Don't Vote

"I've never fought a war on drugs. I've never done shit on drugs besides played Halo 2."

Mountainboarding Triple Crown Final Stop TODAY

Come on out and watch some down and dirty mountainboarding action today and tomorrow in Colorado Springs! Good times!

Click here for event details!

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Joys of Moving

We're back!

The move is done. We have a ton of boxes to unpack, but the bulk of the heavy lifting is taken care of (not all, but most).

It seems that Doug Savage of Savage Chickens was moving this week, too, since he put up 3 in a row about the topic. Here's my favorite (most applicable to us):

Heavy by Doug Savage

Here's our living room in its "before" state:


...and after a whole lot of this:

...we ended up with this:


That hardly seems to be an improvement, does it?

So, here's one of the best things about the house -- the view:


We are so incredibly thrilled to be living in the mountains.

The *only* downside to this move is the increased presence of these guys:

Holy shit, y'all, that's a brown recluse spider (pretty sure)!!! I'm insanely scared of spiders as it is (first nightmare I ever had was about them and the situation hasn't improved much), and I've had two spider close calls in a row, two nights in a row, right before bed each time. Guess how well I'm sleeping?

And before I sign off, I'd like to say THANK YOU, bigtime, to Drew, Dave, Phil, and Josh for all the help moving. You guys are awesome.
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Festival Feet

Austin City Limits 2008

Fey as Palin, Palin as Palin

More SNL goodness that isn't too far from the mark...


aaand, the real Palin on foreign policy...


aaaand, the real Palin on the financial bailout...


Dear God, help us all...and give Tina Fey an Emmy.

Gear Junkie's Critical Mass Ride

Another great Gear Junkie article:

Critically Debatable
By STEPHEN REGENOLD
published September 23, 2008

The car revved its engine from behind as I signaled a turn, my arm outstretched to motion a left. It was just before 5p.m., the last Friday in July, and I was riding my bike to a gathering in Loring Park at the edge of downtown Minneapolis. “Go get yourself killed!” came a shout from the driver as I bumped off the road.

Thus was my introduction to Critical Mass, a monthly gathering where cyclists meet in cities around the world — from Sao Paulo to St. Paul — in a show of solidarity on city streets clogged with cars.

Since its inception in the early 1990s in San Francisco — and the subsequent adoption by bikers around the globe — Critical Mass has no doubt brought attention to how unfriendly cities can be to cyclists. But the controversial rides have also spurned violent outbursts by bikers, property damage, and the deployment of riot gear on mobs of riders refusing to obey traffic laws.

ABOVE: The Mass clogging up Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis.

In August 2007, tension between police and cyclists in Minneapolis cumulated in the arrest of 19 bikers, though most all charges were eventually dropped. This is one local example from dozens of similar incidents around the globe.

As social phenomena go, Critical Mass tends to polarize, be it the view that the bikers are arrogant punks bent on anarchistic confrontation or that of car drivers as smog-spewing street hogs oblivious to pedaling commuters on the road. As a longtime bike commuter — though one who respects the laws of the street — my view was somewhere in between these two extremes when I pedaled to the park for the July ride.

Ride On
There is no leader at a Critical Mass. There is no common agenda. Riders meet at a universal place and time — 5p.m. in Minneapolis at Loring Park, the last Friday of the month — and hang out until a few people initiate a ride through the urban grid.

When I rolled up in July, about 200 cyclists were milling in the mist of Loring Park’s famous dandelion fountain. Police watched from the north side of the park, a quiet tension seething through the crowd as three Mass participants shouted for attention before starting an ad hoc “arrest protocol session.” “If an officer stops you make sure to ask ‘Am I being detained?’” a presenter yelled out.

ABOVE: Mass participants preparing for the ride.

Soon we were pedaling south on Hennepin Avenue, a line of massers riding slow and blocking traffic. We took up the southbound lane. We ran red lights. Cars honked, while many pedestrians cheered.

I coasted up to Justin Kalemkiarian, 24, a mass rider from Minneapolis. “We need to make cars aware that bikers are allowed on the road,” he said.

Force of Law
Since the August 2007 arrests, where alleged police aggression gave the city a black eye, law officials in Minneapolis have walked on egg shells. In July, I counted 28 police officers spinning on mountain bikes, their guns bobbing on belt straps. Squad cars circled the mass, honking, blaring sirens at will.

But tension faded as the mass took a left on Lake Street in Uptown, 10 minutes into the ride. By Lyndale Avenue, where the mass turned back north, I realized the law enforcement was blocking the intersections for us, serving to keep the ride running smoothly.

ABOVE: Bike cops wait in Loring Park for the Mass to start.

The bike police ran all the red lights. They blocked traffic, some even shouting at motorists. “Cool it buddy,” a man in blue yelled toward an angry driver.

