this happened a while ago but a funny story about a man's love for his dog. i know what you're thinking...what the hell do dogs have to do with the delivery business? please...lets keep all the questions till after the stories...ha! anyway, we had a driver who had a very nice route. at times he would do runs off the board...nothing like making some extra change. well, i guess he would go on his deliveries with his dog. you would think it's not a big deal but apparently it's some sort of insurance issue...well, that and the fact that it probably doesn't look good to show up to deliveries with your dog...ha!
this goes on for quite some time but no one realizes it till he comes to base with the f*cking dog in his car. what is he thinking?! he's gotta know that the company will not allow this...right? well...he's told he cannot have his dog in the car but he's not having it. the company is left with one last resort..."it's your job or the dog". guess which one he picks. the good news...some other lucky driver gets to have that nice route. in a time when work is slow...route work is definitely nice to have. it's a steady paycheck. not only that...you can jump on the board from time to time to make some extra. i guess the driver has enough loot to not need a job? i wish him all the luck. believe me...i would probably die for my dogs but im ok with putting them in daycare now and then if it means i get to have a job. how else would you feed the dog?
i guess these stories aren't that short...my apologies? anyway, bikers will love this one. we have some new blood at work. we hired a new rider about 2 weeks ago...not my fault. well, he's turning out to be a good rider. he seems like a nice guy...he likes the chicago bears...thats a good sign. well, his first day took a while to get him out on the road. i think there were some uniform or radio problems. in any case, he finally gets going and scott dispatches him his first job of the day. some time goes by and he pops up at base...
6778...umm, im clean.
j.dot...wait, what?
6778...i went out there and did my first job. umm, i guess im clean. what else should i do?
...it took every bone in my body to not break out into uncontrollable laughter. he went into the loop...did his first job...then bikes AAAAAAALLLLLL the way back to base just to say "clean". that sh*t was priceless...for those who don't know, we have radios to communicate such things as being "clean"...ha! i haven't been in this industry too long but that was a first for me. bless the man's heart...silly rookies. well...he's coming around. he's gotten the hang of the radio and, although he's still gets a bit lost from time to time, he's rocking alot more orders than i did in my first two weeks. looks like this kid might stick around for some time. good thing about rookies who have never messengered before...you can mold him/her into the messenger you want them to be. what does that mean? try dispatching and you'll know what i mean...peace.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
results...
the results are up...check'em...
again, congrats to all who participated. congrats to those who made it to the finals. congrats to the winners. congrats to the chicago crew. great job tokyo...peace.
click on image to enlarge...
again, congrats to all who participated. congrats to those who made it to the finals. congrats to the winners. congrats to the chicago crew. great job tokyo...peace.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
fantasy football league...
i wanted to come up with a list of cats i've worked with that have helped me through the years as a dispatcher. i kept thinking how could i do that and still make a post somewhat interesting. after much consideration for different types of lists i've decided to bring together the world of messengers and my love for football...american football. yes, those of you who could care less can now stop reading...ha!
in case you cats don't know what a fantasy league is check out the wikipedia for it. there are a few positions i have to draft for and i thought long and hard about who could fill those gaps to give me the best team possible. here are the positions i need...
quarterback(qb)
2 running back(rb)
2 wide receivers(wr)
1 flex player(rb/wr)
1 tight end(te)
1 kicker(k)
1 defense(d)
along with these starters you're giving the opportunity to draft about 8 more guys to sit on your bench for the occasional bye weeks, injuries, sickness, and whatnot. ok...if you haven't followed what im doing...sorry? here we go...
at qb im gonna go with chris who worked with me at standard. why? cause the qb needs to have a level head. he's the type of cat that you can trust 100% from beginning to end. he was always at work and never b*tched. i knew i could count on him to send in when we needed to smooth things over with clients. when we were working with processing legal documents he knew the drill forwards and backwards. he also knew that at times...i had to dish work out to other cats and keep him on stand-by. he wasn't the type to hog up the limelight but could definitely be one that could. he was definitely a team player...always willing to help to just get the job done and worry about the paycheck later.
at wr...this one was a no brainer. wr's need to be fast with good hands. for my first pick im going with sam from standard. he took off to ohio or some sh*t but he was definitely the fastest man i have ever had the pleasure of dispatching. i don't know how he did it but he did. not only that...he might have b*tched to his fellow messengers but, not once, did he b*tch at me about the madness out there. i knew if something needed to be done in five minutes or less...sam was the go to guy...most times, it didn't even matter where he was. for my 2nd wr im taking phil(6706)...why? he gives sam a run for his money. definitely a fast man but i would take him as more of a slot receiver. you know...someone who just ran great routes and got the job done. he always seemed to be at the right place at the right time. i could dish him a heavy load...no problem. i could dish him some distance...no problem. short runs...no problem.
at rb...you need power and speed with a touch of finesse. im going with aaron from standard. i guess his game wasn't really power but the man can flow through traffic. he's fast and dependable. weaving in and out of traffic without being seen or touched. the man is just able to blaze through some of the worst conditions without hesitation. again...he's a man i trust very much. sh*t! even when he got hit with cancer he was still out there rocking. thats the type of rb you want on your team...ha! for my 2nd pick im going with jerry(6721)...what can i say...the man isn't the fastest but he rolls through quickly and efficiently. he's dependable as h*ll. he's more of a play action rb...why? cause im usually stuck dumping packages off to him. lets take yesterday for instance...im stuck on the car board and needed some help. i let scott know i was taking twenty-one and asked him if he could help me. without hesitation the man says yes and i quickly load him up with heavy boxes that he gets rid of in no time. then i give him distance work that he has no problem rocking. see...you want a rb like that...one that can help you out of a jam when your qb is about to get sacked...ha! he makes something out of nothing.
at te...this one is a bit hard. te's need to be good blockers as well as good route runners. im gonna go with kirby(1141). he's more of a slow and methodical rider but a great one. i mainly picked him for his size...ha! the man is huge and could probably play real football if he wanted to. naw...he's always one of our better riders. i can dump work on him similar to 6721 but i can also depend on him to run great routes. i'll dish him work in between his daily's and i know it'll get done. i don't have to think about it. just give him the work and wait for him to say..."clean".
at k...well, the kicker always gets made fun of. they say they are a dime a dozen. i think thats ridiculous. you need someone who will be consistent, consistent, consistent. not matter the weather or the time of day...why? cause sometimes the game is on the line and the pressure falls on the kicker. sooo...who do i pick? im gonna go with turtle from standard. you don't get more consistent than turtle. he was/is the fastest slowest messenger around but he always manages to get the job done. i don't know how he made money but by the end of the day he usually had the most runs...how? well, every messengers has their tricks to the trade and turtle has been out there long enough. his secrets will stay his secrets...ha!
at defense...this one is hard. why? cause in the messenger field you're constantly playing offense. at least that's what i used to think. i can't believe im even considering him because the man can be a bit annoying at times...ha! im going with kyle(1168). it never fails...he's there every night with me and the other dispatcher cleaning up messes left by other messengers or making pulls before companies close to get to our drivers or for him to make deliveries. he might be a bit much at times but i would sorely miss him if he wasn't on the team. he definitely plays defense for us late in the day on a constant basis.
bench:
im not gonna run through all the guys for the bench one by one. i'll just call them out. the bench should be just as strong as your starters. you need fast guys. dependable guys. power guys. and so on...
qb...damara from standard. definitely not selfish and always a team player.
wr...andrew from standard. fast.fast.fast.
wr...obie-wan(forgot your number kid). again, fast and a great route runner.
rb...margot(6717). fast and a great route runner. elusive if you will...ha!
rb...craig(6731). fast and i know i could dump work on him when needed.
te...aaron(6674?). i could dump stuff off on him and knew the work would get done.
k...mumbles from standard. talk about consistent. always the same person every day.
d...wendell(1117). same as 1168. he's one of our go-to guys late in the day.
well...there you have it folks. please, please, please...don't take this list too serious. it's for fun and games. just throwing some love to cats i've had the pleasure of dispatching through the years. i got nothing but love for any and all my heads...well, not all...ha! who knows...maybe next year some other cats can make my team...dun.dun.dun(ha!). well...this has been sorta fun...it's getting cold and rainy out...ride safe kids...peace.
