If We Were Building Nuclear Weapons. . .

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should team up with O.J. and write an international diplomatic bestseller: “If we were building nuclear weapons, here’s how we would do it”:

China on Friday urged Iran to give a “serious response” to a U.N. Security Council resolution that imposed sanctions on Tehran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.
Iran’s top nuclear envoy, however, warned that Tehran’s commitment to the peaceful use of nuclear technology will change if the country is threatened.
. . .
Iran has denied that it seeks to build atomic weapons, saying its nuclear program is limited to the generation of electricity, a stance Larijani reiterated.
“We oppose obtaining nuclear weapons and we will peacefully use nuclear technology under the framework of the Nonproliferation Treaty,” he said.
“But,” he warned, “if we are threatened, the situation may change.”

So Iran is just innocently working on nuclear reactors, but if they are “threatened,” it might magically discover a nuclear arms production process. Right.
That situation would be bad enough as it is, but to make matters worse we have a number of influential people in Washington just itching to launch another war. Never mind the fact that we don’t have any extra troops left, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Yesterday General Clark was reportedly furious because he believes the Bush administration is on course to launch a military strike against Iran in the next year or two. I sure hope he’s wrong.

2006 In Cycling


2006 was a good year for me in cycling. At the outset, my goal was to ride 4,000 miles. I reached that mark in late October:

Month Mileage
January 206
February 287
March 355
April 538
May 459
June 449
July 416
August 564
September 471
October 329
November 350
December 434
Total 4,858

Had I known December would be so mild, I would have squeezed a few more miles earlier during the year so I could hit 5,000 miles. Oh well.
A key to hitting my goal was getting miles in every week. I logged about 50 miles or more in all but three weeks.
Lowest week: 14 miles (battling a knee ailment)
Highest week: 195 miles
I completed two centuries: The 3-State 3-Mountain Challenge and the Cherohala Challenge (pictured above).
Notably, I didn’t have any crashes or significant mishaps in 2006. In fact, I only remember having one flat tire while riding. I can’t complain about that.
2007 Goals:

  • Ride lots. (tentative goal: 4,500 miles).
  • Don’t crash or get hit.
  • Get faster.
  • Enjoy the scenery.
  • Take a cycling-related trip outside the region and see new country.

Tailwinds.

Happy 2007!

Another year has arrived. And while it’s true that every day is a new start, they don’t all come packed with college football bowl games. (I wish I could erase the second half of that Outback Bowl from my memory.)
I have a feeling good things will happen this year. Probably not in Iraq, or in other world hot spots. But in my life and yours. Vision, desire, and determination will come together; goals will be achieved.
As for resolutions, I resolve to post interesting stuff at this site . . . at least once in a while. Heh.
Happy New Year.

Photo Gallery Updates

I’ve recently added the following albums. (Click on image to see the pictures.)
Max Patch, NC

My Madone

Lake Lure, NC

More cats

At the Chimney Tops

Nephew Seth visits

Thus far I’ve done 14 picture uploads using the Coppermine Photo Gallery, and I like it. The software makes it easy to post and organize pictures.
Now, if I could only figure out a fast and easy way to process the photographs . . . .

Tomorrow Begins Today!


Or was it yesterday?
I supported Senator Edwards in the 2004 primaries and, barring the unforeseen, will support him for 2008. I think he has the vision and leadership to turn America onto a better course after eight years of misdirection. And I appreciate his focus on middle- and working-class issues that Washington has been ignoring.
John Edwards for President.

“Serious” Bicyclist

Heh. I’m glad the person responsible for this headline saw the need to describe the featured cyclist as “serious.” Otherwise, I would never have been able to distinguish him from a leisurely cyclist:

Daniel Chew is more than halfway to a goal he set for himself as a young man. He thinks he’ll achieve it about age 75 — if he doesn’t get hit by a car first.
Mr. Chew, 44, who lives in Shadyside, wants to ride a million miles on bicycles (he’s already worn out at least 15) in his lifetime. He clocked his 600,000th mile on Sept. 10.

Whew, that sounds tiring. This year I have set a personal record for miles ridden. If I continue at my 2006 pace for the rest of my life, I will reach Mr. Chew’s goal when I am approximately 238 years old. At that age, I’ll probably need a softer saddle.
On another note, I’ve recently added albums to the photo gallery.