DEL CORRESPONSAL

CESAR UZCANGA INSURGENCIA POR PREDIO LA BALLENA,RECLAMA SERVICIOS DENUNCIA CORRUPCION MUNICIPAL

Negando  a contra derecho escudados  en reglamentos secundarios ofensivos a la CARTA MAGNA ,la CFE y el AYUNTAMIENTO DE LOS CABOS han provocado con su intransigencia la INSURGENCIA de los vecinos del PREDIO LA BALLENA a quienes niegan la posibilidad de contar con luz y agua bajo el argumento de ileglaidad en la propiedad.

Cesar Uzcanga unos de los LUCHADORES SOCIALES mas respetados de este decenio le dice al gobierno sus “siete verdades”,la corrupcion se genera desde las instituciones y no es lo mismo la gimnasia que la magnesia.

El como presunto dueno de la ballena tiene su propio litigio con el Ejido y seran los tribunales los que den veredicto en el asunto.

La gente que lo habita,compradora de buena fe pose razon y derecho sobre del reclamo de servicios y por encima de toda ley la CONSTITUCION los protege.

Las manifestaciones de CESAR UZCANGA tienen encorajinado al PRESIDENTE MUNICIPAL RENE NUNES Y AL SECRETARIO GARIBALDO ROMERO,cierto,han facilitado en asentamiento y el apoderamiento de playas,han consentido en dar el agua a los DESARROLLADORES TURISTICOS.

Y el pueblo?…

Ya estan en el PODER Y AHORA LE PATEAN EL TRASERO pero asi como los puso tambien puede quitarlos y ese es otro derecho de la CONSTITUCION.

EDIOTRIAL DE VILLANOTAS.-Voux de populis,voux de Dioux.

Students from all UC’s (UCI, UCSD, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCD, UCSB, UCSC, UC Merced, UCR) gather to address the fee hikes induced to widen the education gap between the privileged and less so.
UC Regents Pass 32% Fee Increase on Students, Sparks Outrage

Daily Nexus
November 19, 2009

UCLA

UC Berkeley

Please see the link above for our new Logistics page, with information on conference dates, transportation and lodging. Feel free to leave comments if there is information I haven’t yet posted that you need to know.

I plan to embed a Google map into the page, with all conference locations marked, as well as recommended restaurants and attractions. Suggestions are also welcome for additions to the map.

Team Astana: plenty of bikes, no license.

As the glacial pace of the UCI’s review of the Astana ProTour license continues, the Kazakh Cycling Federation employed a novel approach to gaining approval: insults.

“It seems to me that they don’t want an Asian team in the ProTour, and for it to beat European teams,” Federation president Nikolai Proskurin alleged. The world shakes its head in amusement — the guy is actually playing the racism card. That’s brilliant.

Then the angry Proskurian shifted gears, moving from insults to conspiracy allegations, claiming former Director Sportif Johan Bruyneel is trying to scuttle the approval.

“Bruyneel told us that he would do everything possible to ensure that they withdrew our license,” Proskurin stated. This is a perfect reminder that the UCI considers the Astana management a bunch of bozos.

Then the federation head slid into some generic whining, claiming it would be difficult to satisfy the additional financial requirements. Proskurin argued that there is already a significant bank guarantee in place. “A guarantee from Samruk-Kazyna is much more important, because it has the stamp of approval of the government itself.” Everyone knows how stable the Kazak government is, right?

All this leading to the question, is this a smart approach to getting your ProTour license re-approved? The antagonism, insults, bullying, disparaging remarks and whining might work in the homeland but the UCI is based in Switzerland. They appreciate sophistication and manners and keeping the dirty laundry in the basement. Does Mr. Proskurin think that approach will earn Astana extra points on a close decision?

Back in the day, loud, obnoxious Americans used to go to Europe on vacation, yelling and flashing their big fat wallets. Those days are long gone, replaced now by the ugly rich Russians on holiday. Twisted Spoke thinks the Kazaks are taking the same approach. It doesn’t win many friends.

JOIN US! VISIT WWW.OCHOPEANDHARMONY.COM TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

5k Run/Walk and 1-mile Kids Run

Saturday, February 27, 2010
5k Begins at 8:00am

University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California 92697

5K : $35.00 (through February 1st)
Kids Run (14 & Under) : $25.00 (through February 1st)
Phantom Runners : $25.00 donation

According to yesterday’s copy of L’Equipe, and possibly much to no one’s surprise, Wiggo is joining Sky. Jonathan Vaughters has evidently realised the futility in trying to hang on to a rider who wants to be somewhere else. No doubt Garmin will be amply compensated for losing a rider, still under contract, who finished 4th in this year’s Tour. Also, assuming that the 5 delinquent Pro-Tour teams managed to get all their paperwork in order and submitted to the UCI by the deadline, there’s probably going to be no more “big surprises” in 2009.