Article Continues - (Go read the rest; it's really good!)
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Drunk Rednecks Talk Obama

Headline of the Week

Cops: Man would kill for breasts

A murder-for-hire plot disrupted Thursday night in Fountain was hatched, in part, so a man could finance his girlfriend's breast augmentation, police said.

Nikita Weis, 18, offered to pay two men a total of $7,000 to break into his home, kill his mother and dispose of her body, said Fountain Deputy Police Chief Mike Barnett.

Weis planned to sell her car and drain her bank accounts, using some of the money to buy breast implants for his girlfriend, 21-year-old Sophia Alsept, Barnett said.

from the Colorado Springs Gazette

Marilyn Monroe in the Some Like It Hot Trailer

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Debates 08

Your Lows' Blows author is back with another review, this time on the first Presidential Debate.

It was not as lively as I expected it to be, both Obama and McCain seemed a bit reserved, constrained.

If it was a war of sound bytes, which it usually is, then McCain came out slightly ahead; if it was a war of in depth national security views then Obama came out slightly ahead based on expectations.

Technically speaking you could tell Obama was coached well, he looked directly into the camera when speaking to the audience (you could not see the crowd at all), he looked at John McCain directly when debating him directly.
McCain rarely directed his attention away from the moderator when debating against Obama or talking to the voting public.
McCain's advisers will surely seek to improve his performance here; no one cares who the moderator is voting for.

In my view this debate was on John McCain's strengths, and he was predictably strong on many of the issues.
I felt going in expectations for Obama were not very high.
I believe even though Obama may not have won the overall sound byte war he more than held his own on policy, which in my view is a good result from this debate for him if the audience viewing was as close to as big as predicted.
Obama outperformed his expectations clearly.

Obama made a few mistakes that I predict will be used against him in the campaign rhetoric.
He stated McCain was right in an attempt to be gracious 5 times; McCain's campaign will use those bytes against him in coming ads.

Obama did not come away empty handed in the sound bytes war, however; he lashed out strongly, even waving his finger at McCain when addressing the Iraq War and McCain's original support and statements regarding it, it was a strong moment for a candidate who is accused of not having many.

McCain reminded people a little too often, another issue his campaign will very likely address, about his age and how long he has been around.
McCain referenced often things many viewers of this debate were not alive to witness.
It perhaps is not wise for him to remind people he would be the oldest president ever elected especially with the problems his running mate is having as of late.

McCain displayed his campaign's new line of attack by stating over and over that Obama was naive on military strategy and foreign affairs; they will be used by his campaign in ads alot I predict.
However, they will not hold up well if bytes are shown of Obama's seemingly well informed responses on nightly news shows.

McCain was predictably tough, feisty, pushed Obama hard on issues, controlled the room at times, never stated he agreed with Obama on any issue even if it was clear he did, dodged some questions clearly that he will have to answer in the coming debates.
Must stop using Iraq veterans and their families to deflect questions, or change subjects; I predict it is going to come back to 'byte' him politically (Obama nailed him once pretty well on it in this debate).
McCain was a bit too dismissive and condescending at times, I have already heard that come up some ten to fifteen times in the hour since the debate.
Overall McCain preformed strongly - he will get a bit traction after two very bad weeks politically.

Obama came off cerebral, predictably he was a bit on the defensive, battled back with well informed responses, was feisty at moments but not feisty enough overall, was too gracious at times which won't serve him politically.
Obama exceeded expectations in a debate that is not considered his strong suit.
Overall Obama performed well.

We will have wait to see how the debate fleshes out in the news cycles.
I predict both candidates will get some traction from this debate from different angles and in differing degrees.

McCain will get ad fodder; I can clearly see it coming: "Obama said John McCain was right 5 times! Even Obama thinks McCain is the right man to be president!"

Obama will get some traction from his strong moments and his overall appearance of being well informed in the debate; he has had two good political weeks with his mostly positive reviews on his involvement in the "bailout" discussions and McCain's mostly bad reviews that will likely carry him farther than his performance here this night; probably will get news show coverage of his sound bytes, but won't have as much ad fodder to use.

Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week starts in two days (27 Sep - 4 Oct). My favorite banned book is Fahrenheit 451 (which, incidentally, addresses the banning of books). Or maybe 1984. Or maybe Huckleberry Finn...

via bannedbooksweek.org:

Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups--or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature.

According to the American Library Association, more than 400 books were challenged in 2007. The 10 most challenged titles were:

1. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
2. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
3. Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
4. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
7. TTYL by Lauren Myracle
8. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
9. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
(Click here to see why these books were challenged.)

During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2008 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 27 through October 4.