in case you cats don't know what a fantasy league is check out the wikipedia for it. there are a few positions i have to draft for and i thought long and hard about who could fill those gaps to give me the best team possible. here are the positions i need...
quarterback(qb)
2 running back(rb)
2 wide receivers(wr)
1 flex player(rb/wr)
1 tight end(te)
1 kicker(k)
1 defense(d)
along with these starters you're giving the opportunity to draft about 8 more guys to sit on your bench for the occasional bye weeks, injuries, sickness, and whatnot. ok...if you haven't followed what im doing...sorry? here we go...
at qb im gonna go with chris who worked with me at standard. why? cause the qb needs to have a level head. he's the type of cat that you can trust 100% from beginning to end. he was always at work and never b*tched. i knew i could count on him to send in when we needed to smooth things over with clients. when we were working with processing legal documents he knew the drill forwards and backwards. he also knew that at times...i had to dish work out to other cats and keep him on stand-by. he wasn't the type to hog up the limelight but could definitely be one that could. he was definitely a team player...always willing to help to just get the job done and worry about the paycheck later.
at wr...this one was a no brainer. wr's need to be fast with good hands. for my first pick im going with sam from standard. he took off to ohio or some sh*t but he was definitely the fastest man i have ever had the pleasure of dispatching. i don't know how he did it but he did. not only that...he might have b*tched to his fellow messengers but, not once, did he b*tch at me about the madness out there. i knew if something needed to be done in five minutes or less...sam was the go to guy...most times, it didn't even matter where he was. for my 2nd wr im taking phil(6706)...why? he gives sam a run for his money. definitely a fast man but i would take him as more of a slot receiver. you know...someone who just ran great routes and got the job done. he always seemed to be at the right place at the right time. i could dish him a heavy load...no problem. i could dish him some distance...no problem. short runs...no problem.
at rb...you need power and speed with a touch of finesse. im going with aaron from standard. i guess his game wasn't really power but the man can flow through traffic. he's fast and dependable. weaving in and out of traffic without being seen or touched. the man is just able to blaze through some of the worst conditions without hesitation. again...he's a man i trust very much. sh*t! even when he got hit with cancer he was still out there rocking. thats the type of rb you want on your team...ha! for my 2nd pick im going with jerry(6721)...what can i say...the man isn't the fastest but he rolls through quickly and efficiently. he's dependable as h*ll. he's more of a play action rb...why? cause im usually stuck dumping packages off to him. lets take yesterday for instance...im stuck on the car board and needed some help. i let scott know i was taking twenty-one and asked him if he could help me. without hesitation the man says yes and i quickly load him up with heavy boxes that he gets rid of in no time. then i give him distance work that he has no problem rocking. see...you want a rb like that...one that can help you out of a jam when your qb is about to get sacked...ha! he makes something out of nothing.
at te...this one is a bit hard. te's need to be good blockers as well as good route runners. im gonna go with kirby(1141). he's more of a slow and methodical rider but a great one. i mainly picked him for his size...ha! the man is huge and could probably play real football if he wanted to. naw...he's always one of our better riders. i can dump work on him similar to 6721 but i can also depend on him to run great routes. i'll dish him work in between his daily's and i know it'll get done. i don't have to think about it. just give him the work and wait for him to say..."clean".
at k...well, the kicker always gets made fun of. they say they are a dime a dozen. i think thats ridiculous. you need someone who will be consistent, consistent, consistent. not matter the weather or the time of day...why? cause sometimes the game is on the line and the pressure falls on the kicker. sooo...who do i pick? im gonna go with turtle from standard. you don't get more consistent than turtle. he was/is the fastest slowest messenger around but he always manages to get the job done. i don't know how he made money but by the end of the day he usually had the most runs...how? well, every messengers has their tricks to the trade and turtle has been out there long enough. his secrets will stay his secrets...ha!
at defense...this one is hard. why? cause in the messenger field you're constantly playing offense. at least that's what i used to think. i can't believe im even considering him because the man can be a bit annoying at times...ha! im going with kyle(1168). it never fails...he's there every night with me and the other dispatcher cleaning up messes left by other messengers or making pulls before companies close to get to our drivers or for him to make deliveries. he might be a bit much at times but i would sorely miss him if he wasn't on the team. he definitely plays defense for us late in the day on a constant basis.
bench:
im not gonna run through all the guys for the bench one by one. i'll just call them out. the bench should be just as strong as your starters. you need fast guys. dependable guys. power guys. and so on...
qb...damara from standard. definitely not selfish and always a team player.
wr...andrew from standard. fast.fast.fast.
wr...obie-wan(forgot your number kid). again, fast and a great route runner.
rb...margot(6717). fast and a great route runner. elusive if you will...ha!
rb...craig(6731). fast and i know i could dump work on him when needed.
te...aaron(6674?). i could dump stuff off on him and knew the work would get done.
k...mumbles from standard. talk about consistent. always the same person every day.
d...wendell(1117). same as 1168. he's one of our go-to guys late in the day.
well...there you have it folks. please, please, please...don't take this list too serious. it's for fun and games. just throwing some love to cats i've had the pleasure of dispatching through the years. i got nothing but love for any and all my heads...well, not all...ha! who knows...maybe next year some other cats can make my team...dun.dun.dun(ha!). well...this has been sorta fun...it's getting cold and rainy out...ride safe kids...peace.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
one final word...
thank you again to nico for providing us with great reports to keep all of us who could not go informed as to whats going on at the worlds...
part four:
so its sunday morning, and those of us who are still lingering in tokyo are starting to pack up our bikes and wares in preparation of the journey home. this has been one of the most amazing experiences of all of our lives. yesterday we were given the honor of racing at keiokaku tokyo oval. this is considered one of the most prestigious keirin tracks in all of japan. only professional keirin racers are usually allowed to even set foot on these tracks, but the tokyo bike messenger association once again was able to put together an event to be remembered. it was a full day of racing including a flying 200, match sprints, an 8000m scratch race, and keirin. chicago did really well, led by none other that mr. al urbanski (whose birthday is today btw!), christina, and molly. the day's events however were dominated by alex and hannah from los angeles... these two are both professional racers and INSANELY FAST! it was a pleaseure to watch them race. the final results were also posted for the main race and yours truly wound up taking 16th overall... thats chicago style! the track day was the perfect cap to a flawless week of events and parties. many new friendships were forged and i cannot wait until the next time we get to see all these great people... especially if we can bring them all home to chicago in 2012. the tkbma has found themselves in massive debt after throwing this event. literally millions and millions of yen (which is roughly hundreds of thousands of dollars) were spent so that we could all come out here. and this is coming from people who make very little money... anyone who messengers anywhere knows that we barely make enough to get by doing this work. these guys put their hearts into this and are now financially struggling. they will never ask for any help with their situation, so at the second open forum we as a community decided to come together to help these guys recoup some if not all of their expenses. by christmas, the city who raises the most money for these guys will recieve two free registrations to cmwc guatemala 2010. its not a crazy huge prize, but this isn't about us... its about the tkbma. we will be holding alleycats and parties back in the chi to raise money for these cats in the hope that their lives can return to normal. this is really important for them, but also for the community as a whole. its important that we recognize that this goes beyond any one city and is a global community. we are all in this together. october 12 will mark the first official effort towards fundraising in the form of a downtown alleycat. alleycat racing in chicago is coming back, and anyone whose been racing them the last two months knows how much fun it can be. so its time for us to come home to chicago and get this ball rolling. we are already getting things together for our bid in guatemala. the last of the crew will be leaving super early monday morning, but i know i will see you all back in the streets monday. i can't wait!
im sure chicago will do what they can to help tokyo out. it seems as if they put on a great event and i don't see why we wouldn't help them out a bit. i'll keep you cats posted as to what events will be planned. check out al's race report over at the cuttin'crew page. congratulations to all of chicago for rep'n the way we all know they would...peace.
