It appears beheading Americans are all the rage these days with those "religious zealots" in the middle east.

Wow, maybe this is something I can finally get I the ground floor on, I am totally willing to jump aboard the beheading bandwagon but like any good American, I do have to set some conditions.

The first thing we need is a film crew to shoot the act from at least three different angles and actually use film as opposed to a cheap 8mm camcorder.

The second thing would be the need for a razor sharp scimitar to do the deed, what's the deal with the small knives? Talk about a poor choice of tool for the job...

No posting on websites, I need this to be shown over and over on Fox news until people are so sick of watching it, they stop watching television all together.

As ridiculous as this all seems, we really should take the time to thank our government for making the world a safer place for all Americans who live and work abroad.

I had an interesting idea the other day, why do I need to be living in poverty here in Atlanta when I can live in poverty in pretty much any other city in the world?

What is it that I find so appealing about being poor in this city? Is it the fact that I am a minority here?
Is it that I enjoy having to drive to get anywhere and everywhere?

A coworker of mine asked me the other day as to why I have not transferred to another department and that sparked in my feeble mind a running count of reasons/excuses as to why my corporate career here at CNN has stagnated. I have many theories but the main force keeping me where I sit is that no one from HR or other departments contact me when I send out a resume. Its like sending your data into a black hole.

Another reason could be the fear of being laid off. This irrational fear has been with me since the last time it happened. I know I should be afraid, the last time I was laid off, I was nearly rendered homeless and I do not want to end up roaming around this city aimlessly looking through trash bins for my next meal. I am quite sure, that I could not tolerate being homeless. I would probably just try to leave the country if that were to happen, there is work to be had out there, somewhere anyways.

Atlanta is a really strange place for me to live, despite having been spent the bulk of my life within the confines of the metro area, I have few true friends and my attempts at friendship with new people over the past several years have just turned out sour. I never feel like I fit in and this is not just in my head, I am certain of that. Despite my efforts to extend the olive branch of friendship, I often discover in the end that I am just not welcome. It amazes me that some people I know who in the past few years made Atlanta their home and then find themselves moving up into some great occupations or sideline jobs and of course, meeting all of the "right" people and thus being invited to all the "right" parties and gatherings.

I have not reached the point when I discard the hopes and dreams of my life and sink into the depression of a failed middle-aged life. I know in my heart that Atlanta is just not the place for me. The problem is, where is the right place for me to realize my ambitions?

Not too much going out here in la la land other than the steady flow of analog to digital. I have just let this week slide by with little to no hassle what so ever and find myself again just hours away from a weekend of work-free bliss. Today a HVAC technician will be testing and hopefully repairing my long deceased air conditioner. It will be most pleasant to wallow in conditioned air for the summer having not had the luxury for the last two seasons.

Here is a bonus link to follow for the day:

aeolian-ride

Original Story text:

http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_1538799,00.html


Cologne, Germany - The German Physical Education College DSHS in Cologne has reported riding a bicycle is an ideal way for people to improve their overall physical well being, with only 10 minutes a day to start the process towards a more healthy body.

In a report summarising about 7000 studies on the benefits of bicycling as a means to physical fitness, the DSHS said 10 minutes a day already helps muscle tone, circulation and body joints.

The Germans noted that improvement in the heart's condition can come from about 30 minutes of cycling each day, and at 50 minutes daily, the metabolism in burning off body fats is stimulated. Bicycling also strengthens the back muscles and the spinal column.

The report also called bicycling a good alternative to jogging because it puts less stress on the knee joints. - Sapa-dpa

The advocacy supported by the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign seems to be the sort of bicycle advocacy that I feel I need to support. I surfed into their site following a row over curb "bulb outs" being constructed on Mclendon Ave over in Dekalb county. I can understand that this will cause cyclists who prefer to hug the right curb while they ride a considerable amount of difficulty. What I can't understand is why these cyclists want to ride there.

After completing two seasons as a bike courier in Atlanta without significant injury from abusive motorists, I can easily say that these riders need to take the lane. Yes, take the lane, it is yours. I too was once a right curb hugging rider, riding far to close to parked cars and hidden driveways. Now, I can't stand riding that far to the right. Why? Well for one, it is actually more dangerous due to several factors. Parked cars with their doors are a bicycle accident waiting to happen as are the hidden driveways mentioned above and then there is the glass and road debris that tends to accumulate along the sides of the road. This road junk promotes flat tires and flat tires in the case of a sudden blowout can prove deadly for the unsuspecting cyclist.

I ride the lane and only get over to let cars pass if I feel it is safe to do so, not if the guy in the H2 thinks so, me, I am in control of my vehicle. Not only that but the road itself is smoothest where the cars actually ride. I don't get flats from broken beer bottles in the street and car doors are not long enough to hook me when I ride more towards the middle of MY lane. The law is on my side as well. I have as much right to take the lane as a motorcycle or car. I have rarely seen motorcycles forced to the right so why should I be intimidated by motorists to follow some arcane unwritten rule?

Sure, I have been assaulted by motorists for taking this position, that is the risk, The driver and his/her precious time. Funny how time works while driving in an urban area. A car accelerates to pass me only to find itself having to stop at a traffic signal just yards away. So how did I inconvenience them? Do traffic signs and signals not cause more of a delay for motorists than me riding my bike?

Another thing, why advocate bike lanes? Does the existence of a bicycle lane or path deny my right to take the "real" lane?

As an individual who rides a bicycle as a means of transportation, How could the Atlanta Bicycle campaign advocate the loss of my rights to the road?

From the ABC list of accomplishments~ "Organized a campaign to straighten dangerous parallel sewer grates in Atlanta" Hmmm, I saw one of these grates still in use just yesterday on Marietta Street. I guess it going to take more than a campaign to straighten those grates out. If they were to encourage cyclists to just take their lane, bicylists would not be sinking their front wheels into these dangerous grates in the first place.

Sometimes the wires expose a more touching side of the news by showcasing the elderly.
the link below is but one example.


Lifestyle

I am so tired of watching tragic events play out in front of me day after day after day here at work.

Why do I work here?

Working here on most days makes me feel like hunting down a cartoon network employee and spitting on him/her.

I never had any idea how truly malicious the members of the morning show on 99x are. During some internet surfing I discovered some offensive material from them regarding bicycles and the road.

For the two years I spent as a bicycle courier here on the streets of Atlanta, I was constantly made aware of who really owns the road. I had more than a few close calls with cars and found that Atlanta motorists have some serious issues with cyclists who want their share of the road.

I remember one afternoon in particular on Peachtree Street next to the High Museum of Art, a mother with two small children in a Volvo station wagon did not like me being on the road. She made her stand known by laying on the horn and then an attempt to run me off the road and onto the sidewalk with the fender of her car. (Where are the police when you need them?) Afterwards, I caught up to her at the light at 14th street and did my best to inform her of my rights and that she was out of line for trying to bring harm to me. She screamed and yelled about getting on the sidewalk and sped away when the light turned green.

It was from this experience that I came to the realization that some motorists are really interested in bringing physical harm to cyclists who try to use the street. I can also say from experiences like the one above that Atlanta is one of the worst places to ride a bicycle in the United States.

Enter 99x. Wow. I had no idea that these guys could say such things about bicyclists. One of them even joked about nudging cyclists off into trees with his automobile. Having had this happen to me on more than one occasion leads me to believe that this "shock jock" has actually done this in the past and enjoyed it?

This event happened back in April and since then, we have been informed that these people have been disciplined and made a formal apology on the radio. Was that really enough? I don't think that these people understand how impressionable their teenage listeners are or maybe they do and they just don't give a damn.