tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68671122011-12-30T05:48:30.732-06:00<a href="http://benjaminrichter.blogspot.com/search?label=Alaska&max-results=100">Alaska</a> | <a href="http://benjaminrichter.blogspot.com/search?label=Great%20Rivers&max-results=100">Great Rivers Tour</a> | <a href="http://benjaminrichter.blogspot.com/search/label/Bremen%20Sixdays">2007 Bremen Sixdays</a>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-7295540121456092702007-09-12T12:14:00.001-05:002008-04-06T15:38:28.533-05:00

Before I write anything more, let me get this out of the way: Denali National Park is overrated. There, I've said it. It may sound like sacrilege to some, but it's true. Don't get me wrong, it's not that it is not beautiful, breathtaking, humbling, and all of that, but you don't have to go into the National Park (click on the map to the left for a full-size version) to experience all these

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-69894012134557028022007-09-11T18:05:00.000-05:002007-11-21T13:37:44.274-06:00

We had an appointment with Talkeetna Air Taxi at 9:30 in the morning, so we had to get up early in Anchorage to make the two hour drive to Talkeetna. The drive itself was not too spectacular because it went through mostly flat terrain and the small Parks Highway was thickly lined with trees on both sides. At milepost 99, hang a right, and you will be in Talkeetna before you know it. Talkeetna is

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-84914037388963975252007-09-10T20:46:00.000-05:002007-11-21T13:37:44.275-06:00

Alaska. Or Alaxsxaq, the Great Land, as it was known to the first inhabitants of the Aleutian Islands. And they would know, for their ancestors had traveled far: from the eastern steppes of Siberia farther and farther East, until they finally crossed the Bering Straight and made their way down the coast of their new continent and eventually followed the Aleutian Islands back westwards until they

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-43795052944722403452007-08-03T13:59:00.000-05:002007-08-15T19:08:34.846-05:00

Click the map for route detailsTo get back to Minneapolis from New Orleans, I decided to take an Amtrak train, whose pace seemed more appropriate to ending a long bike trip than a plane's would have been. After over thirty hours in the Amtrak system, I can really only sum it up with one word: pathetic.But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me explain.Convenience is Amtrak's biggest selling point.

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-46152496864301529412007-08-01T11:35:00.000-05:002007-08-06T17:46:51.650-05:00

Click the map for route detailsToday the last leg, fittingly almost entirely along the Great River. I arrived in New Orleans, tired from the long journey and became distracted by the city, fatigue, then the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. As a result, I never wrote about today until just now, when I am already safely back in Minneapolis. I apologize for the delay. BridgesThe land here is now

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-46225524994693279822007-07-31T21:16:00.000-05:002007-08-03T11:27:41.363-05:00

Click the map for route detailsMoistureSo you don't believe me when I say it is humid down here. How about this picture, taken with my camera about twenty minutes after leaving the motel room? The lens is still foggy. At 7 o' clock in the morning. How can it be that humid anywhere at 7am?Early-morning foggy lensIt is not just moisture in the air, the entire land is wet down here. This is not too

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-55360324024081255952007-07-30T18:14:00.000-05:002007-07-31T21:13:34.229-05:00

Click the map for route detailsAs promised, I followed my own route today, and the first order of business was to ride through Natchez and into Louisiana, which made for the first river crossing in a long time. Not part of the Natchez Spring PilgrimageLeaving Mississippi via the Natchez-Vidalia bridgeHere, the Great River forms the boundary between Mississippi and Louisiana, so after crossing the

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-10494606548353942542007-07-29T17:48:00.000-05:002007-07-29T20:46:29.344-05:00

Click the map for route detailsAre we there yet?Leaving ClintonI left the motel through Clinton the way I had come in to get back to the Natchez Trace, through a residential neighborhood, which looked much like this. Clinton: "A Most Livable Mississippi City"Should "A Most Livable City" not really be called "A More Livable City?" In any case, it seemed livable enough. A cold front and

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-63197436916844008722007-07-28T19:05:00.000-05:002007-07-28T20:12:11.697-05:00

Click the map for route detailsAre we there yet?Grass on the left, grass on the right. Then trees. Same as yesterday. At least for the first sixty miles. The only nice diversion during that time was the Pearl River, pictured below.The Pearl RiverThe Pearl River was named in 1698 by the French explorer Pierre Le Moyne, after he found pearls at its mouth. The ridge between the Pearl and Big Black

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-32146154307853082652007-07-27T19:41:00.000-05:002007-07-28T05:22:13.945-05:00

Click the map for route detailsAre we there yet?Grass on the left, grass on the right. Then trees. Same as yesterday. Same as tomorrow, I suppose. Let's see what else is happening on the Trace. There are scenic overlooks, which are anything but scenic. Usually you cannot see very far, and if you can see, you cannot see what is advertised. Like here, where is the limestone? The black prairie?

