Risk

Sometimes, in life, you have to say “what the fuck.”

Last month..I did something I swore I would never do…buy a street bike.  Not only a street bike, but a “super-duper-death-machine style” street / dirt bike…AKA “supermoto.”

Aprilia Dorsoduro 750

After I returned from Antarctica earlier this year, I had some “excess capital.”  There are many responsible things I could have done with that money, but instead of going for it all, I decided to go for myself instead.  I bought a motocross bike.

Well..not one..actually two.

1983 YZ 125

1981 RM 125

When I was a kid (like last week) my dad bought us motocross bikes.  I don’t think my mom was ever really into it, and as a result, it never took off and we eventually had to get rid of them.  Fast forward 20 years and the desire to explore this sport was still there.  I had money, I had time (i.e. unemployed), and I was living very close to a motocross track.

‘Nuff said.

Well..is been one hell of a summer.  I’ve learned a lot about the sport, about myself, and about how hard it is to go to work after having your bell rung out at the track.  So..as this season comes to a close, I look forward to rebuilding the bike..and getting ready for the next one.

Still..something was missing.

There is something about riding street that is exciting in a way that motocross can never be.  The precision construction of the bike, the rapid acceleration and deceleration, the tight cornering..or maybe its the fear of hitting the unforgiving asphalt going…really fast.  Regardless…I took a motorcycle safety class at the beginning of the summer and was hooked. I’m not sure how I went from a 250cc training bike to a 750cc death machine so quick..but I’m happy to be there and look forward to twisting it on over many miles in the Colorado canyons….

-C

R.I.P. Robert McNamara

“We are the strongest nation in the world today.”

“I do not believe that we should ever apply that economic, political, and military power unilaterally. If we had followed that rule in Vietnam, we wouldn’t have been there. None of our allies supported us. Not Japan, not Germany, not Britain or France.”

“If we can’t persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we’d better re-examine our reasoning.”

-Robert McNamara, “The Fog of War”, 2003, just prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq

I’m Like Mike

I never thought I had anything in common with Mike Tyson.  I was wrong.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from his new documentary….I’m not a fan of boxing, but after recalling all of his out-of-the-ring escapades over the years, I thought it would at least make for a good story.

The format of the movie is unique in that there is no interviewer…its just Tyson talking about his life, but skillfully edited in such a way as to convey a kind of measured insanity delivered stream-of-consciousness ….and the feeling that this is a story he has been wanting to tell for a long time.

It was amazing to see the early footage of his rise to heavyweight champion at the unbelievable age of 20.  I squirmed in my seat as opponent after opponent was absolutely devastated in the ring by this one man wrecking machine.  Many of his knockouts were in the first round, one set the record in 8 seconds.  Its hardly believable that one man, so young, can ascend so quickly to overwhelmingly dominate this sport.

I also squirmed as I watched it all fall apart.  His relationship with Robin Givens, loosing the title, a rape conviction, and jail.  A brief return to glory as heavyweight champ shortly after release…but then a backslide into excess…ultimately leading to retirement after (what had to be embarrassing) knockout losses to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride.

Throughout the film, Tyson proves to be not only a capable storyteller, but also someone capable of honest introspection.

Go see this movie. You will not be bored.

-C

The Golden Hour

Thats what I call it.

Its the hour or two before sunset and my favorite time to run.

The heat of the day is gone, the winds are still, the tourists have gone home, and the trails are quiet.  All that is left is the sound of my breath and the rythmic pounding of my feet against the earth.

Its simple perfection and in that moment, I am at peace.

-C

Made in America

I had the pleasure of seeing the new Stacy Peralta documentary “Crips and Bloods: Made in America” last night.  If you don’t recognize the name, his previous films were “Dogtown and Z-boys“, documenting the history of skateboarding, and “Riding Giants” about the origin of surf culture.

Crips and Bloods examines the history of African-American culture in Los Angeles and how certain historical conditions gave rise to the two most violent street gangs in American history.

Although many social and economic factors are presented, for me, one of the most striking points the film makes is regarding the racist housing covenants that, prior to the adoption of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, prevented minorities of all kinds from living in white neighborhoods.

Not only could minorities not live there, they couldn’t even be seen walking through white neighborhoods without drawing the attention of police.  What a feeling that must be, to not be free to walk outside your own neighborhood.

In any event, after seeing this, along with all of the other contributing factors, the viewer should not be surprised with how we arrived at the situation we have today.

Still… the writers come dangerously close to giving the gang members a “free pass.”  One quote from a subject in the movie was “I didn’t choose my destiny, my destination chose me.”  This seems to imply that we have no free will…and that we are all somehow victims of circumstance.

While I am a firm believer that we are, to a certain degree, a product of our environments (physical, mental, etc), I refuse to believe that anything is preordained.

We make our own luck.

Thankfully, there are some that have risen above this culture of violence and have returned to help the community.  It seems to me, however, that a level of violence that is many times greater than that which occurs between protestants and catholics in Ireland, but receives probably only a fraction of the media attention, deserves so much more.

