B-day

Yup, it came at he usual time each year and presented me with another year to add to my growing collection (33 of them now)

I had a great day with family, got some nice cards and gifts, but most of all enjoyed some great weather, and time enjoying everyone company. It is my first b-day since returning back to Canada from Texas, and I really did enjoy the opportunity to spend it with family.

Thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday, and I am sure as long as thins year is a fruitful as the last ... that it will be a great year :)

http://kristiankataila.com

Okay, long day, learned Flash, PhotoShop, XML, HTML all for the sake of my webpage. I clearly have too much time on my hands.

Take a visit, drop me ideas but remember this is VERY new and has not been refined for content nor frameworks. I just wanted to get the format of the site completed today.

Enjoy

Web page coming soon

So I have officially purchased a domain name, and set up a hosting package for my new en devour of http://kristiankataila.com

I will be designing this page over the coming weeks, and it will basically be hosting my biking repository. Items such as the following will be there:
- Race schedule
- Training tips and results
- Supplements results
- Race results
- Photography section
- Video Section
- Current equipment and sponsor section
- hopefully a biking blog as well

As soon as this venture is completed this area (kristiankataila.blogspot.com) will become a dedicate area for thoughts and my son's growth documentation

Try the link whenever you feel like.. it will be change allot over the next while, so don't laugh too much ;-)

http://kristiankataila.com

Marzocchi Recalls

Marzocchi Recalls Bicycle Forks Due to Crash Hazard and Risk of Injury during Repair
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Bicycle Forks
Units: About 70
Manufacturer: Tenneco-Marzocchi s.r.l., of Bologna, Italy

Hazard: The suspension system on bikes with the recalled forks could become completely compressed and fail to return to its original position after a forceful landing. This can cause riders to lose control of the bicycle and crash. The forks can also expand forcefully if repair is attempted by the consumer, posing a risk of serious injury.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has eight reports of damaged forks outside the U.S., including a report of an injury from a fall.

Description: The recalled bicycle forks were sold for installation on mountain bikes. The recall involves certain 2008 model year 888RC3 and 888RC3WC suspensions with date codes beginning with T07D07, T07D08 and T07D09. The forks are white or black with red and black artwork on the legs.

Sold at: Various bicycle parts distributors and retailers nationwide from July 2007 through September 2007 for between $1,000 and $1,700.
Manufactured in: Taiwan

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled bicycle forks immediately, and return them to the dealer where purchased for a free repair. Consumers should not attempt to repair the forks.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Marzocchi at (800) 227-5579 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, e-mail the firm at Techinfo@Marzocchiusa.com, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.marzocchi.com

Great weather weekend

Well as most of the people from this area know it was a great weather weekend, we had two days above 10 degrees!!

When this happens you end up seeing everyone outdoors playing and frolicking around enjoying the sunshine. This weekend was no exception and the parks, pathways, and public spaces were filled with happy children, families, and outdoors lovers alike. I got up early both days, tuned my bikes (both my XC bike for a mountain bike ride, and my roadie) and headed out in the warmth each afternoon.

i think all the winter training has helped as I was ready for the rides, and seemed a little extra confident than I usually am the first time out. Hills seemed somehow shorter, less steep, and headwinds never seemed to play a factor in my rides. All of this just reaffirms what I already know.....
"To be Prepared, is to be successful"

Hope to see everyone out this coming weekend for a ride :)

PureSport

Well today was my last package of PureSport drink mix and let me tell you ... .I am hooked. Now when I say absolutely hooked, I mean hooked. I ran out yesterday, and already my workout today was not nearly as good as expected.

so just after a few week to a month of using the product, my body has risen to higher levels in the workouts, it now expects to have the support it needs to excel in the high end range! I am so pleased with the results I have had to date that I am planning a full report to post here by the end of the weekend.

All I can say in the meantime is that to anyone out there considering some sort of workout drink mix, this IS your answer point blank.

http://www.puresport.us/

GDP vs. National Debt

So I was recently having a discussion about our Nations debt. Being that I work in the finance sector, people seem to gravitate toward you for questions regarding all things money (even though I am a full time computer nerd)

So recently we were having a discussion around the gross national debt and what the number was. I t was very surprising to find that nobody new what it was, and more surprising still that we were so far off the number. What would you think it was .. take a guess before reading on and see how close you are. I think Canadians believe we are much stronger than we truly are in terms of our nations wealth.

Secondly, as most things in this nation ... i found it very difficult to dig up this information. I have been trying to search using google, search tools on government web pages, and other means for some time to find this data and others that we recently of interest to me (what the distribution curve of Canadian salaries was).