The purpose of this Web site is to help the public join the celebration of our freedom to read. The easiest way is to visit a participating library or bookstore. There is a list of Events, to help you find one in your community. (If you want to post information about an event in your community, please click here.) There is also a list of suggestions of other activities that will help remind people of the importance of free speech, What You Can Do. If you want further information about BannedBooksWeek.org, contact us at info@abffe.com or bbw@ala.org.

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the National Association of College Stores. Banned Books Week is also endorsed by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress.

Thank you for celebrating Banned Books Week!

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Wednesday's Words

In today's uber-political climate, I thought it appropriate to go back to some common-sense (at least to a exTexan) wisdom from the wonderful Kinky Friedman:

...that is the nature of politics: poly, meaning more than one, and ticks, meaning blood-sucking parasites.


...My platform is to remember that when they went out searching for Sam Houston to try to persuade him to be the governor—and he was the greatest governor this state has ever had—rumor has it that they found him drunk sleeping under a bridge with the Indians.

...Politics is the only field in which the more experience you have, the worse you get.


...Yes, I'm a Judeo-Christian. Jesus and Moses are in my heart, and... both of them were independents, by the way.

All quotes via Wikiquote

Kinky for President!!!

'Kinky' Kimin

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The Walking Bike in Art

Remember the walking bike?

I just ran across it on this artist's page:

(Well, pretty close anyway.)

Artist: EUGENIO RECUENCO (warning: some of this work is not family-friendly)
via Lunatica Desnuda Blog
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What Would You Wish to Happen by the End of Today?

Hmmm....


Fifty People, One Question: Restored from Benjamin Reece on Vimeo.

Once again via YesButNoButYes
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Climbing Dog

Wow, dog with serious skills:



via YesButNoButYes
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Cyclocross

I haven't tried out cyclocross -- I'm not really a skinny-tire girl, for one thing (plus I'm just not that fit). Nonetheless, it's one more interesting thing in the bike world.

The Gear Junkie did a great feature story on it if you haven't caught it:

Lonny Mahoney lost his lead on the sixth lap of the race, skinny tires spinning on grass, brakes squeaking as he slowed through a turn. It was a Wednesday evening, a gray sky arching over Buffer Park in Hopkins, Minn., where a squad from the Minnesota Cycling Team meets to train on a quarter-mile-long course through a field.

“Go, go, go!” yelled a rider on the sidelines. Mahoney whizzed by, eyes fixed on the course ahead. Then, at the base of a hill, Mahoney dismounted, shouldering his bike to leap a small wooden hurdle, shoes digging in, turf flying as he chased his opponent uphill and on foot.

ABOVE: Grinding through the grass at Grumpy’s CX race last November in Blaine, Minn.

This is cyclocross, an upcoming cycling discipline where off-road courses with tight turns, muddy slopes, steep banks, sand pits, and manmade obstacles make up the medium of the sport. Riders tuck and pedal hard on straightaways, then skid through turns. They get on and off their bikes multiple times per lap, leaping pre-placed barriers on foot before re-mounting to pedal back into the pack.

Cyclocross bikes eschew suspension, trading rigidity and bumps for a faster ride. Drop-bar handles and road-bike geometry foster further speed. Skinny tires with knobby tread saw the ground for grip.

“It’s a bit bizarre, kind of a fringe thing still,” said Kevin Lennon, captain of the 30-member Minnesota Cycling Team. “But cyclocross has gotten big.”

Article continues

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Hemmed In

via Wooster Collective:

Fresh Stuff From DAN in Bristol UK

So says Alice...
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Colorado Ranked 22nd in Bike Friendliness

Ghost Bike in Colorado Springs

Via Bicycle Colorado:

Bicycle-Friendly State Rankings
Colorado Scores Low

Colorado scored a disappointing 22nd in a new ranking by the League of American Bicyclists based on state-level bicycle policies and legislation. Colorado cyclists are accustomed to our state always ranking high as a beautiful place to bicycle. This ranking looks past the scenery, focusing on state government's actions towards bicycling and highlighting the obstacles that bicycling faces.

Bicycle Colroado has asked the League for the all the data used in the ranking process to ensure our efforts are addressing all areas needing improvement. It is clear that Colorado ranking was bolstered by Bicycle Colorado's leadership passing the Bicycle Safety Bill, creating the Colorado Safe Routes to School program and championing Share the Road education.

A preliminary review of the ranking critera shows Bicycle Colorado's current campaigns to create a state complete streets policy, educate bicyclists and motorists on safe road practices, work with law enforcement to enforce bicyclists' rights, and enact bicycle-friendly legislation are right on target to improve bicyclists' needs and the state's ranking.

(Article continues)

Share the road, Colorado -- that's somebody's Dad or Mom or Sister or Brother or Lover out there!

Nude Bicycle Race, Madrid

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