part four:
so its sunday morning, and those of us who are still lingering in tokyo are starting to pack up our bikes and wares in preparation of the journey home. this has been one of the most amazing experiences of all of our lives. yesterday we were given the honor of racing at keiokaku tokyo oval. this is considered one of the most prestigious keirin tracks in all of japan. only professional keirin racers are usually allowed to even set foot on these tracks, but the tokyo bike messenger association once again was able to put together an event to be remembered. it was a full day of racing including a flying 200, match sprints, an 8000m scratch race, and keirin. chicago did really well, led by none other that mr. al urbanski (whose birthday is today btw!), christina, and molly. the day's events however were dominated by alex and hannah from los angeles... these two are both professional racers and INSANELY FAST! it was a pleaseure to watch them race. the final results were also posted for the main race and yours truly wound up taking 16th overall... thats chicago style! the track day was the perfect cap to a flawless week of events and parties. many new friendships were forged and i cannot wait until the next time we get to see all these great people... especially if we can bring them all home to chicago in 2012. the tkbma has found themselves in massive debt after throwing this event. literally millions and millions of yen (which is roughly hundreds of thousands of dollars) were spent so that we could all come out here. and this is coming from people who make very little money... anyone who messengers anywhere knows that we barely make enough to get by doing this work. these guys put their hearts into this and are now financially struggling. they will never ask for any help with their situation, so at the second open forum we as a community decided to come together to help these guys recoup some if not all of their expenses. by christmas, the city who raises the most money for these guys will recieve two free registrations to cmwc guatemala 2010. its not a crazy huge prize, but this isn't about us... its about the tkbma. we will be holding alleycats and parties back in the chi to raise money for these cats in the hope that their lives can return to normal. this is really important for them, but also for the community as a whole. its important that we recognize that this goes beyond any one city and is a global community. we are all in this together. october 12 will mark the first official effort towards fundraising in the form of a downtown alleycat. alleycat racing in chicago is coming back, and anyone whose been racing them the last two months knows how much fun it can be. so its time for us to come home to chicago and get this ball rolling. we are already getting things together for our bid in guatemala. the last of the crew will be leaving super early monday morning, but i know i will see you all back in the streets monday. i can't wait!
im sure chicago will do what they can to help tokyo out. it seems as if they put on a great event and i don't see why we wouldn't help them out a bit. i'll keep you cats posted as to what events will be planned. check out al's race report over at the cuttin'crew page. congratulations to all of chicago for rep'n the way we all know they would...peace.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
down but not out...
as you cats know...warsaw won the bid. it hurts but it doesn't mean the fun doesn't continue. next up is the kirin velodromes...God, please tell me al is still there to rep for chicago. i know a few cats are making their way back home, if they haven't already, but nico is still over seas and sends us a quick report...
part three:
just got back from the open forum a little while ago. unfortunately for chicago warsaw took home the bid for cmwc 2011, however there is no doubt in my mind that the cats from poland will be able to throw down a fantastic competition worthy of being called the cycle messenger world championships. all of us from chicago were a little disappointed, but at the same time i think it makes sense. seeing as last year's cmwc was in toronto and next year's will be in panajachel, it makes sense for the europeans to bring the worlds to their side of the globe. that being said, chicago 2012??? we can throw it down before the Fifth Sun sets if you dig what i'm saying. i know i'm willing to put in whatever work needs to be done to give a great bid in panajachel.
as far as the race, ms. christina peck took home the 3rd place women's. we all knew she was coming home with something, at least i know i was confident she would. i was unable to procure the rest of the results as far as the rest of our placing, but i can tell you that molly is in the top 10 women and i'm in the top 60 men somewhere, i just don't know exactly where. my only goal for this competition was to represent chicago and make everyone at home proud, and i hope that i was able to do that.
saturday takes us to keiokaku, tokyo's famous keirin velodrome. i know everyone is excited to be able to race on a sacred keirin track... the chance of a lifetime.
we head home sunday after 10 days in one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the world. its back to work on monday. hopefully the jet lag won't hit too hard. its always fun going back to work after these events though because they are a great reminder of why we do what we do. can't wait to see you all back in the chi!
btw...here are some unofficial results...
you cats know the drill...keep an eye on your favorite sites/blogs. also...don't sleep on the tokyo worlds blog and site...they'll probably update it. pics are already popping up as well as videos. im sure the aftermath will last a while. the whole chicago crew did an amazing job. i really hope they weren't kidding when they said...
We will try again and again, until the bright light of the Worlds shine on our dreary heads. We don't take no for an answer. We tolerate no fools. We keep it correct. And we come back again and again and again and again.
i know i'll be in guatemala...who's coming with me?! lets get this rolling again...peace.
part three:
just got back from the open forum a little while ago. unfortunately for chicago warsaw took home the bid for cmwc 2011, however there is no doubt in my mind that the cats from poland will be able to throw down a fantastic competition worthy of being called the cycle messenger world championships. all of us from chicago were a little disappointed, but at the same time i think it makes sense. seeing as last year's cmwc was in toronto and next year's will be in panajachel, it makes sense for the europeans to bring the worlds to their side of the globe. that being said, chicago 2012??? we can throw it down before the Fifth Sun sets if you dig what i'm saying. i know i'm willing to put in whatever work needs to be done to give a great bid in panajachel.
as far as the race, ms. christina peck took home the 3rd place women's. we all knew she was coming home with something, at least i know i was confident she would. i was unable to procure the rest of the results as far as the rest of our placing, but i can tell you that molly is in the top 10 women and i'm in the top 60 men somewhere, i just don't know exactly where. my only goal for this competition was to represent chicago and make everyone at home proud, and i hope that i was able to do that.
saturday takes us to keiokaku, tokyo's famous keirin velodrome. i know everyone is excited to be able to race on a sacred keirin track... the chance of a lifetime.
we head home sunday after 10 days in one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the world. its back to work on monday. hopefully the jet lag won't hit too hard. its always fun going back to work after these events though because they are a great reminder of why we do what we do. can't wait to see you all back in the chi!
btw...here are some unofficial results...
Men
Juri (Tokyo)
Shino (Tokyo)
Stevie (Zurich)
Women
JoJo (Stockholm)
Yuki (Tokyo?)
Christina (Chicago)
Juri (Tokyo)
Shino (Tokyo)
Stevie (Zurich)
Women
JoJo (Stockholm)
Yuki (Tokyo?)
Christina (Chicago)
you cats know the drill...keep an eye on your favorite sites/blogs. also...don't sleep on the tokyo worlds blog and site...they'll probably update it. pics are already popping up as well as videos. im sure the aftermath will last a while. the whole chicago crew did an amazing job. i really hope they weren't kidding when they said...
We will try again and again, until the bright light of the Worlds shine on our dreary heads. We don't take no for an answer. We tolerate no fools. We keep it correct. And we come back again and again and again and again.
i know i'll be in guatemala...who's coming with me?! lets get this rolling again...peace.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
word on the street interwebs...
warsaw walks away the champions to host the worlds in 2011...congratulations! although i am super bummed that chicago will not happen i am very excited and know that they will not disappoint. good job to the whole chicago crew for representing and making us all back home look good. i guess i can go to sleep now...see you kids when you get back...peace.
i can't take this...
all this sitting and waiting is killing me! who is gonna get the d*mn bid?!?! anyway...some vids are popping up...
this video is boring but it shows some chicago heads. can you pick them out? another reason as to why i picked this vid? if the worlds come to chicago in 2011 can i be the guy that walks around and talks into a radio? thanks...peace.
this video is boring but it shows some chicago heads. can you pick them out? another reason as to why i picked this vid? if the worlds come to chicago in 2011 can i be the guy that walks around and talks into a radio? thanks...peace.
updates from the far east...