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-42946226039095125412007-07-26T18:49:00.000-05:002007-07-27T19:38:33.711-05:00

Click the map for route detailsAre we there yet?As you can see, the Natchez Trace at mile marker 327 does not look all that different from the Natchez Trace at mile marker 352. And this, I started to fear yesterday and it became clear today, is the fatal flaw in the Natchez Trace Parkway. It is absolutely the same everywhere. You could call it mind-numbingly boring. There is mowed grass on the

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-31647935014985977342007-07-25T17:36:00.000-05:002007-07-27T18:47:58.289-05:00

Click the map for route detailsSpending the night in a motel was a good idea because it rained plenty last night, and the threat of rain was continually in the air all day, but amazingly I was never in it, even when it was around me all day. The thunderstorms in Tennessee just do not have the same panache as those in the prairie lands of the North. Downright puny in comparison. Thunderstorms

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-57547379321862124452007-07-24T20:26:00.000-05:002007-07-24T23:32:06.856-05:00

Click the map for route detailsTo continue on the Trace Road through LBL from Rushing Creek campground, the road turns back into Kentucky for about a mile, then re-enters Tennessee and heads south towards Dover. Since I did not get a picture of my entrance into Kentucky yesterday, here is one of me leaving.Leaving KentuckyA glimpse into the past of the Land Between the LakesAs I mentioned

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-6626126547401039222007-07-23T15:05:00.000-05:002007-07-24T15:18:37.037-05:00

Click the map for route detailsThe Metropolis Inn had promised biscuits and gravy for breakfast and delivered biscuits and gravy for breakfast. And donuts and coffee. Very nutritious. PaducahFrom Metropolis, it is only a short ride along highway 45 across the Ohio River to Paducah, Kentucky. I see now why the maps had suggested I take the ferry at Cave in Rock, though, because the highway 45

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-70406616203140199862007-07-22T11:16:00.000-05:002007-07-23T11:33:20.969-05:00

Click the map for route detailsBack into Illinois today. I could clearly feel the efforts of the previous two days in my legs, so I wanted to make it a shorter day today. My maps suggested I go up the Ohio River for quite a bit, then cross by ferry at Cave in Rock, then come back down the Ohio. That part is the same as for the Transamerica Trail, which I had already ridden, so it seemed like a

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-35508909533002765162007-07-21T11:05:00.000-05:002007-07-23T11:14:28.825-05:00

Click the map for route detailsTired legs in the morning, but more importantly, loose spokes on my rear wheel. I had noticed something the night before, but decided to put it off until the next morning, so when I checked the wheel this morning, I found that several spokes were loose; two had almost completely worked themselvses out. This may have been a long time in the making or a result of all

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-73898463169832547232007-07-20T20:31:00.000-05:002007-07-22T22:00:07.407-05:00

Click the map for route detailsLeaving WashingtonWhat a beautiful morning in Washington. The storms that moved through over night thoroughly cleared the air and replaced the oppressive humidity of yesterday with an inviting freshness calling everyone to ride their bikes and promising adventure. Onwards into the Ozarks! Washington was soon in the rear view mirror, but did not leave my mind so

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-54756005081181329012007-07-19T09:37:00.000-05:002007-07-20T09:44:24.699-05:00

Click the map for route detailsThe threat of thunderstorms and rain was ever-present today. The clouds seemed to want to rain even during the night; a few drops would come down timidly as they do before a storm breaks loose, but it never did rain until the evening in Washington. I left my hard-partying friends behind early in the morning and went in search of breakfast towards downtown

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-78658245771073086492007-07-18T17:57:00.000-05:002007-07-19T18:06:35.071-05:00

Click the map for route detailsAlong the flood plains to QuincyFrom the Hamilton city campground, I left early and headed straight south, through Warsaw, which is presumably named after the capital of Poland, but I could not detect much Polishness there. Downtown Warsaw, long after its glory daysAfter Warsaw, the route left the Mississippi River banks and instead followed the edge of the flood

