a race photo from last season came in

some work photos

The Master Chief is down nearly 40 lbs.

Robin has shed some serious weight and is sub 200 lbs at the moment. I am hoping new bicycle I built up for him will help push him over the top to his goal weight.
Robin is now the proud owner of a Ritchey cromo with full XT components and some Ti pieces and parts. There may be a road bike in his future, I hope.

Capt. Stubbs

Jon shipped off this week. A real drag for a-lot of people but the best guy for the job. I was in the area for work related training, so the Master Chief and I did some home renovations at Jon's house.... and his motorcycle.

After the Fort Stewart trip I continued north to Quantico for more work training. Even though the 1st training day was long I was able to get some great miles in some hilly areas afterwards.

Bam

POLICE UNITY TOUR

I just filed the preliminary registration for the Police Unity Tour. This entitles me to utilize firstgiving.com to collect donations to/for the Police Unity Tour. The donations can be made through the secure "first giving" web site by searching my name, Joe Miller, or going directly to the link http://www.firstgiving.com/joemiller13. Please help support the the awareness of Line of Duty Deaths of police officers.

Thanks,
Joe Miller

Office Down go to ODMP.org

Tampa officer fatally
shot by heavily armed
man

Thursday, 20 Aug 2009, 6:56 AM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - An 11-year Tampa police veteran was shot and killed
by a heavily armed man found pushing a shopping cart full of military
gear up the street.

Officers who swarmed the scene chased down the suspect, 34-year-old
Humberto Delgado. He was allegedly found with an assault rifle, three
handguns and several clips of ammunition.

Cpl. Mike Roberts was responding to a suspicious person call when he
encountered Delgado. Police say the two got involved in a struggle
before Delgado pistol-whipped and shot the officer.

Roberts was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the shot slipped through his
arm and into his chest.

The 38-year-old officer leaves behind a wife and 3-year-old son.

Roberts won a lifesaving award in 2005 and had served with the U.S. Air
Force and Army.

and going...

still going

The house is still going. Baby steps today with the drip edge and some chimney work.

The house is coming along.

Well, In May, the house fell apart and the roof, ceilings and walls all turned into a 1700 square foot 2 bedroom water feature. Finally, after several months of playing games with the insurance company the ball is rolling and I have a roof going up.

representation

Dear Ryan Lochte,
stop it.

Tour de France

The race now is for third.
Armstrong is 5 minutes 25 seconds back and in third place. Bradley Wiggins is 11 seconds more off the pace and sitting in fourth. If LA does his role properly supporting Alberto's yellow jersey in the last two "real" stages, Wiggins could take advantage of LA's efforts and kick him in the teeth while he is down to take the 3rd spot on the podium.
Go Wiggins!

TDF - Who is the true leader of Astana?

Contador.

Lance, although he was up there with the better climbers of the tour, was having great difficulty following wheels. Kloden did the work and Armstrong withered away. It was wild to see LA just sit unable to respond to the attacks that went after Contador.

Adi der hundenSchwimmenmeister

Adi in her new doggie pool with Macho admiring the show.

Now he has the right stuff....a big red machine.

Ofc. Gary Meyer has just gotten his BH Connect . After several months of riding in awe of my own Connect he found a shop in Tempe AZ who had a bike in his size. We built her up today and her new owner couldn't be happier.


http://odmp.org/
http://www.nleomf.com/

SWAT TRYOUTS. Do you have what it takes?

Do you think these guys have what it takes? This is who the US Armed forces will be turning over military/policing power to when we pull out of the sand box. I slightly question their ability to enforce International Law and Sanctions that protect the region's best interests.

FAT bastards are taking over!!

We need a federal FAT TAX! If certain people are responsible for the majority of the nations healthcare costs should not they pay the majority of the taxes to pay those costs?????
GO FAIR TAX!!!!


