Why, oh why do I have to be a fan of sports that aren't big in North America? At least, thanks to Lance Armstrong, the Tour de France gets live/same day TV coverage here (but who knows what will happen next year now that Lance is retired).
CBC is scheduled to show coverage next weekend from the World Road Cycling Championships in Madrid - but the event actually finished today. And apparently to protect CBC's rights, an internet site that did live streaming of footage from the men's road race today wasn't allowed to show anything in Canada.
So, I had to resort to watching live text updates from several websites (Cycling News, the Daily Peloton, Eurosport) to see what happened this morning. Unfortunately Robbie McEwen, one of the favourites and my favourite, didn't win. (but I guess I can watch it next Saturday on CBC, depending on whether the CBC strike affects the scheduling).
(update - October 9 - CBC was still on strike last weekend so showed a rerun of Sports Saturday from last May ... Cycling TV now has highlights of the Worlds on their website, but can't show them to anyone from Canada because CBC still has all the rights...)
Sunday, September 25, 2005
In the style of Robert Service ...
On our Chilkoot Trail trip, we were looking through the logbook at Happy Camp (i.e., the campsite after the big long day over the Chilkoot Pass) - we were amused to see the entries commenting on "amazing view", "wonderful weather - +30 C so we went skinny dipping in Crater Lake" and so on, seeing as we were fogged in over the pass with rain and a wind chill likely below freezing. So we were inspired to write this poem to describe *our* trip, and we wrote it in that same logbook (because it was still raining we decided to sleep in that morning, take our time making breakfast and taking down our tents - we didn't leave Happy Camp until 12:30 or 1 pm) :
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun" - no wait, we didn't see the sun, let's start over.
There are strange things seen when you're with Noreen, when you're hiking the Chilkoot Trail;
There is lots of pain in the driving rain when you're determined not to fail.
Four packs were snatched, a plan was hatched, and Anderson saved the day
Three were found, lying around, and we were on our way.
Marcia hiked with a pack she disliked, a Walmart special she had;
Allison sewed by the headlamp glow and made it not so bad.
In the night, Aurora would recite "The Cremation of Sam McGee";
Other hikers were impressed as they sat to rest, at the campground of Canyon City.
It's so wet and cold, Chloe's clothes smell like mold, and no she is not lying;
You'll have no fear, when Emily's orange pants are near, of getting lost and crying.
In the fog, the summit shelter was clogged by hikers seeking respite;
Laura and Jen trailed, but in the end they prevailed, the top was a welcome sight.
So here we sit, about to split, our clothes dripping on the line;
Past Happy Camp we'll still be damp, but we leave you with this rhyme.
(Written by the Victoria Potluck Link and friends on August 25, 2005 - inspired by Robert Service)
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun" - no wait, we didn't see the sun, let's start over.
There are strange things seen when you're with Noreen, when you're hiking the Chilkoot Trail;
There is lots of pain in the driving rain when you're determined not to fail.
Four packs were snatched, a plan was hatched, and Anderson saved the day
Three were found, lying around, and we were on our way.
Marcia hiked with a pack she disliked, a Walmart special she had;
Allison sewed by the headlamp glow and made it not so bad.
In the night, Aurora would recite "The Cremation of Sam McGee";
Other hikers were impressed as they sat to rest, at the campground of Canyon City.
It's so wet and cold, Chloe's clothes smell like mold, and no she is not lying;
You'll have no fear, when Emily's orange pants are near, of getting lost and crying.
In the fog, the summit shelter was clogged by hikers seeking respite;
Laura and Jen trailed, but in the end they prevailed, the top was a welcome sight.
So here we sit, about to split, our clothes dripping on the line;
Past Happy Camp we'll still be damp, but we leave you with this rhyme.
(Written by the Victoria Potluck Link and friends on August 25, 2005 - inspired by Robert Service)
Friday, September 16, 2005
Summer activities
I never got around to posting anything about our camping trip, so now I have two actually to mention.
Ed and I went camping in Kananaskis Country (Peter Lougheed Provincial Park) in August for 4 days - great weather (it was +30 C and sunny in Calgary all that week - cooler in the mountains but still great). We did some hiking as I was trying to prepare for my next trip at the end of August - our photos are here.
