Benazir and Tyler

So its been a while since my last post, what with the holidays (fill in cliche excuse here.)

So much has happened and yet I find myself trying to figure out what exactly I can write about.

The first and most obvious choice is the news of the day; in this case the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. This is a tragedy whose repercussions will be felt for years to come. She was the one truly humanist person who could actually lead Pakistan out of the custerfuck its in. Wildly popular and uncommonly pragmatic, she posed a serious threat to the interests of many throughout that part of the world. A threat to Musharraf in the fact that her party would probably have been able to enough people in office to vote her in as Prime Minister. A threat to Islamic extremists and Al Qaeda because not only was she a woman of power, but she was educated in the west and would have increased liberties and education of women and the population as a whole, which would lead to losses for their causes.

This said; I wont go on, because I dont really know enough about the situation and this part of the world to speak with any kind of confidence or offer any sort of insight. What I do know is that it is a loss of immense proportion for the people of Pakistan, for the United States, for the stability of that part of the world, and for Democracy world wide.


On to something of for less import. BIKE RACING!!!

Michael Ball, the bombastic owner of Rock Racing, of whom I've spoken here before, has hired Tyler Hamilton to race here in the US. Now let's get this straight, Tyler has served his time and deserves the right to be able race his bike. Racing organizations in Europe aren't going to let this guy race on any kind of real stage, so welcome home Tyler. It'll be good for American Racing, it'll be good for both the domestic teams and the promoters. Michael Ball and his strategy of hiring the best "doping orphans" will certainly raise both the level of the racing and the profile of those races. If this is how we get more people on bikes and more bikes on TV, I'm all for it. Good on Ya' Mike and Rock Racing!! If Rock Racing implodes in an avalanche of doping scandals, I'll be the first one in line with my "Dopers Suck" shirt looking for the Rock Racing team vehicles.

And no I'm not buying a Rock Racing Jersey (yet)

Go Slipstream!!