Regrettably, the weather today was both overcast and humid. However, nothing could dampen the boys’ (and girls’) spirits as we set off this morning for the pointage. I managed to cling onto the back of the peloton as we rode up the route de Grasse. The club hosting the pointage had thoughtfully signposted the way thus preventing most, but not all, from getting lost. A number of clubs arrived at the same time swamping the refreshments table and picking it cleaner than a horde of locusts.

On the way back from this morning’s ride, I picked up the newspapers (L’Equipe, Nice Matin and The Sunday Times) to enjoy over a coffee. There was an interview in The Sunday Times Sports section with David Brailsford which I started to read, anticipating gleaning some interesting titbits about Team Sky or indeed confirmation that Bradley Wiggins was Sky-bound. The interview almost immediately took a strange turn, backtracking to 2004 when David Millar was apprehended by the French police, in the company of Brailsford. At once, I realised it was a Paul Kimmage interview where no doubt there was going to be some pointed homily about doping in the peloton and it was highly improbable that I would learn anything of either use or interest about Sky, or indeed anything related to cycling. In the hope, rather than expectation, that I might be proved wrong. I read the entire interview. I wasn’t.

Instead of going to watch OGCN play Toulouse this evening, we’ve elected to stay at home and finish up a few necessary household chores (no, not the ironing) ahead of our trip to Paris next week. I’ve bought another bookcase which needed assembling. This will house my growing collection of cycling books in the entrance hall thereby alleviating the overcrowding in the main bookcase just outside of the kitchen which is home to my substantial collection of cookery books.

Most women will say that they can never have enough shoes. While I don’t necessarily disagree, given the choice between books and shoes, I will almost always opt for the former, unless you’re offering me a pair of Christian Laboutin’s. If you don’t believe me you are most welcome to come and check my respective collections of both.

My beloved also needed to tend to his collection of citrus trees which are exhibiting a distinct lack of TLC as evidenced by the absence of both fruit and leaves. I am many things, but green fingered I am not. He leaves them in my care during the week at his (and their) peril.

UC Irvine’s brand-new Taiwanese American Organization held a fun tea workshop this past Thursday! We were graciously invited by TAO President, Amy Lee, to attend and give an announcement about the ITASA 2010 WCC.  It was great to see a newly created Taiwanese American student club doing so well with such a great turnout and enthusiastic members. The tea presentation itself was awesome as well; tea expert Thomas Shu, who we have also invited to speak at ITASA 2010 WCC, captivated the entire audience with his songs about Taiwanese tea and culture.

We look forward to having Thomas Shu and members of UCI TAO attend the ITASA 2010 WCC at UCSD!! [photos courtesy of UCI TAO]

When I worked as a volunteer at the World Road Cycling Championships in Stuttgart 2007, manning the UCI’s VIP Welcome Desk, I met the guys responsible for Melbourne 2010. My friend Valeria and I had a bit of a running joke with them on account of our accommodation problems. Let me explain.

Initially, Stuttgart had asked if we could work for two weeks, the week before and the week of the Championships. We both consented and I found us a handily placed, inexpensive, small family-run hotel. The month before, Stuttgart decided they only needed our services for 10 days. So I changed my flights and the hotel booking.

I arrived at the hotel before Valeria, checked in and the owner asked me if I’d like to pay for the night’s accommodation in advance. A strange question I thought, given we were staying for 10 days. But no, it appears she had totally mis-read my email, painstakingly written in German, and thought we were now only staying for one night. When Valeria arrived, I had to break the bad news to her: the WiFi wasn’t working. Then, the really bad news, we only had one night’s accommodation.

Fortunately, the hotel-owner could also accommodate us on Sunday but thereafter, we were on our own. Not a problem, or so you would think in a large town like Stuttgart – wrong! Not only were the World Championships in town, being held at the old Exhibition Centre, but there was also an exhibition being held at the brand, spanking new Exhibition Centre. No room at any of the inns, hotels, pensions, hostels or doss houses according to the Tourist Office. Suddenly, those two sofas in the reception of the Hotel Meridien, where we were working (also fully booked), were beginning to look tempting. We starting scanning the UCI guest list to see who had single occupancy of a double room: one, Miguel Indurain. Dream on, Valeria.

