On the A.I.G. Collapse

If anyone wants to find out what really happened with A.I.G. and why we're all broke now, you can slog through this article in Vanity Fair (long).

Almost a year after A.I.G.’s collapse, despite a tidal wave of outrage, there still has been no clear explanation of what toppled the insurance giant. The author decides to ask the people involved—the silent, shell-shocked traders of the A.I.G. Financial Products unit—and finds that the story may have a villain, whose reign of terror over 400 employees brought the company, the U.S. economy, and the global financial system to their knees. More

Fairy Barf

Icmadolphila ericetorum, a.k.a. ‘Fairy barf lichen’

James and his merry band of ne'er-do-wells spent the weekend measuring and recording riparian degradation in Ladyfinger Gulch, up in The Hills. He sent me this photo of Fairy Barf lichen, one of the species they found and noted, because I'm a hands and knees naturalist. He also sent a high recommendation for the Ken Burns' History of our National Parks on PBS being shown on PBS this week. If you're going to sit on the sofa anyway, at least watch something that will move and inform you.

(Icmadolphila ericetorum was caught by my spellcheck, but it did not give an alternative spelling. How else could you spell Icmadolphila ericetorum? It's spelled just like it sounds.)

Sand Painting

I saw this on the BBC this evening. It's received something like 13,000,000 Youtube hits. Make it 13,000,001.

Spin City: Alley Cat Racing

David Joles, Dml - Star Tribune Star Tribune

It was an all-girl alley cat scramble from the soap factory gallery to One on One bike shop Saturday. The mainly bike messenger racers made 11 checkpoints along the way, performing tasks at most.

Speed into cycling's urban underground, where alley-cat racing pits clandestine competitors against the clock on an ad hoc bike course.

I Heard the Owl Call My Name

I fell asleep last night and awoke this morning to the sound of a Barred Owl outside my window declaring his ownership to all of Oakwood laying to the west of Circle Avenue, with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto, up to and including killing with talon and beak, any and all bunnies or squirrels seen fit to consume, and thereby also declaring his intent to kick the very owl pellets out of any and all interlopers, particularily that feathered S.O.B. up on Cedar Avenue who has the timarity to reply to his declarations of ownership.

This is great news for me after the Great Owl House Caper, or as it's whispered behind my back in the neighborhood as "Gunnar's Folly". I would like to be the first to wish him great hunting and a long life. And good luck on luring a lady to help deal with the bunny issue. And owlets - we need plenty of owlets!

After posting the above I went out to the backyard late this afternoon to do some light gardening. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a feathered stealth fighter swooping down from a high oak and picking off a squirrel from a tree across the yard. He kind of hit him coming up from below. A four foot wingspan will get your attention, but the squirrel never knew what hit him. Not a sound! Unfortunately we still haven't seen any indication of a female about, yet I remain optimistic. How could any female resist such a magnificent creature?

White Freightliner Blues

A great Townes Van Zandt Song. My favorite is a Steve Earle cover which I can't put my finger on it, so this'll have to do. 'Sides I appreciate David Rawlings' guitar and nice tight harmonies.

Yvette Horner

Today on Facebook the ever surprising Aldo James Ross posted a birthday greeting to Yvette Horner who turns 87 today. Frankly, I had never heard of Mlle.Horner until today, but obviously that is my shortcoming not hers. Pictures and model are from the 1955 Tour de France. After subjecting readers to previous accordion music, I feel this is only fair to Yvette. Maybe it's an acquired taste.

Planning to Plant

This afternoon the Pug and I sat on the garden bench in the early afternoon sunshine, smoking maduros (pleasant box-pressed torpedoes) and imagining various planting scenarios. Our reverie was interrupted by the delivery truck with a shipment of daylilies. While I have new apples to eat, daylilies to plant, and a fine bicycle to work on, the dog seems to have an open calendar. Either way, our lives are exceedingly fine. Tomorrow will be hectic - breakfast with Lyle at 9:00 and then the 60th Annual Oakwood Picnic at noon and well into the afternoon. Maybe start planting the daylilies? Naw, probably not. The dog and I have to pace ourselves.

Lorna read the above and informed me that the picnic isn't until 4:30. Now my careful planned day is just in shambles.

John

I Am Old and Clever - and Everything Sucks!

Thanks to Jon Guinea for this one. It was either this or Robin Williams on Golf and even I am offended by that level of vulgarity.

Birth Announcement

Yesterday the Fedex man dropped off a large box which contained M05030, my new 1980 McLean bicycle. Today he brought a wheelset from the Cossack. They are built with Super Champion rims and newly rebuilt vintage Phil Wood hubs, with the steel cylinders and a high-low rear hub. (This only matters to bike geeks.) I want to thank the Cossack for his generosity because I'm certain the price only covered the cost of rebuilding the hubs and the shipping. I'm going to build this as a high end race bike would have been put together in 1980. I'm hoping to assemble the components and have it rolling by next Spring. Time and money.

CycloLads

Cyclocross bike racing involves beer and pain, mud and blood, and carrying your bike over, under or through obstacles until you're too tired to care.
If you have children, or plan to, or were ever one yourself, check this out. I love the Lads.