The World According To Dr. Castro

Eat Healthy Keep It Simple

2009-11-15T22:40:00.001-08:00

Want to live a longer-healthier life? Keep it simple, everything you do in your life, at work, with your family, even when you choose what to eat, keep it simple.

Eating over-processed food is damaging to your metabolism. The fresher the food you eat the healthier it is.
Do you want potato chips, re-fried beans, rice? Make them yourself. It is cheaper and healthier, with no preservatives and way less salt ingredients.

Let's put it this way: If it doesn't spoil fast, then don't eat it.

Staying healthy is very important for us not only not to be over weight or to avoid diseases like diabetes, hypertension, etc, but also to bring positive energy into our lives. Feeling good is not only about expecting others to say hello to us, it's much more than that and so simple:

1) Avoid Anxiety
2) Do not over eat
3) Exercise at least 4 times a week
4) Eat healthy
5) Have fun in everything you do in life.

United States WILL NEVER DIE

2009-11-13T16:05:00.003-08:00

Today is Happy LIVINGSTRONG Friday, a time for laughing and relaxing, a time to put all the problems in a bubble and let them fly away from us, all the way into the vast universe.

Having said so, let me introduce to you a wonderful song that I came across with on YouTube. It is abso-friggin'-lutely fantastic, hilarious with very smart lyrics. The whole context of the musical parody is so intelligent, really.

Happy Friday to all of 'youse'!

Stuart O'Grady Leaves Hospital In Spain

2009-11-12T20:57:00.005-08:00

My best thoughts go to Stuart O'Grady, and hope that he recovers promptly. The world of cycling needs him on the road, on his bike. Hurry up and heal soon, O'Grady, you are a fantastic cyclist and a great inspiration for many of us who love cycling.

"When the ride finished of course I could feel my heart rate soaring, my blood pressure rising, but I didn't give it much more thought," O'Grady said of the incident.

"But then I started having blotchy vision and 20 minutes later I had a seizure and collapsed.  

"It was possibly the extreme 'hyper tension' or maybe an old scar on my brain from one of my previous crashes but there's no use speculating or guessing, it's happened and that's that".

"It takes more than one lap to get rid of me," O'Grady added defiantly.

You can read more about this story here.

Hate Leaves CNN

2009-11-11T22:28:00.002-08:00

Hateful xenophobic Lou Dobbs is quitting his contract with CNN as of today. This contract was supposed to end until 2011, but CNN President, Jon Klein, said in a statement, "Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere. We respect his decision."
Well, hate sells and sells a lot, probably as much as sex does, who knows, but I am sure that if he got a better salary offer from another TV Network he will be working for, he will increase their ratings and earnings as well.
I wonder what network is getting in bed with him...Fox News maybe?

It's too bad that some people crave for this type of cheap entertainment. Hate infects ones brain and soul, hate brings disaster and pain, hate sickens, shortens the haters life. Hate, is never good.

1. As long as there is a market for hate, there will be work for bitter "journalists"
2. As long as there is a market for undocumented immigrants, they will keep on entering the United States illegally.
3. As long as there is a market for drugs in the US, the drugs will keep on rolling in my friends.

Let me make it clear for once and for all:

1. If you don't want hate, do not listen to hateful individuals who rejoice on hurting others with their words.
2. If you don't want "the Mexicans" in the US, DO NOT HIRE THEM!
3. If you don't want a country with drug lords next to yours...DO NOT DO DRUGS!

It's funny. I just published last week a post in this blog about Lou Dobbs, and now he's leaving CNN. What a coincidence, or not?

Some activists are celebrating Lou Dobbs leaving CNN:

"Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs — who has a long history of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos — does not belong on the most trusted name in news," said Roberto Lovato, co-founder of Presente.org. "We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has the legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate."

Tom Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the leading Latino legal organization, said, "The Latino community can and should celebrate that Lou Dobbs is no longer on CNN."

I am not celebrating Dobbs leaving CNN. He'll just move somewhere else where he can continue his journey of hate. And CNN is not that unbiased either. Let's admit it, CNN, Fox, MSNBC and the rest of the main stream media are not longer reporting the truth, they are all controlled and manipulated, they don't want the public to know the absolute truth and reality about what is happening around the world, so what's to celebrate?

