmm -- not good. They were always right at the front waiting for me, but not this time. I really needed new bottles, but things were what they were, so I began to accelerate back out onto the main road. Just as I did, I glimpsed them in an adjoining parking lot carrying the cooler toward the checkpoint; apparently I'd beaten them there! I was flattered, but also slightly panicked that I'd be chased down, so I quickly grabbed some supplies, and when my mom asked (incredulously) if I was in the lead, I merely pointed toward the checkpoint entrance, where a stream of riders was then barreling in. (Oy vey.) But I wasn't going to make it easy for them. I ripped back out onto the course and set sail for the end of the first loop.
Century split: 4 hours and 20 minutes (23 mph) (PR).
Ironman split: 4 hours and 51 minutes (23.1 mph) (PR)
The final 28 miles were a blur of effort and emotional swings. Sometimes it would look like I'd gotten away from the chasers; other times, on long straightaways, I could swear I saw a speck in the distance that could only mean bad news. I looked for motivation wherever I could, and found it in the idea that I was having to fight off a chase group could work together to run me down. Indignation is a powerful thing.
First one back! Feelin' both punchy and punched, in more ways than one.
I pulled into the final checkpoint at the end of the daytime loop -- mile 124 -- by myself, and prepared to start the 24-mile short loops that I'd traverse until dark. Unfortunately, as I was about to get my number punched, I looked back and there, just behind me, were Collin and Scott, the very people I'd hoped wouldn't track my breakaway. So busted.
200k (125-mile) split: 5 hours and 25 minutes (23 mph) (PR)
This wasn't good. I'd worked tremendously hard over the last 50 miles of solo riding, and all I'd really managed to achieve was parity with the pre-race favorites, who'd been matching my pace but doing so by trading off pulls. So much for my clever move.
Has anyone seen my matches?
I was in a hole and there was a long day ahead. As we refueled, I proposed that the three of us work together for awhile instead of beating each other up, and they quickly agreed. We set off on the 24-mile loops with no one else in sight.
Loop 2 ("There's so much we can do!")
The second loop was a 24-miler that we'd ride until 8:00 pm, halfway through the race. In my head I'd imagined that, with three of us working together and well out of sight of the rest of the field, things would be a little calmer. I was both right and wrong. I was right in the sense that the three of us worked very well together, taking honest 2-mile pulls, no one shirking his duties, and we made very good progress. I was wrong in the sense that, holy crap, Scott and Collin ride like locomotives. On certain hills it was everything I could do not to get blown off the back of the train. We stormed through the first loop of rolling hills just under 23 mph.
Game face on! Behind me, Collin Johnson.
When heading out on the second short loop, Scott and I agreed that we were riding a little hot; we didn't want to go so hard during the daytime that the (12 hours, dear God, of) nighttime riding would only involve drifting down the road. So, we set out to be more cautious, and finished the second 24-mile loop at the same damn ridiculous speed we'd ridden the first one. Oh well.
Amy, probably telling me to get my shit together.
And so it continued. At the end of each lap I'd be virtually certain I'd wind up in a ditch if we didn't back of the pace, but it never died down much.
Pulling the train. With Collin Johnson and Scott Luikart.
Clinging on for dear life. With Collin Johnson and Scott Luikart.
300k (188-mile) split: 8 hours and 15 minutes (22.8 mph) (PR)
200 mile split: 8 hours and 48 minutes (22.7 mph) (PR)
400k (250-mile) split: 11 hours (22.7 mph) (PR)
Altogether more reasonable than how we were spending the day.
By the time the daytime loops closed on us around 7:50 pm, our speed had fallen only 1/2 mph, down to 22.4 mph, and we'd covered a ridiculous 268 miles. To put that in perspective, at Sebring 24-Hour in February, I'd covered 245 miles in that time. In fact, at the Saratoga 12-hour TT in 2012, I broke the existing course record with 256 miles -- 12 fewer -- and that race ended after 12 hours. This one was just getting started.
