Well so far the future president of the USA’s comment on Gaza has deafened me with his silence on the issue, it goes some way to explaining why the Arab states have virtually no trust of the US.
As  a statesman with any credence for human rights Obama has already failed in my eyes with his lack of concern for the Palestinian people. Oh and before anyone gets even remotely sanctimonious about the US defending Israel from terrorism, well they were n’t quite so puritanical with the Contra’s or the IRA…

Really how hard can it be to sort this out, the recipe for success for the UK is simple.

1. A really shocking upbeat europop/house anthemesque tune.
2. Performed by a young male Russian immigrant with dodgy facial hair.
3. Slaggy backing dancers.

Sorted victory should be assured…

Well that was fun some time in town and some time with my folks a bit of riding but not loads and lots of food, a bit of sale shopping and lots of Spaniel mayhem. It’s quite nice to be back in town and eating at normal levels. I’ve started a geeky ride diary page which is located top right, probably not going to bother with cyclogs just stick any riding on here, seems better that way.

So riding goals for 2009 then…

Ride a road century, that’s miles Simon.
Ride a total of 5000 miles.
Ride at least one self supported proper tour.
Ride the C2C ideally in one day but at the most two.
Ride lots with friends.
Ride at least two nights a week when the light allows.

Lazy weekend, nothing but recovering from a hangover, buying Christmas groceries, fixing new bike hooks and fettling bikes really, bit rubbish as the weather was good, still if I commute both Monday and tuesday and then ride in Epping on Christmas Eve and get a Crimbo day ride in I’ll be doing well.
Annoyingly I think I have too many bikes, I’m really running out of space, it’s going to be a struggle when the IF comes for room.
I guess that means that once in the new year when the Scott is paid for it and perhaps the Chameleon will have to go, I really like the Chameleon it’s been ace but nothing will actually cover up for the fact that it’s too small for me and beats me up. I suspect that I’ll just flog the frame and replace it directly with a Cotic Bfe in a size that fits, I’ll still have a big burly bike just one that I can ride in comfort…
Bikes are now on a strict one in one out policy I fear. I’d like anothe blinglespeed but if I do the Kona will have to go.
I think I actually need the following bikes:

Commuter - AKA the bling fixie, that ones a keeper.
Bling Cross/Road Bike - Do everything steel bike required to replace the Scott, might be my cycle Scheme thing perhaps…
MTB - 26″ wheeled thing for general use.
Singlespeed MTB - A bike for Epping and flat places, currently the Kona.
Burly Hardtail - Currently the Chameleon, and I guess I could keep it if I ever go to the Alps it would be proper good fun, possibly to be replaced with a BFe.

That’s looking like teh two alloy cross bikes going in the new year, watch this space…

Overland home today and it was delayed while the police searched three trains including the one I was on for a suspected gun man at Liverpool Street station.
They seemed pretty thorough what I found a bit of a worry was the fact that they were all body armoured up with Kevlar shields and were walking through the train like that looking for an armed suspect, that could have been messy, it hadn’t dawned on half the carriage I was on until I suggested it to the bloke next to me!
Still only held up for twenty minutes, more exciting than the usual signal failure at Bethnal Green.

Where is my IF it deels like forever since I ordered it, I want it now even if I’m not going to ride it till it’s sunny and the trails are buff, perhaps…
Is it bad that the next thing I’m thing about is a 29er by a super niche builder?
Why are bikes like crack, why is writing a blog post so cathartic when you’ve had a couple of pints of Harvey’s is it bad that I’m considering going ringing on Mondays as well, shit man, my life is mental……

Well after yesterday’s moody philosophical post, the second post in two days realtes entirely to TV’s cooking hottie. This evening Christmas treats and lifestyle moments were getting a bit much and I Was just shooting at the telly when she crumbled bacon over potato skins…
Really how can you not ne instantly smitten by a woman who crumbles bacon over food scherwing……….

An online debate with an acquaintance today has set me thinking about political responsibility, and to some extent the more I’ve thought about it the more it’s worried me really. There’s little doubt that the general populous of the Third Reich share a degree of responsibility for the holocaust, it’s occurrence and tacit approval, despite the true nature of the horrors being kept from them by the Nazi propaganda machine.
Strange then that in these days of twenty four hour news coverage in the media driven society that we live in, that any protest of what is rapidly turning into an Iraqi genocide is virtually non existent, I’m ashamed to say that my voice has been pretty much absent from the protest.
Even with the benefit of hiondsight we don’t seemed to have learned from our mistakes, it makes the words of Pastor Niemoller perhaps even more poignant and telling know that the day they were written, I feel quite ashamed

“In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;

And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;

And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;

And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.”

Martin Niemoller V.1976

Nope not 2Pac, just bell ringing at th elocal church it was alright, not religious at all…