The Tour

The Tour de France is maybe my second favorite thing to watch on TV. It seems boring, 3-4 hours of watching people ride their bikes. If you really get to know it, there is so much more going on here. It's not just a straight up race to the finish.

There are teams and each member has a specific role. A man's career could be hugely successful, but he is strictly a domestique. His job is to ride in front of his leader to block the wind, sacrifice himself to allow the leader to conserve energy. Fall back to the team car and pick up water bottles. Even give up his bike if his leader's bike is destroyed in a crash.

There are competitions with in the race. There are special jerseys which denote a rider’s status. The leader in the time competition wears the yellow jersey, the leader in the sprint competition wears a green jersey, the king of the mountains wears a polka dot jersey, and the best young rider gets a white jersey.

There is etiquette. If your team has the yellow jersey your team is expected to lead the peloton. If the yellow jersey rider falls the race will slow giving him time to catch back up. You never attack when the yellow jersey is down. Never attack if the peloton is near, in or leaving the feeding area. Never attack when a large number are having a bathroom break. (They pee on the fly). There are so many more you will learn if you watch The Tour.

And don't for get the spectators. They line the course days in advance to watch these riders fly by in about 3 seconds. In the mountain stages the riders are slower and the peloton is broken up. Most of the fans have also been drinking for days. They will run along side the riders for as long as they can carrying a flag or screaming encouragement ...or just naked. And the most famous of them all is the The Devil.

But the main reason I watch is the commentating. There are only two men in the world that can make 3-4 hours of watching a bike race interesting, Paul Sherwen and Phil Liggett. The hours are filled with wit, analogies and quotes that will be classics for years to come, at least in the cycling community. To be honest nothing is really going on 90% of the time yet they talk the entire time and some how make it interesting. Here are some classics.

"The peloton is passing a field of white cows. This region of France is known for its bovine....Of course, none of that matters to any of the riders, except that they might like a nice steak at the end of day."

"The weather is something of a damp squid"

"The race is no respecter of reputation, your only as good as now".

"He's done his job at the front and now he must concentrate on getting his enormous carcass up the rest of the way"

"Its only a mountain, one of many you can see on this French Country morning, but for 171 young men it would be a place where they would dare to ask themselves the questions of greatness"

"The history of the Tour De France was chiseled into these walls of rock by men willing to ask more of themselves knowing that this time for some, the answers from their bodies would be...no more"

"He's really having to dig deeply into the suitcase of courage"

“He’s reeling them in like a fisherman with a trout on the line”

"Bridge to engine room-more power. There is no more"

Michael Jackson, 1958-2009, The King

Rest in Peace Michael

I found these 50 interesting facts about Michael from the day of his 50th birthday...

1. Jackson's Billie Jean was the first video by a black artist to air on MTV.

2. Jackson owns the rights to the South Carolina State Anthem South Carolina on My Mind, recorded by Hank Martin and Buzz Arledge.

3. Jackson's waxwork features in five Madame Tussauds museums across the world. Only Elvis Presley and Madonna have more Tussaud figures - they have six each.

4. Jackson's total lifetime earnings from royalties, solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at $500 million.

5. Jackson has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for radio play, located at 1541 Vine Street, and one for recording at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard.

6. Jackson received a Presidential Humanitarian Award from Ronald Reagan in 1984 for his support of charities helping people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.

7. Michael Jackson is the seventh of nine children.

8. Jackson fought fellow 50 year old Madonna on MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch - he lost.

9. Three of Jackson's albums - Bad, Dangerous and Thriller - are among the bestsellers of all time.

10. Thriller remains the biggest-selling album since records began.

11. Jackson has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.

12. Jackson wears his trademark black armband to remind fans of the suffering of children around the world.

13. Jackson's favourite superhero is Morph from the X-Men.

14.Jackson picked up his iconic moonwalk moves, which he debuted at the Motown 25th Anniversary show in 1983, from streetdancers he spotted performing outside a hotel.

15. MC Hammer once challenged Jackson to a dance-off. He was told to Beat It. Jackson reportedly responded, "I've seen your videos and every single dance move you use, you got off of me."

16. Little Richard wanted Jackson to play him in a biopic.

17. Bubbles the chimp and Ben the rat are two of Jackson's most famous pets, but he also befriended a ram called Mr Tibbs, a python called Crusher and Louie the llama.

18. An obsessed French Jackson superfan committed suicide in 1984 after his mother refused to allow him to undergo surgery to look like the star.

