It's been an interesting day. But at least it went by really quickly. It has been a very slow week, with unexpected developments here and there. I often feel like the individual experience at a particular time of year, or at a certain time of the month, or season, sometimes coincides with a disruptive or smooth pattern that a host of other people are experiencing. It's like a shared biorythm. An example is Jake White. He wants to meet the President, the Prez wants to meet him, but the SARB first want it to be very obvious to everyone that Jake has their blessing (forgetting obviously what the Prez wants).
It's very easy to see what people are thinking, not based on their words but the context of their words, and obviously, on their actions, which is a much truer reflection.
This weekend I hope I'm able to get some words out (chapter 4 specifically), and build some momentum on The Holiday. Once you lose mementum on a book you might as well chuck it on the fire.
A recent development is that I found out that the third Masked-ateer, Muddee (on the Hub) is none other than Wilbar, from Cyclopede. Yes, quite a surprise. He changed my bars around helpfully quite late on the eve of Free State Road Champs way back in April. It was all for nothing of course, since I didn't ride, but I guess it's significant that he was busting his butt outside of working hours to help me take part the next day.
Today I received this via email:
If you go back to my earlier posts on the hub, you'll see that I'm one of a few that actually contributed to your threads in a civilized manner. I'll give in that my frustration got the better of me and I jumped on the bandwagon.
I am responsible for everything I said, but I am not going to apologize for it...
I was initially quite shocked once again that this guy had said some pretty mean things about me, but then I suppose we have to accept that the internet isn't the same as your living room, and if your identity is hidden you can kick back and really enjoy yourself (if you choose to) at someone elses expense. But the same rules of public decency ought to apply wherever you are. Anyway I still had a hard time figuring out that this quiet, well behaved, very polite young guy was capable of...well, as he says, jumping on the bandwagon and not being nice.
My last firsthand experience of a cycle race with W was the Aartappelfees race. I remember he got a flat early on, and then fell behind us. So after 10 or 15km or something he is coming up from behind, and I've fallen off a bunch, and me a few other guys tried to ride with him. But it some became very obvious that he didn't want to ride with us, or want our help (apparently we weren't good enough), so he sort of rode gutter, and basically just ignored everyone behind him. Long story short, he arrived at Petrusburg (is that the place?) with a huge bunch riding right behind him. I don't know, I didn't understand that so well, since probably if we had worked together we could have left that bunch FAR behind, but now I do understand it. It's that thing of being seen with someone you think you are superior to or something. Unfortunately, on the bike, if you can't get away, even if you have good individual strength, I am not sure entirely what the point is. So ja, that was a strange day, but it makes a bit more sense now.
Shifting Sense
When I was still a teacher I made a suggestion to a group of economics students what to ask Trevor Manuel. Since they had come up with decent questions of their own, I was surprised when the student stood up in City Hall, and spotlight and TV camera focussed firmly on him, he uttered these words:
"Mr Manuel, do you see oil going to $100?"
I remember Mr Manuel saying that his focus was on those things he 'could do something about', so he would be busy in his back yard, not worrying about the Middle East.
In a sense it is an astute answer. But in another sense, if no one is in charge of this issue domestically (not our Minister of Finance certainly), what would happen if we (the world, and this country) suffered a curve ball. The answer is we would collectively be feeling like a bunch of Silly Nana's. From the facts and figures I've been looking at, that time is perilously close, and we have no Game Plan, no Plan B. Not So Easy Motoring could be any time from now, to 4 years away.
Alex is coming this weekend as I remember, so I wonder if I will saddle up again? It's father's day on Sunday as well. Going to go directly from work to play Squash, start the weekend with a sweat and a series of smashes.
2 comments:
Now now Nick...Dont forget to tell your readers how you used an email linked to my shops name to "create confusion" among cyclists on the hub. Some of my customers really did not appreciate your so seemed involvement in my shop.
Wilbar
Believe it or not I couldn't find an alternate email that google will use, and then I tried cyclopede and it worked.
You're seeing a Conspiracy, when really the question is, how was your deliberate attack on you (done at Cyclopede, at work, during working hours, on a client), how can you rationalise that as defending clients? Maybe you need to think about that for a while MudDee.
And just a word of warning. The CSA and Carinus are now going to study emails etc I have provided them (essentially my 'case). You might find at the end of the day that I was correct in everything I said. It's going to be a bit strange then for you to back up what you did.
My guess is you'll brush is off as 'so what, I said what I heard'. But it comes back to the original point, what gives you the write, not saying who you are (not identifying yourself), to throw mud at someone who is?
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