mr340 river race update no.2

mr240 race update no.2 - the start

This is how it begins. You start with a confluence, in this case the Kansas and the Missouri Rivers, a city, and some people willing to get in a boat and paddle. For a while. Pretty simple stuff when you get down to it.


What else. Throw in some Lewis and Clark re-enactors, some tough-as-nails sailors, some Amazonians, some people out to prove something to others, to themselves, some looking for adventure, some for solace, some for a difficult journey, some to perservere. I guess since we're ending this year at the Lewis and Clark Boathouse in St. Charles I can put up with the re-enactors. Everyone else makes sense.

Throw in a dj. Ok, definitely not as cool as LL, but still a dj. But a dj at 7 o'clock in the morning. Rich even by my taste.

mr340 river race update no.1

mr340 river race. update no. 1

Warrior Ant Press is trying something different. We're blogging during the race. We''re also in the race. We're sponsoring the Women's Solo Division. We're blogging. Why not?

The tool. A OLPC (one laptop per child) notebook. It's small (fits inside a gallon ziplock baggie). It's rugged, waterproof, has a long-life battery, and it has wireless capability.

Don't know how this is going to work, so bear with us. Although we'll be taking photos along the way, they take too much time to upload so we're going to rely on our bank of stock photos. Bear with us on this one as we work out the bugs of trying to bring you updates while the race is going on. They do it on Le Tour, (well not the competitors) so why not the MR340?

Also, we'll try to post 2-3 times a day, but remember, we also have to paddle, and we want to get downriver, we have no idea of how often we'll find hot spots, so if nothing pops up, then don't assume we've abandoned all hope. We will not be able to respond to any posted comments. Got to draw the line somewhere.

Check our progress after about 5 pm on the rivermiles (see below) leader board. If you're receiving personal race updates via our text messaging service you can post those times in the comments section for others to see.

Paddles up.

Elsewhere:
real-time race results

trails kc!

From the Kansas City communications office.

City announces trail system logo and naming competition winners

The City of Kansas City, Mo., trail system has a new name and logo thanks to two Kansas City, Mo., residents who entered the City Planning and Development Department's contest. The winning entries were selected from more than 300 submissions.

Ron Simmons submitted the name "Trails KC!," which will be featured on the bottom of a logo created by Molly Paugh. For winning the contests, Paugh will receive a $1,000 prize donated by Kansas City River Trails Inc., and Simmons will receive a Gary Fisher hybrid bike donated by Cycle City.

The Trails KC! name and logo will appear on trail system maps, promotional material and trail signage for the trail system outline in the Trails KC! plan. The trail plan includes an interconnected system of trails to serve pedestrians, recreational bicyclists, commuters and equestrians. Implementing the plan is a key component toward achieving the City's goal to receive platinum designation from the American League of Bicyclists by 2020.

The Trails KC! Plan has been reviewed at community meetings and will continue to be available for public comment via meetings scheduled for late summer/early fall.

The new logo and draft of the Trails KC! plan are available at http://www.kcmo.org/planning.nsf/plnpres/kcmotrails_home.

bush to treasury secretary

Dude. Get out your ass out there and say something! Positive! And I don't care what you do, sell the damn brewery to the Belgians if you have to, but do something now. My ratings are nearing 15% positive, and that's low, even by my standards.

the cost of losing La Raza

If Mayor Funkhouser had done a better job vetting Francis Semler for the Parks Board and if the Mayor had realized the error of his judgement sooner and DONE A BETTER JOB COMPROMISING, then Kansas City would be hosting the La Raza convention this week and both presidential candidates would be in town giving speeches. Instead they're in LA.

Cheney's doctors tighten the screws

Dick "the Dick" Cheney was given the a-OK on his recent checkup. His heart is apparently fine. In case you've forgotten, this is what Cheney's heart looks like.

pull down the martha shade

We at Warrior Ant Press are losing our patience with the whole Obama campaign fake rhethoric of "oh my! I can't do that, it might offend someone. Got to vote for warrantless-wiretapping cause the suburban moms might not vote for me. Bernie Mac. Dude. Such raunchy humor from a black man, tone in down."

Come on. F_that. Let's get some backbone here and standup for what needs to be done in this country.

I'm with Martha Shade. Be a damn progessive or be a Republican. We got enough spineless Democrats already.


Here's some Bernie Mac for you. Listen to it. Laugh. And tell Obama to get jiggy widit or expect to be McGruff the Crime Dog's bitch come November.

Photo credit: Martha Shade by Brian Lee, NY Times.