WASHINGTON – Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers.
It's time for the nation's annual obesity rankings and, outside of fairly lean Colorado, there's little good news. Obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year and didn't decline anywhere, says a new report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
And while the nation has long been bracing for a surge in Medicare as the boomers start turning 65, the new report makes clear that fat, not just age, will fuel much of those bills. In every state, the rate of obesity is higher among 55- to 64-year-olds — the oldest boomers — than among today's 65-and-beyond.
That translates into a coming jump of obese Medicare patients that ranges from 5.2 percent in New York to a high of 16.3 percent in Alabama, the report concluded. In Alabama, nearly 39 percent of the oldest boomers are obese.
Health economists once made the harsh financial calculation that the obese would save money by dying sooner, notes Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust, a nonprofit public health group. But more recent research instead suggests they live nearly as long but are much sicker for longer, requiring such costly interventions as knee replacements and diabetes care and dialysis. Studies show Medicare spends anywhere from $1,400 to $6,000 more annually on health care for an obese senior than for the non-obese.
"There isn't a magic bullet. We don't have a pill for it," said Levi, whose group is pushing for health reform legislation to include community-level programs that help people make healthier choices — like building sidewalks so people can walk their neighborhoods instead of drive, and providing healthier school lunches.
"It's not going to be solved in the doctor's office but in the community, where we change norms," Levi said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long said that nearly a third of Americans are obese. The Trust report uses somewhat more conservative CDC surveys for a closer state-by-state look. Among the findings:
_Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity, 32.5 percent, for the fifth year in a row.
_Three additional states now have adult obesity rates above 30 percent, including Alabama, 31.2 percent; West Virginia, 31.1 percent; and Tennessee, 30.2 percent.
_Colorado had the lowest rate of obese adults, at 18.9 percent, followed by Massachusetts, 21.2 percent; and Connecticut, 21.3 percent.
_Mississippi also had the highest rate of overweight and obese children, at 44.4 percent. It's followed by Arkansas, 37.5 percent; and Georgia, 37.3 percent.
_Following Alabama, Michigan ranks No. 2 with the most obese 55- to 64-year-olds, 36 percent. Colorado has the lowest rate, 21.8 percent.

Kilo Start at the Games

This photo was in the news paper and online in Port St. Lucie, Florida. I rode a 1 min 3.4 second Kilo. This was my second fastest time ever in the kilo.

FLORIDA POLICE FIRE AND MILITARY GAMES

The games were much tougher this year than in the years past. The guys from Miami have really stepped up their game and everyone seems to be trying to peak for the the TT. Quite a few guys are working on getting their cat1 and 2 upgrades and doing the games and masters races at the same time. It is good to see USAC level competition coming from cops, firefighters and military guys.
I won the kilo by 1 second with a 1min3.4sec. time
the 10.3 mile TT by only 5 seconds with a time of 22 min 58 seconds, third was only 8 seconds back
the road race and crit were two different 3 man breaks that I went with and won out of.

While I was waiting...

I have been waiting 3 weeks for the insurance companies, contractors and FEMA to decide how they are going to dispose of my claim and help fix a house that is 60% destroyed. While waiting, I decided to build a fence. Outside has been the most pleasant place at my house to be, so I took my time and hand built the entire fence.

NEW TEAM UNIFORMS ARE IN!!!!

Adam and the guys at BH Bikes sent over the first ever ASSAULT SQUAD team uniform/ entry gear for the Metro VW Hit Squad. It was put to good use Wed morning.
--- Thanks Adam and BH Bikes!!!

Happy Birthday???? Not so much

I have spent since this early Monday morning chasing leaks in the roof.... until it all came down. The beachside of Daytona has gotten over 26 inches of rain since Monday and it is still coming.

pics from the state crit

Here are some pics Jack from the Bike Shop sent to me.
Joe

Police Memorial week

While I was preparing for the criterium championships in FL and the following week races in Texas, several of the Daytona Beach Police Department cyclists were wrapping up the Police Unity Tour. Over 1000 cyclists in Law Enforcement rode 250 to 1200 miles to the Police Officer Memorial in Washington DC.

Florida state Crit championships... went well

Third place was crying in his Gatorade and decided not to show up. In most races that means you lose your prize money for being a sore loser.

#2 fallen officer 4-29-09

Juvenile Corrections Officer William Hesson
Ohio Department of Youth Services
Ohio
End of Watch: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Biographical Info
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Assault
Date of Incident: Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Weapon Used: Person
Suspect Info: Charges pending

Officer William Hesson died from injuries sustained during an altercation with a juvenile inmate at the Cuyahoga Hills Juvenile Correctional Facility.

Charges are pending against the juvenile suspect.

Officer Hesson was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Ohio Department of Youth Services for approximately one year.