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-59442116914204305592007-07-17T15:47:00.000-05:002007-07-18T16:02:07.802-05:00

Click the map for route detailsWeatherThe Iowa weather continued to do its thing, and impressively so. You have seen the weather map, and as the night grew on, I was glad to be in a motel, the horrible internet connection notwithstanding. I did make the most out of the motel in the morning, and checked out right at 11am. That was fairly good timing as most of the storm system had moved past

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-31546828506033241692007-07-17T09:24:00.000-05:002007-07-17T09:32:53.765-05:00

Good morning. It looks like the tubes got unclogged over night, and I have been able to upload some pictures, so posts are forthcoming (see below, post dates correspond to days on which the rides took place). Perhaps it was the 5 inches rain that fell last night that cleaned them out. Who knows.Check-out time is 11am, and I intend to make the most of it. After that, we will find out just how

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-88183167627620487652007-07-16T20:34:00.000-05:002007-07-16T20:45:47.517-05:00

No posts for a few days, what's up with that? Well, I've been riding through a rather low-tech part of the country, and I do need an internet connection of sorts to upload photos, maps, etc. I am now in Muscatine, Iowa, after stopping in Dyersville last night and in Lansing the night before (all Iowa). Today was rainy, and so I thought it would be a good idea to find a motel with a nice internet

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-5311372980605650542007-07-16T10:27:00.000-05:002007-07-17T10:52:47.205-05:00

Click the map for route detailsI woke early today, to the sounds of a water-aerobics class in the pool adjacent to my camp site. I'm telling you, some people just can't get enough exercise. Take it easy, ladies. So I broke camp and went on the next 100 miles towards Muscatine and back towards the Great River.As I left, the sky was looking somewhat threatening, but the clouds were in the distance,

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-63944980694319636702007-07-15T09:43:00.000-05:002007-07-17T10:27:38.963-05:00

Click the map for route detailsThe driftless zoneIowa. Fields of opportunities (corn subsidies). Shunned by all glaciers. Roads without paved shoulders. Grid over contour. Land of the dead racoon. But I am getting ahead of myself. First things first. Northeast Iowa is beautiful. It is much like southeast Minnesota or southwest Wisconsin, all are part of the driftless area that was untouched by

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-61941672061653133532007-07-14T09:19:00.000-05:002007-07-17T09:33:55.792-05:00

Click the map for route detailsLeaving WabashaWabasha was still impressive today. I went to a nice coffee shop in the morning (Eagle's Nest Coffee House), which had a good wireless connection and was the gathering place for the local cycling club. I would say about 30 people showed up, and they even had a bus to take them back from where they were going to ride. And someone had his 81st birthday,

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-51302100776636502992007-07-13T08:04:00.000-05:002007-07-14T08:50:06.501-05:00

Click the map for route detailsLeaving the Twin CitiesI met some people at the Birchwood Cafe for breakfast and to watch the Tour de France. Billy was there, scottErob, Ba-Dunca, VeloElena, and one who shall not be named because he was just "in the bathroom," as far as his employer was concerned. Usually I would not condone just skipping out of work like that, but you see, he was watching the

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-51784007260729355962007-07-12T17:52:00.000-05:002007-07-12T18:53:35.968-05:00

I did not get everything done that needed to get done yesterday, so I decided to stay one more day, git 'r done, and really be free of any leftover baggage for the rest of my trip. It worked; now I'm good to go and much happier than I otherwise would have been.I know that it was of some concern to Baba that I really leave and not fake-blog my way through this trip from my basement. Not to worry,

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-57234309331962316292007-07-11T12:39:00.000-05:002007-07-12T18:41:08.955-05:00

400 miles over the last three days may well have doubled my training volume for the year. My cycling computer claims that I burned about 35,000 calories, although that seems high. But maybe not. I'm hungry, in any case. Time for a break today.