I will celebrate when real and honest journalism governs, until then...

Iceman Cometh Challenge Michigan US

2009-11-10T22:59:00.007-08:00

The 2009 Iceman Cometh Challenge is always held the first Saturday of November each year, in Kalkaska, Michigan.
This cycling National Event attracts competitive cyclists from all over the US, from the ages of 3 to 82. Some are amateur racers and others are seasoned professionals. They have it all, and enjoy the race, the beautiful scenery, well, even the food the organizers provide.

This is my favorite picture of the event, but you are welcome to enjoy some others.
Amanda Carey (Kenda-Trainwitheric.com) chasing Elliot with a lap to go

Photo: © Dave McElwaine

Doctor Convicted of Assaulting Cyclists

2009-11-09T22:35:00.001-08:00

Dr. Christopher Thompson, 60, is a real embarrassment for all of us who practice medicine with love, honor and pride.
I am concerned that a medical doctor can react in such a hateful way towards human life.

The crash happened on July 4, 2008, when this emergency physician stopped his car suddenly after passing three road cyclists who were riding down the Mandeville Canyon Road in Los Angeles, CA.
Dr. Thompson said that the cyclists were not riding in a single file and he "wanted to teach them a lesson" by slamming the brakes of his car after passing them and pulling back in front of them, but that "it wasn't his intention to hurt them", yes sure, what a psycho!

I am a medical doctor -have been for 24 years- and a passionate competitive amateur cyclist -have been for 10 years- that is why I cannot possibly understand this doctor's rage, especially when he saved hundreds of lives in his more than two decades of medical practice at the Beverly Hospital in Montebello.

Well, I am glad that he is off the streets for now, since he is facing up to 10 years in prison for causing severe physical injuries to the cyclists.

The LA Times reported these injuries:

"Ron Peterson, a coach for USC's and UCLA's cycling team, was flung face-first into the rear windshield of the doctor's red Infiniti, breaking his front teeth and nose and lacerating his face. Christian Stoehr, the other cyclist, hurtled to the sidewalk and suffered a separated shoulder."

"Our hope is that this brings to light how vulnerable cyclists are out there," Peterson, 41, told reporters. His face was permanently scarred from the crash and he underwent reconstructive surgery on his nose, which he said remains numb.

"Stoehr, 30, said the crash left him unable to work for months and that he rarely rides his bike anymore"

My most sincere wishes for a prompt recovery go to all cyclists who were injured by this deranged doctor. I hope that he gets proper mental treatment and that he never leaves jail until he can prove that he would never be a danger to society.

Floyd Landis Tour of Southland 17 Place

2009-11-09T08:06:00.002-08:00

Photo: © Pete Bruggeman
American professional cyclist Floyd Landis hasn't finished his 2009 cycling season yet. He participated in the Tour of Southland but couldn't make it to the podium, ending in 17 place in the General Classification. I feel for him, he is trying but he cannot perform well after his comeback, not even in this cycling event which only has a 2.2 classification category by the UCI.
He is trying though. He broke away with 6 riders in the last stage -stage 9- advancing in the overall place a bit even though he was caught in the chaos of the mass crash on the opening day.

The Tour of Southland is a premier national cycling event in New Zealand that run from the 2nd to the 7th of November.

Final general classification

1 Heath Blackgrove (Zookeepers - Cycle Surgery) 21:44:52
2 Jack Bauer (Share The Road) 0:01:03
3 Tom Findlay (Bici Vida) 0:01:16
4 Marc Ryan (Colourplus) 0:01:34
5 Peter Latham (Bissell Pro Cycling) 0:02:45
6 Glen Chadwick (Zookeepers - Cycle Surgery) 0:03:48
7 Jeremy Vennell (Bissell Pro Cycling) 0:06:34
8 Ben King (Calder Stewart) 0:06:38
9 Michael Vink (The Southland Times) 0:11:45
10 Romain Fondard (Share The Road) 0:12:53

17 Floyd Landis (Cyclingnzshop.com - Bio Sport) 0:16:00

Lance Armstrong VS Cadel Evans

2009-11-07T21:37:00.002-08:00

Cadel Evans leaves Team Silence-Lotto to join BMC Cycling Team and will be racing with George Hincapie against Lance Armstrong (RadioShack Cycling Team) in Adelaide, Australia next year in the Tour Down Under, which will run from the 17 to 24 of January.