Agency Contact Information
Ohio Department of Youth Services
51 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Phone: (614) 466-4314

fallen officer 4-29-09

Patrol Detective Justin Mullis
French Lick Police Department
Indiana
End of Watch: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Biographical Info
Age: 48
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Motorcycle accident
Date of Incident: Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

Detective Justin Mullis was killed a motorcycle accident while providing a motorcycle escort for a funeral on Indiana 67 in Morgan County. Detective Mullis lost control of the department motorcycle and left the roadway.

Agency Contact Information
French Lick Police Department
8671 W Main Street
French Lick, IN 47432

Phone: (812) 936-9811

#2 ODMP.ORG 4-26-09

Deputy Sheriff D. Robert Harvey
Lubbock County Sheriff's Department
Texas
End of Watch: Sunday, April 26, 2009

Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Sunday, April 26, 2009
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

Deputy Robert Harvey was killed in an automobile accident on CR 2100 while responding to a fight in progress call. A vehicle traveling in the opposite direction attempted to make a left turn in front of Deputy Harvey's patrol car, causing a head-on collision.

Deputy Harvey was trapped in his patrol car as it became engulfed in flames.The two occupants of the other vehicle were injured in the crash.

Deputy Harvey is survived by his wife and two children.

Agency Contact Information
Lubbock County Sheriff's Department
811 Main Street
Lubbock, TX 79408

Phone: (806) 775-1400

ODMP.ORG 4-26-09

www.odmp.org


Deputy Sheriff Brandon Scott Coker
Vance County Sheriff's Office
North Carolina
End of Watch: Saturday, April 25, 2009

Biographical Info
Age: 27
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 3 months
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

Deputy Brandon Coker was killed in an automobile accident while attempting to intercept a reckless driver. His patrol car ran off of the road on Nutbush Road and struck a tree, causing fatal injuries.

Deputy Coker had served with the Vance County Sheriff's Office for two years. He is survived by his wife.

Agency Contact Information
Vance County Sheriff's Office
516 Breckenridge Street
Henderson, NC 27536

Phone: (252) 738-2200

ODMP.ORG 4-25-09

Deputy Sheriff Burton (Burt) Lopez
Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office
Florida
End of Watch: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: 195

Deputy Sheriff Warren (Skip) York
Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office
Florida
End of Watch: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: 260
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Shot and killed

Deputy Burt Lopez and Deputy Skip York were shot and killed while attempting to locate a domestic dispute suspect at sporty clays and shooting center.

The suspect fled the scene and was later shot and killed by other deputies in Walton County when he opened fire on them during a pursuit.

Deputy Lopez had served with the agency for six years. He is survived by his wife and children.

Related Line of Duty Deaths
Deputy Sheriff Warren (Skip) York
Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Saturday, April 25, 2009
Cause of Death: Gunfire

Agency Contact Information
Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office
1250 Eglin Parkway
Shalimar, FL 32579

Phone: (850) 651-7410

ODMP.ORG 4-24-09

Police Officer Dexter Hammond
Headland Police Department
Alabama
End of Watch: Friday, April 24, 2009
Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Friday, April 24, 2009
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Shot and killed

Officer Dexter Hammond was shot and killed while responding to reports of a man waving a gun around outside of his trailer. When Officer Hammond arrived at the scene he was fatally shot.

Responding deputies also were fired upon when they arrived. The deputies returned fire, killing the suspect.

Officer Hammond had previously served as the police chief of the Midland City Police Department.

Agency Contact Information
Headland Police Department
9 Park Street
Headland, AL 36345

Phone: (346) 932-222

Rouge Roubaix

Rouge went great and Metro VW took most all of the money in both the men's and women' races! Steve, from Plan B Cycles in Port Orange, Fl, ran our tech support and helped out Andre who took care of the GS responsibilities in the absence of Nathan. Metro VW will have most of the elite squad in California and 3 elite riders in Florida this weekend. Look out Tampa.

Daytona Beach Volkswagen Festival

www.daytonawinterjam.com

WinterJAM 09

February 19th thru 22nd, 2009

WinterJAM is the first event of its kind in the USA. Its a 4 Day Volkswagen Lifestyle Festival. The whole Weekend is planned with events that are geared towards the Volkswagen & Surfing Communities. Events will include 3 Aircooled & Watercooled VW Shows, a Peformance Dyno Event & Burnout Contest, a Navigational Rally, the Worlds Largest Indoor Cal Look Memorabilia Exhibit, VW & Surf Vendors, 2 Swap Meets, a Longboard Surf Contest, and a Skate Demo. Plus there's also 3 Themed Parties with Live Music & tons of Great Food. This year will also host the 1st Annual Ms. WinterJAM Contest & Special Guest MC Dyno Don! Not to forget the tots, we also have plenty in store for them on Sunday at the Volks Jamboree. WinterJAM 2009 will have something for you! The 2009 Daytona WinterJam Weekend sets out to be the biggest & best yet! Now in its third year, its definitely an event that's not to be missed..!

