Keg Ride 2009

On Friday, my favorite local brewery the East End Brewing Company did its annual "Keg Ride", involving the brew master ceremoniously towing a keg (3 actually) of Spring Pale Ale to a "mystery" bar.  An astonishing 500 (yes...500!!!!!!) riders showed up to ride along. 

Never mind "Critical Mass" and other mass statements about sustainable transport and environmentalism.....we were riding for BEER!

We literally clogged up the streets of Pittsburgh for a couple of hours on the way to the Bicycle Cafe on Carson Street. It was fab!

Check out this link for photos...

and this link for photographic evidence that I was there (I am the lanky dude in black on the far right of the photo wearing the silly helmet)

Ride on!!!

  

Unblocking the Blog

I have been swamped so apologies for the lack of blogging.

As usual at this time of year, Pittsburgh has gone from 30 below to 30 above in a matter of hours. The trees and flowers have exploded into life and we have gone from shivering to sneezing.  Not that I am complaining.  I am back to pedaling in shorts and the kids are back to messing in pools and fountains etc.

Below are some pics of the trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina.  It was great week despite the mixed weather.  We stopped off on the way back to see Ben and Jen Baughman in Raleigh.  They showed us a great time and it was sad to leave.  

Shaz's new Xtracycle is earning it's keep as a "BUV" (Bike Utility Vehicle).  She has been doing all her city traveling on this...hauling all kinds of stuff.

Outer Banks

We are at the beach in North Carolina!
Sorry for the lack of photos but I have neglected to bring my PC-camera cable.
We have been intermittently diving in the surf and sheltering from the remains of the winter chill.
Photos next week!
In the meantime.....
READ THIS!

XtraSoph

We had a quiet Saturday pedal along the Eliza Furnace Trail on the South side of the Monongahela River with Brent and Caelen Plummer. Temperatures in the 40s = bliss.

Soph and shaz are riding their new XtraCycle. A "Bike Utility Vehicle".

REGULATIN' GENES!

Check out this rap by a couple of Stanford Biologists on the subject of gene regulation.

This is wonderful stuff!

BIOLOGY IS COOL!!!! HOX ROCKS!!!!!!

Comment up if you know what HOX is and win a mystery prize.

0 to 60 in 7 days (degrees Farenheit that is)

Last Sunday we all pedaled down the Jail Trail to the Science Centre which, in addition to all the usual cool stuff, had an exhibition of pop art Darth Vader masks that have been showing at the Andy Warhol Museum up the street (Andy Warhol is from Pittsburgh). This seemed like a fantastic idea until the wind chill dropped to about 0 degrees F. Luckily we managed to repair to Kiva Hahn coffee shop for hot chocolates and heat.

This weekend it has been 70 degrees.

So I guess last week was spring.

Watch this right to the end

Click the link below to see this beautifully simple and entertaining lecture on the so called "financial crisis".

I am so tired of reading and listening to mindless and ill-informed journalistic "commentary" on the subject of our economic and social demise. Whether you agree with this professor of economics or not (and I hope you do), he takes a refreshing stance that summarizes the history behind the mess we are all in and, at least in my opinion, proposes a common sense solution.

If only we hadn't all been so effectively brainwashed and intellectually neutered by central government and mass media we might even take notice and begin a debate that sparks fundamental changes in how we do things as a society.

Nah...bollocks to it.....let's just bale out the banks and the auto industry and wait for the land ice to melt.

http://vimeo.com/1962208