Finishing the daytime loops with Collin (L), Scott (far R), and a mystery man.
Unfortunately, I started falling apart in rather disastrous fashion on the final 24-mile loop. My new leather saddle had stretched so much that I was riding almost an inch lower than I should have been, which prevented me from recruiting leg muscles properly. I had the wrench to re-tension it, but I couldn't use it without getting dropped, which would have been game over. And, due to what I later realized was my grabbing a wrong bottle from the crew, I was incredibly nauseated and dehydrated, to the point where I felt like I was wobbling down the road. Note: I know now what happens when I accidentally drink 1,000 calories of sludge in an hour instead of water, and I have no desire to repeat it.
The three of us agreed to take a bit longer at the checkpoint before setting out on the nighttime loops; we needed to get our bikes set up for the night. This brief rest was pretty much my only hope of staying with them, but almost as soon as I got the tool to fix my saddle, they were shooting off back down the road. I guess we'd had different ideas of what "a bit longer" meant, but in truth I was relieved to see the back of them. I'd ridden harder in 12 hours than I thought possible, and I knew there there was no way I could keep up any longer. Their taking off was doing me a favor, because I took a few needed minutes to down a couple of bottles of water, re-apply chamois cream, drink some hot soup chased with Red Bull, and eat as many Fritos as I could stomach. Living the dream!
Dad and Amy preparing my nighttime spread.
Amy, ready to go with my nighttime gear. Perfect! What a crew.
Actually, no dream. I desperately wanted to call it a day and go back to the hotel, crawl into a warm bed, and watch World Cup games. I was a total wreck; I reflected that my 50-mile breakaway stunt had been a serious mistake, and I was sorely tempted to say, "Hey, I rode 268 miles in 12 hours -- my day is done." I knew intellectually that a very dark moment would come sometime during the race, but knowing that fact doesn't really help you cope with it when it happens. It's always possible to rationalize that, "Well, I knew it would be tough, but I couldn't have anticipated going this hard or this fast, so my previous resolve to keep going wasn't really very informed." But there I was, in rural Michigan, with parents and a gf who'd traveled across the country to stand on the side of the road for me for 24 hours; I couldn't imagine the thought of telling them that I was quitting after 12 hours just because a bike race that lasts all day and night was tougher than I'd anticipated.
And so, with a distinct feeling that nothing good would come of this, I decided to roll the bike around the 7.3-mile short loops a couple of times to see whether I could salvage anything out of this pacing debacle. The last thing I wanted to do was be on my bike shivering at 16 mph all night, which is what had happened at Sebring.
Loop 3 ("It's just you and me!")
The 7.6-mile nighttime loop is basically a flat drag-race around a rectangular course. There's one lovely, cruising downhill and chippy uphill on each loop, which actually is great in terms of providing some variety. Otherwise, with quiet roads, good pavement, and no navigational requirements, it's just about perfect for nighttime cruising.
One challenge that I recognized from Sebring is that, when you see your crew every 7 miles, it's very easy to stop and chat with friendly faces often, and that's deadly to a fast pace. The beginning of each loop is a small battle of will with one's self to roll out into the night once again, away from the friendly embrace of loved ones and hot soup. But, as much as seeing my crew frequently represented a challenge, in a greater sense it was the main thing that kept me going. When you're on your bike for an unreasonably long time, the only way to stay sane is to find things to look forward to in the near term, be it a swooping section of road, a downhill where you can relax, or an amusing mailbox shaped like a manatee. For me, the biggest of these things is that I looked forward to seeing Amy and my parents; each completed lap met with their cheers and constituted a small victory.
In the first several of overnight loops, from 8:00 until sundown around 9:30, I was content merely to make steady progress around the course, and to try to rejuvenate myself with the savory delights my crew handed me.
Some people bring knives to a gunfight. I bring Pringles.