VALLEY OF THE SUN

Great racing by the guys and gals squads of Metro VW this last weekend!Great ride Shannon!!! Welcome Benni and welcome back Christian. Results at: www.wmrc.org

Also go see Plan B at the Sanford and Lake Mary road races this weekend. Plan B will be providing tech support for Metro Volkswagen riders at the Florida races. 

Welcome aboard Plan B Cycling

4639 Clyde Morris Blvd. #107 • Port Orange, FL 32129

Phone: 386.760.7401

www.planbcycling.com

For professional cycling needs in central Florida ride on over to Steve's Plan B in Port Orange. 

Call up for weekly ride details, bike fits, coaching and computerized spin scan analysis.

I go to TJ for the fireworks.

 The temperature is rising and the Tri-guys at the group ride are looking for Erdose to come back for a re-match. They might even take off their camel backs for the ride. 

POLICE ARREST THE 'STEW MAKER' DRUG THUG WHO DISSOLVED 300 BODIES IN ACID 
Daily Mail - Online 
01/26/2009

Mexican police have arrested a man accused of helping a drug kingpin dispose of hundreds of victims by dissolving their bodies in acid.

Santiago Meza Lopez, who has been dubbed the 'Stew maker', confessed to disposing of at least 300 bodies over a decade by dumping them in graves and pouring acid on them to let them dissolve underground.

The victims are believed to be rivals of Teodoro Garcia Simental, an alleged former lieutenant of the Tijuana-based Arellano Felix drug cartel, authorities said.

Soldiers and police paraded Meza, 45, before the public at a cement-block shack on the outskirts of Tijuana where he allegedly disposed of the bodies. Two grave-sized holes had been dug near the walls.

Public display: Police prod alleged mass murderer Meza to speak to the media

Meza, who has not yet been charged, was arrested along with three other people on Thursday at a Tijuana hotel.

The security officers made Meza tell reporters how he allegedly disposed of the bodies, prodding him to speak up whenever he mumbled. He told reporters that he was paid 440 a week for his work.

Meza told police his busiest period was in December 2007 when he claims to have disposed of 32 bodies.

Relatives of the missing people want to show photos of their loved ones to Meza.

Citizens United Against Impunity, a group representing families of missing people in Tijuana, has asked authorities to for permission to meet face-to-face with the accused man.

Grisly find: A soldier investigates Meza's backyard where he allegedly disposed of the bodies

'We are here because this arrest has given us a ray of hope,' said Cristina Palacios, president of CUAI.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration identified Garcia as one of 10 men battling for drug trafficking routes through Tijuana.

The DEA said Garcia was the chief rival of alleged Arellano Felix cartel leader Fernando Sanchez Arrellano.

Mexican officials have blamed the power struggle for a surge in violence in Tijuana, the birthplace of the Arellano Felix cartel.

The two men split in April after a shootout between their followers in Tijuana left at least 14 people dead.

Capture: Heavily-armed soldiers take away Mexican drug suspect Meza

The Arellano Felix cartel rose to power in 1980s. Since 2002, four brothers who led the cartel have been killed or arrested, most recently Eduardo Arellano Felix, who was captured in October in his Tijuana home.

Mexico's grisly drug wars have surged in recent years, particularly in the northern border cities of Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez.

Drug violence claimed more than 5,300 lives last year.

In one case last year, authorities said they found human teeth and other remains inside barrels of acid left on a Tijuana street. Officials did not say whether Meza was suspected of involvement in that case.

Two human heads were also found inside coolers near police stations in Celaya, a city in central Guanajuato state, said state deputy Attorney General Armando Amaro.

Hours later, police found the bodies with their hands tied behind their backs.

A message was left with the heads threatening allies of a drug cartel knows as La Familia, Attorney Genral Amaro said.

It was signed by Zetas, a group of hit men for the Gulf Cartel.