This is great news and proves that the 2010 professional cycling season is going to be exhilarating. Just for starters, we will have Cadel Evans VS Lance Armstrong, then, several cycling races, then the Giro and so on. Can't wait for 2010!

About Lance Armstrong:

Lance's participation in the 2009 Tour Down Under brought thousands of visitors from all over the world to this important cycling event injecting about 32 million USD in this part of Australia, helping its economy in great way.

"I'm delighted to announce that Lance Armstrong will be back in Adelaide to race in next year's Tour Down Under," Rann said in a statement. "This will be the first time Lance's new team will compete anywhere in the world. "I've been in regular contact with Lance and his management since he made his world cycling comeback in Adelaide at the 2009 Tour Down Under. He really enjoyed his time here and has told me how much he appreciated the massive support he received from the thousands of cycling fans during the race and from the communities supporting the launch of his global cancer campaign."

About Cadel Evans

"Cadel brings a wealth of experience in the Grand Tours to the team." BMC Racing Team co-owner Jim Ochowicz commented. Ochowicz added "As I have said earlier, our team will have multiple chances to measure ourselves against the greatest teams in the world. We are pleased that we will have the opportunities to send out our most successful riders, now including Cadel Evans, to tackle these challenges."

Who will win this fantastic 2010 Tour Down Under, Lance Armstrong, Cadel Evans...or someone else?

Soup Lines VS Food Stamps

2009-11-06T09:36:00.002-08:00

The number of Americans relying on food stamps to feed their families has increased tremendously. The country that has lead the world financially for decades has about 36,492 million citizens collecting food stamps. That means that about one in eight Americans are currently receiving this benefit.

This is how I see the current Greatest Depression expressing itself in today's social programs (there were not food stamps back in 1929)

Great Depression 1929= SOUP LINES

Greatest Depression 2009 - ? = FOOD STAMPS

Another data that came out today and contradicts the "recovery" the talking heads of the mainstream media are talking about is the unemployment number, which has been seasonally adjusted to 10.2%. That means that there about 7.3 million jobs have been lost in the financial recession...officially, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The REAL unemployment numbers are way higher if we take in consideration other factors that the Bureau -under the Labor Department- cannot count for different reasons, like the "disgruntled" or "not in labor force"

United States Dying From Hate

2009-11-05T16:27:00.001-08:00

I know that I have many readers that reside in the United States of America, and I want make clear that it is not my intention to put down in any way the values, morals and greatness that have characterized this country for many many years. I want to make sure that what I am going to say is not offensive, only sincere, not insulting, only honest, not an attack, just my most humble opinion.

Throughout the last years, 8 to 9 more or less, I have noticed a very worrisome increment of hate in the hearts of the American people. They seem to thrive on hate and feed on vengeance, and this I find to be a very scary trend, and worst of all, it seems that this hate is spreading to all sectors of the American society, the low, middle and upper class, the poor, the median income and the rich seem to be infected with hate.

We cannot deny that the American ego has escalated to uncontrollable levels now, and that is the reason why their military bases are practically all over the world. They want control, manipulate the masses, without having any regard for the freedom of the people of their own country nor the people of the world. They just send their troopers to what ever country they think has the most petroleum, the most resources, or they just send them "in the name of FREEDOM".

The most recent US military base set up is the Colombian one. Thank goodness they didn't come to Mexico! But my point is, how far is their warfare power going to extend? Probably not much anymore since the United States of America is basically and financially broke.

So, the US citizens have learned to hate other human beings that are not exactly like them, that don't have the same culture, the same language, the same religion, they hate the ones that have no religion at all, the "MEXICANS" (like it's an insult to be Mexican), etc.
Too much hate in United States, like a terminal disease for which there is no cure. How long will it last? Will it take United States to an inevitable collapse of all kinds, financial, economic, social, political, even moral? I hope not but it seems that that is the way the country is heading to, inevitalbly.