Thanks to my beloved’s Accor loyalty card, we managed to find rooms in some of their hotels. It became a bit of a joke, each morning the Australians would stop by and enquire whether we’d got beds for that evening. In the event that we hadn’t, they offered to share so that we could have one of their rooms.    

So, have pre-registered my interest in volunteering for Melbourne 2010 back in July 2009, an email inviting me to complete the relevant documentation recently popped into my in-box. Trouble is I’d had such a good time at Mendrisio 2009 not being a volunteer, that I was now conflicted. What should I do?

In the end I volunteered. But in completing the documentation was advised that it was obligatory for all volunteers to attend a training session being held the month before the Championships. Cunning move on the part of the organisers to validly eliminate any overseas volunteers. However, my conscience was clear. I had promised to volunteer, and I had.

Where is my pre-pen? I want to sign my contract.

Here is another classic in the strange world of cycling contracts. Michael Rasmussen has dissolved what he called the “pre-contract” with the CDC-Cavaliere team. I suppose we can officially call it a post-contract. Pre-signatures mean nothing — especially when you sign with those gimmicky pre-pens with the invisible ink.

He supposedly has signed a genuine contract, with no pre-contract and that team will have a post comment soon. Such is the state of professional cycling contracts. Alberto Contador has one with Astana but the UCI claims he is free to go but privately says he isn’t free to go. Meanwhile he’s stuffing it with every protective clause and loophole he can think off.

Bradley Wiggins has a contract with Garmin but team Sky is ready to buy him out. They have a pre-offer on the table but Garmin boss Jonathan Vaughters says that’s pre-mature. Sometimes these pre-nuptials don’t’ work out.

Cloudy, mystifying and strange. But we leave the final explanation to Mr. Rasmussen, who offered this classic Kafka meets George Orwell bit of nonsense-speak: “The two parties have commenced the liquidation of the cooperation that has never existed,” said the doping Dane.

Is that brilliant? Or maybe just pre-brilliant.

Alejandro Valverde, age 75

Alejandro Valverde, the famous and long retired Spanish cyclist, expressed surprise today that The Court for Arbitration in Sport had delayed his CONI hearing yet again. The latest delay, the 178th, was issued without explanation.

The court is still trying to resolve the issue surrounding Valverde’s alleged involvement in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal that occurred back in May, 2006.

“I’ve been retired for 40 years. What’s the point? I haven’t raced in eons,” said Valverde. Several judges and attorneys have died waiting to rule on the long-delayed case. Efforts to reach a conclusion have also be stymied by the evidence drying up. Blood bags believed to be from Valverde have crusted over and the blood has mostly evaporated.

When reached for comment, Patrick McQuaid, the UCI president at the time, had no recollection of the once high profile case that was the source of much embarrassment for professional cycling. “I don’t remember a thing. I do remember CAS. Worthless people,” he said.

A spokesman for CAS declined to offer any explanation for the 45 years of delays, saying only that “we’re moving as fast as we can and hope to have this settled soon.”

The Dolphin Test.

As part of the UCI’s on-going mental testing of all riders for their psychological passport, Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador both correctly guessed the number of dolphins swimming in the tank. The answer was of course, two.

“It’s important that we have a clear baseline measurement of their mental capabilities,” said the UCI’s head psychologist Erik Sorenson. “Treading water while counting another species is a every exact measure of brain function.”

The UCI Psychological passport has been under fire from some critics for its unusual protocols. President Patrick McQuaid said “we do whatever tests we want. The Dolphin test is an accepted measure, so just shut up.”

Pierre Boudry, head of the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD), laughed at the test. “It is worthless, this test. We prefer to use the sea otter — it is less obvious,” he said.

Doping scandals aplenty, Velo News reports. They’re taking another look at 2008 Giro d’Italia samples for CERA, undetectable previously but now testable. The same may happen for the 2009 Giro and Tour as testing catches up with ever newer, previously undetectable substances.

“The report also outlined a new blood doping practice which evaded current testing protocol which monitor blood parameters. About 200ml of blood is extracted, mixed with an anti-coagulant, and re-injected. The practice does not alter blood values and is all but undetectable, the report said.”