19. In 1984, a U.S. library accused Jackson of owing it over $1 million in overdue book fines. Officials said they would scrap the fines if he returned the books autographed.

20. Jackson dedicated his 1997 Blood On The Dancefloor album to Sir Elton John.

21. Jackson is a vegetarian.

22. Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Jackson 5 on May 6, 1997. He was inducted as a solo artist on March 19, 2001.

23. Jackson once dated Brooke Shields and Tatum O'Neal.

24. Jackson has several media nicknames. They include The Gloved One, Wacko Jacko, Jacko, The King of Pop, and MJ. Close friends call him Smelly!

25. Jackson's music video for Thriller was voted the greatest music video of all time in a recent Channel 4 (UK) poll.

26. Jackson won an MTV Movie Award for Best Movie Song in 1994 for his song Will You Be There from the movie Free Willy.

27. The Scream music video Jackson made with sister Janet is the most expensive promo ever made, costing more than $7 million.

28. Jackson's double album HIStory is the biggest selling double album ever released in the U.S.

29. Jackson's Blood on the Dance Floor is the biggest selling re-mix album of all time.

30. Jackson really is a King in West Africa - he was given a royal title by villagers in Gabon, Ivory Coast in 1992.

31. Jackson's pre-concert ritual includes drinking Ricola candy dissolved in hot water. He claims the beverage helps to keep his throat and his singing voice clear.

32. Jackson owns the patent for a stage shoe device that allows performers to lean forward and appear to defy gravity.

33. Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana in 1958. The town is planning a tribute museum to the pop superstar.

34. Movie star Macauley Culkin is godfather to Jackson's two eldest children, Paris and Prince Michael.

35. Culkin helped Jackson design the amusement park at his Neverland Valley Ranch home in California.

36. Lisa Marie Presley's former brother-in-law and his wife were the witnesses at her Dominican Republic wedding to Jackson in 1994.

37. Jackson shares the record for the most Grammy Awards won in one year with Carlos Santana and Norah Jones - they each won eight.

38. Jackson co-wrote charity anthem We Are The World with Lionel Richie.

39. Jackson is godfather to Nicole Richie, Bee Gees star Barry Gibb's son Michael, and Oliver star Mark Lester's kids.

40. Jackson and brother Tito were best men at Liza Minnelli and David Gest's wedding.

41. Jackson's performance during the 1993 SuperBowl half-time show drew the largest TV audience in American history.

42. The directors of Jackson's videos have included Martin Scorsese, John Singleton and John Landis.

43. In 1999 Jackson paid $1.5 for the 1939 Best Picture Oscar, which was presented to producer David O. Selznick for Gone With The Wind.

44. Jackson appeared on a postage stamp in the Virgin Islands in the mid-1980s after locals voted him the superstar they'd most like to honour.

45. An extensive 1997 survey declared Jackson was the Most Famous Person in the World.

46. Jackson helped plan neighbor Gregory Peck's funeral.

47. Jackson once described close friend Elizabeth Taylor as "a warm cuddly blanket that I love to snuggle up to and cover myself with.”

48. Jackson provided a voiceover on The Simpsons - but it remained a secret for 12 years. He voiced a character in a mental institution in the Stark Raving Dad episode, which aired in 1991, but, because of a contractual problem, Jackson had to be credited as John Jay Smith. His contribution to the classic cartoon series remained a rumour among fans until The Simpsons creator Matt Groening confirmed it really was Jackson when the episode was released on DVD in 2003.

49. Jackson shares the same birthday as U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Other celebrities who share Jackson's birthday include moviemakers Sir Richard Attenborough and William Friedkin, and actresses Rebecca DeMornay and Carla Gugino.

50. Jackson's comeback plans have been scuppered by a new online poll - 71 per cent of 59,000 people voting on website PopEater.com answered `Not a chance' to the question 'Can the King of Pop make a comeback?'

Steve's Swim Coach Called at 6:30am

Good Morning Roesslers
This is Coach Walker calling in regards to Stephen Roessler
I was just kind of concerned about his attendance for practice
It is now at the point where he has missed more practices than he has actually gone to
This is concerning to me
I just want to make sure that at the time you think he is here he is not
And I just want to make sure he is not sleeping in the Forest Preserve.

Salad Spinner

A quick update on my homeless friend, I talked to him when he got back from his surgery and he said everything was fine and he felt much better. That's great news. Still have no idea what was wrong.