What does this say about us?  What does this say about our country?

-C

Maiden Auckland

When I found out that Iron Maiden was playing Auckland, New Zealand during the same period I was vacationing there, I couldn’t resist checking it out!

Normally, I refuse to go see stadium events.  The logistics are too much of a pain in the ass, the prices too expensive, and even with “good” seats, you are lucky to get a decent view of the band.

I have to make an exception to this policy for Maiden …and more specifically for this tour that they have been on.  The “Somewhere Back in Time” tour basically replicates the same stage and set list that they did back in the early 80’s while on their epic “Powerslave” tour …which was probably their defining moment as a band.

I had the opportunity to see the band on this tour while visiting some friends in LA, prior to going to Antarctica, and they did not disappoint!

After crossing the Cook Straight on a ferry the night before, I had to drive all day to reach Auckland in time for the show.  Once I got into town, I realized my ticket was still in a digital PDF format on a USB thumb drive.  I had never printed it out after Ticketmaster emailed it to me…UGH!  Well…they are obviously not going to take my thumb drive at the gate, so I needed to find a place to print it out.

At 7pm on a friday night, even in Auckland, this proved to be a daunting proposition.

Unlike the US, where, in a major city, you could find pretty much anything you needed at most any time of day,  New Zealand businesses generally close up between 5-6pm.  Its actually refreshing to be in a place that doesn’t have such a consumer based economy as we do here in  America.  But this night, I was not refreshed, I was getting pissed.  Eventually, 30 minutes before the show started, I got desperate and ran into a hotel to see if they could print it out for me.  After some interesting looks, they did …and so I was on my way to the stadium!

The weather was lousy, but the show was great.  They had a different set from when I had seen them in LA and included some old tunes that I’ve never heard live …so that really made all of the frustration around getting to the show worthwhile.

Up the Irons!

-C

Yea, Its Over Now

Well, my time at the South Pole has come to an end.

I’ve purposely waited a bit before I posted something on the experience, so that I wouldn’t let the euphoria of leaving interfere with my real feelings on the topic.

Looking back, I think I can sum it up as follows:

(1) The science that goes on there is hugely important, and I hope the current administration continues to fund such endeavors.

(2) My job in support of that mission was fairly boring, but I think that’s what I needed.

(3) The people that gravitate to that place are some of the finest I’m sure I will ever know.  It was a privilege and an honor to work for and with them.

(4) I got to grow some really rockin’ sideburns.

As you can imagine, there are some very unique aspects to working in a place like the South Pole.  Yes, there are some strange things that happen when you get 250 people together at a such a remote location.  I don’t think this is something that is easily put in to words, so for the moment, I’m not going to try.  Just use your imagination and you probably wont be too far off.  Besides, I’d rather just tell you about them in person over a hopefully-not-past-its-expiration-date beer.

So there you have it… an important, boring job with some great people …and righteous facial hair.  …and I hope I can do it again.

-C

This Is How The World Ends

Here at the South Pole, there is no native plant or animal life.  Its just us, and everything we brought here to make it livable.  We regulate just about every aspect of the environment in which we operate.

It just struck me, yesterday, how long it has been since I’ve heard a bird sing, or water run, or a tree move gently in the wind.

We are the only species that no plant or animal depends on for survival, yet we depend on all of them.  Without the natural world in which we evolve, we are not fully human.

In the 20 minutes it took me to write this, a species has gone extinct, and we have lost 1200 acres of rain forest.

The more the natural world is destroyed, the more humans will have to try to regulate it ourselves.  Its a loosing proposition.

If my experience here in this “artificial” environment has tought me anything, its that a life away from nature, and all its magnificent diversity, is not worth living.

Take my word for it.

-C

Change I Can Believe In

“Let me give you a word of the philosophy of reforms. The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of struggle….

If there is no struggle there is no progress.

Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.

The struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle.

Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will….”

-Frederick Douglass, 1857

The Air Drop

Aviation support is critical to operations at the South Pole.  On a typical day, we have several flights that bring both people and cargo.  The aircraft range from Twin Otters to C130s and are all equipped with skis so they can land on the runway we have carved in the ice.

On this occasion, however, a C17 delivered its cargo without landing.  It was the 3rd airdrop by a C17 in the history of the South Pole, and I was lucky enough to see it.

Well…luck did not have much to do with it.  It was a Saturday night and there was nothing else to do anyway.

The C17 made two passes to drop cargo and three down the runway…the last one at about 500 feet.

On the second drop, one or two of the parachutes failed to open.  This is referred to as a “streamer.”  A streamer is no fun if you are jumping out of the aircraft, but when its cargo, it can make for some spectacular results…especially if the cargo is food!  Check it out….

…upon closer inspection…this is what happens when the parachute opens…

…And this is what happens when it doesn’t.  Yes..this is the top of the crate!

Man, I hope there weren’t any Oreos in there….

-C