Last Saturday, a group of cyclists set out from Los Angeles, California on a 3000 mile bike ride/race across the United States in an effort to raise funds for Blue Planet, an organization dedicated to delivering safe drinking water to the world. Ultimately, they hope to complete the journey in just eight days, eventually ending their ride in Annapolis, Maryland. If successful, they'll have completed a race that is longer than the Tour de France and in just a fourth of the time.
These efforts are taking place within the Race Across America (RAAM), an annual event that has riders from all over the world competing in a transcontinental road race. The Blue Planet network teams that are taking part in the event include Team Ride4Water, made up of Katie Spotz and Sam Williams, and Team Hope, which as four riders – Alejandro Galindo, Sara Harper, Andre Husain, and Lawrence Smith. Solo rider Samim Rizvi is also competing in the race for Blue Planet as well.
The riders are off to a great start and have already completed the first 1000 miles of the ride. As of this morning, they're in Colorado, where they are about to cross one of their biggest hurdles in the form of the Rocky Mountains. With that out of the way, the next two-thirds of the race should be a piece of cake.
You may recall that Katie Spotz rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean a last year for clean drinking water as well, and apparently her partner Sam has also accomplished that feat. Things haven't gotten off to a good start for her however, as according to the video below, she broke her pelvis in a crash a week before the race. She is continuing on however using a recumbent bike, which should be more comfortable, but still doesn't sound like a lot of fun.
If everything goes as scheduled, the teams and riders in this year's RAAM, should arrive at the finish line this Sunday.
Friendship is defined as: A friendly feeling or disposition. Yet in the last week we have witnessed President Barack Hussein Obama destroy the special relationship the United States has had with Israel. A relationship based on mutual trust, understanding, and respect. As of Thursday, all that is now a one-way street, with Israel being the friend and the United States actively and openly working to destroy the tiny Jewish state.
In doing this without condemning the violence perpetrated towards Israel, the official indoctrination of Anti-Semitism into the minds of Arab children, the rewriting of history with the purpose of distorting and obliterating the presence of the Jewish people from the Land of Israel, and finally the daily calls for the destruction of the State of Israel has displayed to the world (And especially Jewish voters.) that the United States is no longer a full partner with Israel but just one of many who condemn the Jewish state.
This has left Israel with very few options. They can no longer trust the United States to veto resolutions in the Security Council that condemn it for any whim the Arab/Muslim world decides to invent. And let us face it, these idiots invent so many things against the only beacon of freedom in the Middle East.
On Thursday President Obama was 45 minutes late in addressing the State Department in his second major address to the Muslim world. He was on the phone with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of Israel who was vainly trying to get him to remove the passage: 1967 borders. This Obama did not do, nor was he going to. In doing this, President Obama has effectively backed the Israelis into a corner. They cannot return to the Auschwitz Borders, nor can they use it as the starting base in negotiations.
Without condemning Hamas for the rocket fire into Southern Israel, or Fatah for the murder of Israelis (Especially the slaughter of the Fogel family.), President Obama has effectively turned the Foreign Policy of the United States in a 180 degree turn away from Israel.
This is leaving President Obama with a problem here at home. To be exact a Jewish Problem here at home. While in 2008 President Obama received over 78% of the Jewish vote, today that support is down to 55% (The exact same number that Jimmy Carter received in 1980.) and it is dropping. While in 2008 the Obama campaign found that their major donors were Jews, today donations from The Tribe is down 60%. The more President Obama's foreign policy turns away from Israel and towards the Muslim world, the more Jews will desert him in favor of a candidate that is more appealing to their values. In an economy that is doing well, with low gas prices, this wouldn't even be an issue. As we know the economy is going to hell in a handbasket, gas is rising out of sight, and this is now a big issue with the Jewish voters.
As for what Israel will do. Sources in the Israeli government have remarked that they are looking for a new partner. A new friend. Russia, France and Great Britain are no friends. Their record of official anti-Semitism for centuries destroys that idea. Instead the Israelis are sending out feelers towards China. China needs a source of high technology. While the Arabs have oil in abundance, they are very low on the Leaders of Technology scale. And while Israel is very short on oil, it is a Leader in Technology (In robotics it will surpass the United States and Japan by 2015.). China will be able to buy oil from anyone, but gaining the technological advantage takes more than money. Takes a willing partner to help them.
It is a shame that the United States under the "leadership" of Barack Hussein Obama has destroyed the friendship between Israel and the United States and may have helped China become a technological giant by forcing a friendship between Israel and China.
A local Denver television station conducted an interview with 12-year old climber Matt Moniz, who recently completed his 50 in 50 in 50 climb, in which he and his dad reached the top of the highest points in each of the 50 states in less than 50 days. (It actually only took him 43 days!) In the video, Matt talks about his motivations for climbing and what it was like for he and his dad, as well as their support crew, to travel around the U.S. to climb everything from small mole hills to 20,000+ foot peaks.
This is a very good interview and the kid comes across as comfortable and genuine on camera. Pretty rare for someone his age, but then again, so is his climbing abilities.
A couple of weeks back I posted about 12-year old Matt Moniz who was attempting to reach the highest point in all 50 states in less than 50 days. Matt, along with his dad Mike, had dubbed the expedition the 50 in 50 in 50 climb, and when I wrote about their summer trip, they were closing in on the end.
When last we checked in on the father and son climbing team, they were taking on Granite Peak in Montana. That mountain stands 12,799 feet in height, and after a successful summit, the boys got down safely and hopped a flight to Hawaii for the final obstacle in their path – the 13,796 foot tall Mauna Kea.
Since that time, I've been watching their website for updates, and noticed that on Matt's Twitter feed that he and his dad completed their quest back on July 16th. All told, it took them just 43 days, 3 hours, and 51 minutes to complete the high points, beating the old record by more than two and a half days.
Well done young man, and congratulations on the milestone. You've set the bar hight for the rest of your classmates when you return to school in the fall and someone asks, "What did you do on your summer vacation?"
A few weeks back I posted a story about a new Mountain Hardwear sponsored athlete by the name of Matt Moniz, who at the age of 12 has already summitted some big peaks, including Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, and Elbrus. At the time of that story, he had also recently climbed Denali, Mt. Whitney, and Mt. Elbert, all in a span of just 8 days. It turns out, that was just part of his plan to climb the 50 highest points, in all 50 states, in just 50 days. Matt, and his father Mike, have been knocking off those high points in rapid succession, and now have a chance of setting a new record for completing that feat.
According to the 50-50-50 Climb website, the father and son climbing team have now finished 48 of the 50 states. The last update came yesterday, July 12th, at the 38th day of the trip. According to the Hardwear Sessions Blog, Mike and Matt are currently in Montana, where they are taking on Granite Peak, the tallest mountain in that state. If they summit successfully, they'll catch a flight in the next day or two for Hawaii, where they'll climb Mauna Kea, the final obstacle in their path. If the can manage to do that in less than 45 days, 19 hours, and 2 minutes, they'll break the 50 high points in 50 states record, currently held by Mike Haugen, who set the mark back in 2008.
Last Saturday, a group of cyclists set out from Los Angeles, California on a 3000 mile bike ride/race across the United States in an effort to raise funds for Blue Planet, an organization dedicated to delivering safe drinking water to the world. Ultimately, they hope to complete the journey in just eight days, eventually ending their ride in Annapolis, Maryland. If successful, they'll have completed a race that is longer than the Tour de France and in just a fourth of the time.