There is another homeless guy I walk by on my way home. I think he has been around forever. I have NEVER seen him without sunglasses. He has a whole set up with a chair and a big sign (maybe 4 feet x 4 feet). The sign changes sometimes but always has something about feeling Jesus in your heart today or something like that. I thought he was blind since he always wears sunglasses, but one day when I was walking by, I was staring at his sign to take it all in. I figured why not stare he doesn't know. I know, how rude. Well he is not blind cause he asked if I wanted to be saved. I just smiled and said "No Thank You."

Anyway he has been giving me a reason to smile in this cloudy, rainy, cool weather we have been having. For the past couple of weeks his money collecting container is a salad spinner. He doesn't have the top part obviously just the clear plastic part and the colander thing.

Team Red

I organized a beach volleyball team for the summer. Most of the team consists of ex- swimmers. And those that are not swimmers we are currently trying to convert to swimmers.

We had few practices before the season started just to get our volleyball legs. We seemed decent.

Game 1-It was a WIN! Now we think we are pretty darn good. Great serves. Good ideas even if the execution was off.

Game 2-Going in pretty confident. Other team is far superior and trash talkers and sticklers. We call them the Net Nazis. Loss is devastating.

Game 3-We now know we are NOT "all that". Go in with a good attitude and plans to hit The Cordial after the game. The highlight of the night? Recession special: $1.50 Schlitz cans. Our record is 1-2.

No other team has team shirts. Do you think they make us a target?

Talk About Fiasco

Justin Timberlake, Lupe Fiasco (Chicago Rapper), and Kenna (Singer) are gearing up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. If you're like me you have been wondering when JT was going to do this. It seems like the most logical next project for him. And to boot, here is what these guys are saying about their trip.

Lupe Fiasco has jokingly suggested he might "murder" Justin Timberlake on their charity climb. The two stars are set to make a gruelling trek up Mount Kilimanjaro with fellow musician Kenna this autumn and the rapper has a unique approach to easing the group's suffering if things get tough. He joked: "Hell yeah, I'm worried. If things go bad out there, everybody's dying I'll go psychopath, freak out and murder everyone for the sake of none of us suffering! It would be like the ending of a Stephen King movie, by the time the rescue helicopter comes."

Kenna also said that he is feeling competitive with Timberlake as they prepare for the climb, saying: "I refuse to work out with him, because he's way fitter than I am. I'm training in secret."

And Fiasco insists he's ready for the challenge, which he plans to turn into a fun race with his pal: "I'm an adventure junkie. Part of the motivation is beating Kenna to the top. Sabotaging his tent, taking the lining out of his coat, lacing it with ants or something like that."

A mountian top murder, secret training, the old ants in the coat trick? This should be good.

My New Relationship

This relationship is not new, but there has been a new advancement in the relationship.

I could be wrong but I think that most people who live or work in the city have "their" homeless guy (or gal). This is a particular homeless person that you pass everyday. You may acknowledge them, you may not. You may give them money or food, you may not. Nevertheless they are part of your life. My homeless guy stands in front of the Boeing Building. Everyday as people pass he says "Good Morning Young Man" or "Good Morning Young Lady" to every single person. At times people are coming so fast its a whirl wind of pleasantries. Most people don't respond. I always say "Good Morning" and smile. At that particular spot I cross the street. It is not a cross walk so I usually have to wait a bit for traffic. After the first few days he acknowledged me a bit more with some Sweeties and Honey's and some other stuff I can't understand and finally an "I lu yewwww!" as I crossed the street. Now this interaction is our normal morning routine. Oh I forgot to mention that he sounds like Billy Bob Thorton in Sling Blade! I still just say "Good Morning" but my smile has moved to more of a laugh. I wish you could experience this. It makes my morning. There are days that I am just not in the mood for him, but I walk by anyway and by the time I am across the street my mood is lifted. I just can't help it. He is so priceless.

I know I am not the only one he loves so today I was caught off guard a bit. As I passed he starts saying things I hadn't heard before. Not the sweeties and the honey's and the usual garble I can't understand. So I say "What?" and walk closer. As a side note I have never given him anything, no money, no food, nothing. So today he tells me that he is going to be having surgery tomorrow, so after tomorrow I will not see him for the rest of the week. He reiterated, "You will see me tomorrow morning but not for the rest of the week." I just said "Oh No! Good Luck. I will definitely come by tomorrow morning to see you." He said a few things I didn't understand something about praying for him I think. Then off I went across the street with his "I lu yewww" trailing behind.

Now what do I do? Should I get him something? I don't even know what that would be. I know he likes to smoke but that's not appropriate. Maybe some food? I am at a loss. Maybe just a good luck with your surgery and see you soon.