Please, do not think that I am generalizing. I am sure that there are millions of Americans who still have high regard for human values, real human values, like compassion, kindness, manners, respect for other ethnicity backgrounds, religious groups, non-religion groups, women, children, elderly, disable people, "Mexicans", etc. But unfortunately, there are also many many Americans who are showing lack of all the real values I mentioned above, and that is what is dragging the country down, and maybe in 10 years from now, United States won't be anymore the first economy nor the first power of the world, unless they leave the hate behind, once and for all.

Opposing Obamacare Socialized Health Plan

2009-11-04T22:06:00.004-08:00

I am pleased to know that there are some people around the country who are very active trying to do the right thing: oppose the Obamacare by rejecting Obama's socialized medicine health plan.

For Immediate Release November 4, 2009

Glenn Gallas (501) 545-1933

John Wilson (870) 814-7528

info@c4aa.com

Arkansas Tea Party Leaders to Residents: "March on Washington!"

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Local residents are responding to a call by Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) for taxpayers to make a "house call" at noon Thursday on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to urge Congress to oppose the Obama Administration's attempted takeover of America's healthcare system.

Arkansas Tea Party leaders are encouraging local residents to either travel to Washington, or, if they can't afford making that trip to "knock at the front door, we ask that they knock on the back door by swamping their congressman's office with faxes," said Tea Party chairman Glenn Gallas with Citizens for the American Agenda.

"We're asking folks who can't go to D.C. to send a fax at exactly 12:00 noon eastern time demanding that their member of Congress oppose socialized medicine," Gallas said.

"We want to bombard Congressman Mike Ross and every other member of Congress at the same time on one day, and hopefully deal a final death blow to the horrific health care 'reform' bill before the House of Representatives," said John Wilson of the Conservative Action Project in El Dorado. "America is on the brink of losing the very things which have made us the envy of the world, of abandoning the path which has brought America to greatness, our freedom."

"There are those in Washington who would sell this great nation into the bondage of socialism. We cannot allow this," said Wilson. "Congressman Ross was elected to serve and protect this nation and to represent the interests of the people of this state. The health care bill before Congress would have the federal government seize fully one-sixth of our nation's economy and place it under federal control. This ill-conceived piece of legislation does NOT serve us well."

Gallas and Wilson agree that Arkansas taxpayers are opposed to the proposed legislation's taxpayer-funding of abortion, the medical neglect of seniors through rationing, increased taxes, and not allowing portability of insurance across state lines.

"Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is committed to bring this up for a vote this Friday. We plan to hold Congressman Ross accountable next November for how he votes on Friday. We encourage him to do the right thing by voting against Obama's socialized medicine scheme," said Wilson.

RadioShack Cycling Team Riders

2009-11-03T17:52:00.003-08:00

If you are exciting about the 2010 cycling season and you happen to like the way Lance Armstrong bikes, then you have to visit the Team Radio Shack social network.
They have a pretty good Website and forum that you can join and discuss cycling topics. The site is in BETA and its developers are still adding features to it, so be patient and have fun creating your profile.
Take in consideration that the RadioShack Cycling Team is brand new and it is being created as we speak. It is so new that not even the roster has been published yet in its entirety. I did a research and put together a list of the riders that so far have joined the cycling team.

RadioSchack Cycling Team Roster
(not official yet, but confirmed by several cycling websites)

Lance Armstrong (USA)
Levi Leipheimer (USA)
Chris Horner (USA)
Andreas Klöden (Germany)
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukraine)
Gregory Rast (Switzerland)
Ben Hermans (Belgium)
Geert Steegmans (Belgium)
Sergio Paulinho (Portugal)
Tiago Machado (Portugal)
Gregory Rast (Switzerland)
Tomas Vaitkus (Lithuania)
Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia)
Nikolas Maes (Belgium)
Daryl Impey (South Africa)
Sebastien Rosseler (Belgium)
Viatcheslav Ekimov (Russia)
Dirk Demol (Belgium)
Haimar Zubeldia (Spain)
Johan Bruyneel (Belgium)
José Luis Rubiera (Spain)
Sergio Paulinho (Portugal)
Nikolas Maes (Belgium)
Markel Irizar (Spain)
Sam Bewley (New Zealand)

Unfortunately, George Hincapie declined the invitation to participate with RadioShack and joined, instead, the BMC racing cycling team as he left Team Columbia-HTC.
And I said "unfortunately" becasue I would have liked to see George bike and race with Lance again, but, George decided to move on and more power to him. I personally admire him too, very much. What a great rider he is.