1st...i would like to thank nico for sending me some info on whats going on over in japan. it is greatly appreciated. im going nuts over here waiting to hear the results of the racing and the bidding. the chicago cuttin'crew has been keeping us updated through the eyes of ben and al...thank God! like i said...i need to hear/read something to keep myself from going crazy. anyway...here are some words from nico...
part one:
hey julio... a little update from japan....
we put in our bid on monday for the open forum and it went swimmingly. augie played the role of the ambassador and gave a great presentation. the other two cities putting in a bid were warsaw and amsterdam. everyone was a bit worried just because its amsterdam. warsaw put in a decent bid as well; they had just built a brand new velodrome there and i guess the mayor there is pretty stoked on the idea. that being said, one of the points that augie made was the great vibe that is running through chicago right now. young, new blood putting on races and getting shit going. people were definitely picking up on the vibe that while work is slow, its pretty awesome to be a courier in chicago right now.
yesterday (tues.) was the qualifier. tokyo threw down. the course is insane. you can ride it fast, but this race is all about riding smart. we were given a packet with carbon copy tags... no shit. old school. single tags, no manifests. each tag has a pickup, a delivery, and a time limit. 5 min, 15 min, and 30 min were each worth a different monetary value. the winners were determined by who made the most money the fastest. if you didn't make a deadline, you didn't earn the money and probably didn't qualify. there were guys who had amazing times, but burned packages and straight up didn't qualify. chicago definitely came out with it. i finished in 48 min with no burned packages. christina finished in 49 min with no burned packages. molly finished in 50 minutes with no burned packages. the three of us are headed out this morning to the finals. they took the top 60 men, and top 10 women. today will be brutal. the qualifier had 10 runs. today will have two sets of 12, and one set of 10. its gonna be interesting.
i'll do my best to keep you up to date. tomorrow at the second open forum we vote on the host city for 2011. as a side note, the presentation that nadir and andy gave for guatemala was incredible. its going to be a race to remember. i wish i could go straight from here to there. keep your fingers crossed for chicago. i hope all is well back home.
btw...if you're interested in photo's check them out as they pop up...cmwc2009tokyo...
part two:
hey dude. just got back a little bit ago from the finals. good lord. if anyone thought yesterday's race was nuts, today would have blown their minds. it was a le mans style start. 70 racers. 60 men, and 10 women. 70 racers starting this madness all at once. the race started with a packet of 15 tags. same concept as the day before. when you finished the 15, you went back to start/finish for another 15. when you finished that, you went back to start/finish for another 20. it had to have been 80 degrees in the tokyo sun. it was intense to say the least. i myself burned two packages on the first bundle of deliveries, which i'm still kind of salty about. however it was near impossible to not have burned at least one on this race. i unfortunately wasn't able to do every pick up/delivery, but only a handful of people were able to do the 50 runs in the 2.5 hours they gave us. i ended up not being able to cover 10 of the last runs. but this was all about which runs you did. 30 min runs were worth 500yen, 15 min runs were worth 1500yen and 5 min runs were worth 4500yen. the last 20 runs they gave you were packed with 5 min runs, so when i got to that bundle of tags i tried my best to focus just on the 5 min runs to try and make up for the 15 min and 30 min runs i burned early on. christina's day went pretty well. she only burned one and made her way into the third bundle. i think her day was good enough to place verrrry well among the women, and probably overall as well. this is christina we are talking about. molly got off to a great start. unfortunately early on her chain popped off and sent her over the bars. she wound up roughing up her hip pretty bad. nothing too major, but enough to keep her from finishing. i know she is really bummed out about it, and we are all bummed for her. its too bad cos we all know she is an incredibly strong rider and certainly would have placed well among the top. that being said, she still made it into the top 10 women and top 70 overall. and thats among hundreds of racers from all over the world. the total count was near 400! anyway, we are off to the after party in a bit to catch wind of the final results. there were only about 10 people out of the 70 finalists for north america. maybe about the same from europe. japan has some heavy duty riders. seriously heavy duty. they dominated the field in number, lets hope we dominated the field in results!!! like i said we also vote tomorrow on the 2011 bids. we all made sure that everyone was aware of our presence; chicago rolls deep and chicago rolls heavy. the general vibe i got today at the race is that people really think we are capable of pulling off an exciting world championship, and the fact that we had three people in the finals kinda forced our presence upon the competition. hopefully i'll have nothing but good news for you tomorrow!!!
looks like chicago has done an amazing job thus far. i told you cats chicago would bring the great times to the worlds. good job to all...great job to my chicago heads. molly...don't worry lady...you cracked the top 10 in the world!! cant wait to hear what happens next. thanks again nico for the heads up...peace.
part one:
hey julio... a little update from japan....
we put in our bid on monday for the open forum and it went swimmingly. augie played the role of the ambassador and gave a great presentation. the other two cities putting in a bid were warsaw and amsterdam. everyone was a bit worried just because its amsterdam. warsaw put in a decent bid as well; they had just built a brand new velodrome there and i guess the mayor there is pretty stoked on the idea. that being said, one of the points that augie made was the great vibe that is running through chicago right now. young, new blood putting on races and getting shit going. people were definitely picking up on the vibe that while work is slow, its pretty awesome to be a courier in chicago right now.
yesterday (tues.) was the qualifier. tokyo threw down. the course is insane. you can ride it fast, but this race is all about riding smart. we were given a packet with carbon copy tags... no shit. old school. single tags, no manifests. each tag has a pickup, a delivery, and a time limit. 5 min, 15 min, and 30 min were each worth a different monetary value. the winners were determined by who made the most money the fastest. if you didn't make a deadline, you didn't earn the money and probably didn't qualify. there were guys who had amazing times, but burned packages and straight up didn't qualify. chicago definitely came out with it. i finished in 48 min with no burned packages. christina finished in 49 min with no burned packages. molly finished in 50 minutes with no burned packages. the three of us are headed out this morning to the finals. they took the top 60 men, and top 10 women. today will be brutal. the qualifier had 10 runs. today will have two sets of 12, and one set of 10. its gonna be interesting.
i'll do my best to keep you up to date. tomorrow at the second open forum we vote on the host city for 2011. as a side note, the presentation that nadir and andy gave for guatemala was incredible. its going to be a race to remember. i wish i could go straight from here to there. keep your fingers crossed for chicago. i hope all is well back home.
btw...if you're interested in photo's check them out as they pop up...cmwc2009tokyo...
part two:
hey dude. just got back a little bit ago from the finals. good lord. if anyone thought yesterday's race was nuts, today would have blown their minds. it was a le mans style start. 70 racers. 60 men, and 10 women. 70 racers starting this madness all at once. the race started with a packet of 15 tags. same concept as the day before. when you finished the 15, you went back to start/finish for another 15. when you finished that, you went back to start/finish for another 20. it had to have been 80 degrees in the tokyo sun. it was intense to say the least. i myself burned two packages on the first bundle of deliveries, which i'm still kind of salty about. however it was near impossible to not have burned at least one on this race. i unfortunately wasn't able to do every pick up/delivery, but only a handful of people were able to do the 50 runs in the 2.5 hours they gave us. i ended up not being able to cover 10 of the last runs. but this was all about which runs you did. 30 min runs were worth 500yen, 15 min runs were worth 1500yen and 5 min runs were worth 4500yen. the last 20 runs they gave you were packed with 5 min runs, so when i got to that bundle of tags i tried my best to focus just on the 5 min runs to try and make up for the 15 min and 30 min runs i burned early on. christina's day went pretty well. she only burned one and made her way into the third bundle. i think her day was good enough to place verrrry well among the women, and probably overall as well. this is christina we are talking about. molly got off to a great start. unfortunately early on her chain popped off and sent her over the bars. she wound up roughing up her hip pretty bad. nothing too major, but enough to keep her from finishing. i know she is really bummed out about it, and we are all bummed for her. its too bad cos we all know she is an incredibly strong rider and certainly would have placed well among the top. that being said, she still made it into the top 10 women and top 70 overall. and thats among hundreds of racers from all over the world. the total count was near 400! anyway, we are off to the after party in a bit to catch wind of the final results. there were only about 10 people out of the 70 finalists for north america. maybe about the same from europe. japan has some heavy duty riders. seriously heavy duty. they dominated the field in number, lets hope we dominated the field in results!!! like i said we also vote tomorrow on the 2011 bids. we all made sure that everyone was aware of our presence; chicago rolls deep and chicago rolls heavy. the general vibe i got today at the race is that people really think we are capable of pulling off an exciting world championship, and the fact that we had three people in the finals kinda forced our presence upon the competition. hopefully i'll have nothing but good news for you tomorrow!!!
looks like chicago has done an amazing job thus far. i told you cats chicago would bring the great times to the worlds. good job to all...great job to my chicago heads. molly...don't worry lady...you cracked the top 10 in the world!! cant wait to hear what happens next. thanks again nico for the heads up...peace.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
4 reasons...
there are 4 reasons as to why i was p*ssed off the other day. let me run through them for you. it's a long story but i think you cats will enjoy...
reason number one: the doorman.
i call up 6721 to drop at 900 north lake shore from the mart. not a big deal by any means. it's towards the end of the day so he asks if he could go home after he cleans up. it's kinda slow so i don't have a problem with it...this time...ha! anyway...6721 gets to the drop and is having trouble. the doorman checks the name on the package with the names in his book book doesn't see a match. i call up the lady who it's for but she assures me that she does live there and has for quite some time...she's reason number 2 but i'll get to that in a minute. well...6721 goes back in and says the suite number and a different name but still...no dice. the name is not in the book...
