Wow! Feeling The Pressure -- The Political Page, T+55 -- April 24, 2018

Mike Pompeo assured confirmation? You betcha. Heidi Heitkamp, US senator representing the Bakken,  is the first senator of the opposition party to say she will vote for Mike Pompeo's confirmation. LOL.  It must be an election year.

Also from the WSJ:

Three Democrats have said they’ll vote for Mr. Pompeo on the floor, which means this pointless exercise will soon conclude. At this rate President Trump will have all of his nominees confirmed by year 11 or 12 of his first term.

I guess this pretty much confirms how generally unimportant  ...

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The Bicycle Page

Wow, I'm in a great mood.

I got a new bike.

Don't tell my wife. LOL.

A Diamondback Haanjo. 

I've had/have a Trek, a Trek Verve, a Specialized, a KHS, a Haro, a BMX, but this is my first Diamondback. I don't know much about it, other than it's a Haanjo. That's what it says on the frame.

I was visiting the local bicycle shop and saw this incredible bike on sale -- the price was so low I can't post it here -- several months ago. It turns out it was a "special order" that was "designed" by a biker in the local area who never came back to pay for it when it came in. The dealer was practically giving it away to recoup his losses. I paid for it in installments, paid it off last month, but didn't get around to picking it up until today.

This is what intrigued me about the bike:

• 1 x 9 (only one gear on the front); 9 gears in back
• a BMX-feel; very, very sporty
• incredibly light: the dealer says it's carbon but for the price I paid, I wonder if it's not aluminum -- but it's incredibly light

I put some inexpensive lights on it for now, but next month when my bike budget is "refreshed" I will buy a front/rear "Cygolite" combo, 450 lumens up front, 50 lumens taillight.