The best of these unexpected treats was an entire Pringles can full of crumbled Pringles and Fritos. It fit wonderfully into my downtube bottle cage, and it was more delicious than I can convey with words. That's definitely a trick I'll repeat in future events. The bottles of hot chicken broth also were divine.
The Michigan sun sets on N24HC. But the fun starts after dark!
Red sky at night, a cyclist's delight.
Around 9:30, as the sun was setting, I was getting a little drowsy. Riding with a headlight can have a mesmerizing effect, and after a long day in the sun, I was having trouble focusing. Two things brought me around: a quick rest stop in which I had a bottle of Coke *and* a Red Bull, and firing up my new toy for this event, a Scosche Boombottle.
The Boombottle. Badabing, baby!
N24HC had a "no headphones" rule, which was sensible in light of the pack riding. (Although some riders ignored this rule and used headphones and radios to communicate with their crews throughout the event.) For me, though, music is pretty key for getting into a flow state on extremely long rides, and I don't think I'm the only one; the top RAAM guys almost uniformly have massive speaker system strapped to their follow vehicles. Jure Robic, the great RAAM champion, was known to blast Slovenian military marches for days on end. (Oh, his poor crew.)
So, I went with a non-headphone music solution -- the Boombottle -- which I pre-cleared with the race organizers. It's pretty cool, a bluetooth speaker that fits into a bottle cage. Its volume isn't massive, and it can be hard to hear when you're riding fast if it's not near your head, but putting it in my "between the aerobars" cage was perfect. It more than exceeded its 10 hours of predicted battery life. I'd just hit the pause button whenever I was riding near anyone for more than a moment. Otherwise, I got some whoops from people I passed at 3:00 a.m. while channeling Bon Jovi. And hey, if nothing else, it let people know I was coming.
Amazingly, only an hour or two after I'd been at my lowest point and considering whether to continue the race, I found myself at my highest point, feeling great and just flying down the road as I sang along to whatever embarrassing thing was coming out of my speaker at the moment. I held 21-22 mph for a couple of hours straight, which was incredible given the state I'd been in not long before, and I felt invincible. Of course, I knew that that high, too, would pass. That's the thing about ultracycling: no matter how good or bad you feel, that'll change. You just have to ride things out, as impossible as that task may seem in the moment.
600k (375-mile) split: 17 hours and 50 minutes (21 mph) (PR)
I'm happy to report that I rode strongly throughout the night. I didn't see much of Collin or Scott, but I played a solid 10-hour game of "catch the rabbit" with the headlights in the distance ahead, often overtaking them with surprising speed. Even at 2:00-3:00 a.m., the traditional witching hour when any trace of fun drains from the event, I felt capable of pushing hard; there was no "Sebring drift" going on here, and my morale was good. I guess my inevitable black period had occurred earlier in the evening.
From 3:00 a.m. until dawn around 6:00, the number of riders on the road diminished substantially, but when the morning rays broke in the east, suddenly the crowds came back out to play. It was a glorious morning, and the last two hours felt positively easy. Making it through the night was the mental challenge; after that, it was just a matter of finishing it out.
The glorious morning hours.
I started my last lap at 7:25 a.m.; only partial laps counted, and given that my best lap times were around 20 minutes, I knew that getting two more before 8:00 was impossible, but one more was a gimme. I cruised it as a victory lap, soft-pedaling and chatting with fellow riders about the day. It was a reward for a very long day's work, and I drank it up.
Finish line in sight!
Touchdown!
It's all done, but for the sleeping.
Amy, sensibly hesitant to touch me. She learns quickly.
I finished at 7:50 a.m., 23 hours and 50 minutes after I'd started, with a total distance of 488 miles (20.5 mph average). My goal had been 450 miles; what a day! The tally was good for 1st place in the age group by 60 miles or so, and 3rd overall. Collin broke the old course record with 503 miles, and Scott smashed it with 511. (Good grief.)