6721...you know whats funny? he said that there used to be a lady by that name in that same exact suite but she's not in the book anymore.
...i get it. the doorman is a d*ck! he sticks to the rules. if the name isn't in the book then she doesn't exist. he knows who the person is but because someone forgot to put her name down he refuses to sign.
reason number two: the lady.
as you know, i called the lady for more info. she promised that she does live there but upon hearing that the doorman refuses to acknowledge that she doesn't...i had to call her back...
j.dot...hello, it's julio again. listen, the doorman is stating you do not exist. he said you are not in his book and he does not want to sign for the package. are you home or is there anyone else we can contact?
lady...are you serious. i don't know what the problem is...let me speak with the doorman.
j.dot...ma'am, i speak to my messenger via radio and he's communicating with the doorman. the doorman stated that you used to live there but not anymore. apparently he does everything by the book and if your name isn't in it then you don't exist.
lady...i don't have time for this. i have meetings to get to. i don't see what the problem is. you're not doing your job. what is your problem?! i have 4 packages a day delivered to me constantly.
j.dot...ma'am, i don't doubt that you do but the doorman is apparently the one with the problem. according to him you don't exist...
lady...just do your job! fix it!
...at this point i told her that i would call the client who set the order up and proceed to hang up. what i really wanted to say was...F*CK YOU!! well...that, along with alot more. i called the messenger up...which brings me to my next reason...
reason number three: the biker.
i called up the biker and told him that the client who set the order up would like the package to come back to them. i explained to them everything that happened and they apologized for the crazy lady and asked if we could bring the package back to them. see...it was the messengers last package of the day so the last thing he wanted to do was make it a round trip. he thought he was headed home...
6721...oh-man. are you serious? wait...give me a second. let me see what i can do.
j.dot...what?
some time goes by and then he calls me back only to let me know that he managed to get a signature. WTF?!?! are you f*cking kidding me?!?! you mean to tell me i just got yelled at for no f*cking reason?! i was very, very, very angry. why the f*ck couldn't he get a signature to begin with? why did he have to wait until i told him that it had to go back that he was able to figure out how to get a signature for the f*cking thing?! soooooo...messengers CAN get signatures when it suits them but not me? anyway...his reason leads me into reason number 4...
reason number four: me.
im angry at myself...why? cause i knew that building had a f*cking receiving area. why the f*ck didn't i tell him to deliver there from the beginning. see...it's been a while since i've been out there so i completely forgot there was one until 6721 called me...
6721...i took it to the receiving area. as i walked out i told the doorman to make sure he tells the lady that i'll be back there. he said..."don't worry...they'll put it in her mailbox".
...wait, what?! all of a sudden the doorman knows who the lady is?! i give up. i cussed for the rest of my shift and am still kind hot about the whole thing. the doorman for being a d*ck. the lady for being a b*tch. the biker for getting a signature only when it suited him and getting me a good tongue lashing. last, but not least, myself...i should have known better than to trust that the messenger field would ever be sane...peace.
reason number one: the doorman.
i call up 6721 to drop at 900 north lake shore from the mart. not a big deal by any means. it's towards the end of the day so he asks if he could go home after he cleans up. it's kinda slow so i don't have a problem with it...this time...ha! anyway...6721 gets to the drop and is having trouble. the doorman checks the name on the package with the names in his book book doesn't see a match. i call up the lady who it's for but she assures me that she does live there and has for quite some time...she's reason number 2 but i'll get to that in a minute. well...6721 goes back in and says the suite number and a different name but still...no dice. the name is not in the book...
6721...you know whats funny? he said that there used to be a lady by that name in that same exact suite but she's not in the book anymore.
...i get it. the doorman is a d*ck! he sticks to the rules. if the name isn't in the book then she doesn't exist. he knows who the person is but because someone forgot to put her name down he refuses to sign.
reason number two: the lady.
as you know, i called the lady for more info. she promised that she does live there but upon hearing that the doorman refuses to acknowledge that she doesn't...i had to call her back...
j.dot...hello, it's julio again. listen, the doorman is stating you do not exist. he said you are not in his book and he does not want to sign for the package. are you home or is there anyone else we can contact?
lady...are you serious. i don't know what the problem is...let me speak with the doorman.
j.dot...ma'am, i speak to my messenger via radio and he's communicating with the doorman. the doorman stated that you used to live there but not anymore. apparently he does everything by the book and if your name isn't in it then you don't exist.
lady...i don't have time for this. i have meetings to get to. i don't see what the problem is. you're not doing your job. what is your problem?! i have 4 packages a day delivered to me constantly.
j.dot...ma'am, i don't doubt that you do but the doorman is apparently the one with the problem. according to him you don't exist...
lady...just do your job! fix it!
...at this point i told her that i would call the client who set the order up and proceed to hang up. what i really wanted to say was...F*CK YOU!! well...that, along with alot more. i called the messenger up...which brings me to my next reason...
reason number three: the biker.
i called up the biker and told him that the client who set the order up would like the package to come back to them. i explained to them everything that happened and they apologized for the crazy lady and asked if we could bring the package back to them. see...it was the messengers last package of the day so the last thing he wanted to do was make it a round trip. he thought he was headed home...
6721...oh-man. are you serious? wait...give me a second. let me see what i can do.
j.dot...what?
some time goes by and then he calls me back only to let me know that he managed to get a signature. WTF?!?! are you f*cking kidding me?!?! you mean to tell me i just got yelled at for no f*cking reason?! i was very, very, very angry. why the f*ck couldn't he get a signature to begin with? why did he have to wait until i told him that it had to go back that he was able to figure out how to get a signature for the f*cking thing?! soooooo...messengers CAN get signatures when it suits them but not me? anyway...his reason leads me into reason number 4...
reason number four: me.
im angry at myself...why? cause i knew that building had a f*cking receiving area. why the f*ck didn't i tell him to deliver there from the beginning. see...it's been a while since i've been out there so i completely forgot there was one until 6721 called me...
6721...i took it to the receiving area. as i walked out i told the doorman to make sure he tells the lady that i'll be back there. he said..."don't worry...they'll put it in her mailbox".
...wait, what?! all of a sudden the doorman knows who the lady is?! i give up. i cussed for the rest of my shift and am still kind hot about the whole thing. the doorman for being a d*ck. the lady for being a b*tch. the biker for getting a signature only when it suited him and getting me a good tongue lashing. last, but not least, myself...i should have known better than to trust that the messenger field would ever be sane...peace.
Friday, September 18, 2009
trendsetters...