And the UCI, whose efficacy anti-doping authorities continue to question, emerges with another black eye:

“Earlier efforts to back-test Giro samples for CERA were squashed by the UCI, but now Italian officials in Padua have taken up the case.”

The Chicken is back! Michael Rasmussen, who was on track to win the 2007 Tour de France before his team suspended him for deceiving it re his whereabouts before the race began, has picked up a new team following his two-year ban.

Rasmussen’s case bears some investigation, because he essentially beat the doping system. He never actually tested positive. He was put on ice simply out of suspicion of cheating.

Which means the system must be pretty easily beatable, because they suspected Rasmussen well before the Tour began and one would assume must have tested him rigorously during the race. So what went wrong? How could this happen? They’re so convinced he doped that they barred him, but nothing in their vast array of testing procedures could prove it?

Euskaltel-Euskadi on the comeback trail from doping scandals? Can they stay clean? And with this kind of money involved, will they get reported if they aren’t clean?

“As part of continued 1 million euro commitment to the team’s total 6.5 million euro budget, the government has included a clause in the sponsorship contract that would end the deal if more doping cases pop up. Reports in Basque Country media also point to an early exodus of title sponsor Euskaltel – the regional telephone operator – if there’s another doping case.”

Floyd Landis got caught and paid the price. Now he’s saying “politics” will keep him from ever competing in the Tour again.

Here’s an idea: Floyd and the Chicken and Tyler Hamilton and Bernhard Kohl and Vinokourov and a bunch of other banned cyclists get together and form a Tour team sponsored by BigPharma companies that make methadone. They could call it Team LiveClean.

World Champion Cadel Evans now wants to finally win the Tour, a prime motivator for his move from Silence to BMC Racing. We wish him luck. Cadel is one of the few pros who proactively says he does not dope. We trust he’s telling the truth and admire him for taking a stand. We also like him because he’s a former mountain biking champion. (So is Rasmussen, but we don’t admire him because, as with a lot of big names in cycling, there’s too much evidence he’s a cheat, even though he never actually got caught.)

This is going so fast !

I got in touch with professor White at University of California @ Irvine because of his studies on complexity and social networks after I visited his web page and I read about his analysis of genealogical networks and P-Graphs using the notorious Pajek software by Professors Andrej Mrvar and Vladimir Batagelj at the University of Ljubljana.

He created at once a wiki site at the UCI to publish our e-mail exchanges for future reference and collaboration with other people. You can find the link to the wiki on the left bar.

Today he produced the first graphical visualizations of the database together with some first-glance analysis. I am still very emotionally involved in this since it is the first time I have the honour of an expert analysing my data. The project is starting to talk by itself…

Stay tuned.

Each vertical column is a patriline, the dotted arrows are maternal lines in a P-graph, with 58,308 families. The 75 horizontally colored circles are minimal temporal units needed to keep parents just above children and ancestors above descendants.

These are the structurally endogamous families, from Image 1.

The Match of the Century is on. McQuaid vs. Boudry.

The war of words between UCI President Patrick McQuaid and French Anti-Doping Agency head Pierre Boudry escalated Saturday.

They’ve decided to settle their disputes once and for all, in the wrestling ring. “”I’m sick of that whiney French guy, always complaining and turning up his nose. I’m gonna stomp on his face. ” said the red-faced McQuaid.

For his part, Boudry is hardly worried. “You can see he is flabby, a bureaucrat who sits on his hindquarters all day making pronouncements like he’s king. I am training already,” said Boudry.

The UCI president appeared to snap after the constant hounding by Boudry in the press. “Boudry thinks he’s some kind of intellectual, drinking his red wine, reading his French existentialist novels. I will break him in two,” said McQuaid.

Rumors are spreading fast that the under-card for the much-anticipated event will feature Anne Gripper, head of the UCI’s anti-doping team, taking on Alejandro Valverde. But at this moment, no details have been announced.

However, the wrestling promoters are already planning a tag team match between the embattled Spanish Cycling Federation and Italian Olympic COmmittee (CONI). Winner to decide Valverde’s doping ban.

Stay tuned for more developments.

Yesterday we were able to share some behind-the-scenes photos of the UCI Halloween party for all ProTour riders. Time and space prevented us from covering the whole photo shoot in one post but here is Part Two.

Master of Ceremonies Patrick McQuaid was dressed in his keystone cops costume. Plenty of treats were on hand and none were on the WADA’s list of banned substances. Except for a suspicious cake from Cera Lee.

Johan Bruyneel is the master wizard.