This trip reminded us of prior camping trips to Kananaskis, so I dug out some old photos: our first-ever camping trip as a couple in 1993 when we did the same Mt. Indefatigable hike we did again this year (photos here and here), and a camping trip in 1996 with friends where we went whitewater rafting.
In late August I hiked the Chilkoot Trail with some Guiding friends from Victoria, as mentioned previously on this page. My photos of that trip are here.
Ed and I went camping in Kananaskis Country (Peter Lougheed Provincial Park) in August for 4 days - great weather (it was +30 C and sunny in Calgary all that week - cooler in the mountains but still great). We did some hiking as I was trying to prepare for my next trip at the end of August - our photos are here.
This trip reminded us of prior camping trips to Kananaskis, so I dug out some old photos: our first-ever camping trip as a couple in 1993 when we did the same Mt. Indefatigable hike we did again this year (photos here and here), and a camping trip in 1996 with friends where we went whitewater rafting.
In late August I hiked the Chilkoot Trail with some Guiding friends from Victoria, as mentioned previously on this page. My photos of that trip are here.
Thoughts on Lance Armstrong
The mainstream sports media (at least here in Canada) have covered really only bits and pieces of the back-and-forth accusations over the issue of L'Equipe (French sports newspaper) claiming they have evidence Lance Armstrong used EPO in the 1999 Tour de France. Already in the last week, the UCI (international cycling federation) criticized WADA and Dick Pound for commenting before full investigations were complete, Dick Pound claims that the leak was actually the UCI president, Lance Armstrong hints that he might actually make a comeback to combat rumours but now states that he won't (and criticizes Dick Pound), and the UCI president denies that the UCI leaked anything.
In my mind, I have grave doubts about testing done for no apparent valid reason, without the consent of the athlete involved, 6 years later - if the journalist involved forged numbers onto his documents, as the UCI claims, he could easily have faked results as well. Lance Armstrong has actually put his own money into improving drug testing in cycling over the years, which would probably be a really stupid thing to do if you were actually cheating.
(and while I used to think it was neat that Canada had a high-ranking IOC and later WADA official in Dick Pound, he now comes across as embarrassing when he makes comments apparently without all the information, even other WADA officials have criticized him as well).
Andrew Coyne, in one of his now-rare blogging moments, puts forth 4 possible scenarios for what might actually have happened, and points out that in three of the four, Lance Armstrong still comes across as a winner.
In my mind, I have grave doubts about testing done for no apparent valid reason, without the consent of the athlete involved, 6 years later - if the journalist involved forged numbers onto his documents, as the UCI claims, he could easily have faked results as well. Lance Armstrong has actually put his own money into improving drug testing in cycling over the years, which would probably be a really stupid thing to do if you were actually cheating.
(and while I used to think it was neat that Canada had a high-ranking IOC and later WADA official in Dick Pound, he now comes across as embarrassing when he makes comments apparently without all the information, even other WADA officials have criticized him as well).
Andrew Coyne, in one of his now-rare blogging moments, puts forth 4 possible scenarios for what might actually have happened, and points out that in three of the four, Lance Armstrong still comes across as a winner.
Katrina - some thoughts
What's to say at this point about Katrina that hasn't already been said? There are so many points of view, and so many people that have politicized what has happened to meet their own ends. In the Edmonton Journal the last few days there has been a debate between the radio DJ's supporting a teddy bear drive for the kids of the Gulf Coast, and the columnist who pointed out that they probably need more than just our teddy bears...
For me, the following two items summarize things the best:
1) a webcomic (actually my favourite comic anywhere at the moment, other than the temporary return of Calvin and Hobbes for the rest of the year) called Todd and Penguin - in this one, the child-like Penguin shows his concern at not knowing how to help (you can follow the next few comics to see what he tries), and cynical Oscar the cat shows the indifference of many, "it didn't happen to me so why should I care?".
2) National Post columnist and blogger Colby Cosh has an interesting recap on his website.
For me, the following two items summarize things the best:
1) a webcomic (actually my favourite comic anywhere at the moment, other than the temporary return of Calvin and Hobbes for the rest of the year) called Todd and Penguin - in this one, the child-like Penguin shows his concern at not knowing how to help (you can follow the next few comics to see what he tries), and cynical Oscar the cat shows the indifference of many, "it didn't happen to me so why should I care?".
2) National Post columnist and blogger Colby Cosh has an interesting recap on his website.