Bike couriers are the least glamorous and often hardest working people around...courier companies should pay more attention to their employees and dress them in the most fashionable way...
check it...
honestly...i think they have it all wrong. imo...messengers have been trendsetters for a long, long time. don't have to believe me...just look around from time to time. i wonder if the person who wrote this up has ever changed a flat...ha! eh...messengering isn't about fashion...it's about hard work and the hustle. the fashion just comes naturally with what the job demands. sometimes you have to stay cool and sometimes you have to stay warm...all while working an 8, 9, 10 hour shift. i have a feeling none of the wardrobe pictured would last more than a couple days. thats me being optimistic...peace.
check it...
honestly...i think they have it all wrong. imo...messengers have been trendsetters for a long, long time. don't have to believe me...just look around from time to time. i wonder if the person who wrote this up has ever changed a flat...ha! eh...messengering isn't about fashion...it's about hard work and the hustle. the fashion just comes naturally with what the job demands. sometimes you have to stay cool and sometimes you have to stay warm...all while working an 8, 9, 10 hour shift. i have a feeling none of the wardrobe pictured would last more than a couple days. thats me being optimistic...peace.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
and they're off...
the chicago crew(s) leave today. i hear they're showing up in two planes...ha! i know tokyo will bring great times to the world championship event but, honestly, i think chicago is bringing the great times to the worlds. we have national champions, velocity winners, and all around great people showing up...may God have mercy on yours souls...
good luck to all...can't wait to hear the stories. oh yeah...good luck to chicago and the push for the worlds in 2011!! can someone e-mail me what happens?! i don't think i can wait till you f*ckers get back. btw...i know you cats are flying broke but go ahead and bring me back a jersey anyway. i'll take a large...im usually a medium but i got some baby fat i've been fighting lately...peace.
good luck to all...can't wait to hear the stories. oh yeah...good luck to chicago and the push for the worlds in 2011!! can someone e-mail me what happens?! i don't think i can wait till you f*ckers get back. btw...i know you cats are flying broke but go ahead and bring me back a jersey anyway. i'll take a large...im usually a medium but i got some baby fat i've been fighting lately...peace.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
i like pics of messengers...
every city likes to show off their messengers. chris dilts sorta did it...not really all chicago messengers but he set up a photo book of the naccc's. which, btw, is still available for purchase. don't be afraid to scoop one up. san francisco did it...saw this first on track-o way back so im sure everyone and their mama has seen it already...ha!
anyway...not sure how many copies are left cause they were a limited edition but if your interested check the info here. now...just saw this book over at house of pistard...
check out the book here and don't be afraid to visit annalisa brambilla to check out her pics...peace.
anyway...not sure how many copies are left cause they were a limited edition but if your interested check the info here. now...just saw this book over at house of pistard...
check out the book here and don't be afraid to visit annalisa brambilla to check out her pics...peace.
Monday, September 14, 2009
wtf?!
as some know...i get the crew from 4 to 6 pm. not a big deal but lately...it's been HUGE deal! i used to dispatch the bike board but some changes occurred and im basically a dispatcher on stand-by. if someone calls in sick or is on vacation i handle their board...city or bike. sooooo...from time to time i do dispatch but i just don't do it as much as before. anyway...like i said, i do dispatch the bike board the last two hours of the day. these are some of the quotes i've been getting from our crew lately...
"im kinda tired...i rather not do that job"
"who else is around? don't you have other people?"
"i can't do that...i have to go"
"you should offer an incentive to get people to stay for 8 hours"
...when they're not giving me sh*t for dishing out work they just give me radio silence. i don't know what is going on but it's getting annoying quick. i just don't get it...we're actually busy lately. when we're slow...they complain. when we're busy...they complain. is there ever a time the messenger is actually happy?! i can't win with these cats...here, lets do some quick math...
full crew...15
1 walker
4 radio silence
2 want to go home
1 lost to office work
1 vacation
2 nc/ns
you with me so far? here...i'll subtract for you...FOUR! thats what im left with for the last two hours of work lately. i can't really count on the walker cause he just can't cover the distance. sure he helps but can't all the time. radio silence? well...those cats are just as*holes...ha! naw...they're nice guys but why turn there phone off? the two that don't stop whining about going home...well, that sh*t gets annoying and just can't deal with it after a while. the other ones...well, im just stuck between a rock and a hard place.
this just doesn't make sense. i've done the math before except this time the weather has been more than nice. 70 to 80 without a drop of rain in the sky. i cannot believe how beautiful chicago has been lately and how busy we've been. the tide is turning in our favor and we're getting busier and busier. it seems the busier we get the less these cats want to work. the sad thing is that the number of cats we have are enough to cover the work but because no one wants to...the company will hire some heads that will. what happens to the work then? it has to be shared with two other cats and we're back to square one...everyone complaining about how slow we are and why the f*ck did we hire more people. the good news this time...i warned many of them. i told them it wasn't my fault. either they get the job done or the company hires cats that will. btw...im not in charge of the hiring but my boss can only take so much of me complaining...oh-the irony...ha!
eh...it's the messenger industry. complaining around these parts is like having a cup of coffee. you don't really need to but you will. like i told scott in the office...they just don't build them like they used to...peace.
"im kinda tired...i rather not do that job"
"who else is around? don't you have other people?"
"i can't do that...i have to go"
"you should offer an incentive to get people to stay for 8 hours"
...when they're not giving me sh*t for dishing out work they just give me radio silence. i don't know what is going on but it's getting annoying quick. i just don't get it...we're actually busy lately. when we're slow...they complain. when we're busy...they complain. is there ever a time the messenger is actually happy?! i can't win with these cats...here, lets do some quick math...
full crew...15
1 walker
4 radio silence
2 want to go home
1 lost to office work
1 vacation
2 nc/ns
you with me so far? here...i'll subtract for you...FOUR! thats what im left with for the last two hours of work lately. i can't really count on the walker cause he just can't cover the distance. sure he helps but can't all the time. radio silence? well...those cats are just as*holes...ha! naw...they're nice guys but why turn there phone off? the two that don't stop whining about going home...well, that sh*t gets annoying and just can't deal with it after a while. the other ones...well, im just stuck between a rock and a hard place.
this just doesn't make sense. i've done the math before except this time the weather has been more than nice. 70 to 80 without a drop of rain in the sky. i cannot believe how beautiful chicago has been lately and how busy we've been. the tide is turning in our favor and we're getting busier and busier. it seems the busier we get the less these cats want to work. the sad thing is that the number of cats we have are enough to cover the work but because no one wants to...the company will hire some heads that will. what happens to the work then? it has to be shared with two other cats and we're back to square one...everyone complaining about how slow we are and why the f*ck did we hire more people. the good news this time...i warned many of them. i told them it wasn't my fault. either they get the job done or the company hires cats that will. btw...im not in charge of the hiring but my boss can only take so much of me complaining...oh-the irony...ha!
eh...it's the messenger industry. complaining around these parts is like having a cup of coffee. you don't really need to but you will. like i told scott in the office...they just don't build them like they used to...peace.
Friday, September 11, 2009
where were you?
today is an important day in the history for the u.s. and the world. 9/11 will always be remembered. we all know the stories and what happened but everytime september 11th comes around i remember exactly what i was doing and where i was...
i had gone to work like any other day. i wasn't dispatching at the time...i was still a messenger. it was actually really nice out. slow day but at least it was nice out. anyway...we had a pager and radio to carry around. i actually still think that is the best system to work with but thats another story. well...our pagers would provide us with fun facts, horoscopes, and daily news. i was relaxing at thompson center with a couple other messengers. nothing out of the ordinary...then i go to read the daily news...
"plane crashes into the world trade center"
i thought to myself..."holy sh*t!". i felt bad for what was happening but at no time did i think new york was under attack. then my pager goes off...i had a drop to make at 30 north lasalle. i head out and as i arrive to make my delivery i read the daily news again as im waiting for the elevator...
"two planes crash into world trade center"
i could not believe what i was reading. i deliver the package and ask base whats going on. they have the tv's on and are trying to figure sh*t out also. as i come out of 30 north i notice a big crowd starring into the windows of the building that have huge tv's showing a live feed of what was happening. all of chicago was silent for a minute...a big city just quiet. one building comes down then the phones start going off...not the work radio but everyone's cell phone starts going off. new york got hit...what about chicago?
im at thompson center along with a crowd of messengers slowly building wondering what is going on. i get on the phone with my mom..."estoy bien...no te preocupes". my sister calls..."im headed home. all classes are cancelled today. you should go home". i call base to see what the h*ll is going on then i ride into base with mike morrell. we're both sorta freaking out but are able to ride through a city being evacuated. i get to base, hear some more news and roll out to head home before my mom starts really freaking out.
man...it was really a nice day. the sun was shinning and the weather wasn't too hot or cold. i had shorts on and, even though we weren't that busy, things were good. then...out of nowhere a black cloud on a sunny day. my thoughts and prayers go to those lost and those who lost loved ones. the next day i called base before coming in...business as usual. got to work early...chilled at thompson center...read the daily news...peace.
i had gone to work like any other day. i wasn't dispatching at the time...i was still a messenger. it was actually really nice out. slow day but at least it was nice out. anyway...we had a pager and radio to carry around. i actually still think that is the best system to work with but thats another story. well...our pagers would provide us with fun facts, horoscopes, and daily news. i was relaxing at thompson center with a couple other messengers. nothing out of the ordinary...then i go to read the daily news...