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-49555240726310582632007-07-10T11:25:00.000-05:002007-07-12T18:41:08.956-05:00

Click the map for route detailsRolling homeI was a bit tired this morning, and worried that I would not make the final 120 miles back to the Twin Cities. But then came the wind. Storm is more like it. A brutal, brutal tailwind all day long. Whenever I would sit up, it would angrily push me in the back, urging me to keep going going going. All I had to do was follow the clouds:I was, however,

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-89732976334234995532007-07-09T21:58:00.000-05:002007-07-11T09:09:03.724-05:00

Click the map for route detailsThe rideToday, with over 150 miles, was a little more than I had bargained for, to be honest. That's over 9.5 hours of riding time and about 14 hours of chamois time. Nice. But now I am in Little Falls and should be able to make it all the way home tomorrow, which will give me a full rest day Wednesday. I left the ACA route in Aitkin today and went down the Great

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-52507951917223086232007-07-08T08:18:00.000-05:002007-07-10T22:03:06.107-05:00

Click the map for details.Leaving Lake ItascaThe first day of any tour is always interesting. Not quite sure what form you are in, riding a 90 pound bike for the first time in years, you have to be sure not to push yourself too hard. Touring bikes are simply slower than race bikes, but the change in pace takes getting used to. You can make a touring bike go as fast as a road bike, but it will

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-62668779661848356152007-07-07T08:13:00.000-05:002007-08-15T17:12:25.809-05:00

We drove up to Itasca State Park today, where the Headwaters of the Mississippi are. If you click on the map above, you will find many details of our drive up, including various kinds of maps etc. The feature I like best is the Google Earth export. You can view and fly along the route by clicking on the Google Earth link below the map you will find. For this drive, it is clearly not too

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-22095446699713620952007-07-06T22:54:00.000-05:002007-07-06T23:00:11.705-05:00

We're leaving tomorrow and I'm done packing. Tour starts Sunday, here's the packed bike in the basement. You can't see much of the bike, but if you were worried about my visibility, rest assured this thing is reflective all around.Trek 520 is packed and ready to goFrom previous tour experience, I expected the bike to come in around 80 pounds, and that's right where it weighs in. There is some

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-45408410866930528162007-07-05T14:06:00.000-05:002007-07-10T22:03:13.751-05:00

Two days to go before we head up to Itasca, from where I will leave on Sunday. It looks like I am getting everything set to go just in time—everything besides my dissertation, that is, but that's life. At least I will have a task to return to...The most important piece of equipmentAh, my trusty Trek 520, built in 2001. I has just over 7000 miles on it right now, mostly from previous tours. For

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-56034709687496689762007-07-01T14:08:00.000-05:002007-07-01T15:06:40.355-05:00

It is not actually possible to stay right next to the Mississippi River all the way from Headwaters to the Gulf despite the valiant efforts of Mississippi River Trail, Inc. The Great River Road of course purports to hug the Mississippi all the way, but this is not entirely true, and many stretches are not appropriate or desirable territory for bicycles. The best effort to accommodate cyclists

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-17546959070132957642007-06-26T22:49:00.000-05:002007-06-26T22:52:33.079-05:00

I rode up to the track tonight and on my way home, crossing the Mississippi on the Franklin Avenue bridge, caught this sunset, shown here in all its glory, in case you missed it: My question to you: is there any city along the Mississippi more beautiful than ours, and if so, where?

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-75494780490421778122007-06-26T17:02:00.001-05:002007-06-27T20:10:12.572-05:00

I'm back. I spent the last ten weeks holed up trying to write and finish my dissertation. 18 June was last week's Monday and I successfully defended my thesis as planned, even if the dissertation is not quite finished. Normally, I would now have my Ph.D., but as it happens, I still need to write some more over the next two weeks. After that, however, it's time to slow down. With gainful

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-41039083467585427442007-04-03T20:22:00.000-05:002007-04-03T20:39:52.547-05:00

I've been quite busy recently and will remain so for about three months. Please forgive my infrequent posting. What am I doing? Something like this: Really, this is about as far as I have come, but I have set myself a firm deadline: 18 June. The party will be at the Town Hall. But before then, the following will have to happen. April, May, and June will be interesting. Yes, then what?One more

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-62965277311087852802007-03-24T14:23:00.000-05:002007-06-27T20:11:17.313-05:00

I have spent a lot of my time over the last few years racing bikes, mostly with the University of Minnesota Cycling Club. It all started back in the summer of 2001, during which I went on a bike tour through Norway and decided that it would be fun to try racing. When I got back to school in the fall, I joined the Stanford University Cycling Club and have had a great time since. Here is a report

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-63817550011851688562007-03-17T11:15:00.000-05:002007-03-19T11:42:00.315-05:00

