got this off Clark's Blog I love that spoof style design!

this image appears to be from the same illustrator who created the image on Car Free City
(as the signature of SINGER shows)

this came off a French Blog; antivoitures
web pages can be translated with Googles Help

had to go to a French Blog for this... Car Free City

and
World Car Free

and

I found it....
Andy Singer... the man holding the crayon that creates these masterpieces

Lance on Charlie Rose
finally caught the fully interview

more LANCE from LANCE

in what seems like a week's time summer is gone
my perception of time has changed
things a skewed
a season that once lasted forever is now here and gone without even one Road Trip to the beach
what have I become?
is this adult life?

summer and its freedom bring back so many great memories
the things we did to occupy our time
I feel as if I grew up in one of the last eras wiht the adventureous spirit of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn
now things are different....
the Internet has replaced outdoor adventure
children multitask... sending Instant Messages rather than playing kick the can
why would a child ride a bike when they can be a world class BMXer on their PLAYSTATION?
why would a child play pick up basketball when he can dunk on PLAYSTATION?
why would a child struggle to learn to snowboard when he can do McTwists in the halfpip on the SONY PLAYSTATION?

don't get me wrong.... I was a video addict back in the day of the coin operated video game machine
but.... there was a certain limitation
as life was a tad more simple when I was a child
money did not flow quite as freely

remember
30 years ago.... time prior to the Super Big Gulp
a time when 12 ounces of soda was more than enough
soda was something special
not something consumed here there everywhere....
a treat on pizza night or after a soccer game

times have changed
the world has changed
not all change is for the better
we evolve
we evolve
until it seems we de-evolve

will it be possible for me to raise my children with a healthy balance
YES!

it is not easy
but we try
there are already threats of temptations
the request for video games has already begun
introduction at the dentist office and at friends or families' houses
soon we will certainly have these games in our house too
because...
if they are going to play these games
at least let them be played under my supervision
with limits and control

yesterday Dean was pleased to have his friend from down the block back from a summer in Spain
it was good to see this old friend... well Dean's diminutive friend
there were the same standard issues as they quickly fell into their old habits
they were trying to leave Grant out of the action
there was fighting over toys
there was that overly physical play....
so I used Dean's friends in the way I like to use them best... to get Dean to do something that I want

Dean has walked the dogs with me since he was a small child
as a baby he was in the Baby Bjorn
then he moved to the backpack
from the backpack he moved to the ground and kept moving
but
the standard loop across the street has become "old hat"
it is hard to inspire Dean to do this loop over and over again
but... to his friends this loop is still fresh and new
so with his friends the shared experience is still fresh and new

so.... I asked Dean's guest if he wanted to hike
sure enough he did...
so did Dean... and well... so did Grant
Grant got most enthused
he started to move about in a panic yelling HIKE... HIKE... HIKE in his mono-sylabic sort of way
so we all walked the dogs

it is a short loop
but the loop goes over logs
up and down hills
there are trees to climb and forts to hide in
there are different paths to choose from
it is an amazing resource right across the street from my house
a little bit of the country tucked right in the middle of an urban world

we did our hike
hopefully we will hike again
hopefully the thrill of hiking will be combined with the thrill of biking
hopefully there will be a love of kick the can and freeze tag
as we are not Amish... it is inevitable for the children to be drawn to DVDs and Video Games

but only with balance....
if you eat your vegetables.... their is no harm in an occassional dessert

DONATIONS

(check with your employer... they may match your contibution!)

.


Bike Lanes in the Washington Post

and a reminder...
go back and finish reading the posts and the links at
alaskabikeblog


.

perspective:
a : the technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye; specifically : representation in a drawing or painting of parallel lines as converging in order to give the illusion of depth and distance b : a picture in perspective2 a : the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed ; also : POINT OF VIEW
b : the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance 3 a : a visible scene; especially : one giving a distinctive impression of distance : VISTA b : a mental view or prospect 4 : the appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their relative distance and positions

let me use this word in a sentence...
This tragedy in New Orleans should help us all to put our lives in perspective.

News on Katrina and her wake

two things about the passing of time and the passing of today

today was Dean's first day at his new school
it is pre-K.... Anarchy in the Pre-K
Dean was at another school/daycare before
this is a new school; new school building, new school teacher, and new school students
he transitioned well... no tears
roughly 19 years ago I was at that same school on my way home from work
this trip was made after work with another messenger from the same company
he was a high level skater from an day earlier
still skating and tearing up the streets fighting for position as "top dog" at this company
legend had it he was on the cover of Thrasher in 1981 which at that point in time was not so many years prior... he was still going big at Cedear Crest Country Club's steel ramp
we were on our mid eighties low end mountainbikes
there were some asphalt transitions there that we were trying to do BMX style maneuvers
this skater/messenger who went by Puker was not doing anything more fancy than myself
guess without these transitions going to vert or us not having any BMX skills kept us on the ground
which was not odd for me.... as I have a history of existing as a land dweller
on one of my feeble attempts to catch air I managed to break my chrome Mongoose ATB frame
that would be the first of a dozen broken frames from a long list of warranties
guess Dean transitioned better at this school than I did