ING New York Marathon 2009

2009-11-01T10:45:00.001-08:00

Plenty of exciting moments at the ING New York Marathon 2009, where nearly 44,000 runners started the 40th edition of the race Sunday.
The pro elite female runners started first, the male and female pro elite wheelchair athletes next, then the pro elite male runners and last the amateur runners.
The amateur athletes still on the run, many famous faces, like Anthony Edwards, famous actor for his appearance in the ER series as Dr Mark Greene -a TV show marathon itself, no? 15 years!
My deep admiration and respect goes to Paula Radcliffe, a three time New York City marathon winner -2004, 2007 and 2008- who today finished in 4th place due to a stress fracture of her left femur which caused her a broken leg on May this year. Finishing in 4th place overall makes her a winner, in my opinion.

Here are some preliminary results of the NY Marathon:

Pro Elite Women

FIRST PLACE:
Derartu Tulu, 39 years old, a fantastic Ethiopian runner. Finished in 2:28:52 hrs. I love this athlete, a real roll model. Lots of courage, smart, classy and kind. Good for you Tulu, you have a piece of my heart.

Pro Elite Men

FIRST PLACE:
Meb Keflezighi, the first USA men's winner in this marathon since 1982. Finished in 2:09:15 hrs.

Pro Elite Women Wheelchair

FIRST PLACE:
Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland, finished in 1:59:15 hrs and this is her 5th marathon she wins.

Pro Elite Men Wheelchair

FIRST PLACE:
Kurt Fearnley, an Australian athlete. This is the 4th marathon he wins in New York.

CLEAVER Sopranos Horror Movie

2009-10-31T20:13:00.004-08:00

Halloween makes us talk about horror movies, scary masks, trick or treats and whatnot. I, personally, like horror movies very very much, from The Exorcist to Jigsaw, Halloween to The Massacre of Texas, Silence of the Lambs to Jeepers Creepers. Have seen them all, enjoy them all.

One horror movie that has never been filmed in its entirety is CLEAVER, a fictional "movie to be" created by the known mobster Christopher Moltisanti, nephew of Tony Soprano and part of the crime Italian mafia THE SOPRANOS, a successful HBO TV series that lasted 6 seasons.
In CLEAVER, Jonathan LaPaglia stars as the "Cleaver" and Daniel Baldwin as the Mob Boss "Sally Boy," His vision was realized with the help of Screenwriter JT Dolan, Producer Carmine Lupertazzi, and up-and-coming Director Morgan Yam.

Well, The Sopranos itself has tons of horrorific killings, assesinations, deception, suspense and drama. I own all the 6 seasons and just watched the episode where Christopher finally presented the premiere for his Hollywood movie CLEAVER.

Happy Halloween everyone, don't get too spooked, last Friday's was too scary enough with the FDIC closing 9 banks in the US, three banks in CA, three in Texas, two in Illinois and one in Arizona!

Big Bear In The Tour of California 2010

2009-10-30T11:45:00.001-08:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I had the great honor of seeing Lance Armstrong this year in the Tour of California at the beggining of a stage in Rancho San Bernando, CA. It was an experience that I will never forget and will most likely repeat next year, but this time it will be in the wonderful and majestic mountains of Big Bear. I can't wait!

Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie and David Zabriskie will participate in the Amgen Tour of California 2010 that will be held in May 16 - 23, and the Queen stage (Big Bear Mountains stage) will be on May 21st. So, get ready friends to climb those mountains one day before on your bikes, I know I will, camp overnight and wait for the pro-cyclists mass next day!

"I think it’s really awesome,” said Cameron Williams, a young nationally-ranked cyclist from Big Bear City. “Last year we were going to follow the Tour in our motor home, but we just never got around to it. So I think it’s awesome it’s coming to Big Bear. We don’t even have to leave the comfort of our houses. We can just look out the window and watch Lance Armstrong, who’s the best rider pretty much ever."