. . .and in with the new. My new car is here, as previously announced. The newThose of you, who are local and astute enough, will notice right away what the snow in the picture gives away: this photo was already taken a week ago. True; I just have not had a chance to put it up here yet, as I have had a bit of a rough week with a lot of work and personal stuff. So I have not enjoyed this new car

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-903829736166450842007-03-11T22:06:00.000-05:002007-03-16T11:42:02.617-05:00

Sad news today: my old dog died. She was a good dog. So here is a tribute:  

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-23759754736488328272007-03-09T10:24:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:49.801-05:00

Why bother?The concept of net neutrality has recently received a lot of attention. Why should you care? Probably because more and more of your stuff is online these days and free access is probably important to you.Here is a very good and succinct introduction:For a little more depth, this is an interesting piece:And if you've still not had enough, you will find all your questions answered

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-13274891410807361982007-03-07T16:54:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:49.802-05:00

Since last Monday came a day early, this Monday had to be pushed back a day. I'm sure you understand. GoogleI really like Google and can highly recommend many of its services, especially its personalized homepage in conjunction with bookmarks, reader, calendar, Gmail, Page Creator, Picasa, and, of course, Blogger. All of this is free, and all of this lets you easily traverse and publish to the

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-4552274733848006802007-02-25T22:11:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:13.821-05:00

I just finished reading Freakonomics and I want to highly recommend it as a very interesting book. I may be a little late to the game, for it just became the second-longest book to ever be on the New York Times Bestsellers list without ever making it to number one, at 92 weeks. Number one? The Art of Happiness, by the Dalai Lama. But no matter.Freakonomics is a rather loose collection of six

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-61955821529611810912007-02-24T18:11:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:43:28.253-05:00

We spent last weekend at The Palmilla House on St. Thomas. It was a really good time, even if St. Thomas is a fairly dirty place, which may be what makes it real. It seems to me that the island is completely designed around ushering cruise ship passengers with blinkers on through guided tours or keeping people in resorts that are attached to particular beaches. There are indeed some gorgeous

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-2453196279349131312007-02-15T17:04:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:49.803-05:00

Now that the February Fertility Festival is over and stores are busy putting up their Easter decorations, I'll be gone for a few days, so I thought I'd leave you with a short post to tide you over.ChryslerI found an interesting map of the American car makers' misery. As I said before, I was thoroughly unimpressed with the Ford Focus I had test-driven recently. And GM's cars never did much for me

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-77340833149651112662007-02-13T14:30:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:49.803-05:00

DRMed musicThe big news this week were of course Steve Jobs's thoughts on music. Big news, and more free marketing for Apple as all the major news outlets leapt for the story. Even the Economist made it one of its leaders this week. In the meantime, other heavyweights have weighed in. Perhaps things will change? Perhaps not.Free musicWhile it is nice to own your music, how often do you really

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-14205357851664220722007-02-09T16:25:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:13.823-05:00

A bunch of researchers, mostly from the University of Sheffield, have started a pretty awesome project. As it says on their website, "Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, using equal area cartograms where territories are re-sized on each map according to a particular variable."So if you are looking at the most familiar variable, land area, you get a familiar-looking world map like this:But

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-52201379762842488512007-02-08T11:44:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:49.804-05:00

If you find yourself frequently checking the same websites for new content, such as on this blog, for example, an RSS reader might be for you. RSS is basically a simple way for websites to announce whenever their content has been updated. If you are not familiar with what it is, you can read more details about it in this c|net review. Most sites nowadays have RSS feeds to which you can subscribe

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-47182625695444125742007-02-06T13:04:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:49.804-05:00

Once again, Monday appropriately turned to Tuesday, but here goes. I bought a brand-new car over the weekend, a first for me. Until now, I had always bought pretty old and cheap Fords and was always happy with them. Naturally, I thought the trend might continue. Well, it did not, and I will soon be the proud owner of a Toyota. But first things first. Focus on FordAs I mentioned, I've always

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-71463968187171455542007-01-30T10:16:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:46:49.805-05:00

Okay, it's already Tuesday, but there is still time to procrastinate this week, so here are some suggestions. I'll try to make this a regular feature in which I'll share with you some of the internet goodies I've come across or remembered recently.AppleApple is, of course, always good for some inspiration. True, today's launch was a little bit less than inspiring, but other things are in the

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-27601788439177199542007-01-24T20:18:00.000-06:002007-03-16T11:47:16.991-05:00