one more notion on age
tonight I put on some music so that Dean and Grant could dance
normally their flavor is Electronica of one style or another
but tonight I grabbed a cd of The Who's Tommy
Grant was able to spin some moves to it
Dean was more into his Batman moves that I was convinced would take us to the ER
then I thought
this album came out roughly then I was Dean's age
I can recall much of the chorus' and rhythms from that early in life
I can also recall listening to this Rock Opera at great length in high school

time to put Dean to bed
while Dean picks out a book I am going to make this addition to this early post
when reading to Dean so often I enjoy the bicycle theme books
the other day when reading Franklin Rides a Bike I as pleased when Dean displayed an interest in trying to learn to ride his bike without training wheels (again)
but there are times when the cyclist is not the good guy... like in Bill and Pete

no time to grab an album cover of The Who's Tommy

please check this out...

the Wooster Collective

found on Martino's Bike Lane Diary

and this FRENCH BLOG also from Martino
translate it with GOOGLE

Warning Signs: the signs are there, but no one sees them
maybe we need to change the signs
udate the colors?
update the images?
update the message?

more than likely not
more signs will be ignored just like the ones that already exist
perhaps signs are not part of the solution

so what is the solution?

earlier education...
have people learn how to drive before they learn to drive....
not in driver's education... but as young grade schoolers
perhaps if the children were more aware of the proper behavior in the car
maybe they could share this message with their parents!

could you imagine...

"mommy... do you really need to be making that call right now? if that call is so important, why don't we pull over and you can finish that call. otherwise... your focus should be on driving. after all... you are carrying precious cargo. " [ending with a large smile and a flutter of eye lashes]

or

"daddy.... did you see that sign? it said STOP. you just slowed and rolled past"

"mommy.... you almost hit that cyclist. that scared me? will cars try and run me over when I ride my bicycle?"

I remember the children a few houses down the block from me growing up....
they had a deal with their dad
everytime their dad drove off without his seatbelt on.... the kid who made him aware of this got a quarter
such a system could work for kids on other rules and laws of driving....

in the end
people are growing to be less and less civilized
our habits are growing to be more and more degraded
in the beginning.... our grandfather's drove with caution
they raised their sons and daughters to drive in the same fashion
I do not recall my father speeding excessively about town, nor do I recall him rolling through STOP signs, running Red Lights, running cyclists off the road, or giving other driver's the finger

well... this is how the average mom or dad drives today
this has to make an impression on a child's perspective of proper behavior in a car
so
when this same child goes to take the driver's test.... I would be shocked if they bother to put their cell phone down during the process

enough for now
too bad this soap box only goes out the the bicycle riding choir

.


Track Bike Fun
sent to me from Gibby
also from Gibby... The Square Wheel... which was the name of the shop he worked at in Berkley
this same source hipped me to a documentary of IF trying to get some business advice (as mentioned by Dirt Rag)
the official site for THE TURNAROUND

and then this.....

BICYCLES AND ICICLES
a bicyclist blogging from Alaska
(not from Gibby)

went and checked out TIMMYP's site
it had been a while for me
check him out

.

More Images from Colorado
these shots were taken in Boulder

as most people know.... Boulder is a fitness Mecca
the running and cycling community seems larger there than in any city I have ever experienced
sure...
DC has its runners, its bikers, and its kick ballers... but nothing like Boulder
the surroundings are just great for enabling such interests

not only are the mountains and the trails aiding in enabling such interests
but
the rules and laws of the area aid in allowing such activities

in my short time in Boulder I took a few snapshots of various signs that made sense
signs that I would love to see in my town
here are a few...
all too small to read
-the first image shows a bike path
in this image it is clear that the path moves to allow cyclists to take a left hand turn
then it says "yeild to bikes"
this is something that the DC area could use
how can a cyclist take a left turn if they are forced to stay in the right hand lane?

-No Passing Bikes on Curves
then the warning sign says Bikes Next 7 Miles
this is common sense
but DC could use some of these signs as well
does it take a head on collision for people to realize how ignorant this is?
the car could run into another car.... or worse yet... another cyclist!

-then the CONOCO

-a warning sign telling bikes to USE THE FULL LANE
don't need to tell me twice!
share the road does not mean share the lane!
power to the people!
the revolution will not be motorized

-this one is basic.... but we could use it in Anytown USA
DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION and BIKE X-ING
basic....
every day I deal with this same scenario
people line up in the queue... right over the bike path.. blocking the intersection
I tell ya.... IQ test and Death Penalty

-STATE LAW: YEILD TO PEDESTRIANS
for me the multi-color sign with the wake up effort
seems that no one sees the signs
seems that no one sees the lines on the road
maybe the signs and the lines need to be brighter?

I hate the thought of more signs
there are enough signs
people do not see the signs
perhaps PSA on these issues may help better
or
start the education early

who knows...
maybe we can find a drug to inject people with empathy
if people could just see the cyclist on the road as a person just like themselves rather than a moving obstacle.... then we might get somewhere
until then....
it is ROLLERBALL 2000!

a few shots from Colorado earlier this summer....

