Really cold today, this morning it was "frost on the lawn overnight cold", and today it was "wind blowing right through you" cold.  I did a ride, a pretty fast ride, actually, but it was pretty uncomfortable, too.  Brrr.  And meanwhile I didn't get much done today; unlike yesterday where it felt lots of cool important stuff happened, today went by, ho hum, and here I am.  So be it.

Today was also the one-week anniversary of my wipeout.  A week filled with pain, discomfort, and Motrin, not to mention plastic bags and duct tape.  I'm ready to be able to shower and sleep normally again, okay?

Public service announcement: Dakim Brain Fitness is a cool company.  If you know someone who is suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia, you will find this interesting.  The basic idea is that you exercise your brain to keep it fit.  And they have tools to help you exercise, in fact you can play with some of them online on their website.  I like the way their website is setup, it is very non-threatening and accessible, with big text and simple embedded videos.  Kind of like designed for an older person who isn't that familiar with computers or the web.  Very cool! 

Disclosure: one of Dakim's investors is Galen Associates, who are also an investor in Aperio, that's how I found out about them.  But I have no direct interest except rooting for them to make a difference :)

Herb London in Powerline: I lost my country.  "Where is my America, the place of fair play, individual rights, the rule of law and respect for private property?  Was the past merely a dream from which I have awakened?  Can that America of exceptionalism return?  Can it find its way back into the public consciousness?  I have my doubts.  Now the change agents scream 'everything will be different.'  Alas, they are right.  It appears as if everything will be different, most especially the end of an America I loved."  Wow, that's a pretty pessimistic take.  I'm not happy that Obama won, but America will survive. 

This has to be the weirdest bike path of all time.  Wow (click to enbiggen).  The bike handling skills implied are impressive :) 

Mike Arrington kicks the La La flywheel; he likes them, just like I do.  In case you don't know, they're an online music store where you can listen to stuff before buying, and when you buy you can store it on their site (for $.10) or download it to your computer (for $.89).  They have a decent selection and a decent user interface.  And yet... and yet... after using it for a while and continuing to like it, I find myself gravitating back to iTunes.  Not sure why.  Maybe it's selection; my iTunes has 20MB of music I really like, and 0MB of music I don't.  But I sure won't find new music in iTunes :) 

The 2009 Vuelta will start in Holland!  Wow, check a map; Holland is not next to Spain...  in fact the first three stages will be in Holland, and the fourth will start there and end in Belgium.  Then a transfer day moves the race to Spain.  Pretty cool, I predict many Rabobank fans wearing orange :) 

Cycling News previews the Tour of California which takes place in February; pretty soon many of the pro teams are going to come out here for early season training, riding in the very hills I ride every day.  Nothing is cooler than being passed by a small peloton of pros roaring up one of your daily rides :) 

From the Onion: Area woman becomes Republican vice-presidential candidate.  "The mother of five, who enjoys attending church potluck dinners with husband Todd, an unemployed commercial fisherman, reportedly 'jumped at the chance' to become the second most powerful person in the country."  [ via Jason Kottke, who notes "Sometimes the funniest fake news is disturbingly real"; for him Sarah Palin herself was disturbing, but for me it's the close correlation between Onion stories and truth... ] 

Check out The Boston Globe's pictures of 2008.  Excellent! 

ZooBorn of the Day: a little Koala Bear.  Now that's cute...