I took a quick rinse the public showers, then headed to the awards ceremony, which turned out to be an endurance test in of itself. The announcers were in great cheer, and they'd put together a very nice raffle. The trouble was that the raffle took fully 30 minutes to complete, and the riders had long lost any ability to stay conscious. I felt especially sorry for my crew, as they'd been up all night on my behalf and I'm sure were simply hoping to get to bed as soon as they could.
Can you identify the riders in this picture?
Clearly the best part of the race.
Gold medal, M35-39.
Left: Scott Luikart, the new course record holder.
Me with Collin, with whom I'd ridden much of the day.
On the whole, I couldn't be happier with how this race went. I successfully fought through the black period I encountered around 12 hours in, which is much more difficult to do in the moment than it sounds in the abstract. I don't think I could have done a damned thing more to keep up with Scott and Collin on the day. It's possible -- ok, it's almost certain -- that I screwed up with my 50-mile solo effort on the first loop. Maybe without torching myself that way I'd have had more to give later on, but I don't really regret it; it was fun to make a move and see what happened. I'm still very new to these 24-hour events, and this was my first draft-legal race, so I have a lot of learning to do yet, both about myself and about race strategy. If I were going to make a mistake, I'd have wanted to make it in the direction of riding too aggressively, so I'm at peace with it.
And, frankly, it didn't hurt me all that badly. I rode 268 miles in the first 12 hours and 220 miles in the second 12 hours. That's a big dropoff in pace, but I don't think there's any such thing as even-splitting or negative-splitting a 24-hour race. Taking a global view, that's still a 350k in 12 hours, which is very solid.
From this point, I think my main goal has to be to continue to work on my wattage. My endurance is okay, and I'm figuring out the nutritional and mental aspects of the race, but the fact is that the people I'm competing with are often more powerful than I am. I'm usually more aerodynamic than they are, which is how I'm able to compete, but I think I'm still leaving a lot of time on the table. It's only in the last few months that I've really started to focus exclusively on my power output, and I'm making steady progress. There's a lot more to do, but life wouldn't be any fun if there weren't.
Next up: a return to the Saratoga 12/24 in July, which I last raced in 2012. I'll most likely be taking on the 12-hour event there, although it's possible I'll jump into the 24 at the last minute. Who knows? Maybe I can even win one of these things...
Labels: Epic Ride Recaps, Race Reports, Ultracycling


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Trained at the conservatoires of Munich and Rostock, he plays since autumn 2011 as the assistant Concert Master of the Second Violins with the Mecklenburg State Orchestra. Moreover, he is regularly asked to play with other leading orchestras and artists, including the state operas of Berlin & Munich or David Garrett. Apart from great concerts, the violinist also loves to create music in a smaller circle – so, his first chamber music CD was released in 2013. In this genre as well as at weddings, it is much easier to enchant the audience and to tug at their heartstrings.
The principal harpist of the Mecklenburg State Orchestra graduated from the famous conservatoire Mozarteum in Salzburg and is nowadays playing in various ensembles in Northern Germany – both in opera production and on the concert stage. The experienced soloist and chamber musician enjoys to touch the emotions of her audience with her harp-playing. Especially at weddings she succeeds marvellously in enthusing her audience like at no other venue. In the immediate contact to the bridal couple and to the guests she creates a very personal and unforgettable imposing atmosphere.


Health Minister Christine Elliott met Jan. 29 with the Ontario Primary Care Council (OPCC) -- of which RNAO is the founding member -- to discuss ways to improve primary care.
RNAO's CEO Doris Grinspun, the Ontario Pharmacists Association Executive vice-president Allan Malek and the Alliance for Healthier Communities CEO Adrianna Tetley shared with the minister the urgent need to make primary care the bedrock of health care as the only way to ensure a high performing system.