"plane crashes into the world trade center"
i thought to myself..."holy sh*t!". i felt bad for what was happening but at no time did i think new york was under attack. then my pager goes off...i had a drop to make at 30 north lasalle. i head out and as i arrive to make my delivery i read the daily news again as im waiting for the elevator...
"two planes crash into world trade center"
i could not believe what i was reading. i deliver the package and ask base whats going on. they have the tv's on and are trying to figure sh*t out also. as i come out of 30 north i notice a big crowd starring into the windows of the building that have huge tv's showing a live feed of what was happening. all of chicago was silent for a minute...a big city just quiet. one building comes down then the phones start going off...not the work radio but everyone's cell phone starts going off. new york got hit...what about chicago?
im at thompson center along with a crowd of messengers slowly building wondering what is going on. i get on the phone with my mom..."estoy bien...no te preocupes". my sister calls..."im headed home. all classes are cancelled today. you should go home". i call base to see what the h*ll is going on then i ride into base with mike morrell. we're both sorta freaking out but are able to ride through a city being evacuated. i get to base, hear some more news and roll out to head home before my mom starts really freaking out.
man...it was really a nice day. the sun was shinning and the weather wasn't too hot or cold. i had shorts on and, even though we weren't that busy, things were good. then...out of nowhere a black cloud on a sunny day. my thoughts and prayers go to those lost and those who lost loved ones. the next day i called base before coming in...business as usual. got to work early...chilled at thompson center...read the daily news...peace.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
where-o-where...
there are many places being thrown around and i've done some research...for what? who will be hosting the worlds in 2011 and 2012. this is exciting to watch and be a part of. the competition is heavy and the anticipation is killing me. as some of you know...chicago is making a push...
i don't want to say it's chicago's main competition but amsterdam is serious about making it happen also...
nostradamus could be right again! 2012 the world is gonna go end, if we gonna go down, we might aswell go down after having the last CMWC in amsterdam!
now...i know im supposed to say how in chicago we do things better but i've never been to europe and i hear amsterdam is a good gateway...ha! get it? gateway? you know...cause of drugs? forgive my old man jokes. anyway...im still in support of chicago hosting but amsterdam would not be a disappointment by any means.
it doesn't end there folks. it's not just two cities going head to head for the right to host the worlds in 2011 and 2012. from the sound of things...rio de janeiro, brazil is in the mix...wtf?!?! hey nadir...can you guys host that during carnaval? i would love to be there for that. now hear me out on this...is trinidad and tobago in the mix?! holy hot sh*t! did i ever tell you cats i know how to salsa dance? i hear you can salsa in trinidad. if you can't dance maybe you like going fast and left turns...they have four velodromes in trinidad from my understanding. there were rumors of hawaii and new orleans possibly making a push but i cannot verify that noise.
all i know now...well, all i know is that i don't know sh*t. i just wanted to share my excitement and a glimpse into how cool the messenger industry is. i don't know who will actually show up in tokyo for bidding beyond chicago and amsterdam. actually, nadir is making guatemala happen and he's leading the charge for brazil...so you know brazil isn't far fetched either. i don't know who the crowd will vote for and for which year. i really hope it's chicago in 2011 but i also know that messengers worldwide deserve a chance to host and show the world what they go through and what their homeland is like. good luck to all...it'll be a battle royal of sorts. yet another reason why im jealous i won't be attending japan...to see the bidding battle and be able to vote. the good news...there will be many more years of championships to come.
as the chicago site states...
We will try again and again, until the bright light of the Worlds shine on our dreary heads. We don't take no for an answer. We tolerate no fools. We keep it correct. And we come back again and again and again and again.
i hope all cities putting in their bid have the same hunger and drive to not give up until the worlds shine on them...peace.
i don't want to say it's chicago's main competition but amsterdam is serious about making it happen also...
nostradamus could be right again! 2012 the world is gonna go end, if we gonna go down, we might aswell go down after having the last CMWC in amsterdam!
now...i know im supposed to say how in chicago we do things better but i've never been to europe and i hear amsterdam is a good gateway...ha! get it? gateway? you know...cause of drugs? forgive my old man jokes. anyway...im still in support of chicago hosting but amsterdam would not be a disappointment by any means.
it doesn't end there folks. it's not just two cities going head to head for the right to host the worlds in 2011 and 2012. from the sound of things...rio de janeiro, brazil is in the mix...wtf?!?! hey nadir...can you guys host that during carnaval? i would love to be there for that. now hear me out on this...is trinidad and tobago in the mix?! holy hot sh*t! did i ever tell you cats i know how to salsa dance? i hear you can salsa in trinidad. if you can't dance maybe you like going fast and left turns...they have four velodromes in trinidad from my understanding. there were rumors of hawaii and new orleans possibly making a push but i cannot verify that noise.
all i know now...well, all i know is that i don't know sh*t. i just wanted to share my excitement and a glimpse into how cool the messenger industry is. i don't know who will actually show up in tokyo for bidding beyond chicago and amsterdam. actually, nadir is making guatemala happen and he's leading the charge for brazil...so you know brazil isn't far fetched either. i don't know who the crowd will vote for and for which year. i really hope it's chicago in 2011 but i also know that messengers worldwide deserve a chance to host and show the world what they go through and what their homeland is like. good luck to all...it'll be a battle royal of sorts. yet another reason why im jealous i won't be attending japan...to see the bidding battle and be able to vote. the good news...there will be many more years of championships to come.
as the chicago site states...
We will try again and again, until the bright light of the Worlds shine on our dreary heads. We don't take no for an answer. We tolerate no fools. We keep it correct. And we come back again and again and again and again.
i hope all cities putting in their bid have the same hunger and drive to not give up until the worlds shine on them...peace.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
championship logo's...
the international federation of bike messenger associations has been around since the early 90's. it's main purpose was/is to ensure communication among messengers worldwide and to make sure the cmwc happens every year. a huge task that has had it's ups and downs but, in my opinion...has done alright. anyway...i go through their site about once a day, if not more...ha? why? just cause im bored at work and i like to look at all the past messenger event artwork...
logo's and whanot from '93 till infinity...ha!
it's amazing how many talented individuals the messenger community has. artists, event planners, designers, racers, and so on. anyway...just posting a trip down memory lane for some and a kudo's to the ifbma for keeping such archives alive. i know many aren't happy with them at the moment but thank God they are around...we can always use a history lesson every now and then...peace.
logo's and whanot from '93 till infinity...ha!
it's amazing how many talented individuals the messenger community has. artists, event planners, designers, racers, and so on. anyway...just posting a trip down memory lane for some and a kudo's to the ifbma for keeping such archives alive. i know many aren't happy with them at the moment but thank God they are around...we can always use a history lesson every now and then...peace.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
the days are approaching fast...
i should really stay off the internet until japan is over. why? cause i just keep getting more and more jealous of what i will be missing. everytime i glance at the cmwc blog they post some more greatness...
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jerseys, eyewear, and poker cards?!?! what's next? i can only imagine. oh yeah...for those interested in bike polo check out the site here...
all games are not serious! it's fun games for our guest of CMWC & local bike polo players. We want to provide a hangout for all the bike polo loving messengers of the world.
i guess i should stop whining about not going...after all, i will definitely be in guatemala...peace.
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jerseys, eyewear, and poker cards?!?! what's next? i can only imagine. oh yeah...for those interested in bike polo check out the site here...
all games are not serious! it's fun games for our guest of CMWC & local bike polo players. We want to provide a hangout for all the bike polo loving messengers of the world.
i guess i should stop whining about not going...after all, i will definitely be in guatemala...peace.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
the best and the worst...
kirk dungan is the only bike messenger in anchorage, alaska. how cool/crazy is that?! check out the vid here. Lord knows we deal with some silly weather in chicago but it can't compare to what this man is dealing with. btw...he's toy'd with the idea of hosting the naccc's. he's all alone so it's a bit harder but how much fun would that be? naccc's alaska-2011? come on kirk...you can make that happen. stay warm...peace.
