Marblehead to Halifax Race results

I am a bit late with this, the results are finally tabulated and posted at the official page. What's interesting this year ? Well, for starters there was a suprise in my favorite category. Campbell's Sloop, a beatifull Jeanneau 38 has taken the first place in Cruising. She completed the race at just under 81 hours. She has beaten much larger and better equipped boats. 81 hours is a good time, but to put things into perspective compare this to the best time of the Multihull category where 60 feet St. Maarten finished in under 37 hours. In other words, the best Cruiser finished the run in about 3 and 1/3 days, and the best Catamaran ran for just 1 and 1/2 day.

I have about 2 years before I have enough experience to compete in this. Meanwhile, BYC has a bit more relaxed event, annual Cruise to Nantucket and the Islands. Fun.

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On iPod: Easy Livin 2:37 Uriah Heep The Ultimate Collection Rock

Of ACLU, NYC and the police state

After the bombings in London, police in NYC started randomly searching the bags of the riders. NYT has an article (registration may be required) with more details.

I am thoroughly disgusted by this development, I would quote some of my favorite authors to illustrate why:

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"
-- Benjamin Franklin

and

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."
-- George Orwell

What people don't want to hear is that random searches are not increasing our security in dangerous time. Sacrificing the rights or people who use the public subways is not going to stop a determined terrorist from exploding the bomb or causing harm, but is going to increase the goverment powers in direct violation of the 4th ammendment. And as another great American said:

"As government expands, liberty contracts."
-- Ronald Reagan

ACLU is filing a lawsuit against the city of New York. As strange as it may sound, I am finding myself supporting ACLU on this one.

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on iPod: off