I was scheduled to fly back to the U.S. last Thursday, but the big storm that swept most of Europe delayed my return by a day, and I was stuck in Amsterdam for a night.The flight out of Bremen was delayed by an hour, and by the time we finally reached Amsterdam, the winds were so strong that our little Fokker 50 was no longer up to the challenge of landing, and the pilot broke off the landing

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-3648232102354174702007-01-23T14:43:00.000-06:002007-06-21T12:14:54.487-05:00

As promised, here is some more coverage of the Bremen Sixdays. Here I have posted the last two laps before each of the last six sprints of the final all-deciding chase of the sixdays. Notice how the wins go back and forth and nothing is decided until the final, final sprint. If you have ridden the track yourself, you will be able to tell that this did not happen entirely by chance. . .But it

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-8283568262637270502007-01-17T17:04:00.000-06:002007-06-21T12:14:54.487-05:00

The venerable Bob Williams is already back at the National Sports Center, but had an interesting encounter this morning on his flight from Bremen to Amsterdam, about which he just sent me a long report. Here it is. So OK.Kurt and I got out at the airport. He came in with me while I checked in for my flight and then we were going to get a cup of coffee before I had to board. Who should be standing

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-60625003931289505152007-01-17T11:05:00.000-06:002007-06-21T12:14:54.488-05:00

The 43rd Bremen Sixdays are official over. 131,500 people came to watch the show. The grand finaleTonight was a night dedicated to hard racing. Klaus and Klaus were gone, and there were more people in the stands than anywhere else. Bob, Kurt, my mother, and I went to watch the furious finale. In the end it was as close as it could have been, the final decision was only made in the very last

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-61124090309836861962007-01-16T19:12:00.000-06:002007-06-21T12:14:54.488-05:00

Monday night at the Bremen Sixdays is "Bremer Nacht." That means that as opposed to people coming in from all over the region to watch the races, Monday night is local, and the corporate sponsorships come to the fore. According to our local newspaper, last night saw an attendance of 24,800. That's about 100 people for every person we get on our best night at the NSC Velodrome. This huge

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-28928815547113783252007-01-15T16:17:00.000-06:002007-06-21T12:14:54.488-05:00

Stadthalle Bremen, now the AWD Dome.The crewFive and a half of us went to the races today. Besides Bob and myself, some good friends of mine came along. Holger, who was with us the previous day, brought his girlfriend Sarah, his new daughter Marlene, and his sister Constanze, who all enjoyed the racing very much.Holger, (Marlene), Constanze, and Sarah.In fact, today was family matinée, which

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-4447079228474863172007-01-14T08:17:00.000-06:002007-06-21T12:14:54.489-05:00

The Bremen Sixdays are officially half over. Today Bob Williams, Holger Lison, and Jörg Plaß were with me. I picked up Bob from the airport around 6pm local time. He had been on the road since the previous night, when he left Minneapolis on a flight to Amsterdam. We made a quick pit stop at our house, then headed over to the AWD Dome to watch the race. The racing was much like last night, so I

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-64218767585384352732007-01-13T07:08:00.000-06:002007-06-21T12:14:54.490-05:00

Day two of the Bremen Sixdays finished last night at 2:30 am, and I was there. What's another 36 euros if one is already around, right? First off, let me say that I tried to take some pictures and videos, but that I was not very successful, but I have learned from the many mistakes I made last night and will try to get some better coverage from here on out. It didn't help that the security team

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-56207605039379931762007-01-12T05:50:00.000-06:002007-06-21T12:14:13.703-05:00

The 43rd Bremen Sixdays began last night. I will be attending the last four days of the event, together with the venerable Bob Williams. It should be a blast, and I will post updates here, complete with race results, photos, videos, and of course local gossip. The field of riders this year is incredibly strong, so the racing should be very exciting.The teams:   1.Nehlsen: Danny Stam - Franco

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6867112.post-56344410997287980212007-01-11T01:11:00.000-06:002007-01-12T07:20:45.307-06:00

2007 is already shaping up to be a very exciting year. I have a lot of things in the works right now: trying to finish up my graduate studies by this summer, looking for a job, and I got engaged last week. So if all goes well, I'll have a Ph.D., a job, and a wife by the end of this year. Not too bad for a 12 month plan. Seems like as good a time as any to start a blog, so here goes. Welcome to

Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15131484759972538899noreply@blogger.com0