.

from my cousin an article about bike seats and well....

.

Double Parking and Rush Hour No Parking
there are a few things that really irk me about life in the city
Double Parking and Parking in the Rush Hour No Parking Zone have to rank up there in the top ten
Whether riding my bike or driving my car I often find myself getting frustrated by some "butt plug" who is double parked
they may be dropping off their "momma"
or
they may be picking up their "girl"
no matter what the reason... they are blocking traffic with no concern for anyone else but themselves
so frequently I pass this common urban site
after making the pass I see several legal spaces large enough that parallel parking would not be needed
yet
these people choose to double park

well
I think that there should be a little change in the DOUBLE PARKING ticketing policy
it is simple
Double Parking would be a ten dollar fine
simple
just a ten dollar fine
the conditions would change
officer friendly would no longer pull up behind the double parked vehicle and offer that gentle push with their lights and horn
nor would officer friendly walk up to the driver's side window and give a knock or a rap on the window
no
instead the ticket would be written and issued immediately
then the car would be told to move
then if this person got 5 of these tickets in a year's time
this driver would lose their license
simple and plain
driving is a privilege not a right
and well
people are abusing their privilege
those who can not behave need to be punished

ticket and tow
take em away

this same rule goes to those parked in the Rush Hour No Parking Lanes
downtown everyday
take a look around
every day I see the same people doing the same thing
someone dropping off their friend or lover
if they are there a few minutes early....
well they wait there till it is time for work
car parked blocking traffic
then they wonder why there is RUSH HOUR traffic

18th Street Study

check it out

they are trying to figure out how to make the Adams Morgan area more safe for travel and more attractive for living

saw fellow City Bikes Mountainbike Team Member Joe Foley twice this weekend
he was out spinning on his road bike
looks like he is getting totally ready for the Shenandoah Mountain 100
also saw fellow Clydesdale Chris Redlack
think I saw him through the trees as I was out on a hike with the dogs yesterday
know I saw Chris coming the opposite direction on the Capitol Crescent trail this afternoon
I was out on the cross bike pulling Grant in the trailer
starting to get excited about the SM100 myself
there is a great deal that surrounds the event
it can be a serious party
lisa and dean will be down camping the night prior which should be fun!
Joe did some leg work for the team and got us to order some wool jerseys
I am psyched to get a classic jersey for the fall...
will I need to get wool arm warmers?
as the lycra and the wool would clash?

Things are not always what they seem;
especially when they move past on the bicycle
living in the same town...
traveling down the same set of roads...
growing up in this same basic area...
riding the same loops on my bicycle before and after work for years....
all of these factors have brought me to see some of the same people over and over again over the years
especially those within the bicycle culture

when seeing these various strangers I try to create an idea of who these people are
it is a guessing game that is seldom proven true
yet this guessing game is seldom proven false as I seldom encounter these people face to face
(other than the incidental nod or a wave)

so from across the hectic intersection or passing on the multi-use bicycle trail I see these people
when I see them I make an uneducated guess of who they are...
I guess about if they are a commuter, a racer, someone training, someone out for a ride to get some ice cream, someone forced to be on a bike due to a DWI
I guess if they are going on a long ride or a short
I guess if hey are rich or poor, married or single, native to this country or transplants
the guesses go deeper
I even go so far as try and create an idea of what their voice may sound like
most often when I finally meet one of these people I find that I was not close on any counts
yet I continue to play this game in my head just the same

this morning there was an article in the Washington Post about a woman who travels the city via bicycle
it was a joy to have these questions answered
as expected
I was wrong on all counts

with this woman I had certain thoughts of her sanity
perhaps people who see me traveling on my bike question mine
these questions of her stability were not answered by the article... but I am assuming that she is more sane than I had thought
she clearly is not he homeless vagabond that I thought she was
as a matter of fact she is a professor at Georgetown University
then the story went further
as it turns out she is the mother of someone I went to high school with
this is something that I could have never anticipated
but... as it turns out she is DC Benny's mom
go figure

moments ago as I was crossing town from picking up Dean from a sleep over at my mom's
I saw her
there she was...the mystery was solved
at a red light I was in my car and she was on her bike; that same bike... that same floppy hat
I gave her a hearty wave and hello from my air conditioned car
in a shout told her I saw the article
the exchange was garbled.... distance... hearing... ambient noise, whatever
it was fun to see her just the same
it was even more fun to learn who she is and that I impressions of her were entirely false... as expected

Washington Post Article

I went to high school with her son... did not know him well... but knew him well enough to know he was funny
now he is trying to get "paid" for being funny
although he is now in New York... he still goes by DC Benny
saw his name on the Marquee at the Improv around the corner from work the other day
also happened to catch his performance on Last Comic Standing.... a performance I am sure he would like to forget... as he seemed to cave under the pressure on that night tough business

oh
no offense to any insane people out there
better insane than boring