Cadel Evans goes Australian.

Garzelli borrowed Marco's old costume.

Dennis Rasmussen, the chicken.

The Little Prince, Damiano Cunego.

Keystone Cop McQuaid.

Sastre in pimp wear? It's true.

Lance always wears the same costume.

Nessa época do ano em que não temos corridas eu [mode sarcasmo on] adoro [mode sarcasmo off] quando começam essas briguinhas e guerras de palavras.

Respondendo às acusações da AFLD (agência francesa responsável pela luta anti-doping) sobre o corpo mole que foi feito durante o Tour (com a Astana e companhia) a UCI divulgou ontem um comunicado oficial. Vamos ao resumo, tradução livre minha.

• As acusações são totalmente infundadas e no futuro vão buscar um parceiro neutro para realizar os exames no Tour de France;
• A AFLD sequer precisou trabalhar durante o Tour, seu papel foi modesto;
• A Astana recebeu sim um tratamento especial: no sentido de que seus corredores foram submetidos a um número maior de exames do que os demais. Três vezes a mais do que a maioria dos demais corredores;
• A AFLD deve olhar para o próprio umbigo antes de criticar: enquanto a UCI realizou 190 exames fora de competição nos ciclistas inscritos, a AFLD realizou apenas 13. E destes, 6 eram franceses.
• Desse total de 13 exames, as amostras de 5 de uma mesma equipe foram enviadas aos laboratórios com os nomes e demais dados, o que invalida o exame;
• Além da falta de confidencialidade, várias corridas foram realizadas sem exames (corridas na França, creio) pois a AFLD não enviou médicos para coletar as amostras.

Quando começa o Tour Down Under mesmo?

“Being president of the University of California is like being manager of a cemetery: there are many people under you, but no one is listening. I listen to them.”

– Mark Yudof, 9/24/09, NY Times interview

40 zombies temporarily took over the UCI campus today, spreading like a contagion in the sterile atmosphere of the university.  Not content with the liberatory experience of lurching in what was considered an unlurchable space, the organizers quickly delivered a headshot to the action, returning the action to the familiar and highly-metaphorical terrain of marching in a circle.  [This is not to be a criticism of those individuals actually organizing, but to reiterate that we act strategically and smartly.]  Meanwhile, four rogue zombies drifted away from the herd and stumbled into Aldrich Hall, spurning a minor police response and the lockdown of the Division of Undergraduate Education office.

[In August, the Division of Undergraduate Education unilaterally closed the Student Academic Advancement Services office, which was funded through a federal TRIO grant.  The closing was blamed on budget woes, even though the office still had full funding secured for the next year.  The SAAS oversaw Summer Bridge and other crucial services for first generation, low income, and disabled students and students of color.  The Division of Undergraduate Education has declared its allegiance to the ruling class in their war against the poor.]

The student government, while finally inserting themselves into the struggle by holding a press conference in matching tshirts, showed just how irrelevant it really is, as their paid off attendees were outnumbered by the undead.

More information and photos to follow.

Kafka. He understands Astana-speak.

We bring you an important non-news flash.

Nikolai Proskurin, a spokesman for the Kazakh Cycling Federation, says that two-time Tour de France winner will ride for Astana in 2010. A meaningless statement and certainly not news or fact. Although we are giving it thumbs up for humor.

It was more accurately a desire, a wish and desperate hope that Contador wouldn’t leave now that the UCI has cleared Contador to exit Astana “without notice or liability for damages.”

According the governing body of the sport, Astana no longer has a legal hold on the Spanish rider. And lawyers are about the only creatures who could force Contador to stay in the snakepit with Alexander Vinokourov. Alberto has a fondness for birds, but he’s not big on snakes, especially the vino-viper.

Everyone seems to understand the ruling but Mr. Proskurin. “Certain people, it is unclear who, have completely dreamed this up, but there has been no occasion on which he has made an official statement on this issue,” he said. Yes, the bozos are at it again.

Note to Federation: Your ship sank last week. Don’t bother looking for survivors.

This must be one of those black comedy situations that happen in the former Soviet Republic. The kind of thing that routinely occurs on the team we like to call Astanastan. A goof-ball kind of place where the paperwork never gets down, the checks always bounce and the kafka-speak goes on forever.

Does the bold, posturing statement from the Kazakh Cycling Federation carry any weight? Nope. Was it amusing in a clueless way that reminded us of low-level, bumbling communist bureaucrats from the 70’s? Yes.