Here are all the DETAILS

Snow Bike In Denver Colorado

2009-10-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

This picture is for cycling fanatics like myself, and for all those who enjoy excellent photography.

"Snow piles up on the frame of a bicycle parked in downtown Denver as an autumn snowstorm sweeps over the intermountain West. Forecasters predict that up to 10 inches of snow will fall on the Denver metropolitan area while some places in the mountains could see up to two feet of snow before the storm moves out Thursday."~Kristen Wyatt

Tru Blood Sports Energy Drink

2009-10-26T09:16:00.004-08:00

There is an awesome blog about Science Fiction which posts are written by the blogger known as Mish. I am NOT a Sci Fi fanatic, let's make that clear, but I like to read her blog because she creates a nice mix of science fiction musings with reality facts, and she is also a cycling fanatic like myself and loves sports like I do.

Last week she wrote about this TV series called TruBlood, but what called my special attention was the fact that she mentioned this new sports energy drink that is part of this HBO Sci Fi show and now it's available to the public. Of course, it's name is TruBlood.

"It's official! The Tru Blood drink has now been "de-fictionalized" and emerges into reality as a delicious blood orange carbonated drink." --promotes HBO

This is part of my comment on Mish's blog:

"Another point I wanted to talk about is what you say about the new ENERGY DRINK that will be available in January, the Tru Blood drink.
I love energy drinks with low carbs or no sugar at all. What I like in them is the content of high caffeine and high L-Taurine, specially the latter.
I hope this new energy drink is available in Mexico, my place or residence, I would love to try some, get on my road bike to race on a Sunday morning and do a Floyd Landis win....!"

Mish Sci Fi Musings article Vampires Are Good For The Economy

US Cities See Crime Rising West Hollywood CA

2009-10-23T22:34:00.002-07:00

Unemployment increasing as we speak, homeless populate the streets of Los Angeles, home and real state foreclosures on the rise, poverty is spreading even to wealthy and affluent areas like West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, no joke here.
All this financial misery affecting the United States has caused the cities of LA to be very dangerous. What a shame. Back in 1990 West Hollywood was safe and a city of glitter and financial prosperity por doquier.

CRIME REPORT:

October 9
3:10 p.m., 8500 block of Santa Monica. Two male Caucasian suspects were arrested for attempted grand theft at a bank after attempting to cash a stolen check for $2,300.

October 10
10:00 a.m., 1100 block of Formosa. During the night, unknown thieves stole a six foot tall concrete statue, valued at about $300, from the front porch area of the location.
5:28 p.m., 8400 block of Holloway. A man reported that an unknown thief had recently stolen his $2,000 Apple MacBook laptop computer that he had placed on his car and left unattended while talking on his cellular phone.
10:15 p.m., 8400 block of Sunset. At a nightclub, an unknown thief stole a black $500 Dell Inspiron laptop computer from a booth on the upper floor.

October 11
4:59 p.m., Santa Monica and Palm. A man reported that an unknown thief had recently entered his unlocked vehicle and stole a black Canon EOS camera, valued at about $1,900, from the center console.

October 13
12:20 p.m., 1300 block of Formosa. Following a stop for a vehicle code violation, the male Caucasian driver was later arrested for possession of a concealed firearm.
12:45 p.m., 1100 block of Flores. An unknown thief stole the hood ornament from a valet parked Jaguar. The ornament was valued at about $300.
4:30 p.m., 1300 block of Fairfax. During the day, an unknown burglar entered an apartment and stole a $1,000 Apple MacBook laptop computer and a tote bag.
October 14
4:08 p.m., 8700 block of Beverly. An unknown male Hispanic thief stole a purse from atop a restaurant patio table and fled on foot and then in a vehicle driven by a second unknown suspect. The purse contained a digital camera, wallet, credit cards and misc. items, all valued at about $1,405.
6:30 p.m., 1100 block of Sweetzer. During the day, an unknown burglar broke into an apartment and stole a laptop computer, jewelry, watch and misc. items. The loss was estimated at about $12,180 and damage to a door at about $500.
During the Week
Seven suspects were arrested for theft or burglary after being observed shoplifting at a department store and at convenience store.
Nine les were burglarized by unknown suspects. Total estimate of damage and articles taken was $14,463.
One vehicle was stolen by an unknown thief.
Four reported stolen vehicles were recovered and the owners notified.
Thirteen vehicles were impounded for thirty days since they were being driven by an unlicensed driver
or a person with a suspended or revoked license.