By improving primary care, we secure more timely help to Ontarians, prevent or slow down the onset of chronic disease, lessen our dependence on costly medications, reduce the strain on overcrowded emergence departments and hospitals and re-direct our health care system on a more sustainable path.


St. Paul-Minneapolis Midway Station is named midway just for that reason. It is roughly midway between the downtowns of each city of the Twin Cities, technically located in St. Paul in an industrial area with absolutely nothing around. The station is set back from the street and designed for automobile access with a large parking lot in front. Passengers arriving on foot from the three bus lines that stop on University Avenue a block and a half away down Transfer Road have to walk by the parking lot signage that specifically specifies "Amtrak: Twin Cities Passenger Station Entrance" or "Exit". These signs and signposts are white with the Amtrak logo above them. University Avenue is currently a giant construction project mess due to the construction of the Central Corridor Light Rail Line that will connect the existing Hiawatha Line near downtown Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul. This current station though will probably never see a light rail train connection when it is due to open in 2014. Right now preparations are under way for an Amtrak move into the St. Paul Union Depot in 2012, which will have the light rail terminus built right outside the front streetside door. This will mean Amtrak during its 40+ year history has slowly moved across the Twin Cities. From Amtrak's founding in 1971 to 1978 it consolidated operations and served the historic, now demolished Minneapolis Great Northern Depot.
Today's midway station opened in 1978 and entering the minimalist large two story brick station house with a black flat roof (similar to all the other modular Amtrak stations of the era, this one is just the biggest of them all) feels like you have entered a time warp to that decade of early Amtrak. There is plenty of large minimalist text white signage on black backgrounds with signs directing passengers to Phone, Train, Tickets, Baggage Claim ect. On the large parking lot side of the station there are two entrances one says Baggage and leads directly to right in front of the Baggage Claim inside the station located in the corner taken up by Amtrak's offices. This corridor continues down with a red tiled floor and there is a desk for Hertz local edition rental cars before reaching the main public area of the station. Turning 90 degrees along the walls of the same non-public area where the baggage claim is, is the ticket office complete with a back wall with old Amtrak photographs that say Travel by Train. Throughout the station are historic posters signs and photos. The rest of the central portion of the station is taken up by the main waiting area and a narrow central staircase that loops up to a central balcony area that is sometimes open to provide additional upstairs seating. This area is complete with a bright red carpet and slightly more comfortable chairs and connects to a narrower balcony walkway that is closed to the public leading to the station offices. Beneath the round upstairs waiting area are the restrooms, water fountains and text that says snacks. These are the only food provisions in the station consisting of three vending machines: one for instant coffee, a standard vending machine for candy and chips, and automat machine next to a microwave as well as a Pepsi machine across it. Continuing towards the opposite "Train" end of the station is a small enclosed waiting area with couches in it that is the Empire Builder First Class Lounge. This waiting area is the only place unfortunately that allows a view of the rail yard beyond.
When it finally comes time to board the train tickets are lifted and seat checks given along with car (but not seat) assignments inside the station where passengers line-up when called by destination. This is all done from a desk right in front of the doors out to the extremely wide and bare concrete platform where all trains board on track 1. The only form of protection from the elements is a small walkway that has a black flat awning, an offshoot from the station building. The train is stopped here along with some private rail cars in the train yard that are also visible. During peak seasons a single extra coach (called train #808 or #807 according to Amtrak's reservation system) is added to or removed from the rear of the train to provide additional capacity to Chicago. Recently the platform area has gotten a modern sign that says St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN and a tactile warning strip. Beyond the main platforms is an island platform for tracks 2 and 3 that generally sits unused but does have a long actual canopy incase station services are every expanded.
Looking down the wide platform at Midway Station-St. Paul, MN. The Empire Builder #8/48 has just arrived.
Looking towards the back of the Empire Builder, an additional train car is being attached for the crowds of people taking the train from here to Chicago. This extra car has its own train number #808.