Friday, September 4, 2009
how to take a sh*t in japan...
CMWC TOKYO 2009 PROMO II: TKBMA Gives Some Advice from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.
check out this great video for messengers attending this years cmwc in japan. the tkbma has put together a set of rules to understand when you visit...some highlights...
~you can take a bike on a train as long as it's in a bag
~the proper noodles to eat to become a ninja which will teach you how to speak italian
~watch out for the grandma bikes
~you can drink on the streets but don't drink and ride(ha!)
~how to use the hole in the floors(don't get your shoes dirty)
...peace.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
what a difference a day makes...
i turn my back for one minute and look what the kids grown-ups in chicago put together...worlds in 2011...
sure i posted about this already but now chicago is making a serious push for the worlds in 2011. this is no joke. they have there act together and want to make this happen. check out the site when you have a chance. i have a permanent link on the side tabs so that you can check in with them from time to time as im sure more surprises will come...
We will try again and again, until the bright light of the Worlds shine on our dreary heads. We don't take no for an answer. We tolerate no fools. We keep it correct. And we come back again and again and again and again.
this is too exciting. chicago hasn't even received the bid yet and already i want to say that printers row has my vote for the main course...ha! i really wish i was going to japan. good luck out there to chicago's racers and organizers. btw...this has nothing to do with the post but the title reminded me of dinah washington...
what a great way to start the day...peace.
click on image to enlarge...
sure i posted about this already but now chicago is making a serious push for the worlds in 2011. this is no joke. they have there act together and want to make this happen. check out the site when you have a chance. i have a permanent link on the side tabs so that you can check in with them from time to time as im sure more surprises will come...
We will try again and again, until the bright light of the Worlds shine on our dreary heads. We don't take no for an answer. We tolerate no fools. We keep it correct. And we come back again and again and again and again.
this is too exciting. chicago hasn't even received the bid yet and already i want to say that printers row has my vote for the main course...ha! i really wish i was going to japan. good luck out there to chicago's racers and organizers. btw...this has nothing to do with the post but the title reminded me of dinah washington...
what a great way to start the day...peace.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
chicago messenger prom 2009...
Photographs by Andy Golding, Chris Dilts, Alexis Finch, Laurie Chipps, Russell Boehringer, Michael Flipski
for more pics click here and a special thank you to christopher dilts for helping make this happen...fractured ribs and all...peace.
it's good to be the king queen...
ophrah winfrey...im sure some of you have heard of her. well, she's decided that next tuesday she will be shutting down a few blocks on one of chicago's busiest locations...
Oprah plans to tape her show -- with special guests the Black Eyed Peas -- at the intersection of Michigan and Ohio. It will require the city to close Michigan between Wacker and Ohio at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 7 and keep it closed until 5 a.m. Sept. 9th Although Oprah's Harpo Studios will reimburse taxpayers for the cost of city services, the inconvenience to motorists cannot be calculated.
at least the mayor approves. i know, i know...who cares?! f*ck inconvenience to motorists...what about messengers?!?! bike and car! she will definitely make it difficult for messengers throughout the city with deliveries. check out the map...
it's gonna be freaking gridlock from beginning to end. i feel bad for all who have to deal with it but like i said...i guess it's good to be the queen. don't say no one warned you about this when next week comes around...peace.
Oprah plans to tape her show -- with special guests the Black Eyed Peas -- at the intersection of Michigan and Ohio. It will require the city to close Michigan between Wacker and Ohio at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 7 and keep it closed until 5 a.m. Sept. 9th Although Oprah's Harpo Studios will reimburse taxpayers for the cost of city services, the inconvenience to motorists cannot be calculated.
at least the mayor approves. i know, i know...who cares?! f*ck inconvenience to motorists...what about messengers?!?! bike and car! she will definitely make it difficult for messengers throughout the city with deliveries. check out the map...
click on image to enlarge...
it's gonna be freaking gridlock from beginning to end. i feel bad for all who have to deal with it but like i said...i guess it's good to be the queen. don't say no one warned you about this when next week comes around...peace.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
my condolences...
to the family and friends of Darcy Allan Sheppard...toronto messenger...
“It seemed like the driver was trying to shake him off because he turned really suddenly, put on the brakes, jetted it one last time and then all your hear is three thumps and then the guy falls on the floor.”
check the story here but already there are more and more developments. keep an eye on the globe and mail for more info. imo...looks like a case of road rage from a man with power. all opinion on the side...the messenger community has lost a man. keep an eye on the toronto bike messenger association...also, it seems like they're getting a fundraiser together. don't hesitate to donate what you can...im sure details on how to do that will pop up soon. again, my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends...peace.
“It seemed like the driver was trying to shake him off because he turned really suddenly, put on the brakes, jetted it one last time and then all your hear is three thumps and then the guy falls on the floor.”
check the story here but already there are more and more developments. keep an eye on the globe and mail for more info. imo...looks like a case of road rage from a man with power. all opinion on the side...the messenger community has lost a man. keep an eye on the toronto bike messenger association...also, it seems like they're getting a fundraiser together. don't hesitate to donate what you can...im sure details on how to do that will pop up soon. again, my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends...peace.
bid...
we're only a few weeks away until the madness that japan will bring to the worlds. as you know...i will not be in attendance but chicago is rolling super deep. i hear it's about 12 strong or so and growing(?). good luck to the chicago crew...im sure the world will not forget them...we got some special people around these parts.
now...to serious business...boom!
From the same deadbeats that brought you the Chicago NACCC 2008, this is our public attempt to win the Cycle Messenger World Championship for 2011. We’ll be in Tokyo later on this summer to put in the bid.
holy sh*t!! thats right people...chicago is rolling deep and making a push for 2011. how exciting is that?!?! i hear there are a couple other spots interested in a bid but you better bring your a-game cause if i know something it's that chicago has an organized crew that is all about goodtimes. i have faith in our crew in making this happen. come to chicago and enjoy all the stories and be a part of something special. chicago hosted last years naccc's and it was a success. we also have this years velocity winners al and molly who won free tickets to japan. not only that...say whatever you want about boston but christina and nico from chicago went over there and took top honors in this years naccc's. we're riding a good wave right now and i hope it continues with a bid for 2011. good luck to all putting their city on the line...peace.
now...to serious business...boom!
From the same deadbeats that brought you the Chicago NACCC 2008, this is our public attempt to win the Cycle Messenger World Championship for 2011. We’ll be in Tokyo later on this summer to put in the bid.
holy sh*t!! thats right people...chicago is rolling deep and making a push for 2011. how exciting is that?!?! i hear there are a couple other spots interested in a bid but you better bring your a-game cause if i know something it's that chicago has an organized crew that is all about goodtimes. i have faith in our crew in making this happen. come to chicago and enjoy all the stories and be a part of something special. chicago hosted last years naccc's and it was a success. we also have this years velocity winners al and molly who won free tickets to japan. not only that...say whatever you want about boston but christina and nico from chicago went over there and took top honors in this years naccc's. we're riding a good wave right now and i hope it continues with a bid for 2011. good luck to all putting their city on the line...peace.
dear cassandra...
thank you for the shirt...
look at that half-a*s technique on chop sticks!! man-o-man...i need to work on that. don't forget kids, you can be cool like me and have a shirt also...
Hey I made this shirt to celebrate my going back to school. If you want one they're 15$ including shipping anywhere you are. help My "back to school" fund.
Shirts are American Apparel unisex SM to XL will shrink when washed. White letters black shirts. Be patient though I'm in the middle of moving, so I might not get these out till next week!
Paypal with size and address to cassettetapes@hotmail.com
thanks again lady...peace.
look at that half-a*s technique on chop sticks!! man-o-man...i need to work on that. don't forget kids, you can be cool like me and have a shirt also...
Hey I made this shirt to celebrate my going back to school. If you want one they're 15$ including shipping anywhere you are. help My "back to school" fund.
Shirts are American Apparel unisex SM to XL will shrink when washed. White letters black shirts. Be patient though I'm in the middle of moving, so I might not get these out till next week!
Paypal with size and address to cassettetapes@hotmail.com
thanks again lady...peace.
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