Anyhow, here is what I found ... very surprising to me

Going from $559B to $467B of debt in the last nine years, taken as a flat-line projection, means we could pay the debt off in 46 years if we kept up this pace on average. But you know that won't happen given the current economic climate.

Now I should be perfectly clear here: in all of the above, I am mixing some terms. I use the phrase "net debt" as most of us think of it: liabilities minus assets. However to be absolutely correct, I should be using the phrase "net federal accumulated deficit". What a mouthful. Here is the difference between the two, according to the Receiver General:

1. Accumulated Deficit: the difference between the Government’s total liabilities and its assets.
   
2. Net Debt: the difference between the Government’s total liabilities and its financial assets.
   That one word "financial" is important. Here is how: when considering "net debt", total liabilities are reduced only by financial assets, as non-financial assets cannot normally be converted to cash to pay off the debt without disrupting government operations.
   

So as a personal analogy, they wouldn't count my vehicle because if I sold it then I couldn't use it to get to work and earn money any more. It's a matter of choice really whether you count it or not in your list of assets. I've chosen to count it, but others I'm sure would argue against doing that.

We're talking about $523 Billion versus $467 Billion: either way, we still owe too much. And saying that our debt is minuscule compared to the United States with almost $10,000 Billion ($10 Trillion) in debt is no defense at all.

Stay on the road please ....

After a long cold winter in Southern Ontario many mountain bikers are just itching to ride. Between abundant snow and very cold temperatures, off road enthusiasts have been largely kept off their bikes for weeks. The arrival of record warm weather today [Friday, March 6th] means that many want to head out on to the trails right away.

There is a problem. The frost line went very deep this winter, thanks to the cold temperatures. Even though the surface has thawed, the ground is still frozen just below the surface. To make matters worse, the frozen ground prevents the snowmelt from sinking in any further. This means the thawed layer at the surface is absolutely saturated with water, so it is very intolerant of any disturbance. Go riding along a trail and you'll cut through the thawed layer right down to the frozen ground. The thawed layer will end up with trenches from the tire tracks, which will persist even when the soil dries out.

Southern Ontario has had winters like this before. When it happened in the 1990's, and in 2003, the erosion was terrible and some land managers nearly had mountain biking banished. It took the efforts of a lot of people to persuade them that we shouldn't be kicked out permanently. It could be a tough lesson if we abuse the trails now.

If you can be patient, please stay off of the trails until the ground thaws. If you just have to ride, then stick to where there is still snow, because that is an indication that the ground is still frozen. As soon as the soil becomes visible is when the problems start. Bare, wet ground needs to be avoided at all costs.

The first areas that will be available for riding are those with abundant rock or sandy soil, or those with a gravel surface. Talk to your local land manager and ask when they think the trails will be ready. Or even just go out for a road ride. Remember that a day with a half-assed ride is still better than a day without riding!

Cold ... Really ?

I have to say, after a week of relatively mild weather, this week has well .... just plain sucked! What is it with Winter this year, why wont it just leave already and allow the glorious warmth of Summer to grace our lives.

Yes, I am missing Texas, so all you people living there stop reminding me of how you are all in shorts, T's, and running outside to get tans on your lunch break with 30 degree Celsius heat !

How have others been able to adjust when moving back to colder climates? How do you adjust to having seasons again ? Please help .. I need to know the tricks

Monthly Readship Growth - III

Well, here is the end of my vacation week, and I will leave you with a wrap up. Here is how our readership has grown, we now have over 50 cities! A new twist this month is the relative ranking in terms of visits.... the more you visit, the higher your ranking ;-) Shameless plug,I know!

Rank City
1 Oakville
2 Georgetown
3 New York
4 Burlington
5 Denton
6 Phuket
7 Toronto
8 Milton
9 Austin
10 Barrie
11 Ostermundigen
12 St Catharines
13 Shanghai
14 Washington
15 Carrboro
16 Quebec
17 Brooklyn
18 London
19 Mont-Royal
20 Melbourne
21 Brisbane
22 Etobicoke
23 Prague
24 Belmont
25 Los Angeles
26 Bramalea
27 Weston
28 Dundas
29 Santa Rosa
30 Brierley Hill
31 Scottsdale
32 La Serena
33 (not set)
34 Stratford
35 Hochdorf
36 Mc Kinney
37 Islington
38 Round Rock
39 Guangzhou
40 Victoria
41 Brampton
42 Red Deer
43 Harwood Heights
44 Pinetown
45 Dallas
46 Hamilton
47 Montreal
48 Scarborough
49 West Lebanon
50 St Louis