WORLD WAR II ARMS BUNKER IN TAMPA HIDES MARIJUANA GROW HOUSE

St. Petersburg Times - Online
01/22/2009

But on Jan. 9, narcotics detectives searched a rundown house in Tampa's Drew Park industrial area. At first it looked as if their tipster had been wrong. Then they opened the door of a wooden shed in the back yard. They saw a ladder and a 3-foot hole in a concrete floor, and light. Lots of it.

Descending, they discovered a sophisticated marijuana grow house in a place they didn't even know existed an underground bunker built to store munitions during World War II. They counted 66 plants, some tall as Christmas trees, worth an estimated $231,000, according to police Maj. George McNamara.

It took a few days for detectives to connect with the person who lived above the bunker.

Gustavo Gonzalez, 37, a Cuban national who rented the property at 4107 N Manhattan Ave., was arrested Friday at Animal Services when he tried to pick up a his dog after the police impounded it, McNamara said.

He was charged with possession of cannabis with intent to sell, manufacture of cannabis, owning, leasing or renting for the purpose of manufacturing cannabis, and grand theft in the third degree of electricity. He posted $40,000 bail and was released from Orient Road jail Saturday.

Tampa Electric Co. and the Drug Enforcement Administration worked with the police to investigate reported suspicious activity and discovered that electricity was being diverted from a pole near the residence, but authorities couldn't figure out where it was going, McNamara said.

After obtaining a search warrant, the Tampa police narcotics unit went in Jan. 9 and were amazed at what they found.

After going into the house, detectives searched with no luck until they came across a 3-foot trap door in a plain, wooden shed out back. This led them to a 2,000-square-foot bunker with 12-foot-high ceilings.

In a Police Department video, officers descend into the hole on a metal ladder, and emerge in a small room below where blinding lights reflect off walls covered in what looks like aluminum foil. This room houses only a couple of marijuana plants.

Moving further inside, they find another room, slightly larger than the first, with more lights, foil and plants being cooled by a house fan. Down a long concrete hallway a few more plants are visible, before the officers reach the largest, most spacious room.

Here the underground world is as bright as daylight, with wall-to-wall marijuana plants in irrigated soil like you'd find in a nursery.

A brochure for the Army Air Warning Service School that operated on the base from the early 1940s says the land had been first owned by John Drew, a Tampa contractor and real estate investor who turned subdivision property into a private landing field.

Drew Field was acquired by the city of Tampa in 1928 for a municipal airport. Little was done, however, until the government took over and made plans for the militarization of the site.

In 1939, it was leased to the Army for Drew Army Airfield, a training base for recruits on their way to war. The field was separate from MacDill Army Air Base, and housed the 3rd Fighter Command and B-17 bombers.

At the end of 1946, the property was returned to the city, which then sold the land to private owners.

The area today is known as Drew Park, an aging industrial district best known these days for its X-rated movie houses.

The current owners of the house and the property, including the bunker, are Carlos and Maricela Morffi, according to Hillsborough County property records. The Morffis also own a vacant lot in Drew Park on N Manhattan Avenue near Woodlawn Avenue.

The bunker contained a 5-ton air conditioner, along with a generator, circuit wall, lights and various gardening tools, McNamara said. 'The air filtration system was so sophisticated, it was connected to bird feeders in the yard,' he explained. Gonzalez had been renting the property for four years, but McNamara is unsure of how long the grow house has been operating. Because of the elaborate nature of the setup, Tampa police are investigating whether others were involved. 'It took someone a lot of effort to get all that down there,' McNamara said. 'I've seen all types of operations,' he said. 'But this is one that I will remember because it was such an elaborate scheme. We had no idea this munitions bunker was even here and now we're wondering, 'Are there any more bunkers out there?' ' They are trying to find out.

New Year

On the road again trying to slowly work out the kinks. Still fighting with knee/ankle pain issues still present from getting hit by the minivan a year and a half ago. 

The new team roster is looking very promising and I am happy to welcome, from my old home is Switzerland, Beni Baumgartner. Beni is going to be a strong addition to the team and is going to bring some great experience to the squad and surely some solid results.

Work has been great and my new transfer has helped me shed some big causes of undue stress... only to be replaced by a new beast but one which I gladly welcome! The new dog, K-9 Adi (right, Macho on the left) is doing great. She is a little ball of fire and ultra protective and jealous or everything that takes the lime light off of her, even jealous of Jill.

Good video attached to remember there is always a second threat. A semi auto pistol in this case being removed from the suspects back waist band with his right hand.