Sources of reference:
Los Angeles Independent
Los Angeles Free Press
Guardian.Co.UK

Eat Chicken Soup And Live Long

2009-10-23T11:34:00.001-07:00

Mexican Chicken SoupMy maternal grandmother (to honor her I want to mention her name: Consuelo Natalia Noriega Cervantes -RIP-) raised me since I was 3 days old, and she always fed me right. She was what I would consider a health fanatic, no wonder she died when she was 109 years old, no Alzheimer, no diabetes, no high blood pressure, ever, she never got severely sick, only few allergies here and there, she died peacefully on her bed at night. She loved to walk long distances all her life, and she ate very nutritious food as well. Never drunk alcohol nor smoked.

One of her advices she gave me and told me never to forget was to eat my chicken soup, at least 3 times a week, full with veggies and little bit of grease only, "you know -she said- bit of oil just enough to lubricate your intestines".

She was a wonderful woman and a very smart lady. She was right. Scientists have found that eating soup in regular basis can extend your lifespan and most important of all, make those life years physically healthy and mentally enjoyable. By "mentally enjoyable" I mean NO depression, NO dementia, NO Alzheimer, NO anger, etc.

Chicken soup contains bioflavinoids (strengths the immune system), carotenoids (content of thermally processed tomato), ACE inhibitors (mainstay medications for treating high blood pressure)

Chicken legs and feet, often discarded as waste products in the U.S. are used in other countries (like in Mexico) to add more flavor to the soup, and they appear to be a better source of ACE.

Now, do not think that chicken soup is the only benefactor here, beef and seafood soup also work wonders! Ah, and if you happen to be vegetarian, I would suggest you try a hearty vegetable soup recipe with beans...delicious!

Journal of reference

US Dollar Is Worth Pennies Now

2009-10-22T20:43:00.002-07:00

Some interesting article to read about the downturn of the value of the greenback. I kindly suggest that you take a look at the graphs so you can have an idea of how the money printing of the dollar and the great US debt, bailouts and the general US Government spending have put a heavy weight on the dollar.

If we adjust inflation, we can see that the devaluation of the dollar since 1971 has been severe. One dollar can only buy you 18 cents of goods today of what it did back in 1971. And with the financial policies in play right now by the current administration, it is very probable that the dollar could lose more value down the road.

Taking on debt is like getting a tattoo: it doesn't go away, and it’s pretty painful to get rid of.

In the U.S., our current debt picture looks like this:

* National debt $11.6 trillion (but ’09 GDP is only $8.3 trillion)
* Government spending YTD $2.4 trillion (but tax revenue is only $1.2 tril)
* Government bailouts $11.8 trillion (equals $38,815 per U.S. citizen)

But the granddaddy of them all are the unfunded liabilities (meaning, they are not covered by an asset of equal or greater value).

* Medicare/Medicaid liability $39.6 trillion
* Social Security liability $10.6 trillion
* Prescription drug liability $8.5 trillion
* Total unfunded liabilities $58.7 trillion

So where is the money to pay for all this going to come from? The government has only three choices to meet these liabilities:

1. Raise taxes
2. Cut spending
3. Allow inflation to rise from money printing, diluting the debt burden

The Dollar In Your Wallet Is Only Worth 18 cents

Contador Wins Gran Premio Cancun

2009-10-20T19:20:00.002-07:00

This is BEAUTIFUL CANCUN, MEXICO

Alberto Contador raced in Cancun, Mexico, this last weekend on October 17 winning this important Mexican event, the Cycling Criterium, Gran Premio Cancun 2009.

Looking at the photos taken by Gran Premio Cancun, I have the impression that all the riders were having a blast competing in Cancun, I look at their faces and they are all happy, smiling big time, bronzed, their legs are so well tanned. Ah, what a wonderful race that must have been.

The pictures are breathtaking!

Contador with Mexican girlsThe final results include 3 Spaniards, one Czechoslovakian and one Mexican cyclist.

