Two things

The weather forecast for last night turned out to be correct and today dawned with wet streets in front of our palatial estate. As we all know, (all together now) cold is one thing, cold and wet is two things. The bright side of rain in what just barely still qualifies as MID-November is that it very easily could have been snow. Today is yet another day of above average temperature, if sunless, and the streets are beginning to dry leading me to believe that bicycling may resume shortly.

I knew at the beginning of November that I was required to post every day of the month. I have been preparing. I have some photos that I took earlier in the month with a theme in mind which I introduce today. The down side of so much rideable weather in November is that I now fear I may have more material in storage than there are going to be available non-riding days. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

Here then, forthwith,

PART I: SIGNS

During that whole Dead Man's Curve project I saw a bunch of signs that I had never seen before. It eventually occurred to me that I might never see them again so I better get some pictures. Who, for example, has ever seen a sign for a "Bike Detour".Included are instructions for every class of individual who might have passed under the overpass work area. Everybody get in the appropriate queue.

Here's where mine starts, the entrance to the University of Minnesota tramway. Stella!It looks a lot like a public roadway but it isn't. I occasionally see a wayward car out there and think it is a violator often to discover that it is the UofM police on patrol or some other UofM official vehicle. Which is not to say I have never seen a car on the route, a green and white taxicab comes instantly to mind, but it is quite rare. Note the quirky little UofM signage indicating bicycles allowed.Here's what the tramway looked like during the detour, including a "(bike symbol) Detour" sign, surely a one of a kinder. I don't really like using the tramway, that taller than normal overpass over the railroad tracks seen in the background of this photo being one of the reasons.The buses themselves are the other reason I don't feel comfortable out there. They are big and they are moving fast. Did you see the 40MPH speed limit sign in the previous photo? Well, they are mostly doing every bit of 40. On days when the University is in session there are LOTS of buses, like every 5 minutes or so. When two of those buses meet and a bicyclist is in the area, well, it's hold on to your handlebars, Bubba, you don't have much margin for error.

Down at the main campus end of the tramway I came across what seems like another bicycle only unique sign. This is a stop sign for cars with a reminder to not turn onto the tramway. And a warning that bicycles (and buses) do NOT stop. Bicycles (and buses) have the right of way.The buses in particular definitely intend to utilize the right of way that this sign reminds that they have.

PART II: SOME MORE FOOTBALL

The post title says two things and you all thought that I was only referring to cold and wet? Here, forthwith, is the second thing, the second second thing.

Upon further review: I watched Fox Soccer channel this morning. First I watched the USA based Fox guys themselves reviewing the hand ball doings at the end of the World Cup qualifying game yesterday in Paris. After that show FSC runs the Sky Sports Evening Update show, an English TV sports show. The English have a much more mature view of the hand ball incident than that displayed by the USA commentators, perhaps needless to say.

I have seen replays of the goal about a dozen times, I have seen computer animation recreations of the positions of the referee and the assistant referee. I have seen the head of the Irish federation demand a replay. I have seen Irish school kids forgive Thierry Henry. I have seen half a dozen coaches and players interviewed. I have seen Thierry Henry interviewed as he admits that the ball touched his hand.

Here's what a dozen viewings of the replay in super slow motion indicate, at least to me. It was a split second thing to be sure, but he definitely put his hand out. Whether he did it on instinct or deliberately, no one knows, but HE EXTENDED HIS HAND. Super slow motion isn't an accurate reflection of what really happened in real time. But he definitely extends his hand. The ball hits his outstretched hand and then HE TOUCHES IT AGAIN. He cups the ball delicately and drops it onto his foot. With a stab of the foot he passes across the front of the goal to the wide open William Gallas who heads the ball into the net for the goal that sends France to the World Cup tournament.

This goal is, to me, several steps removed from the Hand of God goal by Diego Maradona but it is most definitely a tainted, badly tainted goal.

Having said that, even the Irish themselves are now saying that the real fault lies in defensive deficiencies which allowed Henry even the slightest opportunity to possess the ball that low in the box and the greatest defensive deficiency of all, every single Irish player standing around appealing for a hand ball rather than even one of them defending against the wide open Gallas. It is a tainted goal but as usual, the goal itself isn't the whole story.