FINAL RESULTS

1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
3 Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
4 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
5 Florencio Ramos (Mex) Tecos

Francisco Mancebo's wonderful smile

Valverde and Contador (that gun thingie of his that I hate)

NOTE: All PHOTO CREDITS given to Gran Premio Cancun

Funny Cycling Video Moments

2009-10-19T23:15:00.001-07:00

I collect all kind of cycling videos, grand tours, cycling classic races, cycling Olympics, local cycling rides or races, funny ones, cycling crashes, anything related to cycling.

I happened to come across with this video that I have in one of my archives and which compiles several funny cycling moments, making the 4:17 minutes that it lasts, very enjoyable. I just feel sorry for the doggy when the cyclist and the dog collide -at 3:56-, but thank goodness nothing happened to the doggy...nor the rider.

Giro di Lombardia 2009 Results Video

2009-10-18T22:21:00.002-07:00

This post is for all the crazy-obsessive-passionate cycling fanatics (like me) out there who missed the final Cycling Classic race of 2009!
Sad to see this season end but excited about how promising the pro cycling world is going to be next year, with new cycling teams in the 'oven', new faces, powerful Armstrong legs pedaling the Pyrenees...man, I WANT 2010 cycling season TO START NOW!

In the meantime, I'll enjoy this video of the last 4 kilometres of the Giro di Lombardia 2009.

2009 Results
Name Nat. Team Age Result
1 Philippe GILBERT BEL SIL 27 5:43:46
2 Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ ESP EUS 31 +0
3 Alexandr KOLOBNEV RUS SAX 28 +4
4 Luca PAOLINI ITA ASA 32 +4
5 Johnny HOOGERLAND NED VAC 26 +4
6 Robert GESINK NED RAB 23 +4
7 Alexandre VINOKOUROV KAZ AST 36 +4
8 Daniel MARTIN IRL GRM 23 +4
9 Juan Jose COBO ACEBO ESP FUJ 28 +4
10 Cadel EVANS AUS SIL 32 +4

Just Discovered Google Sidewiki

2009-10-17T18:00:00.001-07:00

Click for larger view

I am having lots of fun with this new Google feature, Sidewiki. I didn't know about it until today while trying to find new ways to launch my blog in the blogosphere, so I found about it, downloaded it and installed it. It is so cool, you can write an entry and after you post it you can share it on Twitter.

Tour de France 2010 Will Be Exciting

2009-10-16T08:31:00.004-07:00

The route of the 2010 Tour de France was unveiled 2 days ago and it promises to be really interesting and tough.
The Tour de France will be celebrating 100 years of life in 2010, that is why the organizers want to make it very exciting and special...and I am ready for it!!!

For example, the third stage for the Paris-Roubaix -the Queen of Classics- will have several sections full with cobblestones that will make that day race quite difficult for some riders, with the exception of Tom Boonen, who absolutely loves cobbled roads -but not sure he will ride the 2010 TdF.

"We don't put cobblestones for riders to fall, but to make a selection," Prudhomme said. "There will be 11km of cobblestones in the last 30km. There will be some damage."

"I think you have to plan your season according to what you see here, too," Armstrong said. "I think even a race like the Tour of Flanders is interesting now because you don't want your only cobblestone experience to be the day you show up here. You need to practice that so we'll build the season around this, too."

There will also be hard and long mountain roads to climb on the Pyrinees and not all the riders will survive them. The 2010 new course will include a total of 23 mountain passes in the Alps, Pyrenees, Jura and Massif Central, three more than this year!
The 2010 Tour will start with a 5-mile prologue in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on July 3 with a final stage on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday July 25th after 20 stages and will cover a total distance of 3,600 kilometres.

1 prologue,
9 flat stages,
6 mountain stages and 3 summit finishes,
4 medium mountain stage,
1 individual time-trial stage (51 km).

Distinctive aspects of the race

le Tourmalet climbed twice,
a hint of the Classics and cobblestones,
2 rest days,
23 level 1, level 2 and highest level mountain passes.

"I think it will be much more open than last year because the TTT [team time trial] really eliminated some people last year and you won't have that again," Armstrong said Wednesday after next year's route was announced. "Whereas this year you had three or four guys who could win the Tour, this year you'll go into the tough sections with 10 guys."